#although overall not the wedding i wanted for them :(

[scaredexpert]

there was a lot to love about that episode but it just felt soooooo rushed, it's really a shame they couldn't have done a two-part episode.

[stonedcoldfoxtarot]

Channeled messages & songs about your FS, future wedding and honeymoon (18+ tarot)

Pile 1 -> Pile 2

Pile 3 -> Pile 4

Pile 1

You & Your FS

You and FS may be financially well off but if not they will work hard in the future to provide you with a lot of the finer things in life. Your spouse may be very traditional when it comes to marriage and may have been taught from a young age that a real man, as they define it, is someone who works tirelessly to provide for his wife and kids. You and your FS may both be self employed as well as self-made, and will both be proud of each other’s success. I see that you really admire and look up to your FS, and they look up to you as well. Some of you may also end up going into business together or you may already be working on projects that overlap in some way.

It seems that one or both of you could be from a lower-income or working-class background, or one of you may have had some money issues in the past. Because of this, your FS will make a promise to you (most likely on your wedding night) that they will do whatever it takes to continuously provide you with the financial stability and security that one or both of you lacked when you were younger.

To be clear, your FS values money more than anything, but they don’t value it more than you. They would trade everything they own to be with you. To them, you are worth more than anything money could ever buy, and they will make sure you know that despite their busy schedule you are the most important thing in their life, always. They might even say to you or others that Man makes the money, money never makes the man. Still, I see your FS may have a demanding job or struggle with workaholic tendencies, but I feel you help balance them out and encourage them to let go of the need to control. You show them how to relax and enjoy life without worrying and stressing about deadlines, client meetings and quarterly earnings. You help them stay present and focused on the day to day, and this is why they feel they could never let you go.

Your and your FS will be so head over heels in love with each other, Pile 1. This could also be a twin flame or high-level soulmate connection.

The Wedding

Okay, here I see that one or both of you could be working right up until the day of your wedding.

Pile 1, you may be someone who is naturally curvy or thicc and your FS loves this about you. When they see you on your wedding day, they are going to lose their minds. They thought you were fine af before but when they see you in your dress, they might say fuck the ceramony lets go outside real quick😭

I’m seeing your FS will be blown away by how you look on your wedding day, Pile 1. They might even cry when they see you walking towards them. They feel so lucky in this very moment, and may be overcome with joy, thanking god or the universe for blessing them with your love. At the altar, they might lean in and tell you that you take their breath away and that they can’t wait to get you back to the telly later tonight. When your FS sees you in your dress, all they will think about is how quick they about to take it off you.

I also see that one of both of you may come from a religious family (roman catholic, orthodox, jewish, islamic etc) and so you will most likely have a traditional ceremony to appease your parents, however, I don’t see either of you being particularly religious (although some of you could be somewhat socially conservative). Overall I see your wedding ceremony being pretty short and sweet.

Wedding Night:

Pile 1, your FS is SO in love with you. Just the thought of spending the rest of their life with you by their side turns them on like crazy. On your wedding night, your FS will take the time to show you how much you mean to them. For some of you, they might tell you before you make love, that they have money set aside for you guys to start a life together (maybe they kept this from you in the past?). They want you to know that, from this moment on, they are solely devoted to taking care of you. I feel like your FS will be in a rush to get you naked but will want to take their time making love to you for the first time as husband and wife. They will want to be as physically and emotionally close to you as possible. They wanna go deep inside you but they will also want to touch your soul. They want to connect to you in a way that you’ve never connected with anyone else before. I’m seeing a room covered in rose petals with soft music and champagne on ice. Your FS is very meticulous by nature and will have given precise instructions to the event planner or MOH earlier in the day about how they want things to look for you when you arrive. They really want this night to be the best of your life (so far).

You or them, or both of you, could also be a water sign or have heavy water placements in your chart.

Pile 1, some of you may get pregnant on your wedding night even though I don’t think you set out for it to happen that way. I feel that you and your FS will get so caught up in the moment and neither one of you will want to stop or for them to pull out. I also feel that your FS already made up his mind that they were going to finish inside you as soon as they saw you walk down the aisle. I heard “fuck it we’re married now.”

Honeymoon

I see that you and your FS will do a lot of traveling on your honeymoon, especially by plane. You both may love to travel and visit foreign places so I feel you both will use this trip as an opportunity to see a few places on your wishlist. I also see that even though you and your FS may have planned out your trip together, your FS will end up adding in a few surprise destinations or reservations just to put an extra smile on your face. They will love to spoil you and gift you things as well so expect lots of unforgettable experiences that your FS will surprise you with such as shopping sprees in Paris or Milan, a hot air balloon ride over the desert or a couples massage on a private yacht off the Mediterranean coast. They really want to make your honeymoon unforgettable and I see them being wildly successful in doing so. You both will have the best time of your life.

Pile 2

You & Your FS

I sense that some people in this pile might already have kids with their FS or have kids from a previous relationship. If you are a parent, they are so excited to be a part of your child’s life. They will love them as their own.

I see that you and your FS are both a little on the shy or apprehensive side. Neither of you like to rush into anything or make decisions on a whim, so the decision to finally tie the knot was not made lightly. Between the two of you, your FS may be more outgoing than you Pile 2, but overall you compliment each other quite well. You are both very committed to making this marriage work.

One or both of you may wear glasses.

I feel that you and your FS feel like “only fools rush in” but you both fell for each other the minute you laid eyes on each other. It really was love at first sight. For some of you, I feel like you may already know this person or dated them in the past. You may have been childhood friends or had baby crushes on each other as kids/teenagers. You both might think that finally tying the knot is this big huge thing you’re rushing into, but everyone else is saying “about damn time!” Everyone who sees you two together just knows you are meant to be together.

The Wedding

Again, I see that you both may have been nervous about taking this step together but you guys will finally take the leap! I keep seeing two people holding hands, about to enter their reception. One of you looks at the other and says, “You ready?” It’s like you’re stepping into a whole new world for the first time together. You both take this step very seriously. I see that, right after you exchange vows, your and your FS might sneak away from everyone to hook up in a dressing room or bathroom. To your FS, you look too damn good in your dress or tux and they cannot wait any longer to make things “official.”

Pile 2, your FS might call you ‘babe�� or ‘baby’ a lot. I’m hearing “Don’t be nervous, I’m right here babe.” This person is your rock. They will be there to hold your hand whenever you need them. Nothing is more important to them than your love and your happiness. I see your reception being lit, full of family and friends who love and support you equally. You will both dance and celebrate the night away, almost feeling sad when it’s time for the last dance. Your wedding will be a night to remember in more ways than one.

For some this could also be a destination wedding or take place outdoors near a beach or body of water

Wedding Night

I’m seeing lots of laughter and silliness as you make your way back to the honeymoon suite. They might insist on “carrying you across the threshold” but may not be able to or end up bumping your head on the wall since you’re both pretty tipsy from the reception. But you will find it adorable how seriously they’re trying to observe this tradition.

The room will be gorgeous. I’m seeing floor to ceiling windows overlooking a body of water. Lots of fairy lights and tea candles dimly light the room. You are so touched by the view, it may bring you to tears. I also see that some of you might have decided to wait until your wedding night or maybe you didn’t go “all the way” in the past or it’s just been a while since you’ve really made sweet love to each other. This first time will be electric. Better than either of you could have ever imagined.

I’m seeing someone take their time to undress you. Kissing your neck and shoulders as they fiddle with your buttons or zipper. They want to go slow and savor each moment. They might have a little stamina built up since you guys could have fooled around after exchanging vows by giving each other oral or using your hands.

I keep hearing “ladies first.” They want to make sure they give you multiple orgasms before finally releasing themselves. Tonight, it will be all about pleasing you. They might give you a massage first. Your FS could be very good with their hands due to their occupation or they might work in medicine/physical therapy and be well-versed in human anatomy.

I see lots of aromatherapy here as well. Your FS may be big on creating a mood or a vibe for every occasion. They might do such a good job helping you relax that you may accidentally fall asleep lmao. But they will keep going. Rubbing you from head to toe until every muscle in your body is attended to. Once they finish, they will gently turn you on your back and kiss you while they slide inside of you.

This might take you by surprise and for some you, you might climax right away. They will tell you how beautiful you sound when you moan. They will also love how you say their name and how you beg them not to stop. Your FS will live to please you.

I see that even though they normally like to go hard and fast, on your wedding night they will go slow for you. To them, this night is supposed to be more about making you happy than about getting themselves off. Of course you both will eventually climax together and afterwards they may fall asleep inside you, holding you as you sleep. At some point your FS might wake up in the middle of the night and start fucking you again while spooning you.

I see lots of whispers between kisses about how much you love and cherish each other. Very beautiful energy.

Honeymoon

I don’t see a lot of travel here. As I mentioned, this may be a destination wedding so some of you are already at the place where you will spend your honeymoon. For others, you may be staying local due to other commitments such as kids, family, work etc, or postponing a big trip for a later date.

Your FS is addicted to your sex, Pile 2. They come alive when they are inside you (or you inside them, flip the roles as needed). They might also be into sex in public places such as quickies in the bathroom, head while they’re driving or sex on the beach at night. Something about the thrill of being caught really gets them going. You may both also be very handsy with each other on your honeymoon and others around you might be thinking “get a room!” but you both couldn’t care less.

This person loves the way you give them head. They think you’re the throat goat, Pile 2. They lose their mind when you do that thing with your tongue 👅💦 And they especially love when you get freaky with them in the car. On your honeymoon, I see that you and your FS might spend a lot of your time driving to different locations such as restaurants or bars and they will take every opportunity they can to talk you into pulling your panties to the side before you get out of the car. They truly cannot get enough of you.

Pile 3

You & Your FS

If you are a woman, you might have short hair or your FS may have longer or shoulder length hair. Here, I see that you and your FS may be somewhat unconventional, but you both pull it off well.

I also see that you or your FS may have fantasized about this connection for a long period of time before actually going on a first date. I feel that one or both of you may have been off limits to each other at one point. You or your FS could have been with someone else when you guys met, so things stayed in the fantasy realm for some time. One of you never thought you would actually be walking down the aisle and exchanging vows with someone you consider to be your best friend, but here you are, finally!

I’m seeing here that some of you may have been in the system as a child or one of you is rebuilding your life after struggle. One or both of you may be on the road to recovery in some way, but you both act as each other’s rock or guiding light in hard times. This is a connection that truly embodies the phrase “for better or for worse.”

The Wedding

The wedding is small and intimate. You may even elope. I see one or both of you may have a lot of tattoos. On your special day, Pile 3, I see you wearing a fitted sleeveless dress and everyone around you is in awe of how beautiful you look. You and your FS’s wedding attire is understated but it fits your aesthetic perfectly. Neither of you enjoy big parties or being the center of attention; you keep the things you love closest to your heart.

One or both of you may write your own vows. If not, I feel like the other person, in a moment of closeness between the two of you, will share their deepest, most vulnerable feelings with you through something they've written or recorded. They want you to know that they don’t plan on going anywhere. You mean the world to them and they feel they would be lost without you.

Some of you might go get matching tattoos on your ring fingers after the ceremony. You both prefer sentimental gestures over grandiose displays of affection and might have a lot of inside jokes or references between just the two of you.

Your wedding day will be low key, but I see this is exactly how you wanted it to go. You and your FS would rather take the money you would spend on a big wedding and put a downpayment on a house or use it to take a once-in-a-lifetime trip for several weeks. You will see the wedding as a formality or paperwork to make things legal on paper, since you two have been loving each other silently for many years before your hands even touched. You know this person is it for you and they are just as sure about you.

Wedding Night

Pile 3, I see that you and your FS will kiss and dance together under the moonlight or in a room with a beautiful view of the sky, just the two of you. You will kick back and enjoy each other’s company deeply. You or your FS may feel like you rescued them. Lots of mirroring energy here.

This person will be mesmerized by the way you look. They think you’re absolutely breathtaking and have felt that way since they first laid eyes on you, but there’s something about the way you look on your wedding night that will have them all the way in their feelings. They may be rather quiet, just caught up in rapture by you and this unforgettable moment. They feel so utterly blessed and like the luckiest person on the planet. They feel like the sky opened up just for them and blessed them with something they’ve always prayed for.

For some of you, this may be a later in life marriage or you both never thought you’d find someone you actually wanted to walk down the aisle with. I keep hearing “Is this really happening?” They almost don’t wanna close their eyes just in case they’re only dreaming and they accidentally wake up.

Your FS will be in heaven in your arms. They want to cherish this moment forever. You guys might not even have sex on your wedding night, simply because you end up talking or holding and cuddling each other until the sun comes up. They feel like there’s no rush because you have the rest of your lives to make love to each other. Your FS might really be into morning sex, so even if you end up falling asleep before consummating your marriage, they will wake you up the next morning with the most mind-blowing sex you’ve ever had in your life.

They are ready whenever, but it’s something about sex first thing in the morning with their soulmate that will have them ready to give it to you long and hard. I see they are very skilled at making you climax back to back. You FS, regardless of their size or gender, gives serious big dick big daddy energy. You will have multiple orgasms back to back, while they do everything in their power to hold back and make this moment last as long as possible. They don’t wanna pull out EVER.

Honeymoon

For the honeymoon I’m seeing a road trip? You guys might rent an RV or decked out van and take a few weeks off to travel around your country, city or state. One or both of you may have pets that you wouldn’t dream of leaving behind for several weeks, so you found a way to sightsee and explore while bringing them along.

For the rest of your honeymoon, I see you both making love mostly in the morning or in the shower. Your FS might be someone who knocks out early or has a hard time staying awake once their head hits the pillow, but once they wake up and see your beautiful face laying next to them, they will get so turned on and want to put their pent-up sexual energy to use right away. And I don’t see you minding because to you there’s no better way to start your day than by making love to the man or woman of your dreams.

I see lots of outdoorsy stuff here. Lots of exploring, hiking or taking photos in front of cheesy monuments that you will look at and cherish for years to come. I see you two visiting kooky places or tourist traps along your trip as a way to create once-in-a-lifetime memories. I also see that your spouse may be a few years older than you so they might have trouble keeping up with you at times, but they will do their best. Before you, they may have felt that their life had little to no meaning but now they know they were born to love and cherish you. You two are true soulmates, in this lifetime and the next.

Pile 4

You & Your FS

Pile 4, at the time of your engagement and wedding, I see that some of you might be finishing up an advanced degree or will have just graduated from school. You will feel like you have your entire life ahead of you, and you are absolutely right. Things will be falling into place effortlessly, thanks to you and your FS both being very responsible and future-oriented individuals.

I see that you and your spouse may be from a similar culture or background and that both families are quite pleased with your union. You may be the oldest of your siblings or just the most responsible person within your friend and peer group. Many people see you and your FS as “relationship goals” and think that you both are beautiful, successful and naturally very lucky. This pile gives me heavy prom king/queen or valedictorian/salutatorian energy.

I see here that some of you will pick out your own engagement ring because you have very particular tastes and like things to look or feel a certain way. Pile 4, you may be a little high maintenance, but your FS actually really loves this about you. When it comes to you and your FS, all you have to do is point to something and they'll make sure that it’s yours. Your FS may have a high-paying job or come from a wealthy family, so they are used to showing their love and affection by buying you whatever you want and spoiling you with flashy gifts.

The Wedding:

Pile 4, I see that your wedding will be very lavish and upscale. You both will look like money. You and your FS might be foreign born or have big families back home in another country. Some of you may have more than one reception (for family in your country) or you might have several outfit changes throughout the day.

I see here that tradition is very important to one or both of you. You both don’t believe in putting the cart before the horse. In your mind, it goes courting, dating, marriage, babies. Pile 4, I see that you have had a clear plan for your life since a young age and have been able to make sure everything goes according to plan thus far. I see your wedding and honeymoon will be no different. Some of you may even have your wedding date synced to your ovulation schedule so that you and your FS can start trying for babies right away. You both may want to have a large family and feel there is no real use in waiting once you say “I do.”

I see you both will really enjoy your wedding reception as everything has been planned perfectly down to the last detail. All you and your FS will have left to do is to show up and have fun. I also see that for some, both your families have spared no expense for this occasion. This will truly be the wedding of your (and several other people’s) dreams! Pile 4, you will look like a princess on your wedding day because in the eyes of those who love you, you truly are one.

I’m seeing that many of you who picked this pile may be quite young (mid 20s, maybe?). You and your spouse either met in college, though a mutual friend group or were introduced by your families. You both are well suited for each other and will make a great power couple as you age and begin to grow as a family.

Wedding Night

Hmm okay I see this is the pile for the certified freaks. I see either you or your FS will have a lot of energy for the wedding night and y’all might end up fucking like rabbits all night long. I see rounds after rounds until one of you finally taps out. I also see that for many of you, your FS might get you pregnant on your wedding night, but you wouldn’t mind. As far as you’re concerned, they are it for you.

Some of you might be into using toys and handcuffs and spicing things up with role play. Your FS might also have a little bit of a foot fetish or just think you have really beautiful feet. Whatever the case, I see that you will keep your FS on his toes in the bedroom and he won’t be able to get enough of you. Whips, chains, handcuffs - you do alladat. I heard, “I grew out my beard so you can wet it.” They love it when you ride their face. You make your FS so happy with how freaky you are in the bedroom, but they also love how you keep it classy in the streets. I feel the reason you guys are getting married so young is because they really couldn’t wait any longer to lock you down. Your FS knows you’re a catch and they are proud to give you both their first child and their last name.

After a long and exhausting day, I see you and your spouse finally leaving your reception way later than planned - you guys were just having too much fun to say goodbye. You might feel tired and ready for a nap on the way to the room but once you guys enter your suite, I see you will both suddenly get your second wind. For some, your spouse will draw you a nice relaxing bubble bath and tell you to take your time getting ready for them.

They might flip through the tv or scroll their phone aimlessly until you come out. But once they see you in your bridal lingerie, it’s game on. They will be so turned on you will have to push them off you because they will want to do it right there where you stand. Fuck moving over to the bed, that would take too long haha.

I see that some of you may bring handcuffs or scarves and tie your spouse to the bed. From there you will tease them until they literally beg you to sit on it. But you wont give in so easily. I see you like being a tease. You might even dominate them a little, biting and kissing their thighs, saying things like “Yeah, you want me to put it in my mouth, don't you?” They will be almost whimpering from the anticipation of pleasure that they are already dripping and throbbing before you give them head. And when you finally do, they are going to almost explode right away. They will be begging you to hurry up and sit on so they can finish inside you. I keep hearing “Fuck baby, I’m gonna cum.” You make them bust over and over and they can’t hold back when you do the things that you do to them.

Finally, I see you untying them and letting them have their fun. They might grab you and pound you fast and hard, finally releasing all that pent up energy from earlier in the day. I see that throughout these moments, you will be in ecstasy. And for some of you, you may have an out of body experience as waves of pleasure wash over you as you cum. I see this person making sure they finish inside you every time because they don’t want any of your future babies going to waste lmao. They wanna save it all for you.

I see that you guys will probably stay up all night and won’t pass out until the following morning. Guests who stayed at the hotel overnight might ask for you guys at breakfast and then laugh to themselves realizing you’re probably either upstairs having sex or taking a break between rounds. They will remember what it’s like to be young and in love, and will possibly have some food sent to your room for nourishment. Your friends and family are highly supportive of this union.

Honeymoon

I see that for some of you, you and your spouse will have a very “smart” or elegant honeymoon in London, Paris, NYC or similar. Lots of museum visits, going to shows and sightseeing in major cities. One or both of you may be really into the arts or high-brow, upscale outings and your IG feed will be the envy of others. Here I see that your FS will handle all of the small day to day details of the honeymoon, such as reservations, hiring a car service or calling ahead to make sure the staff has a bottle of wine chilled and ready for their new bride. They will want you to intrinsically know through their actions that they will always be on top of things for you. They will try to cater to you like it’s their job.

Again, I’m seeing that both of you may be traditional or come from cultures where tradition is very important, so this person will make sure to play their part for you because they know you expect nothing less, and you will match their energy where it counts.

Overall, I see you and your spouse really enjoying your wedding and honeymoon. Making memories that you will share with your friends, family, kids and future grandkids for years to come.

Thanks for reading🔮✨

© 2023 stonedcoldfoxtarot. All rights reserved. Please do not copy, translate, edit or redistribute.

[miffysrambles]

Hi! Just wondering, could you possibly do a Sun Wukong x FemReader where both Wukong and the reader play Stardew Valley together but then the reader goes ahead and marries/ starts dating one of the characters in the game?

(WAHHHH I ADORE STARDEW)

Wukong with an S/O who marries someone else in Stardew Valley

OH he gets so jealous, the monkey king is FUMING

Poor Wukong, he was already making his way to crafting the wedding ring for you after he bought the recipe from the traveling cart lady.

“I got something for ya peaches!” 

His pixel self was on its way to give it to you when he saw you with one of the characters that you can date in Pelican Town. His excited tone was replaced with silence. 

His avatar looked at you, then at them, then back at you, then at them again.

This went on for a few minutes.

“Peaches… What is this?” His voice was heard clearly through your headset, making you stifle a giggle.

“What?” You asked him, not being able to contain your laughter anymore as your voice cracked. 

“(Name), I have a wedding ring RIGHT HERE for you, and yet you betray me…” Although his words sound heartbroken, you know this is all in good fun. 

To poor salt on his wound, you kissed the game character which made him scream.

“YOU’RE ALREADY ENGAGED?! NOOO!”

He hates to admit it but he is genuinely jealous, of a video game character at that.

The fact his avatar is forced to attend the wedding makes it ten times worse.

OOOOO he mumbles throughout the wedding, “It should’ve been me up there with you… Not like we’re dating or anything…”

Oh and when they move onto the farm, all hell breaks loose.

He’s distraught when you kick him out of the main farmhouse and force him to live in one of the cabins on the farm. 

He “tries” to kill them with his galaxy hammer whenever the npc walks through town or through the farmhouse, much to your dismay and somewhat pleasure (you think it’s funny). 

He also hits them with explosive ammo and rocks with his slingshot, saying things like “This is what happens when you go after someone else’s partner pal!” 

He tries to kick them out of your bed by hitting them more, even though they are an npc and they can’t get hurt.

“GET. OUT. HOMEWRECKER.” He growls as he smashes the buttons on his controller. 

Overall throughout your whole playthrough, Wukong is a jealous bitter boyfriend over pixels.

On your next playthrough, he makes you promise to marry him, “Look peaches, all I’m saying is if you want me to not make our farm look like garbage, all ya gotta do is put the ring on!”

He has a shit-eating grin on his face whenever your avatars walk by the npc in your new save.

[fantasyescapes17]

Closed Doors (Part 3, Final)

Soonyoung had made peace with his station in life. A younger son of a little-known family, he was not set to inherit a fortune and had nothing to recommend him but his bright personality. Nobody expected Soonyoung to make the match of the season. But when you- a woman with ties to the royal family and riches beyond his imagination, a Duchess in your own right- seeks Soonyoung's hand in marriage, his life begins to spiral entirely out of his control.

Genre: Hoshi x female!reader. Regency!AU. Your title is the Duchess of Graham but your first name is not mentioned.

Warnings: Not even remotely historically accurate. Much like Bridgerton, this is all about the aesthetic.

Word Count: 8.1k+

Part 1 Part 2

Series Masterlist [This is not the first installment in this series- it is strongly recommended to visit the Masterlist and read the installments in order as they are all interlinked and the timeline can be confusing.]

You awoke with the morning sun shining brightly in your eyes. 

One of the maids had opened the curtains and cracked the window. There was a gentle breeze and you could hear birds chirping; the sounds and fresh smells of the countryside estate were much more pleasing than the smoke and noise of London. 

You relaxed instinctively, knowing that you were home. It was warm under the covers and you sleepily sat up in bed and blinked at the maid. 

“What time is it?” you asked her. 

“It’s a quarter to eight, Your Grace. I thought perhaps you might want to sleep in, but since the Duke was already awake…” she trailed off with a giggle. 

The drowsiness cleared and you suddenly remembered where you were. Not in your usual bedchambers, but in the bedchambers of your newly wedded husband, now the Duke of Graham. Your face grew hot as you remembered the events of the previous night. Soonyoung had surprised you many times since your first meeting, but the events of the previous night had perhaps been the most pleasurable surprise of all. 

“Do you require anything, Your Grace?” the maid asked you, concerned. “If you are in any pain…” 

You wrapped the bedsheets around you tightly and tried not to show your embarrassment. 

“No- I… just help me dress, please. Where is the Duke?” 

“In the master study downstairs, Your Grace. He has been there all morning.” 

“All morning?” 

“Yes, Your Grace. He was awake long before most of the servants had arisen.” 

You were confused but kept your questions to yourself. You allowed the maid to help you dress and then went downstairs to the master study. This had been your late father’s favourite haunt, and although it was not as large as the grand library upstairs, it was still a luxurious room where your father had conducted most of his business meetings and matters of the estate. 

The study door was slightly ajar. You could hear familiar male voices: Soonyoung, Mr. Johnson the estate manager, and one of his assistant bookkeepers.

“There are separate ledgers for the household and for the estate?” Soonyoung was saying in a slightly confused voice. “If I wanted to see a consolidated view of the overall finances-” 

Mr. Johnson spoke up. “We reconcile everything on a quarterly basis, Your Grace. Those records are kept here. I would recommend viewing them separately, however, as the household ledgers only track expenses and outgoings and we report them here as a percentage of the gross income.” 

Soonyoung sighed. There was a hint of frustration in his voice. “But that gross income is before you’ve provided for taxes?” 

“Which taxes, Your Grace? The ones payable to the duchy or the ones payable to the Crown?” the bookkeeper asked patiently. 

“Those are separate taxes?” 

You knocked gently on the study door and pushed it open. Soonyoung was sitting behind the large mahogany desk, while various ledgers and volumes were open on the table before him. He was startled when he looked up and saw you. His ears promptly turned red and he jumped to his feet. 

“Your Grace!” 

The bookkeeper and Mr. Johnson also rose to greet you. 

“Good morning, gentlemen,” you greeted them with a small smile. “Isn’t it rather early to be going through these tedious ledgers?” 

Soonyoung rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “My apologies, Your Grace. I-I asked for Mr. Johnson to come. I wanted his help to better understand the matters of the estate.” 

It was certainly unusual behaviour, but as with everything Soonyoung did, you could see his innocence and good intentions shining through. His eyes were bloodshot. If the maid was to be believed, Soonyoung had been here grappling with the ledgers since half past five in the morning. The new Duke of Graham evidently did not shy away from hard work. You felt a sudden rush of affection for this man, your husband, and his dedication to his new role. 

“Perhaps we might adjourn for breakfast?” you suggested lightly. 

Soonyoung nodded and hastily closed the ledgers before coming over to you. “Yes, yes, of course.” 

“Shall we eat in the gardens?” you asked Soonyoung, who gave you a sudden handsome smile that made your heart skip a beat. You bit your lip and turned to the other gentlemen. “Thank you for coming on the Duke’s request, Mr. Johnson. I will ask the staff to arrange breakfast for you and your assistant in the parlour.” 

Mr. Johnson nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Your Grace.” 

Soonyoung offered you his arm and you took it before leaning closer to him. It was a strange and thrilling feeling to be so near him. While there was little reason to feel shy after the events of last night, you still enjoyed the subtle contact of your hand resting on his elbow. It was an innocent gesture, but now that Soonyoung was your husband, it felt far more meaningful. 

The sight of his soft smile left a strange but pleasant feeling in your stomach. 

The servants had set out your breakfast in the garden and Soonyoung blinked, squinting in the bright morning sunlight as you both stepped outdoors. The gardens were large and beautifully maintained with flower beds, water fountains,  and artfully shaped hedges.

“This estate is even more beautiful by day,” Soonyoung  said honestly. 

You bit your lip. “Something you might have discovered sooner if you had not shut yourself in the study on your very first morning here,” you replied. 

Soonyoung looked apologetic until he noticed the soft smile on your face. You did not appear angry, so he relaxed. 

"I apologise if I worried you, Your Grace."

“I was only surprised. Was going through the estate ledgers so much more exciting than having breakfast with your wife?” 

Soonyoung flushed. "No, I only…"

You smiled at him gently. "Yes?"

"As a second son I never took an interest in matters of the estate or business in my own family. Now I find myself the Duke of a duchy with a history and genealogy that goes back hundreds of years…" Soonyoung paused and bit his lip as he looked down at his teacup with a heavy sigh. "I only hope I can be what the title requires me to be."

You felt a sudden burst of affection for the man and you reached across the table to place your hand on top of his. 

"Soonyoung."

"Yes?"

"I want you to know that you are not alone. I am genuinely grateful for the effort you are putting in," you told him honestly. 

Soonyoung smiled in relief. "Thank you, Your Grace."

"Shall we eat?"

It was a pleasant breakfast in the fresh morning air. Soonyoung seemed in awe of everything; from the breakfast spread to the perfectly maintained flower beds. Soonyoung polished off his meal enthusiastically while telling you about the childhood he spent in the countryside. 

"I'm sure our estate wasn't even a quarter of this size," he admitted. "I don't remember much about it. I was sent off to boarding school and then the Royal Naval Academy fairly young, and I spent my summer breaks in London."

You blinked at him. "But the Viscount said he first met you in Oxford?"

He coughed, looking rather embarrassed. "Yes- I attended Oxford for about a year. It was fun; I made friends but I was bottom of the class and it was quite evident by the end of the first year that I was not about to become a barrister or a doctor. I thought I had best cut my losses, and transfer to the Royal Naval Academy."

"Were you drawn to the navy by a sense of adventure?" you asked with a smile. 

Soonyoung chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "A boyish sense of adventure? I suppose so. I was certainly more motivated by the thought of defeating enemy warships than being called to the bar. I wanted to do something exciting, so I will not pretend that I was pleased to learn sailors are more likely to die from scurvy or drowning than at the edge of an enemy combatant's sword."

"Is there much sword-fighting in the Navy?"

He grinned at you sheepishly. "There was plenty in my fantasies."

You could not help but smile back at him. "It seems I must apologise, then, for depriving the Crown of a potentially heroic naval captain to defend our stormy seas."

"Considering the number of times I had to retake the lesson on using a sextant to navigate at sea, I am sure the Crown is quite grateful to you for keeping me on solid land, Your Grace," Soonyoung replied humbly. 

"Oh- I have always wanted to learn how to use a sextant," you said brightly. "It's a funny little contraption, is it not?"

Soonyoung chuckled as he sipped his tea. "Fiddly little things and awful to use. I was horrified when I went to the academy and learned that ships did not just sail blindly into the vast unknown, and marine navigation involved an overwhelming amount of mathematics and nautical charting," he admitted. 

"You expected more sword fighting?"

"I expected less calculating."

"Well," you said with a smile as you sipped your tea, "I am sorry that you are forced to do some calculating here. I noticed that you were going through the ledgers this morning. What prompted you to rise at daybreak on your first day and undertake that particularly painful task?"

Soonyoung blushed. "You will laugh if I tell you."

"Only if you say something funny."

“I- I woke at dawn and I could not sleep,” he admitted. His ears were slightly red. “I went out for a drink of water, but I wandered down the wrong hallway and found myself in what I now understand to be the ancestral gallery? It was a long hallway filled with portraits of your ancestors who all stared down at me disapprovingly from the walls. It struck me that I was responsible for continuing their legacy, and I did not relish the idea of having to face them if I hadn’t done everything in my power to uphold the glory of their duchy. I became quite anxious, so once I had escaped the gallery, I asked to meet the estate manager immediately.” 

The corner of your lips twitched noticeably. 

Soonyoung pouted at you. “You promised that you would not laugh, Your Grace!” 

“I promised no such thing,” you replied, but you could not help but let out a giggle at the thought of the poor Duke wandering around the manor at dawn. “But I will not laugh at you. I will only make one observation.” 

“That is?” 

“Many of these ancestors you saw in the portrait gallery were drunkards, gamblers, and adulterers. I assure you that there is nothing particularly grand or glorious about most of them. They were simply rich men. I do not think you shall find it incredibly difficult to outshine them, Your Grace,” you told him. “Honestly- the only prerequisite to be added to that gallery is to stay alive long enough to produce an heir that will put up your portrait once you are gone.” 

Soonyoung almost choked on his tea. “Yes- an heir, of course.” 

You bit your lip and avoided his gaze. “There is… no particular urgency on that front.” 

“Right.” 

“Shall we take a tour of the manor, then, to prevent Your Grace from losing your way and encountering more anxiety-inducing portraits?” 

Soonyoung smiled. “Yes, let’s.” 

Over the course of your first day as Soonyoung's wife, you were surprised by how pleasurable you found his company. Soonyoung was not suave or charming in the style of men like Viscount Hong, nor did he possess the bold confidence or pride that were often considered desirable among the male sex. 

No. Soonyoung was different. He was kind, he was honest, and he was humble. You had never met a man quite like him. You had never met a man that you wanted, more than anything in the world, to love and trust with all your heart. 

It was a long day but time spent with Soonyoung went by in a flash. You showed him around the manor, the gardens and the creek and told him about your family and childhood and the estate. Soonyoung listened to you intently. He hung onto your every word and although you had always been a quiet and reserved person, you found yourself speaking more than you usually did, opening up to him, and even laughing. 

Your maid, Rosie, noticed the lingering smile on your face as she helped you dress for bed later that night. 

"If I may say something, Your Grace…" Rosie began shyly as she combed through your hair. 

You blinked up at her in the mirror. "Yes?"

"We were all quite worried, Your Grace, when we heard that you had married in London so suddenly- and to a man with no fortune,  even Mr Johnson thought perhaps Your Grace was being taken advantage of…"

You looked up at her defensively. "I may be a woman but I am not an idiot, Rosie."

Rosie flushed. "Of course not, Your Grace! I see that now… I think we all understand why you married the Duke."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Well… pardon me, Your Grace, but you haven't been yourself since the late Duke passed. You've become so quiet and withdrawn and we were rather worried. But since yesterday… well, old Mrs. Minnie in the gardens was saying that she couldn't remember the last time she saw you smiling so brightly."

You pursued your lips in embarrassment. Was it so obvious, even to the servants? You had always been careful not to reveal your true feelings too much, to mask your emotions behind a practised smile. But if even the servants could see that Soonyoung had such an effect on you…

The thought was strangely both comforting and scary. 

There was a knock on your door. One of the servants opened the door and poked her head in. She seemed to be stifling a smile. 

"Your Grace? The Duke is here for you. We found him wandering the upstairs hallways."

"Of course, please let him in. Are you done, Rosie?"

Rosie released your hair with a smile. "Of course, Your Grace. Good night."

The servants left while hiding their giggles, and Soonyoung entered your room with flushed cheeks. He was holding a bottle of wine- the same bottle, you realised, that you had brought to his room the previous night and left unfinished. He glanced awkwardly at the door that the servants exited from. 

"That is the second time one of the servants caught me lost in the manor," he said, embarrassed. "I think they are all laughing at me. I had forgotten where your bedchambers were."

You smiled at him. "Shall I draw you a map?"

"I would probably lose the map as well," Soonyoung joked. He stepped closer to you and revealed the bottle in his hand. "Can I tempt you with a glass of wine before bed? We never finished this one last night."

You nodded. "Of course."

It was a strange sort of intimacy; comfortable and yet still exciting, to crawl under the covers with Soonyoung as he poured you a glass of wine. He lit a cigar with your permission. You ordinarily disliked the smell of tobacco, but oddly, you did not mind anything much when you were with Soonyoung. 

Sipping the wine, you patiently answered his questions about the estate and the dukedom. You had been handling most of the important matters yourself for many months now; particularly since your father's illness had him bedridden. 

"It must have been very difficult," Soonyoung said gently, "taking care of the estate while you were worried about your father's health."

You looked down at his fingers entwined with yours and sighed. His touch was warm and comforting. 

"It was not easy," you confessed. "I lost my mother very young and my father was all I had. I was never a very social person. Without a mother or a sister to chaperone me I… I never even spent much time in society or at balls."

Soonyoung was quiet, but you could tell that he was listening. 

"I had always felt alone, but it wasn't until my father passed that I realised how alone I really was," you continued. "He had wanted me to marry before he died but his health became worse suddenly…"

 Soonyoung squeezed your hand. 

"I'm sorry," he whispered. 

You bit your lip. You had never spoken to anyone about this before and it felt almost cathartic to confess it all to Soonyoung. 

"The day after my father died, all the vultures descended."

"Vultures?" Soonyoung asked, confused. 

"One of my father's oldest friends- a nobleman more than twice my age- proposed marriage to me before my father had even been properly buried. When I refused him, he was furious. Another came to the funeral and told me that as a lady I couldn't possibly manage the duchy and that if I signed it over to him, he would take care of it for me and give me an allowance."

Soonyoung stared at you in disbelief. 

"Monsters," he mumbled. 

Your lower lip trembled. "There were more offers… some cruder than others. I began to realise that as long as I remained unmarried, I would continue to have a painted target on my forehead. But I had nobody to trust. That was when I finally reached out to Viscount Hong."

Soonyoung blinked. "But he is happily married."

You nodded. "That made it easier to trust him. I knew the Viscount from my youth, of course, but plenty of people that I knew from my youth had since revealed themselves to be untrustworthy. Viscount Hong was the only person who did not want anything from me and genuinely treated me as a friend. That is why I could confide in him. I sought his help to find a husband."

Soonyoung finished his glass of wine and then turned to look at you- his gaze was a little unfocused and you realised that he had drunk too much of the wine. The bottle lay empty on the bedside table. 

"Wouldn't you rather have married him instead?"

Your eyes widened. "Soonyoung!"

His lower lip stuck out, almost in a pout as he leaned his head against one of the pillows lazily. His tone was contemplative. "It's hardly outrageous. Viscount Hong is rich, handsome, very charming…"

"And as you pointed out yourself, quite happily married," you protested. 

"But you must have considered it?"

You blinked down at your husband. He did not seem angry; his eyelids seemed heavy but he forced them open to look up at you. It was genuine curiosity in his eyes and you felt obligated to answer him with honesty. 

You sighed. "I will admit that I considered Viscount Hong quite handsome when we were younger- although I dare you to find a young lady in the ton, married or single, who did not feel the same way about him at some point. He is quite attractive but no, I do not think I ever seriously considered marrying him."

"Why not?"

"I am not sure we would have suited each other."

"But you thought I suited you?"

You looked down at Soonyoung. His cheek was pressed against the pillow and his face was flushed. It had been a long day; he was clearly struggling to stay awake and his voice was beginning to sound slurred. 

"I did," you replied quietly. 

"Why-why did you marry me?" he mumbled. 

You took a deep breath. Frankly, you were surprised that Soonyoung had not asked you this question much, much sooner. It had quite clearly been on his mind. Stranger yet was that you dreaded being asked this question- it forced you to confront feelings that you were not sure you were ready to face. 

"I-"

There was a soft snore from the pillow. You looked down in surprise- Soonyoung had fallen asleep. His mouth was still slightly open and his face flushed. You giggled and leaned down to kiss his soft cheek. 

"Good night, Your Grace."

—----------------------------------------------

The first few weeks of your 'honeymoon period', as many called it, with Soonyoung were perhaps some of the happiest days you had ever spent. The Graham manor (a place that had never been a source of much happiness for you, and had become a source of misery since your father's death) was suddenly lit up by Soonyoung's mere presence. 

He resolved to learn about the estate. You discovered that, despite his seeming lack of confidence, Kwon Soonyoung could do anything if he set his mind to it. There was a steely determination that seemed to overtake him when it came to matters of the estate and dukedom. 

Even Mr. Johnson, the stiff and difficult-to-please estate manager, admitted to you that he was impressed with the way Soonyoung had taken charge of the dukedom. 

"His Grace insisted upon meeting the peasants himself," Mr. Johnson told you in confidence. "I assumed it was a vanity trip; some of the noblemen like to lord their wealth before the commoners. But His Grace actually walked through the fields instead of taking his carriage and spoke to each of the peasants individually to understand their troubles."

You blinked in surprise. "Did my father ever do that?"

Mr. Johnson chuckled. "No. The late Duke would make the peasants travel up to the manor if they had complaints and to submit their taxes. It took them all day- and meant that they couldn't tend to the fields."

"This way is better, then."

"Personally, I think some distance between the common folk and nobility should be maintained," Mr. Johnson said stiffly. "Yet I cannot find it in me to fault His Grace's methods. The other day, he resolved a land dispute that some of the peasants have been having for years… I wish I had been there to see it, but I was not at the site. It seems he convinced them to come to a mutual settlement."

You blinked. "How?"

"I wish I knew. He mediated it himself- they have come to accept His Grace's authority even in such a short time."

You were surprised as well. As the Duchess, you were hardly disliked but it had been ingrained in you from a young age to keep your distance from the peasants and be and be wary of everyone and everything. 

You were respected- but Soonyoung was beloved. He had such an amiable nature that in a matter of months, almost everyone in the duchy had fallen in love with him. 

You were no  exception. 

From the peasants, to the villagers, to the servants at the manor… everyone agreed that the new Duke of Graham was nothing short of a bright ray of sunshine. 

Soonyoung's dedication to his new role as Duke did not mean that he was any less dedicated to his role as a husband. He spent his evenings solely with you. You shared long walks in the gardens and often indulged in some wine before bed. Separate bed-chambers were not uncommon among married couples of the nobility, but you and Soonyoung had never felt the need for them. 

"We shall have to return to London soon," you told him one morning over breakfast as you both perused the post. "Her Majesty has specifically asked me to join her court now that I am married, and you will need to take your place in court among the other Dukes as well…"

Soonyoung blinked at you in surprise. "Has the Queen really written to you personally?"

You bit your lip. "She has always taken a personal interest in me. My mother was quite close to the Queen; she would not have issued the decree which allowed me to keep the title otherwise. I cannot risk offending Her Majesty."

Soonyoung nodded. "Then we shall return as Her Majesty commands."

You suddenly felt anxious. "Maybe it was foolish of me, but I did not invite many Dukes and Earls to our wedding. At least not the vultures. They are certainly upset at my decision not to marry any of them, and I am worried they may be unpleasant upon our return-"

Soonyoung reached across the table and placed his hand on yours gently. 

"It will be fine. We will handle it together."

You smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you, Soonyoung."

"When do we leave?"

"In two days."

—----------------------------------------------------

You were miserable as the carriage approached your London manor and you felt the familiar thickness of the city air. 

The court, the ton, and the intricate politics and pettiness of elite society had never been to your taste. You were by no means bad at it. Putting on a fake smile and pandering to society was a skill you had mastered early on in life, but it gave you almost no pleasure. 

You would have stayed at the estate with Soonyoung forever, if only it was possible. 

"Your Grace!" the butler greeted you politely as you stepped into the familiar luxurious manor and the servants rushed to carry your belongings inside. You turned- but the butler was addressing your husband. "There are a number of letters here for you."

Soonyoung took them and frowned as he rifled. 

"Letters already?" you wondered. 

"I wrote ahead to some of my friends that I was returning to London," Soonyoung admitted shyly. "Mr. Kim wishes to know when I will come by the gentleman's club for a game of cards. Viscount and Viscountess Hong have invited us to a dinner party on Saturday. And this is from… who is the Duke of Kent?"

You winced. "A disgusting old fellow."

"He invites me to join him on a hunting trip tomorrow with some other gentlemen," Soonyoung replied. He looked at you sheepishly. "I… am not particularly good at hunting."

You waved a hand dismissively. "Neither is the Duke of Kent."

"I suppose I should accept his invitation then. Perhaps Mr. Yoon will give me some tips about using a shotgun beforehand…" Soonyoung muttered thoughtfully, as he walked away to find an ink and pen to answer the invitations. 

You felt a strange anxiety in the pit of your stomach. 

"Soonyoung…"

He paused. "Yes, dear?"

"I know I have said this before, but some of these Dukes can be very unpleasant and manipulative, and I…" you trailed off, not sure how to explain yourself. 

You were worried for him. You were worried at the thought of your kind, caring husband alone with those manipulative noblemen who had decades of experience in the art of politics and under-handedness. Soonyoung's expression softened as he came back to you and leaned down to place a soft kiss on your forehead. 

"Do not worry, Your Grace," he said gently. 

"I will not be able to join you hunting, I am required to meet with the Queen tomorrow," you reminded him. 

"As you must."

Soonyoung seemed more confident. Perhaps his success at managing the duchy and popularity with the peasants had left him feeling more comfortable about his position as a Duke. Yet, you could not help but feel that your husband was about to be thrown in the lion's den unprepared. 

You had supper together before going to bed. As was common, the enormous London manor had separate bedrooms for the Duke and Duchess but Soonyoung always found his way to your bedroom after dark. On your first night in London, he arrived much later than usual, after you had already settled under the covers. 

"I got lost," Soonyoung mumbled to you in apology as he blew out your candle and slid under the covers beside you. His arm wrapped around your waist as you giggled. 

"Lost, again?"

He huffed, pressing his cheek to your shoulder. "This is my first night at the London manor. It took me over a month to find my way around the manor at the estate. Now I must acquaint myself with a completely new building full of winding corridors."

You giggled. "I'll have the butler draw you a map in the morning. Good night, Your Grace."

"Good night."

—-----------------------------------------------------------

Soonyoung left for his hunting trip at dawn and you had to leave soon afterwards for your engagement with the Queen. Her Majesty received you warmly in her tea parlour with some of the other ladies-in-waiting, and her sharp eyes scanned you as soon as you had taken your seat. 

"You look different, Duchess," the Queen told you bluntly. 

You bowed politely. "Do I, Your Majesty?"

"Yes. Marriage suits you. I can't be the first person to have told you this. I have seen excellent young ladies destroyed by entering into the wrong marriage, and it pleases me to see that this does not seem to be the case with you. Tell me; are you happy?"

You bit your lip and nodded. "I am, Your Majesty."

"We could have found you a Prince, you know."

You smiled at her graciously. "I am very grateful, Your Majesty. But I have a responsibility to my dukedom and my title- I could not abandon my family heritage to become a Princess."

The Queen nodded and sipped her tea. One of the other court ladies- the Countess Harrison- took the opportunity to speak. 

"Our dear Duchess is, as always, thinking about responsibilities that are not hers to bear," the Countess Harrison said with a titter. "Perhaps it is time you left your dukedom to the men and learned something from the other ladies about womanly responsibilities."

You sighed. You had long learned to pick your battles carefully with the court ladies. 

"And what are these womanly responsibilities, Countess?" you wondered. 

The Countess giggled. "Why, of course; bearing sons to continue the noble bloodline! Surely your family will not petition Her Majesty again to allow you to pass the title onto someone else, simply because you did not bear enough sons?"

"Enough sons?" you asked. You were not taking her conversation seriously at all- frankly, you were more interested in the lemon cakes being served than anything the Countess had to say. 

"But of course! You must have enough sons. Children sometimes die prematurely, it is an unfortunate reality."

You stirred some sugar into your tea. "So fear of your children dying is the reason your husband has sired so many bastards? If little Jonathan should die of fever, then at least your maid's bastard son can take over the Earldom. The continuation of the noble Harrison bloodline may depend upon it," you remarked coolly. 

The Countess flushed a furious shade of red. Some of the other court ladies giggled. They were no friends of yours, but they also did not have much loyalty to each other. 

The Queen looked at you with a friendly twinkle in her eye. 

"Now, now, Duchess. We are all delighted to see you happily married, but you must not be so mean to our Countess here," the Queen said lightly. Her tone was playful. 

"My apologies, Your Majesty," you said half-heartedly.

The Queen rose. "I wish to step outside onto the balcony. Accompany me, Duchess."

It was a statement and one that silenced the other court ladies immediately. The Queen had never been shy about the fact that you were her favourite court lady. Your mother had been her close personal friend, and despite their best efforts, none of the other court ladies had been able to wriggle their way into the Queen's good books quite like your family. 

You offered your arm to the Queen, who led you outside to the balcony and called for her snuffbox. Then she turned to you with a raised eyebrow. 

"Do you remember what I told you when you arrived in London a few months ago- after your father's death?" the Queen asked. 

You bit your lip. "Of course, Your Majesty. You told me that as a Duchess, nothing could come before my duty to the title and my dukedom, and that I would have to make my decisions carefully."

The Queen nodded. "Do you think it was sound advice?"

"I do, Your Majesty."

"Have you followed it?" 

You hesitated and the Queen's sharp eyes did not miss the look on your face. She glanced back at the parlour where the court ladies were still having tea and then raised an eyebrow at you. 

"I-I have tried, Your Majesty," you replied. 

"Then you should have no problem telling me why you chose to put your entire family's legacy in the hands of a poor second son without a penny to his name."

You swallowed. 

"Well?" the Queen asked. "Can you?"

"... I cannot."

—-------------------------------------------------------

You were drained of energy by the time you returned to the manor. The butler informed you that your husband had still not returned from his hunting trip, and that he had sent word for you to have supper without him.

You ate and went to bed but somehow, you could not sleep alone. You had become too used to Soonyoung's warm body against yours. He always tucked you in close to him with an arm around you and his soft and steady breathing was what helped you sleep. Without him, the room was too silent. 

You waited for Soonyoung to return, but the clock struck midnight and he was still not back. You wrapped a robe around yourself and went downstairs. 

The butler ran to you."Do you require anything, Your Grace-"

"Had the Duke still not returned from the hunting trip?" you demanded. 

The butler looked confused. 

"His Grace returned a few hours ago. He was tired and went straight to his bedchambers."

You blinked and nodded before dismissing the butler. Perhaps Soonyoung was too tired to risk getting lost in the manor in search of your room, and had gone to sleep in his own bedchambers. You went back upstairs and hurried to the bedchamber that you knew to be your husband’s. 

You knocked on the door. "Soonyoung?"

There was no response. You turned the handle. 

It was locked. 

An unsettling feeling came across you. You could not think of why Soonyoung would lock the door to his bedchamber. You often had to remind him even to just close the door- he had a careless habit of leaving doors completely ajar. 

There were footsteps on the stairs. Some of the servants were awake, and you decided to return to your own bedchambers instead of causing a scene.

—----------------------------------------------------

You awoke to find Soonyoung had already left the manor. The butler informed you that the Duke had gone to visit his friends Mr. Kim Mingyu and Mr. Lee Seokmin, and would be back in time to accompany you to the dinner party at Viscount Hong's. 

You tried not to read too much into it. Soonyoung had lived in London for a long time, and his friends were undoubtedly eager to meet him upon his return. 

You wondered if you would have had an easier time making friends if it had not been for your title. 

You kept yourself occupied for most of the day with your correspondence and answering invitations that flooded in from members of the ton who had learned you were back in London. The social season was drawing to a close and there were plenty of balls and events crammed into the next week. You could not possibly attend them all, nor did you wish to. 

Soonyoung finally returned in the evening. The carriage waited outside to take you both to the Viscount's home, and you smiled in relief at the sight of your husband. 

"Soonyoung!" you greeted him warmly. "I did not see you last night. How did the hunting trip go?"

Soonyoung grimaced as he helped you into the carriage. "I couldn't shoot anything," he told you honestly. "But neither did the Duke of Kent so at least I was not the worst hunter there. The Viscount shot a rather plump pheasant."

"Viscount Hong was there?"

"Yes, thankfully," Soonyoung muttered. You eyed your husband anxiously as the carriage took off. He was quiet, but it was not entirely unusual for Soonyoung to sometimes be more quiet and withdrawn. He often did it when he was focusing, or thinking deeply about something. 

"Did you enjoy your morning with Mr. Kim and Mr. Lee?" you asked lightly. 

Soonyoung nodded. "Oh-yes."

"What did you do?"

"We only played cards and talked about how they've been during the last few months. I didn't bet much money on the cards," he added quickly. 

You blinked, confused. "I am not worried about you gambling, Soonyoung."

He flushed. "Yes- of course."

The carriage arrived at the Viscount's grand manor and you both descended. Soonyoung offered you his arm and you took it. 

The Viscount and Viscountess were waiting to greet you at the entrance. Viscount Hong smiled, while his wife embraced you and congratulated you and Soonyoung warmly on your marriage. They guided you to the drawing room where about ten or eleven other guests were already gathered. You saw the Earl Harrison, the Duke of Kent and some of the other unpleasant old noblemen along with their wives. 

"Perhaps we should have looked more closely at the guest list before accepting this particular invitation," you mumbled to your husband. Soonyoung did not smile or agree with you. His expression was grim and he seemed uncomfortable. .

"Ah; the new Duke and Duchess of Graham!" the Earl Harrison greeted you loudly. You forced a smile. He was a disgusting man with a reputation for sleeping with his servants, and you had no respect for him. 

"Earl Harrison," you replied politely. 

"We had the pleasure of hunting with your husband just yesterday. Rather unfortunate that you did not enquire whether he could handle a shotgun before you married him!"

You felt Soonyoung stiffen beside you and gave the Earl a sharp look. 

"I did not consider proficiency with a shotgun to be one of my primary requirements in a husband, sir," you replied coolly. 

The Earl raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? Well, it leaves one to wonder…"

"Wonder what, exactly?" you demanded. 

"Why you married him, of course."

You felt a burst of irritation. You were normally much better at controlling your anger and keeping calm, but the Earl's snide remarks about Soonyoung wound you up more than they should have. Your jaw clenched but before you could respond, the Viscount and Viscountess inserted themselves into the conversation. 

"Earl Harrison!" the Viscountess said with a kind smile. "You must allow the Viscount to show you his new hunting rifles in the gallery. Perhaps you would be interested as well, Your Grace?"

You were furious but the Viscountess was the master of smoothing things over. She quickly ushered the gentlemen into the gallery to look at the rifles, and then took your arm and pulled you aside.

"Are you all right?" the Viscountess asked you gently. 

You nodded. "Thank you."

She sighed. "I am afraid Earl Harrison forcefully wrested an invitation to tonight's dinner from Joshua yesterday. I did not want to invite him at all, especially after I heard what he was  saying about you and the Duke during the hunting trip."

You stiffened. "What has he been saying about myself and the Duke?"

The Viscountess looked upset. "Nothing of any substance, only some nasty remarks about why you might have married the Duke. It's all baseless, really, everyone knows that-"

"Has he been saying these things in front of the Duke?"

The Viscountess bit her lip. "I do not know."

"I want to know what he is saying."

She sighed. "I am really not sure that you do…"

The Viscountess was a lovely woman, and the last thing you wanted was to create a scene in her home. But you were angry; you needed to know what this foolish Earl was running his mouth about. You had tolerated his insults long enough, and you would not allow him to insult your husband as well. 

You went into the gallery where a number of gentlemen were gathered looking at the Viscount's new hunting rifles. Earl Harrison was standing a short distance away and talking to the Duke of Kent. He made no attempt to even lower his voice. 

"-women have too much power these days, I tell you. Outrageous that the Duchess should have been given a title at all. That calculating wench knew that if she married one of us, she would be put in her rightful place immediately. So what does she do? Marries a poor man without connections or a fortune so that she can control him like a puppet!"

The Duke of Kent laughed. "Naturally, naturally. She wanted a young man she could keep under her thumb. The poor Duke does not realise she is emasculating him entirely. Pathetic excuse for a man."

You saw red. 

How dare they? How dare these disgusting men stand there and say these vile things about you and your husband in public? Had they said similar things within earshot of Soonyoung?The thought made your blood boil 

"Would you like to repeat that so that I can be sure what you are saying?" you demanded loudly. 

The room fell silent. All conversation ceased. 

Soonyoung and the Viscount Hong were standing a few feet away, and you saw your husband watching you with wide eyes. 

"W-what?" Earl Harrison sputtered. 

"I asked if you would like to repeat yourself," you said coldly. "Surely I must have misheard you. Surely you could not have been standing here and openly insulting the Duke and Duchess of Graham, who outrank you in every possible way. That would be a very foolish thing to do, don't you agree?"

The Duke of Kent smiled abominably. "My dear Duchess, you must not go into hysterics-"

"Then perhaps your and the Earl should avoid giving me reason to go into hysterics, Your Grace. Or have you forgotten who is the Queen's close confidante? Who receives letters and invitations to tea from Her Majesty personally? Allow me to refresh your memory, Earl Harrison. It is certainly not you or your stupid wife."

The Earl paled. "I have never had a woman dare to speak to me this way-'

"You do not want to make an enemy of me, Earl Harrison. I will not waste my time with backhanded gossip and failed petitions to the Crown. One word from me can persuade Her Majesty to strip you of your entire title and estate in a heartbeat. I will undo your generations-long lineage in an instant. Do not test me."

The Duke of Kent frowned. "That is quite enough!"

"I agree," you replied sharply. "I have had quite enough. My husband is a hundred times the man you will ever be, and the next time you worry about anyone being emasculated, you would do well to remember that a woman is in charge of the Crown and your life."

Soonyoung was staring at you with wide eyes,  as you walked over to him and took his arm. 

"We are leaving," you said firmly. The rest of the room watched in stunned silence. "I apologise for the intrusion, Viscount and Viscountess Hong. Thank you for your hospitality."

You took your husband's arm and walked out. 

—----------------------------------------------

Soonyoung said nothing in the carriage ride home. 

You could not speak either; the adrenaline was still pumping in your veins. You had never addressed anyone in that manner, much less an Earl and a Duke. They had said worse things about you in the past, you were sure, and it had not made you angry. But the idea of them saying these things about Soonyoung made your blood boil. 

"Perhaps we should go to bed early," Soonyoung mumbled as he left straight for his bedchambers. You had never seen him look so tired and withdrawn. 

You followed him upstairs to his bedchamber and called out to him just as he was about to slip inside and close the door behind him. 

"Soonyoung, wait."

"I'm tired-"

"Please don't close the door."

There was a long pause and he finally opened the door again, allowing you inside. You took a deep breath and entered, sitting on the edge of his bed as you thought about what to say to him. Soonyoung stood patiently near the door and watched you for a long moment before finally speaking. 

"It's all right," he said quietly. "You don't need to worry, Your Grace."

You blinked at him. "What?"

"I knew this was a marriage of convenience. You were always honest with me. I would be a fool if I resented you for it just because some Earl said it aloud. I knew perfectly well what this marriage was when I agreed to it."

Your heart dropped. 

"Soonyoung, no-"

"I know you were in a difficult position, and you needed to marry someone who would not dare to exercise power over you or the dukedom. It is a rational decision to make."

Your throat felt tight. 

"Don't call it that-"

"I am saying it is perfectly understandable and rational-"

"But it's not!" you cried. You rose and stood in front of him, grabbing his cold hands. For some reason you suddenly, desperately needed Soonyoung to understand what you were telling him. "Rational?  Choosing you was not a rational decision, Soonyoung. Far from it; it was possibly the least rational thing I have ever done in my life."

Soonyoung's hands were limp in yours but his dark eyes flashed. 

"What do you mean?" he asked. 

You took a deep breath and looked up at your husband. You had not expected to open up to him, or to reveal your vulnerabilities to him tonight, but it was now or never. 

"It was an impulse, pure impulse. I was so tired of always doing the right thing, the expected thing. If I was being rational then I would have married a Baron or a Lord. Heaven knows there are plenty of them to be had."

Soonyoung was quiet. "Why didn't you?'

"The night we met- at the ball when we danced- I know it was only a few moments but  you made me smile. I felt happy with you. For the first time in my life, I felt something that wasn’t just duty or obligation or responsibility. I felt like this nightmare of a life might be bearable if I could share it with someone like you," you confessed quietly. 

Soonyoung's expression had softened and his dark eyes looked down at you with a sudden gentleness and vulnerability. 

"But we hardly knew each other-"

"Which is why it wasn't a rational or calculated decision. The decision to marry you wasn't made for the good of the dukedom or the title. I made it for the most selfish of reasons- my own happiness. It was worse than irrational. It was a rebellion against everything my father expected from me."

Soonyoung's lower lip trembled. "You must have regretted it, then."

"I thought I might," you admitted shakily. "For the first few weeks after I proposed to you, I was terrified that I was making a mistake. But Soonyoung… you never gave me a single chance to regret it. At every turn, you only showed me, over and over again, that I made the right choice."

"Do you mean that?"

You lifted your hand to cup his cheek. 

"I love you," you told him firmly and honestly. 

Soonyoung kissed you. It was a soft, gentle, loving kiss and you wrapped your arms around his neck as he pulled you into his warm embrace. You gasped against his lips and he slowly pulled back and pressed his forehead against yours. 

"I love you too," he whispered. 

Your heart swelled with happiness. "Do you mean it?" you asked him softly. "Just moments ago, you were calling this a marriage of convenience-"

Soonyoung's lips curved into a smile as he cupped your cheeks. 

"Because I thought you felt that way. How could I not love you? You are a divine angel that came into my life. Some days I wake up and look at you beside me and think that I must be in some kind of dream, because I don't know what I did to deserve your love and trust."

Your lower lip trembled. "That's not true-"

"It is. I love you."

You wrapped your arms around his neck tightly and buried your face into his shoulders. Soonyoung embraced you and you breathed in your husband's warm, familiar scent.

"Then don't ever close that door again."”

"I won't," he promised. "I won't."

—------------------------------------------------------

[phaticserpent]

hello!

I've been thinking lately about what Ultron would be like as a husband, it's a little weird but I've been thinking about what he would be like as a husband hehehe

You're not weird :] I constantly imagine and think of him as a husband hehe Warning: suggestive??

After a lot of convincing himself to go through with it, he had proposed to you on a special day - the anniversary in which you two made the relationship official or when you two started dating. Forget going out and buying a diamond ring, he had made the jewelry for you, crafting it out of the leftover vibranium he had. The stone embedded was the same color as his eyes or optics.

Ever since you said, 'You have really pretty eyes'

He was shocked and in awe that someone liked them, something he grew to dislike until you would gaze into his eyes like it was everything you wanted to see.

The red crystal was shiny and reflective like his eyes and you adored it. Obviously you said 'yes' to the proposal, much to his relief. And the wedding was perfect, a simple ceremony between the two of you in a remote island where the two of you read out your vows under the setting sun. Then you spent some time stargazing and talking, it was generally a peaceful and intimate moment, something you and him would come to cherish.

It was a couple of months after your marriage, smiling at the ring on your finger as you woke up. Ultron had already gotten up, making breakfast and organizing around the house. He turned when he noted movement, smiling softly as he walked towards their shared bedroom.

"Good morning." He smiled.

You rubbed your eyes and smiled at him. "Hey! Good morning!" You reached out, your arms wrapping around his waist and resting your head on his chest. "Any plans for today?"

Ultron's hands rubbed your back as he hummed. "Mm, not at the moment. I have time so I can cook anything you like." He planted a soft kiss to your head. "How are you feeling?"

"Seeing how I'm walking and talking, not bad." You laughed. Ultron smirked at you.

"Guess I just have to do better." He leaned in, his voice dropping low with a sultry tone. His hand reached down to trace your jaw, his thumb lightly brushing against the soft of your cheek.

"Hah.....don't joke about something like that." You laughed nervously. You knew he wasn't joking and his slow smug smile proved that.

"Oh don't worry.....I'll show you how serious I am soon enough." He let out a low chuckle, gently guiding you to the dining room. "But first, you should eat and drink. I made you your favorite for breakfast." He hummed innocently, as if his promise to rearrange your guts wasn't just made. You laughed at his change in demeanor, finding it endearing as you walked alongside him, your hand intertwined with his.

"I love you."

He squeezed your hand as he smiled at you. "I love you."

Overall, his general demeanor and attitude doesn't change. He's still very caring and attentive, he tries to spend more time with you now that the two of you are officially engaged. Although he tries to still help the world one by one, you're his world.

It gets especially intimate in the bedroom (well, things have been intimate anyways but he's somehow doubled it). He would always hold your hands, his fingers intertwined with yours as he leans down to say, "You're mine. No one else's but mine...."

Taglist: @moonr3ap3r @thequeerwasteland

[ysmtttty]

Red Ferrari

Azris AU, where Azriel is a mechanic and has his own service station. One day, Eris comes there because something is wrong with his car. AO3 link Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Azriel loved his workshop. Since childhood, he enjoyed working with cars, fixing them, and tinkering with mechanisms and spare parts. Well, it turned out that just one client was enough to make him question his decades-long love. One very arrogant client with a sharp tongue who managed to get on Azriel's nerves in record time with his arrogant behavior and stupid comments.

Eris fucking Vanserra, damn it. One of the most influential lawyers in the city, if not the whole country, showed up in his workshop. Specifically for him. Azriel thought about passing this jerk off to Cassian, but that would be reckless—Cassian might have skillful hands, but his temper was terrible, and combined with Eris's bitchy behavior, it would be an explosive mix.

On any other day, Azriel would have handed Eris over to Rhysand, who would both take a proper look at the car and handle the matter diplomatically. But no, the great owner of the workshop had other plans. Specifically, to show up at his childhood friend's wedding with a new Toyota and his fiancée, whom Rhysand had been pining for about half a year.

Well, now Azriel was alone.

And it turned out that he was recommended to Eris by some acquaintance Azriel had helped with a car in record time—and now Eris had the same high expectations. So now, he definitely couldn't get rid of him.

Eris was lazily inspecting the workshop, as if he already owned the place, tossing the keys to his red Ferrari impatiently. Azriel sighed mentally, examining the car and trying to figure out what exactly was wrong. He caught Eris's gaze, full of undisguised disgust at the sight of him smeared with engine oil. Well, His Highness could endure the sight of a working man who didn't have a family trust fund and a huge family business empire behind him; he wouldn't die. But that gaze...

I can't hit clients, Azriel mentally reminded himself as he raised his head and met Eris's gaze. The bastard had the nerve to frown and wrinkle his nose as if he had just witnessed someone taking a dump, not inspecting his precious car.

"How long will the repair take?" he asked impatiently. Azriel thought about giving a time three times longer than the real one just to keep the bastard on edge. However, he was a mechanic, not a complete asshole. The real rip-off would begin when they discussed the price of the repair.

"Around two days," Azriel replied, which wasn't far from the truth. If he worked at his own pace, considering he had a full garage of other cars needing his attention, he was even doing a favor by naming such a short time frame.

Eris looked at him as if he were an idiot, or maybe that was his usual look at any human being.

"Two days?" he asked in disbelief. "Can't you speed up the process?"

Azriel shrugged, not particularly wanting to accommodate him, but he mentally scolded himself and reminded himself that Eris was still a client, and serving him was part of Azriel's duties.

"Even if I worked only on your car, which is unlikely with the number of other orders, I would only manage by tomorrow afternoon. At best," Azriel explained in a calm voice. As calm as he could be after his client had been looking at him like a piece of shit for the past twenty minutes. "Plus, it would mean an extra charge for urgency."

The last phrase, although it was pure truth, brought him strange satisfaction. Although it was more than likely that Eris would pay any amount just to get what he wanted right away.

"I have a meeting on the other side of the city in less than an hour. I need my car about…" Eris glanced at his watch, of course, a Rolex, "…now."

"I can only suggest where to order a taxi from," Azriel shrugged, adjusting the strap of his overalls. "Or you can take my car."

He pointed in the direction of his old wreck, more as a joke, but noticed the gears turning in Eris's head, calculating how bad an idea it would be to agree. He wasn't that desperate to ruin his reputation by getting into that piece of junk daring to call itself a car, but it was still better than ordering an Uber, which only God knew when would arrive. Ordering a taxi to this part of town was a dead end, as the waiting time ranged from fifteen minutes to forty, depending on luck.

"I need to get to this meeting as soon as possible, so okay," he grumbled after a few seconds, extending his hand and expecting to get the keys.

Azriel looked at him in disbelief. He had just given away his car, his beloved baby, to some rich jerk. May the Car God forgive him, for this was a sin. However, he still handed over the keys.

"Be careful, it's a manual, don't crash," he added. Eris just snorted irritably.

"I know how to drive a manual," he replied, rolling his eyes, grabbing the keys, and heading to the car. Before that, he ostentatiously pulled out one of his glossy business cards and shoved it into Azriel's overall pocket. "Call me when you’re done, we'll arrange where and when to exchange cars."

With these words, he got into Azriel's car and drove off. Azriel stared for a few seconds in the direction the car had disappeared, mentally praying that this idiot wouldn't crash his car or get into an accident.

"Is that a Ferrari?" came Cassian's deep, sleepy voice, looking like he had fallen asleep under a car he was fixing.

"The very one," Azriel nodded, answering quietly.

"And the owner drove off in your Volvo?" Cassian laughed, clearly not believing his eyes. Azriel rolled his eyes, not very happy with the situation. And the damn business card. Of course, black with fancy golden letters.

"Yes," he nodded again. "He drove off in my car for some super important meeting. Probably late for his yoga or therapy session. I don't even know what's worse."

Cassian laughed, patting him on the shoulder. "Bad day?"

"Very," Azriel snorted, grabbing his tools and starting to work on the masterpiece called a Ferrari.

Cassian went back to his garage work, probably coming up with serenades to sing under the windows of his new love, Nesta Archeron, who would likely try to kill Cassian with his own guitar for daring to disturb her sleep or precious reading time.

Meanwhile, Azriel was tinkering with Eris's car. Not the most exciting process, but a Ferrari in their workshop was indeed a rarity, making him involuntarily admire the car.

*          *          *

Azriel finished working on Eris's car much earlier than he had thought. By the end of the same day, to be precise. He didn't inform Eris about it, as the jerk had been rude enough not to deserve it, and Azriel was too tired to tolerate that smug, arrogant look again today. So, he simply went with Cassian to Rhysand's place.

When they crashed at their friend’s house, Cassian immediately went to the door leading to the basement, looking for another expensive bottle of wine from Rhysand's precious collection. Azriel settled on the couch, thinking he should probably warn Rhysand that they had arrived.

It had become a norm for the three of them to drop by each other's homes uninvited—they all had keys to each other's places. Personal space was a foreign concept to them.

Suddenly, he heard voices, one of which was a loud, indignant female voice.

“So, you’re refusing to help me?” Azriel immediately recognized the voice. Not the most pleasant one, not the most desired one, to be honest.

It belonged to Mor, a distant relative of Rhysand, who for some reason considered herself part of his family after everything that had happened between her and Azriel. A long story. A long, unpleasant, messy story that almost broke a decade-long friendship. Rhysand tolerated her because a) Mor was his only living relative, and b) it was Azriel's guess, but it seemed Rhysand just enjoyed being involved in drama, and Mor was the embodiment of drama.

“I’m not refusing to help,” Rhysand's voice became more distinct as he and Mor emerged from his office. Azriel remained unnoticed, and honestly, he preferred to avoid a confrontation with Mor. “I’m just advising you to hold off on drastic actions. You’re taking a risk without knowing if it will pay off.”

Azriel could have eavesdropped on their conversation further, or later directly asked Rhysand what mess his dear cousin had gotten into this time, but for some reason, he didn't care. He didn't care about anything related to Mor and her problems. To hell with her, honestly. As long as it wasn’t some deadly disease (because Azriel wasn’t a heartless bastard), he didn’t give a damn. He had managed perfectly well for the last few years without a single piece of news about her and her life, and he would continue to manage just as well.

Instead, he opened his phone, replying to a few messages from clients and potential clients. Some inquired about the completion times, others about the price, and still others about something else. Azriel responded to a few messages when Cassian appeared with three glasses in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.

“Did you see Mor?” he said, putting all his goodies on the coffee table. Azriel shrugged indifferently. “Haven’t seen her in years. You wouldn’t believe what happened!”

Azriel gestured for him to stop, feeling no curiosity about where Mor had spent the last four years of her life. Even if it was in a Moroccan prison, he couldn’t care less.

“Here are my employees of the month,” Rhysand said as he entered the room. A light smile on his face, in a good mood even after talking with Mor… damn, he was having a good day, and for some reason, Azriel was sure it was related to a particular Archeron sister.

“How was the wedding?” Azriel asked. Rhysand shrugged, clearly suppressing a grin.

“It didn’t happen. To my great regret,” he said with no regret in his tone. “You have no idea what a responsibility it is to drive home a bride who changed her mind.”

Cassian chuckled, opening the bottle of wine and pouring it into the glasses. Azriel just shook his head, realizing there was a long story behind this that Rhysand would tell them.

The next morning, Azriel decided to take pity on Eris and texted him that the car was ready and he could pick it up. Eris read the message almost immediately but only replied two hours later. With one word.

“Ok.”

A few minutes later, Eris condescended to add that he was very busy and would be free after nine in the evening. Without asking if this time was convenient for Azriel, he wrote that he would send the address later and went offline.

Azriel thought that overall, ten years in prison for murder would be worth it.

He spent a few more minutes seething with anger at Vanserra for treating him like some kind of call boy who could be summoned at any time to fulfill any order. Exaggeration? Yes. But Azriel didn’t care that he was exaggerating. And, as luck would have it, Cassian wasn't on shift to complain about the Ferrari owner's awful behavior.

Instead, Amren at the receptionist's desk suffered, who, for some unknown reason, agreed to work there, even though neither Rhysand nor she liked it. Nevertheless, she continued to sit in her chair at the desk, occasionally bothering to bill clients or keep track of the budget and other things.

Azriel spent a good twenty minutes complaining to her about what an asshole Eris was, vividly describing his arrogant attitude and overall asshole behavior. Amren, in her honorable sixty-two years, pretended not to hear half of his words, complaining about old age hearing, and poured herself some liqueur into her tea. Azriel didn’t comment on it, knowing it would only make things worse for himself, and returned to work.

The world didn’t revolve around Eris Vanserra; he had many other cars needing repairs. Azriel spent the whole day in blissful silence, dealing with less pretentious cars than a Ferrari, enjoying the lack of socialization.

Nevertheless, after nine in the evening, he received a message from His Highness. Eris sent the address, adding a haughty “hurry up,” and nothing more. No thank you, no please. Azriel clenched his phone in his hand until his knuckles turned white, then forced himself to exhale. Taking a few more deep breaths, he forced himself to remain calm and found the Ferrari keys in his overalls pocket.

A good bonus – for exactly twenty minutes he had access to a chic car. Azriel got into the Ferrari, started the engine, and turned on the navigation system with the destination address Eris had sent. He ran his hand over the smooth leather steering wheel and felt the sharp contrast – bottomless abyss – between his world and that of people like Eris more acutely than ever.

The bottomless abyss that could hardly ever be crossed in a lawful manner. For just a second, a fleeting moment, Azriel wondered what it would have been like if he had stayed at his father's house. But he quickly pushes that thought away, cursing himself for even daring to think such a thing. It was better to repair cars for peanuts for the rest of his life than to endure what he went through in his own home. And they made enough money at the workshop. He might not be driving a Ferrari, but he wasn't destitute either.

The car itself was just superb, and for a second, Azriel felt sorry that such a luxurious ride belonged to a jerk like Eris. He suppressed the urge to speed or break traffic rules so that Eris would get fined because the traffic police were still around, and it would be long and hard to explain to the cops why a mechanic had a Ferrari.

In the end, he arrived at the location. Eris was already there, leaning against his car, lazily talking to someone on the phone, with the same attitude he had towards Azriel. Unable to think of anything better, Azriel, without slowing down, turned the steering wheel and stopped the car exactly one step away from Eris, covering his shoes with dust from the wheels.

Eris raised his gaze, frowning, but within a second, the corners of his lips twisted into a smirk. Azriel mirrored the smirk as he got out of the car, tossing the keys in the air, which Eris caught deftly, doing the same with the Volvo keys.

Azriel’s brain treacherously threw up the thought that Eris was handsome. Yes, handsome, but definitely out of his league. Absolutely out of his league. Moreover, this was Eris Vanserra—a snobbish and arrogant bastard with whom Azriel had no desire to deal. Not business-wise (he hoped Eris never brought his Ferrari again) and certainly not personally.

“Will the transfer suffice?” Eris asked, one hand in the pocket of a coat that looked like it cost more than the entire workshop where Azriel worked, the other holding the phone.

“It will suffice.”

Azriel named the price. He thought about it for a long time yesterday and consulted with Cassian, who only urged him to jack up the price as much as possible. They discussed it together, adding and subtracting the price. In the end, the original price tripled. But Eris, with his arrogant manner, looked like he couldn't care less about the money and would pay any amount named.

Eris looked at him for a few seconds, and Azriel started to regret how much he exaggerated the repair cost. However, instead of calling him out on it, Eris tilted his head to the side and said, “You look different in clean clothes,” sounding like a damn mockery.

“And you’ll be a bastard in any clothes,” Azriel shrugged, not wanting to play nice anymore when Vanserra allowed himself such things.

For a moment, Eris’s eyes widened, as if he was ready to say something, but then he reconsidered and smirked, lowering his gaze to his phone to make the transfer.

“You have no idea how popular that opinion is,” he chuckled, getting into his car. Azriel heared the notification sound from his phone as Eris drove away.

Sitting in his car and spending another five minutes adjusting the seat to its usual normal position, damn Vanserra, Azriel decided to check his phone. Several messages from Cassian with exclamations about how Nesta chased him off the staircase of her apartment with a broom. That this time she didn’t threaten to bury him alive in the woods, so it’s really a sign of growing affection. And that this time the Ice Queen actually accepted a bouquet of flowers.

Azriel chuckled at all these messages, vividly describing his best friend's romantic escapades. Then a message from Rhysand asking him to cover his shift tomorrow because he’s once again leaving due to personal circumstances. And you don’t need to be a genius to figure out who exactly was this personal circumstance.

And finally, the persistent notification about the transfer from Eris.

Damn it.

Bastard.

“What the…” Azriel closed his eyes, hoping that it was just sleep deprivation affecting his vision. That the numbers were just blurred before his eyes. But when he opened his eyes and looked at the amount again, the number was still three times more than stated.

Eris Vanserra can shove this handout up his ass or literally wipe himself with that banknotes, but Azriel didn’t need it. Definitely not from this bastard. Definitely not with his dismissive and haughty manner.

However, for the next 24 hours, all attempts to send part of the amount back failed. Eris had closed the transfers. Azriel called him for the third time, which was three times more than his pride would allow on any other day. However, another part of his brain still screamed that he didn’t need this money, ignoring Cassian's words that any normal person would have long since accepted the money.

Any other person. But not Azriel, because with his stubbornness like a mule, he was not going to give up so easily.

Without responding to any message or call, Eris showed up at the workshop again. This time in a Porsche.

“What happened to the Ferrari?” Azriel asked, raising an eyebrow. Eris shrugged, getting out of the car.

“I think this one might need a checkup.”

“So, the last money transfer was an advance?”

“What advance?” Eris smirked, clearly understanding everything.

Azriel stared him down, trying to figure out what Vanserra was up to. And the Porsche? The car was clearly the latest model, just off the showroom floor. So unless Eris was paranoid or a control freak, the car didn’t need a checkup at all.

“Seriously, what’s all this about?” Azriel asked directly. “Why transfer so much?”

Eris raised his eyebrows in a comical manner, in mock surprise by what it was about.

“So it’s about the money?” he asked. “Then you should have thought about that before you charged me three times the price.”

Azriel freezes. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Eris really knew about the markup. And Eris was a damn lawyer. A good lawyer. The best lawyer. If he wanted, he could shut down this workshop in an instant for fraud, and it would be Azriel’s fault.

Instead of threats, Eris just smirked, satisfied with his reaction.

“What do you want?” Azriel asked, frowning, his voice quieter, more hoarse.

Eris tilted his head to the side and remained silent for a few seconds as if studying him. Azriel involuntarily did the same, cursing himself for noticing the sprinkling of freckles on Eris’s face.

“Go on a date with me,” Eris said, completely throwing Azriel off balance. Did he really say that? tag list: @sizzlingstarlightsky @isnotwhatyourethinking @molcat07 @chairofchaos a/n: lmk if you're interested in this series; want to be added to a taglist; any recommendations to post's design because I never posted fanfics here and don't know much about features

[wbellab]

Cherry flavoured revenge | Regulus Black (part 3)

part 1 part 2

Pairing: Regulus Black x fem! pronouns

Warnings: none

Universe: Harry Potter

Summary: y/n and regulus are arranged to be married and it doesn’t go as planed for the latest.

A/n: umh well… I have disappeared for two years I know but I was randomly reading the two first parts of this series and I thought "I want to know what happens next". Until I obviously figured that I am supposed to write the next part. So here I am !! yay🥳

——

It would be a lie to say that regulus didn’t feel guilty after doing what he had done. That night he heard her cry in her room, he felt like his heart was breaking apart.

They didn’t share the same room. It was impossible for y/n to think about sleeping in the same bed as regulus. She never contemplated this before but after what happened the previous night, she was damn sure she didn’t want anything to do with him. As much as he (she thought) wouldn’t want anything to do with her.

So they lived together, they didn’t speak to each other unless it was absolutely necessary and they only shared nods of acknowledgment each time they were in the same room. It was killing regulus.

He obviously resented her for what she did on their wedding day but after thinking about it, they were equal. He was the one, nearly begging his parents to consider a marriage between The Avery Family and the Black’s. Although it wasn’t really necessary because this idea obviously delighted them, The Avery Family was a noble line of pureblood wizards.

He was the one coercing her into this marriage, so the show she put on their wedding day was only payback. But he made the stupid decision of adding fuel to the fire which worsened the situation.

Regulus has loved her ever since he met her. He wanted to make a good impression the first time he saw her on the train to Hogwarts the First Year. And that’s the reason why he eagerly jumped into the boat she was already in, hoping to be friends with her. Their small conversations went pretty well. If only it wasn’t for his clumsiness, he bumped the boat trying to get out of it and it made her lose her balance and fall into the water.

Regulus felt horrible. He knew that she hated him after this. And she had a good reason to. But never, he gave up on seeking her attention. He apologised countless times and when she only glared at him each time he decided to think that the girl was only to full of herself to accept his apologies. But he still continued annoy her. He felt like it was the only thing able to get a reaction out of her, and he loved it.

In Sixth Year, he realised that not only he liked the bickering and this rivalry between them, he just loved talking to her. He loved seeing her face, seeing her eyes scowling at him, hearing her annoyed voice responding to him. He overall loved her mere presence. Hell, he just loved when her name was mentioned. He loved her.

And now that he had her, now that they were bonded together by marriage, he just couldn’t have her. It was the closest he ever could have gotten her yet she was so far away.

He swore that he would swallow his pride, once they were both married. That he would do anything to make her happy, anything to be able to earn her love. But once again he failed. He nearly drowned her. Now she truly hated him. He couldn’t bear it.

The love he held for her was so deep, the only thought of her hatred for him felt like small cuts through his heart.

And so he did it. He swallowed the smallest of pride left in him, and that being done he started leaving small notes with flowers on the kitchen counter every morning before going to work.

Y/n was beyond surprised the first time she saw the beautiful cherry blossom bouquet and the note on the counter. She didn’t expect this coming from Regulus. Especially because their communication went to zero after everything they went through.

She grabbed the note and was quite surprised to find its content.

Your liking for cherries has caused us quite some trouble. I hope you believe me when I say that if the possibility were to be, I would’ve planted hundreds of Cherry blossoms around the house to satisfy your needs. Seeing as I won’t be able to offer you this, I am begging you to accept this humble bouquet in the hopes of earning one day your forgiveness.

-your secret admirer (for quite some time)

What was he doing ? she asked herself.

That evening he didn’t even mention the flowers nor the note. As if nothing happened. She felt extremely confused and was wondering if she should thank him. They silently ate dinner, both avoiding any eye contact. Once they were done he gave her a smile, one that she could only return before going inside her bedroom.

The next morning, she found once again another note with a new bouquet of flowers. Gypsophilas, her favourites.

Before yesterday I never knew I needed to see you smile in my daily basis. Your smile is one of the kind that could make anyone fall absolutely head over heels for you. The kind of smile that would be cruel not to kiss. You smile like the sun smiles at the earth, one look at you and my breathe goes away. I’m hoping by giving you these I may be close to see the sun of your smile again.

-your secret admirer, always R.A.B

She was getting annoyed by the fact he was giving her those subtle notes filled with his feelings and then ended up ignoring her the evening… But oh how could she not smile after seeing this.

And with a suppressed smile, she wrote him a note back. They spent the next few weeks corresponding through notes. Each one getting more and more intimate.

She felt like she learnt more about him through these pieces of papers in barely two weeks than in the 7 years of having known him at Hogwarts.

One morning she woke up earlier than usually and she found herself stumbling upon Regulus in the kitchen, quill in hand writing his upcoming note.

"I never thought I would catch you doing an act of such deceitfulness." Regulus was taken by surprise when he heard her voice. "Writing so early in the morning to one of your mistresses after a month of marriage ? I never thought you would betray me so fast..." She faked sorrow.

"Caught me." Regulus playfully raised both his hand, giving her a sly smirk. "I never thought you would be awake at this hour."

"Well I never meant for you to wake up this late." She playfully rolled her eyes. "It is 5:30 a.m. You are really letting yourself go." He chuckled at her response.

"I was actually hoping to stumble across you. To be able to talk."

"Regulus-"

"No please listen." He cut her off. "I know I have already made my apologies. Or well written them. But I want to apologise again. All I have written in these notes, everything was true. I am extremely sorry for everything I have put you through, from our time to Hogwarts, all the brawling, and even this wedding. I absolutely had no reason to do all of this. Or well, actually I did. But I should’ve never put you through all of this just because I was so absolutely in love with you that I couldn’t deal with my feelings. I should’ve talked to you and it was extremely wrong of me to-"

She had a way of making all his body melt to find hers in a second because at the moment he felt her lips touch his, all he could do was try to feel, to explore every inch of her body.

"I love you." She simply said. And when Regulus thought he couldn’t feel much better he felt his heart race a mile and more and couldn’t hold his tears as he kissed her again.

"I love you." He answered. "More and more. I always have." They smiled.

"Do you want to know something ?" She said after a few seconds of staring at each other.

"Tell me."

"I don’t even like the taste of cherries."

[sophistired18]

Timeskip Kryk!!

I like to envision different scenarios on how timeskip kryk's relationship would go based on whether they were in an established relationship before yaku went abroad or if they were stuck at the pining stage, but for now I'm going to just ramble some established relationship hc's bc otherwise the list would go on forever! I hope you all enjoy!!

They definitely had it rough at first bc of the distance and time differences. They both agreed it'd be difficult, but they knew they could make it work. However, it was so much harder than either of them expected.

It was getting unbearable for kuroo, as it felt like a piece of a puzzle was missing from his everyday routine. He still hung out with his old teammates when he could, and he and Kai went to the same university, but they both knew it wasn't the same without yaku.

As for yaku, there were so many times he wanted to keel over and impulsively fly back to japan. He missed home so bad, and kuroo was home. Also the learning curve on speaking a new language and the culture shock in a foreign country was extremely rough. He stuck through it through pure perseverance. Yaku never thought he could doubt his own abilities, but being so isolated from everything he's ever known made him feel smaller than he's ever felt before.

It took a break down and a late midnight call (a morning one for kuroo) for yaku to be reassured that he's here because he's meant to be here and he earned it. From this point the two of them begin to really put in the effort to make sure they check up on each other and call more regularly (instead of trying to ignore how bad they miss each other)

They always call to say goodnight/good morning and just talk about their overall day

The day before Kuroo's college graduation, Yaku secretly flew down and surprised him on grad day. Kuroo just froze up bc he hasn't seen his bf in person in 4 years so he must be hallucinating. It took him a minute to realize he's not schizophrenic and then jump into his smaller (buffer???) Bf's arms. (He also cried alot, which yaku always teases him about to their friends)

The next time they see each other in person is a few months later when kuroo flies up to russia for a weekend to celebrate Yaku's belated birthday. At this point Yaku is practically fluent in russian and kuroo is astounded by how much Yaku's acclimated to his surroundings (it has been 5 years, but its still shocking nonetheless). They eat at one of Yaku's fav restaurants for lunch, which was amusing to Yaku since for the first time Kuroo didn't argue about the menu and took his recommendations bc he was so out of his element.

Later after exploring Moscow together, they decide not eat out for dinner and instead get groceries from an oriental market that yaku frequents often. Kuroo makes him some homemade tonkotsu ramen and yaku starts bawling his eyes out. They celebrate the first birthday Yaku's had with a loved one in 5 years

The next time they see each other, its for Kuroo's older sister's wedding. The whole night, Kuroo held Yaku's hand under the table and silently thumbed his ring finger. No words were spoken about the gesture when they got back to their hotel room, but they didn't need any to know what they wanted.

Yaku's finally back in japan for the 2020 Olympics and this time he decides to stay for a while. He moves in with Kuroo at his apartment and they act like a practically married couple (although they already acted like that before). They do a ton of wholesome domestic stuff that comes easier then you'd think for a couple that hasn't physically been with each other in years.

Now that they live together after all these years, the crave for physical affection is undeniably overwhelming for the both of them. They somehow always need to be touching, whether its watching a show on the couch with their legs intertwined, helping each other button up their shirts and get ready in the morning, or having their bodies bump each other lightly as they wash the dishes together.

Sometimes Kuroo spends late nights working on his laptop and Yaku always tries to remain on a strict schedule so he goes to bed earlier. But after some point he starts missing Kuroo sleeping in bed with him, so one night he asks Kuroo, "Hey Tetsu, you can work anywhere, right?" and Kuroo confused, simply says "Yes... I suppose?" So Yaku drags Kuroo to their bedroom, with Kuroo still holding his laptop and plops Kuroo onto the bed. "Okay, here's your new office" Yaku yawns and then climbs into bed and snuggles against Kuroo's side. Kuroo just sits there in awe for a bit until he sees that yaku actually fell asleep. He continues working with his laptop on his lap, his hand occasionally brushing through Yaku's hair. Eventually he has to get up to put his laptop away and change out of his suit that he's still currently wearing. But now this "office" has becomes a regular routine whenever Kuroo has to work late nights at home. (He makes sure to get ready for bed beforehand as well so that he can go straight to sleep after finishing work)

Kai always pokes at Kuroo and asks when he's gonna propose. Kenma tells him to hurry up and get on with it before another foreign pro team whisks Yaku away

Yaku used to be more reluctant to show affection or make the first move during highschool, but now he's almost always the one to initiate. It's not even that Kuroo is the one who's shy, its just that Yaku always seems to beat him to it.

Its their 10 year anniversary of their relationship (spanning from 3rd yr of hs to post Olympics) and they're spending it at a beach in okinawa (since the last anniversary they spent in the mountains per Yaku's request). It only takes a decade, but Kuroo finally takes his chance to propose as the sunset lies against the ocean waves. However, like most things, Yaku beats him to it and somehow Yaku is the one down on one knee with a ring (and here Kuroo is standing like an idiot still fumbling to grab the damn box out of his pocket). The trip ended with both of them wearing contrasting rings and a proposal story that ends up being another embarrassing one that Yaku always shares with their friends.

After playing a few seasons of pro league in japan, Yaku gets a call and an email from a recruiter in Poland for the team, orzeł warszawa. After discussing it for a while, they come to a decision and Kuroo wishes his husband a safe trip as he watches him wave farewell and enter the airport

[saturncoyote]

in your au does creek ever like... reconcile with poppy? or does he mostly hang out with garde and avoid pop village? and/or what are garde's feelings on the whole betrayal thing regarding creek's (presumably) old best friend being sold out... if he finds out about the details at some point? (sorry these might be loaded questions im just so curious. i love this little thing youve come up with!)

BROTHER it's the loaded questions that i'm looking foward to answering !

Garde has only existed in this world for about 30 days (and already generated approximately 47 drawings and counting but i digress) so i haven't had the change to tackle a LOT of the actual nitty gritty... so i might aswell share it here !

I'll just... put a read more here because i'm expecting this to get quite long

First things first, he DOES reconcile with Poppy.... but it takes a very long time and it's a messy process, if anything Poppy is the one troll that he hurt the most, he didn't only betray her trust as a friend but her entire village that she was trusted to protect, it's going to take a LOT for him to make up to her. Eventually Creek is able to prove that he's trying..... he's not perfect by any means of the word ! But he's trying... By volunteering to do community service (Mr Dinkles episode) and overall attempting to understand other's point of view, Poppy can't help but realise that holding onto that bitter memory isn't going to help anybody. She doesn't forgive him of course, their relationship is never going to be the same, but she does accept him, and they're both able to move on with that (i do like to think that the reason Queen Barb was so easily forgiven is because of their acceptance towards Creek) (fun fact Poppy even gives them her blessing during their queerplatonic wedding !)

Garde does find out about Creek's betrayal eventually (although not from Creek directly) and let's just say he has a hard time coming to terms with that. Of course their first reaction is to ignore it, like most of the problems they've been dealing with, why should Creek's past dictate his future anyway ? THEIR past doesn't dictate anything about THEM ! So why should it matter ??? But that excuse only starts getting harder to chew as time goes on. Garde has a lot of sympathy for Creek, as they find themselves in similar situations (although for different reasons), and he doesn't WANT him to leave, he's one of the very few trolls that's bothered to talk to him for so long even if it was out of desperation, he WANTS to understand why he did it, but he'll never truly understand, he's never been in a life-or-death situation before ! He's never had to pick between the lives of everyone he's ever known or himself ! And that only makes things so much more complicated. Once the rock starts rolling though, and they find themselves having to talk about their pasts, it all comes out so suddenly, like a waterfall that's been plugged for centuries, they realise that they DO see each other differently now, but it's not a bad thing, there's an amount of trust there that they've both never had for anybody else, and they find themselves getting closer for it.. It's not perfect, but some of the cracks have started to heal, and that's good enough for the moment.

[buckets-and-trees]

Congrats again on 300 my love ❤️❤️ so you may already know which AU I’m going to be requesting, because it’s my favourite story of yours (so far) and that is Fire Burning from a Cedar Tree!! This story made my heart ache and if you have the inspiration for it I’d love love love to see more!! I don’t want to restrict your imagination by being too specific, but literally anything with those two and I would die of happiness 💙💙

Em, I squealed when you dropped this into my box for the request fest! Partly because I adore you. Partly because you know I also really adore Fire Burning from a Cedar Tree. And partly I squealed out of terror because...I was worried I wouldn't be able to do any kind of follow up to this fic justice. But I took a deep breath and let that go and decided to just let whatever happen happen. I was also a little worried because when I wrote Cedar Tree, it felt very finished, so I didn't have any leftover thoughts to pick up and play around with, so I literally took that first week to just think about them and their story. And then... a lot of scenes started to emerge - stuff before and after Cedar Tree, stuff that was just them, stuff with the people around them.

This is where I landed for now. It's not the same as Cedar Tree - first thing being that it's told from Steve's perspective instead of the reader's - but I'm thinking it will make sense in their overall narrative.

This it the end of their honeymoon, a few weeks before Cedar Tree.

Title: The Thrill of Knowing How Alone We Are Characters/Pairings: King!Steve Rogers x female!Queen!Reader, brief Sam and Bucky Word Count: 1.2k Summary: The final night and morning of King Steven's royal honeymoon.

Content/Warnings: smut: vaginal intercourse/penetration

Additional Notes: The third offering to celebrate 300 followers with the request fest! While this depicts events before Fire Burning from a Cedar Tree, it does not stand alone and should be read AFTER reading the original piece. Song title inspiration from Better Love by Hozier, which is one of the songs on my original Cedar Tree writing playlist. A/N 2: This still is pretty arbitrary, but although I knew the original was a historical royal AU setting, I basically closed my eyes and pointed when I ended up saying it was medieval. I debated between medieval or Georgian/regency vibe, but NOW it's decidedly Georgian, which will be more relevant if/as I share more of their story in the future.

It’s as he’s on his back, staring at the ceiling, that Steve realizes he’s already deciphered the difference between how it sounds when you’re asleep, when you’re awake, and when you’re somewhere in between. He didn’t expect that.

He expected a lot of things after taking you as his queen, but there were so many small things that make sense, but he simply hadn’t thought of, like this – knowing so quickly the sounds of your breathing.

Ten days and in some ways he knew so much more about you than he knew about anyone else but himself – more than he’d known about his parents, than Bucky whom he’d grown up with and trusted else as his closest friend and advisor, more than his general Sam who he trusted with the security of his kingdom and his own life.

The betrothal, the brief period of engagement, the wedding, and the wedding feast had all been very public and formal. The moment the two of you had entered the royal carriage to make the journey to his small palace in the lake country for the honeymoon, everything was suddenly private and intimate. It was the first time Steve had truly been alone with you, and the first moments alone would have been awkward – he certainly hadn’t thought about that moment until suddenly the two of you were there alone – but you had clearly thought of the circumstance in advance and had been prepared to make easy conversation. While the first few minutes had been an effort to make conversation, they swiftly did progress to easy conversation. The topics had been largely trivial and unimportant, but the words were not stilted.

After a late and quick supper upon arrival, the two of you had retired to the royal bedchamber. Steve had expected a dutiful consummation, and duty may have called for the deed, but the execution had unexpectedly run deeper, warmer, with the undertones of the fledgling familiarity built over the few hours alone earlier. Each day the familiarity grew, and though there could have perhaps been moments that could have allowed each of you two part naturally, you both drew each other into extending conversations, going on walks or rides or visiting a new area of the palace together, continuing formally in the first few days until it became merely natural and the two of you forgot altogether the idea of spending much of the time apart.

Now he understood the nostalgia with which many referred to the honeymoon. It was a pity it was coming to an end. Two weeks ago, you were little more than strangers to be wed and fulfill your royal duties. Here on this final night, he could not think of it ending. Tomorrow he would go back to being the king again.

He sighed and turned his head to look at you. He wanted to reach for you, pull you closer, touch you, but the touching wouldn’t be enough, and he’d said sensibly that the two of you should retire early specifically so he could sleep and be well rested for his early departure. He hadn’t thought you warming his bed would be torture. He thought that it would be soothing and help him sleep. But this was worse, and the longer he listened, the less it seemed sleep would ever come to him. But he would not leave or send you away, it was the last night he would have this kind of closeness afforded to him with ease. He also didn’t want to disturb you if you were perhaps close to dropping off to sleep. Nearness was enough, even if it meant no sleep.

Suddenly you shifted, rolling to lie on your back, and you let out a long sigh of your own.

“Sleep alluding you, my queen?”

“As it seems to be alluding you, my king. I know the time is only slipping away until you’re required to wake and depart. Is my restless state keeping you awake?”

Steve laughed. “Perhaps, but not in the way you think.”

He rolled up on his elbow and places a hand on your hip, drawing circles there with his fingers.

“Perhaps I can beckon sleep for both of us in…other ways.”

His hand moved up to cup your breast. He gave a squeeze and brushed his thumb over your nipple, the thin fabric of your night shift barely there. You whimpered his name, arching slightly into his palm.

“Yes?” he pressed.

“Yes,” you pleaded.

While he reached down to pull up the hem of your nightdress, your hands went quickly to free his growing desire for you. Quickly he shifted his body over yours, nestling between your eagerly parting legs. He smiled as he guided his cock to your heated folds, happy to find you were already wet. He looked up to your face, and you bit your lip before reaching your hands up to his jaw and drawing him down to meet your lips. Steve devoured you with his kiss as he plunged into you, and you gave yourself up to him completely until you were both exhausted and sleep finally overtook you.

When one of his esquires woke him in the pre-dawn glow, he suppressed a groan of agitation. It is not the kind of king he has ever wanted to portray to his subjects. He will always be a dignified king. He was diligent in making sure you were tucked in with propriety before falling asleep himself, but he looks over to make sure your modesty is preserved this morning now with someone else in the room. He wants to kiss you goodbye, and while part of him wants nothing more than to wake you, see your eyes look up at him before he leaves, he refrains from doing anything more than brushing the hair off and away from your face with only the lightest caress. It would be silly to wake you for any more sentimentality. The honeymoon is truly over, and he only feels this consuming tie because of the unique circumstances of here and now. When you are both back in the capitol, it will be more normal and less sentimental. He will be himself again.

Downstairs in the hall there were simple foods ready for him to break his fast, and Lord Barnes and General Wilson were both waiting and ready to receive their king. Barnes would accompany him to Stark’s kingdom, but Wilson was there to escort the queen back to the castle.

“Guard her with your life,” Steve commanded.

Wilson gave a slight bow. “Yes, my king.”

Steve turns to look at Barnes only to find a smirk on the man’s face. “What is so amusing at this hour?”

“You gave that order as if he hasn’t been in your service for years.”

“She is the queen,” Steve reminded them.

“I will afford her the same safety and security that I have for your majesty since given the responsibility of this position.”

Steve shook his head, “You should afford her more than you do me.”

Without hesitation, he responded, “It will be done.”

Steve strode out of the foyer and Barnes fell in just one step behind him. “We need not rush away from the palace so soon. The official royal business of Stark’s expo does not require you so immediately.”

“This was the plan,” Steve retorted, “why would we alter course?”

“The sooner we leave, the sooner we can return to your queen,” he agreed.

“The sooner we can return to my kingdom, Lord Barnes.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

read more of the CEDAR TREES COLLECTION

read the next part: A SHIFT IN THE MORNING ROUTINE

↠ Main Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

I do not do tag lists, but FOLLOW @buckets-and-stories and TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS to be updated any time I publish a new work!

[thecoolerliauditore]

TOXIC JIZZIE????????? PLEASE SPEAK KING FOR I AM BOUND TO HEAR

aye sire if you ask I am obligated to indulge.

To start off I do think "toxic" is not really the word I'd use, but their relationship certainly isn't ideal either. To get meta for a second I think it's the impact of this being a ship dictated by the CCs (as in, we are married irl so our characters should be too) rather than by the fandom (where ships form from interactions and stuff we actually see in-game) so, in the insane world of "interpretation", weird things happen with Jizzie in-universe where it essentially feels like the characters are together ot of some default obligation rather than as a choice they both actively make.

I'm going to be using the word "performative" a lot during this which I think makes enough sense when you look at how most of Jizzie interactions are very literally purposefully performed through youtube videos and such.

I'm also someone who very much does not have the highest opinion overall of romance as a concept so a lot of what I read is going to be based off of that. I'm a biased human being or whatever.

Essentially, I believe a lot of Jizzie's interactions feel like they're out of some sort of obligation or to fit into predetermined roles, comedic or otherwise, instead of coming off as genuine.

Examples off the top of my head are Lizzie trying to "seduce" Joel in Last Life to secure an ally, their shotgun wedding in esmp1 and the sort of sitcom-esque humour structure they sometimes follow in streams and such (the one I remember most clearly is Lizzie hitting Joel during the Decked Out guests stream, which is treated as a haha wife hitting husband moment) (there was also the time when Joel indirectly implied he was calling his wife a "ball and chain" in the Life: The Game stream, although we're getting very dubiously canon here - I personally see it as applicable but. shrugs)

This isn't to say that there is no genuine connection there, they certainly do care about eachother and, for the most part, aren't actively making eachother worse -- some of their cutest moments, to me, are their panicked "I love you" exchange after they encased the Scottage in lava in Last Life and Joel being the only one who remembered Lizzie's party in Secret Life.

Lizzie and Joel also rarely talk about eachother in an admiring or personal way, Joel specifically usually only mentions his "wife" when disputing accusations of him being in love with any of the various men he's "obsessed" with.

This becomes weirder in series like esmp1, where the first time Lizzie mentions Joel at all is her declaration that she has decided to marry him (not because she is "in love" or anything like that, she simply states that she wants to marry him) so you just kind of have to fill in the gaps between videos with your imagination or accept that the characters are just. Insane. I think comparing the way esmp1 Joel talks about Lizzie vs talks about Jimmy would be an interesting experiment to conduct in regard to this.

To top it off in terms of dubious sourcing for in-character headcanons, I think the performative aspects of Jizzie are most apparent when you look at how Joel often jokes about how Lizzie will get mad at him for flirting with Jimmy and other men, whilst Lizzie has shown time and time again she really could not physically care less. It's always kind of confused me when people depict Lizzie as ready to beat the shit out of Joel when he acts affectionate with other men, when her reactions in the traffic series usually just boil down to this:

TO ME: What Jizzie is, to me, is a pair of platonic best friends who have gotten married because. You're a boy, I'm a girl, that's what we should do. Their marriage isn't hurting them but it also isn't what they think it is.

Joel specifically I've always headcanoned as gay and essentially using Lizzie as a beard but not hiding it very well.

The romance may be purely obligatory and performative, but that doesn't mean they don't love eachother.

[probablyaparadox]

Oh gosh here we go again- the peak of my hyper fixation on something where I finally post a theory... SO CROCODILE- (Y'all love this guy on tumblr-)I'm going to be very truthful, this started out as a head cannon which I found evidence for in this theory to bring my idea's to completion, and really ties up my thought process together.

What are the key takeaways? 1. Crocodile specifically Avoids having a ring on ring finger, and this could be because he has a spouse 2. Him having lost them in some way, and Iva knowing about them. But why Iva? And why do I say them? Y'all already know- I'm saying Crocodile is gay, and has a husband, well somewhere out there. This makes logistic sense because well, why Iva becomes answered, but we also have a subtle hint in crocodiles overall design. Firstly

Crocodiles Outfit is surprisingly evocative of the victorian dress. Mostly thanks to the vest and cravat look. Additionally, the victorian era began in 1837, very close to when Cigars became popular. I bring this up partially because I think it's cool, and partially because it allows for some implications to come across, as one piece's world spans socially over several decades in terms of atmosphere and acceptance. Mostly that the victorian era was a time where being LGBTQ+ was still considered taboo. So while most of new kama is living in the times of 1970's to modern day, he is very much living in the victorian era. One revolves around being loud and proud, and the other very much around subtleties. What subtleties does he have? Well. For starters, It's a very- Choice colour with the purple vest there. (this is mostly a joke, although purple is associated with signalling, it's usually a different manner as far as I'm aware.) What I actually want to talk about is the earring. Most characters in one piece Wear double earrings if they are wearing them (I.E. Law, bart, Nami, Blackbeard etc.) For those of you unaware, Earring signalling goes like this. Right is gay, left is straight. I could only find three characters wearing a single earring. 1. Zoro on his left. 2. Benn Beckman on his right (Good for him!/hj) and 3. Crocodile on his right. So with this ramble aside. I think his interactions with Iva and the gays TM make much more sense. He's down with the gays because well. He is. They literally give him an entirely new outfit, just like they do for the rest of the LGBTQ+ people they bring in. And why IVA SPECIFICALLY would know that he is married, as per Iva knowing and being all gay peoples parent (/hj). In all seriousness I think it would make sense in this context that he asked Iva to help with his wedding or something of the like, since he (and presumably his husband) likely didn't have many connections to people who could do wedding stuff non-judgementally I.E. a cake or getting someone to do the vows. It's very wholesome, but it's something that I could see as Crocodile wanting to be kept secret, as he's been characterized as someone very secretive. This part is pure speculation/almost definitely false; but. I could definitely see some sort of "held hostage" situation. As Crocodile said "If you want to protect something, do it right." This could be someone who is protecting something, but also someone who lost it. I mean, they've forced the other warlords into similar corners, with the protection of Amazon Lily, or the release of Arlong (and likewise the safe return of all the escaped slaves from the Sun pirates who just wanted to go home.) It makes the "wanting to have a power that can match the WG or any nation in force" goal of his have a much more interesting reason than "KING OF THE PIRATES." We got enough folks aiming for that already, and I feel like if you beat an early antagonist that badly and just keep using him, you gotta have some kind of pay off that doesn't involve him getting beat again.

[theflyindutchwoman]

You know in my mind Lucy's mother would visit without warning and that's how she'd learn for Tim. Lucy not telling her because they're not close and want to protect the relationship because she know her parents. Tim would want everything to be perfect and try hard to please them during dinner but her mother isn't gonna like Tim because he is a cop and divorced. I see her to be traditional don't why. And that's what would cause Lucy to blow up. Defending her relationship and telling her mom what she has kept for herself all these time. For her biological dad and everything else. Calling her on her hypocrisy and lack of support and dare I say love. Then we'd have chenford scene for support that strengthens the couple. I could see a scene where Tim stop trying to please the parents and just tell them how amazing Lucy is and what a good cop she is and that it's sad they miss all of it without lucy present in the end of the ep. Like lucy deserve to stand up to her parents herself and Tim would just calmly tell them the facts. I would want to see this in s6. We saw Tim met with Rachel and ashley parents we can do it even with a short season it's just 1 ep. Maybe then, in the next season we could see Lucy parents finally try. You know I imagine season 7 to be the engagement for chenford so they could work on building the relationship during the preparation for the wedding. Because I don't see the end of episode ending with a good note for the daughter/parents in my scenario. It wouldn't be realistic and too easy. Not me making up a full scenario in my head. At least now we know it will prob not happen lol

It's the rookie so the storyline with the parents could be a hit or a miss tbh as we know sometimes they miss. 🤐 hoping for the best tho as always!

See, this is why I'm a bit conflicted about Vanessa showing up again because I don't know what I want to see.

On the one hand, I wish she would come back just so Lucy could stand up for herself and finally confront her mom on her hypocrisy because it's a very much needed conversation. I think it could be very cathartic for Lucy. And to be frank, I thought that was where we were headed with the reveal of her bio dad… Alas, it went nowhere (for now). But on the other hand, I kind of want Vanessa to make amends. To admit that she was wrong. It may be too unrealistic (and it certainly wouldn't happen within one episode) but at the same time, I want Lucy to have some closure. Not that she can't have that in that other scenario of course.

Now should Vanessa make a come back, I absolutely can imagine your scenario, with her showing up unannounced (like she did in 2.05) and thus finding out about Tim - especially if he was the one to open the door #awkward. I doubt very much Lucy would voluntarily mention her relationship to her parents, not in the current atmosphere. She's far too protective for that. I get the feeling that while she is still in contact with them, she also does the bare minimum - like sending flowers for the big dates and that's it. Which honestly is more than they deserve. So the only 'Tim and Vanessa meet' scenario I can picture at the moment is the accidental one. Be it an impromptu visit at Lucy's apartment, at the station, at the hospital… or by sheer coincidence.

I do think that Lucy would be overall wary of her mother. Considering how Vanessa's last visit went, she would be on edge the whole time. I don't know if Tim's divorce would be a point of contention : I feel like the age difference, his job and the fact that he was Lucy's TO would take precedence over that. Although I'm not ruling it out either. And I have no doubt either that Lucy would stand up for herself. She did it several times already after all. But that's also why I want Tim to support her here. Because it has to be tiresome for her to have to justify her choices and happiness over and over again, knowing full well that it's not going to change her parents' minds. As amazing as Jackson was for standing up to Vanessa, Lucy didn't see it. And neither did we. So it would be nice for her to see someone in her corner. Especially since up to this point, Tim has been playing the devil's advocate and has defended Vanessa's behavior several times.

I don't know if it can fit in S6, since there seems to be a lot of intense storylines already, but it could work for s7, yes.

[galesdevoteewife]

Right back at you! Could you tell us about their wedding ? 8, 18 and 19 🥰

Hello hello!! Thanks for dropping the ask!! Loved to do more Wedding prompts!! ✨✨

8. Traditions - The overall ceremony was a much simplified version of the traditional Dekarios ones. Many customs involves seeking good luck and my HC Gale snorted at and skipped lots of them. "All that's needed are the right words, gestures and substance components." type of Gale who would ignore the regulations and superstitions.

It still serves as both family gatherings and singles mixers as the traditional ceremonies do.

Dekarios family dances and ice-breaking games.

The rings followed Waterdeep traditions.

All the traditions are from Dekarios or Waterdeep. In my world Menzoberranzan don't have this type of weddings.

18. I Now Pronounce You... - Zilvera inherits Gale's family name, becoming Zilvera Dekarios and Mrs. Dekarios. Gale smiles every time he reads or hears someone call her that way. Zilvera likes how it links their name like a pair, although she rarely introduces herself with the surname. Just in case, because she wouldn't want to stain its reputation on her behalf.

19. Guests -

🎶People were chatting, playing, dancing, singing, drinking, eating, mingling 🪕

A group of children made a bouquet for the bride using the flower decoration on the table. "We think you are beautiful," the brave boy holding the flowers at the front said nervously with blushing cheeks.

Astarion was flirting with the most innocent-virgin-looking cousin.

Shadowheart set up a drinking contest with bets, and made a fortune out of it. She can hold her wine and she skillfully cheated.

Lae’zel was bored until Shadowheart persuaded her to start a martial arts arena: "Shouldn't a true warrior be able to win with any weapon?" Contestants chose food from the table as their weapon. The loser would have to eat the food afterward. Baguette was a popular choice. SH again made her coin purse even heavier. "My animals need to eat, and I am a responsible owner." She said with a glass of wine in her hand.

Elminster was there. Gale was playing cool but he was thrilled inside. He opened a precious wine for his idol and Elminster played along as if he was here because he wouldn't want to miss the wine. Only El knew the true reason of his visit, the old wizard has always been a mystery.

The ceremony moved Wyll to tears. The magically chilled beer moved Karlach to tears. They both missed the food and air so much.

There were piles of wedding gifts.

Barcus and some of his gnome friends, from Ironhand and from Gondians, attended. He brought her a very fancy firework show as wedding gift. The gnome's visit was also a business trip; they planned to expend their business in Waterdeep.

Zilvera looked at Barcus with an arched eyebrow. He stood there stiffly, posing like a scarecrow. "Are you trying to give me a hug?" "I just feel like it’s appropriate for the occasion. You want it or not?" "Maybe, but I am not bending down. How about you jump into my arms?" "You wish!" "Hm." She smirked, it’s good to see the familiar grumpy face. "Here, take this. I brought you a wedding gift so you won’t blackmail me later. Find a secluded place and toss it into the sky, as high as you can…damp coal! I said secluded place! Would you ever listen to my instruction...!"

"…Listen. I'll only say this once." Barcus said while they both looked up to the sky, knowing the drow's ears would pick up his every word no matter how loud the fireworks were. "Zilvera, you are a better person than you think. You deserve all of this. May you always find inspiration and strength in your union, my friend."

In my HC post-game Zilvera was in close contact with Barcus, who was now leading the Ironhands and collaborating with the Gondians, to help them recover from Gortash's doing. They needed money and wanted their skills to be known, while the drow wanted to build her own merchant guild, so they hit it off. Zilvera grew increasingly fond of these little fellows for their impressive skills and their character. She especially liked Barcus; they had become true friends.

♡ Wedding Prompts ♡01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

I appreciate Barcus's character and quest line so much, his was lots of fun! ("We love collaboration. Challenge. Solving problems with the power of reason, creativity and invention". Yup that's my cup of character ☕) He also have this firework dialog at tiefling party, it was very him 😂

[reinadelvudu]

As a Gambit fan, I’ve never been so salty about Romy in my life. (This is going to come across very anti Rogue, very sorry I know she’s your fav but I need this off my chest)

After their wedding you’d think things would get better but they never did, if anything it’s worse. He’s made to be comic relief and an overall joke for Rogue and that’s just not Gambit. He’s incompetent every time he’s with her and it’s gross. Over the last few Rogue and Gambit runs it’s clear as day she doesn’t love or respect him, she’s written like she hates him and that’s her husband? Nope. He needs to be free of her. He’s had so many fantastic relationships with people who genuinely like him, who are friends with him. Rogue and Gambit have only ever had sexual tension and pointless drama. They had their roll in the hay, tried the whole relationship for waaaaaay too long and it didn’t work. Romy is a toxic mess. Them being married hasn’t sloved it, nothing will. Gambit deserves better. She doesn’t love him and she never will. She doesn’t respect him or care about him unless he’s with someone else or in the ‘97 case, dead then she’s all about “her man”.

Gambit should be with someone who cares for him as a person not just as a sexy toy to parade around. He needs a healthy loving relationship and Rogue isn’t it. Not to mention all the mess with Mystique. When has Rogue ever defended him from her? Her mother has tried to kill him and has even sexually assaulted him yet that’s all in the past to play happy families for Rogue, Mystique still bitches and hates on him and now her wife does too and all we have from Rogue is “She’s my mama you have to trust her” YUCK! The trauma that man has been through for Rogue is horrendous. Roles reversed Gambit would be cancelled but Rogue’s a hot woman so fans think it’s cool to be abusive to your partner.

It feels like Romy fans are actually just Rogue fans because Remy is treated like dirt and that’s celebrated. They’re (not all of them, some ship and let ship and can appreciate the flaws in both characters and all of the writing) genuinely the worst comic fans in Marvel history, I think you’re the first Romy fan I haven’t blocked because you get his character. It’s so disheartening to see one of the best and most underrated characters used like a sex toy and a verbal punching bag. Justice for Remy because wheeew! Marvel won’t give it to him.

Rogue is my favorite female character BUT Gambit is above all, I would kill and die for him. So your verbal diarrhea is totally welcome. There's not much I can contribute because you've said it all and it's (sadly) true. But I will highlight two things: ''Roles reversed Gambit would be cancelled but Rogue's a hot woman so fans think it's cool to be abusive to your partner.'' ''It feels like Romy fans are actually just Rogue fans because Remy is treated like dirt and that's celebrated.'' Although writers/director are to blame for warping both characters every chance they get and not knowing how to write a mature couple, I too always felt that it's part of Rogue being a bitch to Gambit, it's something she can't seem to help. In the case of x men'97 I would like that from season 2 and until the definitive end of the series, they stay apart, just as teammates. I think it's the best and the fairest thing to do. As for the comics, I honestly can't think of anyone Remy could be in a serious relationship with. Well, not that he should be with anyone. I've been wanting to see him solo for a long time, just him on his own adventures, more of the guild, etc.

[esosage]

Just had a bit of an au idea. Idk if its an au, since its still the characters from the movies only they get transported into another universe, but still.

(Also, this is just an idea, nothing here is concrete. Some parts are still not finished quite yet.)

So how this universe works is that everyone has "rolls." These rolls being fictional archytypes, aka "the hero," "the main villain," "the side kick," "the damsel in distess," ect, ect. Now, each roll has a main objective. The main villain wants to conquer the world, the hero wants to stop the main villain, stuff like that. How you do it is irrelivent, getting there is all that matters.

Im thinking this world kinda revolves around stories, and the creation of them, but i still need to figure out how that would work. (Im thinking its kinda like shrek where a bunch of fairytale characters are thrown together into the same world, except the fairytale's are being made while everything plays out.)

Overall though, the world is very fantasy themed.

Now somehow, and idk how yet, stone, robotnik, and sonic get transported to this world. Each getting their own role and objective, with them needing to complete it in order to get back home. Not sure how completing it allows them to get back home, but i'll figure it out. Maybe they fucked with something they shouldn't have, and the price for it was needing to craft a story/fairytale in order to return, idk. Either way they need to do it.

So, as for their roles and objectives: Stone gets cast into the role of the main villain. He has two objectives, to 1. Conquer the neighboring kingdom (although thats subject to change,) and 2. To keep the damsel in distress to himself, forever. Of course, as the main villain, he has them captured already. But, when stone came into this world they were already captured for him, so he has never met them.

This is very important to note, because the damsel in distress, is robotnik. Honestly, i just made him the damsel on distress for shits and giggles, (and because hed look sick as hell in a wedding dress,) but its also semi important story wise.

As the damsel in distress, robotniks main objective is to "escape his roll as prisoner." Not to escape the castle, but to not be a prisoner anymore. Obviously, being a very litteral person, robotnik takes this as needing to physically escape.

Anyhow, sonic is important because he's the linch pin here.

You see, in order to escape, they have to complete their main objective: But, completing the main objective only returns the person who completed it home. So if robotnik were to escape then he would return home, however, since stone failed his quest to keep robotnik as his prisoner forever, he would be trapped in that world forever since he cant finish his main objective with robotnik gone. This naturally puts stone and robotnik at odds, even if they dont want to fight, but this is where sonic comes in clutch.

Sonic's roll here is "the evil henchman." Meaning he works for stone and helps stone. but, since stone's busy conquering the neighboring kingdom, he also looks after robotnik and makes sure he doesnt escape.

this is an important position for him to be in since his main objective is to "get the damsel in distress, and the main villain married, withought telling them his objective." If you were wondering, this, is why robotnik and stones objectives are so vauge. Its so that each of their objectives can be completed through marriage. Because Robotnik isnt a prisoner anymore if he marries stone, and stone has technically kept robotnik forever if he marries robotnik.

The only problem here is that sonic cant tell them his objective, otherwise, he fails it. Meaning he has to get them together in secret, which is harder said than done.

So while robotnik and stone (once they meet) are freaking out about how their going to complete both of their objectives.. with robotnik straight up avoiding stones proposed plan to sacrifice himself: sonic is in the backround loseing his mind over trying to get these two idiots to just KISS ALREADY!

Anyways, i might talk about more of the ideas i have for this au, because i do have more. But eh, idk. Depends on how motivated im feeling to flesh this out.