#also tempted to comment on them having amber eyes

[wizardnaturalist]

idk why but I really love that falin and laios's hair is a sort of ash blonde? I just think it's nice on them and isnt a colour commonly seen on the generally oversaturated anime colour palatte

[mrpenguinpants]

Zhongli: Dating HCs

Aww, I’m glad you like it. Honestly, it was probably one of my favourite hcs to write aha. Ah yes Zhongli, the man who I refuse to believe has money and is constantly broke 24/7. An accurate reflection of me when I spend all my primogems on Childe and have nothing for Zhongli. 

This is my first time writing for Zhongli so I might have went a bit overboard? When you were gonna write a couple HCs and ended up writing 1k+ words. Whoops? Maybe I should put a read more on this.

[taglist]  <- if you want to be added, please read this first.

@hanniejji​​​ @mikeysbike​​​ @unionwitch​​​ @musekala​​​ @twistedsunnshiii​​ @stanzastic​​

Zhongli: Dating HCs

When you first met Zhongli, your first impressions on him was that he was a very intelligent and well-culture man on Liyue’s traditions and history. That was until you got acquainted with his money and negotiation habits. It gave you a bit of whiplash at how, almost naïve, Zhongli was but it was also endearing? It made him feel a lot more approachable and make you feel like less of an idiot when he started spouting off about things that most Liyue citizen’s wouldn’t know.

Your inner consciousness was screaming at you to help him out. You didn’t want to see him get his entire wallet scammed because he didn’t know how to handle mora. That’s how you basically became his accountant. You didn’t know where he was getting his money but if he was throwing it away so easily, it wouldn’t last long.

After a while, you developed a business-friend type relationship with the man. You would attempt to handle his negotiations and try and fix his bad habit of forgetting his wallet and in return, he’d tell you stories and odd bits of trivia that only someone like him would know. It was kind of interesting hearing him ramble on about different plants and machines. Though he did have a really nice voice too which probably added to the appeal. He mentioned once that if you were to ever pass away, he would see to it personally that your send off would be perfect. You told him he really did not need to worry about that.

Overtime, you found yourself beside Zhongli on simple outings. No need to worry about work or wondering where the actual hell Zhongli got his funds from, just friendly chatter. If you both happened to meet on the Liyue street with no work to complete, he’d ask for your company. Through one of your conversation you told him you were originally from Sumeru so he’d take you to special spots in Liyue, offering small bits of history.

One day, Zhongli had invited you out to dinner saying it was his treat for helping him out so much. You weren’t going to say no to his company and a potential free meal so you agreed. It was an overall good time until Zhongli reached into his pocket to hand you a gift, a case to carry your vision. You had mentioned once when you first met that your vision had been accidently eaten by a pyro slime when you were traveling from Sumeru to Liyue, so the casing was burnt around the edges. It was a shock to you that not only did he remember, since you only said it once in a brief comment, but the casing was actually really beautiful. Zhongli gently reached over to take your hands to put your vision into the new case, his fingertips slowly lingering. Then the gears in your head slowly began turning as the evening lamps reflected on the vision case.

“Wait, have you’ve been...asking me out on dates?” you asked, eyes blinking wide at him as he tilted his head to the side. He didn’t appear mad or annoyed, just genuinely confused by your question.

“Yes? I was under the impression you were aware I was courting you.”

You quickly run through the last couple of weeks with Zhongli trying to see if there was anything that stood out. You suppose he was smiling a bit more, going to more romantic areas in Liyue, and he did just give you a new case for your vision...

You wanted to die right there in your seat as your entire face flushed red. You didn’t even realize. So much for calling Zhongli the naïve one. Zhongli slightly frowned as he took your silence as a silent rejection and slowly slipped his hands out of yours before you quickly curled your fingers around his to keep them in place.

“Sorry, hang on. Please just -give me a second to collect my thoughts.” you quickly stutter out as you unconsciously squeezed his hand tighter as you bite your lip nervously.  

“Okay, take as long as you need,” Zhongli nods. If you weren’t gripping his hand like a lifeline he’s tempted to ease the pressure on your lip so the skin wouldn’t break.

You did really like Zhongli, you wouldn’t have stopped him from pulling away if you didn’t. But going from your casual friendship to something more?

“Um...would it be alright if we could take it slow? I don’t mean anything bad by that nor am I rejecting you. We could see how things go? Whatever happens happens?” you began to ramble before Zhongli cut you off. He slowly loosens the vice like grip you had on him and moves his hand to gently cup your cheek, to trace along the indent you left on your lower lip.

“Yes, I would like that very much. Thank you,” he smiles softly at you as his amber eyes seemed to glow in the dark. On second thought, you might not be able to take it slow, this one look is enough to kill you.

At first, Zhongli would give you material possessions and while it was very nice and his sense of style wasn’t that bad, you couldn’t help but worry that he might have spent his entire life savings. You have to gently remind him that you don’t need these things to win you over. Just to be himself and let things happen naturally. He nods along and actually begins taking notes, as if you’ve told him the meaning of life. It’s a bit embarrassing but at least it show’s that he’s serious.

Zhongli is earnest in everything he does and sometimes a bit too blunt. He’s still incredibly respectful of your personal boundaries and space but if you catch him staring at you he’ll be honest in his reasons why. Sometimes he’ll keep going and that embarrasses you too much to the point you have to reach over and stop him before your face overheats.

Likewise, his affection is similar. He isn’t incredibly affectionate but sometimes he seems to pop out of nowhere or you’ll be mid-sentence and he’ll sneak a small kiss. He isn’t trying to fluster you on purpose which makes you a bit more shy that he can do these acts with such ease.

Whenever he mentions that he may bore you with his information on odd historical and cultural aspect of Liyue, even calling it a  "bourgeois parasite" you quickly shut it down. He should have more confidence, not everyone in Liyue knows what he knows and he should be proud. It’s because of him that traditions are alive, even if it’s just him that remembers them. He wraps his arms around you and embraces you tightly as he thanks you so sincerely, it almost stuns you in place.

If you do happen to fall asleep he doesn’t take it personally. He enjoys the fact that you feel so comfortable in his presence to rest. But he does end up sitting the the same position until you wake up even though you tell him that sitting in the same position, at night, in the cold, for 6 hours straight is not something he needs to do.

You absolutely do not trust Childe anywhere near Zhongli but you’re weak whenever he gives you that small smile. He thinks of Childe as...a friend? Companion? A walking talking bank account? You doubt it’s the last one considering how respectful Zhongli is but you can’t help but worry. But if Zhongli considers Childe a friend then you’ll silently accept him. It slightly helps you get through the day, until you see Childe already sitting at a table waving to you both innocently. I hope you don’t mind that I invited Childe, he says. A part of you wonders if he actually knows what a date is or if the first times were flukes.

When Zhongli is there you’re both respectful with each other, slipping underhanded comments disguised as friendly jest’s. But as soon as he leaves, you’re ripping into Childe. Zhongli comments that he’s glad you and Childe get along so well as you both stare at him as if he’s grown two heads.

Sometime you get so frustrated that you have to sit him down and just clasp your palms on his cheeks as he stares up at you confused. You want to knock some sense into him that while Childe may own a bank, he in fact does not, and he should really stop digging himself into deeper debt with that Fatui. But he gives you that same tilt of the head, a small smile stretching over his mouth, and his amber eyes soften just a tad that it knocks the wind out of you on just how cute Zhongli can be sometimes.

You both never end up formally putting a label on what you both are, which felt a bit unusually to Zhongli who is so rooted in tradition. But as he watches you pout at him that he isn’t filtering anything you’re saying as you pay the merchant, he can’t help but wonder what the customs of Sumeru are in terms of marriage.

[softyoongiionly]

Sulky💭

Yoongi has a weekend at home for the first time in awhile.

There are three things on the agenda

1. Food

2. Sex

3. Informing Yoongi that he looks like a video game character

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader

Genre: FLUFF, references to animal crossing, smut (18+ only plz), established/new relationship au

Word Count: 4.2k

Warnings: smut, language and, an overwhelming amount of fluff

A/N: well hello there beautiful reader! I hope you enjoy this little piece of mine. It’s kind of silly but, honestly ever since I started playing animal crossing; I cannot get this comparison out of my mind. If you haven't played the game, you can still read though! The main point of the fic is Yoongi and the reader’s relationship.

Yoongi hasn’t had a night off with you in weeks.

And he doesn’t want you to know how much he’s looking forward to it.  

He has a particular way he wants these kinds of nights to go but, they never really follow the pattern he expects.

Tonight, it starts with a small glass of whiskey.

Yoongi drinks the old stuff cause he’s secretly a 300 year old hipster who can’t be bothered with cheap liquor.

Instead, he grabs a lowball glass and pours himself a drink as he plops onto the couch and, slowly sips until the amber liquid has disappeared down his throat.

It’s kind of hard not to notice the way his lips curl around the glass, the way his tongue collects any misplaced whiskey, the way he seems to savor the taste...

He leans back against the sofa, legs spread carelessly across the cushions and, although you usually find manspreading unattractive, there’s something about the way Yoongi does it that makes it so hot.

The chatter is minimal on days like this because you both appreciate comfortable silence.

The low hum of the television is enough to fill the room and, although Yoongi doesn’t speak, he says so much with his body language.

Yes, Yoongi values being alone and he isn’t much for frivolous displays of emotion but, he still loves affection.

His nimble fingers find their way to yours and the way he slides his fingers against the palm of your hand is enough to send a shiver down your spine.

Yoongi doesn’t notice of course as he’s dealing with his own feelings at the moment.  

Holding hands on the couch is a part of his bedtime routine and if he’s being honest, it's one of his favorite parts of his day.  

He smirks at something on the TV, squeezing your hand a little tighter as he chuckles to himself, taking another sip of his whiskey.  

You watch the way his throat bobs as he swallows and god help you, you feel like a creep for how much you want to just sit there and stare at him.  

He notices you looking at him a little longer but, he doesn’t comment on it.

He’d stare at you all the time if he got the chance.  

His thumb is rubbing over your knuckles now, taking it’s time to caress the space between them, sending you further along the path of no return.  

Subconsciously, lean closer to him, resisting the urge to rest your head on his shoulder.

You know he’s going to get up soon to shower.

With a heavy sigh, Yoongi turns toward you, “I need to get this makeup off. Do you need to get in the bathroom before I shower?”

You regret having showered before he got home now because, with your still damp hair, you can’t really request that you join him without him raising an eyebrow.

Which he would, cause you know, it’s Yoongi.  

“No I should be fine. Have a good shower.” You smile, squeezing his hand before releasing your grip to allow him to get up.

He returns your smile, ignoring the twinge of regret he feels as you let go of him.

“Thanks. I’ll be out in a bit.”

You nod and return your attention back to the TV but, your boyfriend lingers around the entrance to the living room a little too long and, it’s enough to make you giggle and call him out.

“What?”

He smirks boyishly, jerking his head in your direction, “What do you have planned tonight?”

The look in his eyes makes your stomach flip but, you play it cool as you don’t want to assume the hidden meaning in his question.

“I’m in for the night. I just have to go over a few things of tomorrow morning but, otherwise I was going to hang out with you since you’re off. Why?” You tuck your legs onto the couch to fill the space that Yoongi once did, awaiting his response.

“Just wondering. I was gonna order something from the restaurant across the street, does that sound good to you? If not, I can probably make something.”  

His smirk doesn’t fully disappear but, he masks it well enough with his further inquiries.

“The restaurant sounds good,” You smile, “I know we’re both off this weekend if you want to cook then. I miss your cooking...”

Yoongi’s heart is a flutter then, he’s lowkey obsessed with any compliment you throw his way but, he doesn’t necessarily want you to know that.

“Yeah? I can cook whatever you want this weekend, you just have to let me know so I can get the ingredients. I’ll cook all of our meals though, so we don’t have to waste money on take out.”

He emphasizes the second point, trying to mask his reaction and, you resist the urge smile at how cute he is.

“Really? You don’t mind doing that? I would literally die happy, I haven't had your cooking in so long. It’s better than all the delivery places we get anyway so, I wouldn’t mind taking a weekend off from that.” You flop back against the couch, sending a longing look his way.

Your heart stutters a bit as the gummiest of smiles present itself on your boyfriends pretty lips.  

“You’re uh- you're sweet ha-” He rubs the back of his neck shyly before gesturing to the shower, “I’ll try and come up with some recipes in the shower.”

He disappears down the hall rather hastily then, not bothering to fully conclude your conversation.

It’s very much on brand for him though.

Yoongi craves validation but, its often too much for him to handle so, he often gushes over you in private.

He spends the duration of his shower thinking of all the different ways to impress you in the kitchen, meticulously sorting through all of his current favorite recipes and the ones he knows you love.  

When he strolls back into the living room, he’s wearing nothing but his boxers, his damp hair haphazardly pushed to the side.

It’s hot outside so, it’s justified but, it’s unlike Yoongi to walk around shirtless.

Modesty and all that.

“Hold on...is that? My boyfriend??? Looking fine as hell on a Wednesday afternoon like it’s no big deal?” You look him up and down which prompts him to roll his eyes.  

With a smirk on his lips, he waves you off but the blush on his cheeks contradicts his actions.

“Shut up. You're so weird.” He mutters, his arms subconsciously moving in front of his stomach.

You laugh before rushing over to him, attempting to wrap your arms around his waist.

“I’m not weird!? I’m just admiring my boyfriend’s natural beauty; excuse me.” You huff, still trying to hug him as he pretends to wiggle away from your grip.

“Yah! What’s wrong with you???” He shouts playfully when you place wet kisses against his cheek, which is afire with the effect you have on him.  

You giggle when you finally succeed at securing your boyfriend in a hug, your lips inches away from.

“You look good. I wanted you to know...” You murmur simply, your laughter fading slightly whilst you lean in towards his mouth.  

Yoongi’s breathing stalls a bit when your lips press onto his.

No one kisses like you do. It kind of sickens him honestly.

It always fucks him up.

You’re just so tender and sensual.

It makes his head spin.

Tucking your lips between his, you slowly slide your hands up his torso, delicately brushing against his ribs as you hold him.

Yoongi reciprocates your motions, his fingers holding onto the fabric of your waistband, his eyes fluttering shut when he settles deeper into the kiss.

You decide you want to take a step further and, continue touching him.

You brush your fingers over his chest, admiring the tightness there that’s developed from longer hours spent in the gym.

Yoongi’s chest is very sensitive so when you brush over his nipples, his hands are quick to settle over yours.

“W-we haven’t had dinner yet...” He stutters, nervous laughter emanating from his lips, “d-do you want dinner?”

He doesn’t move away from you though, he’s just shy.  

He hasn’t totally figured out how to initiate sex or to receive attention.

You’ve been dating for six months now.

You’ve had plenty of sex but, it still makes him nervous.

Even though, he wants you so bad.

You smile softly against his mouth before patting his hips, “Sure yeah-” You step away from him and nod towards the kitchen, “I’m gonna get the menu. I think I want something different tonight.”

Yoongi feels a little twinge in his heart when you pull away but, he knows he hasn’t offended you.

That’s the thing about you.

The reason he fell in love with you.  

He doesn’t always need to explain himself; you just get it.

“I want steak. I’ve been craving it all week. I’m a little tempted to get more than one but, I know that it’s gonna hurt my stomach.”  

He follows closely behind you, his heart still unsteady from the effects of your kiss.

“You can always save one for tomorrow? Knowing you, you’ll probably re-heat it and make it like 1,000 times better anyway.”

He scoffs playfully, “You can’t re-heat cooked steak Y/N. It gets all rubbery....”

Yoongi? Defensive in the face of a compliment?

It’s more likely than you think.

Rolling your eyes you concede, setting the menu on the countertop, “I’m so sorry for even suggesting that you could deviate from your very specific rules regarding leftovers.”

Yoongi snickers before wrapping his arms around your waist, “I’ll find a way to forgive you I guess. I can’t fault you for having poor taste.”

A gentle elbowing is in order but, otherwise you relish in the warmth his embrace is providing, “You’re such a dick.” You smirk before flipping the menu over.

His rickety laughter continues as he tightens his grip on you, “What are you thinking of having?”

“I don’t know; I think I want the chicken/steak combo bowl but, I’m also feeling the ginger-sesame salad. Ugh- but maybe I want the alfredo? There’s so many choices.”

During your minor breakdown, Yoongi feels his lips twitch in amusement.

You’re really cute.  

He wants to kiss you again and now that he’s pressed against you, he kind of regrets chickening out a minute ago.  

“What do you think?” You turn slightly in his grip to look at him and right as you do, he pecks his lips against yours.

“I think you’re cute.” He says simply before nodding to the menu, “Order all three. Eat the salad tonight and save the rest for tomorrow.”

“I like the way you think Min.” You smile, a bit dazed from his kiss, your cheeks warmer than before.

Delivery arrives in no time and the two of you spend a good half an hour shoveling takeout into your faces before you settle back against the couch to relax.

This is one of your favorite parts of a night off with Yoongi.

The two of you just do your thing together, side by side.

There isn’t much talking but, its so comforting to be near him.

He’s scrolling on his phone, checking out new equipment for his studio and, you’ve delved into your most recent obsession: Animal Crossing.

Yoongi often pokes fun at how into the  game you actually are but, truth be told, he actually enjoys watching you play.

Although, he’d never admit it.

“Oh my god Marshal, my sweet beautiful boy, how are you?” You coo to your screen, your thumbs furiously moving your character towards the fluffy little squirrel in question.

Yoongi smirks  but otherwise he keeps to himself, his arm wound around your shoulders.

“Do you like your flowers? I planted new ones behind your house, aren’t they pretty?”

“You taught me how to smirk? Of course you did, that’s literally your specialty.” Marshal responds off topic because, he’s literally a video game character and cannot hear you as a look of disgust comes over your face, “Ew Canberra no, leave me alone, I’m hanging out with Marshal.”

Yoongi finally chuckles, shaking his head, “Yah, who is Marshal and why are you always talking to him when you play that game?”  

You tilt your Switch towards him, showing off your favorite villager, “This is Marshall. He’s the love of my entire life.”

With a quirked brow, Yoongi looks at the screen blankly, “This mouse is the love of your life?”

You laugh at his expression, moving the Switch closer to his face, “He’s not a mouse! He’s a squirrel!”

Yoongi’s stoic expression cracks at the sound of your laugh, “OK fine, he’s a squirrel,” He chuckles, “Why is he so special? What does he do?”

You narrow your eyes at him, “He- What does he do? He is a future coffee shop owner/actor/fashion extraordinaire thankyouverymuch...”

Yoongi snickers, “Wow he has a lot going on. I didn’t realize mice could own property...”

“He’s a squirrel!!!” You whine and Yoongi’s head falls back as he cracks up at your outburst. “You know I only like him so much cause he reminds me of you...”

Yoongi’s laughter fades slightly, “What do you mean?”

“Look at him-” You shove your Switch back in his face, “He’s literally you. He's cute, he’s cranky, he likes music and coffee- He's basically Animal Crossing Yoongi. That’s why I worked so hard to get him on my island. See? I put his house right next to mine...”

Yoongi is going to spontaneously combust.

You are the cutest thing that has ever set foot on this earth and, he’s quite certain you were sent here to destroy him.

“You worked hard to get a villager who reminds you of me...on your island?” He clarifies, his eyes holding something new in them.

“Yeah- so don’t be mean to him.” You respond matter of factly, giggling before returning to your game.

You notice the blush that creeps across Yoongi’s lips but, you elect to ignore it.  

“You’re ridiculous.” He smirks and despite resuming his activity on his phone, you don’t miss the way his hand begins rubbing circles against your shoulder.

“You’re ridiculous.” You retort  

A part from a bit of laughter, silence quickly settles between the two of you once again.

Yoongi slipped on some actual clothes before dinner and the scent of his citrus fabric softener is a welcome addition to the comfortable atmosphere of your living room.  

You wish every night was like this.

After an hour or so, your lids begin to grow heavy.

Yoongi’s presence is soothing enough but with a full stomach and a bit of Animal Crossing, you’re struggling to stay awake.

“Jagiya?” He whispers, brushing his fingers over your cheek, “Yah, let’s get you to bed ok?”

A grumble leaves your lips then because your exhaustion is fucking with your plans for the rest of the evening.

Nights like these usually end with sex.

Sex isn’t something the two of you get to do as often as you’d like.  

You both have demanding jobs that keep you apart more often than not.

Sex is usually on the agenda because, the two of you miss each other so much.  

“But we didn’t have sex...” You grumble against his chest which suddenly shakes with scratchy laughter.

“We can have sex tomorrow. I’m off all weekend.” He murmurs through his chuckling as he ushers you to your feet, “C’mon, I’ll come to bed too...”

“Mkay. Promise?”  

Yoongi smiles, fondness exploding within his chest whilst he helps you to your feet, “I promise. Let’s go.”

Moments later, your head is on your boyfriend’s heart.

It takes no time for you to drift back off to dreamland but just as you do, you hear Yoongi whisper:

“I love you so much.”

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

The following morning comes about slowly.  

The two of you sleep in past 10am, which is a rare occurrence.  

You’re the first one to wake up but upon noticing that Yoongi isn’t awake yet, you opt to snuggle against his chest.

His t-shirt has risen enough to expose the lower half of his stomach which you brush gently with your fingertips.

Your intention is to fall back asleep as you know very well how long your boyfriend is capable of staying in bed.  

However, you notice Yoongi stirring beneath you which prompts you to turn your head towards him.

Sure enough, he’s awake: he’s blonde hair is a mess atop his head, his babydoll features scrunched up with remnants of sleep.

A wry smile is present on his lips though and, it makes you grin just at the sight of it.

“Good morning.” You murmur  

Just like a cat, Yoongi offers a slow blink before replies, “Morning.”

“How did you sleep?”

His smile broadens, “Mm really good. You?”

You nod, resting your cheek back on his stomach, “I slept like the dead. I haven’t slept this long in weeks.”

“Yeah you passed out last night. You tried to protest when I told you to come to bed.” He recounts, his lips turning up in a smirk.

“I did? I don’t even remember that. What did I say?”

Yoongi clears his throat then, beginning to blush, “Uh you said you couldn’t go to bed because we couldn’t have sex.”

At that, you laugh and shake your head, “Oh my god. I mean-” You prop yourself a bit, “I kind of had a point but, I couldn’t have rocked your world in that condition. What did you say back?”

Yoongi’s lips are curved into a shy smile but, his eyes are lit up with his usual snark, “I told you we could have sex tomorrow and, that I was off all weekend. That seemed to be enough to get you in here.”

“That sounds about right.” When he mentions sex, warmth rustles around in your stomach, “I can’t believe you’re off all weekend...”

His hand comes up to rub against your back, his smile never fading, “Me neither. They haven’t given us a weekend off at home in months. Thank you for taking time off too, I feel bad that you usually work around my schedule.”

You scoot up more to be closer to him before leaning in to press a kiss against his cheek.

“Don’t feel bad. It’s a little easier to do on my end and, I’ve been working 60 hours a week for the past 3 months, my co-chair was begging me to take a few days off.”  

Both of his arms wrap around you now, hugging you to his chest, “You work so hard jagi. You have to make sure you don’t overdo it.”

You wanna throw a “right back at you” his way but, Yoongi’s been at the all work/no sleep lifestyle a lot longer than you.

Plus, he has a point.

“I am. That’s why I’m staying with you all weekend duhhhh.” You smile, craning your neck to kiss him.

The action immediately causes his smile to return whilst his hands slide down to your lower back.

Kissing turns into making out much quicker than you expected but, you’re not complaining.

You’ve missed your boyfriend’s mouth so much.

“Can we- can we uh...” Yoongi breathes a little heavier now, his request sounding very shaky, “Can we fuck?”

Logically, you can blame this statement on the fact that Yoon’s first language isn’t English and, that he likely heard this phrase from Namjoon but, with his hardening dick digging into your hip, you can’t help but feel like he knows exactly what he’s saying.

“Mhm...”

Yoongi rolls over so he’s resting between your legs, his hips grinding eagerly onto yours.

Still, he kisses you deeper, introducing his tongue into your mouth.

You accept him eagerly, allowing your tongue to brush against his.

“I love it when you do that...” He confesses, nudging his nose on the side of your own.

With determination, you usher his mouth back into the kiss, ensuring that you allow your tongue tease his own.

One of your free hands slides down his stomach and tucks into his black boxers, encircling his dick.

It’s throbbing which prompts you to begin guiding a firm fist up the length of him.

“Oh-” Yoongi grunts softly, his brow furrowing whilst he tries to focus on kissing you.

You smirk into his mouth whilst continuing to jerk him off, swiveling firmly around his swollen tip.

“Shit.” He can’t help but break the kiss now, his head falling into your neck, “That feels so good.”

“Yeah?” You coo, kissing the side of his head, “You like it when I touch you?”

He nods rapidly, sucking on the exposed skin of your neck, his hips beginning to rock with the motion of your hand.

Sweat is starting to appear on his hairline but that doesn’t stop you from pressing kisses up the side of his face.

“I wanted this as soon as I saw you last night. Ugh-” He grunts again but, its starting to sound very much like a whimper, “I wanted it but- fuck I’m so awkward still. If I wasn’t I- oh fuck...I’d be all over you.”

His honesty warms you from the inside out.

You love how vulnerable he’s being and, you want to make sure he continues to feel safe enough to do so.

“Look at you now though, you are all over me. You're doing so good.” You whisper and tilt his head back towards you so you can look him in the eyes, “You don’t have to worry about how awkward you are- I’m so wet right now and, you haven’t even done anything yet...”

Suddenly, Yoongi’s expression shifts to one of pure lust as he glances down at your underwear, “You’re wet for me?”

“My panties are ruined.”

Yoongi wastes no time, although pulling away from your touch is a hard decision, the next thing you know; he’s sliding a hand inside your underwear.

Nervously he giggles, his mouth hanging open in awe, “It’s so wet- do I really make you this wet?”

“Everytime.” You whisper, a soft moan brewing in your throat as the pads of his fingers find your clit.

With his mouth still parted, Yoongi smirks a little, enjoying the sight beneath him, “Back and forth?” He moves his fingers against your clit, applying the perfect amount of pressure, “Or in circles?”

“Back and forth.” You reply, eagerly straining towards his lips, “Please.”

“So polite.” He notes, still smirking as he follows your instructions, “That good?”

You part your legs for him, “Mhm...”

Yoongi touches you with confidence now, bringing you quickly to the edge.

“Are you close jagi? I really want to be inside of you after you cum all over yourself.”

That's enough to warrant an orgasm that causes your toes to curl into the sheets.

He kisses you all the way through it before lining himself up at your entrance.

He’s different this time, he’s faster, he’s harder...it doesn’t take long for the warmth of a second orgasm to begin approaching.

Baring his teeth, he looks down at where you’re joined, chuckling incredulously, “I swear- I didn’t know sex could feel like this. Not until I met you...”

His laughter his infectious so you follow suit but, his lips are so tempting you have to kiss him again.

“Yoongi?” You grunt into his mouth.

He nudges your nose, “Yeah baby?”

“I’m gonna cum again.”

A satisfied smirk comes over his lips, “Yes you are. All over my dick huh?”

All you can do is nod and let the wave of pleasure crash over you once again.

Surprisingly, Yoongi is still fucking into you but, the desperate look in his eyes signifies how close he is.

Nudging your nose again, he kisses you sloppily, “Can I cum? Please?”

With your fingers in his hair and your lips on his, you nod, “Cum for me...”

“Oh fuck- fu-fuck fuck fuck fu-fuck ah...oh shit...” With a string of curse words, he buries his face between your breasts and empties himself inside of you.

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

After your morning rendezvous with Yoongi, the two of you eventually make your way out to the kitchen to make some coffee.

You just bought a fancy new espresso machine for your apartment and, you’re about ready to make Yoongi an Iced Americano.

He’s at the counter, chopping up some sausage for breakfast, quietly humming to himself.

At first, you think nothing of it until you slowly start to recognize the song he’s singing.

“Is that- is that Bubblegum by K.K?” You giggle, turning towards him.

He grins but he doesn’t look up at you, “I don’t know what that is...”

“Its the song from Animal Crossing- did you go and listen to it???”  

He shrugs, “I looked into Marshall and one of the first videos that came up was him singing this song.”

“You-” You smile, slowly moving towards him, “You looked up Marshal?

Still grinning, he avoids eye contact with you, placing the sausage into a bowl, “I wanted to see what you were fussing over.”

“And? Do you get it now?” You venture hopefully and he finally looks up at you with a straight face.

“No I don’t...sulky...”

“Ah! You said it! You said his catchphrase!” You giggle before rushing over and wrapping your arms around him, “I love you...”

His expression softens as he kisses the top of your head,

“I love you too- sulky...”

[vegalocity]

The pieces fall (Red Groom AU)

Basically i said to myself 'I need to finish this before i get too deep with the Animorphs stuff' and then realized this was the final chapter about halfway through lmao

TW: Death, blood, 'To The Pain' is retold in its entirety

--

Red Son was out of time.

He stalled as long as he could, bought as much time to drag the official ceremony on as possible But it was for naught. He heard the commotion outside, the demons shrieking in fear the booming voice that reminded him of the mercenary in Spider Queen's Employ, Spat the tea forced into his mouth in the Prince's face, and loudly cursed and raved, insisting not only that he did not consent to this, but also that this sham of a marriage would only last for the length of time it would take for his love to arrive.

His Noodle Boy would come for him, he'd crowed and bragged with all his might, and the Prince had insisted the futility of the hope, that his love was dead, and yet more lies, that he'd seen to it himself.

But he couldn't hide the fear behind his eyes and Red Son announced as much. He couldn't move with the cuffs restraining him, his hands throbbing in pain and a solid purple color from the restriction of blood flow, but he raged and rallied anyway, he was tempted to try and ruin the fine robes the servants had forced him into, to scorch them without a care to what injuries would be laid onto himself from it, but he didn't want to be in rags when his love crashed through the doors.

But then the ceremony was finished, despite his protests, and Red Son was out of time.

He struggled against the guards as they shuffled him through the halls, followed by the weak and fading demon king, but one final ditch plan formed in his head as the halls lit with flame and he was brought to the prince's rooms.

“I suppose I should apologize, demon king.” The frail creature turned to Red Son and he felt a strange sort of pity for the man. He seemed no longer aware of what year it was let alone the cruelty of his own offspring.

“What was that young fellow?”

“I'll have to be killing your son tonight, or I'll die instead. And you were probably a kind man before this curse destroyed your body and mind, so I felt I should tell you as much.” he placed a hand on the King's arm and he hummed absently as their paths diverged.

As then the door slammed shut behind him, and Red Son's last gambit had to be played. If he was fast and he burned hot enough he could do it. It would be a struggle to work around afterward, but if he could manage it and he had Xiaotian to help him work around it he could invent something to compensate by the end of the year.

Still, to cut ones own hands off to escape bindings and then murder their fiance was certainly going to be a challenge.

–

She saw him. For just a moment she saw the Macaque, the flash of dark fur, the curl of his tail, those six ears, those cruel amber eyes. She'd said what she'd been waiting to say for ten years, she held her head high and said the phrase that had kept her going for so long.

And he'd fled.

She'd parted form the group the second he'd left, racing through the corridors, breaking through doors, and following the faint sound of fading footsteps. Finally, Finally it was happening. Today was the day. The day she'd been waiting for for ten years. The day she finally walked up to the monster that ruined her life, the bastard that stole her father from her, the macaque that took everything from her before she was even a woman, and she finally made him pay.

She descended a staircase that lead deeper into the halls and a sharp pain pierced through her gut. Xiaojiao yelped and brought a hand to her side, she saw the dark fur for only a brief moment before she stumbled back, hand clasping over the- over the blade-

he'd thrown a knife at her and it had landed in side. She didn't think it pierced anything important, but she couldn't be sure. It felt like she'd been struck by lightning in one very small localized area. Warm blood quickly soaking through her shirt and staining her hand.

It wasn't that her legs weren't working anymore, but they refused to obey her as her back hit the wall and her knees turned to jelly. She slid until her bottom brushed the stairwell behind her.

Ten years.

And she was a sitting duck. The Macaque could kill her in one swipe of that wretched spiked staff of his and she'd die a failure.

“I'm sorry father-” she muttered softly to herself. “I tried.”

“Hang on, I recognize that sword.” The Macaque's smarmy voice broke through her thoughts. “You're that dragon girl aren't you?” He whistled lowly. “It's been what, ten years?” slowly she watched the monster approach. “Have you been tracing me your whole life?” He laughed, a cruel cold thing. “and right on the precipice of victory you die here, bleeding out from a stomach wound. Pathetic.” he leaned against a table, ready to host the banquet for the wedding that would never come now. “Honestly that's hilarious.”

her fist tightened over the handle in her stomach.

–

He needed to be quick, he only had a little time before the Prince came in to end him, and with his hands so useless already he would just need to stop the bleeding which would be a snap once he had his fire back.

But he needed something sharp first. His hands gave dull throbs of pain whenever he tried to force the sluggish digits to move but eventually through his rummaging through the nearby work desk he found a small silver dagger, likely the one the prince was planning on using to kill him later on. He'd have to brace the knife on something to get both of his hands and if he passed out in pain he was as good as dead.

Soon enough he pulled together a brace on the worktable, and went about steadying his left hand first, if he was quick he could pass it right through cleanly and-

“You know there's kind of a shortage on perfect hands, It'd be kind of a shame to waste such beauty as yours.” a voice cut through his thoughts.

A familiar voice. But a kindly one.

His heart leaped into his throat and he felt his face turn red as he turned to find Xiaotian, a little beaten up and still in his False Monkey King garb laying on the bedding as if this were any day back on his mountain. Red Son wondered just how long his love had been there, watching him plotting out and trying to carry out his own dismemberment, and Red Son hadn't noticed. It would have been embarrassing if he bothered to care.

But he didn't, he cared far more about seeing his beloved again and ignored the pain in his hands as he fell on top of Xiaotian in the bed, barely able to get his name out before Red Son was kissing him. The uncertainty that the prince had placed in his mind burning away in and instant as he felt Xiaotian move against him he was kissing him back, he wasn't angry or upset-

But he wasn't returning the embrace.

Red Son pulled himself away from that perfect mouth just long enough to smile and mumble a small teasing comment. “Is this your revenge for leaving you waiting? Must I beg just to get you to hold me?”

“Ah-” Xiaotian sounded pained, but when Red Son let up properly any trace of discomfort was gone. “No, it's just a bit complicated.” But there were other pressing matters.

“I just need a moment my love, no matter if I'd love nothing more than to run off with you, I wasn't able to stop the Prince from forcing things to fall in his way.” It was a rock in his gut to consider, especially how without the use of his hands he'd need to somehow pull a victory against a demon prince in his own mountain but-

“If we want to be together this farce of a marriage needs to be made defunct.”

“Well did you consent to it?” That gave him pause.

“Huh?”

“The marriage, did you give consent to it?”

“Of course not!” his temper flared for a moment only to be immediately quelled by the small adoring grin Xiaotian hadn't stopped looking at him with. “I spent the whole time rejecting the whole thing, loudly. Violently. Buying time for you to break the ceremony up, wonderful timing by the way Noodle Boy, I was just about to chop my own hands off if you hadn't noticed.”

“I did actually. Horrifying. But crafty.”

“But what does my consent have to do with it, that's not how demons work things out-”

“Maybe, but it means more when its demons marrying each other.” His gaze flickered to a place just over Red Son's shoulder. “Wouldn't you agree, your highness?”

a thin blade rested on Red Son's shoulder. “A mistake that shall never be repeated, 'Monkey King'” the Prince hissed, breath hot and far too close to Red Son's ear.

–

“Are- Are you still trying to fight?” Her knees felt like they were about to give in, and her hands were shaking, but she was able to pull the blade from her side and raise her sword again. “Wow you're obsessed!” The macaque crowed, before finally taking out his staff. “That's gonna get you into trouble some day.” he sent the head of the staff for her face, child's play, the flat of her sword hit it right before impact and pushed it to the side, one half of her hair was taken down from its updo, the stone cracked beside her head.

But her skull wasn't smashed in.

The Macaque pulled away and made another lunge. He was rusty. How long had it been since he'd actually fought anyone? She made the next jab skew to the other side, her hair now fully released from its former ties, the wall behind her now a pile of rubble.

It seemed the Macaque realized she wasn't an easy kill because he started to properly wield his staff again.

His form was sloppy. Strikingly easy to counter, even with the fact that she was stumbling forward, free hand buried in her clothes to try and stop the bleeding in her side as she fought.

She opened her mouth, and she wanted to say something witty, but she couldn't think of any words to say at all, her entire mind was turning to white noise, save the one thing she'd been carrying with her for a decade.

“Hello, my name is Long Xiaojiao. You killed my father, prepare to die.”

Her side gave another throb and she caught herself on a nearby table. The Macaque spurred forward to try and capitalize on the opening.

The bench below splintered into pieces and she forced him back a few steps. “Hello, my name is Long Xiaojiao. You killed my father, prepare to die.”

“I heard you the first time!” The macaque grunted as he swung forward again.

Child's play.

Somewhere along the line, she'd surpassed him.

“Hello! My name is Long Xiaojiao! You killed my father! Prepare to die!”

“Stop saying that!” The Macaque growled, he was getting flustered. Good.

He made another jab at her, this time when she parried her blade met flesh and struck a line across his cheek.

“Hello! My name is Long Xiaojiao! You Killed my father! Prepare to die!” She crowed, now she had him on the ropes, when she moved forward and struck he'd have to move back to not risk being hit again. She could corral him. Her blade landed again, this time along the Macaque's knuckles, and his staff clattered to the ground. The tip of the jade blade tore into his shoulder, right in the place her scar was.

She only ever told people the first part of how she would picture this to go. And sure it wasn't perfect, she didn't expect to nearly die right out the gate, but it didn't need to be.

It just needed this.

“Offer me money.” She pointed the blade to his nose. He was without a weapon and if he tried any tricks she could run him through before they were completed.

“Three mountains full, all yours.”

“Power too, offer that.”

“All that I have and more.”

She leaned back just a hair, not enough to give him any room to work, but just enough to gesture. “Offer me anything I want in the world.”

The Macaque seemed to know where this was going, and whether he had a backup plan in mind she didn't care. “Anything.” He made one last lunge forward to try and grab her.

A grip on a sleeve, a jerk forward, the warm blood dripping down her sword.

“I want my father back you son of a bitch.”

When the Macaque's body fell she didn't... feel much relief. A little, the release of tension of a confrontation, the knowledge that she hadn't wasted her life.

But no revelations, no great euphoria or deep happiness at finally avenging her family. Her side was still bleeding, and the scar on her shoulder was never going to fade.

She began to stumble forward through the pain. She'd lost Sandy some hallways back, and they'd left Xiaotian high and dry, she needed to find them or they'd never get out of this damned mountain.

–

“Now beloved, you may want to remove yourself from this charlatan before I'm forced to do something you'll regret.” Red Son glared over his shoulder at the prince, but he gazed impassively back at him, and flicked the tip of his ear. There was a small zing of pain and suddenly the side of his face was very warm. Xiaotian hissed through his teeth at the Prince, but Red Son did as asked.

Once again parting him from his love because he had no choice but to trust a liar to be telling the truth.

“I should have had your body tossed in the forest when I had you killed. I never liked Six Ears' machine.” The Prince huffs. “But nonetheless it'll be more rewarding to kill my husband's lover first and THEN my husband. And hey! I won't even need your parent's army beloved! The Monkey King will be dead and Flower Fruit Mountain ripe for the picking!” The Prince crowed. “So, Qi Xiaotian, to the death?”

“To the pain.” Xiaotian didn't even flinch. Despite the fact that Red Son had never heard of such a duel condition.

Apparently nor had the prince, “I'm not sure if I'm familiar with that one.”

“I'll explain, and I'll use small words so you can understand you slug faced warmongering buffoon.” The tone in his Xiaotian's voice was unlike anything Red Son had ever heard, even when he was still masquerading as the Monkey King. It was severe, cold, yet ruthless. The unrelenting force of a blizzard.

“That may be the first time in my life someone below my status has insulted me.” The Prince turned a very strange shade of violet.

“Well it won't be the last. 'To the pain' means that once I defeat you, which I will, first you lose your feet, just below the ankles.” Xiaotian held direct eye contact with the Prince and Red Son found himself unable to look away. “Then your hands at the wrists, next your nose-”

“Then my tongue I assume? I killed you too quickly the last time, an error I will not be repeating.” The Prince reared back with his sword and Red Son made a grab for the knife he'd had before, but when Xiaotian spoke up again the prince stopped.

“I wasn't finished! The next thing you lose Is your right eye, followed quickly by your left!”

“And then my ears I get the picture! Let's get on with it!” The Prince was losing his temper fast, Red Son needed to act quickly. He couldn't torch the prince and hope it would be enough to break his cuffs, but he could barely hold the knife he'd dived for let alone be able to wield it with any force.

“Wrong!” Xiaotian interrupted, his face still the picture of determined calm. “Your ears you keep! And I'll tell you why!” The Prince was stopped again, and Red Son figured if he could put enough weight into his grip he could probably disarm him on his own at the moment. And another wave of frustration washed over him at the realization that he certainly couldn't put enough weight into his grip.

“-So that every shriek of every child dismayed by your hideousness will be yours to cherish. Every babe that weeps at your approach, every maiden that cries out 'Heavens above what is that THING' Will be heard oh-so perfectly, in your untouched ears.” He huffed a small laugh. “That is what 'to the pain' means, it means I leave you in Anguish. Alone in your head with naught but the screams you've long since deserved forever.”

There was a pause as the Prince processed the threat. “You're bluffing.”

“It's possible, worm.” Xiaotian responded. “I could be bluffing. It's conceivable you miserable odious mass.” 'Odious' what kind of vocabulary did his love learn while becoming the false Monkey King? “I could be lying here because I lack the strength to stand. But then again, would you like to take that chance?” slowly, as though he were in great pain, Xiaotian began to sit up, and from there stand. He lifted his staff from its position leaning against the bed frame, and pointed the end to the Prince's nose.

“Drop your sword.”

it clattered to the ground.

“Undo the cuffs on Red Son's wrists.” a quick spell and a gesture and the golden bands clattered to the ground. A fierce pain jolted through either of Red Son's hands as the blood was finally allowed to start traveling back through them.

“Have a seat.” The Prince stumbled into a chair and Xiaotian glanced over at him.

“Can you tie anything?” his fingers curled painfully but he could probably manage, so he nodded and only then noticed the coiled up rope beside Xiaotian's former resting place.

“When did you get that?”

“You never know when you need rope.” All the same he tied the prince up firmly, excepting on the wrists that he tied to the armrests of the chair, those he tied as tightly as possible.

See if he liked watching his hands turn purple.

Just about as Red Son was done restraining the prince the sound of approaching footsteps came near, and with a flash of green (well, green stained red) he recognized the Swordsman mercenary.

She looked around at the lot of them and then her gaze settled on Xiaotian. “Where's Sandy?”

“He took of with you!” Xiaotian countered.

“Yeah but then he said he'd double back!”

“Well-!” Xiaotian cut himself off with a surprised yelp as his body pitched to the side, Red Son of course was there to catch him.

“Quick on the draw Red Boy.” The Swordsman hummed “Was that just reflex?”

He didn't pay her any mind. “Xiaotian what happened are you alright?”

“I'll be fine.”

“He was mostly dead all day, his body's completely zapped of strength.” The Swordsman countered.

“You've been dead?!”

“Mostly dead!” Xiaotian corrected as if that made any difference.

“Ha!” The Prince cackled. “I knew you were bluffing!” The Swordsman had zero patience for him though as that was enough for her to press her sword to his nose. “I knew he was bluffing.” The Prince repeated far more sedate.

“Xiaojiao! Xiaojiao can you hear me?” a voice calling from the window broke up all the near forming arguments, and though ti took Red Son a little finagling to ensure he had a proper grip on Xiaotian despite his hands not wanting to grip much of anything right now, the three made their way to the window peeking out the side of the mountain only for Red Son to see the large mercenary waiting below with a small gaggle of horses.

“Ah! Xiaojiao! There you are! I was trying to make my way back to Xiaotian and I ended up in the Prince's stables! The poor things deserve to have better keepers I think! I figured I'd take four of them, since there would be four of us when we found the Red Prince.” Sandy's eyes flickered to Red Son. “Oh, Hello Red Prince!”

“Nice job Sandy!” the Swordsman (Xiaojiao apparently) cheered. “Think you can catch some projectiles?”

“Of course!”

the large mercenary (Sandy) positioned himself below the mountainside, ready to catch any and all of them, and Red Son could remember, vividly, just how adept he was at such physical performances.

“well, royalty first.” Xiaojiao turned to him and gestured. Which, whatever. Though his hands gave another painful throb, he climbed onto the windowsill and jumped. The air was cool as it whipped against him.

–

“You know, it's funny.”

“What is?”

“I killed the Six Eared Macaque and now... I'm not sure what else to do. I've been in the revenge business so long, I don't know if I have anything else of value to try out.”

“Would you like to try leading? I could use a captain I can trust back on Flower Fruit Mountain.”

Xiaojiao shrugged.

–

“Oh, well you don't wanna hear this. The end I suppose.”

“What? Why are you stopping if it's not the end?”

“Well you were very specific about not wanting to hear about the kissing stuff, I don't want to gross you out or anything little one.”

“Well... Maybe I... won't super mind... if it's the ending. But only because it's the ending!”

–

It took a week's travel for the four to enter truly safe territory. To come into the lands of Flower Fruit Mountain and be greeted by the armies of demon monkeys that Xiaotian called his people.

They were finally safe, and Red Son recalled that he'd promised himself to wait until such a time came before he allowed himself to drown again in the ardor of having his love back, but now that it came, he found he simply wasn't as deliriously giddy as he once was. The stresses that had mounted between Xiaotian's return and now had dampened the mood, though his hands no longer ached and strength had returned to Xiaotian's body, they'd both been through so much stress there simply wasn't the space in either of their heads to be anything but focused on reaching their destination.

Of course Red Son had curled up next to his love every night around the campfire the Swordsman- That Xiaojiao would light and tend to, but there was nothing but relief in his body, bone deep, weary relief.

But now they were safe, and Red Son simply couldn't muster up the energy. He should have been jittery and excited to be alone with his love, but honestly he'd just wanted to bathe and eat something beyond travel rations.

Then the dirt and sweat had been washed away and their bellies were full of fruit and what few savory dishes Xiaotian had taught his monkeys to make, and Sandy and Xiaojiao shared a sly grin before going to explore 'the guest bedrooms' in Xiaotian's iron palace behind the watercurtian, and he was alone with his love.

And he felt like he should do something, yet nothing was coming to mind. They were safe, Xiaotian was alive and right here, and they could finally be together in the open, and Red Son felt such a fool for the fact that he didn't know how to proceed.

Xiaotian scooted closer to him and placed an arm around his shoulders, tugging Red Son to the side until he was leaned up against him.

“Red Son.” His voice was a low rumble that vibrated through Red Son's chest.

“Xiaotian.” he responded simply.

He might not have known what to do, but Xiaotian it seemed did. He reached over to gently cup Red Son's face with a hand, and brought him close.

There have been more love stories on this earth than we have time to ever recount in their entirety, but every story has in it a kiss. A soft, loving kiss, a kiss of relief and thankfulness and passion as the hard part was finally over.

It has been said that in the upper echelons of these kisses, that the one shared between Red Son and Qi Xiaotian in that moment, blew them all out of the water.

Tomorrow would come, and Red Son would sent missive to his parents explaining the situation, and Xiaotian would prepare a message to be sent to his own fathers, and they'd spend the next few days bracing for impact.

But tonight was theirs.

And though struggles were certainly on their way, all in all, their lives were finally on the path to be together.

And to live happily ever after.

–

“-The end. Now I think you should be getting to sleep.”

“Okay....”

“Welp, get better soon little one. So long.”

“....Grandpa Sun?.... Maybe you could come over tomorrow too? I could teach you how to play my game?”

“Heh, As you wish.”

[theyarnmaidstale]

💫 ❤❤❤

Hi Jules! Thanks for the prompt!

Blue Ain't Your Color by Keith Urban

Blue looks good on the sky Looks good on that neon buzzin' on the wall But darling, it don't match your eyes I'm tellin' you You don't need that guy It's so black and white He's stealin' your thunder Baby, blue ain't your color

warning: mentions of alcohol

As Buck nurses his drink his eyes fall on a man seated at the other end of the bar. The first thing Buck notices is that he’s handsome, incredibly so, with rich dark hair that Buck kinda wants to run his fingers through, and probably the most perfect bone structure Buck’s ever seen.

He unashamedly checks him out, from the form-fitting black T-shirt leaving little about the man’s arms to the imagination to the dark blue jeans sitting snugly at his hips. Everything about him has Buck taking a second glance.

Which is what leads Buck to the second thing he notices about this Mysterious Stranger at the bar.

He’s alone.

Buck doesn’t recall seeing him with anyone when he walked in after his shift an hour ago, and he hasn’t seen anyone with him since. And from the way he’s perched on a barstool, sipping an amber-colored liquid and staring into the glass like it holds all the answers to the world’s secrets, Buck suspects he’s not expecting company any time soon.

If this were any other night, Buck might be tempted to slide off his stool and stride across the bar to buy the man a drink, introduce himself, and see where the night takes them. But the third thing Buck notices is that the man looks so… sad.

He hasn’t moved much since Buck sat down, aside from when he motions to the bartender for a refill. And while he isn’t drinking a lot, Buck can tell the man is drinking with a purpose.

Buck feels a little bad that the more he looks at the man, the more he wants to find out about why he’s here alone and what has him looking so goddamn morose, but he figures asking a stranger in a bar why they look so depressed isn’t very high on the list of social etiquette.

But he’s just buzzed enough not to care.

Finishing his drink, Buck stands and makes his way through the crowded bar to sit next to the brunet.

“Two waters,” he says to the bartender, holding up a hand. “For me and my friend here.”

Beside him, the other man snorts and shakes his head. “Hittin’ the hard stuff, eh?” He tosses back the rest of his drink, setting the glass back on the table without so much as a glance in Buck’s direction.

“Looks like you already did,” Buck comments, thanking the bartender as they set down two glasses of water. “Job or partner?”

It’s a bold question. A nosy one. But he’s never exactly been known for his subtlety.

He also doesn’t expect the man to answer, but he gives another mirthless huff of laughter as he twirls the straw in the glass of water, tracing the lines of condensation already forming on the glass with a finger. “That obvious, huh?”

“You don’t look like the kind of guy that drinks alone on a Saturday night without a reason to,” Buck replies.

“You try that line on every miserable person you come across in a bar, or what?”

“Not a line,” Buck says with a shrug and a shake of his head. “I just having some trouble understanding what brings…,”

“A man like me into a place like this?” The other man finishes, gesturing to the surrounding bar. “Nah, my ex… he just, uh…”

The main trails off, gesturing with his hand as if it explains everything, and Buck kinda gets it. He doesn’t think he’d want to be spilling his guts to a stranger he’s just met, bar or not, but his heart breaks a little for the man beside him. He doesn’t know his name, doesn’t know his story beyond the fact it led to a brokenhearted chapter alone in a bar, but he wants to make it better, somehow.

“Fuck him,” he says after a beat of silence, taking a drink from his glass. “You deserve better… ”

“Eddie,” the man introduces himself, reaching over to take Buck’s hand in his, and Buck is thankful that he finally has a name to put with the face.

“Buck,” he replies.

“Well, Buck,” Eddie starts, glancing up at Buck with wary eyes. “I really do hope you’re not trying to pick up the first broken heart you found tonight.”

Buck shakes his head because he’s not. He never set out tonight to swoop in and pick someone up. And he wouldn’t, not when the wounds of a breakup were this fresh and raw. He’s not that kind of guy, at least, not since he stopped being the guy that people tried to pick up when he was the one sitting alone and miserable at a bar with no goal aside from getting completely and utterly wasted.

When Eddie’s voice takes an edge of warning as he asks Buck what, exactly, his end goal was here, Buck shakes his head and assures him that’s not what’s happening here. He’s not taking Eddie home tonight, but he sits beside him and they trade stories about their lives until the misery fades from Eddie’s eyes and is replaced by something warmer and brighter, something Buck knows he’d probably get lost in himself if this were any other night.

Before long, over a plate of greasy chili fries they’re sharing, he starts telling Eddie ridiculously cheesy pick-up lines because he likes the way Eddie rolls his eyes and clears his throat, stifling a laugh like he doesn’t want to give Buck the satisfaction of him thinking he’s funny or charming.

At the end of the night, just as the bartender announces last call, Eddie stands and turns to Buck, holding out a hand.

Buck steals a pen from the bartender and scrawls his name and number on a napkin before tucking it into Eddie’s hand instead of shaking it. It feels a little silly, a little too straight-out-of-a-rom-com for Buck’s liking, but he also wants to see Eddie again, someday, even if just as friends.

“I, uh,” Eddie falters and Buck’s eyes widen a little in alarm. “I just got out--,”

“Oh, you don’t have to… uh, use it,” Buck stammers. “It’s not a thing. I don’t mean anything by it, really. But if you ever wanna text or call, you can. You know. If you need, or want, a friend.”

“A friend,” Eddie smiles and nods. “We’ll see about that.”

As he enters his apartment later that night, Buck gets a text from a number he doesn’t recognize and can’t help the grin that blooms across his face as he saves it under Eddie’s name. Buck and Eddie text over the next few days into weeks, cultivating a friendship built on coffee dates and Friday nights at the bar they met, catching up on all the things they didn’t text about in between.

And when Eddie pulls Buck aside one Saturday morning when he comes over for breakfast to ask him out on a date, Buck’s never been quite so thankful to have crossed a bar to buy a drink for a stranger in all his life.

[classysassy9791]

Drinking is not a bad thing after a break up. In fact, it's a damn good coping mechanism for Kagome Higurashi, especially at the bar with other heartbroken patrons. A guy buys her a drink, and then two, and then things get a little out of hand.

Fandom: Inuyasha Genre: Romance/Humor Pairing: InuKag Rating: T

Originally written for INUKAG Week on tumblr circa 2016 Day 4: AU Part 1 Word Count: 2,400

Can also be found here

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.

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Breakups were never an easy thing. They were messy, full of tears and angry outbursts, and the awkward encounters afterward were definitely something to avoid. Really, it made her wonder why anyone would choose to stop being single.

Kagome Higurashi grasped the strap of her purse tighter as she stormed into the local pub. The music was loud as the bass pounded through the speakers, reverberating through her chest and drowning out the sad thoughts in her head.

Screw men and their idiocy. She really should stop dating all together, and maybe she would. After all, she had her own place, an amazing career, and her cat Buyo to come home to every night. Who needed the male population anyways?

She leaned on the bar, her obsidian hair lying over one shoulder of her black, sequined dress. She tilted her head to one side, pushing out her red lips just a little. The bartender was there to take her order in a flash, eyes dropping momentarily to her low-cut neckline.

“What can I get for you, beautiful?” he asked, flashing a wolfish grin.

“Margarita on the rocks with salt,” she answered with a sweet smile, nibbling on her lower lip seductively.

His eyes were the blue of water so deep that she was afraid to jump in, but she was still tempted to. “Coming right up,” he replied with a wink, before making his way to the other end of the bar.

Kagome watched him fetch her drink as she slid onto a stool. His black shirt was tight, revealing his chiseled chest and toned abs. His face was above average with those eyes and tanned skin. Perhaps she would come back for him later, after they closed, and invite him home. It was perfectly acceptable, wasn’t it?

As soon as the thought came to mind, she immediately rolled her eyes and dismissed it. Why would she even think such a thing? She was not about to be one of those heartbroken girls who found comfort in the arms of another man as he screwed her senseless. That wasn’t her style, and she certainly wasn’t going to stoop so low now.

“Here you are,” the bartender returned, handing her a cocktail glass filled to the brim with tequila and lime.

She appeared pleased as she sipped it gingerly, relishing in the cool sour taste against her lips. “You have a nice touch,” she commented wryly.

He leaned against the bar. “So I’ve been told,” he said, his eyes dipping to glance at her low cut top again. “What brings you in tonight?”

Kagome sighed. This is not what she wanted. She didn’t come to the bar to talk about her problems. She came to get drunk, maybe smack lips with a guy, and then leave feeling a little fuzzy. “Just needed a drink,” she asserted, taking another taste, attempting to show her disinterest.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get the hint.

“Is that all you needed?” he questioned, his voice low and seductive.

She frowned, not in the mood to deal with forward guys like him. Especially not so soon into her evening. She would definitely need a few more drinks in her before she even considered him. A range of words were perched on the tip of her tongue, hell bent on putting him in his place, but someone else beat her to it.

“Hey, flea bag,” a man said, stealing the stool beside her. “Get me a whiskey sour.”

The bartender narrowed his eyes and shot him an annoyed look. “Back again, Inutrasha?” he scowled.

“Do you want your tips tonight or not?” said man growled with furrowed brows.

Rolling his eyes, “fleabag” moved away to grab his order. Kagome smiled behind her glass as she took another sip. She glanced at the man beside her out of the corner of her eye. He was tall, with startling silver hair and luminous amber eyes. Definitely not like the men she was used to being with, and he clearly wasn’t someone to be looked over easily. His stand-out features made sure of that.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” he grumbled.

Caught off guard, Kagome’s eyes widened as she placed her glass back down on the countertop. “Excuse me?”

“It’s rude to stare.”

Her lips pulled into a frown. “Well, aren’t you just a ball of sunshine.”

The bartender returned with his patron’s drink and slid it in front of him. “Inuyasha is the furthest thing from sunshine,” he announced with a chuckle.

Said man glowered at him. “Don’t get me started,” he warned, curling his hand around his whiskey sour. “I’m not in the mood today.”

“When are you ever in the mood?” he barbed, leaning his hands against the top of the bar.

Taking a large gulp of alcohol, Inuyasha slammed his glass down and abruptly stood. “You wanna take this outside, Kouga?”

“It’ll be my pleasure.” He shot him a sadistic grin.

Kagome glanced wide-eyed between them before grasping onto the silver-haired stranger’s arm. “Hold on,” she intervened, stepping between them. “Come on boys, its early. Can’t this wait until later?”

“Keh,” Inuyasha sneered, shrugging off her hand. “If you don’t want to get involved, go get drunk somewhere else, wench.”

All attraction Kagome had felt for the man moments earlier immediately vanished. She was not a stranger to name-calling, but she would be damned if she took it from some pretentious jerk she just met.

“Who the heck do you think you are?” she demanded, folding her arms over her chest.

Amber eyes glanced toward her with disinterest. “What’s your problem?”

Her blood boiled. “You can’t just come waltzing in here, start a fight, and treat a woman like crap. It’s men like you who disgust me.”

Inuyasha knitted his brows and turned toward her fully. “Listen, lady,” he began, clenching his hands into fists. “I’ve had a rough fucking day and I’m not in the mood to deal with your whiney bullshit. So if you don’t mind, go get drunk somewhere else, you floozy.”

That did it. Before Kagome even knew what had happened, her hand came up at an alarming speed and made contact with his cheek. His eyes turned wide as she stood there, her arm still raised, glowering at him with eyes full of absolute hate.

“Holy shit,” Kouga breathed, his piercing blue eyes glancing between the two. That had quickly gone from bad to worse.

Inuyasha brought a hand to his face, his cheek still resonating with heat from where she had smacked him. After getting over the initial shock, he glared at her. This chick had some nerve. Never in all his life had he met someone so infuriating!

“What the fuck—“

“Kouga!”

The bartender turned at the sound of his name to see a red-headed woman storming through the crowd. He visibly paled. This was bad. This was really freakin’ bad. If the manager saw a fight in the bar so soon into the evening, there was be hell to pay.

As the realization of what she had done sunk in, Kagome began to wither under Inuyasha’s intense gaze. Where in the world had that come from? She was not a violent person. She wouldn’t hurt a fly! And yet, she had smacked some stranger in a bar for simply having a dirty mouth. Oh. Oh no.

Heat crept up her neck and flushed her cheeks, but she was just as stubborn as she was kind. She bit the inside of her cheek to steel her nerves. “Look,” she began, hoping to ward off his impending fury. “I didn’t mean—“

“Quiet, you two!” Kouga hissed, leaning over the bar. “Sit down and look like you’re having a good time!”

Kagome had no time to object as Kouga forcefully pulled both her and Inuyasha back onto their stools. He pushed their glasses toward them eagerly, his eyes glancing fearfully between them and the crowd. Curiosity got the better of her embarrassment, and Kagome found herself searching the mass of people behind her.

“What is it, Kouga?” she dared to ask, momentarily forgetting the silver-haired idiot sitting beside her.

The bartender gulped, nervously cleaning a glass. “Ayame’s here,” he grumbled with wide eyes, as if that alone would mean anything to her.

Before she could ask any more questions, a fiery red-headed woman pushed between her and Inuyasha. “Kouga,” she said sternly, leaving no room to question her authority. “Didn’t I tell you to restock the bar inventory before nine o’clock?”

“I thought you told Hakkaku to do it?” he prodded.

Kagome could see he was racking his brain for a way out of this one. Apparently, he was afraid of Ayame’s temper, and she could see why.

The bar manager narrowed her green eyes at him. “Hakkaku isn’t working tonight,” she snapped. She leaned forward threateningly. “It better be stocked in thirty minutes. Otherwise, it’s your job.”

She turned on her heel and left as quickly as she had come, leaving a shaking bartender in her wake. Kagome turned hesitant eyes to Kouga. “Are you all right?” she asked.

He blushed and scowled. “Damn that Ayame,” he grumbled hotly. He set down the glass and began walking to the other end of the bar, mumbling, “I’ll be right back,” over his shoulder.

“That was a little harsh,” Kagome muttered, turning her attention back to her drink. Tonight was definitely bizarre to say the least. All she wanted to do was drink until she could forget what had happened earlier that day, but already she had run into a flirtatious bartender, an arrogant brute, and a hot headed manager.

“It’s his own fault,” Inuyasha piped up beside her.

Kagome startled, almost forgetting he was there. “Come again?”

He nonchalantly took a sip of his drink. “If he did what he was supposed to, Ayame wouldn’t be hounding him. But he’s lazy and would rather flirt with girls than do his job.”

“Isn’t that part of his job?” she pointed out. “I mean, girls tend to leave better tips for a man who gives them attention.”

He gave her a sideways glance. “Is that what you’re gonna do?”

Realizing the implications behind his words, warmth flushed her cheeks as she frowned. “No,” she denied. “I’m not that kind of girl.”

Inuyasha smirked. “That’s hard to believe.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she quipped, her blood beginning to boil.

“A single girl sitting alone at the bar on a Friday night?” He shrugged. “Doesn’t exactly scream purity.”

She glared daggers and clenched her hands tightly into fists. “I’ll have you know that I’m simply having a bad day and needed a drink,” she spat out through clenched teeth. “I plan on going home with a nice buzz. Alone.”

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that, darling.”

Kagome faltered from the nickname. Well, she supposed it was an upgrade from ‘wench’. “All right, jerk-face, what are you doing here?” she questioned hotly. “A man sitting alone at the bar on a Friday night? I don’t see any pure intentions there.”

“Didn’t say I had any,” he reminded.

She rolled her eyes. “Sheesh. Not even a saint could be patient with you.”

“You wouldn’t know, would you?”

That was it! That was the last straw! Forget her simple night out. Inuyasha had completely ruined it. She had been talked down to a fair share already today and she would be damned if she sat here another moment being spoken to like that.

“You’re a jerk,” she snapped. “There is absolutely no hiding that. Apparently a girl can’t even enjoy a drink around you! No wonder you’re here alone!”

Kagome suddenly stood, grabbed her purse, and threw a few dollars onto the granite top for her drink. She was ready to storm out of the bar, Inuyasha be damned, but a hand on her wrist stopped her.

“Woah, hold up,” he called.

“Let go of me!” she demanded, pulling on his grip insistently.

Intense amber eyes met her gaze, causing her heart to leap into her throat. “Sit down,” he insisted.

“No way!” she sassed back. “I couldn’t stand another minute in your presence.”

He exhaled deeply and slowly released her. “Look, I’m sorry,” he grumbled, averting his gaze. “I’m just in a bad mood. Didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

His words shocked her. So far, Inuyasha had been brash, rude, and inconsiderate. Taunts and barbs she expected. She did not foresee his eyes becoming soft and the sharp tone of his voice changing to a gentle manner. This was unanticipated.

She eyed him warily. “Everyone has bad days.”

“Keh,” he scoffed, turning his attention back to the bar. “At least let me buy you a drink.”

Kagome sighed and hesitantly returned to her stool. “I guess I can’t turn that down.”

He raised his hand to grab Kouga’s attention. As soon as he was within earshot, Inuyasha ordered a cranberry vodka.

“What?” Kagome asked with a raised brow.

Inuyasha’s eyes questioned her. “What’s the problem?”

She shook her head. “I don’t want some girlie drink,” she pointed out. “If I’m getting a free drink out of all of this, it’s going to be something I like.”

He frowned. “What the hell do you want then?”

“I’ll have what you’re having,” she replied, noticing his empty glass.

Smirking, as he was sure this woman was going to regret her decision, Inuyasha turned his attention back to Kouga. “Two shots of your finest whiskey,” he ordered.

“Make mine a double,” he heard Kagome speak up from beside him.

Inuyasha felt his jaw drop open slightly and he studied her. “A double?” he parroted, leaning his arm against the bar top.

“Yes, a double,” she confirmed with a nod.

He chuckled and shook his head. “Are you planning on hitting the floor tonight?”

Her eyes scrutinized him, fearless and full of a fiery spirit. She was not backing down. “I can handle my liquor,” she assured confidently.

Inuyasha’s eyes dipped to examine her body. She was a tiny little thing. Couldn’t have weighed more than one-twenty soaking wet. And she thought she could keep up with him? He smirked. This was going to be fun.

“Whatever you say, wench.”

She finished off her margarita and scowled. “My name is Kagome,” she addressed him. “So you can stop calling me that.”

“Sure thing,” he said, leaning toward her. “Wench.”

This was going to be very fun indeed.

[queerbrujas]

11 from the kiss meme for Nat! :)

Look at me filling prompts two months late :) I went a little bit off-prompt with this one but it still kind of counts!

the closest to heaven (that i’ll ever be)

pairing: nat sewell x eva navarro wordcount: 1.8k rating: G

read on ao3

Morning kisses that are exchanged before either person opens their eyes, kissing blindly until their lips meet in a blissful encounter.

—

Nat Sewell doesn’t need any more sleep than other vampires.

She could easily sleep as little as Ava or Felix do, barely more than Mason: a few hours every few days, and it would be enough rest for her body. No, there is no practical reason for her to sleep more than the others in Unit Bravo—but she does anyway, out of habit and enjoyment, like the human food she eats or the whiskey she sometimes drinks. The music she listens to.

It’s a ritual. A reminder. Something pleasant and, for the most part, uncomplicated.

(Ava doesn't understand why she does it without need, but Ava, dear friend that she is, feels that way about many things.)

Sleep is, as most things about immortality, different; she would still call it different, even after three hundred years and only vaguely remembering what it is different from.

No, she doesn't think about that. It's just different.

Dreams, for one, are more vivid—but so are nightmares—and the rest it gives is enhanced. 

The moment of waking is different, too.

She likes to savor it, those first few instants after sleep, when her senses are still coated in a veil of dreams and only just beginning to reacquaint themselves with the world around her. Still coming out of a pleasant haze until they settle into complete awareness.

So she keeps her eyes closed, letting each of her senses wake in its own time, feeling and slowly widening her perception of her surroundings until she is fully awake.

Especially now, with those senses all drawn to focus on one person only, she would allow that moment to last for as long as possible.

Eva shifted during the night. It’s something she does regularly, Nat has realized by now—but no matter how much she does, she never moves away from her. Never stops touching her. Their legs are tangled together, with Nat laying on her side; her hand lays flat on Eva’s stomach and she can feel the softness and warmth of her skin under her palm, every point of contact between them something precious.

The pleasant heat that radiates off of her body is first on Nat’s mind, as it warms the space around them and lands on her skin, even more welcome than the morning sunlight.

Nat’s chin rests on Eva's shoulder, and the next thing she can feel is her hair, loose and spread over the pillow, strands of it brushing against Nat’s cheek and filling the air with that mix of scents that has become so familiar and known and cherished.

There are the very, very last remnants of the perfume Eva wore last night (faint amber and sandalwood are all that is left, but they are enough to bring the hints of mandarin and jasmine to Nat's memory), the shampoo she uses (a new one, nettle and lemon verbena) — and underneath it all Eva's own scent, something fresh and clean and something else still, something nameless, powerful and intoxicating that makes Nat almost dizzy.

She moves closer almost instinctively, smiling against Eva’s shoulder when the rhythm of her heartbeat starts to pick up. She knows, by now, the exact pattern and acceleration, the change in pace that tells her when she is waking. It starts only a few moments before her breathing becomes shallower.

Nat’s fingers trace shapes on Eva’s skin as she lets her focus settle on the soft sounds, on the shift of the air around them.

It's so easy. It's been so easy, with her.

So easy to speak of herself, to give herself so fully and so irrevocably. To grow used to waking with her like this. It has all fallen into place so quickly Nat could almost, almost be wary of it, and yet all she can feel is the way it warms even the oldest corners of her heart and fills her with a kind of happiness she can't remember feeling in as long as she's been alive.

Eva makes a noise then, a barely audible hum, and Nat’s thoughts are drawn back to her as her heart skips a beat of its own. It makes her smile—as much as she enjoys sensing the reactions she can cause in Eva, the inverse thrills her just the same.

She keeps her eyes closed still, enveloped by the hold Eva has over her senses, wanting to cling to it just a little longer, that sleepy daze that precedes the stark clarity of day.

Eva shifts, turns and burrows her face against Nat’s neck, making more soft, sleepy sounds. Another hum, and Nat feels the vibration against her skin. She wraps an arm around Eva and pulls her closer, their bodies flush against each other, and Eva lets out a contented sigh.

“Nat…” Eva's voice is muffled and sleep-heavy and yet it makes Nat’s heart give a leap. Nat answers with a soft hum of her own. 

Eva doesn’t speak again, instead shifting for a kiss to Nat’s shoulder; the touch on her skin feels vaguely electric, lightly charged. Another kiss, more humming, and Nat smiles even wider, happiness settling in her chest.

Nat shifts as well, tempted by the kisses, by the softness of Eva’s lips, featherlight touches brushing against her skin. Eyes still closed, the fluttering sensation almost overtakes her, as Eva presses them without rhyme or reason over her shoulders, her collarbone, her neck, her jaw.

Nat lets out a soft laugh when Eva nuzzles against her neck again and whispers “you’re warm”, her voice clinging to sleep as much as Nat herself is. Her senses are almost fully awake now, though, starting to become aware of the smaller things like the slight changes in the air and the sounds of the forest outside, someone’s footsteps off in the distance. But it all fades into the background, white noise, because she can tell Eva is more alert now, too—heart rate and breathing are almost back to normal—and that’s the only thing she can focus on.

“Good morning, jaan,” Nat says, that feeling of happiness bubbling within her and spilling into her voice, tentatively moving until she can press her lips to Eva’s temple, fingers playing with the strands of her hair.

“Morning,” comes the mumbled answer. She’s stubbornly clinging to it more than necessary, Nat knows; she’s almost fully awake by this point.

Nat opens her eyes then, and even after all this time, the sheer strength of her reaction to Eva still takes her by surprise. The lines of her face, beauty marks dotted on her skin. The way long lashes frame light brown eyes that are only just opening.

And her eyes are a wonder all on their own. Usually constantly moving, evaluating, with thoughts swirling behind them at a speed it takes a moment to keep up with, or with a hard focus on finding the best outcome for a mission.

And yet the way she looks at her now is enough to make Nat’s heart almost stop.

Eva, her Eva who almost never stays still, who is so at ease with the breakneck speed this modern world has taken, and yet—and yet she chooses, has chosen to slow down for her without even the slightest hesitation and seems as thrilled by it as Nat herself is.

Nat can see the whirlwind behind her eyes stilling every time they lock eyes, as it does now, a gentle focus that reflects every depth and every feeling Nat has inside herself. Eva smiles, beautiful, blissful, full of softness and feeling she has admitted time and again to being unused to and Nat’s breath catches at it, her own heart racing even faster—she feels nothing short of honored that she would be the one to inspire that so freely in her.

She waits a second for the catch in her breathing to subside, a smile spreading on her lips.

“Have I told you that you are the most beautiful sight to wake up to?” she says, raising her hand to brush her fingers against Eva’s cheek. She doesn’t try to keep the emotion from her voice.

Eva’s eyes sparkle at the comment and she laughs, but the slightest hint of heat radiates from her cheeks all the same, something she doesn’t hide or shy away from; Nat loves her for it, loves the eager honesty in her smile and how she revels in the shivers Nat causes in her. Her sleepy smile grows wider and more alert and she leans forward again, kisses Nat's cheek and the touch of her lips is so soft, so gentle Nat’s eyes almost close again at it.

“Then maybe I should stay here every night,” Eva says, with a smile in her voice, too. “And, for the record,” she adds after another kiss, “yes, you have.”

“You will hear no argument from me,” Nat answers with a light chuckle. “I'd have you with me always.”

They have been spending almost every night together, at the Warehouse or in Eva's apartment, and the nights they don’t are longer and emptier than Nat could ever have imagined they would be.

I'd have you stay forever. She almost says it—and it is so unlike her to keep these thoughts unvoiced, but this one, this one she would hold on to for just a little longer.

Eva draws back, only a little, and her light brown eyes meet Nat’s again. She is silent for a moment before speaking again. “You know I have nowhere else I’d rather be.”

It’s almost a whisper and, despite the smile that still sits on her lips, more serious than she probably intended it to sound.

There are depths to those words, Nat knows. There is an unspoken conversation and an idea and a thought that hangs between them still—but there is also the undiluted truth of it, truth that is both freeing and overwhelming, exhilarating and comforting.

Nat lets herself be taken by the feeling of it until the force that pulls her to Eva is so strong she has to do something about it, and without words (because there are no words that would be enough, in any language she knows) she does the only thing she can. She leans in to kiss her again and Eva melts into it eagerly, grasping at her and pulling her closer, the sweet softness of her mouth the only thing Nat cares to know.

They part with a breath and a smile and Eva keeps her eyes closed for a few seconds, lashes brushing against her cheeks. Nat wants to count them. She has never seen anything or anyone so beautiful.

After a moment, Eva lets out a sigh, shutting her eyes more tightly with a frown.

“There’s a meeting,” she says, making Nat blink in confusion for a second. She can hear, can feel the regret in her voice, sounding much more awake now than a few minutes ago. “We should—what time is it?”

Nat laughs.

“Yes, I believe we should start getting ready for the day.”

[shedreamsofstars]

the leaves are falling, and my love so are we

Amy has invited Sonic, Silver and Blaze on a mountain hike. Even though not everyone knows or even remembers that it's technically a double date, nothing stops the four of them from enjoying a day in each other's company, and even falling a little more in love with each other. Written for Sonamy / Silvaze Week 2020

... xxx ...

"Amy, I thought this hike was supposed to be a group thing," Sonic said sullenly, stretching his arms above his head as he leaned against the fence. His breath frosted ahead of him in a misty cloud of white, vanishing almost as soon as it appeared.

Autumn was in full swing, and that meant that the chill in the air was here to stay. The blue hedgehog had forgone a coat and hat in favour of a simple black scarf he'd found balled up in the back of his wardrobe, but as burst of wind whistled by, Sonic was starting to regret his decision a little.

"It is," Amy insisted. She'd clearly gotten the right idea, standing beside him bundled up in pastel shades of wool. She looked perfectly cosy and warm – not that he had any plans to find out if she actually was.

Sonic bounced awkwardly on the balls of his feet, his eyes flashing to the only other people in the area, Silver and Blaze. They were also dressed for the weather, and for a brief moment Sonic wondered if anyone would notice if he ran home quickly before deciding against it.

He was fast, but not that fast.

"Are you sure?" he asked with a frown, attempting to tighten his scarf to keep the chill out. "Because, this kinda seems like some sorta two timing date thing. Shouldn't there be more people here of something?"

"It's called a double date, and yes I am sure. Besides, do you really think I can trick you into a date so easily."

"Yes, absolutely. I do think so," Sonic deadpanned, grinning as the girl pouted at him. "Okay, fine. I'll believe you … even if it is kinda suspicious."

Amy gave him a smug smile and he was tempted to roll his eyes at her. Instead, he pushed off the fence and zipped over to the other two members of their party. "Have you guys been up this way before?"

"No," Blaze replied, rubbing her gloved hands together. "At least … I haven't." She turned expectantly to Silver who also shook his head.

"Me neither. Not in this world at least."

"Alright. Looks like we got two newbies on our hands, Ames," he said, glancing over his shoulder to see Amy slowly making her way over.

"This trail is really very pretty this time of year so you're both going to love it!" she said, barely containing her excitement as she joined them. "Shall we set off?"

Sonic gave her a curt nod, the others agreeing in tandem.

"Great! This is going to be so much fun."

Even without looking at her, the blue hedgehog knew that she was smiling as she spoke, her boots softly thudding against the ground as she began to lead them up the mountainous area.

Blaze was up ahead with the pink hedgehog with Silver following a little behind them, stopping occasionally to pick up fallen autumn memorabilia. Sonic followed at the rear of the pack, and even he found it amusing that despite his need for speed, he was quite content and curious enough to slow down every once in a while.

"You've probably been here hundreds of times, right?" Silver said, and Sonic looked up to see that the boy had slowed down enough to match pace with him. He hadn't noticed it before, but there was a tenseness in the other hedgehog's posture that he hadn't noticed earlier.

"I think I lost count somewhere after three-hundred and ninety-four," Sonic joked, smiling as his friend's shoulders relaxed a little bit. "You nervous or something buddy?" he asked, wondering if Amy had been as vague about the nature of today's hike with everyone and not just him.

"Oh," he said, looking a little alarmed at being found out. "It's nothing, really," he said quietly, refusing to meet Sonic's questioning gaze. The blue hedgehog was suspicious to say the least, but he let the comment slide for now.

He didn't want to push the hedgehog into something he wasn't ready to talk about, besides, the walk was long enough for everyone to relax enough that he might just share on his own accord.

"Aright, bud," he replied before clapping him on the back. "We're starting to lose the girls, you wanna race?"

Silver grinned in response.

...xxx...

"We don't have very many of this type in Sol," Blaze said, pointing towards a tree growing just off the path with leaves that jutted out in six directions - two at the top and two on either side. "I think I remember there being some in the Northern regions, but I don't remember what they're called."

"We have plenty of these around here," Amy said, although a light frown settled over her usually perky features as she drew to a halt and placed a single hand on the rough bark of the tree. "I don't remember what they're called though…" she mused, throwing a look over Blaze's shoulder to where the boys were ambling towards them.

"Hey Sonic, do you know the name of this tree?"

Blaze turned just in time to see the blue hedgehog shaking his head and Silver rushing up behind him. If she didn't know any better, then she would have assumed the two of them were attempting some sort of a race. Except she did know better, and Silver wasn't dumb enough to challenge the fastest thing alive.

Either way, it didn't escape her notice that the lighter hedgehog was flushed as they joined them.

"Not a clue. You got any ideas?" he said to the boy beside him.

Her gaze fell to Silver once more as he stooped to pick up one of the fallen leaves, holding it up to the light. "It's a tulip tree," he announced proudly. "I read about these just recently actually. I remember it because the illustration of the leaves reminded me of you Blaze," he said, glancing up to meet her gaze.

Blaze felt heat rush to her cheeks as he moved the hand with the leaf in front of him, his amber eyes flicking from the mottled leaf to her face as he tested his own theory. Amy popped up beside him and narrowed her eyes.

"He's kind of right you know. If I squint like this," she said, doing just that. "It really does look like your silhouette."

"You're both being ridiculous," Blaze said breathily, turning away from them deliberately. "People don't look like leaves," she murmured, unable to shake the way Silver had studied her just a few moments earlier.

She glanced up the path, noticing that it was getting narrower and steeper. It had seemed earlier that they would be taking a route the meandered around the base of the mountain, but now she wasn't so sure.

"Where did you say this route led again?" she asked, surprised to see the Sonic was now beside her and leading the way ahead.

"Can't tell you that," he said smoothly. "That'd ruin the whole surprise."

"I can still appreciate something, even if I know to expect it," she explained.

"Sure you can, but – watch your step," he said, hopping effortlessly over a log that Blaze only noticed at the last moment. "Not knowing is its own kind of adventure, don't you think?" he finished.

Blaze followed after him silently, wondering if perhaps he was right. Silver almost never seemed to have anything planned out, at least never in the same excruciating detail she did, and he always seemed to be having a good time no matter what he did.

"I suppose you're right," she admitted after a few long minutes of silence.

"I always am," Sonic said cockily, stopping only long enough to call out to the two stragglers behind them. "Hurry it up slow coaches. I just saw a snail shoot past us."

...xxx...

The walk up the mountain was tiring to say the least, but Amy was enjoying herself immensely. Not only was she getting the chance to spend time with two friends she didn't get to see often, but she also got the entire day with Sonic the Hedgehog, her most favourite person in the world.

In fact she was enjoying herself so much that she actually felt a wave of disappointment when she realised they'd reached the clearing that marked the half-way point. It meant that their day together was started to reach its peak, and that put a time limit on her remaining hours with the people around her.

She put on a bright smile and tried to put the thought out of her head as she approached Silver. The group had taken a five-minute break to hydrate and catch their breaths, and the white hedgehog was currently sat on a large tree stump.

Several pinecones and acorns that he'd collected on the way up floated around in front of him in a teal haze, and he dropped them into his hands as he saw Amy approaching. He shuffled over to make room for her with a smile that almost seemed as forced as her own.

"So," she said as she dropped down beside him. "How's your date with Blaze going?"

"Oh, I think Blaze is having a grea- wait, what do you mean date?" he said looking slightly alarmed.

"Silver …" Amy said, levelling him an incredulous questioning look. "You can't be serious right? I told you today was a date."

Silver swallowed nervously before nodding as if he had just remembered that particular piece of information. His gaze flitted across the clearing to where Blaze was kneeling on the ground, rifling gingerly through a pile of leaves with a look of pure concentration.

"That explains that," he mused softly, looking much more at ease than he had just moments before. "Wait, does … does she know it's a date?" he asked, seeming almost scared of the response he might get.

"Of course she does silly. You're clearly the only oblivious one here," Amy joked, nudging the boy beside her.

"Hmm," he mulled softly, dragging his gaze to the floor with a frown before lifting it up again. "I should go and see what she's doing," he mumbled more to himself as he stood and headed towards the purple cat as Amy ushered him along.

"So … this is a date then," a voice purred from behind her and the pink hedgehog froze in alarm.

Shoot. Of course she hadn't heard him approach.

Amy blew out a frustrated puff of air before slowly turning her head to see Sonic standing behind her, watching her through a narrowed gaze that did nothing to hide the wildness in his green eyes.

"Because I'm pretty sure I remember a certain someone telling me it definitely wasn't a double date."

Amy flashed a glance towards Silver, waiting until he was a little further away before tugging Sonic down beside her. He landed clumsily, clearly not expecting her to man handle him like that, but he caught himself before he fell right off the edge of the stump.

"It's not … at least, not really," she said, realising as soon as she said it that it wasn't much of an explanation at all.

"What does that even mean?" he said, looking thoroughly confused.

"Well, you know that Blaze and Silver are dating, right."

"No, I didn't actually," he said, his brows shooting upwards as he glanced towards them. Silver had kneeled down besides the girl and Sonic couldn't help but feel a pulse of pride that the two of them had been brave enough to follow their hearts.

"They have been for a while," she said with a shake of her head. "Of course you'd be dense enough to miss it." There was no venom to her words, only a warm acknowledgement, and Sonic gave her a lopsided grin in response.

"You love that about me," he scoffed, and Amy refused to acknowledge the remark or how it threatened to make her head spin in delight.

"They've been together forever, but they've never been on an official date so I thought it would be nice if they had it here with us. Things are always easier when there's more of you."

"Amy, you know that's not true for everyone right," he said. "Some people prefer their dates to be a little more private."

"I know that, but you've seen them," Amy said exasperatedly. "At least with a double date, we can help push them together."

"That sounds suspiciously like meddling to me."

"It's not!" she said defensively. "Besides, Blaze only agreed to go if it was a double date so, technically it's not even my doing."

Sonic's gaze flicked back to the couple by the leaves and understanding seemed to cross his feature.

"I think I get it now," he said slowly. "It's like a safety blanket thing, right. I guess it's kinda hard to be nervous when your best friend is beside you bouncing on her heels with excitement the whole time."

"Hey," Amy said in mock hurt and Sonic only chuckled in response.

...xxx...

Silver's mind was racing with thoughts as he made his way across the soft ground towards Blaze. When he'd gotten the text from Amy, it had definitely mentioned that today was supposed to be a date, but he supposed he'd been pretty oblivious to the meaning behind that.

He'd just automatically assumed it would be a friend thing, but he'd been nervous from the moment they'd arrived, feeling like he'd forgotten something important.

Amy had cleared that up pretty quickly, but the worry had vanished only to be replaced by a new sort. Did Blaze know today was a date, or was she going about today almost as oblivious as he had been until it had been spelled out for him in black and white.

This was a date.

She didn't notice him at first, at least not until he'd crouched down across from her. And even then she barely registered his presence as she sifted through the pile of leaves in front of her.

"You're looking through that leaf pile pretty intensely," he said, knowing the exact moment his voice filtered through her focus. She startled and looked up, her eyes wide and bright as she caught sight of him.

"I'm sorry Silver. I didn't mean to ignore you."

"I know," he said kindly. "You were pretty lost in concentration, but … what are you doing?"

"Oh, this," she said, a small smile finding its way onto her lips as Silver ruffled the dry leaves between them. It widened as he threw a handful into the air between them.

As mesmerising as the view of the gold and auburn leaves floating to the ground was, the sight of Blaze watching them with that transfixed gaze of hers was infinitely better he decided.

"I was trying to find one that wasn't too damaged or wind-eaten," she admitted once the final leaf had fallen back to the ground.

"Want me to help?"

She nodded and the two got to work shuffling through the various types that had been heaped together. "So, what do you want it for?" he asked as he searched.

"A … memento of sorts, I suppose," she replied, her eyes glued to her fingers as she discarded a few leaves she didn't like the look of. Silver was quiet, knowing that she'd recognise his silence as a cue to explain further. "I'd like something to remember our first proper date by, and a leaf seems just as good as anything."

"So you did know it was date," he murmured in relief, although his words were so soft she didn't catch them.

"What was that?" she asked, her golden gaze flitting up to catch his for a single glance before dropping back down to where her hands sifted the crackling leaves.

"I was just saying that it's a nice idea," he said, his fingers brushing against a large golden leaf bleeding through with shots of green and red. "This one's pretty interesting looking," he said, holding it up for his girlfriend to see.

Blaze cocked her head to the side, reaching out a single finger to trace the single vein of green before nodding. "I like this one," she said softly. "I like it even better that you found it, actually," she admitted, and Silver felt his stomach flutter at her words.

Blaze was pretty straightforward about a lot of things, but it was rare for her to be straightforward about the way she felt. So the fact that she hadn't even hesitated to tell him that had a warm heat rushing to his face.

"You two done over there," Sonic called from behind him somewhere.

"We're done," Blaze replied, taking the leaf from Silver and standing to brush the dirt off her legs. Silver did the same before giving Blaze a slight dip of the head to let her know he was ready.

He couldn't help but notice that the purple cat clutched her new leaf tightly as they joined the others to continue their trek up the mountain.

...xxx...

Sonic was the first to catch the sound of running water in the distance, and it took a severe amount of self-restraint to keep from rushing on ahead. He was supposed to stick with the others, and so he forced his feet to slow and one by one, the others overtook him.

Or at least, all but one.

Whilst Silver and Blaze shuffled on ahead, Amy hovered beside him with a concerned frown. "Are you okay Sonic? You're never usually this …" She paused as she mulled over the correct term. "… slow."

Sonic cracked a smile. "I know, but if I speed up then I won't be slowing down any time soon. And I'm pretty sure you need me to stick around for this whole thing, right?"

Amy nodded, her face softening. "Thank you Sonic."

"Ah, it's nothing," he mumbled, forcing his gaze ahead of them as Silver and Blaze rounded the bend. "And, three … two … one." Sonic snapped his fingers right at the moment Silver let out a cry of delight from the front and he turned to give Amy a knowing smirk.

"There's a waterfall all the way up here!"

It only took a second before Sonic and Amy joined the other two who had paused in their tracks. The trail ahead rounded out at a dead end, but beyond the fence that marked the trail was where the true reason for their hike lay.

A serene waterfall cascaded down from high in the mountains, the water falling steadily only to crash into a frothing pool at its base. It wasn't long before all four of them were pressed up against the fence and gazing at the precarious waters below.

The waterfall fed into a river that flowed down the opposite side of the mountain, and no matter how many treks he'd made, Sonic was still a little disappointed that he'd never managed to find the source.

"So ... what kind of surprise would you call this one, Blaze?" Sonic said, stepping back a little when water sprayed against his muzzle. As much as he liked the view, he still didn't like the idea of being too close to water.

"I would say this is definitely a good kind," she responded, and Sonic couldn't help but notice the intimate look she flashed at Silver, or the way the other hedgehog's hands were protectively wrapped around her waist as if to keep her from leaning in too close.

He turned to ask Amy what she thought of the view, but when he turned to his side he found that she had disappeared. For a split second, Sonic's heart was in his mouth as his mind considered the possibility that she'd fallen over into the water below.

But a crunch of a twig somewhere behind him brought him back to his senses and he spotted her a few steps behind, gazing wistfully up at the lip of the water above.

"What're you thinking about Ames?" he said as he joined her.

"Oh nothing," she said, dropping her gaze to meet his. "I was just trying to memorise the moment I guess. It's not often I get to come up here, and with you in tow too," she added with a smile.

Sonic shrugged in agreement. He really didn't get to spend much time with her, especially now that they were older. Maybe he needed to rectify that in the future.

"There's an easier way to remember things, you know?" he said, reaching into his pocket. "Hey Silver, catch!" he called, tossing his phone across to the other hedgehog.

Anyone else would have missed and let the phone tumble over the edge, but Silver's powers shot into effect immediately and he guided the phone into his outstretched fingers with ease.

He flashed Sonic a confused look.

"Can you snap a picture of us here?" Sonic asked, grabbing Amy's arm and guiding her closer to the waterfall. Her eyes went wide as he slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side with a wide smile.

"Sure," Silver replied before pausing a beat. "Um … Amy, are you gonna look at the camera?"

"Oh … sorry," Amy mumbled from beside him, and Sonic chuckled to himself as he realised she'd been staring at him that whole time.

The phone camera flashed three times consecutively, and at one point Sonic snuck a glance to his side under the guise of fixing his scarf, before Silver lowered the phone with a frown.

"Is it done?" the white hedgehog asked, voice laced with confusion and an expression to match.

"Let me check," Sonic said as he let his arms slip off of Amy. "Thanks bud," he said as he reached Silver and accepted his phone, showing the other boy how to check the gallery for the recent photos.

He didn't dare glance in Amy's direction until he was done, but by that time she was lost in conversation with Blaze and he'd already lost his hold on any words he might have wanted to say to her anyway.

...xxx...

Lunch was a simple meal of sandwiches and granola bars downed with water. No one had been excited at the prospect of carrying too much so they'd all packed pretty light. Amy had been pretty vague on the details, so he and Blaze hadn't even been sure how long they'd be out for.

The walk up the trail had been intriguing enough, that Silver hadn't even noticed he was ravenous until he took the first bite of his sandwich sitting cross legged on the ground beside Blaze.

It was like shattering a glass bottle and releasing his hunger from its prison as suddenly his stomach grumbled loudly in protest of the lack of sustenance, audible even over the noise of the water crashing down behind him.

"Sorry," he said to no one in particular, his mouth still full of food as he took another bite to sate himself. He caught Blaze watching him from his side, her gaze flitting away to her own food when he noticed.

He smiled into his sandwich, wondering when she'd just let herself openly look at him whenever she wanted. It wasn't as if he minded. Not if it was her at least.

He jolted in surprise as something warm touched his free hand, the one resting on the ground beside him. He glanced down to see the purple cat's hand hovering next to his own and realised that she must have knocked him by accident.

Unless …

Still staring straight ahead and, taking a bite of his sandwich for good measure, Silver stretched out his pinkie finger until it collided against the edge of Blaze's hand. He considered pulling it back, but before he could, the cat had shifted her own so that it was suddenly tangled with his.

Silver swallowed nervously, his gaze flitting between the two hedgehogs sat across from him but neither of them seemed to have noticed anything.

It was the slightest of contact, his smallest finger hooked innocuously to Blaze's, but already Silver could feel her head radiating through him. She was always warm, likely due to her flames, whereas more often than not his own hands were ice cold.

When he'd mentioned that those two things meant they were destined to be together, she had rolled her eyes affectionately, but he couldn't help but think it again now as her warmth flooded through him.

They remained that way for the duration of their small lunches, even as Amy handed out jam tarts that she'd made the night before for dessert. Throughout all of it, neither Amy nor Sonic made any comment on their linked hands.

Maybe they just assumed it was normal for them or something, but Silver was thankful regardless. He was a little regretful when it came time to begin the trek back down and Blaze removed her finger to collect her belongings, clutching at her leaf once more.

As the group made their way back down the mountain, Silver found himself missing Blaze even though she was stood right beside him. He knew that he needed to touch her, to remind himself that she was right there, but he was reluctant to admit it to her.

This was a date and they both knew it. Silver held her hand all the time. So why then did the first fact make him so nervous about the second?

His brows dipped as he contemplated his dilemma, and it didn't take her long to notice and call his name softly enough that the other two walking ahead wouldn't notice. "Is everything okay?" she asked, voice hushed but full of concern.

"Yeah," he said quickly. "Actually, do you mind if …" he trailed off, his fingers flexing nervously at his side as he realised he couldn't go through with his original request. "Your leaf, you want me to look after it for you?"

"Oh," Blaze said, looking at little surprised. "Please do," she said, holding out the leaf she had been twirling in her fingers. He took it gently and smiled.

"You should hold it in your other hand," she commented, and Silver did, a little confused as to how it made any difference until he felt Blaze's arm link with his and her body press closer to him as she slid her hand down his arm and into his

Silver caught her eye and she kept her smile steady. How did she always know exactly what he wanted even when he said nothing? It didn't really matter if he was honest, having her around was more than enough.

"Thank you," he whispered, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. She returned the favour without hesitation.

...xxx...

Amy's heart was so full as she finally reached her garden gate at the end of the day, waving off the others as they headed to their respective homes and times. She'd had an incredible day, and she only hoped the others would say the same thing.

They'd made it down the mountain just before the sun began to set, so by the time she sat down on her doorstep, she could see her garden burn in beautiful deep colours in the glow of the fast disappearing sun.

She didn't want to go inside just yet, and she knew it was stupid, but it almost felt like she could make the memory of the day last longer the more she lingered out here.

Going inside and sheltering from the chilly air she'd spent the days company in felt like finally deciding that it was over and done, and she wanted to make today last as long as possible.

Picking up her phone, she quickly sent everyone messages to thank them for their company and to check that they'd all gotten home safely before placing it face down on the ground beside her.

She watched quietly as the sun dipped down in the horizon, its soft glow replaced by the equally soft glow of the moon that bathed her view in ivory. A moth fluttered nearby, attracted by the light of her phone screen as she checked her messages to see replies from both Silver and Blaze.

She missed them already, but they'd promised to be back soon, so she refused to hold it against them. Especially after she'd caught them clinging to each other more and more as the day went on.

That sight alone had made her romantic heart sing with joy.

She had expected to have to intervene more, despite Sonic's warning on meddling, but as it happened, she hadn't had to do anything at all. The two of them managed just find on their own.

Shivering a little from the cold, she stood, fully ready to head inside when her phone buzzed once more in her hands. She lifted it up to see who had messaged her, and the butterflies in her chest soared at the name of the sender.

Sonic.

She unlocked it quickly, opening the message.

S: just made it home S: today was fun

Amy shook her head at his response, an involuntary smile lifting her lips.

Despite being the speediest of the bunch, of course Sonic was the last one to make it home. She had no doubt he had made several detours along the way, but the thought only made her smile widen.

She was about to put her phone away when it buzzed again and she saw a picture flash up in the chat, one that made her sink back down onto the doorstep in surprise.

Sonic had sent her a photo of the two of them, the very one that Silver had taken that day by the waterfall. Amy's face in the picture was so pink that she looked like she'd smeared berry juice all over her face, but it wasn't herself she was drawn to.

No.

She had been too concerned with the unexpectedness of it all at the time that she hadn't noticed Sonic at all. She had the vague memory of him snickering beside her once Silver had her attention, but she'd had no idea that he'd been looking at her whilst the photo was being taken.

And like … that.

Like she was the only thing worth looking at, even with the wonderous waterfall falling in a sparkling rainbow of light behind them.

Before she could dwell too hard on it, Amy send back two hearts.

His reply was instant.

S: speechless huh. you can't think of a single word?

A: I'm sure I can think of at least one.

Amy replied, unable to back down from a challenge. She bit her bottom lip, wondering if there was actually any word that could truly encompass how wonderful the day had been despite it not being an actual date.

She bit back a giggle as Sonic replied with a series of impatient replies, each one less coherent than the last. Making him wait just as long as it took for her to set the photo of the two of them as her phone background, Amy finally succumbed to his pleads and hit send.

A: Magical.

...xxx...

and scene. did i attempt to mash up almost every single prompt into one fic because i have no time or am i just lazy. yes and also yes.

i hope you all had a great sonamy/silvaze week! i'm slowly catching up on some of the stuff created and i've already seen some amazing work! there's so many talented people in the sonic community, i feel blessed.

this had so many pov jumps that i might have confused myself a little whilst writing lol. if the transitions are terrible, my bad (it's all a learning curve right?) i hope you enjoyed it for what it was meant to be. i know i had a great time writing some of the interactions, especially between the characters who don't meet often.

thanks so much for reading! let me know your thoughts if you have a moment 😊

[nighttimepixels]

Alright alright, I’ve had liquid courage and we’ll say that this is for the best, moment important science. Sapphic science!! Which of the Lilytale ladies would love their significant other dancing only for them in their underwear or lingerie?? If all, then what’re their general reactions? 👀✨

Bless you and your liquid courage >:Dc

Answer below the cut bc things get... saucy 👀

All of them are into it.

I mean, that’s practically a given, right? Hot damn, their s/o giving them a private show like that? Dressed up (or dressed down ;D) and feeling flirty/teasing/into them so much that they want to give them a little show~?

Count these ladies down.

The only question then is just how they specifically react - and how long such a dance might last before the lady in question breaks and has to show you just how much they appreciate your hard work >:3c

Serif (Lady UT Sans): What, she gets to lay back and simply appreciate how gorgeous her s/o is? Heart eyes all the way. Be prepared though bc she’s going to keep complimenting you in a low, flirty voice until you cave - and then she’s pulling you onto her lap, hands trailing to every place she’s already memorized will get you just as riled as you’ve gotten her~

Vellum (Lady UT Pap): Her cheekbones are burning, and as much as she tries to stay still- she can’t help herself! You’re so gorgeous, and attractive, and she’s never much been one for sitting still even as much as she enjoys appreciating fine art - your dance for her will turn into a mutual dance before you find her lifting you into her arms in that perfect way that allows you to wrap your legs around her and... well, a very different kind of dance is on the menu, then ;D

Sapphire (Lady US Sans): Has she died and gone to heaven? She might as well have. Sapphire’s never been terribly spiritual, but in that moment she’s considering going to her knees and doing some dedicated worship indeed. >v> Count her as a rather uncooperative but delightful audience before long - she can’t keep her hands off you, even if she won’t interrupt the dance itself. Prepare for teasing touches to linger more and more, tracing and becoming part of the dance itself - before her mouth joins in, and you might just need to take a seat and let her show you her own moves~

Amber (Lady US Pap): Absolute prayhands meme. She’s sitting back, lounging, her s/o dressed like this and dancing for her-? One of the hardest to resist, actually, because her bedroom eyes are at full power. All the confidence in the world still finds a hard time not caving into the way she’s somehow both cherishing you in adoration in that glance, and also undressing you and promising a night full of her showing you just what she’s confident she can do to you. Also though, liable to be putty in your hands at the same time. Make thigh highs part of your lingerie look and I hope you’re not looking to sleep anytime soon... or walk on the jelly legs you’re going to be left with ;D

Crimson (Lady UF Sans): Is facing an absolute internal crisis. She can’t interrupt this absolute genie’s wish of a moment, but also can’t resist you. Extremely liable to turn into a very handsy lapdance, complete with dirty talk so sweet and filthy alike that your ears are going to be burning for days. She’s going to make sure you know just how lucky she feels to be with you - and how much she’d love to see any show you’d like to put on for her, anytime...♡♡♡

Scarlet (Lady UF Pap): Has turned the color of her namesake. Holy shit, she’s written this sort of thing before, but... no one’s ever actually done it for her - you might end up interrupted if only because Scarlet’s going to implode if she doesn’t do something. Prepare to be passionately ravaged - by the end of the night, though, she’ll end up murmuring into the crown of your head as you cuddle exhausted and brought to shall-we-say satisfaction maaaany times over - that perhaps, if you’d be willing to do so again, she might resist longer... if not though, then, well, this sort of development seems mutually enjoyable too, no? ;D

Pepper (Lady SF Sans): Stars help her you’re going to end her and she wouldn’t want it any other way. Of course, prepare to be domme’d to hell and back following this... but gods, with what praise. She’s sorely tempted to ask you to record it - in the single moment she can scrape together enough braincells to think about anything other than you and the way you move, the way you look - but decides in the end she’d much rather have the real you... tangled up with her, keening her name in that perfect way you do. Extremely liable to end up pinning you to the nearest wall/floor and not even make it to the bed, though she’ll appreciate every moment of your dance first~

Cinnamon (Lady SF Pap): ... Is pretty sure she’s having the best dream ever. Literally, it’s not until you brush your touch to her bones for the first time in the dance that she snaps out of her lovestruck and horny stupor - her gaze has been predatory in the best way, and now it’s downright ravenous. She leans back and catches you by the wrist, then the waist, her claws sliding delicatedly up the curve of your back - and you find yourself divested of your clothing before you can even realize it, as her other hand has gotten rather busy in that skilled way that always makes you gasp and moan a little. Yeah, this is going to be another deliciously long night... and she’ll be hoping for more in the future, if you’re willing. ;)c

Blade (Lady HT Sans): Honestly one of the most liable to ‘break’ the fastest. It’s not that she doesn’t appreciate it - but rather, appreciates it so much (that you’d think her worth the effort like that, broken, beat up her, slower to the punch than the rest of the girls, no matter her other qualities...) that she just can’t resist showing you, immediately. Also can’t quite move like that herself, and knows it - but she can send you to heaven so many times in one night you forget your own name... and she’s intending to do just that, all the while imprinting on her struggling memory just what you looked like, dancing like that for her. <3

Twist (Lady HT  Pap): Well, you’d have to really modify a dance like that for her anyways, given the fact that Twist is blind... very hands on from the start. Twist admittedly likes it - loves to feel the way you can move like that, so smooth and sweet and deliberate, just for her, even when she can’t properly see you to appreciate some of the finer points... but, well, being so hands on means it quickly devolves into an even more intimate dance. And Twist has always adored being a giver in this field, particularly liking to wreck you in the best ways until all your worries and the world fades away, leaving nothing but the two of you entwined, so... hope you don’t mind that being the natural process for dancing for Twist! ♡

Alpha (Lady Q Sans): An absolute connoisseur. Quite possibly the perfect audience, all things said and done - the perfect balance of surprised, delighted, and turned on, making all the right comments, teasing flirts, occasional tempting touches before you dance away again, the re-approach... the perfect sort of devolving as the dance breaks down into wanting grasps, kisses at the column of your throat, her arms pulling you in so you’re straddling her lap... and so much more to come ✧(ô▿ô )

Glyph (Lady G!Sans): Is the one most likely to end up straight up dancing with you. She’ll be teasing and flirty and turned on by the display and the desire behind it... and then she’s catching you as she rises, turning the whole thing into a slow, languid, passionate dance where there’s hardly any space between you. Prepare for another long night, and more than likely to be edged until you at last crash over the peak in a way that’ll feel like your whole-ass soul left your body. Glyph knows how to treat an s/o right.

Dusk (Lady HF Sans): Absolutely blown away, hardly conceived of this as... an option??? Still baffled, but you can see the deeper flare of desire in her eyelight as it blows wide and shrinks down once more... settling into a tiny heart. It’s been a long, long time since attraction ever begot this sort of thing for her - and that you’d do it for her, well... She’ll be fiercely committing this moment to memory, but prepare to take a seat before too long on her face your throne so she can properly show you her appreciation ;)c

Dawn (Lady HF Pap): The size difference here could be comical, but for her, it just emphasizes what she already knew - that you’re the greatest treasure she could ever protect and dedicate herself too. Her touches once they come are tentative - so aware of your smaller size - but no less enamored for it. All but obsessed at the fact you’d do something like this for her - and she won’t just take a night, but several days to prove it to you. With breaks for homemade snacks, of course - gotta keep her perfect little human fueled up as she completely rocks their world ;Dc

[jackyjango]

The General’s Mate

Cherik Week- Day 3: AOB Dynamics / Flower Shop AU

Written for my own prompt:  Erik is the General of a small a small kingdom on the outskirts of Genosha. Shaw’s army invaded his lands, loots his home and kills his mother, wife and daughter. In a bid to get revenge, Erik, with the help of rival Queen Emma and her army attack the Genoshan capital and Erik kills Shaw himself. Amongst the loots of the palace is Shaw’s harem and its occupants. Erik’s soldiers drag in a young Omega with blue eyes and red lips, who apparently was Shaw’s favourite. With every intention of killing the Omega like Shaw killed his family, Erik tells his soldiers to leave the Omega with him. But he soon learns that the Omega, Charles, is also a victim of Shaw just like himself- that Charles, a son of a Lord, was sold to Shaw by his stepfather and kept captive against his will. Anger drained away from his system, Erik hands Charles a pouch of gold coins and hands him the reins of a horse and tells him make his way home, but Charles refuses because he couldn’t home carrying the reputation of being Shaw’s bed warmer. With no other place to go, Erik gives Charles shelter under his roof while a slow friendship builds between them in the process.

Ratings: Mature

Warnings: Language, mentions of abortions

Charles wakes to the sounds of whimpers and groans-- as he has been for the last two days. The situation is worsening, for Erik has begun trashing his head against the pillows and flinging his arms in the air-- much in the fashion of sword fighting-- all the while cursing and gritting his teeth. The behaviour is typical of fever induced nightmares, and the fever in turn must be caused by the wound on Erik’s torso.

The moonlight peeping into their small hut though the opening vent in the far wall illuminates Erik's profile dimly where he's sleeping on his bedroll a few feet away from Charles. The gentle breeze of spring ruffles the hem of Erik’s tunic, exposing the severe gash that begins below Erik’s collar bone and ends in the vicinity of his heart. Infected with pus, the skin around the cut has turned yellow. Whoever cleaned the cut-- if someone even had-- has done a poor job of removing the blood. The dried blood clogging the exposed flesh is preventing the wound from healing. The frequent brushes of the fabric on the broken skin must no doubt be painful.

Charles is tempted to rush to Erik’s side, stroke his fingers through Erik’s short crop, cradle his head and ease the pain away, but he doesn’t dare move from where he’s sleeping on his own bedroll. As much as he hates seeing Erik in any form of pain, he also doesn’t dare disturb whatever form of truce that has been building steadily between them in the past few months. Contrary to whatever horrid narratives there might be to their relationship on the streets-- and Charles knows there are-- the bond that they share in this small space enclosed by mud walls is something pure, something that transcends the grasp of the common tongue.

It’s delicate and yet strong, subtle and still bold, insignificant and yet so overpowering. Charles likes to call it friendship, because Erik has been nothing short of an exemplary friend to him. He listens when Charles speaks-- not just hears, but listens. He respects Charles and values his views. He has never undermined Charles on the account of him being an Omega. In every sense of the word, Erik has treated him like an equal. If that isn't friendship, then what is?

These days, however, Charles is finding it difficult to believe that ‘friendship’ can barely contain the bond they share. Some days, Erik will bring a sweet-treat from the market Charles had mentioned liking in passing, or he'll smile softly at Charles over their chess board, or hold Charles' gaze even in a crowd, and the word crumbles in Charles' heart and turns sour. 

Sometimes the urge to touch Erik is so strong that it knocks Charles over. Sometimes the urge to bury his nose in the crook of Erik's neck and inhale his scent is so potent that it nearly disrupts his senses. Sometimes, the urge to just be close to Erik is so powerful that it leaves Charles trembling in its wake.

Erik groans again, pulling Charles from his thoughts. Charles twists his trembling hands in the threadbare bedsheet to keep them from reaching out to Erik. There's still a barrier between them despite how far they've come from their initial days of acquaintance. A barrier Charles didn't dare breach. 

A mixture of white willow bark, turmeric and rosemary ground in frankincense oil should reduce the inflammation and infection, and a tonic of ginger and basil should bring the pain induced fever down. Charles creates a list of the other ingredients he needs in his head, and makes a note to procure them from Angel the first thing in the morning. He may not be able to comfort Erik and ease his pain, but he can certainly concoct a medicine that could.

One eye trained on Erik, Charles barely sleeps through the night.

The next morning, Charles looks at the assorted herbs and plants on the table in front of him, checking it off one by one against the list in his head. 

'Is that all?' Angel asks with a suggestive smirk.

Satisfied, he nods. 'Yes, that is all.'

'What are these for, lover boy?' Angel goes around the counter of her small flower shop that doubles as Charles’ source of medicinal herbs, and retrieves a large lotus leaf. 'To increase your Alpha's performance?'

Charles flushes brightly, and it only serves to deepen the smirk on Angel's face. Despite her vulgar sense of humour, Angel is one of few who doesn’t treat him differently for his past, and Charles suspects that it has something to do with resemblance to her own.

'It's fine,' she says, wrapping his purchases in the leaf and securing it with a twine. 'I'm not going to talk. I can keep a secret.'

He doesn't comment, mostly because he's impatient to get home and begin working on the medicines. He leaves Angel's shop flushing after she winks and wishes him luck.

The rest of Charles' day is spent in boiling leaves and reducing them to create a tonic, grinding a root to extract its oil, or in mixing herbs to create a salve.

He's grinding the last of the mixtures into a fine paste when Erik enters through the door. Charles is so lost in the process that he almost jumps a foot in the air when Erik calls for him.

'Erik!' Charles beams, wiping his gritty hands on his white robe. ‘Oh dear, is it dark already? I barely noticed.’

Erik looks around their home, at the mud stove and takes in the various vials and bowls containing tonics and ointments. A small smile tugs at his lips. ‘Clearly.’ He walks further into what classifies as a kitchenette and picks up a bundle of twigs. ‘What are these for?’

Charles bites his lip. Oh, dear. What if Erik refuses to be treated? What if he laughs at Charles or waves away his concerns? He should have consulted with Erik before concocting tonics and balms. Regardless, it’s too late for that now, so Charles says slowly, ‘You have a wound on your chest,’

‘Yes,’ Erik says, making it sound more like a question than an affirmation.

‘Well, whoever cleaned it has done a poor job, and now it’s infected. The infection might get into your bloodstream if it isn’t treated.’

‘And this is?’ Erik gestures vaguely at the mess Charles has made around their kitchen. 

‘Medicine,’ Charles says, wringing his hands, ‘It should stop the infection from spreading and help in healing the wound.’

‘And you…’ Erik’s eyes rake over a dozen vials filled with an amber fluid, ‘made all of it?’

Charles nods vigorously.

Erik stares at Charles for a long moment, head tilted to one side, like a cat would look at a ball of yarn, amazed and skeptical at the same time. ‘Right,’ he says just when Charles begins to think that either Erik would begin laughing at him or walk right out the door. ‘Then we should get right to it, I suppose. What do you want me to do?’

Charles sighs in relief. This, Charles knows very well. ‘I can’t apply the medicine without thoroughly cleaning the wound. So please sit down and take off your tunic.’ 

A heat spreads through Charles’ cheeks even as he says it, and he turns towards the stove to hide it. Erik moves behind him as Charles busies himself with boiling a bowl of water. Once boiled, he lowers the bowl from the fire, grabs a bundle of clean cotton cloth, arranges a few other vials he'd need on a tray and goes to where Erik’s sitting on the bedroll, legs outstretched in front of him and back leaning against the wall. 

A flush spreads anew on his cheeks on seeing Erik's bare torso. It's a miracle that the contents of the tray hasn’t spilled out from his unsteady hands. Opting to stare instead on the contents of the tray, Charles comes to sit on the bedroll beside Erik. 

This close, Erik's scent is a dizzying thing and his body heat is impossible to ignore. 

Take a hold of yourself, Charles tells himself, taking shorter breaths through his nose. Erik's injured, he needs medical attention, not his fumbling ones. 

'Here.' Charles picks a vial containing a clear liquid from the tray and hands it to Erik, decisively not looking him in the eye. 'Drink this. It'll bring the fever down.'

Erik takes the vial wordlessly and drains down the contents with a wince while Charles folds a length of cotton cloth and dips it in a bowl of spirit. 

'This might sting a bit,' Charles says in warning, leaning forward to wipe at the wound. Up close, the cut isn't as bad as Charles had assessed it to be. The infection is localised. Cleaning and draining away the pus should help it heal faster. 

Erik hisses as the cloth drags against the bruised skin, the lumps of dried blood resisting the movement. 

'Sorry,' Charles whispers and squeezes Erik's shoulder once with his other hand. 'How did this happen?'

'Az and I were practicing. He nicked my skin by mistake.' Erik's voice is barely above a whisper, and his soft breaths whisp against the skin of Charles' nape, tinkling every hair follicle in its wake. Charles barely suppresses a shudder. 

'Didn't you have it looked at by a physician?'

'I didn't think it would turn septic,' Erik admits sheepishly. 

Charles hums in reply. With the dried blood removed, Charles cleans the wound with water. He dips another piece of clean cloth in a tonic and dabs it on the cut to drain away the pus. 

They spend the next few minutes in comfortable silence as Charles continues to drain the pus from the cut. At least, it isn't so bad that it would need stitches.

'How did you know?' It's Erik who breaks the silence. 'I don't remember telling you.'

'You were having nightmares for a couple of days now, and I figured it was because of the injury,' Charles says risking a glance at Erik.

'Oh. I'm sorry-' Erik stutters, chagrined. 'I'm sorry if I disturbed or kept you awake-'

'It's okay, Erik.' Charles smiles soothingly. 'And in a way, it was a good thing I noticed. Otherwise, the septic would have spread.' 

Erik doesn't reply to that and Charles continues with his ministrations. He fills the cut with a salve after draining away the pus and places a clean piece of cotton over it. Cutting another long, rectangular piece of cotton, Charles loops it around Erik's chest to keep the salve in place. 

The wound has to be cleaned after two days and the process has to be repeated until the cut dries completely, but Charles already knew that. He’d mixed enough medicine to last them a month.

Still, not daring to look at Erik, Charles picks up the empty vials and the bits of the dirtied cloth on the tray and moves to get up, only to be stopped by Erik’s warm hand on his arm.

‘Thank you,’ Erik says sincerely when Charles finally looks up. There’s something deep in Erik’s eyes, an emotion that conveys so much more than the gratitude coming out of his lips. ‘I… Thank you.’

‘It’s fine, Erik,’ Charles smiles gently, but makes no effort to move from the spot.

Erik nods. ‘Where did you learn all this?’ He asks, eyeing the tray and the remnants of medicine it contains.

‘Oh,’ Charles says, placing the tray on the floor beside him and training his gaze on the patch of dried green paste on the folds of his robe.‘I’d always been interested in medicine, I suppose. Even as a child I used to run to the gardens and dirty my attire trying to gather herbs. It drove my mother mad.’ He chuckles at the memory of his furious mother chastising him and the servants for allowing Charles out of the Mansion in the first place. ‘My mother had thought that I was acting on behalf of a child’s curiosity and that my antics would fade as I grew up. But it didn’t. It only got stronger. My father was always supportive, and it did help that he was the Lord of Weschester. The title helped him procure books on medicine from various sellers. By the time I was fifteen, half of his library was filled with my books. I studied those books religiously.’ A woeful smile ghosts over Charles’ lips at the memory.

Erik doesn’t reply, content to listening to Charles speak. He’s a comfortable presence at Charles’ side, his hand a warm brand on Charles’ arm. 

‘After my father passed away my Mother remarried,’ Charles continues. ‘And then Shaw’s eyes fell upon me.’ Erik snarls at the mention of the name. Maybe even Charles would have if he could muster the anger and energy to spend on a dead man. ‘I packed a few books in my trunk when I came to Genosha, and they were my only companions when I was bound to Shaw’s harem.’

Erik’s hand moves further down Charles’ arm to curl his long fingers around Charles’ palm, as if to provide comfort in a way words can’t.

‘And all that knowledge I had accumulated over the years didn’t go to waste in the end like my mother thought it would. It helped me in stopping my pregnancy.’ Charles’ other hand comes to clutch at the robe over his stomach, and his voice wavers when he says, ‘Twice.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Erik whispers. Coming from Erik, it’s more than a mere condolence, for he, too, has lost his child.

‘It had to be done,’ Charles says, shaking his head. He blinks his eyes to clear it of the moisture covering it. ‘I couldn’t let Shaw’s spawn enter this world. I couldn’t-’ Charles stops to take a shaky breath. ‘Besides, what future would a concubine’s child have? For it would have forever borne the reputation of being a whor-’

‘No!’ Erik cuts Charles off with a severe finger on his lip. The steel in Erik’s voice rattles around the four walls upsettingly. ‘Never call yourself that. Never.’

Charles smiles woefully. ‘That’s what I am to the world, aren’t I?’ 

That’s what he’ll always be to the world. Shaw’s whore.

‘Fuck the world,’ Erik snarls. Charles would have pondered over the sudden anger in Erik’s eyes if he hadn’t been surprised by the outburst. ‘Fuck the world,’ Erik says again, a little softer this time. ‘You’re so much more than that, Charles. You’re brilliant, kind, honest and generous. You were kind and generous to me even when I didn’t deserve it.’ 

Charles shakes his head to protest, but Erik continues, ‘It’s true. I spent many years believing that killing Shaw would bring me peace. It gave me closure, yes, but it didn’t bring me peace. You did. You brought me peace. You showed me how to smile again. You taught me how to be happy when I believed that I had buried it with my family. You brought back love into my life when I had given up hope.’

Erik stops, and blinks several times, as though he,too, is surprised by his confession. Charles, for his part, can only gape at Erik in equal parts confusion and surprise.

Taking Charles’ other hand gently from where it’s twisted in his robe, Erik inhales a deep breath, and says, ‘You are the light in my world of darkness, Charles. And if you’ll allow me, I would like to spend the rest of my life proving it to you.’

There are many things Charles could say to that. He could say that Erik’s the only one who has respected him for who he is. That Erik’s the only friend he has ever had in his life. He could say that he probably fell in love with Erik the day Erik had angrily handed him a bag of gold coins and the reins of a horse and had told him to go home without expecting anything in return. Charles could say a lot of things, but he can’t. Not when his tongue is stuck to the floor his mouth. So he tugs on Erik’s hands that are holding his’ and pulls Erik into a fierce kiss.

~3 years later~

‘Is that all?’ Angel asks from behind the counter.

Charles ticks off ‘5 bundles of waterhyssop’ from the list and shoves the parchment into the pocket of his robe. ‘Yes, that would be all for now. Could you please have Sean deliver it?’

He pays for his purchases and then remembers. ‘Oh, and, Angel, could you please add two dozen nutmeg and swalloroot as well?’

Angel looks at him skeptically, like he’s making a weird request. Maybe he is. The last of the supplies aren’t to concoct medicines for his patients, but for his own well-being and in turn the well-being of the tiny life growing inside him. 

A small smile tugs at his lips at the thought, and his hand comes to cover his abdomen protectively. He’s still three months in, and not showing, so Angel doesn’t make anything of his reaction.

‘Here,’ she says, placing a bundle of swallowroot and nutmeg bound in a lotus leaf. ‘Jean’s mother was complaining of swelling in her shoulder joint. I told her to go see you. Can you make time for her today?’

Charles recalls his schedule for the day. He has no prior appointments with any of his patients, and apart from the few hours he has to mentor Hank on root medicine before lunch, he’s free for the rest of the day until Erik returns. 

‘Send her sometime after lunch,’ he says, smiling.

Just as Charles finishes paying for his purchase, an old woman enters the shop, her round face framed by greying hair. ‘Oh, hello. I was wondering if you could help me procure a bunch of flowers for my daughter,’ she asks Angel.

Charles leaves Angel to attend to the woman and bids his leave from the shop. Angel and the woman continue to converse behind him, a part of which carries to the exit and falls on his ears.

‘Who is that young man who was here when I entered? He looks familiar to me,’ asks the old woman, to which Angel replies, ‘He’s the town’s physician, and the General is his mate.’ 

He’s the town’s physician and the General is his mate, the words ring in his ear all the way home and some time after. A smile perpetually resides on his lips.

-

[ficsnroses]

Friends With Benefits Chapter 8 - Keanu Reeves x Reader

Chapter VIII ~ The Death of Us.

Part 1  Part 2 Part 3 Part 4  Part 5  Part 6 Part 7

Word Count : 3.7K

Warnings : so much angst omg. nsfw, smut. crying? 

Series Summary :  What happens when two, lonely friends start seeing each other for sex? A tricky friends with benefits love story, when feelings get in the way.

A/N : Oh gosh. Welcome back, three more chapters after this! let’s get this show wrapped up by June. Feedback is so so greatly appreciated, please do leave comments if ya get a sec :)

Chapter 7 Recap : Keanu and Y/N sort out their argument, and Y/N apologizes for her behaviour. They spend an evening together, and Keanu decides he’ll put his feelings aside to keep Y/N happy; keep their relationship as solely fwb and nothing else. However, after ending up in bed together again, Y/N leaves Keanu’s home in tears late into the evening, unable to bear the reality, that their relationship will perhaps never be more than just sexual. 

.

Being lost; when the mind and heart won’t work in harmony.

You’ll find peace,

            Through harmony, they whisper.

The untouched hills and thick ash clouds promise solitude, they become tempting as the streetlights pass, light fading away before shot back up in the next lamppost’s amber glow. Beyond the hills, they cease. The surrounding land falls remote, only whispers of gusty dry wind and occasional howl of the nightly residents breaking amity. A blanket of silence falls the car, the feel of the cold steering wheel riveted in your clammy fingers,

the only tolerable sensation.

Skin frigid, yet your insides burn. A never ending burn- the sensation almost brings you comfort, something strangely familiar as of late; your facial muscles barely twitch, lacklustre formed to the thought of what you’d just run away from. What you’d left behind. Tension, apprehension exaggerated in the lines of his forehead. A faint grimace lingers the planes of your face, heart in agony to the thought of those haunting dusky orbs, drained and spent as he watched you leave.

He has a heart of gold, and you know you’re killing him. He cares for the ones who mean something to him far too much. You’re hurting him. You know it. It felt as if you’d constantly been pushing him, pulling him, never quite finding the balance you craved.

After all, only your weak, mortal shell remains, the breeze filtering in from the slightly cracked passenger window a residual grace to your skin.

Your dreary mind never leaves the passing streetlights. They seem almost as pulses of light, rhythms of transition on your tedious drive home. The light comes back around just when you start to need it most; the piercing glow ignites your way,

fleetingly although. 

Even the streetlights end down the road- for down the road, never-ending darkness is all that’s left to perverse.

Keanu. Maybe you and Keanu, would be out of streetlights soon.

How long could this go on anyway? When you started out, the rules were clear. Love hadn’t been factored into the equation, yet here you were. You are in love with the only man you weren’t supposed to be with. And you can run from it; from yourself. But you can't be with him around. Not when your relationship is founded on exactly what lovers do- yet a fallacy, for you.

You’d been looming in silence, for what felt like an absurd eternity. Lost in thought, as if silently quarrelling to yourself that you need to let him go. He doesn’t deserve this; you don’t deserve this. 

The sudden sputter of the car engine creaking rumbles, the reverberations of turbulence so dense as the turmoil increases, the worn out tires faltering slow. Gravity sinks its nails in, immediately dragging them down,

slow,

slow,

            before they stop.

Don’t they say, the one you long for never leaves your mind? Your thoughts are free to roam anywhere, chase any reverie, yet it's surprising how often they head in his direction. His words seem to spring as a song well rehearsed, a melody tuned a thousand times. “You need to get rid of this thing, Y/N.” - the ring of his slight chuckle cursing through your remembrance. “It’s going to break down on you someday.” He’d reason, tone thick on concern.

Ingrained on your mind, a thick groan coarses your lips, wheel clenched in your hand. Slammed on the wheel, your palm stings with pierce, frustration copious in each action, each movement.

Of course, this would happen to you. Stranded, at 11:00pm on an empty LA street, your home still miles away awaits. The towers and mechanics would have bid goodnight a while past, and you didn’t quite know enough people in town to call. Apart from,

the same man you’d just practically run from.

Your jaw clenches and your features fall stoic, left no other choice than to see if Keanu could come by. What would he think? Perhaps pity. Perhaps, disappointment. Feasibly, the infamous “I told you so”. Truth be told, he may have been the last person you wanted to see right now. The last person you wanted to ask for help. Perhaps it was your own personal defence mechanism; your chant to the world, to him, that you’re fine. You don’t need someone, even if that someone was him.

A chilled gust of wind propels through the car window, uncertainty broad on your mind. With your fingers gripping the cold frame of your cellphone, you anticipate his voice on the other end, as if in a race with your own mind. Had you even known what to say? What does one say when they’ve practically left you, without reason, knowing it hurt you? Yet again, the universe proves. Your vanity ends in failure.

You’d sworn a breath had caught in your lungs when you heard his voice on the other end, deep and worn, a drowse apparent. He’d probably tried to get some shut eye after the happening of the eve, and yet again, as always, you’d intruded. 

“Y/N?” His voice holds confusion. You swallow a lump, unsure of how to start. “Hey,” Adopting a milder, soft tone than when you’d left. “I didn’t know who else to call.”

“Are you okay? Something wrong?” He inquires, a ruffle of movement on the other end. Defeated, your cold hand runs through the weary strands of locks on your head, the smell of burnt gasoline impelling the tip of your senses, dense and robust.

                 Isn’t it funny, how the smell of gasoline is so pleasurable, even though you know it’s bad?

Guilt. Finding pleasure in the wrong place. It’s not good for you. Why must some of the best things not be good for you?

“I’m on 231st. My car gave out on me.”

There’s a slight silence that falls to the line; unsympathetic, hollow, ambiguous. Would he care? What if he’d been upset over how you’d left tonight? What if he’d finally had enough of these abrupt changes of pace? Keanu and you seemed to never get it right, never finding the balance you so desperately wanted.

In a moment, he begins, more ease to your hurtling mind now. “Don’t go anywhere.” He replies. “Stay in your car, lock the doors and keep your phone close by.” The door slams shut on his end, heavy footsteps pacing to the car. “Be safe, okay? I’m on my way.”

Relief washes over, seeing his tall frame and concerned expression trekking towards your car door. He’d been the last person you wanted to call; yet also the first, the only person you wanted to see. There’s always been something so familiar about him, something so comforting, something you can seem to escape.

The evening air is powered with something indefinite, twilight fallen with the first buzz of mosquitos in the distance. The air stood damp and cool, his features a little softer in the darkness that surrounds.

He opens the car door, allowing you to step out, your gaze unknowingly fixed to the pavement below. Relief shone clear and bright on his face, his urge to pull you to his chest; give you the security you deserved right now strong. Yet, he opts for a mellow hand placed to your shoulder, cautious from the events of the evening prior. “You’re okay?” He asks, giving a gentle squeeze.

“Yeah.” You nod. “Thanks for coming, really.” Assuring, your hand waves slight, a gesture of peace. “I know it’s really late and-” swift, his hand raises, waving off your words, considerate. With a nod of his head, he gestures you towards his car, heavy palm reverting to the small of your back now as he guides you, his need to make sure you’re really safe and okay fresh on his mind.

“My place is a lot closer, I’ll take you with me.” He casually throws out, prepared for the argument he knew you’d put up.

“No, it’s alright, really. You know I’m only 15 minutes from here.” You maintain, turning your gaze his way. With a sigh, he starts again, eyes hefty with please.

“Y/N, please.” His eyes clench shut, features tight and dense, breathing in a deep inhale. “I didn’t want you to leave tonight, but you did. And now this…” The street around you was quiet, dim light and distant cars humming made the atmosphere almost far from comfortable. “Please.” He reiterates. Glancing up towards the moonless black, you bite back another weary sigh. Perhaps…

“Okay.” Sucking in a dull breath, you gesture to his car, him following suit as with your enfeeble bones take place in the passenger seat. With his hand firm on the drive, he pulls onto the dark LA road, his house en route, lines on his forehead exaggerated with concern for the woman he loves so dearly, but can’t have.

You’d been acting strange lately, far too distant for his liking. It seemed as if no matter how hard you both tried, you couldn’t find the balance. Couldn’t find whatever it was you needed to save your sinking ship. And it was eating away at him, killing him to know that undeniably, undoubtedly,

you were slipping away.

            even if he never really had you.

It had been a tough night, a tough day for both of you. Yet, his mind only wondered what you were feeling. Were you alright? Did you hate him for making you come back? He needed to be let in so desperately, needed to know what was written out to be far too soon. It had been tough for both of you today, yet he only cared about you. You before him, always. With his eyes briefly diverting to you, staring out the car window with an intent gaze, he shifts his hand slowly, gently to rest over yours on your lap.

To say it hurt him when you flinched, so slightly, barely noticeable, would be an understatement.

It shot daggers in him.

Yet, he offers a gentle squeeze when you keep it in place ultimately. “What are you thinking about?” He offers, voice smooth, expression mildly curious as he turns to look at you, filling the silence.

You stay quiet for a moment, gaze never leaving the mountains outside, passing by. That feeling had come back. The feeling of assurance, the feeling of being safe with him. You almost wished your brain would forget how sheltered he made you feel.

It would make all this a lot easier.

“It was raining not long ago.” You speak, voice soft, low. His lips stiff straight in a thin line, minor hum of nod through his breath. Your tone stays quiet, the thought of him heavier on your mind than the sharp LA mountains outside could ever be. “But it stopped.”

“It always stops” He speaks. “Sooner or later.”

His voice had that gentle hum to it, the serene sedative comfort. And then to the thought of it, you stared out the window, and stared, and stared, and stared.

He placed his hands on your soul,

before reaching for your hips; or your lips. And that was what ruined you.

How did you ever let it get this way? How did you ever let it get

   this

   way.

Late into the eve, you’d found yourself back exactly where gravity seemed to pull you, each time. There, with him, under him while he made love to you; only the love was what was missing, and with Keanu, it seemed it would always be. He isn’t in this relationship, he never was, never will be. It’s just you, alone, hoping, pleading that he’ll see through you; understand what this is not how you want him.

With the only light in the room filtering in from the moon side glow & the LA city night lights, you feel him on top, weight of his body on yours, his arms on either side of you holding the bed as he thrusts. His features are barely defined, yet you make out a thin line of sweat on his forehead; mouth slightly agape, breaths rugged and low. His chest heaves, cock pulsing inside your clenched cunt, the bed frame rocks, hitting the wall with each jerk. He wasn’t touching you in any other way than his member pumping your warm, wet folds, hastily, a controlled pace steady with his rocking hips. His balls slam, hitting your core each time, loud in the quiet room as you whimper quietly, fingernails sunk into the blades of his shoulders,

and with each slam, you feel yourself further and further realizing,

         This isn’t working anymore.

This is all you know with him, so this is what you do. And you know you had no right to be upset over it. This is what you signed up for. You did this. You let it get this way.

These aren’t the sounds you want to hear anymore. This isn’t the way you want to feel him anymore. These sounds, these sinful sounds compare none to what you want, what you need. 

You wanted it all, 

the soft whispers, quiet laughs shared late into the night. The sound of his pure voice when you haven’t heard it for a while, the gentle hum of his throat when he’d tell you he loves you. The simple, mundane life together. A life where he’s a significant part, but in more ways than just this.

Your bodies shudder with pleasure, but you know it’s only a temporary illusion. You see him, and you want to feel him so close, but not this way. This isn’t what you ever wanted, it was never what you really wanted. That night when you first had sex a year ago should have never happen. And it should have never happened again, and again, and again.

You did this to your friendship. And now it’s too far gone for fixing; too far lost to mend.

This isn’t working anymore.

This isn’t working anymore.

The morning comes, as it always does. Your bones feel as if they ache, tired eyes needing a moment to adjust to the light around, remembering where you were. In Keanu’s bed, yet the spot beside you lays empty, vacant. Finding yourself bare from the waist under, you remember the sex session the night prior, and you’d opted to leave your bottoms on the bedroom floor as he drifted to sleep, beside you.

Was there even anything to hide from him anymore? Nothing he hadn’t seen a hundred times. 

With a lift of the heavy duvet, you barely climb out of the mattress, shimmying on the full of your clothes, before heading downstairs. You should be outta here soon, anyway.

The house air smells of dark coffee, the scent of a morning cigarette barely filtering in from the patio backdoors. You’d always hoped he’d quit the nasty habit, take better care of his health where he could.

Cold tiles trace under your feet, a small yawn elicited when you feel your weary bones ache, wanting nothing more than to go home, away from him for now. Seeing him, being around him was proving to be far too hard. There was no running from it now. It was clear as could be, laid out on the table.

You are in love with him. You know it, and you know it shouldn’t be.

But it is. It so fiercely, truly, is.

You find him stood by the window, gazing beyond the backyard foliage, phone propped to his ear as he speaks low, quiet. Making yourself known with a slight cough, your eyes meet as his frame turns, lips curled to a smile your way. His cocoa orbs look dewy in the morning light, cheeks rosy with a slight excitement, something so warm, so inviting.

You’d wish to hold him in your arms, just that way. Keep him that way forever.

Sitting at the kitchen stool, you wait for him to finish on the line, before you’d let him know of your soon departure.  Within a few moments, Keanu retires the phone call, moving your way. 

“Morning.” He greets, pouring you a roasty cup of a.m. coffee from the burner.

“I’m okay.” You return, shifting in your seat to sit straighter now. “I’m just about heading out actually, an Uber’s on the way.”

Brows furrowed, he speaks. “You just woke up. Stay, I’ll make us breakfast.” With a sip of his earthy dark, he sets his phone down on the granite counter, a lingering smile catching your eye. “I wanted to talk to you about something, actually.”

Your hands find place in your lap, listening to his words. “Oh...okay. Sure. What’s up?” You inquire, unsure, yet slightly hopeful it may be something you so desperately wanted to hear, something you’d frantically hoped he’d let fall off his lips; that maybe, just maybe, he felt the same.

That maybe, you could find the balance, together.

His hand runs through his overgrown, dusty mocha locks, a small chuckle let off. “Okay, I just got off the phone with an acquaintance who deals autos.” Your expression reverts to plain, a pierce of defeat courses through your nerves. “And there’s this brand new model of a great car. You just need to sign the paperwork and it’s yours. I’ll take care of it.” He tells, 

and you swore you’d heard a slight hint of sympathy to his tone. Cold, pitiful, 

sympathy. Is that what you were now?

“It would cost more to fix the one you have now than it's even worth.” He explains, watching your expression fall. “And I don’t want you having to worry about it, you deserve a break. Really.” He reasons, trying his best to make out the look on your fallen face.

With your eyes set on the counter below, your thoughts scramble, desperate to gather, choke out a response. But nothing comes out. Nothing at all for the first few moments.

“Y/N?” He asks, head tilting in an attempt to meet your lowered gaze. To be met with assertion; affirmation, is not what he’d thought would come, when the wavelengths of your sunken voice allow into the now colder room air.

Headstrong, yet collected, you regret the words he’d said. “Who do you think you are?” You say, voice low, yet assertive. Your hands unknowingly ball into a fist, emotions running high through your veins. “What is this, charity?” Standing now, you push the counter stool away, finally bringing your irate eyes up to his. “I don’t need your charity.”

“Y/N,” He starts, a hushed breath slipping past his lips as he stares wide eyed. You looked destroyed almost, raw, a sight he felt break at him.

“No.” You stop him, hand moving up to block his trek further. “Don’t.” Whispering, your voice breaks, the feel of complete, and utter, defeat gnawing your bones. There was a dull ache of exhaustion nearing your temple, your forehead pulsing, but you’d gotten very good at disregarding it by now.

His features tense, regret seeped. “Y/N, I didn’t mean it like that.” He reasons, attempts at moving your way shunned as you back away now, toward the door. You force your fingers to relax their deadly clench in your balled fist, eyes shut tight as you desperately pray this wasn’t happening.

It was finally happening. 

It was inevitable.

“Y/N,” He pleads, fearful that this time,

the rain would abide for good, transpiring a full fledged storm. And it wouldn’t end.

Not now, not ever. It’s all too much, & the friendship, the companionship feels far gone. It’s turned to sympathy.

You turn his way abruptly, locking eyes, voice dipping into something colder as you begin, tears forming in the corner drops of your eyes. “Did you even bother thinking about how this makes me feel? Or did it not matter because you’re ‘Keanu The Great’, fixing the entire world’s problems? And I’m just another hopeless case in the bunch?” You say louder than intended, lip quivering with a shame that felt wounded, the pain of him becoming more unbearable by the second. He watches you, and it's killing him to see you this hurt.

It’s killing him that he did this. Again. He fucked up, again. He feels the sting of tobacco on his tongue from a burned smoke earlier, but doesn’t look away from your eyes; despite the firm voice inside telling him that he should.  He watches you, unable to move. Unable to leave.

Unable to do anything at all to make it alright.

“You’re not…a charity case for me, Y/N. How could you ever think-” He barely manages, voice faltering thick in his deep throat, wanting so desperately to reach out and hold you in the comfort of his arms, explain that everything can be okay again.

Yet his words only seem to add fuel to the fire inside you, voice channeling through the house walls as you dispute. “Not a charity case?’ You fathom, jaw tightened as you try your best to uphold assertion, dominance. “We sleep together, for fuck sake!” You almost cry, feeling each and every wall around you,

Crumble. Crumble to shreds.

“Did you not once think how much this would hurt me? How degrading this feels?” you’d tried hard, yet they’d escaped. The tears escaped; and the end was near.

His legs move again, inching near your feeble frame. “I’m so sorry, Y/N, please, hear me out.” He pleads, reaching for the soft skin of your arm, as you retract away, wiping your bleary eyes. “Okay, I’m sorry. Please don’t cry.” He begs, backing away for your comfort, his own heart breaking piece by piece for his love in front of him, hurting, and it’s all

his

fault. 

“Please don’t cry, Y/N. Im sorry, really.” His weary hand runs through his hair, scared, in fear that he’d hurt your relationship forever, and any attempts at being more. “We’ll talk later, sweetheart. Okay?” He tries, hoping the nickname would bring calm to your rage. Noting Keanu’s expression, your watery eyes stay focused on his, sincerely connected, and you allow your features to soften, adopting a milder, more reasoned tone. With your voice cracking, you speak ultimately into the morning air, the words set solid, 

forever.

“No we won’t.” You begin, swallowing the lump in your throat. “This isn’t working anymore.” You croak, the tears burning so bad now, filling your eyes. “We’re over.”

And the words pierce through Keanu, as if the bullet of a thousand guns force. His heart drops, left nothing but a gaping hole of dark to fill the void, and the words black out his overthrown mind, pulsing with an ache.

           We’re over,

     Before we even started.

➶ ➴➶ ➴➶ ➴➶ ➴➶ ➴➶ ➴➶ ➴➶ ➴➶ ➴➶ ➴➶ ➴➶ ➴

>>Part 9>>

In order for my fics to show up in tags, my taglists will be posted in reblogs from now on. Let me know if you want to be added or removed from either this series, or the permanent! :)

[kezibun]

A storm of a hunt part 3

Part 1

Previous

Next

You hesitantly tell him your name, maybe he was actually just being nice?

"Huh… cool name..." He mumbles.

A waft of coldness crawls over your skin, making goose bumps rise. You can't stop the shiver that follows it.

 "Oh shoot." Papyrus sighs. "That damn heater." 

He stands up, then kicks the little heater a few times and presses the button, but nothing happens. He seems to give up on the heater and you watch him as he walks over to the box labelled torture. Your whole body is tense but you keep you're eye on him as he rummages through the box. He's looking for something that you can be sure of.

 After all this was he really going to hurt you? After what's been said? What will he find in there? What does he want? Maybe he's looking for something to tie you up with. 

 He's just playing some kind of sick game again, like everyone else in this hell hole. You shouldn't trust anyone, not even down here. You just can't especially since all you've been met with is manipulation, lies and treachery. 

Maybe now you could try to escape, slip away while his back is turned. But as you try and sit up, a sharp pain burns in your side, there is no way you're going anywhere while you're in this agony. You sit back down and instinctively hold your injuries, not that it helps. Why does everything hurt worse once you've had a minute to rest?

 Papyrus comes over with something. It looks like a big metal tin. How Is he going to hurt you with this?

He kneels on the floor, setting the tin down, he's filled it with wood and sticks. Then he snaps his fingers over it, an orange spark floats down settling on a twig, it fizzles briefly as it sets alight. The fire is slow to grow but it already feels warmer than the small space heater. The flames grow and dance as they cast an amber glow. You're mesmerised for a moment.

"Do your injuries still hurt?" His question snaps you out of it.

"Yeah, those traps did quite the number on me." You say with a nervous laugh. 

"Let me check your HP."

"Wa-"

In that second the world around goes dark, an encounter? You feel fear creep over you, this wasn't good. 

"-It…."

Damn is he going to fight you? Or just check you like he said? If this was going to be like any of the other monsters you'd encountered before? you're sure it won't be fun.

You look over to your HP. There's something weird about it, it doesn't seem right, and that makes your stomach churn with even more nerves. You don't know what's wrong but It can't be good.

 He stares at you intently for a second.

'Papyrus cheeked your stats he doesn't seem happy with what he sees.' 

It's your turn now. His name is yellow, you know what that means. You're tempted to take a peek at his stats but you really don't have the energy right now and you're pretty sure he won't appreciate it. You are definitely not up for a fight, so you choose mercy. Everything fades back to normal. That wasn't so bad.

He then just walks out, leaving you behind and alone. The only sounds that keep you company are the crackling fire in front of you and the howling wind outside. 

You sigh and huddle up by said fire, pulling the jacket around you again as you wonder what on earth he saw that he didn't like. You hope whatever it was won't get you hurt. How did you ever end up in this situation? If only you could remember.

 You feel the warmth of the fire almost wrap around you as it seeps in and you finally start to thaw. Your toes almost sting like pins and needles as the feeling starts coming back to them. 

It wasn't long though until Papyrus was back, he entered silently like he'd just appeared in the room.

He holds a brown paper bag out to you, "Eat this." 

You take the bag, inside is a donut with black icing and a purple cobweb design on top. You usually would have been suspicious of such a gift, just in case it was poisoned. But at this point you don't really care, you're just happy to get some food. All you can do now is sort of trust him right? as much as you might dislike it. What other choice do you have?

"Thanks." 

You take a bite of the donut, the first flavour you get is sugar, it's very sweet, there also seems to be a bit of a spiced flavour then you taste the weirdest thing, you're hit with a faintly meaty flavour like chicken, mixed with a slightly fishy taste? and there's a dubious crunch to it. Then following it is a sandy texture that tastes smokey, but it's all then taken over by the alcoholic aftertaste that hits next. Despite the weirdness it's actually pretty good, better than snail pie to say the least, possibly the second best thing you've eaten since falling down here, the first being that candy that kept you alive through the ruins. You finish off the whole donut.

Wait. A sudden strange feeling washes over you, you feel the urge to check your stats. Did you just level up? That's kinda mysterious but cool, why would that have happened?

He then sits in front of you.

"What are you doing?" You ask.

"Your wound…How's it?"

"It um... feels a little better."

"Let me check it?" He asks.

You pause and take a moment to think. "I… don't know…" Is the only reply you could conjure up.

"It's ok."

He pulls the jacket off your shoulder.

"Hey don't." You grab his wrist.

He takes your hand and moves it off his wrist with a scowl. Then he pushes your ripped top up enough to see your wound. 

You flinch as his cold phalanges brush against your skin. 

"Sorry." He mutters, but he doesn't stop what he's doing, he looks over your badly wrapped wounds.

Now that he's so close you notice how his cheekbones seem to have a faint rusty glow to them, and he's actually pretty cute. No you can't be thinking like that. He's a skeleton monster that just hunted you down in a snowstorm, and scared you half to death. Not to mention you're now in his torture shed.

"The trap had some magic that stops it healing. I'm gonna to treat it. Can I… um...?" He gestures to your injuries and you fill in the gap.

You think for a minute… Is it smart to let him treat you? Probably not. But it might be your only chance, if anything he's saying is true.

"I did a pretty shoddy job with wrapping it up didn't I? Just be careful... I'd rather not die today you know…" You mumbled. Maybe that hint was a little too obvious, you feel like you basically just yelled please don't kill me. Would it be better to just beg for your life? Would that get you anywhere? Could you let go of what little pride you have left?

"You're lucky. I... can't have you dying yet." He takes his phone out and gets a first aid kit from his inventory. "Could ya hold your shirt up?" 

You do as he asks and hold up your top, the cool air is sharp to your newly exposed skin, you can't help but shiver some more.

"You humans sure feel the cold don't ya?"

Is he trying to strike up a conversation? Or just making an oddball comment?

Either way you don't really answer him… 

And with that he quickly warms his hands over the fire before he ever so carefully unwraps your bloody makeshift bandage. You watch his every move carefully, making sure there's no foul play. He then gets out a small round pot from the first aid kit, it's white with a green symbol on the lid.

"This'll sting but it'll help."

He applies the light green cream, it has a peculiar scent that can only be described as warm and kind, but it feels like he's just rubbed nettles over your flesh, that means it's working right? For you're benefit you hope. He then wraps your wound up, it's not too tight but definitely tighter then whatever you'd managed before. He pulls his jacket back around you. 

"You should try and get some sleep." He pats your head before he sits down next to you. 

"Are you staying?" 

"Yeah. Rest. I'll stay guard."

"Why are you helping me?" You query.

"It's complicated." He huffs. "No more chit chat. Just sleep already." He pulls the hood over your face roughly.

"Ok." You yawn as you lean into the corner of the shed, the wooden wall is cold and hardly an ideal pillow but you are so tired it barely bothers you, you close your eyes and soon enough you're asleep. 

. . .

"MUTT! have you lost your mind?" 

"Hush M'lord, They're sleepin'."

"YES SLEEPING AND NOT DEAD." 

"I can't kill em." 

You open your eyes slightly, stirring awake from the commotion and loud voices. 

You see Papyrus and the other skeleton, his brother?

"Then let me at the darn human." He snaps.

"M'lord you can't." Papyrus stops his brother from getting closer.

"AND WHY NOT!?"

"I told you. I need to figure it out. Trust me."

"You're going soft, don't forget your duty Papyrus! You have a week! NO THREE DAYS! Figure out whatever the heck you need to then get rid of that pest, that rodent." He starts walking off. "If Alphys finds out, I'm dead, this will be the end of my malevolent career. The Queen will have our heads for this! YOU KNOW THAT RIGHT?" He huffs as he storms out. 

You're still so tired… your eyelids are too heavy to keep open… With this new silence you can't stay awake for even a second more.

[lady-hammerlock]

Like a Church on Fire - Chapter Four (The Outer Worlds - Millsoto )

AN: So here’s the last chapter. This one is relatively safe for work. I hope you have enjoyed this story. As usual, the full chapter is under the cut. :)

CHAPTER FOUR

Felix was starting to fall in love with the feeling of waking up in Max’s arms. He realised that he was already becoming used to his limbs entangling with Max’s own while the two of them slept, and found himself hoping that he wouldn’t have to become used to sleeping alone again any time soon.

It wasn’t long before the expedition to clear out and resettle Cascadia was ready to go. Zora had spent a lot of time over the past couple of days planning the best way to go about it, with the help of Max, Felix and some input from Sanjar as well.

“All right,” Zora said to the mixed group that had assembled outside the gates of Amber Heights. “You all know your roles. You are to clear out Cascadia’s eastern side and set up a perimeter before venturing down into the labs. Vicar Maximillian De Soto will get the settlement’s automated defences up and running while the rest of you push on to the western side. Once the area is clear you will set up a guard rotation while repairs are completed and supplies are dropped into the settlement via ship.”

“I won’t lie,” Zora continued. “This is a dangerous mission. Cascadia has been home to a variety of large creatures and marauder groups since Rizzo’s abandoned it. Some of you might die, but I’m hoping that if we play things safe, stick to the plan, and watch each other’s backs, then we should be able to keep casualties to a minimum. Is that clear?”

“Crystal clear ma’am!” one of the Iconoclasts replied with a sharp salute and a smile.

The slight quirking up of one of the corners of Zora’s mouth was probably the closest she would ever get to outright returning her soldier’s smile.

“Good luck,” she told the group. “I’ll see you all in Cascadia.”

--

The journey south was more unbearable that Felix had anticipated. Max was right there beside Felix the entire time, but there were so many Iconoclasts of members of MSI along with them, and all of them had bravely volunteered to accompany Felix and Max.

Felix knew that they were just delaying the inevitable. Hopefully Max would stay to help with the reconstruction of Cascadia, and who knew how long that would take? Hell, Max might not leave for years. If Felix played his cards right and made a compelling enough argument then he might even be able to ensure it.

That was assuming that Max didn’t see what Felix was doing straight away, and that something more interesting or more important didn’t come along and steal Max away. They were both pretty likely in Felix’s opinion. After all, Max was pretty switched on. Felix probably wouldn’t have admitted it when they first met, but even back then he had been able to tell that the older man was ridiculously smart.

There was also the fact that Max would undoubtedly have all sorts of people coming to him, asking him to help out with all sorts of problems that would all be way more important and way more interesting than anything Felix could come up with. Just because Max hadn’t had any better options when Felix had proposed his Cascadia plan, didn’t mean they weren’t there. He had a hard time imagining Max being as content with mere reconstruction or defence work as Felix had been over the last couple of years. There was hardly anything intellectual about it after all.

If Felix was being completely honest with himself then he had to admit that Max would kind of be wasted with the Iconoclasts.

No. It wouldn’t do. Felix was just going to have to step up and actually tell Max how he felt, and admit that he didn’t want Max to leave.

It was a terrifying thought; one that scared him more than he wanted to admit. He’d stared down mantiqueens and not felt this uneasy.

What the hell was he even going to say? ‘Max; I know that you probably have very important things to do and people that you need to help, but would you mind if I tagged along? Not because I’m unhappy here; just because I’d miss you if you were gone, because well… You wouldn’t believe it Max, but I’ve realised that I…’

Felix found himself glancing over at the other man. Max must have felt Felix’s eyes on him, because he turned towards him, sending Felix a smile that had his heart feeling like it had skipped a couple of beats.

He was in love with Max. It was stupid and terrifying and he kind of wished that he wasn’t because this was awful, but if he couldn’t admit it to himself then how the hell was he ever going to admit it to Max? He, Felix Millstone, was in love with a stupid, brilliant, irritating, wonderful vicar, or maybe it was ex-vicar now. Whatever. The point was, Felix was in love with him, and he needed to find some way for the two of them to stay together because he didn’t want to spend another two years missing him.

--

Cascadia was just dangerous as they had anticipated. Luckily there were no marauders to be seen, but at least two mantiqueens and their broods had taken up residence in the eastern half of the settlement.

The combined team of MSI employees, Iconoclasts, Felix and Max walked into the ruins of Cascadia in a flurry of gunfire and explosions. Before long the majority of the creatures were cleared out and a couple of the soldiers from the MSI camp were celebrating their first mantiqueen kill. Some of the soldiers had begun to poke around the abandoned buildings and corners of the settlement in case there were other dangerous creatures hiding away somewhere.

It was nothing that Felix and Max hadn’t faced before, although Felix at least thought it was nice to have so many people fighting at their side for once, but still he found himself checking on Max once the fight was over, knowing that he wouldn’t be content until he knew that Max hadn’t sustained any serious injuries.

Max seemed more amused by Felix’s fussing over him than anything else, although Felix felt a warm glow spreading throughout his body when he realised that Max was checking him over as well, even if his checking of Felix was substantially more subtle than Felix’s own checking had been.

For just a moment Felix considered telling Max that he loved him, but when he opened his mouth to speak he chickened out, and all that emerged was a soft but teasing, “I’m okay Max.”

--

The two of them made their way down into the depths of the old Cascadia lab, assuring those left on the surface that they would be able to handle anything that they found, and that if they couldn’t then they would be sure to let those left above know, or, at the very least, make a hasty retreat.

A couple of the others volunteered to go down with them, but Max and Felix declined the offer. Max’s job was to get the settlement’s automated defences back up and running, and Felix’s job was to protect Max and watch his back while he was working.

Felix didn’t want to admit it, but he didn’t really want to share that responsibility with anyone else; partially because he didn’t trust anyone else with Max’s life as much as he trusted himself, and partially because the two of them hadn’t had any time to themselves since they had left Amber Heights.

It wasn’t as though he thought they were going to sneak off into a private little corner and fuck each other senseless, although that was a very tempting idea, but the others treated Max, and, to a lesser extent, himself, a little strangely; less like they were human beings and more as though they were heroes from some Byzantium aetherwave serial, larger than life and different from the rest of them. It seemed strange to Felix. After all, they had never treated him like that before Max showed up, or at least the Iconoclasts never had. Perhaps they were just used to him at this stage, but seeing him by Max’s side made them remember that he too had been a crewmember of the Unreliable.

It was bizarre, and Felix hated it.

Plus he missed just being able to have a normal conversation with Max. Once this was all over the two of them would have to find a nice little bar somewhere, or an out of the way hotel room, or hell, even a library if that’s where Max wanted to go; just somewhere they could talk and just be themselves for a bit.

And then maybe, while they were alone together, Felix could finally tell Max how he felt, or at least admit that he didn’t want to be separated from Max again.

He let Max lead the way, following closely behind him as they navigated the old ruins. He vaguely remembered this place from when they had ventured into it behind their Captain, but not nearly as clearly as Max appeared to. He lead the way through the various hallways and past traps; some of which Felix would have missed completely. Eventually they found their way down to a deeper part of the facility than Felix had ever seen before.

Max glanced around for a moment, before nodding in the direction of a room marked ‘Security.’

“Come on,” Max said. “This should be it.”

“You know, I’m probably jinxing us by saying this,” Felix commented, “but I’m amazed that nothing’s attacked us down here so far.”

“Good job. You probably did just jinx us,” Max said, although considering that he said it with a smile Felix didn’t think that he was really that upset.

“The others should have made their way over the bridge and should be clearing out the western side right now,” Felix said. “I hope there’s nothing too bad for them up there.”

“Yes,” Max agreed. “Hopefully we haven’t taken all of the luck.”

Felix wished that they weren’t so deep underground. If they were a little closer to the surface then he might have been able to hear speaking, or gunfire, or hell, any sign at all as to how the fight on the topside of Cascadia was going. As it was he and Max might as well have been the only two people on this mission.

“All right,” Max said. “We’re here. It shouldn’t take me too long to get Cascadia’s turrets up and running again, but I’ll need to concentrate.”

“That’s why I’m here, right?” Felix said, readying his assault rifle and silently promising that he was going to do everything within his power to keep Max safe.

Max smiled softly at Felix before stepping up to the console and getting to work. Felix watched him for a couple of seconds, not understanding half of what he was doing. He was competent with computers, but Max was a law-forsaken genius. Felix had even seen him give their old Captain a tip or two, and that was saying something.

For a few minutes at least they were left alone as Max continued to work.

“Several of the external turrets are going to need repair,” Max commented, “but I’m sure that the Iconoclasts will be able to fill the holes in Cascadia’s defence in the meantime.”

Felix made sure that he kept his guard up. So far they had been left alone by the beasts infesting Cascadia, but he couldn’t know for sure how long that would last. The last time their crew had visited Cascadia it had seemed as though there were raptidons and mantisaurs around every corner.

“And then we just confirm the targeting parameters,” Max said. “Unfortunately I’m not going to be able to program this system to distinguish between different humans without considerably more work, or potentially installing ID chips in everyone who intends to visit Cascadia, so we’re not going to be able to keep marauders out using this, but as soon as I activate these defences they should target any non-human larger than a sprat within a twenty foot radius of Cascadia’s wall.”

That sounded like good news, but Felix wasn’t quite ready to celebrate just yet.

“And…” Max commented. “The defences are… on!”

Felix heard Max press one last button, and then the most ungodly, high-pitched wail that Felix had ever heard went blasting through the entire facility.

Felix clamped his hands over his ears while Max cursed and continued to type frantically at the console in front of him.

“What is that!?” Felix yelled, straining to be heard over the high-pitched sound, which was still ringing throughout the compound.

“The signal!” Max yelled out. “The network is broadcasting my instructions and the reboot signal to the turrets, but something’s damaged! We can only hope…”

The noise cut off as quickly as it started, and Max cleared his throat before starting again at a more normal volume.

“We can only hope that the signal still managed to reach the defences.”

There was a sudden loud howl that sounded far too close for Felix’s liking. He brought his assault rifle back up as a second howl answered the first.

“Raptidons,” Max observed.

“I don’t think they liked that sound,” Felix said.

“I don’t blame them,” Max said. “Can you hold them off for a few minutes? I need to check the system and make sure that the turrets are actually up and running, otherwise we came down here for nothing.”

“And what if you can’t get them working?” Felix asked. The raptidons sounded like they were getting closer.

“Then we work out a new plan,” Max said.

The first of the raptidons charged into the security room with a loud roar. It was reasonably large; easily taller than either Felix or Max, and took one look at Felix before charging towards him. Felix unloaded a hail of gunfire, which saw the beast falling to the ground.

The second put the first to shame. It was taller and wider than the door, but that didn’t stop it, or even slow it down. It crashed into the room, crushing its fallen brethren underfoot beneath it and turning the parts of the wall that stood between it and its prey into little more than rubble.

Felix cursed and unloaded another round. A couple of smaller raptidons entered the room behind the largest of them, and they seemed just as angry and ready to fight as the largest one did.

Felix had unloaded several full rounds of ammunition into the largest of the raptidons, but it showed no signs of slowing down. If he didn’t stop it then it might even get to… but no! He couldn’t let that happen.

He charged towards the largest of the creatures and unleashed his trademarked tossball kick at the creature, which at least stunned it, before turning his attention to the smaller creatures, hoping that he could at least get them out of the way before having to deal with the largest raptidon once more.

“What is with these things?” Felix shouted back over his shoulder. “Why do they want us dead so bad?”

“I suspect its not us but the console,” Max said. “They must be able to tell that the signal and the noise came from here.”

He seemed to be finished with the console, because in that moment he turned his back to it and brought out the shotgun that had been resting deceptively harmlessly on his back since they had first entered Cascadia.

“I’m afraid you’re standing between us and the safety of this community,” Max said, before firing a volley of shots towards the largest of the raptidons.

“I missed your one-liners!” Felix called back as he reloaded. “But I’ve got to admit; that one could probably use some work.”

“My one-liners!?” Max said before firing another couple of shots. “That’s what you missed?”

Another couple of raptidons charged through the opening that the largest one had made and Felix turned around to face them and launch another round of assault rifle fire directly at their faces.

“Hey!” he called back at Max as he tried to reload as quickly as he possible could. “I didn’t say that was all that I missed!”

He’d missed everything about this. He’d missed fighting by Max’s side. He’d missed their banter. He’d missed the excitement of fighting for a real cause and the danger that came with it, and he knew that he was going to miss all of it again if he let Max leave without him.

Felix made up his mind right in that moment, that no matter what happened, once the fight was over and Cascadia was safe once more, he was going to tell Max how he felt, and, if necessary, beg to be allowed to stay by Max’s side, whether that meant that they stayed on Monarch together or whether it meant leaving Monarch at Max’s side.

He didn’t even care anymore. His own dignity could be vented out the nearest airlock for all that he cared. He loved this, and he loved Max, and he was screwed if he was going to let his fear continue to get the better of him.

“Max,” Felix called out as the two of them continued to fight off the raptidons together. “I…”

He didn’t get any further than that however before Max let out a pained sounding cry.

“Max!?” Felix said, whirling around and almost getting mauled by a raptidon in the process.

He fired off another couple of shots and then turned back to discover that one of the smaller raptidons had injured Max. Its acidic spit had landed right on Max’s shoulder and had already burned through his clothing and down to the skin beneath.

“MAX!” Felix screamed, running over to the older man and shooting every raptidon that stood between them.

Oh law no. There was a lot of blood. There was a lot of blood and it was Max’s blood and Max was hurt and Felix hadn’t been able to protect him and Max could barely raise his shotgun now.

There were only a couple of raptidons left though. He just needed to take care of them and get Max to safety and then everything would be all right. He placed himself between Max and the remaining raptidons before firing off another couple of rounds.

“Come on you lizard-brains!” Felix cried out as the last one fell. “Is that all you’ve got!?”

He knew that he was running on adrenaline now; adrenaline and fear.

He turned his attention back to Max, who was grimacing and clutching at his injured shoulder. There were dead raptidons all around them now, and the walls of the security room looked as though they were in serious danger of crumbling to pieces.

“Come on,” Felix said, wrapping an arm around Max’s waist and throwing his good arm over Felix’s shoulder. “We have to get you somewhere safe.”

“I can still walk Felix,” Max protested, but considering how exhausted and in pain he sounded, Felix had absolutely no intention of letting the older man go any time soon. Instead he just tightened his grip on Max as he helped the older man over the corpses of the fallen raptidons.

“It’s all right Max,” Felix said, knowing, even as he did, that he was saying it to comfort himself as much, or perhaps even more than he said it to comfort Max. “Everything’s going to be all right.”

He glanced around for a few moments, trying to get his bearings. He really had just followed Max down into the facility, and now he was really wishing that he’d paid better attention. He soon spotted a sign indicating that one of the rooms nearby had once served as a cafeteria. There would hopefully be a vending machine in there, with some basic supplies, and it looked as though it would be relatively easy to close the doors and block out any more raptidons or other creatures that might be lurking about.

He helped Max into the cafeteria and quickly shut the door behind them, before helping Max down to the ground with his back against one of the walls.

He pulled the tattered, broken shreds of fabric away from Max’s injured shoulder with hands that were shaking. There was so much blood, and he didn’t know what he was going to do if it turned out that Max was seriously injured.

He forced himself to think. He knew that he needed water to clear the wound, cloth to clean it with and something for the pain. He would be lucky if the Rizzo’s vending machine even contained clean water, but surely he would be able to find what he needed in the rest of the room.

“I’ll be right back,” he told Max, pressing a quick kiss to Max’s forehead before getting to his feet.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Max replied. Felix didn’t know whether he was impressed or pissed off that Max was able to joke and be so flippant when there was so much blood staining his clothes.

Felix soon returned to Max with a cup full of water from the tap and an old, although relatively clean wash cloth. His hands were still shaking while he cleaned Max’s wound, at least until he removed most of the blood and realised that the wound wasn’t nearly as deep or as bad as he had originally feared.

He breathed in and out, trying to quell the panic and the fear that had arisen in him.

“It’s all right,” he told Max as he continued to dab at the wound and clear away. “There’s a lot of blood but it’s not nearly as bad as it looks.”

Max let out a small, pained sound that was probably intended to be a laugh.

“I could have told you that,” Max said.

“Bet it stings though, huh?” Felix asked, remembering his own raptidon spit related injury, and trying very hard not to think about what came after.

“I won’t disagree with that assessment either,” Max said through gritted teeth.

Felix cleaned up the wound as best as he could, before pressing the damp and now blood-covered cloth that he had been using gently on top of the wound.

“Do you think you can hold that there for me?” Felix asked. “I still need to get you bandages and medicine and stuff, or as close to those as I can find in this place.”

--

“I’m sure I can manage for a few minutes,” Max said, forcing himself to smile at Felix.

He was very much looking forward to those painkillers. The raptidon’s spit had burned away a section of his skin, but it didn’t seem too deep, and the bleeding already seemed to be slowing down. The pain was absolutely the worst part of it, and he found himself wondering how Felix had been in any state at all to have sex with Max while he had been the one sporting such an injury. Although, come to think of it, Felix’s wound had been quite a lot smaller than Max’s own.

Still, Max’s wound probably wasn’t quite bad enough to warrant the level of worry and fear that it had brought out in Felix. It was strange, and probably at least a little selfish and terrible of him, but watching Felix worry and fuss over him had made Max happy in its own way. Knowing that Felix was that worried about him; that the younger man cared about him that much…?

Max held the cloth to his shoulder as he watched Felix search the rest of the cafeteria. When the cupboards proved to be mostly void of anything, with the exception of a couple more old cloths, Felix made his way over to the vending machines in the corner. One of them was an old Rizzo’s machine, and Max was just able to hear it spitting out a sad, mostly garbled jingle as Felix accessed it.

Max found himself watching Felix closely as the younger man looked over the machine’s wares. It was one of the only ways he could think of to distract himself from the pain of his wound, not that he particularly minded watching Felix; quite the opposite in fact.

It was nice to just be able to unashamedly watch him for a change, without the chance of anyone commenting on his staring, or of Felix getting all flustered, which Max was absolutely sure that Felix would had he caught Max openly staring at him in any situation outside of the bedroom.

Felix had always had a certain sort of messy, untamed charm, but in that moment he found himself appreciating the simple, familiar things, like the set of Felix’s shoulders, and the way that one hand came to rest on his hip as he inspected the vending machine’s contents.

Felix went still all of a sudden, and Max heard him let out a soft, contemplative ‘huh’, before moving onto the next machine. He wondered what had caught Felix’s eye; whether it was something that was potentially helpful or just something interesting. He wished that he knew for sure where they stood with one another, so that he might feel free to ask these things without feeling like he was prying.

Surely though, Felix’s worry meant that he cared deeply for Max, right? Surely such fear for Max’s safety meant that he cared for Max as more than just a friend, and more than just someone that he occasionally had sex with, right?

The second vending machine was either switched off, or not working, but with a couple of persuasive hits from Felix it flickered into life, letting out a recorded jingle that was even more garbled and broken that the Rizzo’s machine.

If they had been lucky then it would have turned out to be an Auntie Cleo’s vending machine. They were not that lucky however. It was Spacer’s Choice. They would have Adreno and a few basic medications though, so Max would definitely take it over nothing.

Soon enough Felix returned with some basic painkillers and antibiotics in hand, as well as the extra couple of cloths he had found in the cupboards and some scissors that looked as though they hadn’t been designed to cut anything thicker than a single piece of craft paper.

Between Felix’s determination and a little bit of help from Max, they eventually had Max’s arm bandaged up. Max could only imagine that Ellie would despair at the quality of their makeshift bandage and sling. Felix had sacrificed his jacket along with the two wash cloths he had found, which was touching, and the bandage and sling looked, despite all odds, as though they were going to hold up and do the job well enough, at least until they could make it back to the surface and find a qualified physician.

Add to that the fact that the painkillers were starting to kick in, and Max really wasn’t in a mood to complain about anything, except perhaps the fact that Felix wasn’t kissing him right at that exact moment.

When Felix was done bandaging Max up and making sure that all of the correct medications had been taken, he cupped Max’s face between his hands and leaned in close, which really wasn’t helping Max with his whole ‘Felix not kissing him’ problem. Felix looked deep into his eyes for a moment, and Max wanted so badly to run his hands and lips over Felix’s forehead and get rid of all the worry that he saw.

Felix smiled softly, before he took the initiative and kissed Max on the forehead instead.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, before returning to the Rizzo’s machine that he had paused at earlier.

Max watched him make a purchase, although he had absolutely no idea what Felix might have bought. At first he thought it might just be food or drink of some sort (it had been a while since either of them had been able to eat or drink anything), but whatever it was that emerged from the vending machine, it was small enough for Felix to tuck it into one pocket, where Max was unable to see it.

Whatever it was, Felix didn’t think it worth mentioning when he returned to Max, so Max didn’t question it. If it was important then he was sure that Felix would tell Max whenever he was ready.

--

They rested up in the cafeteria for a few hours. Part of Felix wanted to check up on the team above ground really badly, but the other part of him knew that Max needed to rest for a bit before they moved on.

Felix curled up next to Max and let the older man fall asleep with his head on Felix’s shoulder. He watched Max as he slept, resisting the very strong urge to reach over and run his hand through Max’s hair, or at least he did until Max started to stir and Felix judged that they should probably be on their way.

When they emerged aboveground in the western side of Cascadia, they discovered an organised mess. It turned out that the western side of Cascadia had been overrun far worse than the eastern side, and that the signal to turn on the automated defences had been at just the right frequency to send most of the creatures into a total frenzy. The automated defences had kicked in at just the right time, and what the machines hadn’t been able to deal with, the MSI and Iconoclast team had made short work of. Human casualties had luckily been kept to a minimum, although there were a few volunteers from both Stellar Bay and Amber Heights that were sporting impressive new scars, one woman was likely to lose a leg, and one of the younger Iconoclasts was being transported back to Amber Heights for urgent medical attention.

“They’re carrying word of our success back to Amber Heights as well,” one of the Iconoclast officers informed the two of them. “Now that the landing pad is clear we’ll be able to get supplies and reinforcements brought in.”

“I can’t believe we actually did it,” one of the MSI volunteers piped up. “People will be able to live in Cascadia again.”

Felix knew that there was still a lot of work to be done to make Cascadia a proper settlement again, but he couldn’t deny the MSI and Iconoclasts their excitement. This was definitely a victory, although he didn’t exactly feel like celebrating; not with Max still injured and not with the weight of what he was carrying around in his pocket weighing him down.

He knew that he was probably being foolish, but he didn’t have much time to reflect on that. Things were moving quickly now that the beasts had been ejected from Cascadia. He and Max were told that they should just pick whichever building they wanted to stay in as their own, but they hadn’t even been able to start looking before a ship touched down on Cascadia’s landing pad.

The ship looked vaguely familiar, although Felix couldn’t quite place it; at least not until the ship’s airlock opened up and its crew strolled out.

“Nyoka!?” he called out. No wonder he had recognised the ship. Nyoka had shown it to him at Parvati’s wedding, along with introducing him to her new crew.

No-one had told him that Nyoka and CHARON were the ones that would be bringing them their supplies. For a moment he was tempted to run up to Nyoka and throw himself at her in a big, welcoming hug, but he still had Max to take care of, and so the two of them walked up to Nyoka and her crew at a much more sensible pace than Felix might have chosen had he been by himself.

“Holy shit!” Nyoka called out, before wrapping Felix up in a big hug. “I did not expect to see the two of you all the way out here!”

She smelled less like alcohol than Felix had been expecting, and she looked genuinely happy with her new crew. Felix was glad that she was doing well.

“Likewise, Miss Ramnarim-Wentworth,” Max said, as he and Nyoka shook hands, which Felix thought was way too formal considering everything they had been through.

“Yeah,” Felix said. “No-one told us you would be the one bringing supplies to Cascadia.”

“Yeah well,” Nyoka said with a shrug. “We got offered the contract, and there was no way that I was going to turn down a chance to help Monarch get back on her feet.”

“You look well,” Max said, echoing Felix’s earlier thoughts.

“Aw thanks,” Nyoka said, looking a little embarrassed. “I have an awesome crew to thank for that. And look at the two of you! You’re still together huh?”

Still together? Nyoka thought that they were a couple? More than that. She thought that they had been a couple for a while? Had she known? Had she been the one to spot them curled up together in Max’s bed and to close the door?

“No, I mean…” Felix began, intending to explain that they weren’t really a couple, or at least they weren’t officially a couple, or at least that they hadn’t been a couple when they had all been together on the Unreliable. “We’re not…”

“It isn’t like that,” Max said, and of course he managed to explain himself a thousand times more calmly and eloquently than Felix could ever hope to.

“Our paths just happened to cross on Monarch is all,” Max continued, while Nyoka looked between the two of them with far more amusement on her face than Felix was happy seeing there.

Felix knew that it was true. Spending a few nights with Max did not make the two of them a couple, however much Felix might have wished otherwise. Still, it had hurt to hear Max admit it out loud so casually. He had wanted so badly to believe that they could be more; that he might be able to call Max his own, but whether Max had done it knowingly or not, he might as well have just reached into Felix’s chest and torn his heart out. It probably would have hurt less if Max had done precisely that.

“All right,” Nyoka said, although she didn’t look as though she completely believed what Max was saying. “I get it. Hey, CHARON and I are gonna be popping in and out of Cascadia a fair bit over the next few days, but after that, if either of you want a ride off this hellhole then you’re welcome to come with us. We’ll probably pop into the Groundbreaker or something next, but if there’s a specific place you want me to drop you off then we can do that too.”

“Thank you,” Max said.

Felix wanted to thank Nyoka for the offer, but he didn’t trust himself to open up his mouth at that moment. He was just so fucking pissed off by what Max had said, even though it was technically true, and the thought that Max might end up leaving with Nyoka definitely wasn’t helping.

He folded his arms tightly in front of his chest and forced himself to at least try to summon a smile for Nyoka. Whatever he came up with wasn’t convincing at all if the concerned half-smile that she gave him in return was any indication.

“I’ll see you two around,” she said, placing a hand on Felix’s shoulder before heading off to join her crew.

“Yeah,” Felix managed to mutter. “See ya.”

--

Max stared up at Nyoka’s ship, hating the sight of it despite himself. There was nothing actually wrong with it, or with Nyoka or her crew, but he hated everything that it represented in that moment. She had offered him a free ride off Monarch. The sensible decision would be to take Nyoka up on her offer and leave as soon as the majority of the reconstruction work in Cascadia was finished. Who knew how long it would be before another opportunity like this presented itself?

It all came down to one simple fact however; Max didn’t want to leave, not if it meant leaving Felix behind. The thought of being separated from Felix again brought a physical ache to his chest that he knew he couldn’t blame on the raptidon acid. He wondered how long he could conceivably stay if he used the reconstruction of Cascadia as an excuse, and whether anyone would actually believe his claims that Cascadia’s wellbeing was truly the reason he had chosen not to leave.

His real reason for not leaving was standing right beside him with his arms crossed angrily in front of his chest. Max wondered if Felix was upset at the prospect that Max might be leaving. No, that would be far too wonderful and too perfect. More likely he was just upset that Nyoka had assumed that the two of them were a couple.

There was nothing for it. He couldn’t keep making excuses like this. He needed to tell Felix the truth, and if things did go horribly wrong then at least he would have an easy escape route in the form of Nyoka and her ship.

“Why did you tell her that?” Felix said, sounding even more upset than his demeanour would have indicated.

“What?” Max asked, more than a little confused, and yet also feeling the tiniest spark of hope begin to blossom inside of his chest. “Felix, we’re not a couple, or at least, not to the extent that Nyoka believes. Unless, I mean… If you…”

Max did not get flustered, ever, and he certainly didn’t blush, not even when his lover (and surely he could use that term. Even if they weren’t really a proper couple then surely ‘lover’ was all right) was glaring at him with his arms folded in front of his chest.

Max wished that Felix would say something rather than just glaring at him, because Max really did feel as though he was floundering.

“Do you want us to be a couple?” Max asked.

This wasn’t how he had imagined this going at all. When he imagined confessing to Felix and asking Felix to be his, he had imagined that he would have a lot more time to prepare, and that when he did manage to say the words, that it would be in a slightly more romantic location, or at least while they were in private; not standing on a landing pad in Cascadia, surrounded by the smell of gunfire and dead raptidons, and with Felix glaring at him with his arms folded in front of his chest.

“Maybe I do,” Felix said, his glare finally settling into something a little less fierce, but no less unhappy. “And maybe… maybe I don’t want you to leave.”

Max found himself gasping and his heart clenching tightly in his chest.

“You know what?” Felix said. “Screw this.”

--

Felix rummaged around in his pocket for the item that he had purchased from the Rizzo’s vending machine. He had bought it on a whim, not entirely sure if he would ever have the courage to actually put it to use, but figuring that it was better to have the option. It had been cheap, probably only made out of tin, or, if Felix was really lucky, stainless steel or something like that, but still Felix had tucked it away safely inside one of his pants pockets that actually zipped up. After all, it was the thought that counted with this sort of thing right; what the ring represented rather than the actual value of it?

He hadn’t thought that he would be using it so soon, but he wasn’t about to let Max leave without telling the older man how he felt; not again.

Felix gathered his courage and dropped to one knee, the ring held out towards Max in one hand. Felix knew that it was a bit old-fashioned. He also knew from all of the aetherwave serials that he had watched that Max was supposed to act all surprised and cover his mouth with one hand. People always did that when someone proposed to them, didn’t they? Perhaps it was just because Max’s arm was still injured that one of his hands didn’t come up to cover his mouth in shock, but Felix didn’t think so.

“Felix,” Max said. “What on earth do you think you’re doing?”

“Will you marry me?” he asked Max. “And I don’t mean just a marriage contract. I mean a proper wedding, with rings and vows and everything, like what Parvati and Junlei had last year.”

For a while Max said nothing at all. He just stood there, staring down at Felix as though he had absolutely no idea what to say. Felix just hoped that he wasn’t trying to think of the kindest way to let Felix down.

“Come on Max,” Felix said, when the silence was beginning to stretch on for too long. “Say something?”

It was still a few more seconds before Max managed to speak; a few seconds which felt like the longest, tensest seconds in the history of the universe.

“Are you absolutely certain?” Max finally managed to say. “I mean, this is coming completely out of nowhere! We haven’t even… And you…”

“Of course I’m certain!” Felix snapped. “You think I’d be down here on one knee if I didn’t like this idea? You know, you could just tell me that you’re not interested instead of trying to talk me out of it!”

He lowered the ring, debating internally whether he should keep it or just hurl the stupid thing as far away as he possibly could.

“I didn’t say ‘no’,” Max said, before reaching out and snatching the ring from Felix’s hand with his own. “I was just asking; are you sure that you’ve thought this through? This is a big step, and well… we’re both stubborn, so I don’t expect it will be a decision that will be easy for either of us to take back.”

“You know I don’t think things through,” Felix replied.

“Right. Act first; think later. Correct?”

“Right.” Felix nodded.

“You know, I do believe you’ve outdone yourself in that regard. A decision of this magnitude really ought to be thought through properly beforehand.”

“I mean, if you want to think it over for a while you can. Just don’t go flying off with Nyoka before you give me an answer, all right?”

“I wasn’t planning on leaving with Nyoka,” Max replied. “At least, not if you weren’t.”

That stunned Felix more than Max’s snatching of the ring. He got back to his feet, suddenly feeling very nervous and small in front of Max.

“I don’t know,” Felix said, smiling at Max. “It might be nice to get off this rock for a bit. Once we know Cascadia’s going to be all right at least.”

Max returned Felix’s smile, before turning his attention to the ring, still sitting in his hand.

“You know, I really do feel that there are certain things that should have happened before we got to this stage,” Max commented.

“Like what?”

“Well, I haven’t even told you that I love you.”

Max was trying to kill him. That could be the only explanation. It was working too. Felix’s heart had already forgotten how to work properly and was beating all over the place. He felt as though he had simultaneously just won the lottery and had experienced explosive cell death at the same time.

“But I suppose that can be remedied easily enough. Felix Millstone,” Max said, so sincerely that Felix suddenly felt as though he was the one being proposed to. He knew that he was blushing, and hoped that no-one else was standing close enough to them on the landing pad that they would be able to see it. “I love you. In fact I’m rather hopelessly, madly in love with you, and its past time that I told you as much.”

“I love you too,” Felix managed to splutter out.

“All right then. I suppose that’s it. Yes.”

“What?”

“To my own surprise, and despite the absolute ridiculousness of it all, I am accepting your marriage proposal. Now, considering my arm is still in a sling, I might need your help to actually get the law-forsaken ring on.”

Felix was intimately aware of the fact that Max’s hands were quite large, and so he wasn’t entirely surprised when it turned out that the only one of Max’s fingers that the ring would fit on was his pinkie.

“I’ll… I’m…” Felix spluttered as he helped Max slip the ring on. “When we get to the Groundbreaker I’ll buy you a better one.”

“If you insist,” Max said. “But I should warn you that I have every intention of holding on to this one.”

Felix nodded and smiled. Now that the nervousness and fear and surprise had all passed the joy was starting to settle in. He was starting to feel happy; happier than he had ever felt before.

“Now, should we go find Miss Ramnarim-Wentworth and tell her that we intend to accept her offer?” Max asked.

Felix shyly reached out and grabbed Max’s hand in his own.

“Nah,” Felix said. “We’d probably have to tell her that she was right about us and you know she’s going to be so smug about it.”

That brought an amused smile to Max’s face.

“I suppose you are right,” he said. “Perhaps the two of us should choose a place to rest up in the meantime.”

“We should probably get your shoulder looked at by a proper doctor first,” Felix said.

Max shrugged and then immediately grimaced.

“Really, it’s not that bad,” he commented, and Felix knew that he was lying. “Your makeshift first aid is holding up remarkably well.”

Felix crossed his arms in front of his chest again and glared at his new fiancée. Oh law, Max was his fiancée now, wasn’t he? It felt so good to even think that. Regardless of how giddy Felix felt, Max saw the glare in Felix’s face for the doubt and concern that it was and let out a sigh.

“Perhaps I should seek out medical help,” Max said. “You could pick out temporary accommodation for us in the meantime.”

“No,” Felix immediately said. “I’ll go with you, then we can pick out something together.”

That earned him another smile from Max.

“I suppose I had better get used to making decisions as a duo,” he said.

“Yeah, you better,” Felix said as the two of them walked off together in search of the nearest medic. “Because I don’t intend to let you leave on your own again any time soon.”

“No more goodbyes?” Max asked, his hand reaching out and finding Felix’s own as they walked.

“No more goodbyes,” Felix agreed.

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

[theydontknowaboutusimagines]

Stone Cold - Harry Styles Blurb

Based on the song Stone Cold by Demi Lovato 

**

Falling in love is a part of life and so is breaking up, unfortunately. It’s totally normal to experience one or two breakups in your life. And with breakups come seeing your ex with someone new. That part of the process is always a flood of emotions, but when that moment is practically everywhere and constantly in your face it’s annoying. Especially, when you’re still in love with that person and aren’t over them. 

And that’s exactly what you were going through. You were at home watching a movie and just having a chill and relaxing night. Eventually, you were thing bored with the movie, so you grabbed your phone and start scrolling your different social media. It was then when you first saw it. 

Photos and videos of your ex boyfriend out with someone else and rumored to be dating them. Now, this didn’t exactly mean anything because being in the spotlight usually meant that anyone you were photographed next to or spending time with brought an onset of romance rumors. But despite knowing that, just by watching the videos and seeing the photos, you knew they weren’t just friends and it wasn’t just rumors. 

You put your phone down as you gathered your emotions, but it was like a car accident, you kept having to look. You spent over an hour reading tweets and seeing more and more photos of them together until you couldn’t take it anymore.

 It had only been three months since the two of you broke up. You were still a mess over it. You found yourself crying yourself to sleep a few nights a week because you didn't like the silence of being alone or the how empty the bed felt without him laying next to you. You got up from the couch, pacing around the living room, before making your way over to pour yourself something to drink. 

The warm amber liquid burned your throat as you downed the drink in your hand. It was getting late and you should go to bed, but there was no way you would be getting any sleep without seeing them together in your head. You poured yourself another glass, holding it in one hand, while you held your phone in the other. 

You continued to pace around the room as your finger hovered over the call button on his contact. You bit your lip as you hesitated over the decision to call him or not. You hadn’t spoken since the breakup and you moved back into your house. You had thought about reaching out to him over the last few months, but you never did. 

It would look bad for you to do it now. You would look jealous, which you were, but still. You sighed downing the rest of the whiskey in your glass and locking your phone before heading into the bedroom. 

**

Six months. You’ve been seeing photos and rumors of Harry and his new girlfriend out and about for six months. You thought it would get easier, but it only to worse. In fact, it made moving on yourself even harder. You tried dating again, but it never went past a first date. He was on tour and she was at his shows. 

Something you used to do. Well, when you weren’t on your own tour that is. Your friends and family tried telling you to move on. It was obviously he had moved on and it wasn’t fair to you to keep living in the past. But you couldn’t. It didn’t matter what you did the only thing you could focus on was what the two of you had. 

Maybe it would have been easier if the breakup was brutal. If there was a huge fight or cheating involved, but no. It was just... a breakup. Lack of seeing each other, distance, struggling communication. A mixture of things that could have been fixed had the two of you been willing to fight for it. 

It was that reason you couldn’t move on because deep down you wanted to fight for him, for your relationship, but you were exhausted. You needed some time, but then he went and found someone else. Not even giving you or your relationship a single thought. That was the very reason you needed to move on and you are going to do so in the only way you knew how. 

By putting all of your feelings, thoughts, and emotions into a song. You poured yourself a glass of whiskey on the rocks and sat down at your piano in your music room. You sat the glass and your phone on the top of the piano before taking a deep breath. You closed your eyes placing your hands on the keys. You didn’t really have a melody in mind, only that you knew you wanted it to be on the slower side. 

You messed around on the keys for a few minutes before finding a sound you could work with. You played around with it for a bit before started singing out some lyrics that came to mind. You stayed there for the rest of the night working on the song. 

**

Fast-forward a few months and you were ready to release the song, along with the album. It was going to be a surprise drop, no promo, no official announcement. You were just going to drop the video along with the song on social media and let it go. The music video was simple, painful, and moving, just like the song. 

You were mostly sitting at the piano, playing it, as you sang the song. A few different scenes were mixed and it was filmed in black and white. The final shot was you crying and wiping away the tears before the shot faded away. The tears were real and weren’t planned, but a reaction to performing the song. 

When you recorded it, it took several takes because your voice kept breaking or cracking when it came to the high notes. You cried watching it back or anytime listening to it, but that was the only time. You finally felt yourself slowly getting back to yourself. 

Harry was still with her and he seemed happy. Your mutual friends confirmed it and that was really made you go ahead with the song. You still loved him, more than anything, but it was selfish of you to want him if he wasn't happy with you. You just wanted him to be happy and if that was with her or someone else, then so be it. 

You pasted the link onto your status and quickly pressed the post button before you could change your mind. You did it late enough that you could go to bed, so that you wouldn’t tempted to wait for the reaction. You turned off your phone and climbed into bed, hoping you didn’t regret anything by morning. 

The next morning you woke up earlier than normal. Mostly from nerves on wondering what the reaction was going to be to the song. You rolled out of bed and did your morning routine a little quicker than normal before turning your phone and opening your social media. 

Your notifications were through the roof and there were several trends regarding you and the song. There were also a few trends with your and Harry’s name it in. You knew people would put two and two together and you knew Harry would as well. You were more than prepared to take that on, or at least you thought. 

As you read through the comments, you couldn’t help, but smile. It definitely eased the nerves enough for you to go on about your morning. You took a break from the comments and went into the kitchen to pour yourself some water and figure out what you want for breakfast. 

in the midst of this, your heard your phone ding. Thinking it was more notifications, you ignored it as you gathered ingredients for a breakfast burrito and sat them on the counter. However, shortly after your phone started ringing, meaning someone was calling you. You figured it was your manager or someone from your team. There was probably loads of calls for interviews and whatnot, so you reached over to answer it, not bothering to look at the Caller ID. 

“Hello?” You smiled into the phone. 

“Hey, Y/N,” The person on the other line said softly. 

You felt the blood leaving your face as it turned pale. Your mouth fell open while the phone slipped from your grasp. The person on the other line was none other than Harry. 

**

Dun. Dun. Dun. Will it be a happy ending? Or no? What do you think will happen? What do you want to happen? Let me know and there may be a part 2! ;) 

[cartoonfangirl1218]

True Colors

Looking at my old messages from FF.net, I found this old descendants story so I decided why not, I'll post it. Heavily inspired by @screaminginternallyalleternity's Jane characterization and JanexCarlosxJay ship. Mainly cuz I had been messaging her. Anywho, hope y'all enjoy.

"So what do you say?" Jordan asked taking a huff of silph.

"It's funny." Jane smiled dreamily, her mind already wandering off as the effects of the silph relaxed her. Though she was sharing her room right kow, she felt at peace and alone, and safe.

"No no" Jordan said waving her hand as if to clear the fumes "I'm serious, we should go to the homecoming dance as ourselves. Our natural forms."

Jane was tempted to roll her eyes at Jordan's ridiculous idea. Go to the dance in their real forms. Ones that were technically "banned" because of how obvious they were magical. Ones that she hid all these years.

She wanted to roll her eyes but Jordan was being oddly insistant about it.

"Why?" Jane asked, evading having to answer or even think about her playing a role in this scheme. She couldn't. She never showed her form to anyone. Her blue freckles were disguised with concealer, her wings and tattos carefully hidden through clothes in which she had never taken them off ever.

"Just for fun. To show those stupid mortals what they are missing? How dare they make us hide what we really are and suppress ourselves." Jordan snorted, clearly gearing up for her usual rant against mortals and the magic ban. "So worried about what we could do to them. How we are technically better than them, hotter than them"

"That's just the silph talking" Jane said softly but already she could feel her panic coming. Barely but it was there. The silph was suppressing it making a odd conflicted emotion.

She felt like she was about to drown, her head trying to reach the surface for a breath of frenetic air and energy but also underwater where it was calm and still.

"No, I thought of doing it before...Non-silph talking. Zoning out during class and stuff."

"Really?" Jane said, trying to keep the conversation heading back to her.

"Yeah. Like one time when I was 13, I had really considered it. Sorta stupid and immature. I wanted to show up Audrey. You know, because of how she is always bragging how she is the prettiest and the fairest. Also I used to have a crush on Ben."

"You had a crush on Ben" Jane murmured.

She never would have guessed, Jordan didn't seem the type. She always figured she would be with a more confident, brash person. And a Fae at that too considering how she always complained of mortals.

"Ben's...Ben. He's so generous and caring. Unselfishness, such a turn on." Jordan sighed wistfully.

"If it's just for the dates, you shouldn't do it." Jane advised.

"But it's not just the guys. It's showing off to the girls too. It's an ego boost. Aren't you tired of being ignored, and considered to be plain when you just KNOW that you could top those mortal girls any day of the week." Jordan protested. 

Jane blanched. No! That sounded horrible. It was enough people thought of her as a freak and avoided her now. Not that she wanted to hang out with others and their shallowness. She didn't want people to look at her like she was some sort of object. Her form wasn't even that pretty. "But but it looks weird, it's not pretty." She said.

"Please." Jordan scoffed. But seeing Jane's uncertainty she changed to a softer tone.

"Even if you don't think so. The mortals will. I mean I have bright pink skin for goodness sake" she pulled at her pink streaks "That doesn't look good but the people think it's hot as hell. It's because we are Fae. It's a novelty, we are exotic and exotic is erotic. It reminds them of who we actually are. Magical, mysterious, thus incredibly unattainable and sexy." Jane looked down nervously, taking long calming breaths. "I'm not doing it." 

To Jane, this step of showing off was too overwhelming and intimate. Her wings, her tattoos were personal. Whenever she did unfurl her wings alone she felt exposed but free because she was alone. To do that with people staring at her would be unthinkable and clustraphobic. These over-entitled royals would see her as exotic alright. A exotic toy or object to be touched and viewed over. Just more bullying over why Jane wouldn't serve them or help them.

Jordan frowned, "I was hoping but I figured you wouldn't. Oh well better yet to make a solo entrence. With your lithe curves you might have taken even more attention than me. After all people wouldn't expect you to do it." Jane sighed. No they wouldn't and she was perfectly fine with playing up to THAT expectation.

Two weeks later was the homecoming dance and Jane waited nervously outside the courtyard doors for her dates, Jay and Carlos. It was the second dance they were coming all together and she felt as fluttery as she did the first time.

They made her feel normal in a way. They all had issues but they understood each other. She felt safe, and even if people stared at the threesome she didn't care. The people that mattered to her were with her. As she waited patiently for the two to show up, she looked around at the expanse of darkness. 

How things had changed. She wouldn't have gone to one of these events last year. Too boring. But now with the incursion of VKs there were quiet a few changes even some repeals of the magic ban even though she had disapproved Mal's actions in ignoring the ban and giving magic and an even worse rep.

From the corner of her eye, she saw one of the ornately shaped hedges rustling and went over to it.

She saw Jordan applying the finishing touches of black lipstick as she stared into a compact mirror.

"Hey,” Jane waved.

"Oh hi,” Jordan said distractedly.

"Are you still doing your big entrance?" Jane asked shyly. Even though Jordan seemed fine showing off her form, it still felt like an intimate act to Jane so she felt that it and to be whispered with the respected amount of privacy. 

"Yeah," Jordan clipped her compact shut, and transformed.

Jane tried not to be so obvious in her astonishment but her mouth dropped open anyway. She could see what Jordan meant by the pink skin looking odd but at the same time, it was incredibly alluring.

Her hair had lost its' pink streaks and was out of the usual ponytail in long pure black waves. The hair itself looked like it was constantly moving in slow-motion as if she was underwater. Her eye were still light blue but now circled with azure. Same blue eyeshadow with three distinctive spots over her left eye. Her black lips provided a contrast to the skin.

The rest of her body had changed as well. A more pronounced curvy figure to say the least. The light green sleeveless tube top was cut off at the midriff and Jane secretly wondered how the hell it was holding up Jordan's pronounced bust considering that it looked like it was one jump away from popping out completely.

Magic she supposed.

Meanwhile her matching skirt laid loosely over her now obvious hips, and where her legs were, now was a smokey wave as if she had just emerged from a lamp. Jordan had also highlighted her look with shiny jewels that Agrabah was famous for. A diamond/emerald necklace. An amber jewel coming from her belly ring. Tiny ruby, amethyst and Amber jewels decorating the dress itself in patterns. Plus the golden cuff links genies were known by.

It was an awe-ing sight altogether and she couldn't or wanted to look away from how Jordan moved and glistened.

"So that dress..interesting," Jane said.

Jordan tugged on her pointed ear with it's single gold hoop, "I'm the embodiment of wish fulfillment. You learn to deal with the no clothes thing."

Jane merely nodded than comment, "It's cool that you're doing this. I just wouldn't...it's scary."

"I know, I'm scared too." Jordan said which took Jane aback. She had showed no fear throughout this whole thing.

"You think I don't know what might happen. Being objectified, moreso than usual. More demands for wishes. The usual entitled mortal comments. People that forgot how magical I am will remember, and want favors. Trust me. I'm sticking by Aziz or Ben the entire night. No casual one night stands today." "You don't have to do it." Jane assured her.

"I'm going to." Jordan said firmly "Even though I hate how people see me. I hate hiding who I am even more. Hiding magic is painful, and using silph is okay but still that is a small consolation. There has to be more." 

Jane thought of Starlight Valley with her father. How wonderful it was. "Good luck then" Jane murmered as Jordan started toward the door. Then paused to pull up Jordan's tube top up a little more so the bust was safely cradled in them. Even though it still looked a bit unlikely to stay that way.

"Thanks. Have fun tonight." Jordan said and went inside.

Jane resumed her position outside but couldn't ignore the pounding wave of thoughts she felt from inside. As well as the actual noise of whistles and catcalls.

Jane sighed and summoned some courage and wiped off the concealer from her cheeks as Carlos and Jay ambled toward her. The move revealed her light blue freckles that danced across here face.

"Hi Jane" Carlos smiled with a hint of nervous excitement. His bright white teeth made an unconscious smile dance across her lips. "Pretty" Jay, ever the blunt one, poked at her cheek, to which Jane playfully swatted his hand away.

"Have you always had them?" Carlos asked as he took her hand. "Yeah" Jane bit her lip, smiling.

"They're pretty" Carlos complimented "They match your eyes." 

Jane nodded her head bs shrilly and grabbed Jay's hand to head inside.

[nothing-fancy94]

Accidental Love - Part 1

Hello people of tumblr! I’m back with another 2 part short! This time it is a Shadamy inspired by an ask given by @muffinbuttonfan to one of my best friends and fellow writers @another-sonic-blog! Please be sure to also check ASB’s version Love Potion

STORY SUMMARY: All Amy Rose ever wanted was to have Sonic love her back. But when a mistake with a love potion turns her world upside-down, will she chose an old or new love?

ENJOY! AND PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT!

ps. I didn’t proof read this, so apologies a head of time for errors ;)

~Part 1: The Mistake~

“Come on, Sonic! Just take a sip!”

“No, Amy, I’m not thirsty.”

“But I made it special for you!”

“Why are you being so insistent? It’s just a smoothie…”

Sonic’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Amy skeptically. She was standing before him with bright, pleading viridian eyes, and her little button nose twitched as she thought about the answer to his very simple question. She was wearing a different dress from her usual red and white trimmed one; a flowing soft pink sundress that gently fluttered in the summer breeze. And as he squinted, he noticed she’d put make-up on. It was something she hardly ever did, and as a result it was a bit sloppy. He would’ve thought it was cute if it wasn’t for the fact that Amy tended to only put in this amount of effort when she was up to something.

He looked down at the offered drink in her hand. It looked innocent enough, a watermelon pink with small flecks of red, indicating small bursts of fresh strawberries. It looked good enough that he almost took it from her, especially since it was a hot summer day and the cold, icey, sweet drink. Almost. However he had fallen for her tricks in the past and he didn’t plan on doing so again. In the past, she had resorted to sleep medicine to kidnap him on a date. He shivered at the memory. And as if to confirm his suspicions, Amy broke eye contact and looked off to the side while shuffling her feet.

“Just… I-I wanted to give you something nice on a hot day like today. I figured with all the running around that you do, you might want to have a cold smoothie… 

“I put protein in it.” She added as though this would be enough to convince him to take the drink. 

He scoffed and folded his arms across his chest as he looked her over.

“If there’s nothing wrong with it, then you won’t mind taking a sip before I drink it.”

Now it was Amy’s turn to narrow her eyes on her hero. She didn’t understand where the lack of trust was coming from, it wasn’t like she was gonna drug him… that hadn’t worked. Well, can I blame him? Especially considering I diiiid put love potion in the drink… She hadn’t planned on giving it to him, at least not at first. 

She’d been window shopping with Cream in Station Square, and as they’d passed one of their favorite clothing stores, she had noticed a small shop that was wedged between the store and the alley. It was a store that Amy had never seen before despite having passed by this spot multiple times in the last few months. Stranger still, the store front looked like it had lived in the corner for fifty years.

Amy stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes following the curves of aged wood, peeling white paint, and landed on a small hanging sign that read in faded cursive: Regina’s Apothecary and Oddities.

Cream hadn’t wanted to go in, but the pink hedgehog ignored her friend’s pleas. Something was calling to her, whispering in her ear… and before she knew it she had twisted the rusty, iron door knob and entered the shop with the tinkle of a bell. The inside was full of shelves that seemed to carry on for miles into the store. Which should’ve been impossible considering the size of the exterior. The floor was made up of aged wood that at one point had been an attractive light brown, but was now almost black from spilled substances and ground-in dirt. There was a light mist of dust in the air, and barely any lighting to brighten the store. Bottles filled with herbs, unknown liquids and powders filled the shelves. Each one a different color, and size, each one carefully labeled and priced. 

The ones closest to the door were sparkling in the small stream of sunlight that filtered through the foggy windows at the front of the shop. But as Amy looked at the ones a bit further away, she could make out a thin layer of dust settling onto the glass. Curiosity peaked, Amy made her way deeper into the store. Cream followed close behind, her trembling hands clinging to the hem of Amy's dress in a death grip. Her large brown eyes frantically darted around the store as they reached the dust covered bottles. Amy lifted a hand and wiped away dust to read the label. An Eye for an Eye.

“Looking to give someone a taste of their own medicine, dearie?”

The two young girls jumped and screamed, their arms instinctively wrapping around each other as the two turned to see an old, female cat. She smiled at the two girls from behind half-mooned glasses. One of her eyes was a startling amber color that shone as brightly and richly as the sun, while the other was white and unseeing. She chuckled and leaned forward on her cane.

“Sorry dearies, didn’t mean to frighten you. I’ve been told by other customers that I should wear a bell.” She laughed at her own joke while shaking her head. The two girls just stared at her with wide eyes and open mouths. The longer they stood staring at the old feline the more unsettled both girls felt. There was something in the air that hadn’t been there before, and it caused their hearts to race, and trepidation began to worm its way into them.

“Now don’t just stand there staring dearies, what can I help you with? I have a potion for any conceivable thing you could wish for!” She hobbled closer to the girls with a wide gaping smile, forcing them to press themselves against the shelves. Little tinks and clinks from jostled bottles rang through the air, but that didn’t stop the old feline from putting her hand beneath Cream’s cheek. The poor girl stood petrified, her large brown eyes close to tears.

“Maybe you want a way to grow up faster, but be careful that you pick the right potion. You may end up with one that will not change your age but make you taller than a skyscraper.” The woman cackled in humor, but it only served to make the young bunnie cower behind Amy.

“Oh, maybe a potion of courage for the young rabbit. I sense a wish to be brave in the face of danger. Do you have a tendency to run away, dearie?”

“L-leave her alone!” Amy finally managed to exclaim, her arm shooting out to block Cream from view. 

The elder’s one good eye moved slowly to stare at her, while the other one stayed still and stared ahead. The eye was unwavering, and as it bore into Amy, she felt as though she was clawing through the young girl’s very soul. Searching for her innermost desires, emotions and fears. Amy felt a mental shiver at the sight, but refused to expose any fear in front of the old female. The cat’s lips curled upwards, and her only remaining fang glinted in the small amount of light.

“My eye can see there is no need for courage with you. Your determination rivals that of the most passionate minds of all time,” the female lifted herself on her tiptoes, and looked Amy up and down with her golden eye. 

“Hmmm, maybe beauty…” The feline’s hand snapped out quicker than lightning and grabbed Amy’s hand, swiftly removing the white glove in one fluid motion.

“Hey!” Amy cried out, and tried to remove her hand, but the hold was ironclad. The shopkeeper’s tail flicked back and forth as her fingers brushed over the lines in Amy’s palm like the kiss of butterfly wings.

“You have a male who refuses to reciprocate your heart’s desire, do you not?”

Amy’s face twisted in horrified shock, and she once again tried to remove her hand but to no avail.

“No! How do you -”

“I can give you something that will make every male turn their eyes to you. A potion to make you the most beautiful female on Mobius. At a price of course,” the feline’s raspy voice cackled once more. 

“No, thank you.” Amy stated firmly and finally succeeded in removing her hand from the cat’s grip. She turned, grabbing hold of Cream's hand and made for the door.

“Come on, Cream, let’s go.”

The small girl nodded in agreement, and quickened her pace. She wanted to leave the creepy store and more importantly, away from the terrifying feline who lurked the dusty isles. 

“Not interested in vain looks, admirable. But what would you say to a... love potion?”

Amy’s feet stopped, and her ears twitched backwards in curiosity. A love potion. Something that she had read about in old books when she’d been researching ways to make a male turn their attention to her. She had thought that it was a myth, a legend that was as fragile as the pages she read the inked words on. However, an odd hope, no, desire, was awoken within her at the old shopkeeper’s tempting offer. Something about this store had called to her the moment it had appeared. The way it had appeared also solidified an odd weight to the elder’s words. It was a mysterious shop, with a shopkeeper, who while being creepy, was also oddly eccentric. Something about her told Amy that her offer was not an empty promise, and that this potion likely had a chance of working. How could she pass that up?

“Amy…?” Cream tentatively asked, her arm pulled at Amy’s, trying to guide the girl from the store. She looked up to plead with Amy, but she saw that fire burning in Amy’s eyes that only ever appeared when she was thinking about her next scheme to win the heart of her love. And when it came to Sonic and romance, there was nothing that could stop Amy from doing what she wanted.

“Love potion?” She whispered with her back still turned to the old feline.

Seeing that she had finally hooked one of the girls, the shopkeeper grinned from pointed ear to pointed ear.

“Oh yes. A harmless substance, meant to unlock the cage of the heart. Just a drop would be enough to turn your beau’s eyes in your direction.”

Amy’s body twitched, and Cream felt panic rise to her throat. She knew where this was going.

“Come on Amy… let’s just go.”

Unfortunately it was too late… Amy turned and tilted her head.

“And you’re sure this works?” She asked, taking a step closer to the cat. The elder smiled, and pulled her shaky finger twice diagonally across her chest.

“Cross my heart and call me a witch. 100% satisfaction guaranteed.”

“And it won’t hurt him, or make him grow an eleventh toe or some other crazy side effect?” She was almost to the old female now. The cat scoffed and made a face that looked like she was offended.

“I use only organic ingredients, and a splash of white magic, of course.”

“Amy… I really think we should just -”

“Show me.”

Amy moved forward and out of Cream’s grip, leaving the girl standing alone. Cream moaned in distress and looked at the door with wistfulness before following her friend deeper into the store.

They walked for a few minutes, while the tapping of a wooden cane was all that could be heard. Finally they reached a shelf with pink and red bottles. The shopkeeper ran her finger over several bottles, muttering all the while.

“Mother Knows Best, no… Scarlet L, well that’ll give desire, but not love… Puppy Love, no. Ah! Here we are!” Her raspy voice announced excitedly as she rubbed the label on an elegantly shaped bottle. As the dust cleared, they could see a very soft pearl shine on the pink glass, and the bottom of the bottle curve upwards into an inverted tear-drop. There was a crystal heart stopper plugged neatly into the opening, and the whole item was no larger than a jam jar.

The old feline blew on the bottle, and then thrust it into Amy’s hand.

“There ya are dearie! One Eternal Love potion for one lucky blue hedgehog!”

 Cream almost gasped in surprise. How did this stranger know that Amy’s crush was a blue hedgehog?! She looked over at Amy, expecting the girl to be just as aghast, but instead Amy was smiling with jubilant eyes at the crystal vial in her hand. Either she hadn’t heard the old female, or she simply didn’t care.

“How much do I owe you?” She asked, and almost as if in a trance, Amy’s hand reached into her dress pocket and pulled out her wallet. The elder shook her head and pushed Amy’s hand down.

“No dearie. I deal in many worlds and places, your rings will do me no good!”

Amy’s ears drooped, and she felt her earlier excitement dwindle as a flame dying on a candle wick.

“Don’t worry, dearie, you may have something I want…”

“Tell me!” Amy replied, her face bright and hope once again filling her heart. Her desire outweighed her caution, and she was almost willing to give just about anything in return to have the potion.

“Do you wear those bracelets everyday?”

Amy blinked in confusion for a moment before looking down at her golden bracelets. She had worn them for as long as she could remember and usually forgot that they were even there.

“Yes, I do. Did you want them?” 

She was hesitant to give up her favorite accessory, but then again she could always buy another pair, whereas she felt an odd sensation that this was her only chance to purchase the one thing that could give her what she wanted most. Sonic the Hedgehog’s heart.

“One will do dear. Gold worn by a pure maiden in love is difficult to come by.”

The fact that she didn’t have to give up both was enough to motivate Amy. Cream watched the scene unfolding in disbelief. How could Amy be so ready to trust this weird cat? It almost seemed like the young girl was under a spell. Amy quickly pulled her hand through a bracelet, and handed it over. The old witch snatched the jewelry like an angry viper, and shoved it quickly into her pocket.

“I don’t accept returns, dearie.” The old feline said hurriedly, and then began shoving the girls out of her shop.

“Now, I really must close, it’s time for me to do some cleaning. Enjoy your love!”

And with a final tinkle and slam of the door, the girls were back outside.

“Amy! Mobius to Amy!”

Amy blinked, her mind muddled from the memory. She looked up and saw Sonic staring at her with a concerned look. Right. She was with Sonic and trying to get him to drink the smoothie…

“Sorry, Sonic!”

“Jeez! If you weren’t so young, I would’ve thought you were having a stroke! Is everything okay?” Sonic stepped forward and looked closer at her face, trying to see if she was sick. Amy felt her cheeks burst into flame from their close proximity, and took the opportunity to shove the drink into his chest.

“I will be, once you drink this smoothie.” She replied with a smile. All concern immediately washed off Sonic’s face to be replaced with annoyance.

“Oh right… almost forgot. But it seems you also forgot that I’m not gonna take one sip of that until you try it first.”

Amy sighed in frustration. Chaos this hedgehog was stubborn. Well what's the harm right? I mean I already love him so drinking it shouldn’t do anything to me. She looked up at his smirking face, oh how she wanted that smirk to turn to a loving smile. To have infatuation gleam from those emerald eyes rather than arrogance. So she called his bluff.

“Fine, if taking a drink will convince you of my good intentions, then I’ll do it.”

She closed her eyes, and placed her lips around the straw and sucked. Sweet strawberry and banana flooded her mouth, and cooled her warm cheeks.

“Mmmm, see Sonic, it’s tasty!” But when she opened her eyes, Sonic was no longer in front of her. She blinked, but he still didn’t appear. Confused, Amy quickly turned around to look for him, when she bumped quite roughly into someone. The chest her head connected with was hard, and she saw stars at the edge of her vision. Smoothie splashed onto her pretty peony dress, and the unfortunate soul she had smashed into.

“Oh sorry! I didn’t mean to -” Her apology died on her lips when she looked up into the most blood red eyes she had ever seen. Beautiful, she thought.

“Chaos-dammit! You got smoothie all over this damn jacket Rouge forces me to wear. I’m never gonna hear the end of it.”

Amy blinked dumbly, unable to peel her gazed from his fiery eyes. They sucked her in, made her heart tremble, and her mind go blank. 

“Sorry, Amy!” Sonic called as he came up behind her, his hands clasped together in apology, “I saw an old lady with a cane struggling to cross the road,” He laughed nervously at his excuse for ditching the girl. He’d learned from past experience that abandoning her was never a good idea.

“You know me, I can never turn my back on a lady in need!”

When she didn’t respond, and instead kept a steady gaze on the person in front of them, he tilted his head. Usually she would gush over what a gentleman he was for helping someone in need, but she barely even seemed to register that he was there. He looked up to see who had the girl’s attention and was surprised to see a dark, and pissed off hedgehog.

“Oh, hey, Shadow. Surprised to see you walking about during the day,” Sonic laughed, causing a growl to emit from Shadow. Sonic removed his hand from Amy’s shoulder and brought his hand to his chin as he looked the glaring hedgehog over. He noticed the pink drink dripping from ebony fur and leather jacket.

“Oh, looks like you did me a favor!” The hero laughed again, placing a hand on Shadow’s shoulder. The ebony male growled and smacked Sonic’s hand away.

“Don’t touch me with those weak hands, faker.”

Sonic smirked, and folded his arms, his lids lowered mockingly.

“Oh? Someone wake up on the wrong side of the cyro sleeper today?”

Shadow growled once more, his fists clenching in anger. He was about to insult the blue hero further when suddenly a pink barrier popped up between him and his object of hate. Both male hedgehogs looked down in confusion to see Amy standing with her legs spread in a firm stance, and her hands shoving into their chests. They’d forgotten that Amy was there, and she was looking back and forth between them with a stern expression.

“Stop it!” She commanded. Shadow rolled his eyes at the dramatic display, here we go. Another lecture from the number one Sonic Fangirl, on how to play nice with the blue imbecile. He really had no time for this, all he’d wanted to do was try a new cafe that had opened up and raved about their bitter americano. All he wanted was to drink an ice cold, bitter, refreshing drink, and yet he was cursed by these two idiots. Screw it, I’ll just -

“Don’t you dare talk to Shadow like that! He didn’t do anything wrong, I was the one that bumped into him!”

A pregnant silence fell upon the hedgehog trio as both males looked at each other and then back to the young girl in shock. She wasn’t glaring at Shadow like she normally would have. No, instead she was glaring fiercely at her self-proclaimed boyfriend.

“Shadow is the Ultimate Life Form! You should show him some respect!”

Silence. Sonic blinked rapidly, and stuck a finger into his ear to clean out any imaginary wax.

“Uh, Ames… what are you saying?” The hero asked, his expression was entirely stunned and confused, a comical look for the self assured hero, if the situation hadn’t been so bizarre. Amy huffed and stuck out her bottom lip before grabbing Shadow’s arm. She yanked it to her chest and stared at Sonic from behind it while sticking out her tongue.

“Wow! You really are dumb! Do I need to repeat myself twice?”

Sonic’s mouth popped open like a toaster, and his eyes flicked from Amy’s aggressive sneer to Shadow’s frozen face. What in Chaos's name is going on?

“HAHAHAHA!”

Sonic and Amy jumped from the unexpected sound, and were surprised to discover that it was Shadow laughing his ass off. Neither of Mobious’ heroes had ever seen Shadow smile let alone full belly laugh before. 

“Looks like someone finally grew a brain! How does it feel to have your fangirl burn you like that faker?” Shadow chuckled some more before removing his arm from Amy’s grip.

“Well this has been interesting, but playtime is over.” His expression had returned to its usual glower, and he turned to make his way to his destination. He had only made it one step when he was yanked backwards by a pink hedgehog.

“Where are you going? Can I come?”

Shadow looked over his shoulder in disbelief to see Amy holding his hand and staring up at him with large puppy-dog eyes. What the fu -

“Amy! What the heck is going on? Is this some kind of joke or trick?!” Sonic exclaimed, his expression deeply concerned now. Amy was acting completely out of character as though someone else had taken control of her body. He had hardly ever seen her talk to the ebony anti-hero, let alone cling to Shadow like… well like she did with him.

Amy turned to look at Sonic once more, but she didn’t let go of Shadow’s hand.

“Nothing’s ‘going on.’ I just want to spend time with Shadow.”

Shadow flinched at the words, just what was this girl playing at? Spending time with someone she constantly berated as being ‘no fun,’ ‘dark and gloomy,’ and just plain mean. It was unbelievable, impossible. However, here she was, desperately holding onto his hand, and against his better judgement, he felt something stir within him.

“Seriously, Amy! You trying to make me jealous with another guy is so overused. Just drop the act!”

“What are you talking about?” Amy scoffed, and smiled sweetly up at Shadow. Shadow felt his heart stop for a single beat as he stared into clear jade pools of adoration. A look so honest and so raw that it cut through all of his barriers and walls, and pierced his ice-cold heart. Then those sloppily painted lips part, and a voice sweeter than honey announced,

“Shadow’s my boyfriend, of course I want to spend time with him!”