#also i just love these two suits so much and since most of their interactions are in-suit i want to take a look at the marvelous suit actin

[trippinsorrows]

midnight sun

authors note: don't ask. don't ask. don't ask.

words: 1.8k

warnings: angst, domestic violence

song inspo: 'faithfully' by journey

And bein' apart ain't easy on this love affair Two strangers learn to fall in love again I get the joy of rediscovering you

Pressure.

A constant, almost soothing, irreparable thing. A loyal companion that hasn’t escaped nor forsaken him for as long as he can remember. The perpetual weight of responsibility that was assigned to him the day he entered this world, and something that will remain with him until the day he leaves it.

Whenever the fuck that’ll be.

At this rate and with his luck, not for a very long time.

“Did you know that the average person has four bad days per month?”  An overheard question.  Something Roman has to scoff at. Whatever sample that was used that produced such a statistic had to have been the fucking soccer and yoga moms. The ones who consider Starbucks being out of fucking pumpkin spice the definition of a bad day. “Adults also apparently smile 15 to 20 times per day.”

Another random fact that’s overheard, except it’s something that Roman realizes is much closer than he initially realized. The proximity does not align with something that’s in earshot. More so something that’s right in front of him.

“I don’t know if I—if I really believe all that, but—”

With a heavy sigh, he lifts his head, ready to lay into the poor, unsuspecting soul. “Why are you fucking talking to—”

Two abrupt stops. Two interruptions. Two complete collisions. 

A second round.

Years. Almost twenty, and yet the instant his eyes lock with hers, he knows, and judging by the way she drops the notepad in her hand, she knows, too.

It’s been some time since he’s felt so thoroughly shaken, but that’s exactly what he feels in this moment.

“Solana?”

Not that there was any doubt before, but the tiny gasp that leaves her mouth is all the confirmation he needs that this is most definitely her. 

Her eyes. So big, brown, and inquisitive. Once filled with an abundance of hurt and pain, an ideal match with his all that time ago, is no longer the same. Something different. There’s some trace of happiness. Yet, there’s something almost disingenuous about it. Like, it’s a poor attempt at camouflaging what was felt so long ago.

What might still be felt.

“Roman….”

His jaw clenches. It’s been so long since he’s heard his name leave the mouth of someone like her. Soft. Innocent. Kind.

None of those non-physical things about her have changed. He can tell that even in this brief, unexpected interaction. 

Naturally, his eyes move over her, noticing her hair is no longer long and cascading down her back. It’s short, barely brushing past her shoulders. Lighter. It suits her.

Her body is filled out, shapely, womanly, heavy in the desired areas. And the minute her mouth curls into an almost hesitant smile, he finds himself pleased that that has remained unchanged.

She always had such a soothing, beautiful smile.

“I—what—what are you doing here?”

A good fucking question considering he has a million and other things on his to-do list and not one of them includes sitting in this random coffee shop he drove past on his aimless drive. 

“I mean,” she laughs nervously, hand to her face, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, that’s—that’s a silly question. You don’t have to answer—”

“I was driving and saw it. Wanted coffee.” Not necessarily a lie. He does now want coffee but not necessarily when he chose to park his Maserati and enter into the quiet, almost wholesome shop. “You work here.” A statement. Not a question.

Nodding, he’s much more pleased than he should be to see her smile grow. “Well, technically, I—I own it, but—”

“You own this place?” To anyone else, it’s perhaps a silly thing to “ask” given she just said as such, but for him, for them, it's so much more.

Her smile is bright, a light that contrasts the still unhealed bruises on her face as she shares with much more hope and optimism than anyone in their situation should have, “I want to own a coffee shop some day.” Looking over at him, consciously or unconsciously scooting closer, she challenges, “guess what I’m gonna name it?”

A bitter scoff leaves his mouth. He rolls his eyes but still gives it a go. “Sunshine’s place or some shit like that?”

Her giggle is a respite from the heaviness of the past two weeks. The only escape he’s found in this hell hole. And not just the facility. 

“No. I’m gonna name it—”

“Dulce’s…..” Roman pulls himself from a memory buried so deep, he doesn’t know how he was able to retrieve it. “You always said…..” 

“Yeah…..” she answers in a low voice, pushing back some of her hair, a nervous habit he sees still exists. But, it’s not the habit he’s focused on. It’s the diamond on her finger.

An engagement ring. 

“You’re engaged.” Another assessment. One that shouldn’t stir up whatever the fuck is brewing within him.

For a second, she looks like it’s a surprise to her as well. And, he sees it, catches the brief glimpse of an attempted escape. 

That sadness. A feeling that doesn’t quite escape a person, not to the extent she felt.

That they both felt.

Still feels, clearly.

For her, at least.

Maybe.

“Y—yes. Ummm—”

“Solana.”

Another voice introduced to the conversation. Male. Gruff. Infuriating. Roman cuts his eyes to the out of shape man who looks like a recovering alcoholic and someone who doesn’t need to be talking or even around her.

“Cody’s waiting.”

Cody?

But, Roman doesn’t have time to think too much about that ugly ass name. His focus is back on Solana, Solana who has suddenly shifted from slightly timid to downright terrified. She’s grasping at the material of her apron. “But, I—I thought he said I could work all day tod—”

“Plans changed.” A rude, coarse interruption that has Roman’s jaw ticking. Just who the fuck is this man and why does he think he can talk to Solana like that?

“Don’t you see we’re in the middle of a fucking conversation?” A much too late entrance into whatever this is, but an arrival nonetheless. “Leave.” 

For some reason, it seems the man only now decided to pay attention to just who she was speaking to, a recognition that has his eyes widened as he turns back to Solana, poorly whispering, “do you know who the fuck this is?”

“Kevin, please. I’ll—I’ll be out in a minute.” It ticks him the fuck off that she’s practically begging this motherfucker, a man who Roman doesn’t even know but would love to put a bullet in.

Just might after today.

Kevin scoffs and shakes his head. “Your mistake.”

He says nothing else, turning to walk away, Roman standing to possibly commit murder when Solana moves her hand in front of him, as if trying to stop him.

“It’s—it’s fine. My—my fiancé is here.”

Roman looks down at her, still completely unnerved by her complete shift in demeanor. Her fear is practically palpable.

“Solana….” He sees her eyes shut as her name leaves his mouth. “What’s going o—”

“It—it was good to see you, Roman,” she cuts him off, forcing a smile that doesn’t meet her eyes. “But, I—I have to go.” And it’s as she turns to walk away, he makes the mistake of grabbing her wrist. Instant regret fills him when she jumps but something else as well.

Suspicion. 

Solana has always been jumpy. He’s known that from the day they met at that god-awful place so many years ago. But something about the fear that courses through her, is stamped on her voice, feels….different.

He drops his hand, stating in a low voice. “Give me your phone.”

Her eyes widen. “Roman—”

“Please.” A word no one on this goddamn earth could torture out of him, but something that so easily rolls off his tongue for her.

Obviously confused, her expression remains torn even as she reaches in the pocket of her apron, pulling out and unlocking her phone. He takes it from her, ignoring that strange feeling when their hands touch.

Moving fast and thinking quick, he programs his number, choosing an unsuspecting name, one he knows she and only she will recognize. 

Handing it back to her, he instructs, “you need anything, you call me.” It’s not preferred. What he’d prefer is to walk outside and snap that Kevin and this Cody person, if he’s outside too, necks. Would prefer to tell her to just stay with him. But, it’s too much. Much too much given how long it’s been.

And yet, they seem so easily falling back into routine. 

She’s still visibly nervous, holding her phone in her hand instead of placing it back in the apron. Another pained smile followed up with, “goodbye, Roman.”

He doesn’t say it back, almost refuses to. Just watches as she moves to the back of the shop, coming out a few minutes later, apron discarded, purse on her shoulder, nearly rushing out without sparing him a glance even if his gaze never leaves her.

Solana is only able to barely slide into the back of the SUV, the door held open by an irritated Kevin when she’s yanked by her hair.

Piercing blue eyes stare down at her, his other hand wrapped around her neck, squeezing tightly but not enough to completely restrict speech.

“Where the fuck were you?!”

His voice is harsh and angry, as is the look in his eyes. She opens her mouth to try to respond when he instead smashes her head into the window. She winces but refuses to cry out in pain even when his fist collides with her jaw. Her eyes clench shut, Solana already tasting the blood forming in her mouth.

“When I tell you to come, you fucking come, you understand me?!” He shouts, once again grabbing a fistful of her hair. 

Nodding helplessly, she forces out an answer, ignoring the blood leaking out the corner of her mouth. “Y—yes, sir.”

He scoffs, a cruel, wicked smile on his face as he takes pride in his work. In her terror. “Pathetic,” he hisses, shoving her away. Solana moves as far into the corner as she can, forever grateful when he pulls out his phone and initiates a phone call like nothing happened.

It’s stupid and risky and something she most definitely shouldn't be doing, but Solana can’t stop herself from also pulling out her phone and scrolling through her contacts, moving to the R’s only to find nothing there.

There’s an emptiness that accompanies that realization that makes no sense. A sadness that fills her at the thought that he didn’t, but…..the look on his face, so handsome and strong, the fact that he even asked….he had to.

So, she continues to scroll, carefully assessing for each stored contact, stopping when she sees it. Emotion fills her for a completely different reason, reading the single word that carries such weight and meaning.

Journey

[t-u-i-t-c]

Toku Pride Month Challenge│Ships

Blood Stalk & Night Rogue

[toxycodone]

Laios x Beastkin!Reader

an. Senshi, Chilchuck, and Marcille x Reader are mentioned quiiiite a bit in here. Izutsumi x reader is more sparse. split between furry/scaly/feathery beastkin after the more general ones in the beginning. SORRY if the formatting is weird I got "text limited" a lot on this lmfao

this is a lot so. <3 show sum luv

general sfw

when you two first meet...bro is ELATED. He knows Izutsumi, which is fine, but you're an entirely different one. Who also doesn't seem to be super against him getting to know them

He asks SO many questions. What are you mixed with? Are you naturally born or artificial? What's it like having wings? A tail?

He's testing out all your features. He loves them so much.

When there's downtime, he likes to conduct "research". This goes for analyzing your features and making notes, comparing them to his books and other notes, and even more intricate tests like reaction time and stuff.

He'll hold a candle/torch by your face and test your pupil dilation. It's oddly intimate because he's just staring you down and its like. okay. are we gonna kiss orrrr

Loves. Loves. Loves just WATCHING you. Seeing the way you pounce on little bugs for fun or get spooked by certain noises. He just smiles and is all amused.

You'll catch him doodling you pretty often. He makes notes like "y/n caught a treasure bug today. They seem pretty skilled at hunting. Failed to kill it for some reason...just played with it until it scurried off." The doodles are like...surprisingly pretty decent. The monster portions of you are the best looking and most detailed. But it's so cool to see just how much he pays attention to you and your idiosyncrasies.

Your interactions with Izutsumi also interest him. Do you guys get along? Are you prey to her? Or is she to you? If you and Izu are talking or around each other he's watching like a hawk out of pure curiosity.

However...there's a particular page in his journal where he's providing feedback on how he would make you "better" aka cooler. It's basically just his own ramblings. No Laios, an extra set of eyes and the ability to breath fire and ice and everything in between is not. better. you're just salivating over the idea of your monster OC

If you bring this up to him he actually agrees. After a lot of note taking and observation he's really fascinated just on how well suited your entire existence is to...surviving. He has a lot of theories he'd love to share about you.

But he has e x t e n s i v e notes on your body. It's something that fr makes you blush because, why is he theorizing about the base of your tail and how it connects to your spine? and the number of nipples you have? wait...how is his guess right...?

But Laios is so useful. You might as well call him your owner. You don't have to lift a finger when it comes to taking care of yourself. (He misses his dogs so you fill in.)

He takes care of your skin/fur/scales/feathers, cuts your claws, helps you file down your hooves or horns. He's very into taking care of you if you'll let him. (Marcille also hops in on this since its her love language LOL. When she's not busy with Izutsumi she helps when she can.)

If you are like...afraid of water or don't enjoy bathing. You are like the party's pet. They're debating on how to get you clean before Chilchuck is like "if you don't take a bath I am going to kill you and throw you in there myself." Laios then goes all puppy dog eyed bc he thinks Chil is being to hard on you and then he sighs and is like "fine. I'll buy you a treat when we get back to the surface."

Marcille/Laios are really good when it comes to bath time. They aren't weird about it (Laios is checking you out but. In a curious type of way. Marcille is giving him side eye if hes getting too...Laiosy. But he respects your boundaries. Just imagine Laios happily scrubbing you while humming a tune awe.)

And when it comes to sleeping arrangements...you can alternate between anyone in the party. But Laios and Chilchuck are your best bets. Marcille is an excellent sleeping partner if the dreams don't bother you, shes soo happy to have you sleep with her and she's soft and smells nice.

Laios happily lets you sleep with him. He's actually not super cuddly (unless you are he'll reciprocate). But he is very much like, giving you a ton of space. If you fall asleep before him he just relents and sleeps as comfortably as he can around you lol. Literally just like any other pet owner.

Chilchuck....sleeping with him is difficult bc Izutsumi will fight you on it, but she relents if you can fit in without much issue (bonus points if you're warm) so. You guys can both overheat this poor man. Izu may even start cuddling with you more. She finds a lot of comfort in having another beastkin in the party even though she won't say it.

And speaking of Chilchuck...you're likely a bit more cooperative than Izutsumi, so he gets your help when it comes to checking for traps and finding treasure. With your elite hearing and other abilities, he's actually really pleasantly surprised how useful you are. (If you were a half-foot he'd definitely want you in his guild). He gives you pets and treats when the others aren't really paying attention (He doesn't want them to see him doting on you is all LOL).

Okay. So. Your diet. This is an anime about eating so. Let's get down to it.

Whether you're a herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore--Laios is ENSURING your needs are taken care of in the party. It is of upmost importance to him.

He takes notes and asks about how certain foods make you feel. Are you more energized? Less energized? Stomach hurting? Pooping well? (Will ask this with upmost sincerity, he wants to make sure the butter/milk/etc used in their cooking isn't interfering with your tummy. Whether you want to answer this is up to you lol).

Laios and Senshi happily adjust things to your needs. Laios will spend time foraging with you, Senshi will find certain monsters with more nutrients that meet your needs. Senshi is also like, really knowledgeable about nutrients, so sometimes in your food he may grind up shells or bones to meet calcium needs and such. When he cooks he'll give you bones or soften them up in water so you can eat the marrow. :-)

Senshi...is the coolest though. He also lets you perch on him (like Izutsumi) and since he's lived in the dungeon for so long, he knows a lot about monsters firsthand. If it applies, he'll give you tips about yourself or some monsters you should prey on. Senshi and you go on little foraging trips too. He'll have you sniff things out in return for extra food during dinner.

Laios likes to see you hunt prey and eat it raw, though. Everyone else would rather not and it makes them sick but he thinks it is SO cool. He honestly wishes he could do that. He takes hunting lessons from you and will give you tips on being stealthier and such.

Your teeth really fascinate him. He likes testing your bite strength on different types of material (Like wood, stone, bones, etc.). He'll stick his fingers in your mouth and admire them if youd let him. He gives you so much praise in general its so cute.

AND. PETTING YOU. He is so tactile if you let him (i mean look how much he tries and fails to pet izutsumi). When you give him the all clear he is like. jumping for joy. he LOVES to pet you and praise you. He absentmindedly pets you when hes sitting down or standing by you. And when you nuzzle into his touch his heart SOARS. You can see on his face he's blushing and has that like. excited wiggly smile <3

I think when he's just sitting around he just messes with your tail. He likes it.

Lay down beside him and he will happily pet you and be like "do you like this? Is this a good spot?" Present. Your belly to him. and he is over the moon. He pets you wildly and is like "Who's a good boy/girl/monster?" He is so unashamed about doing this too. Chilchuck would put a stop to it if you didn't like it so much.

If you give him kisses or tongue bath's he's eating that shit up (i mean. look at those extra comics w him and dogs he lets dogs just kiss all over his face omfg). He isn't a huge fan of getting his hair wet (sensory issue) but when it's your drool...he can't help but be excited. Laios is all like "they're grooming me?? this means they like me, right??? Can I officially say I befriended a monster???"

It's proof that you care for him and view him as apart of your pack...he is just over the moon at this.

I will say...Laios is way too "has no backbone with you" for a while. You're chewing shoes? You can't help it! Stealing snacks? It's instinctual! Playing too rough with Izutsumi? C'mon guys...

But when he notices his party actually getting upset. You will be surprised how he can put his foot down. Not even max puppy eyes work on him. He will leash and muzzle you if needed.

But you can always get away with messing with his stuff. He thinks its fun to chase you around when you got his shirt in his maw. Then he happily wears the torn up gear and Marcille is like "let me sew it..."

For Scaly Beastkin:

He's so helpful when it comes to shedding season. Laios finds nice rocks all the time and helps scrape off any patches that are drying and crusting and hes not even phased and doesn't think its gross at all. He would keep some skin to test its resilience if you let him.

And going with that, when you need to shed and soak he would help you find a place and will happily assist with the shedding. He's so excited to be there honestly. But he feels bad you are uncomfortable so he lets you cuddle up under the water with him while you wait for your shed to soften up <3

Laios runs his fingers over your scales absentmindedly...just loves feeling how smooth they are, especially after he spent so much time helping them maintain that pristine smoothness.

He gets Marcille's help to make a moisturizing ointment to put on you every now and then so you don't get to dried out in the dungeon!! Marcille starts to fret about that too. You're just kinda chillin and she'll reach over and put ointment on your hands/cheeks/tail. Just areas you may be susceptible to drying out.

Also...he lets you use him as a heating rock. Sunshine is really limited in the dungeon, so...when you need a warm up he's there and waiting and extremely excited to warm you up with a hug.

For Furry Beastkin:

Brushes you. He'd do this EVERY evening (and morning) if you let him. He takes notes, too. Do you have an undercoat? Or is it just one? What does this mean about what environment you originated from?

He probably tries to use your shed fur to embellish his own clothes or put in his pillow/blankets. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle I guess?

And to add to that...remember how Marcille made a cute little cat head from Izutsumi's fur? He does that too. He and Marcille make cute little shapes outta your shed and giggle together about it.

If you get fleas...he is the party member you should tell. He'll help you get rid of them and won't rat you out to the other members LOL. He'd probably blame himself if it spread and the rest of the party is like "you expect us to beleive. you got fleas. Laios you would be excited if you got them."

For Feathered Beastkin:

Preening....<3. When you have pin feathers he is so sweet and gentle. gently picks them out. It kinda tickles bc he's just gliding his fingers over your wings. You'll catch him sighing in content and burying his face in the softness. It's so sweet.

He collects your feathers and shows them off to Marcille (who also really likes them.) Your down is SO useful too. The party has the softest blankets and pillows thanks to you. When you're molting everyone is calling dibs on the feathers to stuff in their bedding.

Laios examines your wingspan and is really interested on stuff like weather you can fly or not. If you can, he's in awe. He wants to see it. Maybe even fly with you if he can. Its always been a dream of his to do that.

nsfw

tw (for nsfw). monsterfucking? if that counts. mentions of vent/cloaca/knot

This man. It is so easy to tell overtime just how fucking horny he gets over monster stuff. He is addicted to just how much you differ from him. Your scales, fur, feathers, wings, etc....he thinks they're all extremely sexy.

He just loves the primal aspect of it? Like you act on instinct. Do what makes you happy. Like of course you have human reasoning and such but STILL. You're so non human and otherworldly it makes his stomach knot up and his dick hard as a rock. He wants to know EVERYTHING about you.

If you have a heat/rut cycle...he is. fucking. begging you come to him for help. jfc you don't even have to let him stick his dick in you. He just slowly probes your hole with his fingers and legit GASPS when he feels it clench around him. Not only is he learning so much about you and monster anatomy but hes also having his monster fucking dreams come true.

I mean it is a given with Laios but his fucking face is always in your hole. He loves eating pussy/ass so fucking much. And having your dick, clit, or knot down his throat drives him wild. He eats your slick and cum like he's starving. He's so sloppy with it too--there's spit and slick and cum all over his face and he's just slurping it all up like its his last meal.

He definitely "examines" you. He'll stick his fingers in you and stretch out your hole just to get a better look at what's inside. (imagine his thumbs sliding in and prying you open.) The muscles pulsating and the color and the smell...god he's drooling. You feel all vulnerable and exposed but he's just constantly praising how amazing your body and its functions are.

He busts so quick with a beastkin it....wow. Like. You are seriously all he has ever dreamed of and shit. I can't imagine he'd be able to contain himself. He cums and just still wants more, he fucks you through the overstimulation until he cries

Oh he wants to know whats in your pants so bad its ridiculous. Like. I cannot explain just how much he is vibrating with excitement

If you have a cloaca...he's very gentle with your hole at first. You explain to him what to look for, what feels good. He'll gently explore with his fingers until he finds the right hole and then he's going at it. He's shoving his tongue in there happily too. He knows what a cloaca is. He knows it's a singular vent for waste and sexual functions. Doesn't matter. His tongue is going in there. Laios is beyond excited to taste everything and see what makes you squirm.

If you have a knot...it's a given he wants you to knot him. It takes him a few tries (he can't take your knot at first because he's too tight) but when he finally is able to its like. euphoric for him. He loves feeling your warm cum in his ass and your desperate pants against his throat as your overstimulated self gets adjusted to being stuck to him. Gods.

Plus...I've discussed this on my blog in more detail but with a beastkin reader he's definitely into

You biting/scratching him up. He lovvveess being marked. Use him as a chew toy PLEASE

Predator/Prey rp: He's a trained hunter but he wouldn't mind being hunted...He loves how strong you are and how you can turn the tables on him if you wanted.

Just?? You being feral?? He likes it when you act more like your monster side and just treat him like a toy.

Breeding Kink: Even if you aren't able to get pregnant or breed (either due to sex or incompatible genetics due to being part monster), he's still really into it. You can fill him up vice versa...He loves the feeling of having you last inside him and he loves knowing you're still filled up from him. Plus, it adds to the more animalistic part of sex which is what he likes

[ylangelegy]

omg "what? me? jealous? never." with junhui please! 🫶🫶

ⵌ actor!jun x actress!reader. ⵌ word count: 988 ⵌ notes: co-stars, secret relationship, pet names ('pretty girl'), suggestive joke, all my favorite tropes in a drabble. i miss this man sooo bad.

Jun loves award shows.

He loves having an excuse to dress up, loves getting to interact with other groups a little more openly, loves the special stages they get to put on. And if his gorgeous girlfriend happens to be a special emcee, well— that only makes it a much better night.

He's not allowed to be too excited, of course. He's always careful not to blow his cover. At most, the boys just seem to assume that you're his favorite co-star.

If only they knew that Jun's had the privilege of your heart for the past couple of years.

There's a bit of a thrill in sneaking around, in having to pull out his acting chops. Tonight, Jun lies about having to go to the bathroom, fields Minghao's invites for accompaniment, and navigates through all the other tables. Your text had been the only prompting he needed. It's like a waltz; his eyes on your back, the distance he keeps.

You side step in to a corner, behind a curtain, and he follows. The entire venue of idols, of actors, of Korea's biggest stars are none the wiser.

Jun's hands find immediate purchase at your waist. "Hey, pretty girl," he greets smoothly, that bright smile of his already lighting up his face.

You'll probably only have three minutes, but three minutes is all that Jun needs. He doesn't waste time. "Saw you on the red carpet earlier. You were stunning," he hums, his face going to nuzzle the underside of your ear.

"I think you're a little bit biased," you shoot back, unable to resist a jab. Your facade of annoyance is betrayed by the smile that's threatening to fill your own face. "But I think I can let it pass for tonight, 'specially since that suits of yours looks so good on you."

"I'd look even better out of it," he says unrepentantly. His arms tighten around your waist, holding you close when you try to pull back and away.

You let out a groan. Jun laughs softly.

Jun's lips brush against your jaw, then down the line of your throat. His nose skims your skin as he takes a breath. "You smell nice," he mumbles.

Cinnamon, sugar, vanilla. The same scent as his own cologne.

"You got me this at your Japan stop," you answer, your hands resting at his hips. It's not much, but it'll have to do for now.

"I should get you a perfume every time we have a stop abroad," he says.

"Yah, don't do that. You have expensive tastes. And you already get me too many things whenever you're on tour."

"What's the point of being an established artist at my big age if I can't spoil my pretty girl a little?" he grumbles petulantly. He tilts his head to press a kiss over your pulse. "Besides," he adds after a moment, "I like that you smell like me."

Smelling like Jun was just another one of those things. His subtle reminders in the form of innocuous couple items that only the two of you knew about. Cologne and perfume with similar notes, matching silk pajamas, rubber shoes from the same line. A quiet litany of mine, mine, mine in your every day lives.

You give a bright, warm laugh as you mumble into his hair, "I'll wear it more often, then."

You are so bad for him. A walking, talking dopamine rush. Everything about you makes Jun feel a little lightheaded, a little dizzy. Like he's had one too many to drink.

But you're also the one who sobers him up, the one who always says, "We should probably get going."

"Do we have to?" he whines. His arms around you tighten. He knows the answer to his question— yes, yes, you have to go. But he can't help wishing otherwise. "Five more minutes?"

Your nth sigh of the night. Even then— "Five more minutes," you concede.

His hands flatten out against your back, holding you more snugly against him. He could stay like this forever. Just your warmth against him, the scent of you in his nose, the sound of your steady breaths in his ear.

But you say five more minutes. And so he counts down from ten in his head. Ten, nine, eight…

Jun pulls back after the countdown and steals a long, deep kiss from your lips.

This was what it felt like to be alive. The way his blood pumped faster, his heart thumped harder. The way that your very presence made everything else seem dull in comparison.

The feeling only intensifies when you move closer. When you arch against him in that way you know he loves. When your fingers run through his hair.

Jun is all but breathless. He pulls away after long enough, leaning his forehead against yours. "I'm a terrible influence on you," he pants against your lips.

Your hand slides down to his face, your thumb ghosting over his mouth. "You got some on you," you grumble, and it takes him a moment to realize that you're fretting over lip gloss.

"Leave it," he says. "I like smelling like perfume and looking like I got kissed."

You shoot him a glare. He gives you cheeky grin.

When the two of you part, Jun is relegated to watch you from his table. You're radiant up on stage, perfectly composed and charming. You have stellar manufactured chemistry with your more recent co-star, and some of the boys decide to tease Jun about it.

"Looks like you've gotten replaced, Junpi," Jeonghan sing-songs.

Soonyoung nudges Jun in the side. "Jealous that you've lost your favorite co-star to Kim Soohyun?"

Jun barely stops himself from bursting into laughter. Replaced? Co-star? His members don't know the half of it. Jun absentmindedly runs a thumb over his bottom lip, where traces of you still linger.

"What? Me, jealous?" He breaks out into an innocent smile. "Never."

୨ৎ * GAME, SET, PLAY ! ( JEALOUSY ) DRABBLE GAME.

[revelboo]

Hey! Hi! Absolutely love your writing so much! I look forward to everything you post, and appreciate what you do a lot!! I’ve definitely come to appreciate and learn more about transformers cause of you!

Really just wanted to show my gratitude :]]]

Oh, and look what I’ve done to poor Megs

Thank you! Honestly, giant Roddy is probably his worst fear, because he can be so much more annoying

Everything Is Alright Pt 89

IDW Starscream x Reader, Soundwave x Reader, Megatron x Reader

• Venting tiredly as he walks past Thundercracker in the hall, for a second Megatron can swear the other Seeker has the scent of human clinging to him, too. Must just be his imagination, though. Starscream? It’s not like he’d not realized the Seeker was a bit of a freak, but xenophilia? Fragging an organic alien? Maybe. Running a hand over his helm, he grimaces. Maybe it’s the size difference? The Seeker getting off on being bigger than a partner. But Soundwave? Both of them together when he’d been sure they hated each other? Surely, it’s not what it had looked like. Because seeing that interaction had left him with so many more questions. Two of his commanding officers can’t be deviants. Surely not. There’s a morbid sort of curiosity despite himself to figure it out, though.

• Trying to get yourself back in control as the panic attack shakes you, it’s their hands on you that ground you. Calm you. You’d known you’d been gone a long time, the guy who’d driven you home that night Star had tried to abandon you had said as much. Not realizing the actual time lost, but knowing it was long enough for everyone to have just assumed you were dead. Most of your family is on the other coast, you’d never been super close and it’s been a long time since you’d gone home to visit. Someone would have contacted them, though. Told them you were missing. Had that guy told the cops he’d taken you home? That you’d been found alive? Had they gone looking and found you gone again? Had your family been told, getting their hopes up only to have them dashed? Because you’ve been so wrapped up in yourself and Star and Soundwave that you’d barely thought of your family.

• Helm nudging the side of your head as you start to calm, Soundwave slides a hand under your shirt, surfing his palm against you to strengthen that connection. To try and understand what he’d done to hurt you. Feels that guilt twisting inside you, hurting. “I’m awful,” you whisper. “I didn’t really even think about them. At all.” Servos tightening on you, he retracts his mask and presses his mouth against your throat. Deepening that connection, but also because he needs to. Trying to comfort you with his touch.

• “Who?” Star growls, hands cupping your face, unsettled by those teary eyes as he runs a servo against your cheek. Are you talking about that other human? Grieving the stranger he’d seen in photos in your home? Whose belongings had been scattered among your own. Your breath mingles with his intakes as he tries to ignore Soundwave draped against your back. Hating the other mech still, wanting to lash out, but resisting so you don’t get more upset. Do you miss that other human? Regret bonding to him? Miss your freedom and that other life?

• Star’s lips brush yours, not a kiss just sharing the same breath. His tone was a demand, but his hands are gentle on you. Surprisingly patient when you know it’s not his strong suit. “I’ve been with you for months,” you say, not sure if he’ll understand. Or care. While he’s shown you time and again that he cares about you, you’re pretty sure it’s only you. Anything you adjacent, Soundwave, your family, he doesn’t seem to care about. He’s never even asked about your family, but you haven’t asked about his, either. You really are awful. Both of you. Wanting to ask if you can go home. Get your phone and at least call them to let them know you’re okay, but afraid that Star will refuse. “Everyone must think I’m dead.”

• Head lifting to glare at Star as the Seeker’s wings droop as if relieved that’s what’s wrong, Soundwave rumbles softly until the SIC looks at him. Sees Star curl a lip slightly, still furious with him and seeing him as a threat and a traitor. Surely, he’s not so dense as to not realize that he needs to say something. Even if it’s just to commiserate with your misery. Knowing the mech is selfish, but realizing how selfish is infuriating. Because anyone around you that’s not him is a threat, endangering you and his hold on you. That if not for Soundwave hearing you and finally investigating, the Seeker would have fully isolated you to ensure you can only look to him, only trust him. Only need him. “Can arrange for you to speak with them,” he says, watching Star tense at his words. He can arrange it so the communication can’t be traced back to their location. There’ll be no danger and you need this. Even if it’s saying goodbye, you need closure and he’s going to make sure you get anything you need. Despite Starscream.

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[lqveharrington]

Timeless | T.B.

summary: tom said that in every timeline, you would find and love each other

pairing: all tom blyth characters above (plus alex) x fem!reader

includes: FLUFF, kissing, allusions of sex mentions of killing, threats, teasing

a/n: i just love me some tom blyth 🩷 also, all the other universes mentioned are the ones connected with my own writing for them, so see if you can spot the similarities between coryo and billy’s parts 😉

Ever since you began to date Tom, you've felt more love than you have in years. He was the kindest, most caring, and protective man you have ever met. He made sure every single interaction wasn't crossing any boundaries — not wanting to make you uncomfortable — and he made every interview and press conference never spoke badly about. It was all so courteous that it didn't take long until he decided to put a ring on it — hiding the engagement until you both posted wedding photos for your anniversary.

"It's your day off, stop scrolling through Instagram comments." You set down the cups of hot chocolate on the coffee table before taking away his phone, hiding it away in the drawer. He raised his brow as his hand found the curve of your hip, tugging you to sit beside him. "I'm taking away your phone privileges for the rest of the day."

"A day off with my wife if I stay away from the internet?” He tapped his chin in thought as his free hand went under your calves, pulling yours legs over his lap. “I think I like that idea, Mrs Blyth.”

His accent nearly made you swoon. You loved him for who he was, and the additional accent was a bonus you got lucky with.

You would never get tired of how kind Tom was to you — even after two years of dating, one year of engagement, and one year of marriage — you still were head over heels for him.

Meeting his iridescent blue eyes, you lean in for a proper kiss and smile when he pulls you closer. Tom tilts your head up to his with a finger, kissing you with the same passion he always used. You follow suit and only separate in surprise when he nips at your bottom lip.

"Rude much." You giggle and rest your head on the cushion behind you, hand coming up to touch your lip. “Such a tease, Blyth, such a tease.”

"It’s not my fault you’re so irresistible." Tom took your hand away from your face and began to individually kiss each and every finger, slowly moving higher and higher until he was back to your lips. “Would kissing you make you feel better?”

You pretend to think about it for a second, holding back a smile when you see him impatiently waiting for you to say yes. But the second he heard the beginning syllable of the word, he cupped your face with both hands and met your lips, enjoying your short yelp of surprise.

Tom pressed short kisses to your lips and smiled when you pressed a hand against the left side of his chest. He knew exactly what you were listening for, you did this every time you felt so much love from him.

When he finally pulls away, he glances down at your lips and smirks when he realizes that your lips were a shade deeper than they were earlier. He thumbed your cheek and tucked a piece hair behind your ear, kissing your cheek.

“You know what I’m thinking of?” He murmured, allowing you to rest your head on his shoulder.

You shrug and look up, “What are you thinking of, Tom Keir Blyth?”

He rolled his eyes at the full name and kissed you silly again before speaking, hiding another smirk from your dazed look before you shook it off. "I think we would find each other in every universe. Fall in love just like we are now."

You hum and play with his sweater, thinking about the possibility. Even if you did exist in different universes, the chances of finding each other in every lifetime was slim, maybe even zero. But your love for one another was a flame — a magnetic force that always attracted.

After a few beats of silence, you finally say something in regard to the thought with a benevolent smile, wedding and engagement ring shining from the sunlight hitting it.

"I think so too."

“Hey, how was— What’s that for?” You start to ask him about his daily ride when you look up and see the bouquet of wildflowers, an array of pinks, blues, and purples. You grin at him and take the flowers from him, fingers gingerly touching the petals while silently questioning him.

Billy grinned back and his hand found its home on the curve of your hip. “Saw em’ by the forest as I was coming back. Figured m'pretty girl deserved all the pretty flowers.”

Your cheeks were starting to hurt by how hard he was making you smile. He was so infinitely lovable and you just knew when you got married to him, it would double by millions. He slowly began to thumb your hip and tilted his head down to accommodate your height with how close you were both standing.

“You’re sweet for an ex-outlaw.” You whisper and cling onto the flowers, eyes lighting up in mischief. You pull yourself impossibly closer, your lips dangerously close to his. "You are so in love with me, Bonney.”

“Am I now?” He murmured and noticed the hint of mischief in your eyes, a small smirk gracing his lips.

You went to answer but got cut off when he pressed his lips to yours, your initial shock fading into desire. One of your hands finding its way to his chest, feeling the heartbeat you felt so much love from. But as Billy’s hand slowly traveled south, your brother made the unfortunate decision to enter the living room.

“Didn't you say Billy was— Oh, ew!” Adam’s recoiled and turned around, gagging into his hands. The memory was forever going to scar him. He heard gasping and quick steps away, making him shut his eyes in revulsion. “Why are you touching her like that!”

“Adam—“ You try to speak over him, but he just kept going on about all the different things he would never do when he got older and how your parents would totally freak if they were the ones to walk in. How your dad would kill Billy if he ever saw whatever he was doing to you.

He continued to babble and babble, eyes wide in sickness. “Does pa know he touches you like that? He would have a day with Billy! I—“

“Adam, turn your ass back around and head into the kitchen. We’ll be over in a second.” You clamped a hand over his mouth, voice strict and eyes annoyed. Adam nodded swiftly in horror and quickly made his way back into the kitchen, wincing when you shouted again. “And you don’t say a word!”

You turn back around to find Billy standing there with the bouquet, his brows raised in full amusement. He sent you a wink — which you rolled your eyes to before approaching him and his smug face.

“William Bonney.” You stood in front of him and crossed your arms, tapping your foot on the wooden floor like a mother.

He tilted his head to the side and handed you the bouquet again, grinning when you snatch them out of his hands. Billy crossed his own arms — noticing your eyes drift down to his exposed arms. “Eyes up here, sweetheart.”

You scowl and yelp when he pulls you in his arms. Looking up at him, you push a finger to his chest and reprimand him. “Pull a stunt like that again and our shooting lessons will be turned against you.”

“I didn’t think he would walk in here, sweetheart.” He buried his head into your neck and pressed soft kisses to your neck. "I'm sorry,"

“In every universe, I’m sure someone would’ve walked through those doors, Billy.” You mumble and accept his kisses, running your free hand through his brown hair. "Trust me."

Knock Knock Knock

“Come in.” Coriolanus' voice rang out in his office. In the few seconds the door open and shut, he didn't hear the person announce who they were, his jaw ticking in annoyance. He looked up from his paperwork to maybe see an Avox until they softened at the sight of you. You were in the dress he just bought you, making him smirk in satisfaction.

“I brought lunch.” You smile and move to place the tray down on the side table by the small library in the room. "You didn't come down for lunch and I was getting worried."

Coriolanus sighed and ran his fingers through his blonde hair for what seemed like the nth time in one hour. “I needed to finish reading all the paperwork the Districts mailed earlier and I couldn't just discard it in the middle of completion. Even if it's all complaints." His piercing eyes watched as you grabbed a plate and handed it to him before you pulled yourself to sit on top of his desk, careful not to disturb the organized mess of papers. "How are the twins' studies?"

You crossed your legs and play with your rose necklace, watching the white snow coat the trees and ground outside. “Their governesses said they are doing exceptionally well today. Celine’s working on her long division and Lio is working on his poetry; which, by the way, is about you."

He hummed and took a bite out of the steak, his free hand finding your knee and thumbing the skin there. Coriolanus looked over your face, watching you mess with the necklace he got you all those years ago. Even after he offered to buy a new one, you refused to let go of the old one. It was your favorite thing he ever gave you.

Well, besides Celine and Aurelio of course.

"They'll be as smart as their mother in a few years." He glanced over at you, raising his brows when you shake your head, pearly whites peeking through in doubt. "What? You and I were practically tied for the Plinth prize before they changed the stupid rules." You still gave him an unimpressed look. "Have I ever lied to you?"

Your soft smile falters and your eyes darken as old memories resurface. “You really want me to answer that?”

You didn't mean to say that out loud — regretting it instantly and internally wincing when you saw his own eyes darken to the dark azure you knew all too well.

Coriolanus raised his brows at you and carefully stood, full six feet standing in front of you. He firmly grasped your jaw in his hand and tilted your head up to meet his eyes. You hid all fear away, knowing he wouldn't do anything to hurt you after you reduced him into nothing but a mess after leaving him long ago.

“You really want to ruin my day, beautiful? Because I can make this day worse.” Coriolanus murmured as his lips lightly grazed yours — almost daring you to continue.

“Noted.” You murmur back and earn a quick peck to the lips as a reminder that you solely were his before he removed himself from you. You watched him with careful eyes — almost like you were handling a stray cat — and continued to play with your necklace until you saw the storm clear from his eyes.

"Tigris is coming over tonight to fit us for the annual Christmas gala. She wants more leeway in case Celine hates her dress again." Your finger feels for the intricate details of the necklace as you remember the memory of a screaming five-year-old tugging at the dress her aunt took ages to make.

Coriolanus pursed his lips at the thought and shook his head. It was an absolute mess of a day, but luckily Tigris had made a spare dress for her. He pulled your crossed legs to lay across his lap, hand running up and down the space there without any care about the heels digging into his thighs.

“I thought we had a party to attend to tonight?” He tilted his head back and shut his eyes, still contemplating whether or not to even hold a gala this year.

You could feel his emotions radiating off of him. This time of the year was always bad for him, especially when he was already swamped with so much work. Slowly, you move closer to him until he opened his eyes again to find you sitting right in front of him, legs on either side of his.

“It's just Livia's get together, she won't care.” You murmur as your hands find his tie, tugging it ever so slightly. “Besides, tonight's a night.”

He brought his hands up to you waist and dragged you closer until you were sitting on his lap, eyes darkening once more. It was rare for you two to even have a night once a month, but it seemed like this month was going to have more than one.

"I thought we still had a week left." He rested a hand on your thigh, dangerously close to anything underneath your beautiful dress.

You put a hand on his chest and feel the rhythm of his heart, the one you knew loved you despite every obstacle you both faced. “Tigris is taking them afterwards, she wants bonding time with them.”

“A night it is.” Coriolanus murmured and met your lips, smirking when you let out a noise of surprise when he bites your bottom lip. Separating, he places on last kiss to your lips before helping you stand, adjusting your dress until you were decent. “I have a meeting in five minutes, I’ll come find you later.”

“I’m helping with decorating the manor. Again." You complain and adjust the ends of your hair, making sure they were perfect before adjusting Coriolanus' appearance. "The stupid Avoxes don’t know where the garlands go. They go in the same place they always do.”

“So picky, my love.” Coriolanus stood and placed another kiss to your lips, feeling you smile. He placed a few more kisses until you pulled away and rubbed the lipstick off his lips. “You just have to have your way no matter where you are, yeah?”

“Imagine in a different timeline I never got to decorate our house properly. It would be tragic.”

“Tragic indeed.”

When you went to get Alex from his room, you expected him to be ready to leave and just have a wonderful break from the school. But when you got there, he was still sitting at his desk, reading papers his students wrote. You roll your eyes at the man before knocking on the door frame.

“Alex, you realize today is the last day before winter break, yeah?” You give him a weird look from the doorway to his classroom, leaning against the frame.

“I do.” He flips the paper and reads the back, chuckling to himself at the sentences written down.

“Then what are you grading? They were due Wednesday.” You walked over to him and looked over his shoulder, huffing when you realize the papers were being covered by his frame. You waited a second to see if he even realize you were next to him before calling out his name again. “Alex?”

He looked up to the door only to jump back in surprise to see you standing next to him with an annoyed look. “Yeah?”

“If you don’t answer me properly, I will leave you here and decorate our place on my own—" You try to speak again when he looks down at the paper again, making you smack his shoulder with the back of your hand. “Alex Nilsen!”

Alex jumped again and packed away the papers into his messenger bag, standing to pull on his winter coat. “Sorry, done, I’m done.”

“You’re incorrigible.” You cross your arms and stare at him with an unimpressed look. As you watched the sun begin it's descent down, you didn't realize Alex took the opportunity to sneak behind you and press a kiss to your cheek. "Hey!” You whip your head around and send him a startled look before it softened into a joking pout. “That’s unfair. You didn’t even tell me what you were looking at.”

Alex hummed and let you rest your head on his shoulder, swaying side to side softly. “If you really want to know, I was reading letters my students wrote to you.”

You raise your eyebrows in surprise, pulling away slightly to meet his eyes properly. “To me?”

“Yes, you.” He pressed a kiss to your cheek again and smiled when you gingerly rested your forehead on his cheek. “They love when you come and visit me in the middle of class.” Alex nudged you softly. “Well, that and I stop teaching to talk to you.”

“Surprised you haven’t gotten fired for that yet, Nilsen.” You joke and squeal when he spins you around so your chest was against his, both of you wearing bright smiles.

“Maybe because I’m one of the best English teachers here.” Alex tilted his head to the side and sat down on his desk, letting you slot yourself between his legs. When you scrunched your nose at his comment, he sent you a confused look. “What?”

You shrug and you run your fingers through his hair, the small brown curls soft under your palms. “You have too big of an ego already for me to say.”

“Now you have to tell me.” He took your free hand and traced the lines adorning your palm. He waited for you to say anything, but when you didn’t speak and chose to continue running your fingers through his hair, he became impatient. “Come on.”

“I was going to say that you aren’t wrong. You’re one of the best English teachers in Linfield, Ohio.” You murmured and instantly regretted it when you say his eyes light up and a smirk grace his face. “Alex—“

“Oh, my ego just grew by a million.” He kissed the back of your hand.

“Shut up, I was being nice.” You complain and cover your face before realizing why all his students wrote you letters. “Besides, most of your kids do theater. They all come back to me at the end of the day.”

Alex pauses his teasing, thinking about his roster. “Holy shit, you’re right.”

You laugh softly and move to sit beside him on the desk, lacing your hand with his. You rest your head on his shoulder once more, squeezing his hand before you hear he speak in a much softer, loving tone.

“That may be why they love you so much,” Alex started and thumbed your hand, his warm smile reaching his eyes, crinkling their corners. “But never as much as I love you.”

You perch your chin on his shoulder and smile, blush coating your cheeks “You’re such a sap.”

“That loves you.” He turned his head and pecked your lips over and over and over until you put your hand on his mouth to stop him.

Your eyes brighten with so much love, your smile true to every word you uttered. “Love you too, Nilsen.”

©lqveharrington - all rights reserved. do not copy, translate or share my work on other media platforms

[cryptictongues]

The Sun Lives in His Eyes

pairing: Vincent Valentine x Fem!Reader rating: Explicit (MINORS DNI; 18+) word count: 6.9k summary: You try on swimsuits for Vincent, and he doesn't know how to handle it.

warnings: porn with feelings, angst, teasing, lots of dry humping and making out, come tasting, sexual tension

Spoilerwise, I made it so the emotions after the second visit to the Golden Saucer were present but didn't get very specific as to why aside from the keystone and what the stone is needed for (which is in the OG game too). Other than that, this is pretty spoiler free!

Also, just to add, when trying on bathing suits, please for the love of GOD keep your underwear on. Don't let your bare cooch touch it.

Please read my pinned post before following me! Minors and ageless blogs will be blocked as this blog’s content is NSFW.

[AO3 link]

It was midday in Costa Del Sol and it was alive as usual. The beach goers were all in their swimsuits, with their beautiful lays and their skin that had been kissed by the sun. The sky was as blue as can be with a slight overcast of clouds. Booths of a multitude of items for sale and fun games that make the atmosphere of the area feel like one big fair. It was a refreshing change of scenery, especially after the last 24 hours.

Traveling back to Costa Del Sol was no easy task, especially when exhaustion, anger, and disappointment have infiltrated the air. With the failure to retrieve the keystone, the direction of the group had faltered. No one had a clue where the Temple of the Ancients was located, and the future seemed bleak. That was until the mysterious man, the one you have grown very attached to, had suggested using the Tiny Bronco’s radio to try and intercept the signal from the Turks to retrieve the coordinates.

Vincent Valentine: the epitome of peculiar. A man, a beast, a creature of mystery. You and everyone else’s first interaction with him being an almost fatal one, for the bestial side of him was quite destructive. He was fairly fast for a creature of his size, strong reflexes, and phenomenal perception. He wasn’t a normal beast, but of course he wasn’t: he was still a human underneath it all. Which is why once he had transformed back into his original form, the brokenness and anguish that appeared on his face was apparent. You remember vividly how he had looked directly at you, stunning you in your place as you wondered what you had done to receive such a stare. 

You never thought you’d make contact with those eyes again with his lack of interest in coming along. So, it was a surprise to see him hop on the Tiny Bronco, explaining the sins he must atone for. It made sense, but a weird part of you sensed that it wasn’t the full truth, especially when he kept looking your way during his tiny monologue. It stirred something within you, having never felt an intensity such as his before. All in all, however, he was a quiet one, kept to himself, and very much an observer. 

A very, very good observer. 

Something that drew you to each other was neither of you were talkers. You’ve always been the reserved one of the group, not minding wandering around on your own while the others stayed together. The introvert in you enjoys the peace and quiet when able to have it, even though you love your found family. You assumed Vincent relates in some way because after the arrival to Costa Del Sol the first time, he has lingered by your side ever since. You didn’t mind the company, especially when there was a silent mutual understanding between you two.

What you did mind, however, was how utterly insane he’d make you feel. You don’t know if it’s all in your head, but day by day you swear he is advancing his way into your heart and loins. It started with simple glances that led to subtle grazes of his covered fingers on your exposed ones. The intimate moments have gradually increased, which have haunted your dreams in the most intimate of ways.

Back at the Golden Saucer, you and Vincent had been off on your own together. You both had stayed in the Queen’s Blood gaming area for a while, playing stacked games since you both were considered pros amongst most people. It was the last round, and you had a slight lead. You were waiting for him to take his turn, watching him contemplate his hand. You were hoping, praying even, that he didn’t see how you had set yourself up to win. 

But of course, he had seen right through it. Once he plucked the card he wanted to use from his deck, you already knew it’s game over. You had let out a groan before he could put it down and the look in his eyes shifted as quickly as they had shifted back in amusement.

“You don’t even know what I am playing.”

“I can take a wild guess.”

“Hmm, is that so?” He had hummed, leaning in as close as he could without his body messing up the board. He had held his card between two of his left fingers, dangling the damn thing in front of you. “If you guess the specific card I’m about to play correctly, you win.”

You were in shock as he was one to never willingly gamble his wins. In your dysfunctional brain, you had thought about all of the cards he had in his possession. Vincent’s biggest asset as a player was knowing how to use his cards, often using ones that didn’t seem to do much on the surface. You had thought long and hard, debating between which cards he could have considered, before deciding there was only one that made the most sense.

“Grandhorn.”

Vincent chuckled, putting his card down, and low and behold the Grandhorn appeared. It boosted his score a point above yours, but it hadn’t mattered. You had won.

“So, I guess I won since I guessed correctly?”

“I suppose so, but I expected nothing less.” He had leaned in once more, a glimmer in his eyes as he looked you dead on. “Smart girl.”

The way he had said it had made your insides curl with delight. Having someone like him be so teasing and flirty in his own way with you had you flushed, and you knew he noticed. Before he had said anything to send you into another flushing fit, you had quickly gotten up and told him exactly what you wanted to do next.

You had dragged him over to the G-Bike game, insisting to play as you’ve always wanted to ride a motorcycle, even if it’s just in simulation form. However, within 30 minutes, you were flinging yourself left to right with frustration with the lack of ability to get at least a one-star rating. It wasn’t until you had felt a weight behind you, recognizable leather clad arms wrapping over yours, did you realize how fucked you really were. His body was pressed right against you with every limb touching your own. His fingers had curled over yours and his breath was brushing against the sensitive skin of your ear. 

“ Give me the glasses ,” he murmured.

“Let me take you for a ride.”

Needless to say, you had to excuse yourself. You had felt a tinge of embarrassment at how you reacted, but it was quickly stomped out by how much you needed to relieve yourself. You had felt bad leaving Vincent alone to wander a place that was outside of what he was acclimated to, but the hormonal teen in your brain was screaming at you to do something. 

You had been thankful that everyone was out doing their thing because the minute the hotel door was shut, you were on your bed with your hand down your pants. All you could think about was how good he felt against you. He was warm and you could feel everything; from the buckles, to the leather creases, to the outline of his long cock you felt pressed against your backside. With every twist and turn, your bodies would shift, and it created a friction so teasing that you couldn’t have helped but whimpered.

You had thought about his groans when you would accidentally push back on him. The sound had vibrated on your skin, proving how close his mouth was to your neck. You remembered how his cock twitched against you. Those thoughts had only made you rub your weeping cunt more, leading to more devious ones. You wondered what would’ve happened if you had just kept grinding on him. Would he have lost control? Would he have been as flushed as you had been 30 minutes prior? Picturing images of him flushed below you as you worked each other up had sent you spiraling into release, biting your arm so as to not cause any alarm. 

You had a hard time looking at him the next day without your mind wandering to something sinful. Things have toned down since due to the interruption of plans, but his gazes have stayed firm. You could always feel the stare of his eyes burning into you, and it never failed to make you squirm and plunder. 

Presently, all of you were on the dock, discussing the coordinates Vincent had found over the radio. A game plan was being formed, an agreement that the rest of the day should be one of rest and preparation before the journey tomorrow. The party started to disperse, some with tasks like gathering supplies and booking rooms for the night. You were left to your own devices, debating on what you wanted to do to pass the time. You look out onto the water, and you don’t know if it is the heat or the exhaustion in your muscles, but going for a swim sounded absolutely divine. 

You heard the metal clanking of Vincent’s shoes behind you, making you turn around to greet him. The thoughts back at the saucer were begging to be reminded but you pushed them back, not sure if you would survive those them with him in front of you. He greets you with a hum, hovering very close to you to the point you have to look up at him. Damn, he is so tall!

Clearing your throat, you greet him back with your thumbs twiddling with each other nervously. “So, is there anything you want to do today?”

“That is entirely up to you. Wherever you’d like to go, I’ll follow.” 

Your breath starts to shutter, but you cough to cover it up. You didn’t want to make it obvious how much he is affecting you right now, even though you are sure it didn’t matter what you did. He always knew. 

“Well, this may sound crazy, but I kind of want to go swimming.”

“Oh?” His head tilts, eyes amused.

“Y-yeah, but I know you cannot be comfortable in this heat. I wouldn’t want to keep you in it.” 

“I can manage.”

You laugh because of course he can. “If you say so, but I will need to get a swimsuit. You don’t mind coming with me to buy one, do you?”

He shakes his head, moving to your side to allow you to lead the way. You both start walking towards the bathing suit booth up ahead and as usual Vincent’s fingers linger by yours. There is no touching, but you can feel them right by you, causing your fingers to twitch. It’s driving you mad, and you are tired of him teasing you to the point of insanity. So out on a whim, confidence boosting, you let your hand grab his metal one. You feel his walk stutter, but he quickly recovers to let the gold claws wrap around your own. 

You lead him to the booth right past the dock and start to look around. There are so many options, and you can feel yourself become a little overwhelmed at your choices. 

“Is everything okay?” Vincent was behind you. You guess he can see the tension in your shoulders as you peruse the different styles.

“I guess I just don’t know what would be best to wear.” You admit. 

The young woman running the booth must have been waiting for an opportunity to sell because the next thing you know she is right in front of you. “Good evening! Would you like some help?”

“Oh, uh…” Before you can utter anymore words, she continues her pitch.

“It is no trouble! I can curate some of our different pieces so you can decide which ones you like best!”

Before you can decline again, she is already ushering you to the changing booth, basically shoving you in. “I’ll be right back with some swimwear!”

You peek out and you can see Vincent about to walk over to the seller, irritation clear on his face. Shit.

“Vincent, come here!”

He turns to you before walking up. As he stops in front of you, you see how much his eyes are flared, burning more red than usual. You aren’t sure how to calm him down, not seeing him like this since the incident at Shinra Manor. You reach out, letting your palm rest against his cheek, hoping that will somehow ease his mind. 

“She shouldn’t have put her hands on you. She is lucky to still be standing on her two feet.”

The protective nature he was exuding was endearing, but also very sexy. You put those thoughts on the backburner, bringing your hand to his neck to stroke the irritation there. 

“I appreciate you looking out for me, but I promise it’s okay. I’m okay.” You reassure, squeezing his skin right above his collarbone. “Let me try on what she offers and then we can get out of here.”

“Alright, here are a few pieces I think would go perfectly with your style!” She hands you the pieces, and turns to Vincent, clueless to the absolute annoyance he wanted to convey in that moment. “I apologize, sir, but let’s give your lady friend some privacy.”

You see his eyes flare again, and you quickly shoot your other hand out from behind the curtain to keep him facing you. “It’s okay! He can stay!”

“Well, if you insist! Just no funny business you two!” She winks at you both and walks back to her station. You gulp out of a nervous habit, even though there is no spit to swallow. Is it that obvious that you two have some unspoken thing for one another?

“Okay, um, let me try these on.” You squeeze his arm in reassurance before going back into the changing booth. You close the curtain and lay out the pieces you were working with. You inspected each one, and you came to a horrifying conclusion: these were very revealing swimsuits.

There was nothing wrong with revealing swimwear, in fact you actually quite liked the ones the lady picked for you. However, Vincent was right outside and would see you in one of these. Would it be too much for him to see you so bare? You are very covered up in your usual attire, so this is a complete 180 and leaves little for the imagination.

You decide to try one on anyway, picking the one-piece swimsuit that is all black and has a long v-line cut. You strip away your clothes, and slip the suit on, adjusting it so everything is even. You go to tie the string in the back, but you can already tell it will be a challenge. You try to tie the knot, but you could feel yourself getting frustrated, grunting in aggravation as the tie keeps going undone. 

“Are you okay?” Vincent called from outside, obviously hearing you struggle.

You sigh in defeat, ready for some assistance. “Um, I think I need help tying the string in the back. Can you give me a hand if I come out?” 

You hear him hum in agreement, and you open the curtain and quickly turn your back. “Just the one string please.”

He hums again and gets to work, grabbing the two ends and crisscrossing them before pulling tightly. You hear him shuffle closer to you, and once again his breath is on your ear. “Is that tight enough for you?”

You freeze. He said it so quietly that you wonder if you are hallucinating but you know what you heard. He is teasing you again. He is trying to rile you up like he did at the Golden Saucer. Well, two can play at that game.

“Yes, that is good. Please tie it.” You feel him take a step back, and he ties the strings to ensure they stay together. 

Once you feel his hands pull away, you turn to him to show off your swimsuit. It hugs you in all the right places, quite comfortably, and it covers you aside from the middle of your body. The v-line shows off your chest, covering your breasts and getting narrower until the point stops down at your belly button. You feel sexy and seeing Vincent’s reaction was the cherry on top.

You watch as his eyes take in your form. You see them wander from your chest to your sternum and it is crazy how much the red of his eyes get smaller as his pupils blow wide. His fingers tremble against his side with slight movement in his arms like he wants to reach out for you, but they stay in place. His control is absolutely astonishing. 

“Vincent? Do I look okay?” 

His eyes snap away, coughing in the process like he didn’t just eye fuck you. He rubbed his neck, forcing himself to look anywhere but towards you. “Yes, it looks fine.” 

You release a smirk, feeling almost powerful seeing this man react the way he had. “Okay, well I am going to try the other ones on.”

You go back inside, and giggle quietly to yourself. It felt good to tease him. With how much he teases you, with how much he riles you up, it is his turn to be on the receiving end of torment. You rip off the one piece, and decide to put on one of the two pieces you were given to try. 

The one you decide to put on is a dark red bikini. The top clips on, so you didn’t need assistance this time. You look in the mirror and you notice how much the top pushes out your breasts. The flesh sticks out, making them look so much bigger than they were. You don’t know if Vincent was a boob man or not, but all you can think is you can’t wait to find out.

“Hey Vincent, can you tell me if this looks okay? I’m not sure how I feel about this one.”

You push the curtain open just as he turns to look in your direction, and his look is priceless. You see him take a heeded breath, one hand turning into a fist and the other gripping his side in what appears to be a hard grip. You hold back a smile, not wanting to give hints to your actions, and walk towards him. You are now standing toe to toe with him, looking up at a man who clearly was losing his cool. 

“Vincent, are you okay? You don’t look so good.” You coo, placing two fingers against his pulse point under his chin. He lets out a grunt at the contact, and your mind is reeling at how fast his pulse is going. 

“Vincent, what are yo-”

“I’m fine.” He grunts, taking your hand away from his neck.

You let it drop, and turn around to the booth. “Just one more and we can go, okay? I’ll be quick.”

You don’t give him another glance as you go back in. You fist pump the air in success as giving him a taste of his own medicine was truly a sight to behold. You are ready to go in for the kill with the last one, which is another bikini. However, this one was black with stretchy black laces that wrap around your stomach. This one felt like a good in between from the other two, but you feel this one will affect him the most. You don’t know why, but something about the intricacies of how it covers your body is simply seducing. 

You finish putting it on and you can’t help the excitement you feel. Out of the three, you like the way this one fits you the most. Not only is it comfortable, but it is an absolute confidence booster. It fits your body well and the laces across your waist accentuates it beautifully. Not only was this the swimsuit you would be purchasing, but you are excited to show it off to Vincent for another reaction. 

You rip open the curtain, cutting right to the chase, only to see he is no longer where he once stood. You hop out of the booth, looking around for the spiky black hair and red cloak, only to see him nowhere in sight. 

“You looking for your boyfriend, babes?” 

You turn to see the seller approaching you, the word boyfriend not even registering. You just want to find him.

“Yeah, did you see where he went?”

She nods over to the dock, back where the Tiny Bronco was located. “He went onto the dock. He seemed to be in quite a rush.”

You quickly thank her. You grab your things from the changing booth, and quickly round up the gil for the swimsuit you were wearing. “Thank you, keep the change.”

You run back to the dock and see the Bronco’s door slightly ajar. You push the door open, not wanting to alarm him as you climb on. You see him sitting on the bench in the very back, hands clutching his head and breathing heavy. Alarmed by how he is reacting, you make yourself known and slowly approach where he is sitting.

“Vincent, are you okay?” 

He grunts roughly, fingers visibly clutching his head harder. “You need to get off.”

You contemplated your next move. You could listen and get off, let him calm himself down. But then you think what if he can’t calm down? What if his mind spirals from his thoughts? Would you leaving really make things better or worse?

You think back to the time when you first met him, how defeated he looked after he had transformed back. How he had stared you down, taking your breath away at how utterly disheveled and beautiful he looked. He had been alone for so long, and that thought turned your rational mind off. You weren’t going to run. He needed you. 

“Vincent, I am not going anywhere.”

His head shoots up, his eyes crimson and face scrunched up like he was holding himself back. He notices your final change of the evening and the growl he lets out is feral. “You,” he snarls, “better not take a single step more.”

You stop again, realization hitting you like a freight train. Did I do this? Did I go too far? 

“Did I do something to upset you?” You ask quietly, afraid of what his response was going to be. “If I did, I am so sorry.”

He doesn’t respond, still looking to the ground although his breathing has subsided slightly. You approach him again, this time making it so you were only a foot away. 

“You don’t want this.” He mutters. 

“What do you mean?”

“I am a monster. The baggage I bring with me, the absolute madness that stirs from within. I don’t know if I can control myself, and that scares me, which means it will scare you.”

You can’t understand what he is saying. “You don’t scare me, Vincent. You could never scare me.”

He grunts out a laugh, like he doesn’t believe a word out of your mouth. “You don’t understand what primal thoughts are going through my mind right now.”

“Well, try me.” You reach out for his face, wanting to touch him, but his right hand grabs your wrist. 

“You don’t know what you want, so stop this.”

You feel like you could cry. The whiplash you are receiving after he has gotten under your skin only to rip himself away is too much. How dare he make your blood run hot and then make it go cold in an instant? You rip your arm away, taking a step back. Your gaze falls to the Bronco’s floor, feeling stupid at your attempt to draw him in. Your arms wrap around your body, sequestering it away from his gaze. 

“You don’t know what I want, so stop putting words into my mouth.” You choke out. Your fists are clenching on your tummy, anger starting to bubble to the surface. “I know you know how I feel about you because you wouldn’t continue to rile me up the way you do if you didn’t. I wouldn’t react the way I do if I didn’t. Truthfully, I love it. So don’t you dare tell me that I don’t know what I want.”

Everything goes quiet. The only thing that can be heard is the heavy breathing on both of your ends. Your anger disappears and is replaced with disappointment. You don’t know if there is any way to convince him, and you aren’t going to be made a fool in the process.

“I know what I want.” You say softly. “I have desires too.” 

It all happens so quickly, your body jolting forward until you are straddling his lap. You gasp, immediately feeling his hard on against your own clothed slit. He’s bigger than I thought, you think, for a man so skinny and sculpted . Two golden claws tilt your chin up, forcing you to be face to face with him. He is much taller than you, so he is slightly over you as he closes in. His breath fans over your lips, eyes erratic and glazed.

You let out a shaky sigh, letting your hands travel up to his face, cupping his cheeks gently as if to let him know what he wants to do is okay. “Do it. Show me you want me too.”

Lips press against yours instantly. It’s intense and intimate with the way he still has a hold on your chin and the way his free arm wraps around your waist to keep you grounded against him. You don’t know if it is the way he has you pressed to him or the way he surrounds your senses, but you feel calm. Even with the aggressive nature of his kisses, it is like he has seeped under your skin, a venomous serum to calm his prey down before he devours. You want more. You need more.

Your hands travel up past his temples to the back of his head, curling your fingers around his black locks. You pull delicately, not knowing how keen he was on pain, only to hear the most delicious whine leave his mouth into yours. You take the opportunity to let your tongue touch his, already becoming addicted to the way he tastes. His grip got tighter on you, trying to pull you in closer even if it wasn’t possible. There was an urgency in his actions as if what you two were doing was too much yet not enough. 

His erection was starting to react more and more against you. You could feel yourself growing restless with the need for some sort of contact. You work to shift your knees slightly, spreading them out more across the bench, and start to grind against the shape of his length. 

A growl from the deepest part of his throat rips out into the open. The claws of his gauntlet let go of your chin and latch to your hip. You stop your movements, thinking he was going to stop you, but he does no such thing. He pushes you down further onto his crotch, moving you himself to urge you to keep going. You follow his movements, letting him guide you back and forth on his cock. All you can think about is how large he is, and how good he feels against your pussy. However, it still isn’t enough. 

You move a hand down to your bottoms, sliding the part covering your heat to the side to get more friction. You can’t help the moan that leaves you the second your clit rubs against the leather of his pants, the roughness different from that of the silk. You move your hips faster, not skipping a beat as to chase a release. 

“That’s it,” Vincent growls against your lips. “Just like that.”

His encouragement sends dopamine right to your brain, giving your hips a mind of their own as you continue to rut against him. Your hips start to tire, becoming noticeable as your knees give out slightly before you readjust. Your mind begs you to keep going, begging to keep your pace so you can reach any type of peak. 

Your knees collapse again, and next thing you know your knees are no longer on the bench but spread far apart by Vincent’s thighs. His garbed hands are on your ass to keep you right where he wants you, and with the motion of his own hips he is rocking up into you slowly with firm pressure. You release his lips, your head resting on his shoulder as he grinds up into your cunt.

“Fuck, Vincent,” you drawl out, gripping his hair tighter with the hand still there, your other hand finding purchase on his shoulder. 

Vincent was having none of that, his right hand shoots to your head to pull it back to face him. What you see invigorates you, as Vincent’s eyes no longer had a red presense. They were the color of the light of day before dusk. The whites of his eyes were illuminated, and his canines had elongated drastically. 

“Is this what you wanted?” Vincent hisses. “Do you still want this?”

The self-pity in his eyes was becoming, and you weren’t having any of that. You were not about to have the man, who is making you go crazy by just nuzzling his long cock into your nethers, get distressed by disillusions. Your left hand drops from his head, dipping down where both of your crotches meet. The tips of your fingers dip into your dripping cunt, the evidence clear as day on his leathers. But if you must show extra proof, you will.

You stuff two of your fingers into your hole, still making eye contact with his yellow orbs as you let your face contort. Your fingers come out covered in your sticky fluid, translucent webbing formed in between your fingers. You bring it between your faces, your eyes bold and lips curling devilishly. “Does this answer your question?”

You don’t know what possessed you, but you let those fingers touch his lips. You pull his lower lip down, seeing if he would let his tongue travel out for a taste. You hum approvingly when he lets the tip give a small lick, and moan all together when he starts to lick them clean. Seeing Vincent obey such a small, unspoken command was the sexiest thing you have witnessed to date, and it makes you want to push him even more. 

You pull your fingers away, causing him to follow them to continue getting his fill. “Look at you,” you purr. “Like a kitten begging for milk.”

“You are one to talk.” He grumbles, thrusting his hips up so it rubs right against your clit. “You’re the one rubbing your bare cunt against me.”

A high-pitched moan wrangles from your throat as he bounced you up and down, followed by a sex drunken laugh. “Why don’t we change that?”

You push his chest so he is leaning way back on the bench, allowing you to steady yourself as you unbuckle his belts. As soon as you open his fly, his bulge pushes outward and you can hear the sigh of relief leave his lungs. Your hands dip into his underwear, pulling the elastic down to release his cock fully. His cock springs up, precum drooling from his swollen head. Your hand wraps around the tip, squeezing to see another pearl form. Your thumb sweeps over it, gathering as much as you can, before bringing it up to your mouth with the need to taste him.

If Vincent’s eyes could glow brighter, they would have blinded you with the way he was watching you. You let your thumb pop out of your mouth, letting some spit travel down your hand before rubbing it over his cock. You readjust once more, angling your hips so your clit would connect with his tip with each roll, and sit right back onto his lap. You both cry out in unison, both of you sensitive and in dire need of release. You crash your lips against his as you roll your hips in a slow, yet firm rhythm. Your hands grip at his hair, loving the way he ruts into you when you pull on it. You don’t hold back, too far gone to tease the daylights out of him, moaning into his mouth every time the head of his cock kisses your bud. 

Vincent wasn’t faring any better, his volume only increasing at the friction. He releases your lips, his head falling onto your shoulder with a long groan. You feel tiny prickles against your skin, his fangs grazing it as he kisses and sucks on your flesh. His hands go over the strings of your swimsuit, gripping the skin of your waist to pull you closer.

His mouth proceeds up your shoulder to your jaw, nipping your pulse point before licking it. The difference between the movement of his hips and his lips is drastic. His lips move slowly, caressing the skin after every love bite he gives you like you are delicate, while his hips buck into you with conviction. It is like he doesn’t know whether he wants to cherish you, or prove to you how much of a monster he can be. 

Both of your essences are mixing as you continue, creating easier movement and a more heavenly feeling. You can feel yourself getting close to your release, hips flying back and forth trying to grasp onto it. It isn’t until your hips give out, a frustrated whine leaving you as the peak downtrails.

“Don’t you dare give up on me.” Vincent orders into your ear. 

“Fuck, I can’t,” you sob, the ache in your hips and knees showing as you start to slow down.

You don’t fully comprehend what happens next, not until you feel the cold metal of the Bronco’s floor on your back. Vincent yanks your bottoms down your legs, exposing all you have to offer to him. He is on you, hunched over you as he thrusts against your fully exposed cunt. You can’t help but shove your head into the crevice of his neck, wailing at how fast he is going. You are surprised he hasn’t accidentally slipped in with how wet you are, the sounds coming from your nethers making that more apparent. 

“I am so close, fuck!” You whimper. You are on the cusp. You needed something. Just a little push to put you over.  “Please, please, please, Vincent! I need it so bad! I need you!”

You feel his fangs against your shoulder, nipping and licking the same spot over and over again. A warm sensation fills you, not registering it until the piercing pain of his incisors sink into your skin. It hurts so good, the combination of pain and pleasure shooting through your system. It sets the tone for your release, causing you to scream into his shoulder. It is electrifying, ecstasy filling in the gaps as your orgasm rolls in waves. Vincent wasn’t far behind, and something about your blood must have sent him into a frenzy. His hips are going inhumanly quick, and after a few more thrusts he ejects his fangs from your body as he cums.

His moans echoing into your ear has you gripping onto him harder, comforting him as he rides out his high. Fingers stroke the hairs on the back of his neck, hushing him soothingly as his body shakes. It isn’t long after he starts groaning, his grip tightening on your thighs. 

“Are you okay?” You ask worried, lifting his head so you can get a good look at him. But what you see stirs something from deep within your chest.

You don’t know if it’s because golden hour has reached its peak, but he looks ethereal. His fangs were no more, but there was blood that has stained his mouth. The beams of golden light reflect off of him, his pale skin shining from the light perspiration on his face. He looks so beautiful in the sun’s rays, like an angel wrapped in light. His eyes slowly open, and a soft gasp leaves your lips. His eyes were no longer illuminating yellow. His eyes, the vibrancy of them, have transformed into the sun. Their usual molten color is bright like the sun's surface. His usual orange rings that surround his pupil are golden, and you can see your reflection in the deep black.

He takes a minute to gather himself before nodding, a sigh passing through his lips before sitting up on his knees. You peer down to your lower half, which is now covered in his seed and your own mess. Vincent’s eyes are glued to your mound, his cum having pooled there from his heavy release. After a moment, he takes his leather glove off his right hand, skin pale and blue from the veins protruding. His fingers dip into his cooled cum, letting it collect on his fingers before pulling his hand away. 

“Vincent, what are yo-” you start before you watch him bring his fingers towards your lips. He lets them hover, waiting to see if you would be as keen to sampling him again like he did with you. 

A light chuckle leaves your lips. He is just full of surprises.

You sit up on your elbows, your mouth pressing light kisses to his fingers before indulging. Your eyes flutter close, a quiet moan rumbling from your chest as take in his taste for a second time. He tastes neutral, nothing too bitter or too musky. It tastes exactly as you expected. Because it was him, he tasted absolutely delectable. And you can’t get enough.

“Look at you,” Vincent mimics your tone from earlier, smirking in the process. “Like a kitten begging for milk.”

His fingers leave your mouth, making you chase after them until he kisses you suddenly. The iron attacks your senses pleasantly, and his humming tells you that his seed is having the same effect on him. You both stay there for a while, just kissing in each other’s mess, and before you know it the sky has turned into its orange hue before the nightfall. 

You decide to pull away first, bringing your hands to his face to soothe the sweat dried skin. “I don’t want this to end, but we should get going. The others may be wondering where we wandered off to.”

He hums slowly, like he was debating whether he cared or not, but ultimately decided to sit fully up. He puts his cock back into his leathers, getting himself situated before he helps you stand up properly. Your body doesn’t feel real from how drained your muscles are, and you think he can tell by the way he guides your hands to his shoulders. He brings your bottoms over to your legs, and urges you to put your feet through the openings. Using his shoulders as leverage, you do as he silently instructs and he pulls them up until you are covered. You look down and see the cum has dried on your skin, and the thought of anyone possibly seeing it makes your cheeks burn, knowing you’d never live it down. 

“Do you think anyone will notice?”

Instantly, like he was already planning to do this, he undid the buckles of his cape and wrapped it around your shoulders. With him being such a broad and tall man, his cape covered you very well and hid the evidence of your coupling.

“It gets cool during nightfall. It won’t be suspicious.”

“But what about your pants? There is cum on them too.”

“Truthfully, I don’t care.”

You pull the cape closer to you, inhaling and exhaling his scent, filling your brain with a sense of safety. Vincent believed he wasn’t deserving of you, that he was a danger to you and others. But when you feel such a sense of security with him, how can he not see that you need him?

He finishes putting his glove back on, flexing his fingers before he goes to open the door of the Bronco. Your brain reacts first, hand grabbing his arm before he could expose you both to the outside world. You needed to know something. You needed to know if he still feels how he felt earlier.

“Vincent, can I ask you something?”

He turns to you, curiosity peaking. He places his golden fingers over the hand gripping his arm, signaling for you to ask your question.

“You don’t regret what just happened, do you? I’m not going to wake up like it was yesterday, am I?” 

There is silence, and you mentally hit yourself for the lack of confidence, your voice having dropped to a whisper. Your head drops again, worried about what was about to not be said, before you feel a gentle kiss on the top of your head.

“There is nothing to regret,” he murmurs. “Especially when it comes to you.”

You lift your head up, eyes meeting his, before letting a smile form on your face. His facial features match your own, and he brings you in for a sweet kiss before you two return to the others. You don’t think about them though, because all you can think is that he let you in.

He willingly let you in.

[thedevilspearl]

are they a dom or a sub — brothers & dateables

a/n: i’ve seen dom/sub headcanons floating around since the dawn of time and now it’s my turn. these are my headcanons (spoiler alert: most of them are switches) and i want you to know that it’s okay to have differing opinions, and i’m 100% down to discuss your versions with you, just be nice about it loll this is all just for fun <3

tags: all brothers + dateables, no explicit smut but consistent discussion of dom/sub dynamics so minors do not interact!

𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐑  ➛  switch but dom–leaning. as a sub, he is so good and soft. it’s a way for him to accept and nurture his vulnerability with someone he trusts. but as a heavily dominant person, he takes on the dominant role most of the time — though, there are many times he prefers no dynamics of the sort and to just have sex as him and you. but going back to his dom side, he can range from hard to soft and it depends on many factors: his mood, your mood, the time of day, how much energy he has, if you two are alone etc. he does either really well, but he prefers to be a soft dom because he craves soft loving and intimacy over rough and lustful sex. but i will mention, as a hard dom, he loves a challenge so do him a favour and be as bratty as you can be.

𝐌𝐀𝐌𝐌𝐎𝐍  ➛  he is exactly in the middle as a switch. he’s neither dom nor sub–leaning, but perfectly balanced. and similar to lucifer, it all depends on his mood and the atmosphere. as a sub, he’s quite bratty. very moany and loves to feel pain (though, not too much). he has his softer subby moments, but he’s mostly a bratty sub and loves to be tamed (and punished). but as a dom, he would mostly act as a soft dom, or somewhere in between soft and hard, never going into full hard dom mode. don’t get me wrong, he loves rough and nasty sex but he can do all that without being a hard dom. he’s also massively into dirty talk and teasing, so even when he’s a soft dom, you’ll get glimpses of his harder, meaner, dirtier side even if it never comes into full fruition.

𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍  ➛  we’re all convinced levi is sub–leaning, even he is. but i believe his dynamic can change greatly. he starts as a sub because he feels more comfortable with someone else taking the lead while he’s learning what he likes and dislikes, and also what you like and dislike. but his subby–ness can get repetitive and unexciting really quickly. he may be a brat sometimes and would prefer punishments like orgasm denial or no touching over pain–inflicting punishments. but most of the time as a sub, he is so good and sweet, obeying every order like a zealous golden puppy who worships you. later on, he explores his dominant side and he is fully committed to being a soft dom. sex with dom levi is like having sex with your best friend; he’s always praising you and asking if you’re doing okay. he can still be rough (and mean, if you ask for it), but that only makes him eager to be more affectionate.

𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐍  ➛  is a switch but let’s talk about his dom side since we all love to think about rough, mean dom satan. he can be a soft dom and i do headcanon him as one, but he is better suited in the role of a hard dom, particularly when he needs to release his pent up frustration. he needs someone who can take all of his rough, mean energy whilst also accepting his genuinely caring and affectionate side. what i mean to say is, during sex, you would mostly see hard dom satan, but afterwards, it’s nothing but soft and loving dom satan to take care of you. as a sub, he also also better suited as a hard sub. he wants you to test his limits. make him cry. make him scream. make him beg for more and make him beg you to stop. he wants you to treat him in a way no one else would dare to treat him and he very reluctantly wants to be put in place.

𝐀𝐒𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐔𝐒  ➛  hard dom and hard sub for asmo are a no–no. the hardest he will go is calling you mean names (but they’re somehow always mixed in with praise), maybe spanking and a little bit of hair pulling. oh, and he does love to see you cry. rough sex is fine but with the way he speaks to you so softly and teasingly, it can hardly be considered rough, even when you’re brought to tears. if you want to see dom asmo, be prepared for him to always be a soft dom. as a sub, he may lean towards some harder things, but again, no matter how kinky or experimental sex with asmo is, he has his charming ways and it will turn out soft in the end. he’s kinky but he’s soft mostly all the way. and i would say he is more dom–leaning as a switch. sex is his expertise (sexpertise?) so he prefers to guide the way in the bedroom.

𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐙𝐄𝐁𝐔𝐁  ➛  dom/sub dynamics aren’t that important to beel but when it does play a part in sex, he is most naturally dom–leaning. sub beel has never crossed my mind and it probably never will. even if you are in control, he just can’t find himself in a sub mindset. but if it were the other way around, he could potentially slip into a dom mindset. beel is the demon most in touch with his animalistic nature, and that’s why it’s easier for him to be a dom. i would not categorise him as either hard or soft but rather just someone who likes to be in control sometimes. he can give you a good, hard fucking, but that doesn’t mean he’s a hard dom. he can also be a lot more gentle, and that doesn’t mean he’s a soft dom either. it’s hard to label him specifically, so i’ll leave beel as dom–leaning.

𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐆𝐎𝐑  ➛  belphie as a sub is a dream. he is so whiny and bratty, just imagine how he moans....i just know he makes himself sound especially pathetic when he’s in his subby persona. he likes being slapped, he likes being brought to tears. but he’s a switch and as a dom, he loves to do those exact same things to you. he can be quite confusing as a dom because he is soft and slow in his movements, very rarely fucking you fast and hard. but it’s in his words and sadistic behaviour where his hard dom shines. so physically, he’s a soft dom. but mentally, he’s all up in his hard dom space. he’s also the type of dom that will demand sex whenever and wherever he needs it which definitely boosts his hard dom side. he’s so mean with his words but he’s caressing your face and wiping your tears at the same time. dom belphie to you is exactly how he wants you to be with him when he’s a sub.

𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐋𝐎  ➛  the demon lord is probably the biggest (or second biggest after mammon) switch in the entirety of obey me. he is a flip–flop in the making. he can bounce from one end of the spectrum to the other in an instant. his dom/sub dynamic is literally so dynamic that it gives you whiplash. with most switches, if they begin the session as a sub, they will most likely finish as a sub. but dia can switch during sex, going from dom to sub or vice versa. maybe even switching three or four times, depending on how long you go at it with him. he can go from hard to soft and soft to hard. he knows how to read the room, how to read you and because his mood is so changeable, you need to be able to read him too. sex with dia requires a whole lot of understanding and chemistry. if you don’t have it, the sex can be too confusing that it becomes unenjoyable. but if you do have it, then it will be the best sex you’ll ever have.

𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐒  ➛  he is another one that i rarely see as a sub, if at all. i don’t think barbatos has any strong sexual preferences or kinks in general. and while they do exist, sex just isn’t a huge ordeal to him. but during those times when he is excited to experiment with sex, he would be a dom. he can be a soft dom but i don’t think he’d be particularly good at it, mediocre at best. he would excel more as a hard dom. he’s the type of person who will have a dark and rough sexual side, but is wholly soft and affectionate outside of the bedroom. he’s a dom but if you wanted to be the dom, he wouldn’t mind acting as a sub — just know he wouldn’t enjoy is as much. but, he also wouldn’t mind having to compete with another dom until one of you submits; that would be fun.  

𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍  ➛  now this angel can confuse you at first but first impressions are always deceiving. dom/sub dynamics are not heavily implemented into his simeon’s sexual preferences but i must say, when they do come out, it is absolutely stellar. simeon is a dom, a soft dom most of the time but every now and then, he’ll show himself as a hard dom. it’s very rare but it’s the kind of thing that lingers in your brain for weeks after it happens. even if you beg him to give you that mean and nasty sex, he won’t do it unless he decides to, or when he feels the need to. but as a predominantly soft dom, he is sweet and caring, a little bit of a tease (read: a lot) who loves to test your limits but in a gentle way. he can be subby at times, but he prefers to guide the sex as a soft, gentle dom or have sex with no dom/sub dynamics over being the sub.

𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐍  ➛  i think he’s lived long enough to have a very aged libido. it’s hard for him to be excited about sex until you come along and it’s just like having sex for the first time. he’s discovering his sexual preferences, old and new, with you and he is steadily paced with his experimentation. i want to say he’s a switch but i also believe he doesn’t enjoy being a sub much. so he would definitely try being a sub, but will learn that he is more suited to the dominant role. he’s spent so long being powerful and almost uncontrollable, so being out of control upsets his personality. as a dom, he is quite balanced and i think he mostly relies on your preferences and moods. he finds it hard to decide for himself so if you want it hard, he’ll give it to you hard. and if you want it soft, he’ll give you all the love in the world.

[polakina]

Nonnie from that Javier request here again 👁️

Javier has been rotting my brain for days now but an addition to this is Charles.

We know from that bar fight mission in Valentine that Javier and Charles have different tastes in women but what if they somehow land their eyes on the same lady? Who just happen to be someone the gang newly recruited.

Javier who makes the funniest jokes with flirtatious undertones and keeps the drinks and songs going(definitely the more fun of the two), but also Charles who's more touch than talk and ALWAYS has his hand on her lower back (I'm frothing at the mouth for this).

nonnie i love u, never stop sending these requests

i took this on a slightly different route than what i was expecting to write, but i hope you still like it :)

rating: mature

hard to ignore

It had been a few months since you had joined the gang. Time had flown by, with the heists, the jobs, the hunting. Everything. But you’d gotten to know the people quite well.

Arthur was quiet, but he was sweet. Hosea was one of the loveliest men you’d ever met, which also made him one of the most dangerous when it came to his scams. John and Abigail argued so much that it became white noise to you at night. Micah was an ass. That’s all you had to say about that man. 

Javier was…an interesting personality. He was kind to you. He played guitar well. He always managed to catch your eye across the fire at night in camp. You always smiled, meeting his gaze.

“Morning, querida,” he’d always say in the mornings. “Looking beautiful as ever.” His accent always did something to you. The purr in his tone, the gravel in his voice, especially in the morning. He was a smooth talker, and he knew it. From your perspective, this was how he acted with all women. How you thought he approached every lady who came his way.

But when night fell, he turned into a different person. He was a confident man. In the way he walked, he talked. How he moved through the camp, interacting with everyone on his way to the campfire. How he presented himself, bringing life to the party. Camp always seemed more lively, more fun when he brought himself into the centre of it.

Drinks were flowing just as the sun dipped behind the hill. The guitar was pulled out and its strings were plucked in a melodious tune that got everyone dancing.

It was almost as though he was singing for you. To you. His eyes never left yours when he sang those songs. Those songs that made everyone sway in couples, in a harmonious dance. God, he was good at it. Good at making you feel seen. His entire focus was just on you.

“Enjoying your night, conejita?” He smiled as he made his way over to you, two bottles of liquor in hand, passing one over to you.

“Don’t call me that,” you rolled your eyes, the corners of your lips upturned. He called you bunny. A playful little endearment you’d noticed in your first week of being here. You only realised what it meant when you were strolling through the south end of Saint Denis; an older gentleman called his wife the same thing and you’d asked him what it meant. “Bunny,” he’d said. “My wife, she’s like a cute little bunny. So the name stuck.”

Javier smiled brightly at you. “But it suits you so perfectly, conejita.”

You rolled your eyes again, unable to hide your smile at this point. He was always so upfront with you, never left anything to the unknown. If he didn’t like you, it’d be blatantly obvious. But if he liked you, the entire camp knew. There’d be signs. Not even subtle ones. With you, he found an excuse to come and talk to you, even if you were doing menial tasks like laundry. He’d keep you company, sometimes help out with whatever you were doing. Javier liked to compliment you a lot. Like, a lot. 

Compliment you in ways that made you hide your blush sometimes. “Have I ever told you how beautiful you look in this light, conejita?” “Don’t look at me with those eyes, they’re too pretty to look away from.” The man had a way with words, and you never knew how to respond.

Charles was quiet when you had first joined the camp. Kept to himself mostly, just like Arthur did. But there was something about him that drew you to his nonchalant personality. His large build, strong hands, deadset glare. He was handsome. So goddamn handsome. Never a part of the group, not really even during parties or meals. 

He stayed by himself in the first few weeks of your introduction. He always kept a wary eye out in the camp, and you’d caught his eyes lingering on yours a few times, but often times you thought it was your imagination. He’d not spoken to you for a long while in camp until you were the one to approach him.

But now, months down the line, you knew it wasn’t your imagination. He looked right at you now, not staring in a strange way that made your skin crawl, but observing you. Fascinated by you.

Charles didn’t speak much. He didn’t have to. It was his touches and how he handled himself around you that told you everything you needed to know about the man.

No matter how many times you assured him you could dismount your horse, or scale a wall, he was there. To help you. Always offering a hand, or stabilising you on unsteady rocks. The two of you often paired yourselves together on jobs, since you worked well together as a team. 

Around camp, he’d become a lot closer with you. His hand finding your lower back when he was behind you, so you knew he was there as he reached around to grab another bottle of liquor. His hand outstretched to help you up after you were sitting on the floor by the campfire for too long, your legs aching from the weight of your body resting on your ass.

But his favourite thing was when the wind blew a little too hard, and he had the excuse to brush your hair out from in front of your face. He stood taller than you, a lot taller. His build was wider than yours, more muscles in his arms and chest. The muscles in his back contorting and stretching when he mounted his horse. You looked. Of course, you looked. It was hard not to.

Javier and Charles had different ways of getting your attention. Javier was more talkative, complimenting to you, a lot more confident with his words. Charles, however, took his time with things. He liked to watch from afar, casting small smiles your way whenever you looked over. He communicated with his touch, his hands, his light hold. But Javier communicated with his words. You couldn’t tell which one you preferred more. 

Both of these men knew that they equally vied for your attention. They saw it everyday. They didn’t mind. They didn’t see it as a game to compete for you. They liked how flustered you would get from each others advances.

So maybe…you wouldn’t have to choose between them. Since they seemed perfectly happy working together to get your attention. Maybe, just maybe, you could be selfish and have both.

[thegtgarbageman]

So while I was away a few weeks before coming back here I made a new story. I was mostly writing details and things like that at first. And then just to try and be creative and get back into drawing I did some sketches. It's sort of based off a lot of things. It's a really ambitious thing that will probably be left behind at some point so I might as well share it now

This is going to be a small creative lore barf I suppose because why not.

So this little guy is Somlet! Somlet is a newly prematurely hatched infant of the Volkin species. Volkins are what they call themselves as a collective at least. "Vol-Kin" meaning children of flower. This is because the species has adapted uniquely to where their community is located to look like the local flora and fauna.

Somlet and their parent Xewt were both captured and taken by humans who are currently conducting tests on the planet to see if it is right for colonizing. (Yes its cliché) Specifically one human who is there to study animal behavior and study the most prioritized species named Ross Williams.

The reason Ross has the two of them is because while running to get to the safety of another colony, Xewt accidentally stumbled upon a human construction site. Unfortunately he had to carry his soon to hatch egg along with him. Even more unfortunate he was eventually caught by the human and taken back for further study.

This is Xewt. Xewt's name has a few meanings in his language. Smaller, Runt. Lucky to be alive. Somewhat associated with a tragic event. Usually his species will have a brilliant pattern on their outer face mandibles, but he was born without them as he was born sick and never grew past the bare minimum adult height.

The spines are sort of akin to a porcupine with the way they feel, they can also flatten or flare up as well which I also took from a porcupine. However they are extremely sharp and can slip under skin at the right angle. But usually they don't do much damage. The nose was supposed to be a lion/goat but flat. And they have large upper fangs to kill prey, since they are hunter/gatherers. Some use tools at this point. But it's usually easier to just kill with claws and jaws.

However tools are enticing because once a spine is broken it grows back extremely slow, and hurts far too much to be worth it. They are full of nerves.

Once at a mature age they will grow a pair of more delicate spines on the bottom of their face. These spines are for mating, and are usually matching but can differ.

Just more Somlet near fingers because I find the idea adorable.

These drawings are going down by the time I drew them by the way. The top was the latest and the bottom was the first official design.

These aren't all the sketches but it's all the ones that aren't just like total color/scribble nonsense

Finally here is what Ross looks like. Nothing special.

The scar is just from a previous interaction with other alien wildlife on a colony a bit before this story. Which makes him pretty cautious and distrustful of any new species no matter how friendly or 'trained' things are.

Speaking of which he is basically trying to train the aliens into being non threatening, which is basically their nature and also their communication. They communicate through a number of different ways, but a big way is body language and spine vibrations, which are both seen as 'threatening' behaviors by commanders.

Ross is sort of a Villain, turned somewhat protagonist.

Also I hate drawing space suits and space stuff it's always too complicated. I know his suit needs a major revamp but I hate drawing space suits

Here were the first doodles once I was finally done designing what Xewt would look like, again I need to redo this too.

So yeah I have a lot written down and a lot to share and this is like none of it but I don't want to yap too long.

I love these little guys and I hope this isn't too cringe

[lets-try-some-writing]

idea

Considering that tfp cybertronian don't have lips like humans,to """kiss""" eachother, they basicly bonk heads together like cats with a light electric current running between them.

I LOVE THIS IDEA

I swear I've written about it before, but here I go again.

Keeping in line with my personal headcanon that touching is just a way to bond, I can see Bumblebee hurrying to bonk his helm against everyone he likes. Arcee gets one, Bulkhead had to kneel down to get one, Ratchet gets two happy bonks, Optimus gets one long bonk. The kids are even offered the bonks but Bee has to be very careful so as to not accidently hurt them. Smokey doesn't get bonks, nor does Ultra Magnus. They are too new or important for him to feel comfortable.

Arcee doesn't do helm touches. That's for sparklings and very close pairs. No instead she does leans. She will rest her helm against the leg or torso of those she likes. No hugs here. Just a light touch. She's a tad too short for most other interaction anyway.

Bulkhead is very gentle with everyone he does helm touches with. He doesn't touch Ratchet with a ten foot pole and he is VERY conservative with the touches he offers Optimus. The Prime will get light touches like the ones Arcee offers. Bumblebee often gets full blown helm touches. Arcee doesn't like getting helm touches so Bulkhead instead touches her back whenever he can. Wheeljack though? Whenever he's at base Bulkhead and Wheeljack will butt helms like rams. He might pat Magnus's shoulder, but that's all. Smokey gets no helm touches, but shoulder touches are acceptable.

Ratchet isn't particularly stingy about touching. He's a medic after all. It is literally his job to stick his digits everywhere. But when he's feeling particularly touchy he will offer helm touches to Bumblebee and Optimus exclusively. He knows them the best and so is far more comfortable touching them. Bulkhead and Arcee get back touches and in Bulkhead's case, hip and torso touches as well. Ultra Magnus is in a similar boat. Smokescreen is too new for serious touching, but Ratchet is willing to throw him a bone due to his youth and will give him back touches as well when he's feeling down.

Technically the rules state that it is heretical for anyone to touch the Prime without going through various rituals, but Optimus gave everyone the green light so now he will go about touching his team whenever he feels like it. Helm bonks go for whoever he trusts and is comfortable with it. Back, arm, and pretty much anywhere else touches go for the rest of the team. Smokescreen never emotionally recovered when Optimus spontaneously decided he trusted Smokescreen enough for the rookie to get touches.

Ultra Magnus will only touch his Wreckers, Ratchet, and Optimus. He may give Bee a few touches, but its RARE. He will touch helms with Optimus and Bulkhead, even Wheeljack eventually. It is all a matter of trust, one which he first engaged in begrudgingly but now secretly really enjoys.

Smokescreen both REALLY wants touches but also isn't entirely sure about what to do. Standard dictates that touches are reserved for close companions. But the war meant that the usual time it takes for trust to build has significantly shortened. He spent several weeks totally touch starved until Bulkhead accepted him first. The rest of the team followed suit and poor Smokescreen has never gotten so much physical affection in his life.

Touching reaffirms bonds. There is nothing weird about it. The whole process is just to solidify companionship. Despite that eventually being explained to the humans, they will never not blush when the team will nonchalantly stick their servos in places humans would see as being very reserved. Arcee is the worst offender in their eyes since she is often too short to reach anything except the legs and crotch of taller bots.

[yangqism]

don't wanna break up again | dong sicheng

actor!dong sicheng x singer!femreader

synopsis. love and sicheng don't complement each other. despite being aware of that fact, it doesn’t stop you from coming back again and again, even if your set-up consumes you. or, sicheng and you are in an on and off situationship because he’s afraid of commitment.

genre. angst, romance (if there's any LOL), situationship

warnings. excessive use of the word "manager", reader wears contacts at some point, they have UNSPOKEN FEELINGS (mainly sicheng), industry pressure, toxic relationship (i mean, situationship </3)

words. 5,882

eternal sunshine. masterlist

it started on a red carpet, where you’d been cornered by a journalist asking about your upcoming album. sicheng was standing nearby, his black suit sharp and his gaze sharper. when he glanced your way, it felt like the world shifted. later, you found yourself seated next to him at an afterparty, where the conversation flowed like an unscripted duet.

“so, do singers always write about their own heartbreaks?” he teased, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

“only the memorable ones,” you replied, meeting his eyes with a challenge of your own and a smile that could melt the world.

you didn’t know it then, but he’d leave you with more than enough material.

it’s been two weeks since that interaction you’ve had with the industry’s most sought after actor. you’ve heard all the good things about sicheng. how he’s shy in real life and he’s cool on camera. but you believed that that simply can’t be true. 

but you also believed he’s hot and now you’re here, composing a song while thinking about that small interaction with him. you don’t know where this song would go or if this would even be published, but one thing’s for sure: no one would even know that this song is for him. 

“then i had this interaction i’ve been thinking about for like five weeks,” your manager read your lyrics, cringing at them after. “what the hell is this, y/n?”

“what? a girl can’t love or something?” you sighed, putting your ballpen down and waiting for another comment about the song you’re writing. “it’s about the guy.”

“yeah! i know it’s about the guy. and i’m pretty sure that you know that if you get tangled with him, the scandal is going to be big, right?” your manager sighed. you can tell that just by thinking about how much paperworks and apology letters you guys are gonna write, if ever, if ever you and sicheng ‘would’ have some romantic escapade, your manager’s hair would wither and he’d definitely not appreciate that.

“it’s just a song! and i don’t stand a chance with that big star. he’s probably dating an a-lister actress or something,” you replied. “like probably… he’s dating that lead actress of eternal sunshine! the nepo baby! y’know… their chemistry’s unmatched,” 

“ooh, yeah! i’m actually excited to watch that series because i’ve seen the interviews! oh my god they look so good together,” this time, your manager sat beside you, gushing about how sicheng and his lead partner look good together and how much he thinks that eternal sunshine would be a hit. 

“now you’re making me sad,” you pouted, the thought of not having a chance with a big shot actor hurts you more than not winning song of the year against iu. “i even made the title track of their series based off of the story and some real life happenings in the set,” you grinned, ready to tell your manager the tea you got off of the set of eternal sunshine back when you were invited by the director.

you weren’t able to see sicheng before because he had other gigs, but the rest of the cast were there, filming the other scenes that didn’t require the actor. 

“you know, oppa, i mean… who am i kidding? everyone knows qian kun, right?” you started to over exaggerate, “apparently, he likes the director! and everyone in the set knows it… and the director’s kinda shy about it.”

“honestly? if the golden boy qian kun likes me? i’ll marry him immediately.” 

“if it were you. but the director feels a bit insecure because kun’s perfect and all. but i do believe they look good together!” 

“and how did you get this information?”

“liu yangyang. eternal sunshine’s second male lead, the one who’s gonna get dumped in the end,” you stopped the sentence but your manager knew you’re about to dump the biggest, scandalous tea about the man, “but in real life, i heard he dumped dong sicheng’s lead partner.” 

“if i’m being honest? sicheng and that nepo baby’s chemistry is better than yangyang’s and her. but i do see some reason why they would hit off.” 

“no, oppa. you don’t get it, do you?” you sighed, “yangyang worked his ass off in this industry, the nepo baby got it because of her parents! sure, she acts well… but y’know, their vision in life might be different… maybe that’s why they didn’t become a real couple,”

“how about hendery? is he really handsome in person?” your manager curiously asked, “i heard he’s a real asshole.”

“damn right, he is! that man didn’t even acknowledge me nor the staff! he just went straight to the student nurse who was interning during the film to get some paracetamols i’m pretty sure he doesn’t need,” 

“so, hendery’s hot and an asshole. got it,” 

“and dejun… we made eye contact but that’s really it! he’s so afraid of human touch. but he’s so handsome too. even more handsome than hendery and i can feel that he treats everyone nicely, he’s just afraid of being too close,”

“you got all these crazy juices just from one visit on the set and it was enough for you to write eternal sunshine. your talent scares me sometimes,” you can’t really tell if your manager was complimenting you or is weirded out by how well you remember the facts the staff have told you during your time inside the set as well as your own perceptions of every actor in it but you’d take it positively because you do agree that eternal sunshine has some interesting talents in it.

“oh! before i forget, you know that award-winning photojournalist, right? ten lee? apparently, he’s exes with sicheng’s makeup artist and his award-winning piece was a picture of her when they were still together! that’s the kind of part i got inspired to write eternal sunshine, as well as the storyline.”

“they’re not together now?” 

“yeah, but it’s so weird because you can feel the tension and i think it’d be even weirder now because they’re wrapping up the first season and ten has to get the interesting bits while the makeup artist has to make sure sicheng is the interesting bit.”

“i can tell that you enjoyed your time there, y/n. but you better not tell anyone these or they will be in deep trouble.”

“i know! i just had to let it out to you because i know you love those actor rumours and stuff,” you rolled your eyes to your manager, already used to him warning you about getting in trouble from time to time. 

when he left, you immediately continued composing your song about you and sicheng’s interaction, acting like it went to something even more special. 

“i hope i can see him again…” you took a deep breath, looking at the paper you’re writing on, wishing to see and talk to him again.

you heard whispers that sicheng would attend the music festival you were headlining in but you never really took it seriously, considering the busy schedules he probably have because of eternal sunshine. but deep down, you wished he would come and see you perform… maybe he’d talk to you again and maybe he’d be interested in you.

as the sun was setting over the vibrant landscape of the music festival, you stood at the stage, taking a deep breath before looking into the crowd. of course, you were admiring your fans who came all the way from different cities just to see you but you were also hoping to see him. and that, you did. 

you could swore it was the most romantic thing ever because he was also looking into your eyes and when your orbs met? you saw a glint of something behind his glance… or maybe it was just your contacts. 

the music started and you sang one of your greatest hits, everytime, pouring your heart and soul into performing because it’s a song that you can definitely relate to now. ‘i hope he remembers me,’ you thought while singing, hyping the audience up to sing with you.

“why, oh why does god keep bringing me back to you?” you sang looking directly at sicheng who’s also looking at you with something you can’t put into words. you couldn’t really tell what it is that you saw in his eyes when you were performing because he’s with his friends a bit farther on the stage but at least, you could see him.

after your performance, your manager quickly led you to your dressing room where your staff quickly went near you to take off some of the heavy makeup, replacing it with some blush and lip balm so you could comfortably watch and enjoy the festival. 

“y/n, change into this outfit,” one of the staff said, giving you an outfit that is extremely better than the ones you have right now. you just nodded in agreement before going to the comfort room where you changed. 

“feel comfortable now?” your manager asked, giving you a water bottle. “i saw sicheng watching you! he looks so into your performance earlier, y/n,” he added.

you could tell he was teasing you but you didn’t care. you performed your best out there because he was watching. 

“it was just eye contact, oppa,” 

before your manager could respond back to you, a familiar figure towered you from behind and judging his reaction, it was the person you least expect to be in your dressing room right now. 

“oh, sicheng! what brings you here?”

“can i talk to y/n?” his voice was humble, gentle, and comforting. you could melt then and there when you felt his breath from your back. 

your manager gave you a reassuring smile, patted your shoulder, before giving the room all to you and sicheng. 

‘this is it,’ you thought. the man you’ve been crushing over for at least a month now, behind you. now, you guys are alone in your dressing room but you can’t even try to look at him without feeling nervous. 

“hi, y/n,” he started. 

“sicheng! so glad to see you here! i almost thought you forgot about me,” you sheepishly blabbered. this time, you faced him. 

and you almost died. 

the man standing in front of you is the hottest human being ever and people around you would definitely agree if you told them that sicheng is not just a random actor. he is the actor. 

“you were great out there,” he smiled, “it’s one of my favorite songs of yours,”

“i’m glad you like it! i had fun writing it last year,” 

he leaned against the wall, looking relaxed yet attentive. “so, which one of your exes inspired you to write that?” he caught you off-guard with his teasing remark, reminding you of your first encounter with each other.

“what’s with you and my exes? are you interested in them?”

“i’m just curious how they fumbled someone like you,” he shot back with a charming smile.

“flattery won’t get you anywhere, sicheng,” you laughed and tried to shake off what he had just said. “some things just don’t work out, you know,”

sicheng just nodded to what you have just said, “try it with me?” 

this time, you scoffed, “you’re an actor, i’m a singer. that’s like… a recipe for disaster.”

“i’d be in any disaster as long as i’m with you, y/n,” he retorted, eyes staring deeply into your orbs as he waited for your response. 

“whatever, sicheng,” you rolled your eyes, smiling lightly before your manager entered your dressing room again. 

when your manager entered the room, you looked into sicheng’s direction, as if to signal that his time with you is over and he took that as a sign to give you a short farewell. 

“see you soon, y/n,” was all he said before vanishing into the endless hallways of the festival’s backstage. 

your manager’s looking at you with that stupid grin on his face, “so? what happened here and why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost? you got turned off or what?”

“woah there, buddy. calm down with those questions, will you?”

but he couldn’t really stop smiling from your interaction with sicheng again. afterall, these days you’ve been thinking about the actor nonstop. 

“he wanted me to try to play the game of love with him. to be in a relationship with him, i guess?” this time, your manager smiled even wider, waiting for you to continue. “stop looking at me like a creepy man,”

“you know what this means right, y/n?” he started, “to have one of the most popular actors talk to you after your performance,” 

“yeah dude, it means they want to get in my pants!” you replied annoyingly.

“or you could’ve maintained the innocent route and answered, ‘oh! it means he’s interested in me!’” your manager mocked your voice to prove a point with both of his index and middle finger doing the air quote-unquote symbol. 

“i know…” you whined, “but what if we won’t work out? what if we end up like those songs i wrote about heartbreaks?” 

but your manager could only give you a reassuring tap on your shoulder, “then write another song about it,”

your manager is actually right. 

at this point in time, you might write another song about a heartbreak. it’s been months now, since that dressing room interaction with sicheng and after it, you found yourself entangled with the actor. in every place you never thought about, actually! 

“still waiting for him?” the lead actress asked you. 

right, you’re in the filming site right now, waiting for sicheng because he told you to come to his apartment later. you decided it was better for the both of you to come at the same time so as to prevent suspicion from the public eye. afterall, your manager is already stressed when you inform him about the situation with sicheng now.

“yeah, i am. how’s the filming going?” you tried to make a short conversation with the lead actress. even though the public has said countless bad comments about her, she’s actually nice and easygoing. and easygoing in a sense that this girl has probably never seen a bad guy in her life! 

“sicheng’s been acting grumpy nowadays. i think it has to do with his dating rumour with karina,” she started, sitting beside you. “you know how those idol-actor rumour goes,”

you nodded. of course, you do know how those go considering you’ve had countless rumours with many men, some of them you didn’t know even existed. but sicheng’s is different because his company keeps on pushing him to do it, telling him it’s ‘good’ publicity. 

before you and the lead actress of eternal sunshine could continue your conversation, sicheng and yangyang came into the picture. the latter gave you a gummy smile whilst signalling the lead actress to follow him. you assumed they have made up and are now in a relationship but you could only assume, sicheng doesn’t tell you stuff. 

“let’s go,” sicheng gave you a half-smile before leading you to his van where yuta, his manager, has been waiting for the both of you.

“hello, yuta,” you greeted politely.

“hi, y/n. sorry if it took long for sicheng to wrap up tonight, it’s an important scene that the director wants to finish immediately,” 

“you don’t need to tell her that, hyung. y/n understands, right?” the actor looked into your direction, giving you his charming smile. 

you smiled back, giving him the satisfaction. 

you will definitely write a song about this.

it’s never ending, honestly. your nights with sicheng in his apartment. him cuddling you to sleep while helping you write lyrics then you begging him to spoil eternal sunshine just for the man to smirk at your pleading face before telling you to go to sleep.

it’s those nights that made you stay with what you guys have but on mornings, you would wake up alone in his bed, leaving you wondering where he might have gone. 

on the first night he had left you alone, you waited until lunch for him to come home but he never did. you only realized that he had come to another filming site when your manager called you, worrying where’d you went the night before. then it happened again and again, urging you to tell your manager what really is happening but you couldn’t give an answer because the two of you haven’t talked about what you guys have right now. 

“it’s been hard, oppa,” you started, sighing on the way home the next morning after your encounter with sicheng and yuta last night. “i can’t believe i’m letting him do this to me,”

“why don’t you ask him about your status? you just can’t keep on waking up alone in that bed if you guys have something going on,”

“i don’t want to pressure sicheng, especially now when things start to get stressful in his work,”

your manager sighed in disbelief, closing his eyes in disappointment to what you have just said. “you’re preparing for an album too, y/n. things are also stressful on your side,” 

“he’s an actor, he has more things to think about than what we are,” 

you try to convince yourself that everything is okay. his texts grew shorter, his calls less frequent. hell, he rarely invites you on set. but when he’s with you? it was like he was a different person. soft, attentive, and present. he would make you dinner and tell you you’re the prettiest thing on earth, only to be left behind the morning after. 

mornings with sicheng are nonexistent. it made you feel used, unloved, and sad. but asking him your label is more humiliating. you’re afraid of putting things into his mouth, afraid he might lose interest in you if you’ve ever asked him about the two of you. 

you’re afraid to be too much for him. 

but you’re only human and he’s pushing you to the edge now. you’ve been overwhelmed with your recording session earlier and sicheng has not replied to any of your messages, even after you finished recording–your phone still had no sign of him seeing your chats and replying to you. 

after the grueling session with your manager inside the recording studio, you immediately left him to go at sicheng’s apartment, even if there’s a risk of getting caught by paparazzis. you just can’t help it now, you’re getting suffocated and confused and hurt. you’re getting every feeling you are not supposed to feel when in love. 

you rang his doorbell for the nth time until a sleepy sicheng opened the door. 

“do you even care about this?” if you weren’t tired and mad, you would’ve melted at his appearance now but your voice was trembling and your legs were shaking as he left you inside his apartment. 

“what kind of question is that, y/n?” his voice was sleepy but his tone was defensive.

“the kind i have to ask because you never let me in,” now, your frustration is spilling over and your mind is not working right. “i’m always the one chasing you, sicheng! aren’t you tired of running from me? haven’t you thought about what i feel?” 

for a moment, you thought he might say something to ease the ache in your chest. instead, he sighed and turned his back on you. “this is who i am, y/n. you agreed to be linked with someone like me in the first place. if i’m not enough for you, maybe you should leave,” 

the first break up was messy (like the other ones that followed). you tried to convince yourself that it was a mutual one but your manager, and everyone around you, didn’t believe you. 

you remember the way back home, your manager picking you up crying at sicheng’s apartment parking lot. he bit his lip and ran his fingers through his hair before picking you up, telling you to shush and calm down but you never did. all you did that night was cry and ask your manager if you were not enough. 

when your mind was kind of cleared, you realized that maybe distancing yourself to sicheng is for the better. afterall, you both had your careers and responsibilities. maybe being with an actor is really a disaster. 

but the break up didn’t last like how you expected it to do. a few weeks later, he showed up to your apartment, which also counts as the first time he went there, after his schedule. he didn’t greet you with his calm and comforting demeanor like the first time, he was cold and unreadable–distant but pleading.

“i shouldn’t be here,” he admitted as you told him to come inside, “but i couldn’t stay away,”

and just like that, you were back in the loop. nights that felt like promises and mornings that broke you all over again. 

“are you sure about this, y/n?” your manager oppa asked you.

“yeah! i feel him changing for the better, oppa,” you smiled brightly, eyes scanning the setlist for your upcoming concert.

“waking up with him beside you doesn’t count as change, y/n! you still haven’t asked him about what you guys are!” he scolded but you avoided his glance.

the truth is, you did. you asked again. it was inside your apartment this time. it was around december, when everything felt cold outside but inside felt even colder.

your head in sicheng’s lap as the both of you watched the latest episode of eternal sunshine. he was watching your reaction as kun’s character was being teased by the lead actress and hendery. 

“sicheng,” you called. 

“hmm?” 

“are you ready?” you asked. unlike the last time where you had the guts to confront him, you didn’t have the courage to do so that night. you were afraid of what he had to say but you wanted to ask. you had to ask him. 

“y/n…” he started, he was caressing your hair as if to comfort you but deep inside, you know it’s his conscience eating him up, “i’m sorry,” 

you shouldn’t have asked. 

it was humiliating but you can’t help the tears streaming down sicheng’s pajamas. you were crying while still in his lap. but what made you hurt more was him, raising the volume of the television just so he couldn’t hear you aching because of him. 

you fell asleep with an achy heart that night. the day after, sicheng distanced himself from you, feeling ashamed of what he did. you guys did break up again that time but you didn’t have the guts to tell your manager because, like what you expected, the both of you reconciled again. 

and then broke up, once more.

when eternal sunshine’s director invited you to the set again, you were hesitant to come but your manager encouraged you to do so, saying something along the lines of ‘face your fears’ or something. 

“hello, y/n! long time no see!” the director beamed at your presence, “i told sicheng to bring you here anytime but he never did! your presence is missed deeply,” 

“oh… we kinda broke up,” you sheepishly said, the atmosphere now awkward. before the director could apologize, you quickly added “it’s not like there’s something to ‘break’ ‘cause there was never an us in the first place… but y’know,”

she gave you a sad smile, “it didn’t work out, huh?”

“he didn’t work it out with me,” 

it was true. you tried your best to understand sicheng but every break up you guys had also made him even distant. sure, he was better than the first one–he would kiss your cheek, make you dinner and breakfast but everything felt empty. as if he was doing all those stuff to keep you to stay. 

“anyways,” the director cleared her throat, “i called you here because i wanted to talk about the album you’re doing for season 1 and 2. i assume your manager has told you to have it finished by the exact time the last episode of season 1 airs?” 

you nodded. even during the second break up that your manager didn’t know, he made you aware of the album situation with eternal sunshine. the ost you made became a hit that everyone is demanding another song from you for the series however, both parties agreed that an album would be beneficial for you and the drama. 

you couldn’t say no to your manager, especially when he looked so ecstatic telling you about the opportunity. music was your escape, but during those times it was tying you even closer to the man you couldn’t let go of. 

making an album for the drama also includes you visiting the set just so you could get the vibes, to make it as close to the characters as possible. 

“y/n-ssi! dejun made cookies and he said this is for you,” qian kun warmly acknowledged your presence before giving you the cookies dejun had made, “he said it’s for you. he hopes that he can cheer you up with these,” 

“oh, thank you, kun! i hope to see him next time to give thanks personally,” you gladly accepted the cookies and yangyang joined in your conversation. 

“that won’t happen, noona! dejun always disappears after his scenes so he’s not really close to anyone except the cast,” yangyang butted in, picking a cookie from your stash. “yum!” 

“yangyang!” kun tried to scold the younger man but he already dashed off to where the director was, discussing the next scene. 

“have you tried to make a move on the director yet, kun?” you teased, knowing that he had been trying to make a move, it’s just that the director keeps on dodging his advances.

“trust me, y/n. i’ve been trying,” he sounded so helpless you almost saw you in him, when you were still a mess. “he’s coming,” 

kun warned you but it couldn’t prepare you to see sicheng again, after a month. you vividly remember that time when you guys reconciled but called it off again after a week. this is the first time you’re seeing him again as you were determined to not meet him when visiting the filming site. 

“long time no see, y/n-ssi,”

and it hurt you more than the break ups you had with him.

the album, also titled eternal sunshine, became your most personal work. each track was a piece of your heart laid bare as well as the cast’s personal stories they had disclosed to you, but one song in particular, don’t wanna break up again, resonated louder than the rest. it was raw. it was everything you wanted to say put into a song. every lyric was a plea you can’t say aloud. 

when the album was released alongside the last episodes of the series, it was an instant hit. interviews came pouring in, but the questions were never just about the music. everyone wanted to know who the music was for.

“so, y/n! it’s been so long!” the host greeted you, “the song, don’t wanna break up again, is incredibly emotional! everyone was hooked! can you possibly tell us what inspired you to write such a heart wrenching song?” 

you hesitated for a moment, your chest tightening. a particular name was aching to be let out by your mouth but you swallowed it down. you smiled forcefully, like what the management had trained you before when you were still a trainee. “it’s about loving someone who pushes you into your limit, thinking you’re too much for them,” you said every word carefully, “that even though they’re making you feel all the bad stuff, you still hold onto them–like a cycle of losing and wanting,” 

“sounds personal,” the interviewer teased, wanting to pry just a little more. “is it based on your own experience?”

your throat felt dry, but you gracefully replied, “i think it’s fitting for eternal sunshine, actually! but i think everyone’s been through something like that,” 

but not everyone had a sicheng. not everyone had nights where love was promised and mornings where it shattered into pieces. 

the thing you have been dreading to happen, happened. your fans caught up to everything. the media caught up. 

the speculation began online after the wrapping up press conference of the cast where they were singing your album’s tracks. the part where they were singing don’t wanna break up again trended like wildfire that everyone talked about for weeks… because they were singing it straight into sicheng’s face.

clues were pieced together. from your social media posts, sicheng’s cryptic interviews, to his unusual behavior while everyone was singing your song. 

to your fans, it made total sense. this was your most personal album and everything you and sicheng had been saying on your separate interviews during the ‘plotted’ timeline, as what they have been saying on x, connected with each other. 

“GUYS! do you remember when sicheng was wearing a hoodie oddly similar to y/n’s and then us finding out it was custom-made?” one fan tweeted, garnering thousands of likes.  “‘we both know this time, so we say goodbye’ y/n REALLY got in the studio, wrote THIS, and thought we wouldn’t figure it out. sis, you played yourself,” another one butted in.  “‘this situationship has to end but i just can't refuse’ i KNOW this line has sicheng pacing around his living room rn. he’s probably listening to it on repeat like the rest of us but for HIM it’s personal.”

“this is bad, y/n! everyone’s linking you to sicheng,” stress is an understatement if you were to describe your manager right now, answering calls and texts here and there.

“if this was months ago, i would’ve loved all of these, won’t i?” you teased, remembering the time you imagined your manager’s hair withering from the stress a dating scandal with sicheng would bring him, not thinking it would become real. 

soon, you and sicheng became a hot topic together, with the netizens creating video edits pairing scenes from eternal sunshine with snippets of your performances. every lyric from that song of yours was scrutinized, with don’t wanna break up again becoming the anthem of the speculation. 

it was only a matter of time a fearless journalist popped the question, “your fans are convinced that the song is about a certain actor. do you have any comments on that?”

that wasn’t part of the question list they have submitted on your management prior to this interview so you were taken a back. you looked at the side to see your manager’s eyebrows knitted together, completely disappointed to the journalist. “i think art speaks for itself, it’s up for the listener to interpret it,” you replied, giving the journalist a kind smile. 

“but doesn’t it make you uncomfortable, knowing that everyone is connecting your song to someone specific?” it seems like a kind smile won’t falter this journalist’s pressing questions. 

“heartbreak is universal. the details don’t matter as much as the emotions,” 

behind close doors, however, the attention was harder to ignore. your team advised you to avoid addressing the rumours and apologized for the inconvenience the journalist had caused earlier. 

“it’s fine, it’s not like everyone expected for that to happen,” brushing off their concern.

despite the media buzzing over the possible ‘biggest’ dating rumour ever in the industry, sicheng and his management remained silent. it stung you deeply, for him, someone you loved dearly, to not go against his management rules and defend you. but what’s there for him to defend about? 

his management, so quick to fabricate a public romance with karina to boost his movie, now met the storm with a calculated indifference. no denial, no defense–just the old school silence, hoping it will die down after a day or so. as if you were just a fleeting rumour unworthy of their acknowledgement. 

sadly, the buzz grew when photos surfaced of the two of you entering sicheng’s apartment. you think it was that night when you were overwhelmed with everything that you just stormed out of your recording booth to ask him. thankfully, the photo didn’t show you and sicheng’s face but with the silhouette? it was clear that it was the both of you.

one evening, after another press junket, you found yourself face-to-face with sichang again. he’d been avoiding you per his management’s request but here he is, leaning against the wall of your dressing room. 

it was like the first meeting again. when he asked you out.

“the album,” he started. his voice was softer than you expected, making you remember the nights where he’d sing to you, “it’s beautiful,”

you forced a smile, “thank you,” your tone was neutral, “i guess heartbreak makes good music,”

his jaw tightened, “you think i don’t know?”

this time, you tried your best not to let out a sarcastic laugh, “do you?” you were challenging him, stepping closer to feel his aura deteriorating, “because you made sure it never stops,” 

for a moment, sicheng didn’t say anything and you thought he’d run away from you again. then, quietly, “i never wanted to hurt you, y/n,”

“but you did, sicheng!” your voice was full of ache, “and you kept on doing it. every time, sicheng… i think i’ve moved on and then you pull me back in. i thought you were getting better but you didn’t. i thought i was too much for asking what we had, you know? you made me feel bad for demanding things that shouldn’t been demanded in the first place,” 

he tried to touch your cheek, noticing a tear falling down your eye but you stepped back, “i’m sorry, y/n,” 

you shook your head, “just stop, sicheng. please?”

the final break up, or the closure (like what your manager likes to call it), wasn’t loud or dramatic. it was quiet, mature, and comforting. it was like a song fading out. the first weeks, he kept on calling, begging you to stay by his side but you know that if you did, you’ll be back in the cycle that favors him the most, the type where you lose yourself in the process. 

so, you stopped answering his calls and eventually, he stopped making them. 

the world never really moved on from you and sicheng but the speculations died down. in the end, your album and the series’ excellence were praised by everyone without bringing up the scandalous romantic escapade you had with sicheng. 

late at night, when you stared out at the city lights, the memories still lingered, soft yet cutting. despite knowing how disastrous it was to love him, you had returned again and again, hoping for something more… something that he wasn’t ready to give you despite him telling you to try it with him. 

and in the end, you let him slip through your fingers, even as your heart begged you to hold on just one more time. because beneath the longing for his touch and warmth, you know it had to end at some point. 

COMING UP NEXT.  “yangyang worked his ass off in this industry, the nepo baby got it because of her parents! sure, she acts well… but y’know, their vision in life might be different… maybe that’s why they didn’t become a real couple,”

[blackbirdie1234]

The Best Admirer

Fred! Weasley x GN!Reader

(Friends to lovers <3)

This is a Gender nuetral fic. I have only ever written for Fem! but I tried my best to use language that was GN. Let me know if there is anything I can do to improve!

a/n: Sorry for taking so long with this fic. I wanted to try something different. You and Fred are in your sixth year, also scabbers isn't Petter Pettigrew in this he is just a rat lol. Thank you for all the likes and interactions! I'm glad you all like my content. Feel free to request more Harry Potter fics for any character! As always feel free to interact and comment :) Not proof read!

Summary: You have been receiving letters from a secret admirer for weeks. The only problem is you are in love with Fred Weasley, who acts like you are best buds and nothing more. What happens when the secret admirer decides they are done sending letters and wants to meet in person.

This is the sixth letter you have received in the last two weeks. Not that you aren't flattered, you just wish that this "secret admirer" would reveal themselves already. You aren't the most patient person, you never have been and all these letters are pushing your curiosity.

The first letter was lovely. You had never had someone pay that much attention to you or at least tell you about it. It made you start questioning who this mystery person was.

"Dear Y/n, A few days ago I saw you sitting in the library, catching up on DADA homework. I have never seen anyone look so ethereal. How can someone look so unearthly, while doing something so mundane? The way you stick your tongue out ever so slightly when you are writing, or when you bite your lip when you are focused on something so intense makes me melt. I've never seen something so perfect. I hope I don't sound creepy, but I wanted to express how amazing you are to me.

Love, your secret admirer."

After the third one, your curiosity increased. You had no clue who it could be. Valentine's Day was coming up and you wondered if your admirer would reveal themselves soon. As selfish as it was you only had one person you hoped this could be.

Fred Weasley

You and Fred have been friends since the first year after he defended you against a seventh-year student who thought it was funny to make fun of your glasses.

Fred has always been a good friend to you. You're close to George as well, but it could never compare to the connection you have with his brother. You and Fred understand each other in a way no one else could. You didn't develop a crush on him until your third year, but ever since then, your feelings have only grown.

It's a cold and wet February day, not that you mind. You've always found comfort in the rain.

You are walking to class with a group of your friends, holding the latest letter in your hand, when you hear distinct laughter behind you.

"OI, BUNNY!" You hear footsteps bounding behind you as you turn around to see Fred and George sharing a wide smile and jogging to catch up to you.

"I'll catch up with you lot later." You wave to your friends as they continue walking to McGonagall's classroom.

"Bunny please tell George that I am your favorite Weasley. He seems to have it in his diluted mind that HE is the favorite and that just cannot be true, can it?" Fred smirks, knowing you would choose him over George any day of the week.

"Hmm, but you aren't." You hold back a smile as Fred's face falls in confusion and George's eyes perk up in interest.

"Yeah, yeah I thought you knew. Scabbers is definitely my favorite Weasley." You say with a smile as you start walking.

Fred's face turns from confusion into full disgust.

"You choose A RAT over ME?? A literal RAT." Fred says sounding appalled, only having to take a few steps until he's beside you, George following suit.

"I don't blame her, he is way less annoying than you" George remarks, a smirk appearing on his face before his brother pushes him into the corridor wall.

"Why do you hurt me so, love?" Fred feigns a frown, clutching his chest as if you've injured him.

"I am sorry darling, how will I ever repay you?" You respond, giggling softly at the boy's overdramatic ways.

"Hmmm, profess your undying love for me and maybe I will forgive you" He spoke with a mischievous grin, dodging your hand barrelling towards him with a laugh.

"In your dreams, Weasley" You retort, rolling your eyes but turning away to hide the blushing smile creeping upon your face.

You, Fred, and George walk to class, lowering your heads as you walk in the classroom trying to be discreet so you don't feel disappointment in Mcgonagals gaze when she sees that you are late as always.

You normally sit with Fred but decided to sit next to Hermione today, you wanted to read the note without Fred questioning what you were doing. You NEEDED to figure out who this mystery person was. It was eating you alive. Fred would just complicate things, he would probably try and read the letter and you did NOT want to explain what was happening. And yes maybe it was because you were secretly hoping it was him, and him seeing the letter and not knowing what it was would ruin that thought for you. So you were keeping it a secret. At least until you figure out who it is.

You kept reading the letters over and over again. You were obsessed at this point. Whoever this was obviously knew you well, they write as if they've known you for a long time. They would add details that you are sure you have only told a few people. They knew your favorite color, flower, and food, they even knew that you preferred to keep your hair long and over your ears because you felt insecure about it. If they weren't so poetic and sweet in their words you would be creeped out but you could tell this person was genuine, just by the way they wrote to you, as if you were someone worth writing for.

The next few days you became distant from everyone around you. You stayed to yourself in class, at the library, in your dorm. You wanted to figure out the letters so you decided the best way to investigate and you needed there to be no distractions. Even though you are an introvert you at least talk to your friends, especially Fred and George. All you could think about though was those stupid letters and who it could possibly be. You ruled out the majority of your friends, as you only have a small group of them.

You begin reading another letter.

"Dear Y/n, I must confess, I've admired you in secret for quite a while now. I've been enchanted by your beauty, intelligence, kindness, and your grace. I am scared you will not look at me the same after finding out who I am. I fear it will affect our connection. I just can't love you in secret anymore. So I have decided to explain how I feel in these letters in the hope you will understand exactly how I feel about you. I am not always great at expressing how I feel out loud so I hope this will make up for it. I admire you for many reasons but here are a few I can point out. I admire the way you carry yourself with such confidence and poise, yet remain humble and kind in your words and actions. Your inner beauty reflects the outer, captivating all who have the privlidge of seeing it. I will reveal myself soon my love. For now, I will continue to send these letters and poems as a reminder that I have loved you before, I will love you now, and I will love you after. With love, your secret admirer."

As you sit by the black lake re-reading the letter in your hands, you are pulled from your thoughts when you hear your name being called in the distance.

"Y/N" You hear, voice loud despite being almost a football field away from you. You know who it is obviously, you could recognize that voice anywhere. George. You slam your book shut, the letter hiding beneath the pages.

As the boy gets closer you wonder what he's doing alone. It's strange to see him without his brother by his side, both walking in sync, talking or laughing about the next prank/invention they are going to whip up. So seeing him walk up alone was very odd.

"Hey bunny, where have you been?" He questions sitting next to you, taking his shoes off making sure not to get dirt on the blanket scrawled out beneath you both. Bunny a nickname given to you by Fred in your first year on the ride to Hogwarts, he told you it's because your eyes and nose reminded him of a bunny and coincidently it is now your patronus.

"Oh you know, just been busy with potions work. Snape has really pilled it on this week, just trying to make sure I stay on track" You say trying not to show the nervousness buried beneath your smile.

"Fred and I could've helped you with that, Snape may be sick of us but we are damn good at potions" He replies with a cocky smirk, not noticing the lie. You're glad Fred isn't here because he would have seen right through you and questioned you until you spilled.

"Did you need something, not that I don't enjoy your company but you came down here with a sort of determination" You laughed softly while speaking, showing your amusement at the ginger's abrupt greeting.

George's face lit up as if he remembered something important and then reached for his pocket.

"Actually yes" He grins while pulling a pink-tinted letter. A letter that looked all too familiar.

Your eyes widened in surprise. What the HELL was George doing with that letter. Your mind raced as you tried to remember if you might've dropped or misplaced one of the letters, but that couldn't be possible since you kept them in your nightstand with an enchanted lock. You tried to hide your horrified expression as you thought just for a second that George was the one who was sending you these letters. Just as you were about to speak he cleared things up.

"I was told to give this to you, urgent matter" He wiggled his eyebrows while handing it to you, a boyish grin on his face the whole time.

You took the letter with hesitation staring at it, then looking back at George dumbfounded.

"Who gave this to you?" You questioned, shaking the letter with your hand.

"You'll just have to read it and find out I guess" He answered, not giving you much before standing up and placing his shoes back on his feet. Not before you see the small grin that he is obviously trying to hide.

You sit there watching him walk away, not knowing what to think you open the letter placed in your hand.

" Dear Y/n, Hello love, I hope you are well on this beautiful day. By the time you read this letter, I will be preparing. I have sent George to find you and give you this letter for a very special reason. If you want to meet me and know who I am, I will be at the astronomy tower tonight waiting for you. Meet me there at 9 o'clock tonight, bring your wand ;) Love, your secret admirer."

He wants to meet, tonight.

You look up to see the sun setting behind the water and realize it is time for dinner.

You immediately get up and flick your wand, effectively clearing your area of the lawn and packing up your things neatly into your bag. You snatch the bag and run to the castle.

You sit down next to Fred, he looks up at you with a smile. You realize you've been ignoring him for the past couple of weeks. You've been so busy with these letters you haven't even been sitting with him at dinner, as you normally always do.

"Oi Bunny, finally decided to sit next to me have you?" Fred says in a fake annoyed tone, not hiding the smile on his face when you look at him with guilt.

"Don't act as if you haven't missed me dearly darling" You speak, falling back into the playful banter you're used to.

"I'm not acting anything, love. I can't believe you left me with the kids, I've had to get a second job to pull the load" He fake sobs putting his face into his hands.

You rub his back laughing "Oh I am so sorry, honey. I'll buy you a new broom to make up for it."

His head shoots up with a smile "All is forgiven, buttercup"

You both laugh as George and Lee look between the two of you with confusion on their faces.

"You lot are so odd," George says laughing.

You enjoy the rest of dinner throwing banter with your friends, soaking in the time spent with them. You didn't realize how much you missed them until now. You wanted to enjoy this before you met your mystery person tonight.

You didn't realize you were staring at Fred the whole dinner until he looked at you and asked if there was something on his face. You responded by tucking your face away as it turned beet red.

"What should I wear? What if this is a prank? What if it's a first year or something?? Oh god, was I too nice to that one Ravenclaw in the great hall last month when he spilled milk on himself and I helped him clean it up???" You rant, pacing back and forth in your dorm.

Your friend who was sitting on the bed in front of you stands up grabbing your shoulders.

"Calm down! Breath!" they say shaking you back and forth, making you look at them.

They push you onto the bed and walk to the closet while talking.

"It is not a prank, you are a catch! I'm surprised you aren't getting letters from every person at Hogwarts by now" They say winking at you cheekily. "It is not a first year, especially not that Ravenclaw bloke" They answer putting clothes on the bed next to you in stacks. "If you want me to be honest I think it's a certain redhead who is always ogling you from afar without you noticing." They look at you waving their eyebrows and smirking.

"Who? Ron???" You ask with a look of disgust.

"No, you can be so daft sometimes you know" They roll their eyes in disappointment. "Fred, of course. Who else looks at you like you hold the stars in your eyes"

"Fred? No way." You put your head down hiding the blush threatening to rise to your cheeks. "He most definitely does not look at me like that. Besides, I think he likes Angelina." You can't help the jealousy raging in your chest as you think about it.

"What? No way! She and George have been going out for weeks now, they follow each other around like lovesick puppies. You've been so busy focusing on these letters you just haven't noticed." They speak knowingly as they pick up an outfit and hold it up for you to try on, pushing it towards you.

You breathe out in relief at the new information, standing up and heading to the bathroom. More of your roommates come into the dorm and help you get ready, excited for you to finally meet the person who has occupied your thoughts for the past few weeks.

Every time you come out of the bathroom you get their opinions and then shoved back in with 20 more items. After an hour, you finally walk out of the bathroom and the room is completely silent. Everyone is in awe just staring at you, mouths open.

"What?? What's wrong?" You hurriedly speak, looking down at yourself and then back at everyone with concern on your face.

Everyones face lights up and they start speaking all at once.

"You look amazing!"

"You're so hot omg!"

"Who is this lucky git who gets to see you like this"

They flood you with compliments, all agreeing this is the outfit you NEED to wear tonight.

Girl outfit ideas 1,2,3.

Guy outfit ideas 1,2,3.

Gn outfit ideas 1,2,3.

(Feel free to imagine any outfit you want these are just some ones I like)

Your friend takes your hand and drags you to the full-length mirror in the middle of the room, a big smile on their face, placing you in front of it and showing you the outfit in all its glory.

"You have to wear this, you look amazing. Anyone would be lucky to see you in this on a date like wow." They say in awe, everyone else in the room sharing their looks and sounds of approval.

They give you some accessories and pull the outfit fully together. You do your hair put some makeup on, look in the mirror, and smile.

Getting ready helped ease your nerves but now that you are ready and you have to wait all of the anxiety is coming back full force. The overwhelming thoughts flood back into your brain.

What If I don't like the person?

Can someone really like me this much?

Should I even go?

Before you could get too lost in your thoughts you heard the clock.

Dingggg, dinggggg, dingggg

You look up and read the time.

Shit I'm going to be late

You take one last look in the mirror and grab your wand before leaving the dorm and sneaking down the stairs.

You sneak around the castle making sure to not run into any prefects or Filch. When you get to the tower door you take a deep breath before continuing up the stairs.

When you walk into the tower the doorway is lined with candles leading to the middle of the room, as you continue walking you see a blanket with flower petals lying around the beautifully woven cloth. A wicker basket sits in the middle of the blanket, overflowing with bread, pastries, cheese, and jam.

As you are processing the sight before you, footsteps coming from behind you make you freeze.

"I almost thought you wouldn't come" A deep husky voice comes from behind you, giving you goosebumps across your skin.

Fred?

You turn around slowly, your face showing the shock you feel in your bones.

"Y-you?" You stutter releasing a breath you didn't know you were holding.

"Disappointed?" Fred questions, a shy smile on his face but you can hear the nervousness in his voice.

"Is this real? I mean are you being serious?" A mix of questioning and genuine shock bleeding into your words as you speak. You feel as if the room is spinning as you try to grasp the reality of this situation.

"Do you think I would joke about this? Come on Bunny, I know I make jokes and pranks but I'm not a foul git." Fred laughs trying to ease the tension that lingers in the space between you before he continues.

"I have felt this way for a very long time, I just haven't known how to tell you" He walks towards you slowly, and you finally sink back into the moment enough to see the flowers in his hands.

"(Your favorite flower)" You say softly, staring at the beautifully arranged bouquet in his hands. "How did you-"

"In the third year, you had a muggle book of flowers, you left it in the common room one day and when I returned it to you I noticed a particular page that looked more worn than the others. I just figured this was your favorite. Other than that it just suits you. If I were to imagine you as a flower I'd guess this one." Fred looks down and blushes as he realizes he just went on a rant about you as a flower but quickly tries to save his confidence by looking back up and stepping closer to you holding the bouquet out for you to take.

You look into his eyes and then at the flowers before taking them. You were completely and utterly dumbfounded. Never in a million years did you believe this moment would ever happen, but you couldn't be happier.

You smile brightly at Fred. "Thank you, Fred. Genuinely, this is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"For you anything" He replies, looking down at you with nothing but pure adoration in his eyes.

He offers his hand for you to take and you accept, putting your hand in his. You blush realizing how large his hands actually are. He leads you to the blanket and keeps your hand in his as he helps you sit. He moves to the other side of the blanket, taking two glasses and filling them with wine. He hands one to you and takes a deep breath before speaking again.

"Y/n, I love you. I have loved you since the first year when I saw you at the sorting ceremony. You had big dorky glasses and your face was bright as a tomato, I saw how nervous you were going up in front of everyone but I never understood why. When I saw you I thought you were the most beautiful person I had ever seen, I couldn't understand how someone could be nervous when they had absolutely nothing to hide from. It wasn't just me, I saw how other people looked at you as well. It isn't just your looks that drew me in though, it was that quiet giggle I heard behind me when I accidentally hit Marcus Flint with a dung bomb. It was the most amazing sound I had ever heard in my entire life. That sound is the single reason I continued to prank people. I wanted to hear you laugh any chance I got and eventually, I started enjoying pranking and making jokes because it was fun. I am telling you this because I want you to understand how much you have turned my life upside down Y/n L/n. I understand if you don't feel the same but I couldn't keep this from you any longer. I meant everything I wrote in those letters, I didn't know how to tell you how I felt without ruining our friendship. I wasn't even going to send the letters when I began writing them, I wrote letters for you for over a year before I sent the first one. I saved them in hopes that one day I could send them and finally express how I felt to you. I know this is a lot to process and I am sorry if this is too much for you and if you need time I fully understand." Fred expresses holding your hand and looking into your eyes taking in every expression on your face. At the end, he releases a long breath, and you can see his shoulders relax. You now understand how much this had affected him and how long he has been hiding.

He stares at you waiting for you to speak or even make a sound, when suddenly you smash your lips against his. His eyes widen in surprise and he sinks into the kiss. He grips the back of your head, not roughly but hard enough to keep you in the same position. You grip at his shirt, as your mouths continue to move perfectly in sync. When both of you finally pull away your chest heaves, trying to steady your breathing.

"I feel the same way Fred, you don't even understand how glad I am that it is you" You smile, face flushed at the realization of the bold move you just pulled.

"Well, I'd bloody hope so, or do you just like kissing your friends?" You both laugh, the sound airy and light.

You sit and talk for hours under the starlight. Both sharing smiles and laughs, enjoying each other's company. Fred gives you his jacket when he sees you shiver and you take in the warmth, noticing he put on a new cologne you've never smelt before. You sit, eat, talk, and cuddle until you realize how late it is.

"Oh shit" You shriek, sitting up quickly. "What time is it?" You look back at Fred, still lying on the blanket. His eyes go wide as he checks his watch.

You and Fred clean up the blanket and food and begin walking to the door.

You feel your wrist being tugged and you look behind you.

"Hold on, I know a different way." He grins widely and drags you to the other side of the tower, he pulls out his wand. He gestures his wand at you, telling you to bring yours out.

"Repeat after me, revelio" He asks

Fred holds up three fingers, pointing his wand at the floor and you follow suit. When the last finger goes down you speak in unison.

"Revelio"

Suddenly the floor opens up and a staircase unfolds before your eyes. You stand there shocked, wondering how Fred discovered this mystery passage.

"Lumos" Fred mumbles and light shoots out of his wand, allowing you to see down the stairs. He gestures for you to take his hand and you hesitantly accept.

"Trust me, it's just a passage. I would never put you in harm's way." Fred assures you, turning forward after you nod your head and he begins descending the steps.

You continue hand in hand down the stairs, and when you reach the bottom you realize you are right next to the Gryffindor common room.

"How in the world did you figure this out?" You question astonished. You think back to all of the pranks he has pulled without getting caught and into trouble, it makes you wonder how many of these secret passages he has figured out.

"A good magician never reveals his secrets" Fred smirks and whispers the password to the very tired and annoyed fat lady.

He walks you to your dorm stairs and you both blush and giggle staring at each other.

"I guess this is goodnight" Fred whispers, looking at you as if you hold the sun in your eyes.

"I guess it is" You reply, both of you slowly leaning in.

"Goodnight"

"Goodnight"

You close the space between you and share a sweet and loving kiss.

You pull away first but Fred chases your lips making you giggle into another peck.

"Okay, okay we really need to get to bed" You laugh lightly, trying to be quiet and not make yourselves known to any nosy students.

"You really want to go" He pouts, even though he is joking you can see the hesitation in his eyes. Not wanting this moment to end.

"I'll see you tomorrow" You smile, enjoying watching him yearn for your affection.

"Promise?"

"I promise"

[casscainmainly]

An Analysis of Duke Thomas in Wayne Family Adventures

I've been seeing a lot of posts and comments recently concerning Duke Thomas in WFA. I know WFA discourse has been done to death, but these comments were about how they'd only read WFA, felt Duke lacked a personality, his powers weren't distinctive, etc. Out of the main WFA characters, I think Duke has the least-read comics and the least understood canon history. This post is going to dissect WFA!Duke, compare it with canon!Duke, and address whether WFA is a fair representation of Duke or not.

This is not a WFA hate post. A lot of comics readers love WFA and vice versa, and I'm not going to dictate what people should like or dislike. Check out this post I made yesterday about the origins of WFA, which really aren't ill-intentioned. However, judging by the comments/posts I've seen, a lot of people don't know the difference between WFA!Duke and canon!Duke. This post exists to clarify those discrepancies and hopefully encourage more people to read Duke's comics.

The Positives

Let's cover the pros of WFA!Duke first! The sheer fact that he's one of the main characters and present throughout is amazing, allowing more people to learn and get interested in Duke. Since he doesn't have his own ongoing, WFA is about the only place to get consistent Duke content.

Plus look at how cute he is:

His presence also means we get fun interactions with other characters that Duke doesn't get to interact with in canon, such as Steph and Dick. As a diehard Duke-is-Dick's-successor believer, I appreciate any page-time they get together, even if it's not substantial.

Also, WFA season 3 confirmed that Duke can turn invisible without his suit, which is just fun!

Framing

Duke is introduced in the very first episode, and in some ways is the framing device for the entire webtoon. He is "Gotham's Newest Vigilante," learning about the family and the manor.

Many episodes of WFA have Duke asking a question that the others respond to. You can see this in Episode 2 ("The Last Cookie," he asks about their tradition), Episode 7 ("Vigilante Bingo"), Episode 30 ("Driving Lessons"), Episode 39 ("Secret Identity"), all the way to one of the latest minisodes (Mini Episode 3 - Super Friends).

This framing is not completely incorrect, since Duke is the newest addition to the family. The problem with this framing, though, is that Duke's personality and problems are never the focus - in these episodes we learn a lot about the other Batfam, and nothing about Duke.

Take "Vigilante Bingo". We learn so much canon stuff about Dick, Jay, Tim, and Cass, including who's died/come back (Cass and Tim chime in here, which is not very well known in fanon). However, because Duke is the one asking the question, he doesn't get to participate in the answers. This framing makes WFA-only readers learn shockingly little about Duke's prior activities, and they only cover his backstory in episode 76.

Personality

Because of his perpetual outsider status, WFA!Duke's most prominent traits are confusion, timidity, and insecurity.

(I found all these by literally clicking on any thumbnail with Duke in it. He exhibits confusion/timidity/insecurity all the time).

The first two traits - confusion and timidity - is completely antithetical to Duke in canon. Just compare these panels from We Are Robin #6 to a panel from WFA:

Canon!Duke gets shot and thinks to himself: "how baller is that?!". WFA!Duke hears about a booby-trapped lawn and makes that face. This reaction is basically the opposite of the way WAR!Duke would react. I have legitimately no clue how anyone could read We Are Robin or The Cursed Wheel and come away with Duke being timid.

More examples of how canon!Duke acts when confronted with dangerous situations, just for fun:

From We Are Robin #2, we have Duke mouthing off to people he's just met; from Robin War, we have the iconic jumping-out-of-cop-car scene; from Robin War again, we have Duke standing up for one more battle against Damian with absolutely no hesitation.

Duke in canon is headstrong, stubborn to a fault, outspoken, and brave. These qualities just don't come through in WFA.

Insecurity

The third component of WFA!Duke's personality, insecurity, is the only one with some canon basis. Check out this panel from Batman & The Signal #1:

Here, he's struggling with his place in the family, something WFA!Duke also deals with in Episode 75 + 76 ("Worthy"). But I think WFA misconstrued where this insecurity comes from.

Duke's problem is not that he's a meta, it's that he's a meta with "powers no one understands yet". A "walking detective case," so to speak. His insecurity stems from his lack of understanding around his powers, because at this point he doesn't know about Gnomon. WFA somehow turns this into a problem with the powers itself:

This is simply not supported in canon. Duke has no problems using his powers; even in Batman & The Signal, the peak of his canon insecurities, he literally says "go, go ghost vision" (god I love him). Moreover, his powers come from his mom. Saying that Duke feels he needs to prove he's worthy "in spite of" his powers is a complete misreading of Duke's canon feelings. Which leads to my next point:

Family

"Worthy" positions Duke's powers in opposition to Bruce's approval, and though the episode ends with Duke accepting himself, it's clear throughout WFA that his biggest parental figure/source of approval is Bruce.

WFA!Duke talks and thinks about Bruce more than he does his mom and dad, which is genuinely mind-boggling. Canon!Duke talks about his parents basically every single page. It's one of the most consistent aspects of his character!

From We Are Robin #2, Batman & The Signal #1, The Cursed Wheel Part 1, and Batman: Urban Legends #19. Duke's parents are only mentioned in "Worthy" as part of his traumatic backstory, but Duke's parents aren't backstory - they're alive. By neglecting the importance of Duke's parents, WFA is ignoring a fundamental aspect of Duke's character and making him seem like just another orphan.

This panel from Episode 118 is hilarious in the context of canon!Duke waffling on about his parents 24/7. But the erasure of Duke's parents is symptomatic of another problem with WFA.

Supporting Cast

Duke's first multi-parter is Episodes 8/9/10, "Crush". In this episode, Duke asks a girl out, and then she breaks up with him.

First of all, compared to other two-parters (all of Cass', Dick's "Big Brother", Steph's "Belonging", hell even Tim's "Better and Brighter"), this two-parter is incredibly detached from Duke's character. All you learn is that he gets crushes and doesn't like break-ups, which isn't character-specific at all.

Secondly, using an OC as Duke's girlfriend is so bizarre given Duke has 1 canon love interest. Here, I googled it:

Imagine the story we could've gotten with Izzy instead; with them having canon history, this two-parter would've been a lot more impactful, and introduce We Are Robin characters to a WFA audience. I'd also like to point out the difference in how these relationships begin:

Another example of WFA introducing timidity into a scenario where canonically, Duke played it extremely cool (from We Are Robin #9).

WFA uses none of Duke's supporting cast. To be fair, Duke's supporting cast isn't well known, but isn't WFA a perfect low-stakes place to spotlight unknown characters? Harper gets appearances, and she's been neglected by canon for ages. Tim gets to have Bernard, Jason gets literally all of his Outlaws, and there's even a KonCass cameo!

There's a reason why the top comment on every single one of the Crushed eps doesn't even mention Duke.

Shouldn't Duke-centric episodes have comments about Duke? The story is so vague and widely applicable that there's nothing about Duke to comment on, so the spotlight is shifted onto the other Batfam members. If the story had included Duke's supporting cast, think about how much more we could've learned about Duke himself.

Side note: why on Earth is Luke Fox Duke's go-to mentor? They have next to no canon interactions, and while having a Black mentor is something Duke probably needs, he already has one. Batman and The Outsiders sets up the Duke and Black Lightning relationship really nicely. Not to mention in "Worthy," Duke's problem is about having powers, which makes Luke Fox's inclusion (as a non-meta) baffling. Black Lightning would've been perfect!

Conclusion + Wishlist

This is the top comment on Episode 76. I think I've demonstrated how untrue this is, because WFA!Duke doesn't even touch the worst of canon!Duke. WFA!Duke has next to no defining characteristics, which contributes to him being the 'boring' or 'sane' one. To any WFA-only readers, please don't think this is representative of Duke as a whole; reading even just the first issue of We Are Robin shows how interesting and full of personality he really is.

It's disappointing because WFA is a lot of people's only exposure to the Batfam, and portraying Duke like this has only caused them to misinterpret his character. However, there has been improvement - they're beginning to mention his backstory a lot more, which means they've read some of his comics. I still believe they can turn it around!

Here's some improvements they could make, along with some things I want expanded upon:

Stop using Duke as the outsider/newbie character. It's been over 100 eps, he doesn't need that anymore!

Mention his supporting cast, or at the very least mention his parents more

Expand on his canon relationships with Damian, Cass, and Jason, they deserve to be close!

Use his detective abilities/affinity for puzzles

Mention his dislike of heights

Involve him in more shenanigans

I don't have FastPass but please bring Duke back into the fold of S3!!

[thetempleofthemasaigoddess]

Being Zoro's dance teacher would involve...

Prince!Roronoa Zoro x princess!reader. Animanga characters who have not (yet) appeared on the show are mentioned.

*****

💚 Zoro is the adoptive son of King Mihawk of Kuraigana. While neither is a particularly affectionate man, they care deeply about each other; Zoro is grateful to Mihawk for having given him a safe home when he was an orphan and for having taught him everything he knows about swordsmanship, and the older man is now aware of how lonely his life was before that stubborn, overconfident but fragile boy crossed his path. The young man has given him much to be proud of: he is brave, clever, resilient, generous, loyal, and will make a splendid King one day… especially with the right Queen by his side. Unfortunately, unlike most young men his age, Zoro is completely uninterested in finding a spouse, whether for personal or social reasons. He does like girls, Mihawk is quite sure, just… he is perfectly satisfied on his own, and since he’s still so young, and his father is in excellent health, Mihawk has no intention of forcing him to marry and produce an heir. 

💚 On the other hand, since the prince is by now almost an adult, it won’t hurt to introduce him to a few suitable ladies, both in the kingdom and abroad, in the hope that he finds one he likes. Mihawk would be particularly pleased to see his son marry princess Nami, second daughter of Queen Belle-mère (the elder, princess Nojiko, is engaged to prince Ace of Foosha kingdom) of Cocoyashi, a kingdom with which Kuraigana has just sealed an alliance. Zoro is a very attractive young man and would make a fine husband for even the highest-born ladies; the only problem is, Zoro has virtually never spoken to a girl in his life, and would probably be unable to impress one. Specifically, Zoro is completely unable to dance, a pastime most ladies and princesses appreciate and take part in; also, more matches, both the love sort and those decided by the future spouses’ families, have been sealed during a ball than in any other situation. Mihawk hopes his son will find a wife who appreciates him for more than his ability to do a double reverse spin but, he decides, it won’t hurt if he’s able not to step on his partner’s feet, and to avoid throwing her to the ground because he turned the wrong way during a reverse embrace. After all, his heir will come of age in just a few months, and the occasion will be celebrated with a great ball, which many princesses and highborn ladies will attend. They -he- need someone to teach Zoro how to dance, and more broadly how to interact with women and impress them.

💚 Mihawk’s choice falls on you, a fellow princess, younger child of a King whose realm is a longstanding ally of Kuraigana. You have started dancing when you were barely capable of walking, and your talent as a dancer is well known; also, the king reflects, a woman his age will be better suited for teaching Zoro to interact with potential brides. So, Mihawk writes to your father, explaining his request and asking for your assistance; he wants you to come live at his court and be his heir’s tutor in the art of dancing, to transform him into a suitable groom. While surprised, you are happy to accept: dancing has always been your passion, and more than once you reflected that had you not been a princess, nothing would have made you happier than opening a school and spending your days teaching others the art you love so much. King Mihawk’s offer is probably the closest thing you will ever have to the realisation of your dream, and so you beg your father to allow you to go. 

💚 Two weeks later you’re at Kuraigana, curtseying deeply in front of the King, who is favourably impressed with your grace and elegance; he also tests you -”I hope you don’t mind, but I wouldn’t put my son’s future in the hands of anyone but the best teachers”- having you partner one of the court’s noblemen for a few rounds of the court’s most popular dances. Relishing the challenge, you perform admirably, and Mihawk is reassured he made the right choice. 

💚 “Allow me to introduce you to your pupil.” he then says, gesturing to a person who has been waiting in a corner, unseen, ever since you entered the room “Zoro, this is princess (name); I’m sure you’ll do your best to welcome her in our kingdom, and will scrupulously follow her directions.” And so you find yourself face to face with your pupil, who advances towards you with the same enthusiasm of a prisoner on his way to the gallows. “It is a pleasure.” he mumbles as he stares at his own feet, while his father looks on disapprovingly “I appreciate your help, my lady, and I swear I will do my utmost to please you.” 

💚 The prince is a very attractive young man, which you can’t help noticing, like you can’t help noticing the three -three!- swords he carries at his belt; you curtsy deeply, and then there’s nothing you can do but stare at each other, suddenly embarrassed and unable to find something to say. The last thing you want is to remain silent, since you’ve been called at court especially to teach the prince to talk to ladies such as yourself, so in the end you force yourself to say a few words about how happy you are you’re going to work together, and how you hope he’ll enjoy learning from you. Then fortunately you are dismissed, a comfortable set of rooms having already been prepared for you at the palace, to make yourself at home and rest… until that night, when your first dancing lesson will take place.

💚 And so, your new life as a dancing teacher begins. You and prince Zoro practice every day for two hours in the palace’s ballroom, and it is immediately evident to you that the task you have accepted will be very hard, perhaps almost impossible, to successfully accomplish. You are determined to do your best, to be patient and helpful with your pupil and not to complain if it takes him days, or even weeks, to master the easiest steps; in short, you want to be an encouraging teacher, the sort a pupil can pose questions to without fear of being reprimanded for not having learned already. Unfortunately, it seems at first all your good intentions are wasted, because your pupil seems at first as gifted at dancing as a fish would be at flying.

💚 Zoro -not prince Zoro, not your highness; he made it very clear on your first day that he finds titles completely superfluous, at least in your current situation. Since we’ll spend time together every day we might as well do without formalities, right? You can call me Zoro and I’ll call you (name), he pointed out. You had to recognise the sensibleness of his proposal, not daring to think what your father would think, knowing you’re letting a man you’ve known for no more than two hours call you by your first name- is completely unable to dance, which you thought impossible for a man who grew up at court; he doesn’t know the name of the most common steps, and can’t even tell a waltz and a foxtrot apart. It’s clear he has no interest whatsoever in the art you love, you could almost say he actively hates it, which is perhaps not surprising, since many men consider dancing a feminine art from which to stay away, lest their masculinity be put in question, but you really wish you could understand why, because that might be the only way to unblock a situation that in the first days of your permanence on Kuraigana seems lost from the start. Mihawk has told you how imperative it is that his heir makes a good impression on his coming-of-age ball, and you’re determined to help him as much as you can, but even with the best intentions you can’t teach a student who doesn’t want to learn.

💚 Zoro never skips your lessons; sometimes he’s late in joining you in the ballroom, but you’re soon informed that is due to his abysmal sense of direction rather than lack of interest or disrespect towards you. Clearly unenthusiastic, he does pay attention as you show him how to move, or explain why this particular dance is different from others, and can even replicate a simple sequence of steps after you’ve shown it to him a few times. He has less sense of rhythm than any person you know, but he’s smart enough to understand that the basic figures of a certain dance are based on the repetition of the same movements, whether there is music or not. When you ask him to dance by himself, arms raised to hold the body of an invisible partner, he manages, even though he still stumbles and occasionally takes the wrong step, and you do see him improve, slowly but surely. If what you had been asked to teach him were solo dances, the sort one performs by themselves, or group ones, you’d probably be able to make a decent dancer out of Zoro in a matter of weeks, and maybe even a respectable one with a little more time. 

💚 Unfortunately it’s couple dances that Mihawk has entrusted you with teaching his heir, and tuat he would be mainly called to perform during balls, and it’s then, when he has to dance with another person, that Zoro freezes. “Put your hand in mine… no, the other hand, that goes on my side… yes, here, and… left foot forward… left foot Zoro, and… aah…!” Soon you have to exchange your delicate dancing shoes for a more sturdy pair, because your pupil keeps stepping on your feet, and he moves so awkwardly a couple of times he almost throws you to the ground; he forgets steps he had executed on his own only five minutes ago, turns the wrong way nine times out of ten, and is suddenly incapable of following the music at all. While until now he had patiently, and dedicatedly, listened to your teachings and done his best to follow your instructions, he is suddenly anxious to conclude your lesson and get away. Truth to be told, you can’t help but get the impression he doesn’t want to dance with you; he doesn’t mind when you’re giving him directions, showing him the steps and correcting him as he dances on his own, but when he has to partner you it’s a completely different matter: Zoro treats you as if you smelled bad, or had some terrible infectious disease - as if, in short, being close to you, sharing your air and touching your hands, were unbearable.

💚 It is perplexing, and frustrating, and also hurtful. Zoro is clearly a solitary person, unless he has known someone for years, and the friends he spends his time with are all men, but in the days since your arrival at Kuraigana your relationship had become cordial, if not exactly friendly. Zoro is quite introverted and taciturn, but as you dined with him and his father or shared a brief walk in the gardens after a chance encounter, you always found a topic to discuss, and you never had the impression he disliked you. What reason would he have? You had never met before, and you’ve never mistreated him when he made a mistake during your lessons -unlike one of your own teachers, who had the unpleasant habit of hitting you on the back or the legs with his cane when he was unsatisfied with your posture- and while he could probably find a more pleasing way to spend his evenings than learning to dance, he told you he’s determined to do his best to please his father. You really don’t understand why during the second part of his lessons, when he has to put into practice what until now he clearly made an effort to learn, he invariably looks like it physically pains him to simply hold your hand and put his on your hip.

💚 You have tried asking him what the problem is, whether you make him uncomfortable and if there’s something you can do to make him more at ease, but he never answered, simply mumbling that it’s not your fault and that he’s sorry, all if it looking at his feet -a habit you’re still desperately trying to make him get out of as a dancer- rather than at you, and offering no explanation for his behaviour. You can’t force him to confide in you, but you fear that if Zoro does not overcome whatever problem prevents him from dancing with you, you will never be able to teach him to dance beyond the very basics. You can always decide to go home; no one is forcing you to remain at Kuraigana in the role of dancing teacher to the prince, and for all his intimidating attitude you know Mihawk won’t get crossed, or worse complain with your father, if you explain to him that you don’t think you can help Zoro, even though you did try your best. The last thing you want is to put your pupil at odds with his father, who he respects immensely and who will be highly displeased to know his heir had his dancing teacher give up after only a few days, but perhaps what Zoro needs is a different approach, a person, preferably more experienced than you, with a different method who will succeed where you have failed… unless, of course, the prince of Kuraigana also treats them as if the simplest touch were an agony he can barely stand. 

💚 One night you try teaching Zoro the basic figures of one of the most popular dances of the kingdom, which requires the man to circle his partner’s waist with his arm as he holds her hand in his. You begin the lesson determined to give your best shot, your last attempt before admitting defeat, but unfortunately it goes even worse than usual; Zoro does passably well for the first part of the lesson, making it clear he actually listened to your instructions and is doing his best to follow your steps, but as soon as you ask him to assume the position, he immediately looks away, as if steeling himself, and is only able to perform -badly- a couple of steps, his body almost physically rejecting yours, before giving up, and brusquely stepping away from you. “This is so stupid!” he exclaims, frustrated, and that is what really sets you off; as a princess you have been taught to keep your opinions to yourself unless asked, but you can’t stand it - you can’t stand him, and the way this stubborn young man insults the art you have dedicated your life to. “How dare you? Dancing is not stupid!” you cry out, pressing a finger to Zoro’s chest “Dancing is an art that has existed as long as humankind has, and you have the courage to dismiss it because you lack the intelligence to appreciate it? You are the fool, since for days you’ve been wasting my time and yours and you can’t even tell me why! If I really am so - so unbearably hideous in your eyes, at least have the courage to tell me to my face!”

💚 Zoro stares at you, flabbergasted, but you see realisation dawn on his face as you turn and stomp -which is proof of how upset you are; as a princess and a dancer, it comes naturally to you to move as lightly and gracefully as you can, but Zoro has brought out the worst in you- out of the room, leaving him alone. The next day, you beg to be excused from the lesson, blaming a terrible migraine, and spend the evening in your room, packing for when, tomorrow morning, you’ll talk to the King and ask to be allowed to return home. Part of you is actually saddened by this failure, and wishes you could have shown Zoro the beauty and the joy that can be found in dancing. You also wish you could have made friends with him, since the prince has many of the qualities you respect and appreciate in people, but the interest is clearly one-sided, since the simple fact of being close to you makes him uncomfortable. You were probably wrong to raise your voice at him, but what is done is done, and after tonight you are pretty sure Zoro will never want to see you again. You really hope Zoro finds someone he feels more at ease with and can learn from, but you can’t help feeling sad, and disappointed, that your first and perhaps only chance to be a dance teacher was a complete failure.

💚 You try to go to sleep early, in anticipation of your departure tomorrow, but two hours later you’re still awake, tossing and turning in your bed; in the end, with a sigh, you get up and put your dressing gown on, wondering if a short walk in the castle’s gardens will help you fall asleep. It will be highly awkward should the King, or Zoro, see you, for different reasons, but you’re pretty convinced you’re safe: the gardens will surely be deserted this late at night, and by now you can move around in the palace well enough to go unnoticed. A few minutes later you are crossing a long empty corridor on the ground floor, not far from the ballroom, when an unexpected noise reaches your ears, the sound of metal clashing against metal, grunting and muffled cries; a sword fight is taking place, you realise as you approach, the ballroom having turned into a field of battle, and the contenders are not two of the palace’s guards, or courtiers who decided to settle a dispute letting their weapons talk for them. It’s the King and his heir… Mihawk and Zoro.

💚 You knew Zoro is a swordsman; it would have been hard not to know, since he carries his three swords wherever he goes, even though you ask him to leave them on a chair during your lessons, not to mention that with a father who has long been considered the world’s strongest swordsman, it was probably natural for him to develop an interest in the art. You have also heard someone mention father and son spar almost every day, as soon as both of them have a free hour, but you never saw them, and perhaps that’s why you instantly forget your programme of walking in the gardens until you feel ready to return to bed, and remain to witness the duel, peeking from behind the door. 

💚 The fight is violent, even brutal, not a simple spar or a friendly match but a serious battle with the two opponents actively trying to hurt each other, so much that at first you wonder if you shouldn’t go call someone to separate them. Soon, though, it becomes clear that Zoro is not attempting to get rid of his father to conquer the throne, nor is Mihawk punishing his heir, like your father occasionally did with you and your brother using his belt; they are training. “Now try a reverse grip, and don’t lower your guard!” the King explains as he effortlessly wields his huge black sword, clearly not restraining himself even though his attacks could easily kill a less experienced adversary “An overhead strike is not appropriate if you’re not right in front of your opponent, you better parry and then a lateral lunge…” 

💚 Zoro is wielding all his swords, the third in his mouth (!), and is… well, he’s exactly what you wish he were during your dancing lessons: at ease, enthusiastic, determined to do anything to succeed as he parries or evades his father’s blows and does his best to counterattack. He’s a formidable swordsman, even someone like you who has never wielded anything larger than a steak knife can see it, but clearly at a disadvantage, struggling to even just keep up with Mihawk, but there is a savage joy in his eyes, the exhilarating feeling of a man who is in his element, focused on the fight above all, willing to get hurt if it means hitting his target. There is a brutal, uneven but compelling sort of elegance in the way the two swordsmen dance -yes, dance- around each other, exchanging blows and trying to break through the opponent’s defences, the clashing of the swords in the place of the gramophone’s music, and parries and lunges playing the part of the steps. You know Zoro can’t win, but as you observe the fight you find yourself cheering every time one of his blows is successful, or when Mihawk silently compliments him with a nod of his head. There is no trace of the awkwardness and unease you have gotten used to during your dancing lessons; if Zoro could be half as thrilled, at ease and motivated then as he is now as he battles his father, you reflect, he’d become a first-rate dancer in a matter of weeks. 

💚 As you look at your pupil, excitement and elation and resoluteness evident on his face, you know this is exactly what you look like as you dance, when you let the music carry you to the point you don’t even feel your feet hurt and even the least coordinated partner becomes graceful, and you’re flying without the need for wings or magic. The sword is Zoro’s passion, just like dancing is yours; you may be as different, and your interest as incompatible, as it is possible to be, but for a moment you feel him close, almost able to perceive the emotions that animate his body. This is when you begin falling for him, even though you don’t realise it yet; when you see the real him, beyond petty fears and untold truths, shining through, the instinctive joy of knowing you are doing what you are meant to.

💚 The duel finally ends, as you expected with Mihawk emerging victorious even though the King does have words of praise -well, of not criticism- for his heir’s performance; the two exchange a few words before Mihawk leaves. “You’re not coming? It’s quite late.” he points out, and Zoro answers that he wants to practise a new technique before going to bed. You remain hidden in your nook while the King leaves the room, and once he has disappeared around the corner you return to look at Zoro, well aware that is not exactly polite, not to mention proper, to spy on him, but you can’t tear your eyes from the heaving, aching young man in front of you, who you feel as you were seeing from the first time… and you sort of are. Zoro takes a minute to drink from a water pitcher placed on a little table in a corner, wipes sweat from his forehead with his shirt -and you’re not as fast as you should be to avert your eyes when the fabric is lifted to expose his toned stomach- then, unexpectedly, he places the sheath with his swords against the wall… reaches the middle of the room… lifts his arms…

💚 … and starts dancing.

💚 If your father were here he’d tell you how unladylike it is to stare at someone with your mouth hanging open, and you’re quite relieved he’s not here, because gaping is exactly what you are doing, left completely speechless by the scene in front of you. He’s performing a simple waltz, counting the steps under his breath, which you have told him to avoid as much as he can because dancing should feel or at least look natural, but otherwise better than he’s ever done during your lessons, even when you let him dance by himself. If this is what he can actually do you’d call him, if not a natural, at least a quicker-than-average learner; does it mean that even if you’re not touching, it’s your presence that disturbs him, making Zoro unable to reach his full potential? Is he simply more at ease practising without a public, like it happens to many artists and athletes? But even so, why is he doing it now?, on the first day he hasn’t been forced to attend a dancing lesson - a freedom he should relish, especially after your tantrum of a few hours ago; you know the lessons were Mihawk’s idea, and how important it is for Zoro to have his father approve of him, but…

💚 “One-two-three… one-two-three… front-back-front…” Zoro keeps repeating in a whisper, stumbling a bit but then quickly catching himself, and you’d happily remain here looking at him for the rest of the night, and this is why you decide to make yourself known, because no matter how unexpectedly pleasant and sweet that chaste form of intimacy, and how lovely it is to look at Zoro, the real Zoro, free of the expectations of his father and the court, you know you’d be terribly embarrassed in his place, not knowing someone is observing you. 

💚 “Good evening.” you murmur, abandoning your hiding spot to reach the centre of the room, and Zoro, startled, is immediately suspicious, even on edge, as if you had caught him as he committed a crime. “What are you doing here? Were you spying on me?” he asks, arms by his side and feet still in a waltz position, and you admit that, having accidentally stumbled upon him and his father on your way to the gardens, you remained to observe them duel… and then him, as he practised his dancing. “I’m sorry, I know it was discourteous.” you admit, which Zoro does not deny “It’s just… you were exceptional.” “You’re exaggerating, I’ve been dancing for less than two weeks.” “You do dance better than I could have imagined, but I was actually talking about your swordsmanship; you… you were amazing, Zoro. I’ve seen my brother use a sword, and there are many capable warriors in my kingdom, but no one is like you; you held your ground against your father, which is not something many people can say. But it’s not simply that you were fighting to win, or for your life; I… I could almost see you pouring your soul in your sword, as if that was what you were put on earth to do; you… you look just like I feel when I dance.”

💚 Zoro is clearly affected by your words, flattered by your compliments and… touched by your ability to understand exactly what he feels as he fights, the sensation of being one with his sword, as if the weapon were an extension of his arm and he could feel every blow it parried on his body, metal and flesh fused in one. He does consider you an intelligent and sensitive person and he does know how much you love dancing, but he never thought you could be similar in that respect… that no matter how different the arts you are passionate about are, you both made them a huge part of your lives, even beyond the objective importance they assume in your everyday lives. Zoro has already been called to fight for the safety of his kingdom, or for his own life, many times, but he would still keep his swords by his side and train with his father even if the whole world were at peace; and he doesn’t doubt you would still dance on your own, even in the narrow space of your room and without music, if balls had been outlawed. Yes, maybe you are more similar than he had imagined… two people who have made of their art a purpose in and a way of life, something that makes their very existence more worthwhile. 

💚 Suddenly as he regards you, and while many would not describe him as the forgiving sort, he’s no longer angry about having been spied on; he’s not even angry you all but shouted at him earlier today, even though you humbly ask for his forgiveness. You end up sitting side by side on the floor, having the first frank, open conversation in the two weeks you have known each other, and finally, without even having to ask him, Zoro shares with you the reason for his awkwardness as you dance together. “I don’t find you… repulsive, at all.” he admits, the relative darkness of the ballroom hiding the slight flush that has crept up on his cheeks “I mean, you don’t smell or… there’s nothing wrong with you; it’s just that… I’m not used to being so close to a woman, and I’m not… quite sure what to do.”

💚 You are left completely speechless by his explanation, which is the last you would have ever imagined. “You are saying… that you are shy?! Not that… there’s nothing wrong with it…” you hasten to add, to which Zoro raises an eyebrow, as if momentarily doubting your sincerity. “But, Zoro, there’s nothing wrong with two people touching each other as they dance; as long as you maintain the correct position, and you don’t take advantage of the proximity to grope, which I know you would never do, no one will ever accuse you of impropriety. Maybe… you have promised yourself to someone, and you don’t want to disrespect them if you dance with someone else?” “Of course not!” Zoro answers, openly surprised you could think he has a partner, as if he had never even considered the possibility; do swordfighters usually prefer to remain celibate, with their sword as their only lover? Or are all the ladies in Kuraigana’s court completely blind, unable to notice the unquestionable attractiveness of their prince? “It’s just… I never had a mother, or a sister, or to be honest a girl friend since I was little, so I never knew how to talk to them, you know? Or what to do when I’m with them, and since most girls like dancing…”

💚 He’s really shy, you realise with a sudden, unexpected surge of tenderness, not to mention the relief of knowing he doesn’t hate you, or find you repulsive, for some mysterious reason. Poor Zoro, he’s the sort of man who considers women a completely different race, with inscrutable rules of their own, and he probably fears that not knowing how to act in their presence, he’ll end up looking like a fool, or a brute, and shaming his father. “Well, in my experience, and while I know well how complicated and ambiguous court etiquette is, many ladies will appreciate it if you simply treat them with kindness, and try not to step on their feet.” you point out “Come to think of it, that is the second reason why your father asked me to come here, is it not? To teach you to talk to women, to make a good impression on them; don’t worry, once I’m done you’ll be the darling of all the ladies of the continent.” “Thank you, but I’ll be happy if they don’t consider me a barbarian after knowing me for five minutes, and they survive a dance with me without bruises.”

💚 You share a laugh, the way friends do. “May I see your swords?” you ask then, still curious about that part of Zoro’s life, so important for him but that you have glimpsed at tonight for the first time, and the young man by your side seems happy to show you his weapons, explaining the history and strengths of each of them, and even invites you to hold his favourite, the Wado Ichimonji, in your hands, to feel how light it is despite the exceptional durableness of its blade. “I wish I could learn to wield it.” you murmur, lost in your thoughts, and Zoro grins. “Really?” “Well… it’s something I’ve never done, you know? There are female swordfighters in my kingdom, but I never thought about joining them or learning. Maybe I should have, you can never know…” “I can teach you if you want.” “Excuse me?” “I can give you swordsmanship lessons, just like you teach me to dance; it’d be a way to repay you for all the time and effort you devote to me.” Zoro proposes, more and more excited as he explains his plan to you “I can tell my father I require more time for my dancing lessons, and no one will disturb us; I must have a blunted sword somewhere… come on, I am sure you’ll love it!”

💚 In your heart, you doubt you’ll be any good, since you have never had any aptitude for weapon fighting -or hand-to-hand, to be fair- and you’re probably too old to learn something completely new, but after all, you decide, why not? You know Zoro will not make fun of you for your clumsiness and complete ignorance of the most basic rules of swordsmanship, and you like his enthusiasm at the prospect of having a -or maybe you as?- pupil of his own. “Alright; I promise I’ll do my best, even though I doubt I’ll ever be worthy of joining the King’s Guard.” you say, and Zoro smiles at you, clearly excited. “You want to bet I’ll prove to be a better teacher than you are?” he jokes, and you smile at him. “I’m sure I’ll prove to be both the better teacher and the better pupil, even though you started your lessons two weeks ago…”

💚 You spend a few more minutes with Zoro, who tells you about his training, that his father started when he was barely five years old, and that an inexperienced witness like you might find excessively hard, brutal and even cruel, but that Zoro welcomes with joy, despite the more or less superficial wounds his father often inflicts him, and the fact that in fourteen years he has never been able to best his teacher, because he knows the King wouldn’t be so hard on him if he hadn’t faith in his potential as a fighter. As he tells you about his swords, of the techniques he has learnt and of the many opponents he has bested, Zoro’s eyes shine with joy, the enthusiasm evident in his voice; it’s quite a difference from the withdrawn, awkward or in the best of cases distant young man you had come to know. Maybe, you reflect, now that you’re finally free from his embarrassment and fear of coming off as inappropriate, the two of you might become friends, able to both teach and learn from each other, and to appreciate your time spent together. As Zoro’s hands touch yours to adjust your grip on the sword’s hilt, you think that nothing would make you happier. 

💚 In the end you both decide to go to bed, since sunrise is only a few hours away. “Lesson number one: a gentleman always offers to accompany a lady somewhere.” you tell him. “But your bed is only fifty paces away.” “It makes no difference, it’s the thought that counts.” Zoro rolls his eyes, secretly amused. “Very well; can I walk you to your room, princess (name)?” “No, thank you, prince Zoro; but thanks for asking.” “Oh, you are unbelievable…” In the end, it’s you who has to help Zoro find his way to his rooms; standing in front of the door you say good-night, and to your surprise, he bows and kisses your hand, much more at ease than he was doing the same on the day of your first encounter. “I’m glad we… I mean, that we talked and there are no problems between us.” he murmurs, his breath warm on the back of your hand as he avoids your eyes “I’ll see you tomorrow, yes?”

💚 You only sleep three hours that night, but you wake up the next morning feeling well-rested and ready for a new day, your intention to tell Mihawk you have decided to leave and return home completely forgotten - at least for now. You and Zoro share a secret smile while you sit at the breakfast table, and that night you present yourself at the ballroom wearing the only pair of pants you own -for riding; you doubt it’s the appropriate clothing for a duel, but you have nothing better- and clumsily fail to grab the blunt sword Zoro tosses you. Amused, he helps you adjust your grip on the hilt, explaining that the grip must be firm but delicate, otherwise your hand will hurt. “Ready? Now try to hit me, however you want.” he invites you, and not knowing any better you launch yourself at him, swinging the sword that is, obviously, taken from your hand in a matter of seconds. “Keep your sword in a defensive position until the last moment before attacking, or you’ll be dead before you get to touch your opponent.” Zoro explains “And you’re not using a broadsword, there’s no reason to use both hands to hold it…”

💚 After five minutes of repeated assaults during which you spectacularly fail to even touch your opponent, Zoro helps you assume the correct position -feet as apart as the width of your shoulders, straight back, knees slightly bent, sword raised at a forty-five degree angle in front of you- and then teaches you a few simple movements, parries and lunges both, that you practise and practise until you’re sure you can repeat them in your sleep. A couple hours and Zoro deems himself satisfied with your performance, and concludes your first lesson. “So? How was it?” he asks, half excited and half nervous, as if fearing you could decide to throw in the towel after a single session; he clearly still hasn’t the faintest idea of the sort of person you are. “I had fun; and I can’t wait to do it again.” you admit “I’m sorry I was so terrible, Zoro, you’re used to training with your father…” “You did well for your first time; and I’m sure you’ll improve rapidly. Now, you want to take over?” “Excuse me? Oh, right…”

💚 You had almost forgotten you also have a lesson to teach, but after Zoro places the swords against the wall, and you both take a minute to drink some water and wipe your sweat off, he returns to you, looking as determined as he was as he fought his father, and you hurry to turn the gramophone on. You tell your pupil there’s no need for him to practise on his own anymore, having seen with your eyes how well he can dance when he believes there’s no one observing him, and so, without wasting any more time, you help Zoro assume the correct position, an arm around your waist and your hand in his, only a few inches separating your bodies. “I can’t believe it is considered proper for a man and a woman to be this close.” he mutters “We can practically k… I mean, if I had bad breath you would smell it!”

💚 (he doesn’t, fortunately)

💚 “I know; in fact, that is the reason. Most of the time it wouldn’t be proper for a man and a woman to be so close, so dancing is a relatively appropriate way for them to have… a moment of intimacy. Not that there is something inherently romantic or sensual in dancing.” you hurry to add; the last thing you want is for Zoro to fear some princess he’s dancing with will take advantage of the situation to let her hand wander “I mean, it is absolutely fine to simply enjoy the music or talk with your partner. Now, are you ready? One, two, three…!”

💚 And so, almost miraculously, you are dancing, your partner still a bit clumsy and slower in his movements than he should be but leagues better than he was only twenty-four hours ago; you move together in a simple, repetitive sequence of steps, and Zoro smiles as he realises he had nothing to fear. “I’m sorry I gave you the impression I… disliked you.” he murmurs after a while “The last thing I wanted was to hurt you.” “I know; and let’s not talk about it again. I’m happy things are clear between us now.” you answer sincerely, and before any of you knows it you have danced successfully for a whole hour, and both of you are satisfied, even though your feet hurt. “Same time tomorrow?” you ask Zoro, and he smiles in return. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

💚 It’s like you have finally found the key to open a particularly sturdy door, to find the treasure hidden inside. Now that misunderstandings and awkwardnesses no longer exist between you and Zoro, he quickly begins improving as a dancer: he’s still rigid, a bit clumsy with the movements he hasn’t been rehearsing for weeks, but every day he’s a little better, and you are confident his father will be more than pleased with the results at his coming-of-age ball. Driven at first mainly by curiosity, you in turn develop a strong interest and fascination for the sword, and the moments you spend learning to wield a blade are soon your favourite during the day. It is tiring, painful, your body sweating and bruising under your clothes, your hand aching as you grip the sword’s hilt, well aware that Zoro could easily parry your every attack, blindfolded and with one hand behind his back. Being a swordswoman is, in short, as different as it can be from being a dancer, and this is why you like it so much: it’s something new, something you have never done before and that you have to do your utmost to be barely passable at -quite a change, given your long experience and objectively uncommon talent as a dancer- a challenge to yourself you’re determined not to lose. You are not sure you’ll ever be a more than mediocre fighter, but you will do your utmost, you promise in the privacy of your heart, for yourself and for Zoro, in order not to look bad compared to his constant improvement as a dancer and to repay all the effort he puts in his lessons.

💚 As a natural consequence of the time you spend together, your at first cordial but distant relationship flourishes in a close friendship. You and Zoro spend long hours talking, either as you walk in the gardens or you take tea in his rooms; a couple of times Zoro invites you to go riding with him, and while you’re pretty sure it’s because none of his friends is available at the moment

💚 (it isn’t)

💚 you are happy to accept. Soon, Zoro is not only a pupil in whose company you’re forced to spend hours every night, nor someone you hang out with out of necessity, since none of your friends has followed you to Kuraigana; you become sincerely fond of him, at ease in his presence like you’ve never been with a person you have known for such a short time. Zoro is introverted, stubborn, despite his father’s best efforts more inclined to solve a problem with his swords -or his fists, occasionally- than diplomatically, but he’s also loyal, generous, and kind, no matter how hard he tries to hide it under a semblance of gruffness; he’s polite towards even the humblest servants of the court, and you’ve seen him with your eyes as he harshly punished one of the guardsmen who had beaten a young groom guilty of not having readied his horse in time. He’s a good man, a good friend, and he will be a good King, when his time comes; soon, the loneliness you had felt after having to say good-bye to your family and friends disappears… and you can’t help thinking of how you’ll miss him, once it’s time for you to go home. Who knows if Zoro will write to you, or even decide to pay you a visit in your kingdom…

💚 The dramatic, terrifying event that leads you to question the tranquil friendship between you and Zoro takes place very late at night. You have completed another productive pair of lessons -Zoro has finally mastered a particularly complex waltz figure, and you have learned a semi-circular parry that allows you to block your opponent’s attack without lowering your defence- when examining your practice sword, Zoro decides it’s time for you to learn to wield a sharp weapon. “Every self-respecting warrior, even a King, takes care of their sword personally, rather than having a servant or a squire do it; tomorrow I’ll show you how to use a whetstone.” he promises, unaware that you already have a little experience in this particular task, having been friends as a girl with the weaponsmith of your father’s palace. You’ve never exactly used a whetstone, only witnessed him doing it, but how hard can it be? You’ll take care of the edge of your sword by yourself, you decide, and tomorrow you’ll present Zoro with a perfectly sharpened weapon; you’re sure he’ll be impressed. 

💚 So you wish Zoro good-night and, rather than returning to your own room, you begin the short trek towards the armoury, where you’re sure to find a wheat-stone. It’s really late and you ought to be in bed, but you’re too excited for your little plan to think about sleeping. Twenty minutes later you are sitting on a stool, your still blunt sword on your lap and a whetstone in your hands as you dearly wish your weaponsmith friend were here to help you, when suddenly you’re not alone anymore. 

💚 The man who has stepped into the armoury is a sergeant of the palace guards, recently assigned there from another fief of the kingdom for having killed, apparently in self-defence, a comrade. He is completely drunk, having spent the evening at the tavern, and when he sees you in the armoury, he thinks that you are a servant busy performing a late order from her master, or a village girl who sneaked in the palace to steal some valuables; someone, in short, he can abuse impudently, because she’ll be unable to react, and to defend herself. 

💚 He’s wrong. 

💚 The man approaches in silence. You’re still focused on the sword when a violent blow collides with your temple, making you see stars; before you have time to realise the danger you’re in, you’re on the ground, with the man above you, a hand pressed on your mouth to silence you. Terrified, unable to move and scream for help, you manage to grab the whetstone that had fallen from your hand and, almost blindly, to hit him in the face with it; the man screams, but when you manage to stand and try to make a run for the door, he grabs you, whispering in your ear that if you scream, he’ll break your neck before the guards on duty can intervene. “If you’re good and make no sounds I’ll let you live.” he whispers, not even trying to sound convincing; as terrifying as it is to realise it, he’s right: no one will come to help you.

💚 Suddenly, as the man’s cold hands start fumbling with your belt, you think about Zoro, and what he would do in a situation like this. He would not passively let this brute abuse him, no, he would fight back, he would show his assailant what he’s capable of, and you are without a doubt less strong than your friend, perhaps even less strong than your abuser, but that doesn’t mean you’re just gonna stand there and let him do as he pleases with you…

💚 Fixed to the wall you’re facing there are several metal hooks, with swords hanging from them that the guards can readily take before the start of their shift, or in case of emergency. Kicking wildly, you hear your assailant emit a cry of pain, and he lets you go long enough for you to reach and grab one of the swords, heavier than the one you have been training with but perfectly sharp. “Let me go or I’ll gut you.” you snarl as you turn to face the man, who has now a hand on his groin, the sword raised in front of you. You have never been so scared, yes, but most of all you’re angry, furious, at this pig who tried to make you -not a princess, not a guest of his King, but a woman with thoughts and rights of her own- his pleasure toy “I swear to God, I’ll kill you if you touch me!” The man laughs at your determination, but thank God Zoro has taught you well, and while the execution is not perfect, your blow hits the mark, and soon the man is on the ground, screaming and calling you words you know but had never heard out loud, as the wound you have inflicted him bleeds profusely. You waste no time gloating, but walk out of the armoury to reach the men standing guard in front of the gate, who heard nothing of your struggle. “Please send for the King.” you tell them, your tone calm and measured even though you’re screaming inside “There is something he needs to see.”

💚 Twenty minutes later you’re in the castle’s kitchen, sitting with an untouched cup of chamomile in your hands, while Mihawk has a quiet but tense conversation with the captain of the guards, who had approved your assailant’s transfer to the palace and is technically responsible for the security of the grounds at night, and Zoro stands silently next to you like a sentinel - or a bodyguard. You have no idea who thought of calling him, but you’re grateful; he has not uttered a word, but you saw his shoulders sag with relief when his father told him you were not wounded or hurt in any way. Neither smiles when your gazes meet, but he steps closer to rest his hands on your shoulders, and it takes all the will-power you own not to shift your weight against his solid body; neither of you is aware that the King has noticed the moment of intimacy between you, correctly reading in it much more than what the relatively chaste contact would suggest. He wisely decides not to mention it, at least for now.

💚 A minute later the King is with you, the guards having left; your assailant will live, he informs you, which he will soon have to regret, and Mihawk will make sure he will never hurt another woman in his life. “Forgive me for asking, princess, but what were you doing in the armoury so late at night? Were you… meeting someone?” He thinks you were waiting for a lover, you realise, feeling yourself blush under the King’s piercing bird-stare. You hurry to tell him the truth, explaining that you wanted to sharpen your sword in preparation for your next swordsmanship lesson, tonight. “You see… I have asked prince Zoro to teach me, in return for his dance lessons.” you explain; you don’t know if the King would find his son offering you to use a sword inappropriate, but you don’t want to risk him getting mad at Zoro. 

💚 Mihawk does not seem to disapprove though; rather, he commends you for your courage and ability to defend yourself, and apologises for what happened, telling you he’s sincerely sorry you had to experience something like this, and happy you’re alright. “I will understand if you want to return home; and I’ll offer you and your father whatever reparation you will decide.” he tells you, and you feel Zoro’s hands tense on your shoulders. You tell his father that what happened wasn’t his fault, that the last thing you want is to leave Kuraigana, and that you see no reason to tell your father or to demand compensation, especially since thank God nothing serious happened. “All I need is a good night’s sleep, and tomorrow I’ll feel much better.” you optimistically explain, and Mihawk is about to call for a maid to walk you to your rooms when “I’ll do it.” Zoro says. Father and son share a long, intense look that you can’t decipher, and a moment later your friend has offered you his hand to lead you out of the kitchen. 

💚 You both remain silent, still hand-in-hand, until you reach your rooms crossing the empty, dark corridors. Like you have taught him to do, Zoro opens the door but waits for you to invite him in, which you do in a whisper; he observes you abandon the blanket on a chair, and then “I’m sorry.” he murmurs “(name), the fault is all mine, I’m so terribly sorry.” “Why should you be? You did nothing wrong, and the decision to go to the armoury was mine. Please, Zoro, there is only one culprit for what happened tonight, I refuse to feel guilty for it and you should do the same.” you point out weakly “To be honest I should thank you; if you hadn’t taught me to use a sword, that man would have probably…”

💚 You can’t finish the sentence; you don’t need to. You cover your face with your hands, and this time Zoro does not hesitate before approaching. “May I embrace you?” he asks, almost shyly “I’d like to comfort you, but maybe you… you’d rather not be touched…” “Of course not.” you hasten to reassure him “I’d be happy to be touched… I mean, if you embraced me.” A moment later you’re held in Zoro’s arms, and you begin crying quietly, your face hidden against his shoulder, because you know you’re safe now, and you should feel proud for how you were able to defend yourself, but you were so scared, and it doesn’t matter if it’s all over now, you can’t stop thinking about it…

💚 And then suddenly you’re moving, Zoro’s arms around you guiding you through the steps of a waltz, and your feet following instinctively. “Zoro, what…?” “I thought dancing would make you feel better.” he explains, and the truth is that it does, even though the beneficial effect is due more to the presence of the young man in front of you than to the pleasant activity he’s leading you in. You adjust your arms’ position, taking one of his hands in yours, and no matter how late it is, and how absurd you must look, you spend a few minutes dancing, with your bed and vanity and wardrobe as your only witnesses; you are no longer crying. “I noticed you told my father our swordsmanship lessons were your idea.” Zoro murmurs after a while. “Well… I wasn’t sure he’d approve, and he wouldn’t get too mad too a guest, and a woman, would he?” “Quite the contrary, I think that knowing you want to learn to use a sword made him automatically fonder of you; hmm, so you did it to protect me…”

💚 He does not comment, but you see Zoro smile. “I’m glad you’re alright.” he murmurs “I know you took care of it, but I wish I could have been there; I would have killed that man with my bare hands.” “Really? For me?” “Of course; I… I don’t know what I would do if something had happened to you.” He looks at you, and you look at him, suddenly aware of how close your faces are, and your bodies, close enough you can feel how fast his heart is beating, but that is alright, because yours is pounding as well, and you’re probably too close, dangerously and inappropriately so, but Zoro couldn’t look less uncomfortable if he tried…

💚 For a short, precious moment, you could swear he’s about to kiss you; that he wants to, at the very least. Heart in your throat, without fully reflecting on what you’re doing but letting your instincts guide you, you whisper his name as you offer him your mouth, feeling his breath on your face… and a moment later Zoro has broken your embrace, even taking half a step back to put some space between you. “Zoro…” “I’m sorry; that was… inappropriate.” he murmurs, a hand pressed to his mouth as if to keep himself in check “I… can’t.” “Why not?” you ask him, half-desperately; you always thought that begging for a man’s attention and affections was the most humiliating thing a woman could do, but you don’t care, not now, not with him… “What would be so wrong about it?”

💚 You receive no answer; avoiding your gaze, Zoro asks you if you want him to send a maid to keep you company until you fall asleep, and then he leaves - leaves you, alone, feeling if possible even worse than you did twenty minutes ago in the armoury.

💚 The next day, Zoro seems to do his best to pretend nothing happened between the two of you - and it technically didn’t, which is the reason why you struggled so much to fall asleep last night and feel embarrassed just thinking about it. You talk briefly at the breakfast table, half-heartedly fighting over the last boiled egg in the bowl, but you can see his mind is elsewhere, and he makes sure to look you in the eyes as seldom as he can. The King looks at the two of you out of the corner of his eye as he butters his toast, but doesn’t comment, politely asking after your swordsmanship lessons, and informs you that both those and Zoro’s dancing classes will have to be suspended for the day, since the court is receiving two important guests: lady Perona, a distant relative of the King who lives on Thriller Bark Island, and lady Hiyori, sister of the Shogun of Wano, who Zoro will be tasked with entertaining during their visit. 

💚 Later that day, you look at Zoro walking in the gardens with the two ladies -both older than him, but exceptionally beautiful- and feel your heart yearning, for him, and for the chance to be in their place. Whatever was born in your heart, maybe last night in your room and maybe slowly, silently, in the weeks that preceded that moment, is still too new and raw to give it a name, but it has taken root, and you fear it’s already too late to ignore or forget it. “He seems to be doing well, don’t you think?” the King asks as he comes to stand next to you, and you nod, proud despite your pain; Zoro has behaved admirably and clearly made a good impression on the ladies. Thank God he’s not dancing with them; your heart couldn’t bear it. 

💚 “Oh, yes; I’m… quite proud; he’s perfectly at ease, and I’m sure the ladies will think well of him.” you answer, hoping to sound more enthusiastic than you feel, and the King nods, satisfied with the results. “I’m sure they’re not the only ones.” he murmurs, more to himself than -apparently- to you; you turn to look at him. “What do you mean?” “Nothing, do not trouble yourself.” Mihawk says, but you could swear he’s grinning, as if amused by a joke you haven’t caught. 

💚 Something very dangerous has begun blossoming inside you, and you fear that, even if it’s just a natural consequence of the moment of intimacy you and Zoro shared, it will end up hurting you if you don’t put an end to it before it has time to grow. For this purpose, you begin returning the attentions of a young lord of Kuraigana’s court, who you know has looked at you with interest since your arrival on the island; he’s a very good dancer - in fact, he’s the partner Mihawk asked you to dance with soon after you were introduced, to test your ability. You take walks and have tea together - in the castle’s dining room or on a patio, never in the privacy of his or your room. Your new friend is pleasant, attractive, polite and clever; you sincerely enjoy your time together, even though, you must admit, sometimes you can’t help wishing there was another man next to you, holding your hand as he helps you descend a set of stairs or smiling at you as your feet touches his under the table. 

💚 It’s dangerous, you tell yourself more than once, unfair towards a man who has done nothing to deserve the unpleasant role of rebound and probably pointless, because not even the most self-controlled person can tell their heart what to feel, or towards whom, but you can’t help it. One afternoon, you and your friend meet Zoro, back from a ride, during one of your walks in the gardens; the two men exchange a polite greeting, and you find yourself observing Zoro’s expression, hoping against hope to find on it a trace of… what? Displeasure? Sorrow? Jealousy, perhaps? But you don’t; the prince simply reminds you of your lesson that night and departs, your gaze following him with a feeling of longing in your heart you can’t stop any more than you could stop the sun from rising every morning.

💚 To all appearances, everything is fine between the two of you: you keep meeting every night for your dancing and swordsmanship lessons, teaching and learning from each other - a perhaps odd situation you nevertheless both enjoy, and naturally look for each other’s company whenever you wish. Your relationship has developed into a firm, sincere friendship, a bond that you cherish and from which at the same time, you can’t help wanting more; you care deeply for Zoro, and you know he’s equally fond of you… even though something changed since that night in your room, since that embrace, a nameless, difficult to define tension that sometimes makes you think that you could be something else, something different but equally precious, if only you could be sincere, throw caution to the wind and tell Zoro what you feel… 

💚 Or if he did; unfortunately, it’s not always easy to understand what Zoro feels. Most of the time he seems happy with your relationship as it is; he never asks about your friend, not even to playfully tease you about him like friends do, and when you mention lady Perona and lady Hiyori, fearing to discover he has developed an affection for either of them, he simply shrugs and tells you they were both nice - which could mean everything and its opposite. Zoro told you he never had a lover, or wanted one, whether in the form of an official engagement or as a passing dalliance; most of the time, he gives the impression of being much more interested in swords than in women -or men- and that his feelings for you are purely platonic. 

💚 And then there are other moments - few and far between, so much that you could almost forget about each of them or consider them nothing more than random accidents, but you never do. There’s the way he holds you closer than he should, almost possessively, as you dance a waltz; the slight tremble in his hand when he takes yours to help you pass over an obstacle on your path; the genuine affection in his eyes when you catch him looking at you, lifting your gaze from your embroidery or a letter to your father, and the slight flush that colours his face when he realises you’ve noticed. In those moments, you can hope; in those moments, as warmth fills your stomach and your heartbeat accelerates, you can be almost be sure that it’s not simply the romantic reveries of a woman who sees what her heart wants her to, but that Zoro feels the same, that he cares about you beyond friendship, and that if only one of you found the courage, and the right moment, to confess, then no couple in the world would ever be happier than the two of you…

💚 Of course it’s more complicated than that. You’re a princess, and you know well that it’s your duty to marry for the sake of your kingdom and your people, to secure an alliance or to put an end to a bloody war; it’s a role you’re ready and even happy to play, confident that your father will choose a good husband for you, and not simply sell you to the highest bidder with no regards for your happiness. Surely Mihawk is of the same mind, and will one day select a few unmarried princesses and ladies to introduce to his son; who knows if you could be one of them? Your kingdoms have been allies for decades, so a marriage between the two heirs might seem superfluous, but perhaps you and Zoro could convince your fathers, make them see that an union between the two of you would still be beneficial, and wouldn’t the heir of a firm ally be a excellent match for their own child…?

💚 Usually it’s a man’s prerogative to begin a courtship, but Zoro doesn’t seem inclined to confess his feelings - out of shyness, you hope, rather than because he has never even thought about you as a potential partner. Then you’ll do it, you decide; soon, preferably, since Zoro’s coming-of-age ball approaches, and he’s by now a good enough dancer he can keep practising on his own, without a teacher, which means you’ll soon have to return home. The last thing you want is for you and Zoro to have to part before you can tell each other what you feel; you need to act fast. You’ll make sure you won’t be disturbed, take his hands in yours and tell him, Zoro, no matter how grateful I am for your friendship, I have come to care greatly about you…

💚 “You’re distracted.” Zoro points out suddenly, and you blink, momentarily taken aback. “I thought I was doing fine.” you defend yourself, even though there was no trace of accusation in your friend’s voice; you have been sparring for a few minutes and you were able to par or avoid most of Zoro’s lunges. He nods, admitting that you’re improving by the day, but it's nevertheless evident you have something on your mind. “Is something wrong? I know you received a letter from your father today; is he alright? Does it concern your lover?”

💚 You tell him that your father is in good health, thanks for asking, and that the person he has mentioned is not your lover, just a friend you have taken walks and drunk tea with a few times. “Are you sure? Because this morning he told one of my friends he is going to ask your father’s permission to court you.” he points out, his expression unreadable “But it's fine, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Here… I have something for you…”

💚 This time you're not simply taken aback. Completely speechless, you observe the object Zoro has put in your hands: a sword, clearly newly made, with the coat of arms of your kingdom engraved on the hilt. “I had it done by the best weaponsmith in the kingdom; I hope you like it.” Zoro says “I know you’ll never devote your life to the sword like my father and I have, but you seem to genuinely enjoy it, and you’re becoming quite proficient at it… well, I thought you’d enjoy having your own sword. Do you like it?” Zoro asks, clearly more unsure that he’d like to be, and “It’s beautiful.” you murmur reverently as you inspect the weapon, the grip on the hilt perfect for your hand. For a whole minute neither of you speaks, and unfortunately you’re too focused on the sword, because otherwise you’d see the way Zoro is looking at you, and that would be enough to dispel any doubt regarding his feelings.

💚 “I guess now it’s up to me; I’ll have to gift you a pair of dancing shoes.” you point out in the end, making him laugh, but you’re not, because you understand how important this is for him, for a man who is a swordsman before anything else, who has made the sword his religion, his ambition, his cause, almost his reason to live, to give you your own blade “Zoro, I… I don’t know what to say; this is beautiful, and I really appreciate it. I promise I’ll treasure it forever, and I’ll work hard to be worthy of this gift.” Zoro smiles, relieved, and then for a minute neither feels the need to talk; in the end, just as you’re gathering the courage to tell him what you feel, Zoro takes your hand and “You know that it’s going to be my birthday soon?”

💚 Of course you know. On his next birthday, Zoro will officially come of age according to the law of the kingdom; lavish celebrations are being planned, with dozens of important guests, including your father, who confirmed in his last letter he’s going to come, leaving your older brother as a regent; you can’t wait to introduce him to Zoro. “Of course; I know that by now you’re a more than capable dancer, at least for balls and other social occasions, but I hope you don’t mind if I stay until then.” “Not at all; in fact, I’d really like it if you stayed, because… well, because we’re friends, obviously, and also because there’s something I need to tell you. Something very important.”

💚 “What?” you ask, not daring to guess, not daring to hope, but Zoro insists on waiting, and that he can’t tell you before the day of his coming-of-age ball. “Why don’t we return to our lesson?” he suggests then, and you nod, eager to test your new sword, your heart trembling. Hours later, at the end of yet another fruitful lesson, you bid Zoro goodnight, kindly refusing his offer to walk you to your room for a reason you barely dare to admit in the privacy of your own heart. “Zoro?” you call him once you’ve reached the room’s door, and he turns to look at you as he ties the swords’ scabbard around his waist “About my… friend. I really consider him a friend and nothing more; I swear.” 

💚 Zoro smiles; you would have to be blind not to see the relief in his eyes. “I’m glad to hear it; he’s not good for you.” “He’s a perfectly polite person, clever and very kind.” “I know; but he’s not like you. He’s not…” he hesitates before adding “... special.” and then he mumbles a goodnight and turns to fumble with one of his swords. You leave the room silently, the weight of the unspoken things between you a sensual shiver down your spine as you walk towards your bedroom. 

💚 Zoro’s coming-of-age ball is only a week away. While the whole court seems busy with the preparations, you spend most of your time helping the honoree practising his dancing; Zoro will probably have to dance with many ladies, including queens and princesses of families allied with his father, and it’s of the utmost importance that he makes a good impression - or at least that he doesn’t cause a diplomatic incident tripping his partner into the punch bowl. You also give him a few tips to help him make a good impression on the fairer sex. “There is no reason to be nervous; in the end, women are people, in many respects the differences in how to relate to them or to men are minimal.” you tell him “Be courteous, avoid swearing, introduce them to other people to make them feel welcome; maybe ask about their interests, take a chair or a drink for those who need them.” “And that would be enough to make them love me?” Zoro asks, clearly sceptical, as he, almost without noticing, executes perfectly a complex dance move that he had already attempted a thousand times, holding you against him, the warmth of his body seeping into your blood. You’re tempted to answer that yes, you wouldn’t be surprised if every single lady who will be at court that night asks for his hand, because Zoro is a man easy to love, and easy to fall in love with; after all you did, without even realising it until you were completely lost. It’s a feeling you had never experienced, so intense and special it makes your previous relationships, short-lived dalliances and unrequited crushes, disappear; it scares you, but at the same time you’re grateful you get to feel it - grateful you got to meet Zoro.

💚 “You’re going to be fine.” you reassure him in the end, as you both bow at the end of the dance “And whatever happens… even in the remote case the evening is a disaster, know that I’m proud of you; I know how hard you worked to learn, and I know your father will as well. It’s going to be alright, Zoro; and even if it doesn’t, I will be by your side.” He nods, more relieved to hear your promise than if you had sworn to stand by his side against a whole army of enemies. “Thank you for everything you have done for me; I know I haven’t been the best pupil, at least at first.” “Don’t mention it; I’m glad I could help you.” you assure him; and then, less sincerely: “I can’t wait to see you dance with the ladies during the ball.”

💚 And finally, the big day comes; guests from kingdoms far and wide have started arriving since yesterday, including your father, who is happy to see you, and to hear Mihawk praise you for all you did to teach Zoro to dance. You can’t wait to introduce your friend and your father, but there’s an equally important, although less pleasant, duty you need to fulfil: talk to your friend, who has just returned from a brief trip visiting relatives, to tell him you don’t intend to continue your relationship. It is, as you expected, a difficult and painful conversation, but to his credit, he reacts politely, thanking you for your sincerity and accepting your offer of friendship; he kisses your hand, and then asks to walk you back to your rooms, which you of course accept. “Oh, look who just arrived.” he notes a minute later, looking out one of the large ogive window of the east corridor; curious, you stop to peek as well, and see Mihawk, standing in front of the main gate, as he helps a woman step down from her carriage, followed by a younger one: they must be exceptionally important guests, you think, for the King to come personally to welcome them. “Who are those?”

💚 “That is Queen Belle-mère of Cocoyashi, and her daughter, princess Nami. I’m sure the prince has mentioned her.” “Why? Is Z-is the prince a friend of hers?” you ask, more and more confused, and your former suitor looks at you surprised, as if you had just admitted not knowing the sun rises in the east every morning. “Friend? No; princess Nami is his future bride; they are going to marry soon, to seal an alliance between the two kingdoms. You really did not know?”

💚 You didn’t.

💚 In the early afternoon, one of the maids comes to the room you have all but secluded yourself in, telling you the prince has asked about you; you ask her to report you’re too busy to answer, and remain in bed, curled up under a blanket despite the relatively warm day, your face hidden in the pillow you have already drenched in your tears. 

💚 He’s going to marry soon. You can’t believe Zoro never mentioned it, but after a moment of reflection you have to admit you should have at least suspected it. After all, what better occasion to announce the engagement of a prince or a princess than during a ball in front of so many other royals and nobles? Mihawk probably wanted to make sure his heir wouldn’t make a fool of himself in front of his fiancée; Zoro is his father’s only child, how could you not imagine he would be formally engaged as soon as he came of age? The longer you think about it the more you realise how blind you have been, and your heart breaks for it: you taught him to dance, and how to act in the company of women, while in the meantime developing feelings for him… all of it, to prepare him for an union with another bride. Is this why Zoro didn’t kiss you that night, because it would have been improper given his status as an almost-engaged man? You wouldn’t be surprised, given how honourable he is; but then, what of the feelings you could have sworn he has also developed for you, and of his evident jealousy towards you former suitor? Did you imagine all of it? And what of the sword he has given you - a parting gift, perhaps, to remember him by once he has settled with his new wife and you’ve returned home? 

💚 Now that you remember, he did say there was something important he wanted to tell you, after the ball. About what? Why would he want to wait until his official engagement? You have no idea, and frankly you don’t care. The three other people you have spoken about it after your former suitor mentioned the matter -one of the maids, an older lady, and one of the castle guards- all confirmed the whole court has known about the engagement for months, since before your arrival in Kuraigana, even though no one bothered to tell you - or who knows, maybe it’s your fault, and you simply didn’t realise the fact was common knowledge because you were too focused on your lessons with the prince, and on Zoro himself, who has now become more important for you than anyone has even been. You really thought he cared for you, and maybe he does; you have no idea of what his feelings towards princess Nami -who is really beautiful, elegant and shapely and with hair of a lovely tangerine-orange colour; you’ve peeked at her from behind a column as the King led her and her mother inside the palace, and had to admit she and Zoro would look lovely together- are, whether he hates her, loves her, or whatever else, but he wouldn’t be the first royal who develops feelings for someone while engaged with someone else…

💚 Does he… does he plan on asking you to be his mistress while he’s married to Nami?! You can’t believe Zoro would propose such a squalid arrangement, but even if the alternative is losing him, even if he confesses he’s in love with you and that would be the only way for the two of you to be together, you’re determined to refuse: you have your dignity, and you’re not going to humiliate yourself into an illicit affair, not even for the man you have fallen in love with. You’ll beg your father to be allowed to return home tomorrow morning, and until then you’ll do your best to avoid Zoro, and his future fiancée.

💚 That night, as the whole court celebrate its prince’s coming-of-age, you beg both your father and Mihawk to be excused from the ball, citing period cramps -the perfect excuse; not the sort of ailment that would lead your father to call for a doctor, a matter a man would not ask to know more about- as the reason, and remain in your room with your dinner served on a tray. You had looked forward to the evening, dancing to your heart’s content and seeing Zoro impress his father’s guests, but witnessing his engagement being announced requires more strength than you can gather. You had bought a new, beautiful dress especially for the occasion, and had also hoped Zoro would reserve for you the most important dance of the evening, the last, but you have no doubt princess Nami has eclipsed you in both regards. You spend a rather lonely evening, chiding yourself for having been so naive not to realise the man you had fallen for was already spoken for, and at the same time unable to regret having accept Mihawk’s request to come to Kuraigana: despite your broken heart, you’re glad to have met Zoro, and to have been his friend, and even though you’ll never be able to call him yours you will carry his memory in your heart forever. 

💚 In the end, the music you can hear filtering from the ballroom two floors below ceases, a sign that the ball has ended. You are already in bed, slowly drifting to sleep surrounded by the darkness of the room, when suddenly you hear an urgent, insistent knocking at the door. Your first, mostly irrational, thought is that you’re being called upon because something has happened to your father; you leave your bed and run to the door, but when you open it the person you find yourself face to face with is not the assistant of the castle’s doctor, nor a maid.

💚 “Let me in.”

💚 It’s Zoro.

💚 “Are you out of your mind?” you hiss, suddenly tense; you have no reason to believe he toyed with your feelings, but he’s the last person you wish to see now “Do you have any idea what time it is? If someone saw you now, at the door of a lady’s room, someone could think…” “No one will see me if you let me in.” Zoro answers, stone-faced “I need to talk to you, and no, it can’t wait.” Grumbling, and mentally ordering your heart to stop pounding, you make sure the corridor is empty save for Zoro, allow him to enter, and quickly close the door behind him. “So? What’s so important you felt the need to disturb me so late at night?” you ask, staring at Zoro, arms crossed; in your heart you know he does not deserve your anger, but right now, given what must have just happened, you don’t have the strength to pretend all is well. Zoro is silent for a minute as he regards you, breath-takingly handsome in his dress uniform but strangely tense, hesitant as if he didn’t know how to express what he’s thinking; you wonder how it feels to be engaged, and what he felt as the court observed him slip a ring on Nami’s finger “Why didn’t you come to the ball? And don’t tell me it’s because of your time of the month, because I know you had them last week.”

💚 He knows, you remember blushing a bit, because he heard you complain your stomach hurt and got worried you were falling sick; of course, it’s highly improper for a woman to discuss that sort of private matter with a man, but explaining the real reason for your malaise to Zoro felt natural… because you knew the two of you were past that sort of false embarrassment, and that there was very little you could not discuss frankly, and be sincere about, despite the gender difference.

💚 You don’t quite know how to answer Zoro’s question, and you already know he won’t leave without having received a response; suddenly, as you face each other, like two dancers ready to take the first step, you feel naked, even though you have grabbed your dressing gown on your way to the door. “You haven’t been entirely honest with me.” you point out in the end, and Zoro blinks, nonplussed. “... I haven’t?” “Well, you didn’t have to discuss your personal matters with me, but I found it odd that you never mentioned the fact that you’re engaged.” “What? Who told you? And why does it matter to you that…? Oh…”

💚 Zoro looks flabbergasted for a moment, and then an odd kind of calm seems to fall on him… tension barely kept at bay, not unlike the way you have seen him face his father, swords at the ready, before the beginning of a new duel. “And why…” he finally starts, his voice barely rising above a whisper “Why is it so important to you whether I’m engaged or not? Don’t tell me you’re hurt because as friends we’re supposed to share everything, because I won’t believe it.” He’s right, obviously, and no matter how deeply you’ve come to trust and care for him, at the moment you feel so humiliated you can’t bear to look him in the eyes; Zoro knows what you feel, and you just want him to go and leave you with your disappointment… 

💚 “(name), look at me.” “Go away, Zoro. If you care for me, if you consider me a friend, please leave me alone.” “I won’t; not before we can talk. Listen…” A moment later, as you still refuse to look at him, he has stepped closer to take your hands in his. “I am not engaged, (name).” he murmurs softly “If you’re talking about princess Nami, well… my father did ask me whether I’d be willing to marry her; I told him marriage did not interest me, but I would meet her to please him, and he promised to respect my decision. I’ve met her today and she’s… nice; she’s very smart, and pretty, I guess, but I don’t like her that way.” He’s not going to ask for Nami’s hand, he insists, first of all because she’s not available: she’s been engaged to princess Vivi of Alabasta, and plans on telling her mother as soon as she comes of age, next year. Also, for his part… well…

💚 “When I realised you hadn’t come, I asked your friend where you were; he told me he had no idea, and also that you had broken up with him.” “Well, I did tell you I only saw him as a friend.” “You did; but I can’t help wondering if there’s another reason, one that… has to do with me…” You smile; now Zoro is embarrassed, and while you don’t enjoy making him uncomfortable, you can’t ignore the timid, fragile hope that has blossomed in your heart. “May I ask you a question? That night, when you walked me here from the kitchens… were you going to kiss me?” you ask, and Zoro flushes; he bites his lip before admitting: “I was. I… wanted to, at least.” “And why didn’t you?” “(name)... you had been assaulted. Did you really think I could approach you, even with a simple kiss? I thought that at least in that moment, the last thing you wanted was to be touched by a man.” 

💚 You sigh, grateful for his discretion. “I wouldn’t have minded, though.” you admit in a whisper “Not with you, and at least for a kiss… or several.” “Glad to hear it.” Zoro admits; he’s blushing furiously now, but you couldn’t tease him even if you wanted, because you are in the same state “For your information, I danced splendidly; even my father was impressed. And I didn’t make a fool of myself even once. You should have seen me, and you could have, if you had come speak to me rather than listening to court gossip; you had promised you’d be there.” “You’re right.” you admit “I’m sorry, it’s just… well, I wasn’t sure about what you felt, and I hoped you would… tell me…”

💚 Zoro admits that this is exactly what he planned on doing after the ball, once he had officially come of age: declare his feelings and ask for permission to court you. “I… already tried, in fact. You probably don’t know, but among swordsmen and warriors in general, there is a tradition… to gift a weapon to one another, as a declaration of intent. I enjoyed teaching you to use a sword, and want you to have one to defend yourself, but I also hoped that… well, that you would understand I was trying to tell you what I feel…”

💚 You softly point out that you had no way to know the hidden meaning of his gift, since all you know about swords, you have learned it from him; but now that you do you appreciate it even more… and one day, maybe, you’ll find a sword powerful and special enough to gift it to him. By now you’re both smiling; there are so many things you should say, but none is more important than the pure, precious feeling of belonging you are both experiencing, trust and friendship and affection all in one, Zoro’s forehead resting against yours as you feel able to breathe freely for the first time in years. Then your eyes meet and “May I?” he asks “I know I shouldn’t be here, and I can talk to your father first thing tomorrow if it makes you…” He can’t finish the sentence, because you have silenced him with a kiss, long and passionate, that Zoro instantly returns, holding you close as you lock your arms behind his neck; when you part, both gasping for air, neither of you feels the need to talk, but you hold each other tight. 

💚 In the end, Zoro quietly asks for your permission to speak to your father; he has already spoken to his, and Mihawk has approved his decision -”Seriously?” “Absolutely. He didn’t look surprised, but I could swear he was sincerely happy for us.”- to ask for permission to court you. You tell him that nothing would make you happier, but he better wait for you to come of age as well, in three months, and until then you can write to each other, sharing your feelings in the intimacy of the written word. 

💚 “Can’t you stay here until then? I think I’m in dire need of more dancing classes.” “Hmmm, I should help you perfect your technique then…”

💚 That night you throw caution to the wind, and ask Zoro to stay, which he eagerly accepts. You spend hours holding each other in bed, sharing whispers and kisses as your hands move to explore skin you had until now barely dared to hope you would one day get to caress. “This is why I couldn’t bear to dance with you at first, you know?” he confesses in a whisper as his fingers play with your hair “Because I… I already cared for you, and the thought of touching you made my pulse quicken. I feared that I wouldn’t be able to keep myself in check, and I would end up making a fool of myself.” You assure him that you could have never considered him a fool, and that knowing of his feelings makes you indescribably happy.

💚 “So, my prince, you think you can understand ladies a little better now?” you ask him in the end, as he holds you in his arms once more, your cheek resting against his shoulder, and Zoro smiles. “I think I got to understand at least one.” he points out softly “And that is more than enough for me.” 

💚 You get married two years after your coming-of-age, with the approval of both of your fathers, surrounded by your friends, including princesses Nami and Vivi, who you have grown very close to and who are also newly married; by now you’ve become quite capable as a swordswoman, even though Zoro insists there is always room for improvement. Your husband, more handsome than ever in his wedding suit and whose eyes are full of the love you share and that never stops growing, takes your hand to lead you to the centre of the ballroom, and you feel your heart burst with joy, excited to spend the rest of your life by his side. “Ready, wife?” “I’ve always been ready, since I met you, husband.” you assure him; you rest your left hand on his shoulder and let him take the other in his, confident in your heart he’s never letting it go. A moment later you’re following him through the steps of your first waltz as a married couple, your bodies moving as one as the world seems to disappear from around you. 

[heartnoose]

So the new chapter just dropped and it’s finally revealed what drove Beel and Egyn apart

It’s over barbecue?!? Beel just loves barbecue so much ?!?? Which is adorable and pretty hilarious but also no wonder why he’s literally going to war for it, if his love for it split him and his brother apart then he’s more than obsessed with it

So they really do have Baal dinner parties on the regular. Yeah those are obviously parties out of hell, but I would not want to be around when they start fighting. They more than likely have Greek god tier squabbles and I would not want to get caught in the crossfire and turned into a bug or whatever, all because someone was served fish and their sister thought that was gross 💀

The beginning of the end of their sibling bond </3 (also thank you Kato for the crumb of Mephisto we got <3 love to see him being so fancy <3 and his dark suit is so dapper <3) But the way Egyn immediately thought of Iblis is so funny and cute. “OH a barbecue contest ?!??? My big sister would be SO good at that, she’s the King of Fire so I just know she would roast meat so well!!!”

I love to see Iblis being an overbearing big sister to Egyn. Also she’s so pretty <3 love the dress. But I get why this would upset Beel since her overprotective behavior makes it too easy for the Egyn to hide behind her. This seems to be a long point of contention between the two especially since Beel is much more assertive than Egyn. Plus while they’re both very childish even by Demon King standards (and tbh all of the Demon Kings are pretty childish), they get treated very differently by the siblings they’re closest to. It’s been shown in the past that Mephisto holds Amaimon accountable for his actions to the point of harshly abusing/punishing him. I imagine he has done similarly with Beel, even if perhaps not as often due to his soft spot for cuteness. So all that to say that maybe Beel has resentment and jealousy towards Egyn for his bond with Iblis?

Also damn :/ Egyn and Iblis were actually really really close… and he does care about all of his siblings. Iblis was probably the same too. Sucks that she’s dead bc it would have been nice to see more of their sibling relationship. Even if most demon emotions are either watered down or intense, so many of their bonds seem to be based in conditional “love”. It would be nice to see more of how they interact with each other

Overall good chapter, I love to see the family dynamics between the Baal. PLEASE Kato, let us see more human aspects of the demon kings !