#and by interesting i mean it makes me violent. sigh. but we deal! what else is there to do!

[sorryimananti-romantic]

Horizon (Chapter 4)

series masterlist

faerieprince!san x oc

royal/fantasy au, soulmate au

chapter wc: ~20k

chapter warnings: fluff, angst, tragedy, violence warnings, mention of death/su!cide, past traumas, atz interactions, suggestive

chapter synopsis: gaeul prepares to say her goodbyes before going to the other dimension but also burdens seonghwa with a promise in case things go wrong. san's health starts to deteriorate as a result of his separation from gaeul and the bond. in the other dimension, gaeul practises her magic with yeosang, yunho, mingi and yena make a discovery that shakes their beliefs.

manager-nim: @eightmakesonebraincell (makes sure i don't sound stupid when i write :') LOL)

“That’s… crazy,” Yeosang breathed, turning to meet eyes with Gaeul who was also staring at the very large tear in space itself- the air was all shimmery and broken around it, distorting her vision. Gaeul took a step back, bumping into Yena who looked equally blown. However, she noticed the others staring at them in confusion.

“What’s crazy?” Wooyoung followed Yeosang’s eyes, staring into the distance but finding nothing out of the ordinary except a sinking feeling that confirmed there was something out there. Wooyoung stepped at the edge of the cave, looking down at the beach and the waves violently crashing on the rocks, and then looking up into the air again. “Can you see something that I cannot?”

Yeosang turned to look at Yena who nodded. Gaeul also pointed at the distance, however, it looked like none of the others could see it. “What’s crazier is that it’s using some sort of illusion magic to become invisible to even you guys. Hongjoong?”

“I can’t see anything- is there anything I should be seeing?”

“There’s a literal tear in the space itself- it’s stitched close,” Yeosang sighed, not knowing how to explain. San walked to Gaeul and asked if he could enter her mind to see from her eyes- he was able to see it as well, and worse, feel it with a greater intensity- the feeling Gaeul must be experiencing right now.

“I think me and Yeosang can see it because duh,” Yena began, “We deal with spaces and portals. Gaeul can see it because she came from it. Interesting none of you can see it.”

“I just saw,” San raised his hand and everyone else groaned, making him grin despite the severity of the situation. “It’s just like Yeosang described. A distortion in the space- you can’t even tell. I bet it opens to let the creatures in here.”

“Which means the missing faeries might be on the other side,” Seonghwa looked at Hongjoong. “We’ve got to save them if they’re… still alive.”

“And how do you suppose we do that?” Yeosang interrupted. “You can’t just go prowling in there and expect to come back alive. You don’t even know what’s there, when it opens, when it shuts close. You could become trapped in a world you don’t belong in.”

“Well then,” Jongho looked at Yeosang. “You know better than any of us about other dimensions. What would you suggest?”

“I think the three of us,” Yeosang motioned at Yena and Gaeul, “might be able to do something about it- but not until Gaeul is able to get her magic under her control. As much as I want to see if the missing faeries are at the other side and are even alive, all I can do is wait. Even my spirits can’t move across dimensions so casually.”

“What can you both sense, across that… tear in the space?” Gaeul asked Yena and Yena paled.

“We can’t… sense anything across that, we can sense only the tear in the space itself, right Yeosang?” She looked at her brother and he nodded, looking suspiciously at Gaeul. Gaeul rubbed her arms.

“You can’t sense the multiple presence of both faeries and… something else across it?” Gaeul asked, looking at each one of them.

“I think I can,” Yeosang hesitantly began. “I sense souls across dimensions, so I think I can. What I’m confused about is that unfamiliar presence.”

“Me too,” Gaeul nodded. “It’s not dangerous though.”

“It’s not?” Yeosang frowned, showing off his arms- he had goosebumps all over. “I think it might be, Gaeul. I’m interested to hear why you think it’s not.”

“Yeosang-” San warned but Gaeul shook her head at him- Yeosang had every right to question her. 

“I just… I don’t know,” Gaeul sighed, looking around helplessly. “I have never sensed this presence before, but I know it won’t hurt me- something like that.”

“It took faeries, what do you mean it won’t hurt you?” Yeosang was getting more and more confused.

“I think I can relate,” Mingi raised his hands and Yeosang gaped at him. “You know how I can feel some souls now- I could feel you, Gaeul. Not your magic, but your soul burning with it. I can feel the unfamiliar presence across the sea too.”

Gaeul was glad someone could relate, she relaxed and smiled in a silent thanks. Mingi only shrugged, looking at Yeosang. “Whatever is across there, it must have a soul if I can feel it. If the creatures in question are not faeries and not darklings either…”

Hongjoong sat down in defeat. “We might really have to rewrite the history books, it seems,” he looked at Yena. “Our plan to omit your story won’t work anymore if we want to explain this to anyone.”

“Well,” Yunho sighed. “What do we do now?”

“Just stick with the plan,” Hongjoong grumbled and Seonghwa snickered at his mood swings. “We can’t do anything about it so let’s just breathe for one goddamn day before we wrack our brains trying to think of solutions.”

Everyone laughed at that and Hongjoong sulked further, making an annoyed face- Gaeul could tell that even though he kept asking everyone to relax and forget about everything, he could never do the same. Gaeul sat down next to him, legs dangling down the edge. 

“I will not move from here until you promise to breathe for one goddamn day as well,” she teased and Hongjoong scoffed in defeat. “One step at a time, okay? I’ll do everything I can to make everything right again.”

“You’re not responsible for what happened, though,” Hongjoong’s voice was quiet. “And I’m worried about the unfortunate faeries that are missing.”

“But I could end it, and I could save them,” Gaeul said and Hongjoong looked at her- she wasn’t wrong. And it was nice to see that she was at the optimistic end for once. “I have all of you with me, trying to help me. Everything will get better, I know- I believe so. Let’s slow it down, okay?”

Hongjoong nodded slowly, taking a deep breath and getting up first, offering Gaeul his hand. “Let’s go to the spot you mentioned.”

“It’s right down there, ironically enough,” Gaeul pointed at the edge where they had just been sitting. “I can’t believe this is the place I came back to.”

“Fate works in mysterious ways,” Hongjoong patted her back and urged Gaeul to lead the way.

Their plan for the day was a little picnic at the beach, and Gaeul had brought them to her favourite spot- away from the city where few people came since it was surrounded by caves. The orange sun shone with all its might on the foamy waves of sea, a tint of green seen in the distance. The only sounds surrounding them were of the waves crashing, of the seagulls around them and the chatter of their group as they ate their snacks. 

San got up near sunset and motioned for Gaeul to join her for a walk. The rest of the group cheered for them dramatically, making Gaeul blush furiously- it was no hidden fact anymore that San and Gaeul were meant for each other, and everyone wanted them to feel good about themselves at least for today- if they were all honest, they weren’t sure if Gaeul and San would meet again- it was going to be tricky for Gaeul to try to live with the bond itself, though everyone hoped she would.

San took Gaeul’s extended hand in his, caressing it repeatedly and letting the familiar warmth course through the both of them as they walked bare-footed along the shore. Gaeul pointed at a seashell with a brown base and red swirls all over it. She bent to pick it up, showing it to San.

“This looks like the colour of your magic,” Gaeul said and San raised a brow.

“Really?” He made a satisfied face. “My magic’s a pretty colour then.”

“It is, pretty boy,” Gaeul smiled, snatching the shell from him and dropping it in the pocket of the pale blue dress she wore that hit her knees. “I’ll take it with me to the other dimension and look at it when I miss you.” San smiled at that, showing off his dimples and Gaeul poked at one of them. “I’ll miss this too.”

“What else will you miss? Go on,” San was clearly enjoying this, asking in a teasing manner.

“Your voice,” Gaeul sighed, resting her head against his arm as she walked and San passed a confused smile- he hadn’t expected this. 

“What about my voice?”

“Something about it is very soothing,” Gaeul sighed, putting her other hand on his arm as well. “It sounds very melodic to me. I’m more jealous because I know I sound like a banshee most of the times-”

San snorted before he laughed- Gaeul was so unpredictable and that was one thing he really liked about her from the beginning. “You don’t sound like a banshee, Gaeul,” he said and Gaeul smiled at him. “You sound like a dying banshee, is a more accurate description-”

That earned him a harsh slap on his arm which had him laughing harder than he had meant to. Gaeul broke apart, pouting as she sulked but San wasn’t having any of it- he put an arm around her shoulders and brought her in until she was flush against him as they walked. San kissed her temple as he rubbed her shoulders. “You’re beautiful to me in every aspect. Whether you sound like a dying banshee or a beautiful siren, it doesn’t matter. I love you in every way. And for the record, you don’t actually sound like that, you sound very normal and cute.”

His sudden confession made Gaeul look up at him but he was looking ahead as if he hadn’t just said things that made her heart swoop dangerously and skin tingle. As Gaeul took in every feature of him, his honey skin and the sharpness and softness that blended so well, she exhaled. “I don’t know what I did in my very uneventful life to deserve you as my soulmate, San, I really don’t understand.”

San narrowed his eyes at that, pausing to face her. “I don’t care how exactly we ended up being soulmates, but… I don’t know what I did to deserve you either- you’re everything I ever dreamed of and more.”

“So you’re telling me you dreamed of death and danger? Because that’s me-”

“Just put the magic nonsense aside,” San laughed, shaking his head and putting his hands on her shoulders and bending down a little to meet her eyes. “I don’t care whether you have the magical capability to destroy this world or no magic at all when all of this is over. All I care is that you’ll be the person I fell in love with. That you’ll be tossing teasing remarks and making all these cute faces that absolutely drive me crazy. That you’ll still have the glint of life in your eyes that you had even when you wanted to die. I’ll be waiting patiently for you, so take your time with yourself, okay? I’m not going anywhere- you own me now.”

“San,” Gaeul sighed, looking away because she was overwhelmed. “You know very well you’re the only reason I’m alive- not just because of the bond, but because… you. If our soulmate bond breaks and I’m still alive… would you still want me?”

“Of course I would,” San tsk-ed at the doubt in her eyes and cupped her face. “I told you. Bond or no bond, I love you.”

“And I love you- even though it’s a little overwhelming because I honestly never pictured myself to be with the scary Prince of Earth-”

“What part of me, exactly, is scary?” San showed off his dimpled smile and Gaeul laughed, shaking her head and moving forward to wrap her arms around his waist. San sighed into the hug and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, resting his cheek on the top of her head. 

Gaeul wanted to tell him that she would miss this- she would miss touching him and hugging him. She knew it was not only just because they were in love but also the reaction it had on both of them physically. She also wanted to tell him that she did not want the soulmate bond to break- she would die if that happened, even though San assured her it didn’t matter. She just couldn’t bear the thought of losing that part of her yet again. 

It seemed like San understood enough and perhaps shared most of her worries and fears with her. He didn’t break the hug and they stood in each other’s arms until it was almost dark- they watched the sky change together, each praying it wouldn’t be their last.

At night- their last night- it hit harder, especially when they just sat staring at each other from across the room, San having already been sitting there before Gaeul came in the room and sat down in front of him to take a breather.

“What are you thinking?” San was the first to break the silence. 

“Just… how long it might take in that dimension,” Gaeul took a deep breath. “It might only be a few days to you, but it could be years for me. That’s… crazy.”

“That is, isn’t it?” San whistled in disbelief. “Would you prefer the time to go at the same speed?”

“No, I absolutely understand what’s it costing us all,” Gaeul knew that everyone helping her also had kingdoms to run, though they kept insisting that they would be considering this a ‘vacation’- Gaeul understood that while some part of that might actually be true, it was also false at the same time. “I just… how will I be apart from you for so long?”

San’s fists tightened hearing that, though he managed to pass his usual smirk in an attempt to lighten her mood. “You’re gonna miss me that much?”

“As a matter of fact, I am,” Gaeul wasn’t in the mood for teasing right now, and when San’s face changed after hearing that, Gaeul sighed and put her head in her hands. “It’s just finally hitting me. As selfish as it sounds, I wish we could be together there, even though I know we can’t.”

“Gaeul,” San got up and walked to her, sitting on one knee in front of her so he could face her. “We’re together tonight. You can be as selfish as you want tonight. I know I’ll be.”

Gaeul looked up and saw something foreign in San’s eyes, in his clenched jaw and parted lips- longing, every nerve in her body screamed. It was pure, raw longing to be with each other forever. To not be apart for a moment. To become one and then stay that way, never break apart. Gaeul licked her lips, her hands trembling as they met San’s face and he shut his eyes when electricity coursed through his nerves like fuel. Gaeul let her fingers trace every angle and curve of his face, before running her hands through his hair repeatedly, playing with his ash mullet, and cupping his face to kiss his forehead, lingering. She let her lips trail down, pecking the tip of his nose and making him grin a little. She swiped her thumb over his lower plump lip and urged him to open his eyes.

He did so, with a huge amount of effort, but when he found her so close to him… his brows furrowed as he held himself back, letting her take the lead. She bent down and pecked his lips once, a strangled breath escaping him. She pecked him again, and again, and again-

“Do you want to break me, Gaeul?” San’s voice was hoarse, and despite what he said, it made Gaeul smirk so devilishly slow that San decided that was enough- he got up slowly, shaking his head as he beheld the sight in front of him. He tipped her chin up until she faced him. “Tell me, Gaeul. Tell me what you want to do with me.”

Gaeul tilted her head, considering- the darkness beneath his eyes excited her. She’d only seen San be gentle and teasing- she wanted to test him tonight, to see what extent he could go, where he would- “I want to watch you break apart under me.”

San’s jaw clenching and unclenching did it for her- she got up and pushed him back on the bed, making him scoff as she got on top of him and straddled him- they only had tonight and an unforeseen time apart- she had to make the most of it. She had no time to be shy- she ran her hands up his chest excruciatingly slow until she reached his shoulders- and then she was running her hands down his arms while San watched, unaware just where she was going with this. 

However, the last thing he expected was her to pin his wrists at his sides and smile almost sadistically at the sight- it made him stifle a groan. He hadn’t seen this side of her and it was a shame he only had tonight to test her buttons. Gaeul bent down and finally met her lips with his, immediately falling into a rhythmic motion, her hands relaxing to move up and interlace with his as she kissed him.

Still, San had better ideas- he broke apart and cupped her face, angling her better so his lips and tongue could make the most of it, and flipping them over, slowly taking more control. For the longest time it was just this- kissing like there was no tomorrow, and this time the gravity of that hung over them, making their kisses more desperate and passionate. 

Gaeul breathed San’s name when they broke apart but he was immediately attacking her neck, extracting the loudest moans from her as he bit and kissed and licked at every sensitive spot, his hands going to undo the laces of her gown and breaking it apart only to remove the barrier between them, taking off his own shirt as well, whistling when he realised they were only in their bottoms now. 

“Turn the fucking lights dim, San,” Gaeul groaned, covering herself, suddenly shy. San chuckled, waving his hand and leaving only one candle on, kissing her forehead before slowly drawing her arms apart.

“You don’t have to hide from me, Gaeul,” he pecked her lips, caressing her face lovingly.

“I’m just… shy,” Gaeul pouted.

“You weren’t very shy a few minutes ago when-”

“Shut up,” Gaeul laughed, urging him down to kiss him. San broke apart, trailing his hand all the way down her, tracing her curves and taking his time to play with what was exposed of her, sliding his knee between her legs so it met her core, and she moaned, which San immediately swallowed with a kiss. 

“San… San, I want you.”

“As much as I’d like to, I really don’t think we should go all the way- there’s no knowing how your magic will react,” San looked to be in pain as he said that. “The first time between soulmates… it’s supposed to be different than with any other.”

“So… you don’t want your dick to turn into ash and fall off, is that what you’re saying?” Gaeul smirked and San threw his head back as he laughed. 

“That too,” he shook his head as he looked at her lovingly. “However… we can do some other… interesting things tonight.”

“Lead the way then,” Gaeul smirked, trailing a finger down his muscular chest sultrily. “We have all night- make the most of it. Let’s see how good you are.”

“It’s a challenge,” San laughed as he bent down to kiss her once again, slow and passionate, more intimate than anything they ever had before, and they barely got any sleep that night, only making out and touching each other everywhere, making the other break apart several times throughout the night without going too far. It left them both tired and they slept in each other’s arms, skin to skin, each hoping tomorrow wouldn’t come.

—---------------------

Even though Yena had told everyone that they wouldn’t be needing food or a change of clothes or anything, for that matter, in the other dimension, Yunho couldn’t help but freak out.

“Are you really sure we don’t need anything?” Yunho gave up asking Yena and Yeosang who just rolled their eyes at him while Gaeul giggled. “I get that it’s the mirror dimension or something, but… we could get bored.”

“I told you, you can travel the whole planet there- you wouldn’t want to come back,” Mingi shared a grin with Yena. “The only thing you’ll miss there is the people, so no. You don’t need anything. At all.”

“That’s convenient,” San nodded as he glanced at Gaeul- the two of them were sitting next to each other while the rest of them were either making arrangements, discussing the ‘how’ or freaking out. 

“I could even visit your castle before you actually take me there,” Gaeul teased.

“Please don’t do that,” San laughed. “I want to show you our home when you’re with me.”

Our home.

San didn’t miss how her face fell at those words. He had his arms around her so he only squeezed. “Stay positive, will you? You’re coming back, Gaeul. You’re gonna be fine, and once you come back, we will go to my castle- or anywhere in the world that you want. You have a home not only at my place but at everyone’s now.”

“He’s right,” Wooyoung inserted his face in the little gap between San and Gaeul, making them laugh. “You have a home with us, Gaeul. Just make sure you don’t… un-make it, will you? You never know what Gaeul’s gonna do, eh, San?”

“The only thing I want to un-make is you,” Gaeul muttered and he laughed loudly, making her wince and rub her possibly bleeding eardrums. “Do come visit me, Wooyoung. I’ll make sure you’ll have fun.”

“Ah,” Wooyoung slapped the top of Gaeul’s head, earning a slap on his own hand from San which he ignored. “You hurt me, woman.”

“I’ll visit, just to see if I’m needed- in the meanwhile, I’ll be doing research so if you ever feel like your nature magic is acting funny, just… call me,” Jongho said as he passed by with a box of what seemed to be books and archives from the library in this house and Gaeul nodded in gratitude.

Gaeul scooted closer to San, resting her head on his shoulder as she watched Seonghwa and Yena argue over something probably related to how long it was going to take- they really were a married couple. Seonghwa held Yena’s hand in his, caressing them even when Yena looked like she could incinerate him with her glare alone. The way Yena let Seonghwa calm her down even when she was angry at him melted Gaeul’s heart. Yena would miss Seonghwa a lot- she knew so. The last time she had been in the other dimension wasn’t a very good experience so Gaeul knew it could bring back bad memories.

She watched Seonghwa kiss Yena’s forehead before she ran to Hongjoong who was calculating something related to the time and magic- Hongjoong had explained that if they entered the wrong dimension, it could mess things up irreversibly. Gaeul hadn’t realised just how hard this magic was and she insisted that they find a secluded place or something to train her, but Hongjoong told her it had to be there, and that way everyone would be safe, no matter how much time passed there. Gaeul felt guilty but everyone around her kept assuring her it was alright.

She wanted to believe so too. She watched Yunho and Seonghwa go over the details of how Seonghwa was going to manage Yunho’s kingdom while he was gone. Jongho was sitting next to San as well, going over whatever instructions San had given him earlier. Mingi and Yeosang were doing the same. 

Gaeul felt tired and she almost dozed off on San’s shoulder but she caught Seonghwa waving at her from the other room. Gaeul waved back and he came closer, hesitating before he looked at San who was busy talking to Jongho and then her. “Can I have a word with you? Alone?”

That was new. Gaeul broke apart from San’s embrace which was when he finally noticed Seonghwa standing in front of her. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing, just wanted to discuss a few things with Gaeul,” Seonghwa assured and San nodded.

“Get her to eat something if you can while you’re at it- she insists she’s not hungry.”

“I’ll make her coffee- I’m good at it,” Seonghwa grinned and San laughed, letting them go. Gaeul insisted she was okay but Seonghwa just made her follow him to the kitchen and as he made coffee, he asked how she was feeling, how her magic was doing, just small talk.

With two cups of coffee in their hands, they decided to take a walk along the long paths in the garden around the estate. Gaeul felt nervous- apart from the fact that Seonghwa looked intimidating (even though she knew well enough how kind and soft his personality was), she never really had one-to-one time with the Prince of Dark. Just his presence alone made her magic feel queasy- he was truly a force to be reckoned with.

“Do I make you nervous?” Seonghwa noticed her fidgeting as they walked and Gaeul passed him a guilty grin.

“More like my magic,” she informed and Seonghwa nodded in realisation. “Even though my magic is ‘dark’ in nature, it gets a bit queasy.”

“Your magic and mine… it’s going to be the most similar when you come back,” Seonghwa told her and she paused- Seonghwa had never said that in front of anyone. In fact, he never let anyone make a connection between her magic and his. “I’m the Prince of Dark. It’s foolish of everyone to think that it only means I am able to control the shadows. Even the Princes don’t know the entirety of my magic, and I would like to keep it as such. Only Yena knows.”

“I never thought…” Gaeul faltered. “What exactly is the Prince of Dark capable of?”

“We never practised the ‘dark’ aspects of my magic, but we know it’s there,” Seonghwa told her. “After the incident, I started practising a bit with the help of Yena- just so I can keep her safe. So nobody goes through the things that we did. And I think in the future… we can sit and talk about our magic freely, you and I. It’s a freedom I never thought I’d have one day, so I look forward to that, Gaeul. Do come back safe and sound.”

Gaeul’s heart warmed at that and she clicked her cup of coffee with his as they drank. “Thank you… Seonghwa. It feels better to know that someone understands the gravity of how dark our magic can be, though I’m surprised you didn’t let me know sooner.”

“I wasn’t sure what exactly your magic was like, but I think I have an idea now. We could even train together- I might be needing your help, in that case,” he laughed. 

“Anytime,” Gaeul promised. 

“There’s also something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Seonghwa looked down as they walked, his bangs falling over his forehead. “The last time Yena was in that dimension… It was a really, really bad experience. I’m not sure how she’ll react this time and I’m glad Mingi is with her again, but can you… keep an eye on her?”

“Of course, Seonghwa,” Gaeul let him know before he could say more. “I don’t want Yena to be in a bad place mentally while I practise. I understand the gravity of this situation. I’m glad there’s a lot of us going because that’s going to keep Yena from being distracted and thinking about those memories, but if I feel like it’s too much for her, I’ll let you know. You can trust me on that.”

“Thank you,” Seonghwa visibly relaxed in relief. “She’s strong. She won’t show it. No one else but you might notice that- you’re good at noticing that. So is Yunho. Also, Yunho is a very, very good listener so if you ever feel overwhelmed, you can talk it out with Yunho. He is the first one who notices whenever someone else is upset.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Gaeul thanked him. “You have nothing to worry about, Seonghwa. But can you promise me something as well?”

Seonghwa paused as he narrowed his eyes at Gaeul and shook his head furiously as he realised. “I shouldn’t have told you about my magic.”

“No, I’m glad you did,” Gaeul faced him. “Now I know I won’t hurt anyone else if it comes to that. Yeosang is practical- I’ll ask him to bring you there if things go… wrong with me. You, not San. If I become something that I’m not supposed to, only your magic might be able to end me. I want you to do that favour for me, for everyone, Seonghwa. I cannot live with myself if I hurt anyone.”

“You’re asking too much of me,” Seonghwa looked to be in pain. “San won’t forgive me if I do.”

“He will,” Gaeul smiled knowingly. “I have made arrangements for that too.”

Seonghwa shook his head. “Very well prepared, aren’t you? Who?”

“Hongjoong,” Gaeul sighed. “He refuses to convey my message to San if anything happens to me, but I hope you can help him with that.”

“Please… come back,” Seonghwa put a hand on her shoulder, surprising her. “I know what it's like to lose a soulmate- I didn’t, but I very well could have. San won’t be whole again if something happens to you. And you’re a good person, Gaeul. Bond or no bond, you’re now the Princess of the Underworld. When you come back… you’ll be one of us.”

“Thank you,” Gaeul took Seonghwa’s hand and squeezed it. “It means a lot. And… I hope I can come back too,” Gaeul said as she looked around, still holding Seonghwa’s hand. “I’d like to see how my life turns out after all of this.”

—-------------------

It was time to go, late at night after dinner together in which the mood wasn’t as cheerful as the previous few days. Gaeul, for one, was the most nervous she had been, and San had to constantly touch her hand to check if her magic was under control. 

“You’ve been playing with your food for an hour now,” Wooyoung, who was sitting beside her, pointed out. 

“I’m sorry, I’m just not feeling hungry,” Gaeul slid her plate away from her, glancing up to notice that everyone was stealing their own nervous glances at her. “I’ll be in my room if anyone needs me.”

“Gaeul-”

“I’m fine, San,” Gaeul smiled at him, squeezing his shoulder. “Please finish up and call me when it’s time to go.”

It was a clear message to be left alone, yet… each one of them felt like they needed to go after her. After all, at times like these, you rarely wanted to be alone even if you felt like it. San stared at his food- he wasn’t feeling the best today either but he was being strong for her sake. 

“Do cheer up and let her have some time to herself if you can,” Yena said from across the table. “No point sulking right now, San. She’s probably feeling scared right now and that’s only natural.”

San knew that Yena had a point and he reluctantly finished his food, cleaning the table with the rest, sighing as he forced himself not to drop everything right there and then to be next to Gaeul. Gaeul, however, was at the roof, staring as far as she could at the town she used to live in before her life turned upside down. Gaeul couldn’t help but smile at the irony of life- she used to think that being a part of the yin-yang bloodline and having to hide her possible affinities for other elemental magics was the worst that could have happened to her. Here she was, with magic that no other faerie had ever possessed in history.

Gaeul scoffed to herself- she still wasn’t sure if she had come to terms with her magic. She quite liked the idea of cold fire even though it was probably more dangerous to possess than the ‘anti-life’ magic. The latter, she still wasn’t sure of. But she had a thought stuck in her head ever since San had voiced it out to her a couple of nights ago as they lay in each other’s arms. 

“If you miss your earth magic or nature magic, you can always use mine. Aren’t yin-yang soulmates able to borrow each other’s powers?”

That was something that gave her hope, though if she was really going to train her magic, she was sure she wouldn’t really be needing earth magic- her magic was dangerous and enough. But the thought that she could still use her original magic with San… it made her ecstatic, and it made her wonder why San, the Prince of Earth, was her soulmate. Perhaps destiny had chosen so- if she had still been normal, she wouldn’t have felt much of a difference in her magic other than the strength and range of it heightening since they were both earth magic wielders. 

But now… San and Gaeul could make quite possibly the most dangerous pair- at least as dangerous as Yena and Seonghwa, if not more. Gaeul silently prayed she would be able to come to terms with her magic and help the missing faeries who were unfortunately involved in her mess.

She didn’t realise how long she had been standing at the edge and watching the lights flickering along the city until she sensed San behind her. She turned and smiled at how he was cautiously approaching, ready to leave her alone if she wished so, but she extended her hand and he took it, sighing as he stood beside her, glancing at her. “What were you thinking?”

“Too many things,” Gaeul laughed. “Just trying to sort out my thoughts before I go.”

“And did you?” San caressed her hand.

“Kind of,” Gaeul nodded slowly, relishing the feeling of their connection, trying to fix it in her memory for the days it would get bad. “Is it time to go now?”

“We still have a few minutes until someone calls us,” San told her, watching her cautiously- he didn’t want her to feel overwhelmed tonight so he only watched, waiting for her to make whatever move she pleased. “Are you feeling good? Is there anything I can get you?”

Gaeul turned to face him, taking his other hand as she looked up at him, smiling. “I’ve got everything I need.”

San grinned shyly at that, shaking his head. “You know, you have a way with words.”

“Learned from the best,” Gaeul looked pointedly at him. “I like that I can have the upper hand now as well.”

San watched her eyes travel all around his face and he raised his brows in question. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Gaeul wanted to tell him that she was memorising his face in case she ever dared forget, in case this was the last time she saw him. She only brought her hands up to his face and let her fingers trace every curve and angle, marvelling at the way he was carved- he was simply beautiful. Gaeul sighed internally as her heart swooped and then she let her hands travel down and hold onto the edges of his jacket as she rested her forehead on his chest, breathing in his scent and feeling his heartbeat reverberate through her body. 

San understood why this goodbye was so hard for her. He let her stay like that for a few moments before he cupped her face and made her look at him. He laughed a little at the pout forming before he tucked her hair away and locked eyes with her. 

“I hope everyday that you are there, every night that you think of me, you’ll remember that I love you. That nothing in this world could change it. I pray that every time you start to lose hope and think you’re better off gone, you remember that I am waiting for you back here, that you have someone to return to. I hope I’ll be enough to be your strength, Gaeul, I really hope I am.”

“You are,” Gaeul nodded- it seemed stupid to say it out loud since those words didn’t encompass the entirety of how grateful she was to have him. He really was her strength in every way, and Gaeul hoped that he could feel it physically. San smiled as if he could understand and leaned in to kiss her- it was slow and deep, making Gaeul wish she could sink into the feeling she was experiencing right there. She was definitely going to remember this moment if no other- the kiss was full of emotions- love, fear, longing, strength, everything. 

He kissed her long and good and then he joined their foreheads as they broke apart, caressing her face as he caught his breath. Kissing her forehead once, he proceeded to hug her, arms around her shoulder and eyes shut as he rocked her. Gaeul stifled her tears, deciding to leave on a cheerful note- she knew she would be losing it pretty soon in the other dimension. 

Gaeul was the first to break the hug. The two of them looked at each other, wanting to tell a million things but at a loss for words. Gaeul laughed nervously. “Let’s go downstairs, shall we?”

San nodded, kissing her temple before taking her hand and leading her downstairs where everyone was waiting. Yeosang was the first to spot them and he clapped once. “Perfect timing- I was just going to send Wooyoung to fetch you two. He had a few plans on how to ruin the moment.”

“Ah, it seems I was late,” Wooyoung appeared from the kitchen. “You good?”

“I’m good,” Gaeul confirmed and Wooyoung smiled, glancing at San who looked like he was trying not to cry- he would handle him later. “Where are we… doing this?”

“Backyard- the others are already there,” Yeosang tossed a chocolate to Gaeul while putting one in his mouth. “Let’s go.”

Gaeul didn’t know what to expect, but everyone gathered in a circle with Yena shouting orders at everyone just wasn’t it. She giggled- Yena looked like a teacher scolding her students. She spotted Gaeul and relaxed as she smiled. “You’re here. Let’s go.”

Gaeul nodded, looking at San who gave her a brief side hug with one last kiss to the forehead before letting her go reluctantly. Gaeul grinned at him. “Try not to cry too much while I’m gone- I’ll be back before you know it.”

San chuckled at that and Gaeul looked at Wooyoung. “You make sure to keep him busy.” 

“Yes ma’am,” Wooyoung saluted before patting her shoulder. “Stay strong.”

“Jongho, can you make sure Wooyoung doesn’t annoy San too much?” Gaeul whispered to him and they giggled. 

“I’m not as nice as you think,” Jongho scoffed.

“I know,” Gaeul winked at him. “But at least you’re not Wooyoung.”

“Hey, I heard that!” Wooyoung came for Gaeul but San held him by the back of his shirt like a cat, making everyone laugh. 

Seonghwa and Hongjoong finished saying their goodbyes to Yena and the rest and Gaeul walked to them. “Both of you better keep your promises, okay?”

“I’m out,” Hongjoong announced, folding his arms as he sulked.

“I know you will,” Gaeul smiled knowingly. “And Seonghwa… you need not worry.”

Seonghwa nodded in understanding and gratitude. “Stay strong.”

“You have to,” Hongjoong continued. “It will get bad before it gets better, remember that.”

Gaeul wished she understood the gravity of those words. Everyone waved goodbye to each other and Yena opened a portal in space with the help of Yeosang. Gaeul was to be the last one to jump and she looked at everyone with a smile before she did.

However, as soon as she was on the other side, a mirror of the world she had just left, she fell to her knees as excruciating pain took over her entire being- it felt like her connection with San was as good as severed, and she was back to square one, right where she had started. San, unfortunately, saw and felt that before Yena could close the portal and he went for her, held back by Wooyoung and Jongho. The last thing they saw was panic on each other’s faces before Gaeul passed out and the portal closed shut.

“Well,” Mingi sighed as the pale Gaeul passed out in front of them, looking up at Yena. “This certainly brings back memories.”

—-------------------

[Day 2 in the dimension/45 minutes in Mirinae]

“Do clocks even work here?” Yunho glanced at the wristwatch he was wearing. “If so, Gaeul has been out for almost a day now.”

“Kind of?” Yena, who was relaxing on the grass using Yeosang’s thigh as her pillow, flipped through the page of a comic book she was reading that she refused to share with anyone. “I mean, the days change. That’s how we kept count of the time, didn’t we, Mingi?”

Mingi nodded in answer, too busy making paper boats out of a book he had grabbed from Wooyoung’s library that he was sure was very important in the real world but here, it would make for origami. “I think we did that until we lost count and Neve told us a rough estimate of just how much time had passed- wait, what was my boat count?”

Yeosang, who was only relaxing by the tree and taking this time to think and do nothing, scoffed at Mingi. “How did the darkling know just how long you two had been here?”

This made Yena put down her book as she met eyes with Mingi. “He probably sensed us or had a time-calendar or something, right?”

“Let’s pray that’s the case,” Yunho went back to completing his puzzle and Mingi groaned, not believing all his effort making and counting boats went to waste. “I’ll still be counting the days just so we know.”

“You do that,” Yena said and before she could comment on how he, too, was going to lose count one day, Gaeul woke up with a gasp, sitting upright and-

“You scared the shit out of me,” Mingi put a hand on his heart. “How are you feeling?”

Gaeul looked around at the Princes and the Princess, frowning as she recollected the previous events of her memory. “I… I feel empty.”

“Empty like how, exactly?” Yeosang asked cautiously. “Magic?”

“That, and… whatever I had with San, I can’t really feel it. It’s like before I met San- I would feel this empty pit in my heart until something ticked me and then I’d lose control.”

“That’s good, actually,” Yena got up, finally shutting her book. “That means that it’s just you now- San and his magic are not interfering in any way.”

“She looks sick though,” Yunho frowned. “Is she going to be okay?”

“I don’t know how sick I look right now but that’s how I looked before I met San,” Gaeul pursed her lips. “Like a zombie.”

“Like your magic,” Yeosang mused. “Like you really did come back from the dead.”

Gaeul shrugged. “So? What are we doing?”

It was Yunho’s turn to smirk. “We’re going to be… ticking you off, as you said. We need to learn the extent of the different magics you can control, and we really, really need to examine cold fire before it consumes you- or us.”

“I must warn, I’m not hard to tick off,” Gaeul folded her arms and everyone laughed at that. “In fact, you should have brought Wooyoung here. He’s the best at that, isn’t he?”

“I’m better,” Yeosang said and the rest hooted in agreement. Gaeul considered him with a scoff. 

“We’ll see,” she said. “What about the… anti-nature? What are we calling it again?”

“Destruction, doom, whatever you wanna call it,” Mingi thought out loud. “Or… Queen of Ruins sounds nice too.”

“My point is,” Gaeul tried ignoring the pit in her heart singing louder, “We need to deal with the fact that I could do something very, very wrong. I don’t wish to hurt you guys, so… how are we dealing with it?”

“Well, as soon as I feel something is wrong, I can immediately portal us to somewhere far away from you,” Yena assured her. “So… I say, let’s get started. I’d suggest destroying this garden first- start with flowers and will your magic to make it wilt. You need to be able to control it to such an extent that you only harm a single petal on that flower.”

Gaeul gaped at the Princess. “I’m sure that’s not even possible.”

“Didn’t San do something like that with your magic too?” Yeosang mused.

“That’s what we’ve all done,” Mingi sighed as he reminisced. “My father made me sit in a room full of candles and asked me to light only the one he would mark as the target. You can imagine how it went.”

“And how long did it take you to master that?” Gaeul asked casually.

“About a decade, I think-”

“And you expect me to master that in a short time and not more than a decade?” Gaeul gaped at them. “Are you sure you’ll be here for a decade? A decade here would mean at least a year or two in reality, right?”

“It won’t take you a decade,” Yunho said and Gaeul looked at him. “It won’t even take you a year. A few months, at most.”

“How are you so sure?”

“Do you think we would have willingly brought you here if we weren’t?” Yunho smiled and something about it made her shiver. “We can feel it. The more a person’s magic is bound to get out of control, the more quickly the person can actually control it if they have the willpower, contrary to popular belief.”

“Wow,” Gaeul brushed her black shirt. “If you say so. I’m trusting you then. Where should I do it?” 

“Wherever is fine,” Yena went back to her position, resuming to read her book. “And keep trying until you can at least stop the whole flower from wilting. You’ve got all the time in the world.”

Gaeul shrugged and walked to the nearest flower bush, grabbing a daisy and beginning to try. Mingi, who had been quite intrigued by Yunho and Gaeul’s exchange, looked at his friend. “Do you really believe it will only take months?”

“Nah,” Yunho went back to finishing his puzzle. “In fact, she can never wilt only a single petal. It’s all about control- that she will be able to stop her surroundings from dying when she focuses on one single object.”

Mingi scoffed at that, shaking his head at a grinning Yunho. “Who knows? Maybe she could wilt a single petal too.”

“If she does, that would be a bonus,” Yunho nodded.

—-------------------

[Day 6 in the other dimension/5 hours and 32 minutes in Mirinae]

“I’ve been doing this for like a week now,” Gaeul huffed in annoyance.

“It’s only been like three days, stop being so dramatic,” Yeosang muttered, not even bothering to open his eyes from the ‘nap’ he had been taking from the past 2 days.

“Four, actually,” Yunho said and Yeosang groaned in answer. “We could take a break.”

“Yes!” Mingi got up, “There’s a lot to explore here, actually. No one to worry about. We shouldn’t be sitting here like bummers. We should be making it fun so that Gaeul feels better.”

“Says the person who always stays home when we go out in town to eat during a meet-up,” Yena narrowed her eyes.

“There are no people here,” Mingi challenged. “And you remember how you and I roamed around a lot here? It made you feel better, didn’t it?”

Gaeul glanced cautiously at Yena who contemplated as Mingi waited for her answer, and for a second, they both thought that he messed up before Yena slowly nodded. “I guess it did. We could take this chance to practise our magic too. I’m sure some of us have a lot they need to get out.”

“Ah, yes, I do,” Yunho raised his hand. “I haven’t been in my animal form for years now.”

“What is your animal form?” Gaeul asked but Yunho only winked.

“I haven’t seen it ever, either,” Yena laughed at Gaeul’s annoyed expression. “It’s better if you let it be a surprise.”

“You can try guessing,” Mingi said, waiting for what he knew was about to come.

“Uh… fish?” Gaeul said and started laughing, “It’s probably something better than that, right? What’s yours, Mingi?”

“You’ll never guess mine,” Mingi said proudly and Gaeul knew she couldn’t. She looked at the twins. 

“Mine is pretty obvious. Yeosang’s is… funnier.”

“Don’t even start-”

Yena giggled and Yeosang finally got up from his two-day nap to attack Yena. Gaeul looked helplessly at the rest. “Do only the Princes have animal forms?”

“Some of the faeries do as well,” Mingi said. “Shapeshifters have it best.”

“You could have one too, since you’re technically of royal bloodline,” Yunho commented and everybody paused as they digested that fact. “What? You haven’t thought of it?”

“I wasn’t aware that I was a descendant until a few days ago, thank you,” Gaeul sighed. “And… I don’t think my family explored that part of their magic. Probably to not attract attention. Or even if they did, they kept it secret.”

“Sad how so much of your history was kept from you,” Yeosang said, his eyes glinting. “Makes me think if someone knew just who you were.”

“As in?”

“There are a lot of ways to know the hidden about someone- that even that person themself might not know,” Yeosang explained. “Spirits usually do that. It’s against their law but sometimes, a faerie makes a deal. And now that I think about it… It might be how Kieran found out about you.”

Gaeul felt sick again though she couldn’t throw up here- not when her stomach was empty and she didn’t need food. She only choked on air and tried to calm her trembling hands. Yena slapped Yeosang’s arm. “You didn’t have to think out loud, Yeosang.”

“No, it’s okay,” Gaeul brushed her hair away from her face. “I should know. Thank you, Yeosang. If all of you find something about me, even if it is bad, please don’t keep it from me.”

They knew what she meant- she had lived in lies and secrets all her life. She did not want to live like that anymore. 

��What do you think your animal form might be, if you still possess that part of your magic?” Mingi changed the subject.

“I think as a nature-user, her animal form could have been anything at all,” Yunho thought. “Now I’m not so sure, and we shouldn’t explore that idea until she has all her magic under control- we don’t want her to be stuck in her animal form forever.”

Gaeul whistled. “Already forgot about it. Shall we go now?”

The beach was of course the nearest place that provided a good scene with the waves crashing, both the sun and the moon shining brightly creating a pastel sky of purple and orange, and Gaeul immediately sat at the shore, letting the waves wash over her. The twins joined her on either side, yelping at the coldness of the water once it hit them. 

“Does it not bother you, the coldness?” Yeosang noticed how calm Gaeul was.

“I used to sit like this every other day, so I’m quite used to the cold,” she replied. “Try digging your toes in the sand too.”

The two did and realised it kept them steady when the waves washed and also made the waves tickle them in a pleasing way. “You must have had water affinity if you felt so calm at a place like this- I can sense your magic.”

“I must have,” Gaeul’s smile didn’t quite meet her eyes. 

A magic- a whole world left unexplored. How many other doors did she never get to open?

“Water magic is the most disastrous,” Yeosang commented and Gaeul looked at Yunho- he had never looked happier as he played with Mingi in the water. “I know you feel like you missed something, but where one door closed, another opened for you. I say you master what you have and make a whole new magical world for yourself.”

It was as if Yeosang had read her thoughts. Gaeul nodded, taking a deep breath, pleased to smell the familiar tinge of saltiness in the air. “I should, huh?”

Perhaps every one of them had told her about the downside of their magic, and with time, Gaeul had started to feel like her magic might not be all that bad. She still needed time, but… she didn’t hate it now. Strongly dislike it, more like. Progress.

Mingi came running towards the three. “Yunho is going to turn.”

“Here?” Yeosang got up immediately. “Shouldn’t we run away?”

“We should move back, yes,” Mingi helped Yena up and Gaeul got up as well. 

“Why exactly do we need to move?” Gaeul frowned. “What is he? A shark? Alligator? Is he going to eat us?”

“Oh, you’re gonna cry when you see him,” Yeosang shook his head, patting her back to make her move and she reluctantly followed until they were a good distance away from the sea. Yunho made an ‘okay’ sign and started moving further into the sea, until-

“Underwater?” Gaeul gaped at a disappearing Yunho. “Octopus? Jellyfish? He does look like a jellyfish-”

“Shut up,” Yeosang laughed, “It’s something better. You can’t even imagine.”

“Seahorse? But we wouldn’t need to backoff. Dolphin? Oh no, is he a whale? Is he-”

The waves crashed several feet up in the air, giving all of them a jumpscare and earning a frightened yell from Gaeul who instinctively hid behind Yeosang and watched the sea calm down until the waves were still.

“Don’t tell me he drowned.”

“Is he going to be okay?” Mingi looked at Yeosang. “It’s been a while since he turned.”

“He’ll be fine,” Yeosang smiled proudly.

The waves started to vibrate in a rhythmic motion and Gaeul narrowed her eyes, waiting, anticipating, until the sea split apart to reveal the most glorious shades of blue and teal shimmering like diamonds and the gasp that left both Yena and Gaeul was one they would always remember. 

“That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen!” Yena gaped at the sight that unfurled in front of her- the long torso disappearing and reappearing at the surface as it swam and swam and Gaeul didn’t even realise she was clutching Yeosang’s arm so hard, though he didn’t mind. He, too, had the same reaction. 

“A dragon!” Gaeul looked at the others, her eyes wide.

“A water dragon, yes,” Mingi nodded.

“You mean you are a fire dragon?” Gaeul narrowed her eyes.

“I wish I was,” Mingi shook his head as he laughed, pointing back at Yunho. “Watch.”

Gaeul watched the tail disappear and then the dragon drifted upwards and spread its wings, large and mighty, and it flew up and up until it blocked the light from the orange sun, creating an eclipse. Gaeul sighed dreamily- she wouldn’t ever forget this sight. 

“He’s really enjoying himself,” Yeosang scoffed, though he couldn’t have been happier for him. “Let’s go back there.”

As they reached the shore once again, Yunho as the water dragon swam until his head rested on the sand in front of them, happily. He could have swallowed a couple of them in a breath, yet… Gaeul felt no sense of danger from him. Even his eyes looked friendly. They all marvelled at his beautiful skin and scales. 

“Can I… touch it?” Gaeul asked and before anyone could reply, Yunho nudged his face forward, making Mingi laugh. Gaeul grinned before she cautiously leaned forward and touched its temple, marvelling at the smooth texture. 

“This is beyond anything I ever imagined, I thought water dragons no longer lived.”

“Kept a secret for the right reasons,” Yeosang said.

Gaeul nodded, moving back to sit and Yunho went back to the sea, his tail barely avoiding them as he turned, earning a curse from Yeosang. Then he disappeared underwater for the longest time, occasionally coming up, sometimes flying. All of them lied down and watched him, and for a few moments, Gaeul forgot who she was and why she was here. She felt peace within her- something she hadn’t felt in a while.

It must come with embracing the magic itself, she thought. It must be hard for Yunho to fight the urge to turn into a dragon whenever he pleased. And the fact that he was one was both grand and alarming- water dragons were very dangerous animals. 

“All of you have your own battles you fight each day, isn’t that so?” Gaeul muttered.

“Everyday,” Yena confirmed. “Without something, we’d be sitting idle, wouldn’t we?”

Gaeul nodded. She shut one door that night- the yearning to possess water magic. Though she still loved the idea of it, she was no longer selfish.

—----------------

San had never felt like such a mess in his life before. And Wooyoung and Jongho could see it in his body language, on his face, in the way his smile wasn’t meeting his eyes, barely a quirk of his lips.

“Look, they’re probably doing fine over there,” Jongho tried comforting him as they sipped on their coffee, sitting in front of the fireplace in an inn they were stopping at back on their way to Wooyoung’s castle. “Can you relax a bit? Your magic is… all over the place.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Wooyoung hesitantly asked. San sighed, rubbing his face. 

“I’m sorry, I just… don’t know.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Wooyoung assured him. “Just say it out loud if you want to. Don’t keep it in- I can see it’s killing you.”

San looked at the worried faces of the two and pursed his lips. “I should keep my magic under control, I know. It’s just that it feels like my magic has lost a part of itself. It’s strange because I didn’t feel it earlier.”

“Ah,” Jongho nodded. “Probably because… the bond snapped in place?”

“Yeah,” San took another deep breath. “Now I feel like I lost something. Dread… that’s what I feel.”

“Well, Choi San, you’re going to have to stop sulking at least,” Wooyoung began to say and Jongho raised a brow at the change of his tone. “I’m sure they’re doing fine. If there’s a chance that you two can still feel each other across dimensions, she better not be feeling all this negative energy from you, okay? Be strong for her, man.”

Jongho had to nod in agreement- Wooyoung was absolutely right. “No point moping, really- won’t do either of you any good. However, you remaining in good spirits might actually help the both of you. I’m sure you feel really bad inside, but… stay strong. We’re with you.”

San smiled at the two and it was the most genuine smile they’d seen in hours, making Jongho and Wooyoung laugh a little. San half laughed, half groaned and told the two they better make his stay at Rukbat fun enough to distract him.

Enough to distract him from the neverending sinking feeling in his heart- as if a part of his very soul had been snatched from him. He prayed Gaeul was feeling better.

—-----------------------

[Day 12 in the other dimension/12 hours and 42 minutes in Mirinae]

Gaeul was far from feeling any better- at least physically. Though she hadn’t bothered looking in a mirror for the past few days, she could tell she had lost weight from her hands alone- they were less fleshy from her wrists than she recalled. 

It was unnerving, she thought, to be able to feel yourself losing to your magic which was also a part of oneself. Her movements were getting sluggish, she was fainting at least once a day and her thoughts were getting cloudier, all as she began practising- she would be fine as soon as she regained her consciousness back after fainting, probably a courtesy of staying in this dimension. 

The progress with her magic, however, was slower than she thought. She still couldn’t make a single petal wilt- instead, she usually ended up wilting her surroundings. That gave Yena an excuse to practise her targeted healing magic, with which she reversed the damage, but Gaeul thought Yena was probably getting tired of her too.

“Don’t you all have kingdoms to run?” Gaeul slumped down against the tree at the outskirts of the forest in Ascella. “With the progress I’ve made so far, I think you all can go back and return in like… a week to check on me. I would probably make little progress by then.”

The Princes and the Princess who had been fooling around with some board games they stole from one of the cabins along the beach all looked up at her and started giggling, to her horror. “What makes you think we want to go back? We’re escaping from our duties if you haven’t noticed already, Gaeul.”

Gaeul narrowed her eyes at Yeosang but everyone else still giggling made her realise it was part truth. “Besides, only like 12 hours have passed in the real world. I don’t want to go back so soon,” Yunho commented. “I need at least 3 days there to pass- that should be enough rest for me.”

“Well then, why don’t you all travel the world then?” Gaeul offered, “No people around here, time to check out the unexplored territory of this planet, huh?”

“That’s a good idea, actually,” Yena pointed out. “And while we’re at it, I could try to send some signals to Neve as well. I’m sure he could be of some help.”

“Are you sure that is a good idea though?” Yeosang asked. “I still don’t trust any darkling, whether it be Neve or someone else.”

“Neve is different,” Yena’s tone was guarded and Gaeul thought that it was probably because she only had one darkling she could compare him to- Kieran. “And I think to actually send a signal worth his attention, we’d have to go to the mountains in Rukbat.”

“Are you sure you wanna go back there?” Mingi asked cautiously. Gaeul understood where exactly he meant- the place she and San had gone to. Gaeul decided not to reveal that she knew.

“Yeah, it’ll be okay,” Yena shrugged. “I’ll keep sending signals along the way so he knows it’s really me.”

“And can you trust he will be alone?” Yeosang raised a brow. Yena didn’t answer.

“I’m not sure we need him right now,” Yunho started. “I think once she has a better control of her magic, then we can maybe consult him. Right now… there’s no other way, is there?”

“Well then, let’s just explore Wooyoung’s kingdom,” Mingi offered, getting up. “I’m going to set his palace on fire.”

“Do you have some grudge against Wooyoung?” Gaeul laughed, taking his hand when he offered it and getting up. “Do you secretly want to set his ass on fire too?”

“What makes you think I haven’t already?” Mingi leaned in as if to whisper that secret and Gaeul gasped.

“I should have known!” Gaeul laughed, the rest following behind them. “Who’s ass is still safe from that?” 

“Only Seonghwa, Yeosang and Yena,” Mingi revealed. “They scare me.”

“Well, I got a tip for you,” Gaeul peeked behind her. “With Yeosang, you just have to make it look natural- like when he’s near the fireplace or a candle. Make it look like he caught fire himself.”

“That’s a very nice idea-”

“You make it look natural and I’ll show you just where you’ll be going when your time on this planet is over, Mingi dear,” Yeosang said and Gaeul winced, laughing along with the others.

“Not if I burn you to a crisp first!” Mingi called and Gaeul clapped at that.

After aimlessly walking until they reached what would have been a lively marketplace, Yena decided to tag with Gaeul while the others teamed up, looking around at the clothing items, trinkets and jewellery, and some kid’s game that everyone paused to play, until they stopped at a stall with some hotdogs ready to eat.

“I still don’t understand why food is here when we don’t even need it,” Yena admitted, biting into one. 

“Probably so you don’t go insane while being here?” Gaeul offered, looking around. “Just like everything else here.”

“Or maybe to tempt you into living here forever,” Yena’s eyes glinted and Gaeul gulped- she had once admitted that dimensions felt like a living being itself and the thought that it was tempting people to stay here felt dangerous. 

As the group spent hours in the marketplace, Gaeul was beginning to understand just what they were doing- keeping her busy and distracted at all times. She felt better when she was not thinking about her magic- or more specifically, the missing bond inside of her.

The soulmate bond, feeling like it was being held together by just a fibre of the thread, threatening to snap at one wrong move. The very thing keeping her alive, the thing also making her weak with each passing day because San was not here.

Oh, how she missed San. She yearned to feel the comforting presence of him the most- not even his addicting touch but just his presence. She wanted to feel him creep behind her from the shadows like he usually did when he was up for teasing her, settling behind her close enough that she could feel his faint breath caress her skin but far enough that she would want him to touch her. She wanted to see him, hear him. She wanted to watch him talk, wanted to see him even if he couldn’t see her. She wanted to feel his fingers brush hers whenever he passed by, wanted him to look at her with his flirty gaze, and wanted so much more-

Gaeul didn’t realise she was smiling sadly at the distance until Yunho came to stand beside her. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah,” Gaeul sighed, “I just… miss everyone.”

“Oh, stop being so humble,” Yunho teased. “You miss San.”

“Would it be surprising if I say I do miss everyone else too?” Gaeul looked at him with a grin. “A certain someone’s endless yapping, for instance, or the dad jokes-”

“It’s natural, you spent a lot of time with them,” Yunho nodded, inhaling deeply as he looked at the sky. “But I’m asking if you’re feeling okay physically and mentally. If you want to talk about it, if it’s getting too much for you… I’m here.”

Gaeul recalled what Seonghwa had told her- to talk to Yunho. “I know,” Gaeul nodded and Yunho raised a brow at her knowing smile. “I guess I’m just… surviving. I haven’t made much progress. I’m worried I won’t.”

“But you have,” Yunho said and Gaeul narrowed her eyes. “We feel it, you know. Even if you can’t wilt a single petal right now, your control over your magic is improving at a steady rate. You don’t feel it, but we do.”

“Could have let me know earlier then,” Gaeul pouted, tracing her shoe along the dirt in circles. “I wouldn’t be feeling like shit then.”

“Trust me, you’ll be feeling like shit even if we do tell you,” Yunho laughed, shaking his head as he folded his arms. Gaeul looked up at the handsome Prince, his blonde hair almost pink in the glow of the sun. “That’s just how practising goes.”

“And once I manage to get better control? Give me something to look forward to, will you?”

“Then, Princess of Underworld,” Yunho’s smirk made Gaeul’s heart sink, “You fight us in battle.”

—----------------------

[Day 36 in Mirinae/36 hours and 17 minutes in Mirinae]

“I did it, I did it!” Gaeul jumped in the pile of wilted flowers, happily looking at the rest who were all… napping. “Guys?”

None of them stirred and Gaeul stuck out her tongue at the sleeping lot- they had missed a historical moment because they were taking a bloody nap. Gaeul sat back down, concentrating her magic just like before, trying to wilt another petal of that flower- she had to focus on the remaining four.

But as if she hadn’t just wilted only a single petal of the flower, she was back to being the miserable failure she was so sure she was now. It wasn’t working anymore- the flower wilted and even spread into ashes around her.

Gaeul sighed, wondering if she had actually just done that or hallucinated altogether. In the past few weeks, she had started hallucinating a bit whenever she was tired- probably the side effect of her staying in this dimension for so long with her magic, but she knew she didn’t have much time to gain control over her magic. She wasn’t growing any thinner, but weary. That wasn’t good and it made everyone around her a little nervous too, though they wouldn’t admit it. 

Gaeul shrugged and picked another flower, and then another, and another, but to no avail. She couldn’t do that again. So Gaeul slumped and rested her hands on the bare earth, sighing, but then she had the strangest idea.

Just like the magic she had possessed- she had to think like before. Could it work? Gaeul dug her fingers into the dirt, recalling how she used to call out to earth and nature as she felt the roots, felt the very life in them and had the desire to suck the life out of them-

The very instinct she had to fight. The urge to destroy everything in her wake. The urge that every faerie struggled with at least once in their life, the urge that was so much stronger in her now. But Gaeul took a few deep breaths and with steel nerves and focus, she picked one of the trees in the path of several and managed to turn it grey within seconds.

This was control. Gaeul almost smirked as she created a pattern around them and when she was done, when the sleeping lot finally felt something fancy in the air and woke each other up, they gaped at Gaeul who had created nothing less than art from the trees around them. 

One dead tree, one alive, one half dead from the trunk, one’s leaves dead, one’s branches dead, and so on. Mingi whistled while the rest gaped. “I think I’m never taking a nap in this dimension again.”

“How did you do that?” Yunho glanced back and forth between the trees and Gaeul. “We didn’t even feel it happening.”

“I did what you asked me to do- I wilted one single petal, but I couldn’t do it again. So I thought I’d focus my energy on something… bigger in scale. Turns out I’ve got this amount of control afterall.”

“This was quicker than I expected,” Yena clapped but Yunho was still dumbfounded.

“You wilted a single petal? Not the stem, nothing else, just one petal?”

“Yeah?” Gaeul narrowed her eyes- was he suspicious of her? “I would have shown you the proof but I tried to wilt another petal of that flower and the whole thing died.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Yunho shook his head, assuring her that he believed her. “Though I have to say, I never imagined it was possible that you could do it.”

“Really?” Gaeul frowned. “Then why did you ask me to?”

“So you could do this,” Yeosang pointed at the tree with only the leaves dead. “This amount of control is impressive, I have to admit.”

But Gaeul was gaping at Yunho who was shamelessly grinning. Mingi raised his hand, coming between the two. “I believed you could, Gaeul, from day one. Yunho here thought you could never do that.”

“I wish I had proof!” Gaeul shook her head, amused at how the two had bet on her. “I don’t think I can do it again.”

“And that’s perfectly fine- you don’t need to practise on such a small area right now anyway,” Yena told her, hands on her hips as she assessed the situation, her golden locks like a halo around her. “But now that you have a good amount of control over your magic, we can move on to the next phase.”

“And what was that again?” Gaeul was brushing the ashes off her clothes as she asked, finding them grinning at her when she looked up. “No way. Were you serious about the duels?”

“Very,” Yeosang grinned. “You need that if we’re ever taking care of the otherworldly creatures and getting those faeries back.”

“But… me against you?” Gaeul was sure all the colour had drained from her face. “I thought you all were joking or something-”

“Who’s going first?” Mingi interrupted her, her protests ringing in the air while they decided their turns by rock-paper-scissors.

“I’m first,” Yeosang smirked.

“Oh no,” Gaeul gulped. “Can I at least have some rest?”

“Oh, of course, we’re not fighting right now,” Yeosang patted her back, chuckling when she flinched. “Don’t worry. I won’t kill you.”

“That’s really assuring to hear, Yeosang,” Gaeul glared at him. “Let’s start tomorrow, okay? Give me some time to prepare mentally.”

“Of course, of course,” Yeosang patted her back again. “I’ll tell you what you should look out for- it’s a battle of your senses with me. What you see is not what there will actually be. After going first against me, you’ll be able to battle the rest of them way better than they think.”

“Really?” Gaeul perked up at that. “Because I’m preparing myself for the fool you all will make out of me, Prince Yeosang.”

“We’re the fools going against you,” Yeosang raised his brow. “You should go all out against us. Don’t hold back- don’t worry about the consequences. As long as me or Yena are safe, we can reverse any damage, so… I think we should be the ones scared.”

“Come on, that doesn’t sound like you,” Gaeul pouted and he laughed. “You should be saying something like how I’m a fool and how I’m going to get my ass handled tomorrow and the shame I’ll never forget-”

“I’m not that bad!” Yeosang put a hurt hand on his heart. 

“He is,” Yena called out from where the rest of them were packing what little they carried. “Shall we start moving to Rukbat now? It will take forever on foot.”

The five of them started walking- one of the perks of this dimension was that they didn’t feel physically tired. Walking endlessly was not as bad as it sounded- at least for now. So far, they had explored much of Wooyoung’s territory, especially the south where none of them had visited much. They had tried all sorts of street food, feeling full just after a few bites. They had fooled around on bicycles and Yeosang had taught Gaeul how to skate which he was surprisingly good at. Yunho taught Gaeul archery from the tools they found in a weapons market. Mingi gave Gaeul history lessons about the fire magic, demonstrating everything he could do, and how he suspected Gaeul would be able to control the temperature of the fire better- especially in the cooler ranges. Usually when they walked, one of them would discuss something like magic with Gaeul.

But that night, when they took a break and decided to nap (just for the heck of it) in one of the inns on the way, Gaeul knocked before entering the room Yena was using. Yena was drying her hair with a towel.

“I’m glad we at least get dirty here like the real world,” Yena mused. “It’s like the markings and washing them away makes me feel like I’m not really stuck in a dream or a hallucination- that this, too, is real.”

“Do you suppose there is a dimension where you don’t need to wash up? I wonder if people get lost there, wandering around.”

“I don’t want to find out,” Yena shivered. “Imagine getting stuck in a dream forever, not realising who you are and why you are there.”

“Can I ask you something? You don’t have to answer,” Gaeul said and Yena nodded. “Is this the same dimension that you came to with Mingi?”

When everything happened, Yena didn’t need to hear it out loud. She sighed as she nodded. “The principles are the same, only the time ratio is different. It’s been about 37 days here, so around 37 hours have passed in the real world.”

“That’s it?” Gaeul wowed. “It hasn’t even been too long for them- they won’t be missing any of us.”

“You bet they aren’t,” Yena laughed. “They would be more concerned about taking care of our kingdoms than us.”

“Can you feel Seonghwa? From here?” Gaeul asked. Yena understood why she asked.

“I just know he’s there, in my heart,” Yena put a hand on her chest. “I think the connection gets so dull here that you’d only know if the other person dies.”

“Seonghwa told me something,” Gaeul started and Yena raised her brow. “He said when you were here… the only thing that kept him going was the feeling that you were alive.”

“Did he say that?” Yena smiled and Gaeul liked how her smile was always different when they were talking about Seonghwa. “I think it’s the only thing that kept me going too. I actually… forgot who Seonghwa was. Kieran tried to take my memories, but he couldn’t have guessed he was my soulmate. I think it’s the bond that made my memories come back and because of that, Kieran couldn’t erase the love I had for Seonghwa out of me. Even when I didn’t know who he was.”

“That’s… unbelievable,” Gaeul whistled. “Is that how you knew that you and Seonghwa were soulmates?”

“That was the only possible explanation, yes,” Yena nodded. “How did you know?”

“I didn’t know he was like… my soulmate,” Gaeul tried explaining. “I didn’t know what soulmates were, but I felt him in my bones before I saw him.”

Yena clapped. “You explained the feeling perfectly. I felt that too.”

“Right?” Gaeul chuckled. “One look at San and I knew we were meant to meet- I just didn’t realise how big it was, I guess. My magic probably messed it all up… but now that we’re apart… I feel so, so empty. Do you feel that way too?”

“That’s because of your magic,” Yena shook her head. “Soulmates are just… partners. Friends. Lovers. You aren’t dependent on them like a drug. I can stay years away from Seonghwa and I wouldn’t go mad- of course I would miss him, but that’s just it. You and San… your bond took a chaotic form, Gaeul. It was why we had to separate you two- whole dimensions apart. You shouldn’t be dependent on each other like that, ever. And your case is understandable because your bond is keeping you alive, but San? I think his magic was becoming messed up too.”

Gaeul bit her lips, realising she was right. She felt guilty but she knew she wasn’t to blame, and neither was San. Yena smiled sadly. “I can see you’re growing weary. Keep your mind strong, Gaeul. Only then can you overcome this. We’ll see this through, okay?”

“Thank you,” Gaeul nodded. “But… are you sure you want to go back to Rukbat, in the mountains, Yena? You don’t have to do that- not after everything you’ve been through.”

“I’m sure,” Yena’s chin was up and Gaeul realised she was stronger than Seonghwa might have thought. “I still have nightmares sometimes, if I’m honest. But I’m not going to let them hold me back from my life. And for San, I’d do this even if I’d hate to do it. I owe him that much.”

“Do you think San and you meeting was a coincidence or planned?” Gaeul asked, curious. “I feel like nothing is a coincidence after the events of my life.”

“Even if Kieran didn’t plan this, I think it was a ‘planned’ coincidence,” Yena laughed. “You call it fate.”

“Then was I meant to die before I could ever meet San? Would we have ever crossed paths had I not encountered Kieran?”

“Maybe,” Yena laid on the bed. “It’s interesting to think how life would have been otherwise, isn't it? But if we keep thinking about the what-ifs, we won't be able to carry on with life.”

“You’re the Princess of Space. You can live in any version of the timeline, can’t you?” Gaeul asked, curious ever since she learned just what Yena could do with her magic.

“Yet, I wouldn’t change a thing right now,” Yena curled like a cat, yawning. 

—----------------------

[Day 38 in the other dimension/38 hours and 31 minutes in Mirinae]

Gaeul was tired of being thrown around by Yeosang- especially when he was doing absolutely nothing. 

Well, absolutely nothing was what it looked like at plain sight. He was lying down, eyes closed, absolutely relaxed and you would think he was sleeping if it weren’t for his constant scoffs reminding Gaeul of what a failure she was right now. What was happening, really, was that his spirits, his warriors, were playing with her.

“How the hell am I supposed to sense it?” Gaeul muttered, looking at Mingi who was clearly enjoying the show with Yunho. “Ears? Nose? At least give me something!”

“It’s not that,” Yunho helped. “It’s about sensing the energy-”

“Wrong,” Yeosang spoke, unmoving. “Spirits don’t have ‘energy’. Can you feel them, Yunho?”

“Oops,” Yunho grinned and she gaped at him- even he was playing with her. 

“So basically I can’t feel them?” She scoffed, getting pushed from the back and almost falling on her face, fighting the urge to scream every curse in every language she knew. “I’m supposed to stand and take the beating?”

“Wrong,” Yeosang opened one eye, finally deciding to guide Gaeul after hours. “Firstly, you’re learning balance. You’re being pushed-” As if on cue, she received another shove from the left side and this time she tripped and fell on the thankfully soft sand. “But you can’t figure out who or where or when. You need to be steady on your feet, Gaeul, before you learn anything else.”

“Geez, so much for confidence,” Gaeul sighed. “I admit that I’m clumsy but we could have started somewhere else.”

“As long as you’re clumsy, dear, you can’t be trusted with the dealings of your magic,” said Yeosang. “You need to have the sharpest senses and the best aim before we move on to magic. And the trick to fighting my spirits would be agility. As soon as you’re pushed- the very moment you come in contact, that’s when you need to stay steady and fight back.”

“Oh,” she could see Yeosang’s point now and she had to admit, he was smart. “Thanks for the tip, though it won’t make things easier, will it?”

He simply snickered and went back to sleep, leaving Gaeul to deal with invisible forces- she was pretty sure they weren’t even ‘warriors’- just normal dead mean people.

“I swear if one of you pushes me from the back again, I’ll kill you,” she said when she received another shove and fell on her knees. 

“There’s only one of them, Gaeul,” Yeosang sighed and Mingi and Yunho burst into laughter, leaving her cheeks pink with anger. “At least, for now.”

“If I accidentally end up damning you, Yeosang, forgive me.” Gaeul straightened and shut her eyes- she couldn’t see the spirit anyway so she might as well focus. She didn't see Yeosang turn his full attention to her this time- he was going to take advantage of her heightened senses to train her.

It took uncountable hours, but Gaeul was soon able to 'feel' the spirit before it touched her. That was strange for the others since they relied on sensing energy, but they figured that since Gaeul was half dead anyway, she could probably sense the spirits.

"Why can't I sense the dead," Yena said with a pout. "I'm related to Yeosang. You'd think I'd be better at that."

"Maybe you need a little one-on-one training with me too," Yeosang offered casually but Yena saw right through him, throwing popcorn at him. 

"Who's teaching me how to fight back though?" Gaeul stood near the fire that Mingi had lit, warming her hands- it wasn't cold but oddly, she felt like she wasn't warm enough. "Wooyoung didn't get to teach me everything."

"You should learn from Yena," Mingi glanced at her with a devilish smirk. 

"I didn't realise I was being tested too," Yena scoffed. "Yes, I haven't trained as long as you all but I'm not an amateur! Seonghwa has been training me well."

"None of you are patient enough to teach me," Gaeul laughed. "You can fight all you want among yourselves."

"I volunteer," Yunho raised his hand and when the rest stared at him, he shrugged. "I'm the best here anyway."

And so began another argument followed by challenges to duels. Gaeul yawned widely, rubbing away sleep from her eyes and Yena noticed.

"You must be extremely tired if you're feeling sleepy here."

"Getting tired from physical exertion is so much better than me getting tired from magic malfunction," Gaeul replied. "It makes me feel like I'm… the same old Gaeul."

For the next few days in that dimension, Gaeul was learning everything from scratch. It was like she was being trained to fight in war. Yunho was teaching her how to use her body, how to find her core strength and balance on her feet, and most importantly, how to remain calm, which Gaeul was finding the hardest to do despite her mellow nature. Mingi was teaching her how not to react impulsively- that meant that she had to figure out how to react within milliseconds. Yeosang continued to strengthen her senses, not keeping her limited to her sixth sense alone. Yena, apart from providing endless support and encouragement and teaching her how to tolerate the Princes, taught Gaeul how to live with her magic from now on.

Acceptance. Endurance. Perseverance. 

Gaeul kept repeating to herself. Yena had taught her how to live with herself.

And when Yeosang put Gaeul to test, sending not one, not two but five spirits all at once, Gaeul was able to detect them all and use not only her body but also her magic. And this time, she didn’t just fight back- she protected herself too. 

And ‘accidentally’ sent Yeosang flying a good distance away.

While the others recovered from laughing, it was Gaeul who offered her hand to Yeosang who shook his head before grabbing it to get up, and then, quite affectionately, patted her shoulder. “You’ve learnt a lot in a short time, Gaeul. Well done.”

“They’re having a good time laughing at you,” Gaeul pointed at the rest who were now attempting a reenactment. “You can tell me how to finish them when it’s their turn. We’ll call it even.”

Yeosang smirked. “Deal,” he said and they walked to the rest who straightened up. Yeosang rolled his eyes at them before saying, “Mark the calendar. Day 74 is when Gaeul wins against me. Get ready to lose… losers.”

Gaeul snorted at the weak retort but was more surprised when Yunho fished out an actual notepad from his pocket and started scribbling. “You’re keeping a calendar?”

“Tracking your progress, actually,” Yunho explained. “Our parents used to do that too- though it must have been rather boring for them. We weren’t the quickest learners.”

“No one tracked my progress,” Yena pouted. 

“You should track your own progress,” Yeosang said. “There’s no way we could have with all the time-travelling mess.”

“True,” Yena shrugged. “Only I know my progress. That’s so weird…”

“Why do you keep records, though?” Gaeul asked. “To help?”

“And to improve ourselves as well,” Mingi added.

“Day 74…” Gaeul mumbled, calculating the hours in her head. “74 hours- it’s only the third day there. Wow.”

It was the third day in their original dimension, but things weren’t as relaxed back there. Whatever remnants of Gaeul’s magic resided in San’s body were causing him to experience after effects such as-

“-incredible longing, short temper, bad retorts-” Jongho stopped narrating when San sent a shoe flying for the youngest Prince, sending Wooyoung into a fit of laughter but making him pause when San hurled into the bucket again and wrenched his guts out- there was nothing left to throw up now. 

“...along with extreme nausea, disorientation and occasional hallucinations,” Jongho concluded, folding the note and throwing it in the fire- a message to Hongjoong. San wiped his mouth, drinking a glass of water before slumping down on the couch, drawing the covers over himself.

“I’ve never seen him sick like this, I’m actually worried for once,” Wooyoung sighed, sitting down with Jongho, the two ‘babysitting’ San as they had quoted in the note to Hongjoong.

“They did say it was supposed to get worse before it got better,” San’s voice was weak as he said, shivering. “I just hope she’s okay there.”

Wooyoung rolled his eyes so hard they would have gone back in his skull. He leaned forward, snapping his fingers in front of San’s face so he opened one eye. “San. Listen to me, you love-sick bastard. They’re in the dimension where their body functions have basically frozen. You worry about yourself- I’m pretty sure they’re joking around there.”

“Agreeing,” Jongho scoffed. “They can’t remain serious when Yeosang is there.”

San laughed a bit at that. “It’s been 74 days there. What do you think is their progress?”

“Just hoping they aren’t burning the world down there…” Jongho muttered, sounding unconvinced. 

He wasn’t wrong. In the other dimension, Yena, Yeosang and Yunho were watching Mingi set the forest on a blazing fire, a blast from Gaeul’s attempt to shield herself creating a wave that made their hair fiercely (and dramatically) fly back. Yeosang sputtered, trying to get the ash out of his mouth.

“If Gaeul sets his ass on fire,” Yena sounded serious, “I’ll treat you all to a grand feast back home.”

“Shall we bet?” Yeosang asked.

“I don’t think we need to,” Yunho started to laugh. “I think we’re all with Gaeul.”

Gaeul, however, wasn’t having such a grand time. “At least give me time to get my shield back! I’ll burn myself!”

“You won’t get that luxury when you’re in a fight,” Mingi continued with the fire shots in her direction. “And anyways, if you get burned, Yena can heal you.”

“Geez, why didn’t I think of that,” Gaeul muttered, cursing under her breath. Fire was probably the scariest element to be against. “I’d like not to get cooked, Mingi-”

Gaeul winced when her forearm caught fire, quickly patting her clothes to blow the fire. “It’s not like I’m going to the fucking war!”

“You still don’t get it,” Mingi laughed. “It’s not about fighting against fire. It’s about not being scared of the most frightening element. You can fight back properly because I’m the most scared of your power too. We’re learning from each other, Gaeul.”

“Are we?” Gaeul retorted. “So far I’ve been the only one learning-”

Gaeul’s calf caught on fire this time and something in her brain ticked- she had been fighting fire casually for the past few days, but for the past few hours, she had caught fire uncountable times. Gaeul groaned and bared her teeth, shooting her hands forward.

The last thing Mingi was expecting was catching fire himself- not like his, the warm flame, but the cold flame that burned harder than the hottest fire. Mingi yelped, rolling around in the grass and this time, it was Gaeul’s turn to laugh- but when the fire didn’t go out, Gaeul rushed for Mingi and put her hands in the flames-

Transferring them to herself.

“You underworld witch,” Mingi was laughing in disbelief and pain now- he was used to the pain of the burns which was the only reason he wasn’t crying. He called for Yena and she healed him first before joining Yunho and Yeosang to gape at Gaeul who was playing with blue, almost white, flames of her fire.

“They’re not hot anymore,” Gaeul looked at Yunho. “Can you feel it?”

Yunho was hesitant but he put his hands in the fire, gasping because it felt colder than his ice. “You can control the temperature?”

“I was angry- it was hot,” Gaeul turned to Mingi, muttering sorry but he assured her it was alright. “When I took it away, it didn’t feel too hot to me. Should I try consciously raising the temperature?”

“Go ahead,” Yunho nodded. Gaeul concentrated and tried but it remained the same. She groaned.

“More to practise, I guess.”

“Fighting fire with fire. Who would have thought!” Mingi was clapping.

“It’s a good thing it finally manifested while we were here,” Yeosang was nodding. “Whatever you need to do to practise, whatever the damage, you can do it here. Meanwhile, let me just appreciate the sight of Mingi’s smug ass catching fire-”

While Mingi and Yeosang bickered, Yena went back to what she was originally doing- she had a portal opened up in this dimension and was trying to get the portal to shift to some other dimension. She couldn’t figure out how to contact Neve.

“Is it necessary to summon him?” Yunho asked for the first time- Yena had been practising her portal for months now. “We taught her well.”

“We still need to do something about the parasitic nature of her magic,” Yena sighed. “I got a message from Hongjoong earlier- San’s not feeling well. Don’t tell the others.”

Yunho frowned. “What happened?”

“I’m guessing it’s the bond- the bond isn’t supposed to act like this, but since her magic is unusual, it’s attacking San. I got Hongjoong to portal to San to assess how bad it is and report back.”

“Let’s hope it’s nothing Hongjoong can’t heal,” Yunho was worried. “Gaeul’s doing better here, though.”

“Perks of this dimension,” Yena’s smile didn’t meet her eyes. “I wonder though- how strong is the soulmate bond? Will she be able to live with both this magic and the bond?”

For that, no one had an answer yet.

—----------------------

[Day 93 in the other dimension/93 hours 27 minutes in Mirinae]

Fighting against Mingi may have made Gaeul fearless, but she was learning that the fear of the element that she loved the most was a different sort- and it was bad.

As a kid, Gaeul had adored the water bodies, the animals in it, the seemingly endless oceans, the rain, everything. She would sometimes dive and play with the fishes as well. And that one time that she had raised a few water droplets in the air? She told herself that it was a secret she would take to the grave (now she was supposing she did take the secret to her grave) though it was something she wanted to yell to the world. 

Now she was learning to be afraid of the endless depth of the ocean, of the monsters that resided under the sea, of the rain that could drown you or peel your skin away, and of the water in her own body. In the past few days, Yunho had managed to scare her in every possible way and she was not enjoying the experience. He had shown her the horrors that something as simple as water could bring by nearly drowning her a number of times- of course, Gaeul trusted him not to actually drown her but he sure did increase the amount of time she could hold her breath underwater. 

Gaeul was actually feeling a little scared of Yunho, if she had to admit. It was funny because he was apparently the friendliest of them all, a literal ray of sunshine, always smiling and laughing, but there was this other side to him that he rarely showed anyone, and oh. It sent shivers down Gaeul’s spine whenever Yunho’s eyes would change, whenever he would become serious. She was calling it his ‘inner demon’, and she was not a big fan of this inner demon.

Especially when she was training across it.

“Ice and fire are not that different, you know,” Yunho was saying as he drew a circle of spiky icicles in the sand around them. “Just two extremities, polar opposites. You, somehow, are somewhere in the middle.”

“Would you really call it being ‘somewhere in the middle’?” Gaeul almost muttered and Yunho raised a brow. “I mean… Cold flame isn’t exactly natural, is it?”

“True,” Yunho nodded, playing with the icicles, shaping them into different objects. “Cold fire can take the appearance of snow and icicles, yet it can burn like fire too. I’m just wondering what I would do if I possessed such power?”

“Probably set your friends on fire for fun?” Gaeul thought and Yunho snickered. “I bet Mingi doesn’t really have that luxury.”

“If he tried that, he’d be in big trouble,” Yunho shook his head. “So… do you think you can melt my ice with your fire?”

“Of course I can,” Gaeul straightened, extending her hand to send the almost white flame for the icicle circle Yunho had created around them. It went around the ice, to Gaeul’s surprise, and she touched the ice this time for good measure but it didn’t budge.

“I don’t understand,” Gaeul frowned. “Is it not hot enough?”

“Honey, I’m the Prince of Water and Ice for a reason,” Yunho was grinning and Gaeul pouted, slumping. “If my ice would simply melt, I would be no match against someone with fire powers.”

“True,” Gaeul made an impressed face. “So how would one defeat the Prince of Ice?”

“That’s what we will figure out,” Yunho stretched his limbs. “So far… I have no weaknesses as far as my power is concerned.”

“Wow,” Gaeul was gawking at the Prince. “You’re really scary.”

Yunho laughed loudly, shaking his head. “You’re scarier, you just don’t know how yet.”

Gaeul scoffed, watching Yunho melt the icicles and create them again. He explained that he could control the temperature and other properties of the ice, which meant he could make the ice as strong as he preferred, as cold as he liked. He displayed the stages of his element- from extracting a drop of water from the air itself, making it into a snowflake, solid ice, and then the hardest of ice which had a bluish tinge to its form. 

“That’s what I’m aiming to teach you,” Yunho explained further. “Now that you have good control over your body, you need to have the same amount of control over your magic.”

Gaeul nodded. Her physical training was nowhere near the end but she had never been quicker on her feet, never been this strong. It was amazing how she could control every muscle, every movement in her body. To have this amount of control over her reflexes was no joke. And to have a similar amount of control over her magic was Yunho’s final aim. 

He had been incredibly patient with her, so much that Gaeul marvelled at his stamina- he was teaching her from scratch like he would teach a child. Anyone would think he had trained armies just like this. He had taught her how much each of her limbs could move, had figured out her extremities with her body in a way that she didn’t feel overwhelmed and most importantly, taught her to be patient with herself. For that, she respected him a lot.

“So cold fire has how many stages? I’ve seen the snow stage but I think it resembles ash more in that state…”

“I have a theory,” Yunho began, leaning forward as if to whisper a secret. “But I won’t tell you.”

“Yunho!” Gaeul rolled her eyes. “You’re just teasing me. I know how all of you work- you drive me to the edge and somehow it does the work.”

Yunho shook his head. “I taught you how not to be driven to the edge ever since we came here, Gaeul. That may have been Yeosang and Mingi’s plan, but not mine.”

Gaeul ignored that, wondering what he could be talking about. “What is cold fire even good for?”

“Making people non-existent, apparently,” Yeosang, who was passing by, said. “I still don’t know what fate those souls met.”

He was talking about the man Gaeul had killed. It still sent a jab through her, even though she knew they didn’t mean to hurt her. “Well, what other purpose does it serve? I don’t think it’s here just to… make people poof.”

Yeosang snorted at her choice of words and Yunho said, “It’s meant to be the bridge between the power of ice and fire. It can both burn and freeze. I do think it serves a greater purpose but we know nothing of it yet.”

“So we’ll just master the temperature control for now,” Gaeul suggested and Yunho nodded. “I’ve gotten better at it, I just…”

“Don’t work well with the extremities,” Yunho nodded. “That’s the toughest part. Maybe we should call Mingi after all…”

“Only if he promises that we’re even- I don’t want him to burn me,” Gaeul pouted. “I’ve had enough of my hair fried!”

“Just burn him back,” Yunho laughed.

“No! What if I make him go poof?” Gaeul sighed and Yunho paused for a second before shaking his head and calling Mingi. Mingi was quick to come and help for the sole reason of trying to get back at Gaeul for the forest firefight but Yunho told him to stop being a child.

With the three working together on trying to learn about the cold fire and its properties, Yena and Yeosang were left working on the portal and trying to contact Neve. Yena was learning quite a good amount of things on how the portals worked in this dimension and with Yeosang’s guidance, she was getting better at the duration of the portals. The scary part was opening portals to unknown worlds and having to shut them in a matter of seconds- before anyone noticed- when they found out it was the wrong world.

“I still can’t grasp the fact that there are places other than the planet Earth and our planets where there are actual habitants,” Yena phew-ed as she shut another portal to a place that looked to be a garden full of flowers- she was pretty sure there wasn’t a hint of flower or life on the planet that darklings dwelled on.

“The universe is neverending, it seems,” Yeosang was taking notes- he had the ability to process the distinct feel of each dimension but it seemed the ability extended to different environments- or worlds- as well. “There are multiple dimensions we’ll never know of.”

“Talking about dimensions, we still haven’t found out what dimension exactly those creatures are taking the missing faeries to, right?” Yena asked and Yeosang shook his head in denial. “I was wondering if we could somehow get Gaeul to do the deed.”

“I don’t think she can open the doorway to that dimension at will, that would mean she possesses dimensional powers which cannot be the case even with her magic taking a turn,” Yeosang explained. “But… what are we even going to do once we’re facing those creatures? We don’t know what they look like, how strong they are, what they are. All we know is that they’re capable of travelling dimensions without consequences, it seems.”

“Consequences?” Yena asked.

“We’re still on planet Mirinae, right?” Yeosang drew a sketch to explain. “We’re just in a different layer of time. That’s why Neve can come and go from here as he pleases, because it’s the same dimension but different worlds. We don’t know if the planet that the darklings dwell on is on the same plane as us. By plane, I mean the time-flow.”

“Ah, I get it,” Yena nodded. “So there has to be something in common to roam around without consequences?”

“Yes,” Yeosang nodded. “Take my example- there’s the world of the living and the world of the dead. They have nothing in common but I am the bridge. Where the spirits stay before moving on is a dimension that is entirely unique. Without a bridge, the spirits cannot move freely.”

“Oh, so with those creatures, they must have something in common with our world, right?”

“Yeah, they must either be in the same time flow as our planet, or just be another dimensional layer of our planet- wait a fucking second.”

Yeosang was frowning as he looked at his notes and Yena watched him go to Yunho and whisper something in his ear, looking grim. Yunho handed him the journal he was using to track Gaeul’s progress and then Yeosang came back to sit in front of Yena. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Let me just confirm something,” Yeosang was skimming from the beginning, stopping at one of the pages. “I have this awful theory but I’ll need Hongjoong to confirm it before I reveal it.”

“Tell me,” Yena insisted, poking Yeosang’s thigh again and again until he gave in.

“If this is the first time some otherworldly creatures have made it to our planet, and if there are no such records from Earth as well… I think it might mean that Gaeul could be the bridge, like I am, to another world, which means…”

“That we may have a serious problem at our hands,” Yena finished, looking at Gaeul who was laughing along with Mingi over something. “What have we gotten ourselves into?”

—-------------------

[Day 124 in the other dimension/124 hours and 39 minutes in Mirinae]

Hongjoong was positive that if he stayed alone in his library looking for god knows what for one more day, he was going to combust into light.

If he sat down and thought about it, he would say that he was speaking a little selfishly, considering that those who were in the other dimension have been staying there for more than 4 months now while here, only about five days had passed. And he had only spent three of them in the library.

But three of them in the library, going through the archives, reading scroll after scroll without a single soul to accompany him because of the sensitivity of the situation? He would say it was too much for him. He was almost finished, but he needed a break. 

Hongjoong went in front of the fire and wrote a letter to Seonghwa, saying he hoped he was doing well. He got a reply a few minutes later.

You must be bored already.

Hongjoong scoffed- Seonghwa knew him well. Hongjoong wrote another letter, asking him if he wanted to visit San with him when he was done turning the library upside down. Seonghwa agreed and Hongjoong mustered the remaining kernels of his willpower before going through the last shelf.

Sadly, he found nothing. He wrote that on a note and placed it on the window Yeosang had designated from where one of his soul-friends would receive it and pass it to the Prince. Yeosang conveyed the message to Yena who had something to say about the situation.

“It’s no use searching the archives. Gaeul is an entirely new case. We’ll have to do everything ourselves.”

“Always better safe than sorry,” Yeosang scolded and she pouted. “Also, he wants you to portal him and Seonghwa to San. Apparently they’re having a sleepover.”

“Oooh, we’re missing all the fun,” Yena said, opening a portal to her room where Seonghwa was standing in front of the mirror-

“Getting ready for who, exactly?” Yena asked and Seonghwa froze before sinking to his knees, making Yeosang giggle.

“If you scare me with the portal one more time, Yena dear, I’m going to pass away,” Seonghwa clutched his heart as he got up. “How are you doing?”

“I’m good,” Yena grinned. “Just missing you a lot. Let’s get you to Hongjoong.”

“Okay, I’m ready,” Seonghwa turned, grabbing a bag. “Yeosang, you better be taking care of my wife-”

Before Seonghwa could say anything further, Yena portalled him to Hongjoong, earning an eye roll from her brother. Hongjoong was prepared for the shock and didn’t react as funnily as Seonghwa did. 

“Hello there,” Yeosang greeted. “I hope your time at the library was fun.”

“I found nothing,” Hongjoong sighed.

“I knew it. I just wanted to keep you a little busy.”

“Yeosang, you little-”

“Don’t throw anything through the portal!” Yena shouted and Hongjoong froze, sighing. “Get your stuff, quick.”

The next stop was Wooyoung’s room where San was half passed out, Jongho and Wooyoung eating popcorn as they watched a movie. However, when the portal opened in front of them, their screams almost made Yena shut the portal midway.

“You can’t be louder, can you?” Yena flinched, shutting the portal and Hongjoong laughed at the sight before going to San who still appeared sick. “I need San’s health report now.”

“I’m okay,” he shifted up with immense effort, looking like he was in physical pain. “How’s Gaeul?”

Yena looked back at Gaeul who was sitting by the shore with Mingi while Yunho swam in the water. “She’s well. Her training is almost complete- we’re just waiting to contact Neve so we can do something about the bond.”

“Right,” he sighed, wiping the sweat off his forehead. “When do you expect to be back?”

“No idea, it’s all on me opening the portal to Neve now,” Yena shrugged and San told her that it was alright- she could take her time. “How are you feeling?”

“The potions have helped, but every day I can feel the bond getting weaker,” San said and Seonghwa met eyes with Yena. “I hope something can be done about it soon.”

“Of course,” Yena smiled in assurance. “Don’t worry. It’ll be over before you know it.”

“I’m sure Wooyoung is wearing you down,” Yeosang commented, making Wooyoung yell at him. “I know I’d be sick if I stayed with Wooyoung for this long too.”

Everyone had a good laugh over that and with the goodbyes, Yena shut the portal, looking at Yeosang. “I really don’t like seeing San in this state. And if he feels the bond getting weaker, I can’t imagine the kind of pain he’s going through.”

“Shall we move on to Plan B then?” Yeosang suggested and Yena looked at him.

“I’m not so sure about it- what if something goes wrong?”

“Well, you could open the portal in front of Kieran too,” Yeosang said and Yena grimaced. “You can imagine how wrong that could go. It doesn’t look like we can control where the portal opens to a world we do not know of, so let me find a stray darkling spirit who might be willing to help.”

“I bet they don’t help for free,” Yena muttered.

“They don’t, but I’ll make sure we have the upperhand,” he said and when Yena didn’t sound very convinced, he nudged her. “Come on. You know I’m good at that.”

“It’s not very safe,” Yena countered.

“You opening portals is even more unsafe. Come on, now. It’s time to tell the others what’s really going on.”

Reluctantly, Yena followed Yeosang to where the rest were and Yunho joined, instantly dry as soon as he got out of the water. The orange sun was almost setting here. Yeosang spoke as he sat down.

“Gaeul, you don’t feel anything regarding your bond right now, is that right?” 

“Not really, no,” Gaeul shifted, thrown by the sudden question. “Is everything alright?”

“It is, don’t worry, it’s just that San’s not really handling it well,” Yeosang said and Gaeul looked around- it seemed like she was the only one who didn’t know. “Sorry for not telling you earlier, but we thought it was the initial separation.”

“But that’s not the case?”

“He can feel the bond getting ‘weaker’,” Yena said. “Which means we may have to be quicker.”

“What can we do?” Gaeul straightened. 

“Nothing, for now,” Yeosang was smirking. “I’m going to be hibernating for a while.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Gaeul scoffed. “What are you, a bear?”

“He’s not actually hibernating,” Yunho laughed. 

“I’m just going to be separating my soul from my body for a while,” Yeosang said and Gaeul felt sick hearing that, “In an attempt to find some stray darkling spirit and get them to pass a message to Neve. Meanwhile, Yena can continue with her portals. Whoever makes it first does it.”

“Can I hibernate too? I kind of want to take a nap…” Mingi pouted.

“While I’m gone…” Yeosang stood up, pointing his fingers at everyone. “Do not mess with my body. You don’t want to face the consequences, I can assure you.”

“Does that mean I can’t even draw something on your face?” Yunho asked and then started an argument that had Yeosang wanting to go back to his home. Finally, when he was done explaining everything, he chose a comfortable spot in the grass and sat down.

“Adios, you good-for-nothings,” Yeosang said and before anyone could retort, he fell sideways and Yena laughed before putting him in a more comfortable position. 

“Who wants roasted Yeosang for dinner?” Mingi asked and Gaeul snorted, pushing him away from Yeosang’s body.

“Let’s not interrupt him while he’s working. I have a better idea- we can turn him into a flower princess.”

Yeosang was only pretending to have gone into hibernation and when he opened his eyes, saying “I dare you to try”, the screams that came out of Gaeul and Mingi as they clung on to each other could have woken up the dead. Yunho couldn’t move as he sank to the ground, having gone to the stage where he was laughing so hard he couldn’t produce a sound, and Yena scolded Yeosang for joking around, threatening to hibernate him for good before sending the rest away so he could actually do his job properly.

—----------------------------

[Day 130 in other dimension/130 hours and 21 minutes in Mirinae]

Gaeul was getting tired of just sitting around and waiting for either Yeosang to contact Neve or Yena to open a portal. It’s not like she was not doing anything productive- Mingi and Yunho were making sure that she kept busy, introducing her to a new technique everyday and she found herself getting better and better at controlling her powers. Still, the thought of San feeling unwell and actually feeling their bond getting weaker was making her anxious.

If she was also a little honest with herself, she would admit that her life back in Mirinae was starting to feel like a fever dream- that’s how long they’ve been here. She missed her home even though she had long since moved on from that, and she missed the boys. She missed Wooyoung’s constant bickering and teasing, Jongho’s shy playfulness, Seonghwa’s calm presence and advice, Hongjoong’s confidence that everything would be alright, and…

She missed San so much that she was positive she would go insane.

Gaeul took a deep sigh and looked up at the sky- she was sick of the blue sky that never changed its colour. She wiped the remnants of tears away from her cheeks and looked at where the sea met land- even though she had been sitting here for hours, it was still beautiful.

She felt a soft thud beside her and found Yunho sitting next to her, crossing his legs for a moment but then opting to let them hang by the edge of the cliff, mirroring Gaeul’s position. He didn’t look at her. “Don’t you wish the weather would change?”

Gaeul passed a tight smile, nodding along- she knew he meant much more by that. “I’m sure you can make it rain here too.”

“I could, but…” he sighed deeply. “The constantness of this dimension reminds us that we have to go back one day or another. If you become too comfortable here, you might forget your purpose.”

Gaeul blinked- she hadn’t imagined that the rest might be as tired as her- or maybe if she had listened closely, she would have noticed how their jokes about ‘resting’ and ‘being off-duty’ were starting to sound dry. “Well… what’s something you want to do when you go back?”

Yunho almost snorted. “Sleep. Actually sleep, and then get back to duty.”

“Got enough rest, huh,” she stretched her arms, the sound of the waves ringing in her ears. “Who do you miss the most?”

This time, Yunho looked at her. “I… I suppose I miss my court. They’re the ones I spend the most time with.”

“Do you ever feel lonely?” Gaeul asked, and Yunho tilted his head as if he found the whole situation strange. “Seonghwa told me I could talk to you if I ever needed someone. If everyone comes to talk to you, who do you go to?”

Yunho smiled at that. “I go to the sea. I sit where the land and the ocean meet, and I pour my heart out. Then I let the waves carry it away.”

“Just like me,” Gaeul looked ahead. “It’s been lonely.”

Yunho let a moment of silence take over as he sorted out his thoughts. “I do… talk to one of them sometimes. It’s just that we’re all busy and have a lot going on. And I’ll admit that I’m better at listening to others than talking about myself.”

“Well, if you ever wish to go to the sea again, maybe you could find me instead?” Gaeul offered and Yunho raised a brow. “I know what it’s like to only talk to the sea. You can think of me as a fish too, if that helps-”

Yunho laughed at that, and Gaeul thought that was the most relaxed laugh she had heard ever since they arrived here. “Thanks for the offer. I’ll consider it- if you return the sentiment too. I know something is eating you up right now. Will you go talk to some fish in the sea or…?”

Gaeul felt pleased to hear that he would think of her if he needed to talk to someone- she had seen how he carried so much for the others, perhaps without realising. She wished to share the burden. But right now, with his offer to listen to her, she felt her defences slip. “I just miss home. I don’t remember the last time I missed home- I guess it’s just because it’s so strange here, with every day being the same. I also miss San a lot,” she laughed a bit but hid her face when tears threatened to spill. “It’s starting to feel like meeting him was only a dream.”

“We’re closer to the end than ever before,” Yunho assured, putting a hand on her back and patting it. “You’ve done so well until now. Let’s hold on a little longer, alright?”

“Yeah,” she wiped her face. “I don’t know, it’s just messed up, all of this. I’m so tired-”

Gaeul paused when she felt her heart sink dangerously, and she immediately turned to look at Yeosang, who was still in the same position, lying peacefully on the grass, Mingi resting next to him. “Something’s not right, Yunho. Where’s Yena?”

“She was practising down there,” he pointed. “What did you feel?”

“I don’t know,” Gaeul frowned. “We need to get to her. Mingi can watch over Yeosang.”

“Okay,” Yunho got up, leading the way to Yena and waking up Mingi on his way. As they started to step down, they spotted the portal open and Yena stood frozen, staring at something beyond it. Gaeul sped up, jumping across the rocks and Yunho stopped her by her arm when they almost reached.

“Let me check if Yena is okay,” he said and Gaeul nodded, following him slowly this time.

“Yena?” Yunho called when he was closer, and when he called her name the second time, he didn’t need her to explain anything, feeling Gaeul’s sharp intake of breath as well as they too could now see what was beyond the portal. 

“Tell me you see this…” Yena finally managed to say.

“Well and clear,” Yunho breathed, “Gaeul?”

Gaeul couldn’t believe her eyes- there was darkness in whatever world was ahead of her, but she could somehow make out everything. The land seemed dead, devoid of any signs of life save for the naked trees around which those creatures rested-

It had to be the creatures she’d seen that day in the forest, when she killed someone. She could feel the familiar presence, and she could also sense-

“Faeries. The missing faeries? Can you feel them?” Gaeul asked.

“Yeah, I think I can,” Yena answered. 

Gaeul took a step ahead before anyone could stop her, now standing between the current dimension and the unknown world before her. As if the creatures had sensed her, they opened their eyes, sending chills down her spine at the synchrony. One by one, they got up, revealing their huge size, the feline features and pointed ears abnormally long, stretching their bat-like wings. 

“I- I’m going to close the portal-”

“Not yet,” Gaeul motioned with her hand. “They won’t hurt me.”

Yena and Yunho looked at each other and Yunho nodded, ready to pull Gaeul away if he felt the need to. Gaeul watched the creatures almost snarl at Yunho and Yena before they turned to Gaeul and dropped their heads-

They were bowing to her, waiting for her command.

“I- I don’t understand,” Gaeul looked helplessly at the two who looked just as surprised. “What do I do?”

“Nothing,” Yena commanded. “I’ve memorised the portal. We will open it again when we are ready. You need to step back now, Gaeul.”

Gaeul nodded, outstretching her hand and watching them rise. Yunho grabbed her gently by the arm, pulling her behind and Yena watched for a moment before shutting the portal, each of them looking at the other in confusion.

“Well,” Yena exhaled, looking bewildered. “It seems like the Underworld might have a queen afterall.”

“But,” Gaeul looked at Yunho who was grinning in disbelief and then back at Yena. “How?”

“We’ll have to ask Yeosang that, I’m not really educated in that field, but if I have to guess,” Yena rubbed her chin in thought. “If those creatures didn’t exist before you, then your rebirth might have caused another dimension to open up to cope with your presence, to keep the balance. And just like Yeosang is the gateway between life and death, mastering over one dimension… you might be the same.”

“And she says she is not educated,” Yunho commented. “I think that’s the only explanation we can come up with. Yeosang can confirm if it’s true.”

“I better note down the calculations,” Yena started making her way up, muttering to herself as she went. Gaeul looked at Yunho, her face pale.

“That means the faeries are in there because of me, right?”

Yunho pursed his lips. “If those creatures obey you, you might free them.”

“What if they are hurt? Oh, goodness,” Gaeul sank to the ground, her limbs trembling. “I can’t have more blood on my hands, Yunho.”

“You won’t,” Yunho sat down beside her, putting an arm around her. “If we can sense them, they’re still alive. We don’t know why those creatures took them, but… we can only hope they’re somewhat safe.”

taglist: @yunnierights @monstaxdirtywonk @moni-cah @uyumilk @atxxzist @hazysan @bewitchedinyourhunger @kk-fleury @sincostansan @onedumbho3 @wooya1224 @icouldntcareless22 @jjaelly @huachengsbestie01 @ztjileen @charreddonuts @mdibby @gugggu6gvai @altgojo

[charliedawn]

What is their reaction when they find out that they may have grown attached to you ?

You know how Jason can be very insecure and self-conscious ? Well. Prepare for a whole new level. He will check himself in the mirror when you're not looking, and if he doesn't like what he is seeing ? He will smash the mirror and go in a corner to sit and move back and forth, to give himself some reassurance. He still remembers what his mother used to tell him.

" Persons are a nuisance, Jason. You don't need them to survive."

But then, why does he feel like he needs you ? He feels conflicted as to what to believe.

Super jumpy ! He will jump almost every time you touch him or lose his grip of the things he is holding, often ending broken and splattered on the floor. He would be as clumsy as Jason and would want you to spend more time with him. However, he would also be scared of you breaking his heart.

" I..I c..care.."

Like many of your patients, Brahms has trouble finding his words. At first, many thought he was mute, like Jason or Michael. This is why hearing him speak to you always means it is important.

" I..I care.."

He wants to say many things, how he cherishes every moment you spend together, how you make his heart race everytime you are near him or how he wants you to be by his side forever..But, he can't. He can just hope that what he feels can be expressed through eye contact. You may not understand what he wants to say, but you still try to understand. You put your hand on his and reply with a compassionate smile.

" I care about you too. You are a very good friend, Brahms.."

Did you just indirectly friendzone him ? Possibly..You walk out and Brahms sighs before sitting on his bed while hugging his doll to comfort him.

" You turn me on."

He will be absolutely frank about it. He will just step up and tell you in front of anyone. He doesn't give a damn if the others hear him as well. Also, creep alert, will watch you sleep. He will sneak in your bedroom in the middle of the night and just look at you sleep. He wants to touch you so bad, but he knows that that would wake you up. And he doesn't want that. He will just admire you from afar, even pretend that you may like him back. He would just want to get close to you, to look at you and wonder what you may be dreaming about..hoping that you are dreaming of him.

" Oh my sweet..You look so perfect when you sleep.."

Now..You know how Five is very serious about his relationship with Dolores ? Well, you better be prepared by lots of imaginary fights between the two of them, and even a break-up ! *gasp* Drama. He would be in a very bad mood and would scream and attack everyone that approaches his personal space. He would also smash everything in his room. Like, everything. So much that the other nurses would be too scared of him and ask you to handle it.

" Hey. Are you okay, Five ? Did something happen ?"

He would snort and look up at you with visible frustration.

" You happened. Dolores and I broke up. Not that she was one to share her feelings anyway."

You frown in incomprehension before asking with a small airy laugh.

" I don't understand, what does that have to do with me ?"

Your question seems to trigger a nerve and he suddenly stands up to look at you dead in the eye with anger and, somehow, pain..

" Everything ! You're too nice ! Too forgiving ! Too perfect ! You wiped our past as if it was nothing, goddammit ! We're serial killers, Y/N! We're monsters and you treat us as if we were..as if we were.."

He doesn't get to finish that sentence as he seems on the verge of tears. He jumps on his bed to sit and hide his face behind his knees. You seem to finally understand the problem and sigh before sitting next to Five.

" It's okay to have feelings, Five. You can't hide them forever. I'm sorry if it upsets you but, I don't think you're all that bad. Sure, you kill and even eat people. But, I've seen you change. You are a lot less violent and a few more months ? And I'm sure you'll be out of here in no time."

He looks up at you again with a sort of desperation, very uncharacteristic of Five, before finally asking in a tearful voice.

" What if..What if I don't want to go back ? Out there, I'm just a freak. But, here ? I got.."

He doesn't finish his sentence, but you guess what he is going to say and smile understandingly.

"..Friends ?"

He doesn't answer, he only suddenly hugs you tightly and hides his face in your skirt. You hesitate before slowly petting the top of his head affectionately. The gesture seems to relax him, but he quickly straightens up and wipes his tears away. He then stands up and apologizes.

" I..I'm sorry, it was highly inappropriate of me. I'll..I'll let you work."

Before you could say anything, he runs out of the room and leaves you confused and worried.

Lots of uncontrollable laughter. More than usual. He is very nervous when you're around him and sometimes cries while laughing, showing that he is deeply ashamed of his condition. He is very bipolar and will sometimes act very casually around you, only to break into tears when you leave the room. He will stare at you and turn his gaze away as soon as you would notice.

" Well, would you look at that ? Sir Sh*tty the clown seems to have a little crush on the nice nurse.."

Pennywise would tease him about it while Penny cackles behind him. Arthur glares at them both before either ignoring them or leaving the room.

No. Nope. Certainly not. He will try to hide from you. He knows very well what he is feeling, and also what happens to the people he feels this way towards. He just managed to get rid of his curse, he is not about to risk getting on a murder rampage again ! Every time he would see you, he would pretend to be busy or hide. One time, he even jumped out the window to get away from you. It is very odd since Michael is normally the most chill and calm out of all the patients. But one look at you ? And he becomes a panicking mess. He has to get away. He doesn't want to hurt you like he hurt everyone else close to him, like he hurt his family..

" Me ? Having feelings ? Ah !"

One word: denial. He doesn't want to hear about things like feelings. He saved you ? Bah. It was only because he was bored. He will deny everything, but still follow you and pop up out of nowhere to see what you're doing. He enjoys talking to you, even if he doesn't want to admit it.

" Pennywise..You're staring again."

Penny would gently warn him as his big brother would pretend to not have done such a thing.

" Can't an old clown appreciate to look at nice things sometimes ?"

Penny frowns, not understanding his big brother's words until Freddy intervenes by popping next to him with a huge grin.

" Let it go, kid. Your big bro is just too much of a chicken to go talk to her.."

Pennywise growls in annoyance at Freddy before raising his middle finger at him.

" F*ck off Freddy ! At least I don't watch her sleep like a total perv !"

That would result in a fight that you would have to break. Again..

" Pennywise..I think I'm sick.."

Pennywise would admit some day to Pennywise that would sigh in annoyance.

" Stop saying stupid sh*t. You know very well that we can't be sick."

But, upon seeing the devastated face of his brother, Pennywise sighs loudly before turning towards him to focus his whole attention on him.

" Fiiinnneee...Tell me."

Penny's mood seems to lit up as his brother seems to be willing to listen to him.

" OK, so it concerns the nurse, Y/N. Everytime they are near me, I feel things in my stomach, like a million kids were kicking me in there..Everytime they touch me, I feel as if a part of me in my chest is about to burst and I feel warm, very very warm. And then, I feel very very bad when they talk to anyone else..It's horrible. I want it to stop..Should I eat them ?"

Pennywise stays silent for a while before saying with an unusual straight face.

" Penny.."

He starts, but Penny starts panicking as he sees the sour look on his brother's face.

" Oh ! It's bad, isn't it ?! What is it ?! How long do I have ?!"

Pennywise rolls his eyes dramatically at his brother's exaggerated reaction before cutting him off in his worried questions.

" Shut up, you idiot ! You're not dying. You're just feeling.."things" for them."

Penny stops talking and frowns in confusion, his eyes diverging in deep concentration, as if trying to understand Pennywise's words.

" Things ?! What things ?!"

He finally asks with his eyes wide open in obvious loss and Pennywise face-palms himself before answering with a loud sigh.

" You're falling in love, you dumb f*ck !"

At the word, Penny's face freezes and his smile goes downwards as he realizes that his older brother is right.

" Oh, sh*t.."

He curses and Pennywise frowns, as Penny hates curses.

" Language ! I'm the only one allowed to use curses, remember ?!"

Penny nods before asking in a worried tone.

" How do I get rid of it ? I don't like it.."

Pennywise can't help but feel sorry for Penny, as he knew better than anyone that there was no turning back..

" I'm sorry kid. But if it's really love ? You can't..like I can't.."

Penny's eyes widen at his brother's confession.

" You..You..love her too ?"

Pennywise seems to realize what he just said and groans before walking away. He didn't want anyone to know, even though Penny is his brother. Penny understands the wish of his brother to be left alone and starts walking out in the garden to think over what his older brother said..Could it be ? Could he really be falling in love ?

Bonus : The deal

The Horde is blindfolded and dragged to another room where a man and a woman are waiting for them. At first look, he can already tell that this man is one of the unworthy. The unbroken. The weak..His interest is cut short and he then turns towards the woman sitting next to him. Now, this one was interesting..Her eyes betrayed a much deeper complexity and she had a scar running from her forehead to her left cheek that proved she was worthy.

" You..You are broken. Rejoice.."

The woman smiles, but before she could start talking, her partner does it for her.

" Mister Wendell Crumb, we have a mission for you."

But Kevin only grits his teeths at the man.

" You are impure..I want to kill you.."

The man arks an eyebrow, but ignores his threat.

" Fine. Whatever. But first, I want you to be my spy. We didn't get you out of this prison for nothing, mister Wendell Crumb. We want you to be our little spy in the facility. We want you to find out how a certain miss L/N managed to control the patients outside of the facility. Do that, and you'll be as free as a bird..Do we have a deal ?"

He frowns, they wanted him to spy on a nurse ? She must be quite special for them to go to such lengths, to use him as a spy..Yes, quite the unique prey. The Beast was already impatient and Kevin licks his lips before nodding.

" Fine, but on one condition. When you're finished with her, I get to eat her heart.."

The request seems to take the man aback, but it is the lady that Kevin is looking at. She smiles coldly before nodding in agreement.

" Deal."

Kevin finally smiles widely and can't help the excited giggle that gets out from deep within him. Then, the dark and low voice of the beast makes itself heard as the smile grows almost ferocious as he announces. .

" Let the hunt begin.."

[zodiakuroo]

Cupid’s Bullet

Dabi comes home with a very special Valentine’s Day surprise for you.

Pairing: Dabi x Fem!Reader

Contains: dubcon/noncon, mentions of death, unhealthy relationship, gun play, fear play, forced orgasms, squirting, mindbreak, angst (if you squint?), quirk usage, one slap but it’s a hard one :3, overstimulation, creampie

Word count: 5.3k

Notes: pls this title is so cringe but it's like bullet instead of arrow cause... ya know but anyways happy valentine’s day from scumbag boyfie!dabi

Dating a villain meant that your relationship was unconventional to say the least. For one, public dates were out of the question, unless you wanted it to end in destruction of public property and some scorched heroes. You also always had to have some kind of flimsy excuse for your family and friends when they asked to meet your elusive boyfriend. In addition, you had to accept the fact that he would have to disappear sometimes for weeks on end to do his boss’ bidding.

There was also the small matter of arson, murder and theft and a multitude of other crimes that you’d prefer not to know about. And while you weren’t necessarily okay with a lot of what Dabi did, you loved him. You loved him so much that turning a blind eye was so easy it made you question your own morality. He didn’t scare you either. Not in the slightest, because you knew in his own special way, he loved you too.

In fact it ran much deeper than that. On his worst days, Dabi could set the world ablaze until nothing was left because in the end he didn’t care about anyone or anything, not even himself. Until he met you, he says. He tells you that in you, he’s found something to tether him to this existence.

Ok so maybe he didn’t use those words exactly, but he doesn’t have to. You know that’s what he means when he spoils you with expensive, stolen clothes and jewellery, when he offers to burn alive any person who makes you even the tiniest bit upset and when he comes home to you bloodied and beaten, trusting you to take care of him.

In summary, your relationship forced you to give up on having any “normal couple” experiences.  That included, celebrating anniversaries and silly holidays like Valentine’s Day so you never bothered to keep track of them. It could hardly be considered a sacrifice when you compared those things to what you actually got from your relationship.

Dabi had been gone for close to a month now and you didn’t expect him back anytime soon, not knowing where he was or what he was doing. In fact the very last thing you expected was for him to creep into your bedroom in the middle of night and rouse you from your peaceful sleep with a soft kiss on your temple.

You don’t jump out of bed in a panic, like any sane person would. Instead you let out a satisfied hum, surrounded by the scent of burnt flesh, ash and menthol, feeling warmth bloom in your chest. It should be unpleasant but its Dabi’s scent and you’ve missed it. You’ve missed him. You pick your phone up from your night stand, squinting your eyes at the bright light that makes them sting.

Sunday 14 February, 2:43am

“Welcome home.” You mumble groggily, trying your best to fight off your tired body urging you to go back to sleep.

Instead of replying, he greets you by pressing his mouth to yours. You let out a quiet gasp, startled by the sudden display of affection. His lips are chapped but that doesn’t matter, your tongue darts out to moisten them before your lips lock into a gentle kiss.

You reach up, weaving your hands through his dark hair in an attempt to draw him closer but he retreats, opting instead to turn on the bedside lamp but keeping his other hand behind his back. “Sit up doll. Got a surprise for ya.”

Any thoughts of sleep were long forgotten as soon as his lips met yours but now he’s really piqued your interest. You push yourself up against the headboard and sit cross-legged. You look up at Dabi expectantly. Your boyfriend is smiling wide, skin pulled so taut you think one of his staples might give out. He reveals to you what he has hidden behind his back. A square black box, wrapped in a cobalt satin ribbon.

It’s so cliché you can’t help but let out a small snort. “What is it?”

“It’s a gift. You know… for Valentine’s Day?” He says as though it should be obvious to you.

Your heart swells at the gesture. It really was a surprise. Not in a bad way, you just knew he wasn’t your average boyfriend and that was okay. You didn’t want him to be.

“Well now I feel awful. I didn’t get you anything.” You pout as he props the box onto your lap.

“’S like a toy… so it’s technically for you but kinda for both of us.” It’s unusual to see Dabi this excited. The way he’s bouncing on the balls of his feet, eyes filled with mirth makes you all the more curious.

“Like a sex toy?” A giggle escapes you as you undo the bow.

“Are we playing fuckin’ 20 questions? Just open it.” He presses you.

You huff at his impatience but you don’t comment, not wanting to wait any longer either. You remove the lid of the box only to find something wildly unexpected.

A revolver?

You look up at your boyfriend with confusion etched on your face but his gleeful grin doesn’t falter. You’ve never seen a sex toy like this so you pick up the article to test its weight. It’s definitely the real deal.

“Dabi, this isn’t a toy.” You state matter-of-factly.

He merely rolls his eyes and says “Doll, when you can incinerate someone with a flick of your wrist, that little thing is definitely considered a toy?”

“O-okay? What do you want to do with it?” You ask, placing offending object onto your nightstand, not really wanting to hold on to it anymore, the metallic smell making you feel queasy.

“Ever heard of Russian Roulette?” Dabi, picks up the abandoned item, looking down at it with pride.

“What?” You furrow your eyebrows as nervousness starts to creep into your system and you instinctively move to back away from him but Dabi is quick to pull you back.

“It’s real easy doll. No need to look so scared.” He crawls on top of you, caging you in with his limbs. “6 chambers. 1 bullet. All you have to do is be a good girl for me. If not, I pull the trigger and we see what happens.”

The look on his face is positively demented. Azure eyes wide and bright, patchwork face contorted into a a sinister smile, white teeth and silver staples gleaming in the dim light.

“Baby,” you hope the pet name will placate him. It usually does. “I don’t know about thi-“

CLICK

You let out a shriek as your body jolts in fear but you’re unable to move with his weight pressing on top of you.

“You see now doll?” He clicks his tongue behind his teeth. “You’ve gone and wasted a shot.”

Dabi climbs off of you and you’re left lying there with your heart hammering violently in your chest, body trembling, still reeling from the shock of what just happened. Reeling from the shock of what is happening

“You gonna listen now? Gonna be good?” Dabi prompts, rolling the gun around in his hand.

All you can do is nod as your eyes being to water. The uneasy feeling in your stomach only grows worse as your mind races with the possible things Dabi has in store for you.

“Good. Now strip.” He command and like a good girl, you obey.

Your arms feel like they’re made of lead, moving rigidly to take off your shirt (one of Dabi’s old ones). You can’t stop the tears from falling as you pull down your panties, fat droplets roll down your cheeks, desperately trying to swallow the sounds of your sobbing.

This can’t be happening. It’s Dabi. He wouldn’t hurt you. He promised you that.

“Oh cut the fuckin’ waterworks.” He snaps. “As long as you listen, you’ll be fine.”

You try to calm yourself with deep breaths, not wanting to irritate him any further.

When you turn to face him, he’s leaning back on his haunches, one hand resting on his thigh, the other lazily gripping the revolver. “Fair warning, I’m more of a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ kinda guy. But you know that already.” He thumbs the cylinder, making it spin. “Now, touch yourself for me.”

Breathing is difficult. No matter how much you try, it’s like you can’t get enough air into your lungs. Thinking only of gun in your boyfriend’s hand, you still you bring your own hand between your legs, but you can’t concentrate, what with the dread taking over your body making it tough to have any control of your body. Your movements are stiff and apparently not up to Dabi’s standards.

He only scoffs before-

CLICK

You scream again, body nearly flying off the bed before you curl yourself up into a ball. The fright is enough to stop your heart. For a second you believe it has.

“Doll,” Dabi’s gruff voice brings you back to earth, reminding you that you’re very much alive and whether or not you stay that way is entirely up to him. “You’re ruining my surprise. Got it ‘specially for you and now you’re being a brat.” He quirks an eyebrow at you, almost like a challenge.

“So-sorry.-“ your voice breaks. “I’ll be good.”

You’re still struggling to comprehend how any of this is real. You thought you knew him. You thought he loved you. And here he is, treating your life like it’s a game. You can’t help but think that this is your own fault. You thought you were above everyone else, the exception to your boyfriend’s villain behaviour.

“Yeah?” His voice drops to a whisper. “Then show me.” He challenges you. Dabi slips off his t-shirt and moves between your legs to get a better view, pressing on your knees to split them apart.

Self-preservation kicks in. There is one way out of this alive and that’s doing what he says. You spread yourself even wider, showing him all of you. Your hands, glide over your smooth thighs, kneading the pudgy flesh as you get closer and closer your sex, teasing yourself the way he would.  Your fingers find your clit and just a little pressure makes your eyes melt shut. Probably for best anyway. It makes it easier to imagine anything but this. You drag those fingers through your delicate folds, letting out breathy sighs as heat begins to bloom between your thighs.

You pretend, its Dabi’s touch. In your mind’s eye you see the two of you, limbs tangled with Dabi on top, resting his forehead against yours. It’s one of those nights where he wants to go slow. So slow that the sensation of his cock dragging in and out of is you bordering on torturous. It’s one of those nights where he wants to lay his head on your chest, mouthing at your breasts, laving your nipples with his wet tongue while you tell him, in that sensual voice  that you love him, that he’s perfect, that he’s yours.  Because it’s one of those nights, where everything feels like too much for him and the only person that he really has on his side is you.

It’s not long before you’re leaking. Somewhere, deep in the back of your mind, there’s a voice chastising you for being so easy for him… even now. There’s almost no resistance as two of your fingers, press into your entrance. Your fingers are no match for Dabi’s, they never hit all those deep, hidden spots  that make you see stars but still, you start to move them slowly, brushing your thumb over your clit every so often.

“Look at me.” You feel his breath waft over your pussy.

Eyelids fluttering open and you meet his gaze. It stuns you a little and your hands come to a standstill. He is handsome, breathtakingly so, even though he thinks you’re lying whenever you when you tell him that. The way he stares at you, with love and adoration in his eyes, it’s almost like the fantasy you were just imagining. Almost like the fantasy you’ve been living in this whole time. It’s enough to make you forget the situation you’re in. Then the muzzle of the gun is pressed to your clit, snapping you back to reality fast enough to give you whiplash.

“Fucking slut.” He growls and smacks your hand away from your pussy.

You jerk as he starts to move it the gun circles over your sensitive nub and then dipping down to your tight slit to gather up your juices.

“All those fuckin’ tears but look how wet you are.” He says more to himself than you as he admires the way your slick leaves a sheen on the barrel. With his eyes trained directly on yours, his perfectly pink tongue pokes out to lick it clean, groaning at the taste.

The next thing you know his arms are wrapped around your legs, guiding them over his broad shoulders. He kisses you on your mons before his tongue begins greedily lapping at your hole. “Tastes so good doll.” He mutters with his nose pressed against your clit. He slips the wet muscle inside of you making you whine.  You reflexively grab onto his black hair, tugging on the stands and he lets out a groan of approval. He moves up to your clit, circling it with his tongue before suckling on it. While he brushes just the tip of a finger over your cunt, making it clench around nothing while you desperately buck your hips, in an attempt to have it inside you.

The way he’s eating you out is almost romantic?

Or it would be, if it weren’t for the metal digging into your flesh.

“Doll,” He places a sloppy kiss on your clit, lighting dragging his teeth over the hood. “Want you to squirt for me.”

A lump forms in your throat. You can count on one hand the amount of times that has happened. You’re not sure of the odds that you’d be able to right now and it’s not a gamble you’re willing to take. “Dabi, I don’t think I can….”

CLICK

You thrash, screaming so loud it makes your throat burn.

Dabi still holds you open, keeping you in place. “I wasn’t asking.” He makes sure to maintain eye contact as he drops a fat glob of spit right on to your clit before diving face first into your cunt once again.

He pushes 2 of his long, lithe fingers into your tight entrance. It’s unexpected and you wince. He drags his right hand (the one holding the gun) up your torso, resting the muzzle underneath your breast, right over your racing heart. A reminder of what’s at stake. He envelopes your sensitive clit with his lips, moving his fingers in tandem with the suction. You’re consumed by desire as Dabi brings you so close to the edge.

“Dee-Deeper please.” Your pant out.

He smiles against your mound before complying with your request. “Right here?” His fingers press against that squishy patch deep inside you and your eyes roll back.

“Nnnggg yeah.” You’re barely able to mewl out. You dig your heels into his back and grind against his face, chasing your high. Dabi keeps hitting that spot with astonishing precision but you hold off for as long as you can, letting the pleasurable sensation build until the pressure in your core becomes unbearable. When it finally snaps because you can’t hold it anymore, your eyes squeeze shut, hands flying to his biceps and you dig your nails into the sinewy muscle. You gush around his fingers and all over his face. Dabi doesn’t move though, flicking your clit with his tongue repeatedly until you’re trembling and whimpering, pushing him away from your pussy. He finally relents, a pop echoing around the room as he lets go of you.

He gives you a predatory look, scared face and chest wet with the remnants of your orgasm. “You made such a mess baby but I’m glad you’re finally having fun.” He’s just as out of breath as you are but far more composed.

Your head is still fuzzy and limbs are still twitching but your boyfriend doesn’t let you recover. “C’mon, doll. My turn.” He begins to undo his belt, silver buckle clinking as he rushes to drag it through the loops of his jeans

You pull yourself on to all fours, now eye level with his crotch. He pulls down his pants and boxers in one go, his erection almost hitting you in the face.

“You’ve been lucky so far.” He taps the bulbous head of his cock on your lips, smearing your lips with the pre that dribbles out of it. “But I wouldn’t test it if I were you. Open.”

Your mouth is already watering at the sight of him. So long, thick and veiny. It’s disgusting actually, this Pavlovian response. He fucks you deeper, stretches you wider and makes you feel better than anyone ever had. You wonder briefly, if anyone ever could fuck you as good as Dabi.

You stick out your tongue and he slides himself between your lips, groaning as he pushes into your mouth, slowly, inch by inch. He fills your mouth completely and you shut your eyes, savouring the salty taste of him but you feel the muzzle press against your temple and making them shoot open. “Atta girl. Lemme see those pretty eyes.” He grunts as he plunges into your throat. You bob your head up and down his shaft, the hand at the back of your head setting a brutal pace. The room is filled with the sounds of you gagging and his hefty sac smacking against your chin.

“So good to me baby.” He tilts his head back, losing himself in the pleasure. The wet heat of your mouth surrounding him while your saliva leaks out, dripping down his balls. Dabi is big and heavy, stretching you so wide and making you jaw ache from the weight of him. You’re already lightheaded from the lack of air, no matter how much you try breathing through your nose. You don’t dare to complain though.

He pulls out of your mouth slowly, stretching a string of saliva from the head of his dick to your tongue that’s hanging out of your mouth. You pant like a bitch attempting to catch your breath. He doesn’t give you much time before he’s in your throat again, back to fucking your face.

“I love you so much. You love me?” He sounds so sweet, totally blissed out.

He stops thrusting and tilts your head up to look at him, blinking tear-clumped lashes. You try utter a ‘Yes, I love you.’ but with his shaft gagging you, it comes out all garbled. The muscles in your throat convulse around the deep intrusion. “You’d do anything for me right?” He asks, jabbing the muzzle even harder into your temple, finger resting lightly on the trigger. You nod, watching Dabi lose his composure bit by bit. “Yeah. That’s why you’re my girl.” He pushes himself even deeper inside you, making you finally take all of him, until your nose meets his pubic hair and holding you there. “Fuck.”

CLICK

“Hmmhhhhngggh” You squeal around him but you can’t pull off because of the grip he has on your scalp. When he lets you go you’re choking and coughing up a lewd mixture of spit and pre-cum.

“Wh- Why” You blubber, voice hoarse. You don’t understand. You were doing exactly what he asked. You were being good.

“Sorry baby. Felt so good, my finger slipped.” He doesn’t even try to hide his mischievous smirk. The fucker is definitely not sorry.

You want to beg him to stop this ridiculous game because you see now there’s no way you can win because Dabi doesn’t play fair.

He doesn’t give you the chance though, already shuffling off his bottoms all the way and propping himself up against the headboard. “C’mon pretty baby.” He tugs on your ankle.  Wanna see you bounce on my dick.”

You clumsily position yourself atop his lap quickly, before you can even think about it. You know he doesn’t need a reason to pull that trigger but still, you don’t want to give him one.

He grinds his tip along your heat, piercings dragging across your clit over and over again. It’s something he does whenever you have sex, to rile you up. And just like all those other times, it’s working. Circumstances be damned. “Needa feel this hot little pussy. Give it to me doll.” He murmurs against the shell of your ear.

You nod as you lift yourself off of him to hover your dripping wet hole over his hard dick. You slowly squat down on onto him, the fat head stretching you out, burning with every inch you take. You mewl, making futile attempts to blink away tears. You get halfway before you have to stop, resting your hands on his shoulders trying to gain leverage. You’re outright crying now, wet droplets landing on Dabi’s chest.

“’S matter doll.”

I’m terrified. You yell in your head but stay silent, choosing to focus on relaxing your ever-tightening hole in order to take more of him.

“Oh, I know.” He coos, voice dripping with condescension. “’S too big for your tiny cunny.” He leans forward to kiss away the salty tears. “But you can take it. I know you can.” He cups your jaw, stroking your cheek with a calloused thumb. “You can do it for me”

You start to move slowly up and down, using gravity to force more of his monstrous cock inside you with shallow movements. You really are trying your best but that’s apparently not good enough for Dabi and he lets you know that by pressing the barrel of the gun into your stomach. You freeze, horrified, more tears start falling from your eyes. You open your mouth to beg him to just give you a little time. You’re trying.

“Quit being a baby and just take it.” He says before you even get the chance.

“I’m trying Dabi, please just-“

CLICK

He cuts off your plea.  He’s not interested in your excuses.

The rotation of the cylinder sends vibrations through your abdomen. Amidst the shock, you release your grip on his shoulders and impale yourself on his shaft by mistake. The combination of the searing stretch and the blunt head of his cock kissing your cervix is so overwhelming that you collapse forward, head falling on to your boyfriend’s chest. You feel the rumbles of his chuckles while he’s quite literally splitting you open.

“See? Knew you could. Just needed a little scare. Isn’t that right.” He rubs your back as if to comfort you. He lets out a low whistle. “But looks like you’re all out of chances doll. Now bounce.” He gives you a spank with an inhumanly warm hand, making you squeal and leaving your cheek tender.  

Your hands find purchase on his shoulders again. Dabi’s sapphire eyes are practically glowing, daring you to be stupid enough to defy him one more time.

You pull off almost entirely, keeping just his tip inside of you, before spearing his shaft into you again.

“Good girl.” When he praises you with that raspy voice makes you keen and desperate for more of it.

His hand snakes its way up your torso to cup one of your breasts. Your back arches, pushing into his scorching hot touch, forgetting momentarily about his other hand and what he’s holding in it.  He gropes your chest, tweaks and twists at your nipples, leaving red, inflamed hand prints in his wake. You’re practically delirious with pleasure, babbling out incoherent streams of his name along with “yes” and “more”.  All the while, he murmurs praises about how good you are and how much he loves you. It’s confusing and you can’t process any of it.

“Who owns this perfect pussy?”

“Dabi. Fuck. Dabi.” Your tongue lolls out of your mouth in the most obscene way, drooling down your chin. Your plush walls pulse around him as he hits that sensitive spot every time you sink down on him.

“That’s right it’s all fuckin mine. My pretty baby.” Dabi’s eyes are focus on where your two bodies are connected watching the translucent ring of your cream appear and disappear as you ride him.

“Preeeettyyy.” You slur and he laughs at how fucked out you are, brain completely jumbled between the fear, the pain and the bliss all combined into ecstasy.

“Doll.” He groans. “I feel ya squeezin’ me. You gonna cum?”

He’s right. You nod as you feel that coil tightening again, threatening to snap at any second. The man finally starts putting in work, pounding into you every time you pull off of him. Dabi abandons the gun in favour of playing with your clit, rubbing quick sloppy circles. “Yeah? Gonna cream and gush around me? Want you to baby.” He buries his head in the crook of your neck, sucking, biting and licking while he assaults your sopping wet pussy. “C’mon doll, please.”

With that you orgasm. He grabs your hips pulling you flush against his thighs, fucking you through your orgasm, rolling his hips up into you until your high finally subsides.

He doesn’t let you catch your breath before he’s got the revolver pressed hard underneath your chin. “Now make me cum.” You almost collapse but the harsh grip he has on your hair suspends you upright.

Your mind is so foggy and Dabi gives you a small smile, appreciating the perplexed look in your droopy eyes. But he’s not done with you yet.

“Hey.” You’re ripped from your daze, when he slaps you across the face, sending your head swinging to the side. “Don’t pass out on me now.”  

“So-sorry! ‘M sorry!” You grovel as you slam your tired body down on his dick once again, trying to ignore the throbbing on your cheek, the ringing in your ears, and the ache in your battered cunt.  You’re so sensitive from your last orgasm but you don’t have a choice and you don’t dare deny him anything. Your thighs are quaking and burning with every movement but your boyfriend is unimpressed.

“You can do better than that doll.” He lets out a bitter laugh, enjoying every second of tormenting you. “It’s like you want your brains splattered on the ceiling.”

You start crying again, shaking your head frantically. In the time that you’ve been with Dabi, you’ve learned certain tricks, you know he likes it, but in this panic/lust induced frenzy, you can’t remember any of them. Instead, you bounce, mindlessly on him while your gummy walls clench tighter around him every time he nudges at your a-spot. Your legs are going numb from all the effort and you plop down, limp onto his lap, taking him to the hilt.

Dabi tsks at you, reminding you that you can’t rest just yet. You swivel your hips, grinding your pelvis against his while he’s buried deep in your wet heat. You pray to whatever deity is listening that he’s getting close, you’re not sure how much more you can take.

“If I don’t bust in the next 5 seconds.” His hand finds your clit again, you grind across his fingers has you rock against him. “Bang!” He emphasises the word by bringing a heated palm down on your ass.

A choked sob bubbles at the back of your throat, making him snicker

Hands pressed to his chest, you ride him like a woman possessed, the last bits of adrenaline kicking in. Your sloppy cunt squelches every time you drive yourself down on his cock just motivating you to fuck him harder.

“Five.” He grits out.

“Dabi, please!” But you’re met with icy, apathetic eyes staring back at you, feeling the terror that the rest of the city does when they so much as hear his name.

“Four.” He rubs your already raw clit, faster and you can feel another orgasm building, much quicker than your last two.

Your body feels so heavy but you can’t stop moving, not unless you want him to- “Please cum!” You beg. “Need your cum.”

“Three.”

He starts to fuck up into you again with unforgiving force.

“Wh-Why?!” is all you can manage as your mind starts to fog up again, the need to come becoming all the more urgent.

“Two.” He ignores your question, transfixed on your tits bounce in his face. You’re getting close to your third orgasm of the night and it seems Dabi is determined to get you there.

You still can’t believe this is real. You never thought that Dabi would treat you like this. You were supposed to be special.

Or at least that’s what he told you.

Moreover, you can’t believe how your own body is betraying you. You can’t believe you’re actually going to cum. Again.

“One.”

You cry out his name one last time, unsure if it’s out of fear or pleasure. You dig your nails into his arms again, in a feeble attempt to ground yourself as you cum around him. The orgasm that rips through you makes it difficult for you to be sure of anything.

What you are sure of is the fact that there was no bang or bullet.

Just one last CLICK (practically drowned out by your screaming) and the sensation of Dabi’s hot cum flooding your womb. He has a bruising grip on your hips, gun now discarded, and he ruts up into to making sure to stuff your cunt absolutely full of him. He begins to laugh as he softens inside you.

Your head is still spinning but once you’re able to push yourself off of him, you can finally make sense of what just happened.

He was fucking with you.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” You yell, using weak and quivering arms to throw pillows at him while you cry so hard it makes you dry heave.

Your asshole of a boyfriend starts cackling, clutching his abdomen as if he just pulled the world’s funniest prank while your heart is beating so hard and fast you think it might break through your ribcage.

“You should have seen your face. You were so fuckin’ scared.”

You become nauseous, feeling bile rising in your throat as you come to a sickening realisation.

This is not your Dabi. This is the Dabi that the rest of the world gets to see.

Evil, sadistic, merciless. This is the real Dabi.

You attempt to scramble off of the bed to get away from him, feeling overwhelmed by the humiliation. But Dabi grabs your wrist and yanks you into his chest, wrapping you up in his arms. A gesture you used to treasure but now it just made your skin crawl. “C’mon Doll you didn’t think I was being serious did you?”

You writhe in his hold, hitting against his hard, toned chest with pathetic fists. “Don’t be such a crybaby. It was just a joke.” He strokes your hair oh so tenderly. But you won’t fall for that again. Dabi is a villain through and through. You know that now.  

It’s no use fighting him off though, all the fight in you is used up. You don’t know what else to do. So you do the easy thing: nuzzle your head into his chest, tremors rocking your body as you hiccup, while he holds you. That way you can pretend that you feel safe with him, just like you used to.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, doll. I love you.”

[babesonly]

fic recs 2.0!

hello kings (gn) ive got significantly more fic than last time which means this is gonna be a little more organized than the last post bc it is much longer <3 categories in order are non casefic canonverse, casefic/roadtrip fic, finale fixits, endverse, non supernatural aus, and then non destiel ones. titles will be in bold for my favs! also within each category they’re in order from shortest to longest

Canonverse

I’m a tulip in a cup by godtiering (1.2k)

I worry that I never really came back from hell. I wonder why, if I got remade by heaven, I’m still the same screwed up kid that I always was.

Sometimes I worry I’m not into women at all.

"Guess not,” he looks at his shoes.

a REALLY good fic that’s basically just a look inside dean’s head during my bloody valentine do not read this looking for a fun time but please do read it

on vessels by flightsofangels (1.9k)

“You know,” Cas mutters into Dean’s bare skin. “When I was still… an angel, I used to dream that I would take you as my vessel.”

hello consumehimnatural fans!!!!! read newt’s fic right now its incredible

dean winchester is not a nicholas sparks protagonist by microcomets (1.9k)

Dean fell in love with Cas the way you fall asleep--slowly, and then all at once. Or some other hackneyed and trite bullshit. God, this is embarrassing.

dean is in LOVE. he’s also a disaster who keeps staring at cas’ hands. sigh

Stay by aeli_kindara (2.5k)

Coda to 13.06 (Tombstone). In which Castiel reckons with the aftermath of Dean's grief.

hello fellow widow arc fans <3 click here to see cas find out abt the events of advanced thanatology !

walking on a string by swordfishtrombones (2.7k)

Between the doomed offensive at the Firmament and the impending retreat from the ravaged northeast border, Castiel left camp long enough to answer one of Dean Winchester's prayers.

S6 DEAN IS A WAR WIFE. been really into early seasons deancas lately and this one is very good. god

the flesh of the mighty by Mudprophet (2.7k)

Ezekiel 39:17 "you shall eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth."

MY GOD. anyone who saw the @autisticandroids​ purgatory cannibalism talk and was interested read this right now. also anyone who enjoyed nbc hannibal OR raw (2016). if romantic cannibalism is remotely aligned with your interests read this right now. god

Sam Winchester, Ally At Law by alittleduck (3.3k)

Sam was pretty sure he could read every single gay friendly guide to coming out or supporting queer family members ever written and literally none of them would even imply that arguing with gay people that they were actually just homophobic constituted as "ally behavior". However, Sam was equally sure that none of those book authors had found themselves accidentally watching their brother get pounded by an Angel of the Lord at 9 am on Tuesday, so Sam was pretty sure he might actually still have the higher ground. Now, if only Jack would stop trying to bond with Dean using gay slurs long enough for Sam to convince everyone of that, he might just be able to cobble together some remnant of sanity or, failing that, dignity.

Or, the one where Sam desperately wants to invent PFLAG but Dean won't stop teaching Jack gay slurs

JACK VOICE HEY COCKSUCKERS. 

hummed low by microcomets (3.3k)

Dean pulls the Impala over at a cider barn about thirty miles out; doesn't really think about it, just sees the hokey orange lettering off the roadside and lets his hands guide the Impala off the interstate with gravel spitting under the wheels.

they get a nice day out together and dean has a gay crisis and it’s written beautifully mwah

Vena Amoris and Other Old-Fashioned Bullshit by pyrebi (3.9k)

In which angelic marriage bonds are apparently stupidly easy to trigger, Cas wages multidimensional war in Heaven, Dean can't catch a break like ever, Sam rather enjoys being a dick, love saves the day, and nobody consummates anything.

sometimes i think about this fic and it hits that at this point dean and cas would have been married for more than a year. cas my beloved...

an exploration of gender; angelic by sometimeswelose (4k)

Castiel's true form is made of electromagnetic radiation. He has spent the majority of his life, if you really want to add it all up and average the whole thing out, as a wavelength of celestial intent.

The thing about being made of light: it's light in the physics sense of the word. Castiel's waves are gamma, x-ray, micro, and radio. He's visible light too, of course, a visible light so intense that it is blinding to most humans.

hello trans cas community <3 he’s literally trans he was assigned genderless and then went hm actually i will be a man! love of my life

Some Boys are Sleeping Alone by prosopopeya (4.2k)

This isn't something that's okay, not for him, but it chases him through the years until it turns into something he can't -- doesn't want to deny. 

ohhh deans tenuous relationship with his sexuality my beloved...

love. worship. consummation. consumption. by redeyedwrath (4.3k)

ConsumehimNatural (copyright marcusantonius) the Series!

These are all snapshots centered around the idea of you know. Hunger in Supernatural. Both carnal hunger and other kinds. Fics are shown in semi-chronological order but this series is generally nebulously early seasons.

for ANYONE who is a consumehimnaturual this is required reading it is INCREDIBLE and gorgeous and very visceral and i am so very obsessed with it. thank you redeyedwrath for enabling my brainrot

the reach of human sense by perilously (4.5k)

“You know what Jimmy Novak looked like. You think he was beautiful—gorgeous, hot, all of it. It’s him. Not me. This isn’t my face.”

“But,” Dean says. He doesn’t know where he’s going with it. Just that Cas’ face is right there, brows drawn together and cheekbones gleaming in the lamplight. It’s a face that’s made his heart skip probably a couple hundred beats collectively since they met.

And it used to belong to someone else.

this one is just very nice <3 cas gets uncomfortable w dean calling him attractive since dean has never seen his trueform and they work it out

Down in the River by Ias (4.7k)

Alone in Purgatory and hunted by Leviathans, Castiel finds himself praying to the one person who can't hear him.

cas i love you <3 cas alone in purgatory praying to dean bc dean is the only thing he still worships i love you so much

Creature of Habit by trinityofone (5.1k)

The more you love someone, the more you want to kill them. Or: How Cas developed some bad habits, and Dean coped surprisingly well.

written in s5 when cas was depowered and completely nails the later seasons bitchy husbands dynamic it’s very good and fun <3

sink by crackers4jenn (5.4k)

"Where to?" A 9.06 coda.

very bittersweet very well written and also canon compliant so do not go into this one looking for a happy ending but i DO recommend it it’s very good

Sensational by castiowl (6.1k)

“When I first came to earth, it was advised that we temper the senses bound to our vessels. They were a distraction, we were told. An antiquated form of experiencing existence that would hinder our ability to complete our missions, whatever that may be. My true form can better facilitate these experiences. What you would recognize as heightened senses of sight and sound, among other things.”

Or, how Dean helps Cas experience all five human senses for the first time in one night.

early seasons deancas man. i love the sound part i love dean being so worried about doing a good job with this. god. read this please

Something to Protect by Sass_Master (6.2k)

Dean’s violent reaction to being unexpectedly woken has become something of a running joke among them, but Castiel can’t help but look past it to the underlying cause. It makes him ache to think that Dean feels so unsafe, so persecuted, before he’s even fully conscious.

Secretly, Castiel has been determined to work on that, to ease Dean into awareness in a less jarring way, smooth away one of the many stresses that follow him even in sleep. Now’s as good a time as any to try.

oh to sleep more soundly in the presence of someone you love...this fic is very nice i enjoyed it a lot

all this and heaven too by ftmsteverogers (7k)

“Hey,” Dean said. “I’m not ashamed of you, okay?”

Cas raised skeptical eyes to meet his.

“I mean it,” Dean insisted.

“I understand you mean it,” Cas said. “But I don’t think it’s any better if you’re only ashamed of yourself.”

hello trans dean community here is 7k of trans dean having to deal with his internalized homophobia now that he’s sleeping with cas <3 it is SO good

The wilderness. by orange_crushed (8k)

He takes a shower and the pressure is not especially good, but it doesn’t matter. It’s warm and he stands under the spray a long time. Human skin, he knows, constantly renews itself, shedding the dead cells of the epidermis. He wonders how long it will take until he is an entirely new person, until every cell on his surface is a new one. He looks at his hands under the water. It might take less than a month.

this might be the only post 9x03 fic on here with a happy ending actually? plenty of good melancholy leading up to it though <3 canon divergent after 9x03 though which means no 9x06 fanfiction gap but it is absolutely worth reading

till the juice runs by deathbanjo (8.4k)

Apparently whoever drew up the venn diagram of Dean’s sex life decided the circle labelled ‘good sex’ and the one labelled ‘sex with men’ should be kept far apart.

hello this one is SO funny dean finally gets comfortable enough with his bisexuality to start having sex with men and it goes so very bad every time so sorry about your shitty choices beloved </3

First Date by aeli_kindara (8.9k)

“We should go on a date. You and me.”

Castiel wishes he could see Dean’s face. He wishes he had any idea what to say.

“I’m asking you out, Cas.”

this one is very sweet i liked it a lot <3 good refreshing little fic where they just get to have a nice evening together

Entertaining Strangers by cadignan (9k)

Dean settles on to his side, lying in the bed facing Castiel. “So you had sex without me and you bit all my moves. I think I deserve to hear about it, at least. What was her name?”

op im in love with you. premise is established relationship deancas and cas mentions he did have sex before dean and not only that it was a threesome. good for him <3 this fic is cas describing the story of what led up to the threesome and what happened during it while dean interrupts regularly. incredible

the shape you take by noviembre (10k)

“What?” Dean says, fake-offended. “I’d be hot as a girl, you know I would.”

And this is when he really, really should have stopped talking. When he shouldn't have whipped back around and asked, “Cas, if I was a woman, you’d fuck me, right?”

Because if he hadn’t said that, then he wouldn’t have had to deal with this:

Cas, meeting his eyes, forehead wrinkles all smoothed out like there’s nothing to be confused about anymore. Cas with something at the corner of his mouth that might barely be called a smile.

Cas saying, calmly and without hesitation, “Yes, Dean.”

--

Dean Winchester fucks around and, with the inadvertent help of some witches, Finds Out.

dean winchester your gender is diabolical. this fic is insane and its the only thing that matters actually. dean fully convinced its normal and straight to think about being a woman so you can fuck your male friend. incredible. op im proposing to you

Sinnerman by a_good_soldier (10k)

Dean listens to Nina Simone, reads Anne Carson, and makes out with a dude (sort of).

yall want to read about dean realizing he’s in love with a man as a direct result of learning to better respect women right?

you’re fooling yourself by cowboydeanwinchester (13k)

Dean Winchester and Castiel retire from hunting to raise baby Jack. Dean struggles to allow himself the things he truly wants.

Jack is two, Castiel and Dean are idiots, and Sam's gotta solve everyone's problems.

love a married couple who doesn’t know they’re married <3 everyone say thank you sam for bullying dean 

The Girlfriend Experience by rageprufrock (15k)

While it's not like Dean hasn't had a couple of truly regrettable hit-and-runs in his sexual history, this is probably the saddest fucking thing that has ever happened to him.

a classic for good fucking reason. we’ve all talked about dean thinking holding hands is too gay after having just had gay sex but my personal favorite was sam accusing dean of cheating on cas because dean bought condoms. incredible

No Kingdom To Come by domesticadventures (16k)

“We should fuck,” Dean says.

Cas looks up from where he sits on his bed, hair still damp from the shower, frowning as he places a finger on the page of his book to mark where he left off.

There are a million things Cas could say here; Dean has rehearsed them. After lunch, his restlessness had given way to a vague panic, a dread that matched his every step and crept along with him from room to room. Eventually, he had returned to his bedroom and spent the rest of the afternoon pacing back and forth, playing out all the possible scenarios. When Cas asks him Why? or Are you being serious? or when he sighs and says, in that way he has, Dean, he knows exactly what he’s going to do. He’s going to shrug casually, like he isn’t invested in the answer, like he isn’t desperate for an outlet, and say, Why not? He’s going to raise an eyebrow and say, What, are you not interested? He’s going to crowd into Cas’ personal space, he’s going to shove himself right up in there and whisper Cas against his ear.

Instead, Cas says, carefully, “Okay.”

literally the only quarantine fic i’ve ever bothered to read in any fandom and completely worth it it’s SO good. they become fwb and dean has an existential crisis and he keeps bringing up meaninglessness and death during sex

Bodies by Speary (18k)

It was a secret they never acknowledged even with each other. It would change everything, end everything if either of them ever dropped the act. So they became very good at acting, at keeping up the lie that gave them what they wanted. Even if that lie involved constantly seeking out temporary, consenting female vessels, Cas would do it. He told himself it was worth it for Dean. He just hoped that he could stop wanting more, or maybe one day Dean might stop pretending that he wasn't really sleeping with Cas every time.

i don’t even have anything to add tbh if that summary did not immediately make you click we are very different this fic is incredible. god. fellas do you ever make yourself a woman so you can fuck the man you love without him having to talk about it or confront his sexuality

it’s such a mystery (the way you know me) by fleeceframe (20k)

So the man crouching in front of Castiel is named Dean. He wonders if that’s supposed to mean something to him.

“Cas must’ve got hit with something earlier. He just dropped like a sack of fucking potatoes a minute ago. By the time I was checking on him, he had already woken up again, but now he doesn’t fucking know who we are.”

“I’m right here you know,” Castiel says testily.

Sam’s eyes are wide even as his eyebrows are furrowed, and he looks between Dean and Castiel again.

“What do you remember, Cas?”

“Firstly, that I’m not Cas. I don’t know who Cas is, but it’s not me. I don’t know who either of you are, either."

or the one where castiel is hit with a memory curse that makes him forget the winchester brothers and is stunned to find out he has a family... also why can't he stop thinking about dean?

BEST amnesia fic oh my god. cas my beloved you deserve the world. everyone read this that is not a request.

More Than Ever by Sass_Master (20k)

Dean’s getting some pancakes together for breakfast when Cas saunters in after a run.

He’s trying to focus on whisking batter, unfairly distracted by Cas a few feet away, breathing heavily and shining with perspiration. Dean’s been painfully aware for a long time that Cas is pretty easy on the eyes, but he’s used to seeing Cas buttoned-up and unflappable, looking straight-laced in a stiff oxford and an unflattering trenchcoat.

Now Cas is sweating, Dean’s borrowed t-shirt clinging to his skin, flushed from exertion and Dean really can’t deal with that in his kitchen right now.

this entire series is really good i enjoyed it a lot, i’m just putting this one specifically on the list bc the rest of the series is very explicit and this is really good as a standalone for anyone who wouldn’t be into the rest of the series!!

Being Dean Winchester by Anonymous (20k)

"You should show me some respect. I dragged you out of hell. I can throw you back in."

Who the fuck was this bitchy "warrior of God" doing talking to him like that? Fuck Cas-tee-el and his dumbass trench coat and abrasive motherfucking attitude.

Dean was done with this shit.

***

Wherein a monster of the week steals the essence of Castiel's vessel, so he must use Dean, recently raised from hell, as a vessel instead.

it is at this point i realize that there are more fics than i expected there to be on this list that involves a threesome with only two people/using the presence of a female body to act like what’s happening is heterosexual. deangirlism is a disease 

I Shall Not Want by domesticadventures (20k)

His grace is burning out, and the wasteland it leaves inside him becomes an echo chamber for all the memories, all the fear and doubt and self-loathing he's collected over the years. Things said and done hound him on endless repeat until he's convinced they’ll break through his skin and fill the silence of the bunker.

His head is killing him, and he sits hunched over an open book, not really reading, just digging his fingers into his skull and praying nothing slips through the cracks.

this one is GORGEOUS i love it so so much. dean and cas are both struggling so much to get by and they’re trying to support each other but fucking it up and they have to grow together and learn to cope with the fact that this is where their lives are and they fall in love i need everyone to read this

To Boldly Go by 8daysuntiltheapocalypseiguess (24k)

Title: Just One of Those Things Author: Impala67 Series: TOS Rating: M Summary: Four years into their five-year mission, and all the planets start to look the same.

In which Dean is not Gene Roddenberry, but he does write Star Trek fanfiction.

mx winchester writing star trek fanfiction to process his own trauma <3 this is a wip but it’s SO good and i also have not consumed a single piece of star trek media so it IS definitely readable to anyone who isn’t a star trek fan. please read this

where the weeds take root by deathbanjo (30k)

“Are you happy? Y’know. Just—being here,” Dean says, gesturing to the yard with his beer bottle. “Being with—I mean, you used to fight in celestial wars and—and save the world. Now you’re growing vegetables and talking about chickens.”

this is on here just for the 1.5 people who were putting off this one like i did for no reason. it’s extremely good and it is just gentle. i enjoyed it a lot

Heroes for Ghosts by pantheon_of_discord (42k)

After Sam and Dean are arrested, Castiel is left alone and scrambling to find them. He knows they’re locked away in a government facility, and he’s still able to hear their prayers, but no matter how he tries Castiel can’t seem to track them. He chases leads and even attempts to hunt on his own, but Mary is AWOL, Crowley refuses to help, and Castiel’s options are running out.

Weeks pass, Castiel’s hope dwindles, and through it all Dean prays, keeping them connected. His voice is comforting, frustrating, and occasionally annoying, but in his solitude Castiel comes to cherish it. But then one day, without warning, Dean stops praying, and Castiel is forced to confront some uncomfortable truths about his feelings.

yall ever wonder what it would’ve been like if the sam and dean arrest storyline in s12 was interesting? yeah <3

Teaching Poetry to Fish by aeli_kindara (52k)

In which Castiel teaches poetry to fish. Also, himself. Also, eventually, Dean.

(A series-long story, diverging slightly from canon after S14.)

cas learning about humanity through poetry before dean and thats what led to him developing enough emotion to be lobotomized....cas i love you so much

Emergence by ellispark (58k)

Something’s been missing from Dean’s life for the past three years, a void left after a hunt gone terribly wrong. He often feels a sense of longing with no discernible cause, a need to talk to someone who isn’t there.

A call from an acquaintance leads Dean to James Novak, a man who disappeared more than a decade ago, and suddenly Dean gets the feeling he’s found what he’s been missing. But James isn’t really James — he’s the angel Castiel, who’s wanted by angels, demons and hunters alike. And he may be at the center of the storm that wrecked Dean’s life all those years ago.

another cool amnesia fic!! for unknown reasons everyone forgot cas three years ago but cas didn’t forget anything. cas deserves so much love and support. god

a turn of the earth by microcomets (95k)

Dean’s your typical half-orphaned, monster-killing 22-year-old until a trenchcoated stranger crashes into his back windshield one September night, claiming he’s an angel that knows him from the future and that he’s on the run.

Frigging fantastic.

(Or, in which Castiel gets stuck in Dean’s timeline preseries and Dean kind of hates it—until he doesn’t.)

cas getting to meet and fall in love with pre hell dean just as much as he loves the dean he already knows oh my GOD. i love this fic so much. turn of the earth my beloved

Crossing Lines by sometimeswelose (122k)

Two Deans, one Cas - it's not as sexy as it sounds

Or

An ethics lesson from Hell

Or

The one where Dean from the past meets Dean in the present. They're not sure they like each other very much.

deans intense self hatred vs cas’ unwavering love for every version of dean oh my GOD also this is a wip fair warning but it’s so worth waiting for updates i’m having such a great time with this one i cannot wait to see how it gets ended

Plot Holes by saltyfeathers (160k)

Of course it wasn’t over after the apocalypse.

There was season six. Then there was season seven. Against all expectations, there was season eight. There were the alphas and purgatory, and then the Leviathans, and then the angels fell. Enter season nine. Loose threads Metatron, Abaddon, and Crowley have to be tied up. Sam, Dean, and Cas have to try to tie them while at the same time dealing with their evolving relationships and newfound graceless states.

Amidst all the chaos, someone has started publishing the Supernatural novels again. Convinced there’s something amiss in the pages, Charlie starts her own quest to suss out the truth behind the Winchester Gospels.

With the help of various faces, old and new, they must now not only deal with the typical runs of demons and recently fallen angels, but also reconcile the battles raging inside themselves, as the fate of the world, once again, quite literally lays in the palm of their hands.

saltyfeathers said i WILL make the plot holes in this show mean something because the showrunners are sure as shit never gonna adress them ! and i thank them for it bc this was a really cool read

Casefic/Roadtrip Fic

Deprived Of Every Planet by KelpietheThundergod (9k)

Dean's breathing is audible in the scant space between them, irregular. The motel room is dark, pale blue shadows falling in through the gaps in the blinds. Throwing a pattern of uneven white stripes over the bunched up covers. Over Dean's fingers twisted in the sheets. One half of him in shadow, softened by the dark. The heat of his skin. The tremble of him under Castiel's touch.

He caresses a hand over Dean's chest, slowly. Dean's mouth falls open, his body arching into Castiel's touch. Castiel stops over Dean's heart. Through the fever of his desire, he rejoices about the wonder of experiencing another's heartbeat through one's own senses.

Dean gasps, but then he turns his face away and towards the dark. Eyes closed tight and brows furrowed like something is hurting him.

Castiel stills.

“Dean?”

the case is background on this one but it Does take place over the course of a case so im putting it here. god touchstarved dean trying so hard to work through his shit for cas head in my hands i love this fic so much

before and after breakfast by spocklee (10k)

The monster of the week is a ghost who hates meat, alcohol, and feeling yourself. Guess who it is during the commercials.

chapter 2 of this one.....god. dean and cas you are both so unwell <3 i love everything abt this fic everyone read it now

we shovel all the ashes out by xylodemon (15k)

Dean’s always known things were headed this way. He just figured getting dragged under would be cleaner and easier than jumping in feet-first.

fics that make you go Oh they love each other...also there’s lesbians in it literally what else could you want.

thunder road by dothraki_shieldmaiden (20k)

After Chuck is defeated and the Winchesters settle into life without God, Dean Winchester is bored.

OR: Dean and Cas take a road trip and figure out some stuff along the way.

this fic is just like. it’s kind! this fic is kind it’s just a pleasant experience and i enjoyed it thoroughly. they’re in love and it’s good

Suck It, Judy Garland by GlitterDwarf, midrashic (20k)

It had to be St. Louis. Or, the one where Sam and Cas get fake married for a case, and Dean loses his mind.

actually im gonna defend dean here imagine youre dean and cas gives what definitely sounded like a deathbed love confession while making eye contact with you and then immediately afterwards fake dates your brother. who among us would not have been a bitch about this

best friends without benefits by lizbobjones (20k)

It’s nearing three a.m. and they’ve been on the road a long time. Sam’s been asleep in the back seat since eleven. Giving up and handing the wheel over to Cas and letting the guy who doesn’t sleep drive had seemed like a good idea.

the premise of this fic is so funny. cas voice dean you want to fuck me so bad it makes you look stupid. everyone read this

the taste of gravel in the mouth by deathbanjo (22k)

This is what Cas gave up Heaven for: greasy diner food, shitty motel rooms with even shittier cable, long car rides spent in complete silence except for the same six tapes playing over and over again, and a burnt-out husk of a man who can barely hold a conversation anymore.

alt version of getting rid of the mark of cain, the darkness never happens. this one is VERY heavy but it’s so good and it has a hopeful ending. ive read this one twice and loved it both times

Someone Who’s Feeling For Me by ellispark (45k)

Dean sees her for the first time in nearly six years in some no-name town in Idaho, and it's panic at first sight.

Lisa Braeden, the one woman Dean ever actually had a shot at a real life with, back from where he buried her in his mind. And her hand is on Cas's arm like it's no big deal, like it belongs there. Cas, Dean's dorky, sweet, badass, angelic best friend, and he's just standing there next to Lisa and not moving her hand away.

Dean feels the jealousy rising, and it's not directed where he expected it to be. Because it takes this exact moment for Dean to realize he's in love with his best friend. He's in love with his best friend, and Lisa is looking at Cas like he's the best thing since automatic rifles, and Dean is utterly fucked.

hello op please contact me. please contact me and let me see the inside of your brain. this fic was an unparalleled experience and everyone should also go through it. i love it so very much

Bumper Cars by mansikka (111k)

Two teenagers are missing from an abandoned carnival, and there’s enough to raise suspicion that their disappearance involves a ghost. Dean, Sam, and Cas arrive in town to investigate, though what they find leads them away from those teenagers, and on the trail of a ghost story that churns up things from their past.

Can newly-human Cas, and Dean, with the help of shipper!Sam, work out the mystery behind the abandoned carnival and its ghost, and along the way, figure out the riddle that is them?

one of my absolute fav case fics it forces dean to confront some aspects of johns parenting and work through some shit and also him and cas fall in love and it’s really well done. love this one a lot <3

Finale Fix-its/Finale Denial

Sorry Jimmy by K_K_TiBal (2.1k)

Based on the tumblr textpost:

jellydeans: so are cas and jimmy novak just up in heaven existing at the same time katebushstandean: #jimmy moves to heaven timbuku so that dean stops trying to make out with him every time they run into each other at the heaven grocery store

this one is just extremely funny. local midwestern heterosexual man is forced to play relationship counselor to the dumbest gay people in existence because one of them wore his face

Dean Winchester Really Needs To Make Some Gay Friends by AreYouReady (2.2k)

“Like, I’m trying to think if I’ve had, I don’t know, crushes. If I ever had a gay thing before you came along and just didn’t notice,” Dean said.

Cas suddenly looked down, and away from Dean. If Dean didn’t know better, he would swear Cas looked guilty.

“What is it, Cas?”

“You have had several… gay things before.” Cas still wouldn’t look at him.

“What? When? How come you know this better than I do?”

There was no way the answer to this question wasn’t funny as hell.

dean learning about gay ppl via the memories of dean smith...incredible.

tiny difference (between ending and starting to begin) by sunforgrace (2.4k)

Sometimes Dean catches Cas staring at the sky.

It doesn’t happen often. Not when Dean’s around to tell, anyway. But often enough that he starts to notice.

Eventually Dean starts to recognize the pattern.

Cas just doesn’t watch the sky. He watches the birds.

Chuck is gone, Cas is human, and the world is safe. In the quiet aftermath Dean and Castiel find each other again.

i really don’t have much to say abt this one it is just very good and they love each other so much

Bring Home by cenotaphy (3.8k)

Dean's phone doesn't ring on the drive back to the Bunker, but that's okay. Because—well, maybe Cas lost his cell, what with getting shuffled back and forth between a cosmic void dimension and all. And anyway, Dean doesn't want this conversation to happen over the phone, he wants to—he wants to talk to Cas face-to-face. They should talk face-to-face.

Dean will tell him—

Dean doesn't know what he'll tell Cas. Dean is, in fact, terrified by how utterly and completely he does not know what he'll say to Cas.

cas being forced to face the consequences of sending the risky text that was despair <3

dean’s coworkers vs the heteronormative agenda by cowboydeanwinchester (4.1k)

Dean started working at a local auto repair shop in Lebanon, Kansas about a year ago. His coworkers don't know much about him. Except that he has a wife. Or maybe he doesn't. But he has a kid. Who is either a toddler or a high schooler. Who is either named Jack or Sammy. He also might have a best friend named Cas, but that also might be his wife.

Truth is nobody knows what to make of Dean.

obsessed w people not knowing a single fucking thing about dean because he talks so much and never explains anything. this fic is SO funny

Enhanced Extraction Techniques by goldenraeofsun (5.8k)

The Empty takes Meg’s shape, Samandriel’s, Duma’s, every one of the thousands of angels Cas killed up in heaven. But in the middle of lecturing Cas in the form of Balthazar, it explodes in a burst of light and sound.

Dean Winchester stands in the aftermath.

the empty playing mind games on an awake cas bc it can’t put him to sleep is a thing i like a lot and this is very very good 

Speak Silence No More by rea_sunshine (8.1k)

When Dean imagined this moment, it went like this:

Dean bursts into the Empty—guns blazing, chin high, righteous anger coursing through him. No matter what form his plans and fantasies and whiskey-drunk-whispered-promises took, he is always, always successful. When he imagined it, he was finally the hero Cas deserved.

The reality of the moment is this:

It’s fucking cold.

dean and cas STILL managing to not communicate with each other properly after the confession is so funny to me and this fic does it really well. also i like that a human being in the empty, where humans do NOT belong, had some like. consequences

my heart is a compass by lagaudiere (10k)

“There you are,” the Empty says, in Dean’s voice. It’s cold, like Dean’s eyes are cold, his expression set in contempt. It’s the expression Cas feared, he realizes, all the times he thought about saying it. Revulsion. It makes him feel sick in the way that goes beyond physical, here where there is nothing physical left.

The moment before it happened had been so sweet it covered up all the hurt. For years, Cas had been holding back those words, biting down on his tongue to keep from saying them. And now he had said it, and he knew that it was good, knew that it was worth it. But on the other side there is only this.

--

In the Empty, Cas dreams of his regrets, until someone comes looking for him.

one of thee best dean rescues cas from the empty fics out there i love the way his memories are written i love how many of them were ones that this fic came up with to give me new things to have brainworms over instead of just making me more fixated on He Watched Him Rake Leaves than i already am

killing time by orestespdf (11k)

It's been four years since Dean saved Cas from the Empty and confessed his feelings in return, and in their Vermont lakehouse, the retired couple is now learning how to heal. One morning, Dean gives Cas a haircut.

(A character study of Castiel.)

perfect fic perfect fic no notes no complaints they love each other so much and now dean is giving cas a haircut and they’re spending the day together. god.

and every time we kiss, i swear i can fly by knameless (14k)

Every time, Dean tells himself it’s the last.

--

aka, twelve times dean and cas kiss.

a just boy best friends kiss for every season <3 mwah

for which no words exist by MediaWhore (14k)

'a prayer for which no words exist' // richard siken

"Dear Cas who art in my bathtub, give me the strength to be honest about how I feel. For your sake and for mine. Forgive me all the times I wasn’t in the past, all the words I should have said but didn’t. And please stay. Please stay with me when all is said and done. Amen. "

Dean rescues a newly human Cas from the Empty. That's the easy step.

mediawhore i am in LOVE with you oh my god this fic. this fic. dean taking care of cas after rescuing him dean wrapping cas in a blanket oh my GOD

swimming with the fish pond fish by februyuri (17k)

Some time between Dean bleeding out on a makeshift hook in a barn in Ohio and Sam making marshmallows on his funeral pyre, Dean was brought back to life. By Castiel. Again. Dean agreed to it if only to give Jack time to work out the glitches up top. So, now Dean’s back in the land of the living and things are ... actually good, for once.

Or, as good as they can be when demons are attacking Earth, Dean’s failing to get over why he died in the first place, and Cas is suddenly, inexplicably taking every opportunity to casually tell Dean that he loves him.

this is a wip! but it is so good and so worth the read i love it a lot and am very excited for the last chapter. it IS pretty heavy though dean has a LOT to work through

looking like a true survivor (feeling like a little kid) by courfeyrac (20k)

"Jack’s a clever kid—has been ever since he was born, maybe even before that—but Dean’s pretty sure he hasn’t figured out where they’re going yet. And Dean’s… Dean’s excited about it. He remembers planning surprises for Sammy when they were little—saving up quarters and sneaking off to the arcade the year he turned seven, or slipping a book Dean had seen Sammy admiring into his jacket before sprinting out of the store the year he turned twelve. There was only so much Dean could give him back then, hindered by lack of finances and transportation and a father who paid attention. Now, though, Dean’s got a wallet full of cash, a tank full of gas, and the freedom to give his kid the kind of birthday he deserves."

Or, it's Jack's fourth birthday, and the kid wants to go to Build-A-Bear.

EVERYONE READ THIS RIGHT NOW. that is not a request this fic undid me. oh my god. oh my god. they’re a family and they’re going to build a bear and they love each other. oh my god. also no it isn’t a baby jack fic he is 4 and he is also alcal

what’s missing is found (our souls can exhale now) by sobsicles (27k)

It's not the first time Claire has ever gone missing. It is, however, the first time Kaia panics about it. Dean's dragged into the mess, but he soon finds that it's the best thing that could have happened to him.

~~~

"But have you ever just met someone and maybe it wasn't from the first moment, maybe it was after all these other moments that meant more than you ever expected them to, and it seems like your soul just—just—" Kaia makes a helpless gesture with her hands, pushing out, and she breathes out loudly. "Like it can finally exhale. And that person isn't guaranteed to make you happy, but they're—they're important. You just know it, you can't even escape it, you can't let them go. Ever met someone like that, Dean?"

"I—" Dean halts, his mouth hanging open. He's looking at Kaia, who's looking at him, and his heart is fluttering in his throat like a caged bird aching to soar again. His mind threatens to spiral out of control, but he focuses, swallowing hard. "Yeah. Um. I—yeah, I have."

deancas AND dreamhunter we love to see it also dean DOES smoke weed with kaia and apologizes for pulling a gun on her what more could you want in a fic

Command Me To Be Well by prospopeya (28k)

Dean did a lot of thinking about when and how he would get Cas back. Months of it, actually, stretching into a year, because while Sam and Eileen were settling into their new lives, Dean was stuck. He was stuck in a faraway corner of the bunker, dark and empty and hollow, ringing with the sound of a vibrating phone.

So when he falls to his knees in that same room, exhausted, hurting, breathless, and he feels a hand on his shoulder and looks up to see Cas, he realizes that he doesn't have a single clue about what to do now. Getting Cas out had been easy--actually, it'd been the opposite of that--but the planning of it, the methodical desperation of one attempt after the other had been a familiar rhythm. It'd been soothing almost, solid, something to focus on that wasn't Cas's eyes, watery and jubilant in a way Dean hadn't ever seen that up close on anyone, let alone Cas.

And now Cas is pulling him to his feet, and Dean's stumbling, and he instinctually grabs Cas's arm, and his hand lights up with a fire that he isn't prepared for.

"Hello, Dean."

oh post despair lack of communication....oh dean refusing to work through his feelings...this fic is incredible i love it everyone who enjoys dean doing everything in his power to avoid talking about feelings up to and including having sex with the guy who’s in love with him multiple times should read this

break the skin (to break the barriers) by sobsicles (29k)

The first time she meets him, he's nothing more than an almost-missed appointment.

SOBSICLES TATTOO FIC MY BELOVED. dean grieving and getting tattoos and it turns into tattoo therapy. im SO in love with mitzi it’s insane. requires some suspension of disbelief for how long a tattoo takes but it’s an incredible fic and an unparalleled experience. sobsicles does not miss

ascend by quiettewandering (53k)

Something in the world is wrong.

Demon activity is rising where mysterious black substance oozes and unusual ecological events are shaking the world. Dean, grief hanging on his shoulders, restlessly searches for answers that might lead him to the Empty… and to Cas.

But what Chuck wrote can’t be undone. The narrative thread pulls Dean along, forcing him to comply. Because once a story already has an ending, it can’t be rewritten.

Or can it?

SUPER cool concept i liked this a lot i’m pretty sure everyone’s read it already but just in case someone hasn’t you absolutely should

oh sooner or later it all comes down to faith by sobsicles (62k)

Getting used to Heaven is something of a marvel. It ain't perfect, and Dean thinks he'd hate it if it was, which is probably why it isn't.

~~~

"You don't understand," Dean whispers, exhaling shakily. "I know you don't, because even I don't. The instant you were gone, I wanted you back. Cas, I wanted you back. I wanted—I wanted—"

Cas stares at him, searching his face. After a moment, his own face falls slack, eyes widening just so. "Oh," he breathes out.

Dean wants to be furious that Cas has figured it out before he has—whatever it is—but he's not even that surprised. Cas knows him too well, always has, even more than Dean knows himself. He's been kicking Dean in the goddamn teeth with how deeply he understands him, even about the things Dean doesn't, ever since they first met. You don't think you deserve to be saved, that's what Cas had said. All bundled up in impossibilities and power, this being that looked at Dean Winchester and knew every single inch of him, as if he had a right to each part.

"What?" Dean grits out.

"I love you, too."

the ONLY heaven fic. i do not read heaven fics bc i refuse to budge in my finale denialism i refuse to read fic where it is accepted that dean dies. i was hesitant to read this but god im glad i did it was so good. literally the best possible outcome of dean dying

Endverse

final fantasy. by orange_crushed (1.9k)

“If I’d actually been born human, would I have gotten sick like everyone else? Would I be running around gnawing on the neighbors?” Castiel tilts his head up and even from here Dean can see the black ring of his pupils, wide and dark as dead stars. He’s high as fuck and he’s been loading the guns for forty-five minutes. He stares into the space where Dean is. He smiles and shows his teeth. “Maybe you’d have already put a bullet in my head.”

"This is why you don’t lead storytime anymore," Dean says. "This kind of shit."

endverse last night on earth fics are something that can be so personal actually. god

The Last Song by Moorishflower (3.5k)

The very last song is the Song of Solomon, and Castiel sings it only for Dean. Set in "The End."

this is like. pre endverse and the tone is so like. wistful? is the best word ive got? it’s gorgeous i love it but fair warning there is graphic description of like. viscera and infected wounds

to think that we could stay the same by cipherwriter (6.5k)

cas has all he needs; himself, his creation, and enough power to continue this cycle for a long time. he's fine. dean wants to take care of him anyway.

oh my GOD this one is good it’s based off the thing of how originally endverse cas was supposed to be just sitting in a room killing and resurrecting the same cockroach over and over. very bittersweet at some points i love it a lot, do not read it if youre looking for something happy though lmao

the first church at the end of the world by withbloodstainedclothingon (11k)

The angels don’t eat the brain. Only Croats do that.

this one is fucked but it’s incredible it contains very heavy and violent subject matter and cas is an Actual cult leader he doesn’t just have orgies it is SO well done and i had a great time reading it i recommend it very highly if the warnings sound like something you can stomach

Down to Agincourt by seperis (1.1 million. i know. yes it’s a wip)

There is no such thing as a guarantee when it comes to war.

The outcome's known. Why try? Return your rusty sword to battered sheath, bow your head and bend your stubborn knee. Why take the field when you cannot win the war? But Harry -- he went down to Agincourt.

PLEASE. i know the length is intimidating i KNOW it’s a very long fic but please. please read down to agincourt i am begging you. head in my HANDS this series is incredible.

Non Supernatural AUS

Long-Term Relationship by bendingsignpost (2.7k)

Castiel says, budging over to make room for Dean on the couch, “I thought we should have a serious talk about our relationship.”

Reflexively, Dean laughs.

Castiel does not.

“Uh, Cas... you know we’re not dating, right?”

look man it’s bendingsignpost okay. it’s bendingsignpost it’s good and it’s sweet and you should read it

One White Lie by komodobits (11k)

Castiel takes a deep breath and rings the doorbell. He doesn’t need to run through what he’s going to say – he’s already planned and edited and rehearsed it a thousand times. He is going to ask Dean Winchester out to dinner. If it’s not too forward, he’ll say, perfectly charming. You see, I’ve seen you around the neighbourhood and you always seem so earnest and I’d really like to get to know you bette— The door swings open, and Castiel panics.

He intends to excuse himself. He means to apologise and come back some other time. However, in a moment of blind fear, what comes out of his mouth instead are the words, “Could you spare a moment for Jesus Christ?”

do you ever pretend to be a jehovahs witness for months to hang out with the guy you like because you fucked up asking him out? yeah.

separate ways and sleeping dogs by sobsicles (53k)

Dean is three years sober when Cas comes back into town.

~~~

For a moment, they just stare at each other. Dean, once again, has to swallow the urge to offer to swallow something else. It's very hard to resist the gut-wrenching pull of want that hooks in his chest whenever he looks at Cas. And to think, he used to have him, used to be able to act on that want.

God, he's so fucking stupid.

Well, there's no point in kicking himself three years later for shit he can't change. He'll just sit right here and pretend that his fingers aren't twitching with the urge to reach out and touch. He can't do that anymore, and it's his own damn fault.

"Three years ago," Cas prompts.

Dean huffs a weak laugh. "Yeah. Eventful."

this fic hit me SO hard emotionally oh my god. don’t have much to say bc most of my thoughts on this fic are very personal but my god read this please

Everyone’s a Critic by Englandwouldfall (109k)

The one where uninspired chef Dean Winchester has a one night stand with the male (!) food critic who described the flavour of his garlic bread as 'closeted' and accidentally ends up dating him to try and prove that he's a kick ass chef, thank you very much.

(He may have a point about the 'closeted' thing).

this one is SO fun. dating the food critic who called your garlic bread closeted and lying about your career because you’re embarrassed and you want to redeem your food in his eyes but then you fall in love with him

Non Destiel Centric

gender? you mean that thing i have that pisses people off? by bigender dean winchester (homosexualitie) (946 words)

sam and dean paint each other's nails and dean abuses the technicalities of her gender. what more could you want? 

HELLO HE/SHE DEAN COMMUNITY oh my god the pure rush of euphoria reading this. oh my god. oh my god. 

the quiet road to a distant city by rottingbrains (1.2k)

Sam stares out the windshield again. They’re approaching a city, and she can see the lights in the distance. She’s past the danger zone, and she feels like the world around her reflects that in some way she can’t put into words- as if God is telling her that it’s okay. She did the right thing, and soon she will be past the lonely unknown and into the warm, forgiving light of acceptance. Or something. Come to think of it, the lights only look warm from far away, and she knows that the actual city will seem far less welcoming. Still. Best not to imagine the worst when it’s already going well.

required reading for transfem lesbian sam fans. fics that live in your ribcage to make your heart feel good

Four People Ruby Seduced & One She Actually Fell For (Or: Ruby's Epic Love Affair with Humanity in General and Sam in Specific) by tuesday (3.7k)

In which Ruby has a lot of sex, is not any kind of therapist that would be legal, and helps a few people out for her own reasons. (S4/S5 AU)

for everyone out there who enjoys ruby being a girlboss <3

Fractured Link by Trell (orphan_account) (5.5k)

Meg goes on, resolute despite the way Dean flinches, "He likes me. He likes me a lot, and I like him back, and that's probably good enough for both of us. But fuck me for saying so, Dean-o, he loves you, probably more than anything else on his daddy's green Earth, and you need to man up and give back what Clarence over there has been devoting to you for years."

this is meg/dean/cas which is not smth i really seek out but this was extremely good. set in s7 so it’s meg and dean and honey cas and it’s a lot of dean figuring his shit out and trying to forgive cas and i love meg a lot in this

[definitelyseven]

deal | seventeen - final

summary: when your step-mom unexpectedly offers you a deal you can’t resist, you decide to give her a taste of her own medicine by seducing her potential suitor, Im Jaebum.

one (m) | two | three (m) | four (m) | five | six (m) | seven | eight (m) | nine | ten | eleven | twelve (m) | thirteen | fourteen | fifteen | sixteen | seventeen |

“H-how could you?” you whimpered with tears in your eyes as you opened the door. Kai stares blankly at you, in shock.

“You didn’t think I was going to let Y/N marry you without a background check, did you?” Jaebum asked rhetorically.

“Y/N, I can explain. Please,” Kai begged, making his way to you. You shake your head at him as he grabs for your arm.

“Don’t,” you said through your teeth but he doesn’t listen and reaches for you again. “Don’t fucking touch me!” you screamed at him. “Did you always know about the money?”

He doesn’t respond.  

You chuckled in disbelief, “How long? Answer me!”

“The whole time,” he confessed.

“Did you ever love me?” you asked as tears kept falling from your eyes. “Or did you love my money?”

“Of course I love you!” he tells you. “Y/N, please.”

“So what? You want me to sleep with him to benefit your career? Is that what you think of me?” you continued to sob.

“He said just one night.”

You were never a violent person but you couldn’t control your anger anymore. You raised your hand and slapped him across the face.

“How could you?”

Kai runs his tongue on the inside of his cheek, scoffing at you. “Don’t play me Y/N. How is it that the richest businessman in Seoul willing to do anything you ask? You and I both know your relationship isn’t that simple.”

“It’s not like that,” you tried to explain. “I left him.”

“I WAS YOUR BUOY! You were dying and I saved you,” he shouted at you. "I saved you from drowning,” he said with tears in your eyes. 

“That’s not true,” you tried to convince yourself. “That’s not true,” you repeated. 

“It wasn’t always like this, you know?” Kai said. “I loved you since the day I laid eyes on you. Believe it or not, I already loved you on our third date when Eunbi saw me with you.”

”You were never my buoy.” It was like every time you spoke, you were trying to convince yourself he was wrong. 

But you knew he was right. 

He was your buoy and he saved you from drowning. He was the one that was there for you when you needed someone the most. 

“Enough. Get out,” Jaebum steps in. “I am perfectly fine with my own insurance agent.”

“We had a deal!”

“So what? Piss me off some more and I’ll make sure you’ll never make another deal again,” he threatened. “You should know I’m a very powerful man.”

Kai shakes his head in disbelief before turning to you. “And you expect me to believe there’s nothing going on between you two?” He rolls his eyes at you before gathering his things. “I’ll be gone by morning,” he said before leaving. 

“Now you know what kind of man he is. Don’t waste your time on him anymore,” he whispers as he strokes your head.

“W-why?” you sobbed, turning to face him. “Why did you have to expose him? Why did you have to tell me? I was happy...” you cried as you gripped onto his suite. Your knees felt weak and you could no longer hold yourself up. You fall to the ground.

“I was trying to protect you,” he said.

“Protect me? All you’ve been doing is hurt me,” you sobbed.

“I never wanted to hurt you,” he explains.

You scoffed at him, “Imagined if you tried.”

“I never said I was a good person but everything I’ve done for you was in your best interest,” he said. He strokes his thumb across your cheek. “I need you to believe me once more. Just like how I believed you when you said falling in love with me was never part of the deal.”

You looked up at him, tears still clouding in your eyes. "Do you know how hard it was for me to get over you?”

“Are you over me?” Jaebum asks. He picks you up from the ground and brings you over to the couch. He sits down next to you, “Are you?”

“Yes,” you lied, covering your face in your hands. Maybe it was unfair of you to be mad at Kai. He wasn’t entirely wrong. You did use him as a buoy to get over Jaebum and he stood by your side when you were broken.

“I know you hate me for what I did two years ago - for picking her; choosing her but I had too. I wasn’t just thinking about myself. I had to think about my company, the thing my father spent his entire life building. I couldn’t disappoint my family.”

“Please don’t explain,” you begged. Your heart ached with his every word.

“I did what I thought was the best way for you to get back your $20 million dollars. I’ve known Eunbi my entire life. I know her and I know she took your inheritance. I know she took your money and there was no way you would ever get it back. It was the only way I knew how to give it back,” he continued to explain. You looked at him. “You don’t think I could find you if I wanted to?”

He was right. You never left Seoul. If he wanted to, he could easily find you. “Please stop explaining,” you begged him.

“You have to believe me -”

“I do believe you,” you interrupted. “I believe you, Jae.” 

He lets out a sigh of relief. “I never stopped thinking about you,” he confessed. He grabs your hand in his. “I missed you so much.” You quickly pulled your hand away. He was still a married man. “What’s wrong?”

“Just because I believe you, it doesn’t mean we can go back to how we were. You’re still married,” you reminded him. 

“We don’t love each other. She lives her life as she wants and I live mine as I want,” he explained. “It’s all for publicity.”

You shake your head, moving away from him. “It doesn’t matter. She’s still your wife. She’s still the person you’ll link arms with in public. I don’t want to be the other woman,” you tell him. “I’m not the other women.”

“You’re not the other women.”

“Can you walk out in public with me? Are you able to break ties with Eunbi and never see her again?” you asked him. 

Jaebum remains quiet. 

“You and I both know you can’t do that - you won’t do that.” You wiped the tears off your cheeks before standing up. “I appreciate you helping me see what kind of person Kai is and helping me get my inheritance back. I miss Minguk too but I can never be with you again.”

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t love me. Tell me you don’t want to see me ever again.”

You sighed, reaching over to stroke his cheek. “I do love you. I will always love you,” you admitted. You watched as his eyes sparkle in happiness. “And that’s exactly why we can’t be together, why I have to leave you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Just because you love someone it doesn’t mean you get to end up with them,” you explained. You could tell he was still confused. “Sometimes things aren’t meant to be,” you paused. “We’re not meant to be.”

“All this time, I was trying to protect you. I was on your side.”

“But if you had the option to chose again, it will be her. It will always be her!” you exclaimed, eyes clouding with tears again. “You will always chose her.”

Jaebum remained silent because he knew it was true too. 

“Now you know why we can’t be together. My heart won’t be able to take another heartbreak. I think it will actually kill me,” you tell him. 

“I’m sorry,” he finally says. “I’m so sorry.”

“Me too,” you tell him before standing up. You grabbed your things quietly before leaving. 

Just as you expected, by the time you got home, Kai was already gone. Everything that belonged to him was gone. You couldn’t believe the person you spent two years of your life with, can easily pack all their things and leave; as if they never existed in your life. 

But you were just about to do the same. If you stayed any longer, you knew you would change your mind. And this was a decision you couldn’t go back on. This was the only way to save yourself - without anyone else’s help. You need to move on. You need to find someone that will pick you 30, 40, 50 years from now; you need to find someone that will pick you every time.

Jaebum wasn’t that person. He was never going to be that person.

a little note from jennie: i was going back and forth on whether they would end up together but you can’t always have a happy ending and you don’t always get to end up with the person you love. sorry if you expected something different. hope you enjoyed this series. love you all to the moon and back. please listen to Jay B’s new song - switch it up :)

[mitsukui]

put your lips like this | f.w.

Pairing: Fred Weasley x reader.

Summary: there is a secret buried inside your heart that is keeping you from going to the Yule Ball. However, Fred decides to be the greatest of friends and  teach you one thing or two.

Word Count: 2.1k - oops...

Warnings: none! Just a whole lot of fluff! ✨ Oh, there is a curse word towards the ending.

Disclaimer: none of the pictures used in the edit below belong to me; I simply put them together.

A/N: HAPPY HOLIDAYS, BABIES! *aggressively listens to ‘My Boo’, by Usher and Alicia Keys*. Not to be dramatic, but James Phelps with long hair could punch me right in the face, and I would thank him. Please, leave me some feedback if you feel like it! My askbox is open for your opinions, thoughts and requests. Thank you so much for your time and attention!  ♡

Masterlist!

“You know I’m good at keeping secrets, so just tell me already! C’mon, tell me why you don’t want to go to the Yule Ball.”

A heavy and utterly annoyed sigh left your lips. Fred Weasley – that prick! – had been tormenting you the entire day. You knew he was a curious soul, but you had never imagined he would try so hard to make you spill one of your secrets out.

It was not something you fancied sharing; actually, it was something that made you feel rather pathetic and embarrassed. How could you tell your friend, whom you had unexpectedly developed feelings for, that you had never been kissed?

Curiosity and anticipation were emanating from his figure as he whispered soft ‘tell me’s, and moved anxiously on his chair. You fidgeted with the quill in your hand before you sighed once more. It did not seem like he was going to give up on solving that mystery any time soon. “Alright, fine. I will tell you. But only if you promise you will act as if nothing had ever happened.”

“Pinky promise!” He immediately dropped his own quill and extended his right hand towards you, his little finger waiting up to be intertwined with yours. Your eyes studied his hand, and you did not fail to notice how big and veiny they were.

Oh, Godric, the voice that took form of your consciousness echoed in your head, this boy is going to be the death of me.

Reluctantly, you closed your textbook and put your quill down on the wooden table, these two actions being followed by the connection between your fingers. His tongue poked the inside of his cheek, the similarity to a little boy that he carried in his behavior causing you to chuckle. However, your good spirits soon vanished away when you came to the realization you now had to tell him the truth. You had never been good at lying, for all it mattered.

He beamed widely at you, and he had his ears ready to capture all the words that were about to slip from your lips. But nothing was coming out of them, and a slight impatience resulted in his eyebrows being furrowed together. Fred went back to whispering words to hurry you into opening up, and the situation just overwhelmed your inexperienced heart.

It was all too much: you could not bear with the fact that he was staring so intensely at you, nor with the fact that you were about to tell him you saw yourself as a ridiculously stupid teenager who had never felt a pair of lips brushing against their own.

“I don’t really know how to do the whole…kissing thing. And I refuse to go to the Yule Ball because of it, given that chances of being kissed by your date are high.”

Your confession came out as a train losing its track – fast, unruly and through gritted teeth. Although you were deeply ashamed of that part of you, his face expressed the total opposite of any of your feelings.

His eyebrows were still furrowed together, but now scoff dripped from his words. “Yeah, right. And George is more handsome than me.”

You could swear your heart skipped a beat at that moment. Blinking in the rawest surprise your body could internally gather, you stared at him and waited for him to say anything else. You were lost for words. How could he not believe you?

“I mean, you’re incredibly beautiful. And I know you have a few people interested in you.” When you raised an eyebrow at his latter words, he was quick to snap back at you. “I’ve noticed how that Ravenclaw boy looks at you.”

Even though there was an inconspicuous blush tainting your face due to his compliments, you waved his words off and laughed shyly. He probably was just acting nice towards you. That was a huge characteristic of the Weasley family – being raised by an amazing woman like Molly herself made such a thing come out naturally.

You remained quiet for a few moments, your heart beating fast in your chest and your eyes staring out the library windows. You still had a hard time believing you had just confessed your deepest secret to your love interest, but it was of no use crying over spilt milk. If he were one to keep his promises, one of your rare studying sessions with Fred Weasley would soon return to normal.

But what if he started pitying you for it? Or what if he stopped talking to you, once he concluded your universes did not collide? He surely was vastly experienced when it came down to kissing. Kissing Fred Weasley would probably be the biggest honor of your life.

Unconsciously, your eyes left the windows and roamed the surroundings until they reached his lips. It was almost as if the whole world had stopped.

Fred had thin lips, but they seemed to be astonishingly soft for someone who caused as much trouble as he did. His upper lip was subtly curved, and you were mesmerized by every single little detail you could visually grasp. That moment would haunt your thoughts for a long time, once it was pure cruelty how you had fallen out of love – the one you loved did not love you back.

But you were terribly wrong about that. Fred had been experiencing some shifts on his feelings towards you lately. He had watched you blossom into a charming young girl, and there was something about you hitting hard on his heart. And, frankly speaking, after he caught you looking at his lips, he would be in heaven if he ever got the chance to kiss you.

“Come on. Let’s get out of here.” He helped you gather all of your belongings with a gentle smile hanging on his lips and, once more, you swore your heart was melting away over everything he did.

As you walked out of the library together, dipped in a somewhat agonizing silence, you felt his fingers brushing against yours, which caused you to instantly look at him. “Can I hold your hand while we walk?”

Holy moly, what did he just say? Your consciousness was again alarmed at the scenario taking place right in front of your eyes. Okay. Keep calm. Don’t freak out.

“Y-Yeah, I guess.”

He did not waste any time on ending the ridiculously small distance between your hands. However, he did not simply hold your hand in his; he intertwined your fingers together, and gave your hand a light squeeze. His eyes fell upon you, and his gorgeous smile grew wider. You could not help but smile along.

You continued on walking together in silence, the only tangible thing between you and Fred being the tiny circles his thumb drew on your skin. If it were possible to describe your feelings, one would choose the talk about fireworks, or waves violently crashing on rocks on a breathtaking beach.

He unquestionably would be the death of you.

He tugged on your hand once you stopped in a deserted hallway. There was something astounding about the fact that he was able to find a calm and quiet place on Hogwarts, but he had always been like a box full of surprises to you. And he was also really good at knowing all the best places in the castle.

You smiled at him, the riddle he was presenting filling your chest with amusement. “What are we doing here?” All of the terrors you felt earlier returned to you, and you felt like withdrawing. “Wait. We are not here so you can lecture me on kissing, right?! Because, if we are, I would very much like to lea-“

Fred abruptly shushed you, stepping closer to your body and gently pushing your back against a wall. His eyes darted up and down your face, and he grinned cunningly down at you. He was so much taller than you, and the sight of him towering over you was quite intimidating.

“I���m gonna be your kissing instructor.”

Bitch, said what?! Your eyes widened in shock, his fingers reached out to place a lock of hair behind your ear, and your biggest wish was to evaporate. With your head shaking vigorously, and your lips being pressed together in a disappearing line, you exclaimed you would never accept that.

You could never allow physical intimacy to destroy your friendship with Fred Weasley. It was better to have him as a friend than not having him at all.

He found your actions to be absolutely adorable, the desire to consume your innocence growing bigger and bigger each second. “I’m only trying to help you out, y’know. If that Ravenclaw boy is not willing to claim these luscious lips, I sure am.”

Your cheeks erupted in a dark red shade, and you looked away from him, unable to take it for any longer. He was now evidently playing with your feelings, and you did not know how to deal with his attitude.

You were torn apart between accepting his kiss and pushing him away. It could go two ways: you would either kiss him and dismiss all of your feelings and expectations, or you would fall even harder for him. You were not exactly leaning towards neither option.

“I’ve wanted to kiss you for a while now.” He murmured his confession as he briefly dodged his eyes from your face as well. It was unusual to see the great Fred Weasley embarrassed but, apparently, it was happening right in your face. “So, please, let me be your first kiss. I promise I’ll be gentle.”

Your gaze moved back to him and he also had a light pink flush on his cheeks. He looked painfully handsome at that moment, with his freckles splattered all over his skin, and his lips trembling slightly. Your eyes met, and both of you smiled timidly. You were swooning.

“Okay.”

“Okay.” He repeated your monosyllabic answer and nodded a bit, mostly to himself, assuring he would finally feel his lips on his. “I’m gonna put my hands on your hips now.”

And he did. Both of his hands ghosted over your body until they reached your hips. He pulled you a little bit closer to his chest, and his scent tickled your nose. You felt like electrical waves were rushing through your entire body, and you wondered how you had managed not to faint.

“Look, do what I’m doing.” Fred parted his lips slightly and tilted his head to his left side a bit, his eyelashes fluttering until he finally closed his eyes. He looked heavenly, but you could never admit that and put yourself into an even more vulnerable position.

An almost inaudible snicker rang in his ears, and he soon opened his eyes and looked at you. You confessed he looked quite silly like that, but he ignored your comment and ordered you to mimic him again. His voice was low and his warm breath hit your face gently. You finally obeyed, feeling all jittery and anxious.

You looked captivating in his eyes, and he was ready to show you how amazing a tad of intimacy could be.

He leaned down, bringing your lips together in an extremely slow brush against each other. “Put your lips like this.” And, a second time, you did as he told you to, copying all of his actions.

It did not take long for him to finally involve your uneasy lips with his own. He started out by giving small pecks onto your skin, but his hunger got too big and he demanded more.

Your small silhouette was pressed even harder to his body, and he touched your lower lip with his tongue, asking for permission to feel more of you. Your attempts to continue moving according to him went on, and you thought it was a good sign he had not stopped you yet.

Once the velvet-feeling of his tongue came in touch with yours, he groaned against your lips, which caused you to use both of your hands to hold onto his robes tightly.

The kiss went on for a few more moments until you and Fred were breathless, and you had to break away to learn how to cope with oxygen again.

It was difficult to find words to talk about whatever had just happened, but you mumbled a shy ‘thank you’, which he replied to with ‘don’t mention it’.

Kissing was not as horrible as you thought it would be. 

And, after all, maybe going to the Yule Ball could be quite nice if you had enough luck to get Fred Weasley to be your date and kiss you again.

[fandomvariousness]

Pairing: Levi x reader

Warnings: mild angst, violence, swearing, smut: slight dacryphilia, choking, slight masochism, slight dumbification, power play, unprotected sex

Summary: you’re an untruly scout in Levi’s squad and he let’s you know exactly how he feels when he pays you a visit during your punishment task

Word count: 3.6k

All hell broke loose if it was one of the worse days.

Your hot-headed disposition was a challenge to deal with in the first place, but if you felt a tad annoyed that day… Let’s just say punishments were as natural to you as breathing air.

It took slightest things to piss off Captain Levi – an irritated glance after he scolded you, a quiet remark you’d use to talk back and he, of course, would hear it. Simply put – you were disobedient. Yet even then you were an indispensable soldier – resourceful, intelligent, and absolutely fearless. Much like a wildfire – once you blaze, it’s hard to put you out.

Even so, Captain Levi eventually chose you to be a part of his new squad. Yes, he never encountered such an erratic human being that’s basically impossible to control, the traits that go against his every bullet point in describing a proper soldier, but he knew he would be an absolute fool if he’d go that massive potential of yours go to waste.

Countless times he wanted to kick you off the squad for being an unbearable brat, yet he didn’t. Often, you yourself wondered why.

✃

The squad has been on a minor expedition outside the walls for training purposes, so all of you were headed to the nearest cottage safe house.

After a tiring day of training, when the sun was setting down, you were all sitting outside, enjoying the last remnants of warmth in the air. Captain was sauntering inside the cottage, probably inspecting each crack and crevice after you all spend the first half of the day cleaning it.

It would be such a nice evening if Eren and Mikasa would argue a bit quieter. In fact, Mikasa was calmly saying something to Eren, while the latter, being basically as hot-headed as you, was arguing against her every word.

It pissed you off when they were like that, because it’s obvious Mikasa would do anything for Eren. Either he is so daft and doesn’t get it, or he doesn’t care. You never admitted to yourself that you’re jealous that Eren has someone who cares for him, while you have no one. Not even your family which was once very big – you had lots of cousins, aunts and uncles. Now, only you remain.

“Oi,” you exclaimed. “could you just tone it down a bit?”

Eren’s fiery gaze snapped towards you in a second. “Stay out of this!”

Now, you knew it’s none of your business, but you hated being talked to like that, much less ordered. You stood up in a swift motion from where you were leaning against a bench and turned your body to face Eren.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’ve no interest in what you’re crying about, Jaeger, but you’re not even listening to Mikasa, that much is obvious.”

Others were starting to pay attention too – they knew that when the two of you started bickering, often it’d turn into something more… interesting.

“You know what else is obvious?” he asked, his voice challenging. “That you act all brave and fearless, but in reality you’re just a restless child acting as if she lost her dummy!”

You felt that familiar tickling feeling of your temper rising, firing you up until you eventually lose yourself and act upon instincts that keep you alive and going.

You chuckled curtly. “Me? You’re calling me a child?”

Tauntingly, you’ve stepped closer to him. Eren knew that it’s not smart to wind you up like that, you’re still friends, good friends – it just so happened that you’re both in a bad mood today.

“At least I can wipe my own ass without Mikasa’s help.” you finished your sentence just before Eren grabbed a fistful of your collar and roughly pulled you flush against him, both of your impulsive auras conflicting with each other.

You growled as you pushed him away in a swift, forceful motion, earning a murderous glare from him.

It took so little to get you angry. Even though you pushed him away, that unruly part of yours stepped close to him again as you dug your forefinger in his chest in a threatening manner.

“Don’t touch me, you, whiny bitch,” you spat out, your voice dripping with venom – you were already blazing, and there was no going back.

Eren slapped your hand away. “Who you’re calling a whiny bitch? I wasn’t the one who cried into the pillow for two weeks after driving Reiner and Bertholdt away!”

Now, you can be reckless, wild, fiery… But Eren can be cruel.

The reason you were so devastated after finding out your two best friends were your mortal enemies was because with them you felt like you’ve had family again – both of them reminded you of your older brothers. You shared your feelings with Eren in confidence, and he just blurted it out in front of everyone.

“Fuck it,” you thought as you launched a punch at his face with a primal scream.

By now the others knew not to interfere in your fights, not even Mikasa. God knows they tried, and it made it even worse.

Eren fell to the ground with a hard thud before you quickly straddled him and lifted up your bent hand to launch another punch at his bloody nose.

The bastard was quick to react nevertheless as he met your fist with his palm and squeezed it, slapping you off of him with his free hand in a swift motion. The second your own body collided with the grass you were already scrambling with your hands and feet to get up.

As you turned to Eren with the intention to ram him to the ground again, he was already on his legs as well. The others were still shouting for you two to break it up, knowing that it’s only a matter of time before Captain Levi shows up.

Not thinking straight, you did exactly what you wanted, you launched yourself at him and picked him like a flower stem, both of you flying to the ground again, followed by a sickening thump.

Your vision was getting blurry from all the rage and adrenaline as you lifted up your fist, charged with savage energy, ready to collide with Eren’s already battered face, yet it never happened. It never happened because someone else was gripping your wrist so hard, almost stopping the blood flow.

You snapped your head back to see murderous look in Captain’s gray eyes.

Still gripping your wrist, he jerked you back like a rag doll, painfully sending you to the ground, away from Eren.

It fell so quiet you could hear the clouds passing.

Levi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I will kill both of you.”

“Right,” he continued. “when everyone’s going to sleep after this long, tiring day, you brats are going to sweep this house clean again. I don’t care how long it takes you. Eren takes right wing, Y/N takes left.”

He glared daggers at the two of you before going back to the cottage, just like that. It was actually worse when he didn’t say much – means he’s absolutely sick of you.

Still breathing heavily, you stood up, leaning on your knees with your palms for support.

“Shit, guys,” Jean muttered. “Shall we say our goodbyes now, or...?”

“Jean.” Mikasa snapped, shutting him up.

You glared at Eren who glared right back at you, although his eyes were already void of the rage that was previously residing in them.

You looked away without a word and made your way towards the cottage, wanting to wipe all the dirt and soot away.

✃

You stared at your distraught face in the mirror. Distraught by the fight you had with Eren, and by the fact that you got on Captain’s nerves again. How longer can you go on like this before he finally kicks you out?

You wiped your wet face with a towel as you heard someone come into the bathroom. Mikasa’s frame showed up in the mirror.

“Mikasa,” you spoke without hesitation as you turned around. “I’m sorry for what I said.”

Mikasa shook her head sheepishly. “It’s alright.”

“No, it’s not. You’re the most caring person I know and I used that to shame Eren, although there’s no shame in caring for your loved ones.”

Mikasa blushed as she set her eyes to the ground. “Everyone’s going to sleep already – you better hurry.”

“Right,” you sighed, feeling the jitters of anticipation.

You quit the bathroom and made your way to the cleaning cupboard to grab all sorts of supplies. At least the Captain was nowhere to be seen – you couldn’t bear his condemning gaze now. Not when you secretly always yearn for his approval.

You can’t help but stare at him a second longer than you should, or think about him when you shouldn’t. The fact that he hasn’t kicked you off of his squad gives you some material for thinking that maybe he simply doesn’t want to. There’s just something about him that makes you tense everytime you’re around him – not the dread everyone feels, but something else entirely, something that makes your stomach tingle.

You just finished cleaning all the dishes after dinner and was now sweeping the floor that was still clean after your cleaning tasks earlier in the day. That was the point of the punishment, you figured – clean the surroundings that are already clean, only to frustrate you.

You were kind of spacing out, the flashbacks of the fight with Eren coming back, rekindling the violent blaze within you. Everything was suddenly in your head again, pushing you to the edge. You closed your eyes and exhaled through your nose as you stopped momentarily, letting go of the broom and trying to forget how Eren just blurted out about your sorrows, how Captain glared at you, how everyone got to witness you getting unhinged again.

Hot flashes hit your body as you blew the stray ringlet of hair from your forehead, leaning on the dining table with your palms, desperately trying to calm down.

“Who told you to stop?”

Oh no… Really not the time.

You needed a few more seconds to stop the shivers as you opened your eyes and straightened your frame, facing Captain Levi, who was leaning against the counter.

It was precisely those few extra seconds that displeased him.

“Tsk,” he spat out as he straightened his frame. “Not only you’re deranged, but lazy too.”

You faced him with as blank a face as you could possibly muster, yet all your feelings were bubbling up, threatening to spill out with a little more provocation. You never wanted to rip off someone’s head so bad, until now.

You didn’t realize you’d squeezed your eyes shut until they suddenly opened with the sound of hard crash – Levi had purposely smashed a ceramic cup to the ground, shattering it to pieces.

You set your mad eyes on him, disbelief written all over you.

“Clean it.” he ordered. “Or are you going to disobey me again?”

You bit the inside of your cheek so hard you sure it was bleeding, breathing heavily, restraining yourself like never before in order not to pounce on him.

Instead, you repeatedly bit your lower lip as you felt your eyes watering. It’s better to cry yourself stupid before him than to actually hit him – then everything would definitely be over.

He stepped closer to you, your clothes almost brushing together, as he looked down on you with clear disgust, and… satisfaction?

You were so angry. He tried to demean you just now, and you were under immense pressure to actually pick those pieces up. You knew you had to, but you couldn’t bring yourself to.

You gulped. “You’re abusing your power.”

“No,” he closed in on you, making you step backwards until the back of your thighs hit the table. “I’m establishing my power, since you clearly don’t recognize it.”

He leaned his palms on the table just like you did moments ago, trapping you. Your heart was palpitating against your ribcage, yet for reasons entirely different than rage.

All of those glances and pushes and punishments now made sense – that was the only way he could think of to interact with you with no suspicion from others. He’d often chide you for the stupidest things, just so he’d have the chance to have a conversation with you, no matter how fleeting or unimportant.

Deep down you always knew it, and that’s why you’re continued being such a burden. Just so that he’d look at you and punish you again, scream at you, or kick the shit out of you again.

The atmosphere in the room has changed radically. You felt like walking on a string, about to fall off as his face was hovering just above yours, torturing you with anticipation.

“You wanted to beat the shit out of me just now, didn’t you?” he quizzed while slowly tracing your features with his stony gaze. Instead of answering, you gulped.

He grabbed your face harshly, puckering up your lips in the process. “Speak.”

“Yes.” you admitted before his hand slid down to lightly hang at the base of your neck, igniting whole another fire within you.

“Yes what?” he asked, adding pressure to his hand.

“Yes, Captain.”

At this rate, you’re going to burn out.

He chuckled quietly through his nose and stood up straight. “Go on, then. I’m ordering you to slap me.”

It was as if you just turned into a statue – that’s how shocked you were. “W-What?” you asked sheepishly.

“Do I need to repeat myself?”

You stared at him, trying to see him and his intentions through. Obviously, things were finally getting spicy, but your defense mechanism still rang some alarm bells – is he trying to trick you into something? Are you really going to bitch-slap the humanity’s strongest?

You felt your palms starting to tingle as he stared right into your eyes, challenging you to do it.

And you’re gonna do it, alright.

Something just snapped inside you, as it always does before you do something stupid or something you’re going to regret. You charged your palm with strength before sending it flying across his cheek with all your might. You whimpered as your skin came in contact with his, setting your palm on fire from such a harsh stroke.

And then it dawned on you – you really did bitch-slap him. He even stumbled one step backwards, his head ominously turned to the side, crow-black hair shielding his eyes from your vision, what absolutely terrified you.

He straightened his frame as he wiped a droplet of blood from his lip with the tip of his thumb.

You gasped audibly, making him look at you.

That’s it, you thought, he has a perfect reason to kill you now, and you were stupid enough to fall for it. You closed your eyes and awaited whatever’s to come, and it did come.

His lips came crashing on yours, both of you stumbling backwards, moving the table a bit. He immediately yanked you to sit on the wooden surface, positioning himself between your thighs as you held onto him for dear life.

He devoured you with hungry, open-mouthed kisses before you bit his lower lip, drawing blood once more.

One of his hands that were digging into your hips came in contact with your neck, squeezing it hard and pushing you away so he could see your hazy face.

“Savage.” he muttered after a few moments of taking you in, making your mouth stretch out into a lazy smile.

He pushed himself to you further, making your back hit the table as he attached his lips just below your neck, where jaw transitions to neck, coaxing a mewl out of you. He coaxed another when he rutted his hips against yours, making you aware of the growing tent in his pants.

“Fuck,” you breathed out, eyes closed as he sucked and bit little marks all over your neck. Hiding them is going to be a problem.

You took his face in your hands and kissed him deeply, rolling your hips against his in a tantalizing motion, whimpering at how his hardness brushes against where you need him the most, feeling him exhale into your mouth as his mind was equally clouded.

It felt like everything was finally coming to be exactly as it should, like you’d finally be released from your misery, like the intentions behind each of your actions would finally be clear, without any misunderstandings.

You were both impatient. No time for thorough build up, you just wanted to feel him inside you, just as he wanted to fill you up.

He drew back a bit, restrained by your legs snaking his waist as he rested his forehead against yours, panting heavily. “I’d really like to fuck you now.”

The fact that after all the crazy shit you’ve been through today he’d still ask for consent made you give it all to him. “Only if you do it so hard I can’t walk for days.”

You felt his dick twitch. “Easy.”

You yelped as he flipped you around, fumbling with the hem of your pants as he pushed them down to your knees, along with your underwear. You shivered as cool air hit your slick folds, and once again when you heard Levi fumbling with his own belt.

You wiggled your hips against him, impatient, almost crying out – you needed him that bad. His palm came flying against your behind, making you yelp loudly, gripping the edge of the table as you’re all sprawled out on top of it.

You whimpered again as you felt him brush the tip of his dick teasingly against your entrance. “Please, Captain…”

“So impatient,” he muttered silently before ramming into you without any warning.

Your nails dug into the wooden edge as you cried out into the air, holding on for dear life as he slammed you, table legs creaking underneath you rhythmically.

Levi had a perfect view of you as he rutted against you – the way your ass bounced flush against his hip, your arm muscles straining as you gripped the edge of the table harder and harder, the way the strands of your hair flew up and down with each motion, and how helplessly you squealed each time his tip hit your cervix – all of that sent him insane, unable to stop the silent whimpers that came out from his own mouth.

He had to restrain himself from going too fast – that’s how eager he was to finally sprawl you under him, after all this time you drove him out of his mind with your unstable behavior, hatred-driven glances and disobedience.

“Yes, yes, love it,” you wailed incoherently.

“Of course you do,” he huffed just before he grabbed a fistful of your hair and yanked your head backwards, stars spilling out of your head.

The way his dick breached you was literally driving you crazy – it was like a perfect fit, slipping soundly against your walls and hitting all the right spots at exactly the right time. Your cunt clenched around him on its own, making him groan at your artfulness. His fingers dug into the plush of your backside, thrusting into you without any mercy.

The coil in your stomach was getting tighter and tighter, your brain short-circuiting each time you heard Levi groan, the lewd sounds of skin slapping against skin ringing against the walls.

“Oh, God,” you cried out as your bliss was rapidly closing in on you.

“No,” Levi countered as he pressed his back flush against yours, brushing his lips against your ear. “just me.”

His head hung down, burying itself in the crook of your neck as he finally spilt his seed inside of you with a low groan that sent you to your own release. You cried out as he panted heavily against your skin, your body slumping on the table completely.

You had to muster up the remaining grain of your strength when Levi stood up and pulled his pants on so you could to the same with your own. Your breathing was still erratic as you fumbled with the pair of strings in the hem of your pants, trying to tie them. Levi approached you and lightly swatted your trembling hands away, tying them for you.

You were lost in his gray eyes by now, not even knowing what to say at first, but this silence that ensued was kind of comforting, both of you assessing the situation.

He chuckled suddenly. “Why did you beat the shit out of Jaeger in the first place?”

You smiled awkwardly as you shook your head curtly, gluing your eyes to the ground. “Doesn’t matter. Stupid thing, really.”

“Alright.” he said, his voice low, as usual. “You can tell me all about it next time.”

His words made you look at him again, eyebrows slightly lifted, eyes full of sudden anticipation.

Next time?

You were kind of scared at the thought of getting together with Captain again, but you felt excited way more.

“Oh, and like I said,” he paused before leaving the room completely. “clean it.”

You remembered the shattered cup and this time failed to refrain a smirk that creeped upon your lips.

“Yes, Captain.”

He left after that, but you swear you saw a ghost of a smile on those harsh lips.

[ijustwant2write]

Father Knows Best-Thomas Shelby x Shelby!Daughter!Reader

(GIF credit to @devileyedbanana​)

Masterlist

Tags: @captivatedbycillianmurphy​ @jenepleurepasbaby​ @amirahiddleston​ @bloodorangemoonlight @haphazardhufflepuff​ @mzcrazy2​

Requested by anonymous: ‘Can I request a Tommy x daughter angst one shot where she falls in love with a rival gangster and Tommy asks her to choose, and she chooses her love but then he turns out to be violent and Tommy comes and saves her.’

Characters: Thomas Shelby x Shelby!Daughter!Reader, Finn Shelby x Shelby!Reader (Uncle)

Meanings: (Y/N)=Your name

Warnings: Alcohol, being drunk, swearing, mentions of a sexual nature, family arguments, domestic abuse, weaponry, fluff

(A/N: Matthew is a made up character, AND THIS IS MUCH LONGER THAN I ANTICIPATED)

                                       *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I covered my mouth as I giggled uncontrollably, Matthew was shushing me despite chuckling himself. We held onto each other as we stumbled out of the club, our feet aching from all the dancing we had done, struggling to walk in a straight line due to the drinks. As we stood up straight, swaying slightly from the alcohol, Matthew took me in his arms, kissing me sloppily. Neither of us were anywhere near sober. 

“You’re so beautiful.” he breathed out, going in for another kiss.

I smiled into it, gripping onto his coat for support.“Tonight was amazing. I don’t want it to end.”

“It doesn’t have to.”

I groaned.“It does though. You know I’m already past my curfew.”

“Your dad should be happy that you’re out making friends.”

“You don’t know anything about my dad then.”

We hesitated to start the walk home, though both knew that Matthew wouldn’t receive the best welcome if he got me back any later. I was in trouble now anyway, but I didn’t care what any of my family thought. Time flew by too quickly when I was with Matthew, it was as if we never had enough of each other. And I wasn’t stupid, my father definitely knew about us. As leader of the Peaky Blinders, he had eyes everywhere, and if he wanted his men to follow me, they would. I had spotted several of them just tonight, but I didn’t care.

Seeing as these men would be reporting back to my dad as soon as the night was over, I didn’t want to wake up to a lecture from him. Instead, I decided to head to my uncle’s house. Finn had given me an extra key, just in case, and we were extremely close in age, he understood what I was going through; he also wasn’t allowed to do anything dangerous, let alone be involved in any plans, even tough he tried. 

“You sure your uncle won’t let me in? You can try to be quiet.” Matthew whispered as I stood outside of Finn’s house. 

I scoffed at him.“I can be quiet!”

“Well I have yet to experience that.”

“He won’t let you in. I’m sorry Matthew.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’ll see you in the next few days?”

“Of course you will.”

We slowly kissed, hands still wrapped around each other. It was always so difficult to let him go. This time, Matthew was the one to pull away, gently kissing me on the forehead before leaving. I watched him leave until I couldn’t see him before unlocking the door. Although I had been incredibly quiet, I heard a thud, someone (my uncle) was fumbling around, thinking an intruder was here. He had a gun in his hands as he whipped open his bedroom door. The panic in his face was replaced with annoyance.

“For fucks sake (Y/N), what do you think you’re doing?” he sighed, rubbing his eyes.

“Um, coming in from a great night out?” I said, chuckling to myself as I walked into a chair.

“Oh good, you’re drunk. Why didn’t you get the driver to take you back to your house?”

“Because I don’t want to deal with dad. You know he’s awake too, he would shout at me as soon as I stepped foot in the door.”

Finn rolled his eyes.“You were with that prick weren’t you?”

“His name is Matthew and he’s not a prick. He’s my boyfriend. And I know that dad knows about him.”

“You should really stay away from him. He doesn’t come from a good family. We’re in the same circles (Y/N), people tell me things.”

I groaned.“Urgh, I didn’t come here to get told off by someone who is literally two years older than me. I’m going to bed. Feel free to call my dad, tell him I’m fine and that I had a good time, cause I know he won’t ask that.”

“What do you mean?”

“As soon as you call, or he calls you, the first question will be, ‘who was she with?’. Yeah, my dad really cares for me.”

Even though I slept late into the afternoon, I still didn’t feel rested. My head was pounding, I felt as if I would be sick every time I moved, and my feet throbbed, so all in all, signs of a great night out. As I shuffled into the kitchen, Finn was sat at the table, arms crossed and staring at me. Oh no, he was not going to act like a saint right now.

“I’m not dealing with you right now Finn.” I said as I poured myself a cup of tea.

“Tommy’s coming to get you in an hour. Make sure you’re ready.”

I mockingly saluted him.“Yes sir!”

“Come off it (Y/N). I don’t get why you act like this. Sometimes you’re really sweet, other times you’re...”

“Go on, get it out of your system.”

“You can be a bitch.”

“Look, I understand what you’re saying.” I sat down across from him.“But dad really hasn’t paid much attention to me recently. He doesn’t even greet me when I come down for breakfast. I know he’s got a lot on his plate, and it’s a big plate, but lately he’s been really harsh on me.”

“It’s because of Matthew.”

“He’s going to have to drop that soon. I get that I’m his only daughter so he’s overprotective, and because I’m a Shelby, but he doesn’t have to worry.”

“That’s the thing (Y/N). This Matthew has made him worry even more.”

“Why? Because it’s my first serious boyfriend?”

“No because...look, what I tell you now, you can’t say a word of it to anyone else, do you understand?”

“Finn-”

“Do you understand?”

I hesitated, but nodded, my curiosity getting the better of me.

“Matthew is....he’s part of a rival gang.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.“I get you don’t want me to date him, but that’s ridiculous.”

“(Y/N), I’m being deadly serious.”

“No he’s not. I’ve met his family, they’re sweethearts.”

“Because they want you to trust them.”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“I’m not trying to piss you off, or make up something so you break up with him. He’s dangerous (Y/N), it’s all one big trap. They get Thomas Shelby’s daughter and they can bargain for anything.”

“Wouldn’t it be less hassle to just kidnap me? What if I didn’t fall for Matthew, what would they do then?”

“That’s not the point-”

“No, there is no point to this, at all Finn.”

“(Y/N), please, I’m trying to look out for you.”

“I’m going to get ready. I need to look decent for dad.”

Part of a rival gang? Pathetic. It wasn't even an interesting story. Yes, Matthew was a little wild, he brought out the party girl in me, but I was having fun! As long as he wasn't harming me, nor were we harming anyone else in the process, I saw no flaws with our relationship. We also had our downtime moments, times where we could lie down in each others arms, hint at our futures. Apparently not everyone could see that.

There was a knock at the door, and I sighed to myself, knowing my time of hiding was over. Luckily dressed, looking pretty decent after the night before, I took time walking out of the spare room, hearing some mumbling before I even saw my dad. Although he never showed much emotion anyway, I could tell he wasn't happy, staring me down as I approached him in last night's clothes.

"Morning dad." I greeted him kindly, hoping we would have this conversation away from Finn.

Dad looked at Finn in disbelief, then back to me."Morning? Fucking good morning?"

"Dad-"

"Get in the car."

I obeyed his order but not before saying goodbye to Finn."Thanks for letting me stay."

He just nodded to me, awkwardly waiting by the door as I followed dad outside. I kept up with his usual long strides, bracing myself for what could end up as a screaming match. Thinking about it, I never argued much with dad, but when we did, it was over serious topics, never anything petty. I loved him dearly, he always looked out for me, gave me anything I wanted, ensured that I had a good life he never had growing up. So the guilt growing inside of me was huge, but my stubbornness was strong. I was an adult now, I was allowed to make these decisions.

Surprisingly, there was no driver for us. I slipped into the passenger seat, both of us remaining silent as dad started the drive. I watched the streets of Small Heath pass by, the regulars of the city slowly making their way to work, dirty from the shift the day before, probably drunk to keep themselves warm. It was a sad, poor place sometimes.

"Are we going to talk?" I mumbled, putting my focus on him.

He sighed loudly through his nose."Are you going to listen?"

"Please can we not be malicious about this?"

"Why didn't you just come home last night? Any bar would have let you use a phone, they know who you are."

"Because I didn't want the hassle. And I stayed at Finn's, so I don't understand why you're so angry?"

"You were with that boy."

"Dad, when will you just accept that I'm twenty one and I'm allowed to see people?"

"It's not that. If you had found someone who wasn't trouble-"

"Matthew isn't trouble."

"You don't know everything (Y/N)."

"Oh, don't tell me, he's part of rival gang, right?"

Dad's eyes widened as his head snapped towards me, his gaze flickering between me and the road."You what?"

"Finn told me."

Dad groaned, putting all of his concentration back on the road."Told him to keep his mouth shut. Neither of you seem to be able to follow orders."

I rolled my eyes.

"I saw that."

"Look, I'm sorry for not at least calling last night, I know that was wrong." Dad was silent.

"But I really like Matthew. I don't want you to scare him away, or make up ridiculous stories about him."

"Stories eh? That's what you think they are?"

"I know they are."

Suddenly, dad put his foot down, making us go faster than I liked. He ignored my pleas for him to go slower, somehow not swerving off of the country roads that lead to our house. He was driving at this speed for far too long, skidding on the gravel as we braked in front of the house. Dad hastily got out of the car, whereas I needed a second to get my breath back. He was already walking through the front door by the time I was shakily getting out of the car, stumbling in my heels across the gravel.

I called after him but he wouldn't listen. Storming towards his office, he flung open the doors, not even flinching when they whacked into the walls. Quickly following, I watched his manic actions, shuffling through paper work and slapping down files onto the desk.

"There's your story." he said, pointing at them.

Hesitantly I walked towards him, scanning my eyes over his evidence. There were pictures, reports, files containing personal information. I focused more on the parts about Matthew, reading things such as where he was born, where he had lived, the schools he attended....and none of them matched with what he had told me. There was a portrait picture of him, I didn't know where dad got it from, and another photo slipped out from under it as I picked it up. Only this time, it was a mugshot.

"So, do you still think we're lying?" dad said.

"I...I..." I was speechless.

"You know that everything I do, I do for you. You're my daughter, it's my job to protect you. You need to stay away from that man."

"Why wouldn't he tell me?"

"Did you really just ask that?"

"We've talked about everything. He didn't even hint at it." I was talking to myself at this point."I met his family. Why would they go through all of that? Host that dinner, make me welcome, say such nice things?"

"I didn't take you to be stupid (Y/N)."

"I know what it sounds like. But dad, Matthew wouldn't lie to me-"

"HE'S USING YOU!" he screamed at me."You're a fucking Shelby, you're the daughter of Thomas Shelby, you have a huge target on your head! It's an easy way to get to me, and to find out secrets about us!"

My mouth dropped open in shock."I would never tell him anything they he wasn't supposed to know!"

"Wouldn't you? He seems to have a hold on you, and it's scaring me. I've never seen you like this."

"That 'hold' you're on about is called love! Not that you would know anything about that, seeing as my mother was a whore!"

"Don't you dare speak to me like that!"

"It wouldn't be a surprise would it, if I ended up with a fucked up relationship? Because I had oh such a great example from you. Fucks a random woman, she knows who he is, so she dumps the baby on him, hoping he won't give her away to an orphanage."

"Stop changing the conversation. We are talking about how we get you away Matthew."

“You’re not going to.”

“(Y/N)-”

“I’ve been with him for months, why is this now just coming out? How long have you known about this?”

He didn’t have to say anything but I still got my answer.

“Ah.” I scoffed a laugh.“You have known about this. And for some reason, you have’t decided to mention this.”

“It was for-”

“I’m going to stop you right there. Dad, I am going to speak to Matthew about this.”

“You will not go near him.”

“Yes I will. I’m going to get the truth, right now.”

My words escaped me before I could really think about them. I was already walking away from him, back out to the front door. Opening a cabinet, I searched through the keys for any car, any vehicle that would get me far away from here.

“I’m having someone follow you.” dad informed me.

“I know.”

“You’re stepping into enemy territory.”

“We’re not in the war anymore dad. And you’re not a soldier.”

I finally found the right key, heading towards the only car I had ever driven. Making my way to the garage, I ignored my dad, not even looking at him. I definitely felt guilty for what I had said, and what I was about to do. But I needed to do this myself, I needed to speak to Matthew without the pressure of anyone else.

I was not a good driver. Everyone was safe whilst I was driving, I just wasn’t very fast or great with spacial awareness. In my head, I had expected to be racing to Matthew’s, getting to his in record time. This had ruined my fantasy. Once I did reach his house, I slowly lined up the car with the path, wincing when I bumped into the curb; thank god no one was around to see that. 

“(Y/N)?” I heard Matthew call me as I got out of the car. He was approaching me down the pathway of his house.

“Matthew, I need to speak with you, urgently.” I rushed out, pushing him back towards his home.

“Woah, wait, wait. What’s happened? Why are you in last nights clothes?”

“Just get inside.”

By looking at his house, you could tell he was well off. It was in a nicer neighbourhood, it was separate from the other houses and had multiple rooms. I asked him if anyone else was home, and when he said no, I was relieved. We didn’t want them getting involved, and I felt like shouting if this went wrong. 

“You’re worrying me (Y/N).” Matthew said.

“Oh, are you worried about me?” I sarcastically said.

“(Y/N), can you just tell me what’s going on?!”

“Are you part of a rival gang against the Peaky Blinders?”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“What makes you say something like that?”

“My family told me.”

“What makes them think that?”

“Matthew, I’ve seen the evidence. I didn’t admit it to my dad, but I believed him. I’ve seen your real information. You’ve lied to me about a lot of things. And why do you have a fucking mugshot?”

He exhaled through his nose, looking away from me for a few seconds.“I can’t lie anymore.”

“You shouldn’t have in the first place!”

He held up his hands in defence.“Alright, alright, let’s just use our inside voices. I’ll explain everything to you.”

Matthew directed me to his front room, sitting beside me, and although I initially wanted to shuffle away from him, I couldn’t bring myself to do it; especially when he took my hands in his, resting them on his lap. He wasn’t afraid to look me in the eyes, perhaps a sign of him about to tell the truth.

“(Y/N), your family is right. I am part of a company that rivals yours-”

I tried pulling my hands away, but he gripped onto me tightly.

“-but we would never cause any harm. We are only rivals in business. There is no bloodshed, no injuries, no deaths. The only thing we fight over are numbers.”

“That still doesn’t explain everything.”

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know if you already knew who I was. You know how it feels to have everyone already judge you based on a name.”

“Don’t use that against me.”

“I’m not. I’m trying to connect with you on this. The mugshot is from a brawl we had with a couple of ex-employees, they wanted to expose us with lies. Unfortunately we were typical men, and apparently that was the only way we thought to solve it. The police were called and I spent a night in a cell, but I was released the next morning.”

“That’s it?”

He nodded.

“You promise?” 

“I promise. And my family have not been plotting anything like your father thinks they have. Of course, they had an idea when I told them about you, you know, to ‘unite’ our families to stop the feud. Obviously that was ridiculous because fights don’t just end like that. But when I brought you to them, it was because I was proud of you, I wanted to show them the amazing woman I had found and fell in love with.”

“Love?”

“Yes. I love you (Y/N).”

“I love you too Matthew. I’m sorry for attacking you with all these questions. But even if I tried to convince my dad that he was wrong, he wouldn’t believe me. I’m scared he’s going to try and separate us.”

“Then live with me!”

“What? No I couldn’t do that to you-”

“Of course you can! You’ve seen this house, there’s plenty of room, my family loves you, it would be perfect! And...” he leaned in closer to me, whispering in my ear,“they’re hardly here, so we would have a lot of alone time.”

Although my heart jumped at the thought of living with Matthew, being able to see him everyday, spending every moment with him, I also dreaded telling my dad. I was old enough to make my own decision though. I could move in with Matthew if I wanted, what was stopping me? I believed everything he said, he had an explanation for everything. If Matthew was in a rival gang, using me for their own purpose, wouldn’t he just threaten me or kidnap me when I confronted him? It all seemed like too much effort.

All of that information dad accumulated must have been biased, especially if our families were rival companies. Although I was leaning more towards staying with Matthew, I didn’t want to lose my dad. I would have to be an idiot to believe that he would let me leave home with a man he didn’t like, but on the other hand, I was at the age where I could do what I wanted. Just because I had the last name Shelby didn’t mean I was going to be trapped by it.

There had been a lot of back and forth that day, both emotionally and physically. But here I was once again arguing with my dad. Stupidly, I had let Matthew come along (he was very persuasive), though he stayed in the car. Set on convincing him to let me leave with Matthew, we shouted at each other, screaming our opinions. He didn’t believe a word I said. Tears streamed down my face as I grew more frustrated, pleading him to listen, to give Matthew another chance.  

“I don’t know why I’m bothering to ask! I could have left without asking, without even telling you. But I did it out of respect for you.” I suddenly exclaimed.

Dad stopped shouting for a moment, heavily breathing.“Fine. Go then. If you’re so grown up, pack your bags and move onto the next part of your life. I just hope for your sake that I’m wrong.”

                                       *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I had never felt such conflict in my heart before. The first month of moving away was extremely hard, I cried most nights in Matthew’s arms. I had loathed every moment of collecting my belongings from dad’s house, saying goodbye to my family because I wouldn’t be seeing them as much as I was used to. They thought the same as dad, all had tried to convince me to stay. But Matthew was always by my side, reassuring me that we could start our own life now, not forgetting our old ones of course, but creating a new one. 

And oh, how quickly things changed.

Three months, three months of pure bliss. I was living with my boyfriend, having the joy of seeing him everyday when he came home from work, eating meals with him, sleeping beside him, not having to arrange weeks in advance when to next see each other. Matthew had even started talking more about our future, hinting at marriage, finding our own home to live in. It excited me. I was growing up, doing all the things a person should do. Perhaps this would show dad that I was happy, that he was wrong about those rumours, and I could finally see him again. I missed him so much.

It was like binding a contract with the devil. Once that engagement ring was slipped on my finger, my whole world was flipped. Matthew started staying out late. I knew he wasn’t going out drinking, he didn’t smell of alcohol when he returned, neither could he be cheating because I never caught a whiff of perfume, or found a hair on his jacket, or even see him come home disgruntled; he was just as immaculate as he had been leaving. Sometimes him, his father, his brother and uncle would come home, immediately gathering in the front room and slamming the door shut. They would be in there for hours, deep in conversation. And that scared me, because it reminded me of my family whenever they were scheming.  

“Matthew?” I had mumbled late one night, disturbed from my sleep when he opened the bedroom door.

“Go to sleep.” it was an order, no note of sympathy in his voice.

I watched him undress.“Are you alright? I heard you arguing downstairs.” 

“What did I just say?” I had never seen someones head snap around so quickly.

“I’m sorry,” I didn’t know why I was apologising,“I just wanted to make sure you weren’t upset.”

“I am now.”

“Why?”

“Because of you! Asking me all these questions! I thought you were smart.” he made a show of collapsing into a chair, starting to untie his shoelaces.

I sat up.“Matthew, there’s obviously something wrong. You know you can tell me-”

He suddenly threw his shoe against the floor, but for a split second I thought it was aimed at me.“Just go to sleep (Y/N)!”

I was scared to move, thinking I would somehow do something else wrong. But when he continued to stare at me, I slowly slipped back under the covers, clinging them close to me, trying to steady my breathing to hide how much I wanted to cry. I listened to Matthew get ready for bed, the silence making me more nervous. He climbed into bed, shuffling towards me. I flinched as he wrapped an arm around me, his body pressed up against the back of mine. Who was this person? What made him act like this?

“I’m sorry darling.” he whispered in my ear.

But I didn’t feel comforted by that, or feel like I should give him forgiveness. And I realised it wouldn’t have even mattered if I did, because it kept on happening.

Smaller things started to annoy him. I would simply ask him what he was doing with his day, and receive an eye roll. He would question why I was wearing a specific outfit, who was I wearing it for? His family would try to interrogate every detail about me, and it was suspicious from the beginning. I wasn’t receiving questions such as ‘How many siblings do you have?’, ‘Do your family get on well?’, ‘Where do they live?’; I wondered if it was because everyone knew about the Peaky Blinders, but it was getting too personal. I had been an idiot to become trapped by this man, however, I wasn’t going to let them use me against my family.

Some days I didn’t know how much I could take of Matthew. I was walking on egg shells around him. I quickly learnt what not to say or ask, how the tone of my voice should be, how I should look. It didn’t matter how many times he was sweet to me, apologised, bought me presents, I didn’t recognise the man I had wanted to marry. His hand held mine tighter, his grip on my waist hurt, and our intimate moments together...everything hurt me, and he didn’t care.

“Writing a letter to a friend?” Matthew startled me from the doorway of our room.

My head whipped around to see him standing there, casually leaning against the door frame.“Yes.” I quickly replied.“Well, it’s for my aunt, Ada.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m asking how Karl is. He’s growing up so fast.”

“Mention anything about me?” 

“Of course.”

“Can I read it?”

I handed him the letter, hiding my nerves. He read through it, no expression at first until he looked at me, smirking to himself. That wasn’t a good sign.

“(Y/N), my father was in the war. He’s told me about how they got secret messages out of the trenches.” he smugly said, walking towards a set of drawers and opening the top one. He pulled out a pile of letters, the envelopes opened, and the handwriting was mine.“Being Thomas Shelby’s daughter, I had expected more from you.”

“You’ve lied to me this whole time.” I shuddered at the thought of him reading my letters, begging for someone to help me escape.

“No, I haven’t.”

“You said you were only rivals in business!”I leapt up from my chair.“I fought my family to be with you! I am such a fucking idiot!”

“Isn’t that what we are? A business at the end of the day? Look, you’re here now. We’re happy. I can make us happier once we receive our upcoming bonus.”

“What bonus?”

“The bonus of having the Shelby Company all to ourselves.”

My eyes widened, screeching out as I lunged for him. I landed a good punch to his face, but due to his size and strength, he managed to grab my attacking arms. 

“Stop now (Y/N), before you get hurt.”

That was a threat from him, not a concern I may harm myself. But for once I didn’t care. They were going after my family, I would take all the beatings for them. 

“You’re a fucking liar! A cruel, terrible, waste of space!” I screamed, pulling myself away from him.“I vowed to never become one of those poor women who had to live this life. You were in my head, and I’ll admit it, you were convincing, but I know who you really are. You’re all a bunch of sad men who feel that they need to murder, threaten and mock anyone in order to make them feel better. You’ll never be as powerful as my dad, it  just won’t happen.”

“You’ve grown naive. I did like you (Y/N), once I got a good look at you, I wasn’t angry about the plan of marrying you anymore. And I’ll admit, you’re an interesting woman, easy on the eye which helps. And how loyal you were, standing beside me in everything. Don’t be upset (Y/N), we don’t want any blood on our hands, as long as your family are cooperative. And think, you will be in charge with me once they’re gone.”

“Gone? What do you think you’re going to do with my family?!”

“Nothing. We have a meeting tomorrow, you’ll be coming, and you will convince them to hand it all over to us.”

“I won’t.”

“That wasn’t a request.” he opened one side of his blazer jacket, revealing his gun.

“I would rather die than go against them.”

“You’ve done that already. And I would rather keep your brains inside your head.”

The next morning felt colder, more bitter than it usually did here; there was even a low fog creating a tense atmosphere. Although I didn’t want to comply with Matthew, I knew I had to go to this meeting if I wanted a chance of seeing my family and keeping them alive. Running on adrenaline and anxiety alone, I forced myself to get out of bed, having to get changed under the watch of the man I thought I knew. As I did my hair in the mirror, I had a sudden realisation that I wasn’t me anymore. I looked older, years older even, even though I had only been engaged to this monster for a few months. My skin felt...unusual, not right, it didn’t feel clean. The bags under my eyes seemed to droop more and more every day, as if they were dragging down my eyes with them, and my lips were missing the feeling of a genuine smile. 

Matthew kept a hand on my back as we walked downstairs, his family waiting for us. I wasn’t scared to glare at them. They weren’t going to kill me, not yet anyway. I still had some time to live, and I was going to despise them every second. They talked as if I wasn’t there, checking their weapons and the plan. Matthew had managed to confiscate my gun, I was left with my fists.

I was in the middle of the group as we made our way to the meeting point. I knew the area now, we were headed to the back of a factory. There was a lot of noise from the machines, no one would be walking around because they would be working, and Matthew’s family had a very good deal going on with the owner; they pay him large amounts of money to keep quiet, he takes that on top of his rich salary already and keeps quiet. 

As we rounded the corner, my heart dropped when I saw just my dad standing there. Out of instinct, I started to hastily move towards him until Matthew grabbed me, gripping onto my arms to keep me in place. I felt like a little girl again, scared and needing her dad to come save her. Although dad was expressionless most of the time, I was worried that he thought I was neglecting them all these months, when really, Matthew had stopped any contact between us.

“Mr Thomas Shelby, when I said about meeting, I didn’t think it would be just yourself.” Matthew’s dad started.“But that’s fine, you’re the only one we want to speak with anyway.”

“A business meeting outside, eh?” dad said.“Why do I think this is heading in another direction?”

“Let’s just get to the point, yes? You know what we want, we’re not going to stop till we get it.”

“Of course.” dad didn’t seem bothered.

“And we’re serious. But don’t worry, there will still be a Shelby within the business once you pass it over.”

Matthew urged me forward, staying very close behind.“Dad, I’ve been trying to contact you but they wouldn’t let me! I-”

“Shut up. That’s not important.” Matthew snapped at me. 

“Don’t talk to her that way.” dad lowly said, and I recognised the warning in his voice.

Matthew wasn’t bothered.“She does as she’s told.”

“I fucking don’t!” 

I stamped on his foot with my heel, quickly getting out of his grip and turning around, managing to knee him in the head as he doubled over. Another gang member pulled me away, and I didn’t know whether he was ordered to or not, but he held a gun to my temple, his arm in a choke hold around my neck. I had tried, but it was too risky to do anything when my dad and I were clearly outnumbered. 

Despite that, dad pulled out his own gun, aiming it at the man.“Let her go.”

Matthew’s dad laughed.“I know you’ll have some of your people hiding around here somewhere. But you’ve seen the weapons we carry today, and how many of us there are. You are under prepared.”

 Dad was still for a moment, suddenly whistling. I saw the men around me tense, wondering what my dad could be summoning. As expected, more men started to appear around my dad, a much larger group, some even rounding around the back so that we were surrounded. They all held weapons of some sort; guns, knives, knuckle dusters, anything of the sort. Matthew’s dad tried to not look effected, though you could tell he was shitting himself. 

“What were you saying about no bloodshed?" I smugly said to Matthew.

He frowned at me, taking me out of the man's arms and throwing me to the floor. He got out his own gun, once again placing it on my temple.

"I don't want to shoot her. But I will if you don't go through with our deal." he stated.

My hands were scraped, blood already trickling onto the ground. But I didn't moan, I didn't complain, worried that one slight move would set him off and he would shoot.

"You will put down your weapons, give me back my daughter, turn around, and walk away." dad said."We don't want to start a war between us. Look at my men, now look at yours. You will lose, and you will lose your lives along with it."

"How dare you threaten us-"

Matthew's dad interrupted."Shut up Matthew! This doesn’t mean you’ve won Shelby.”

Dad didn’t reply, lowering his gun but the others kept their weapons on display. Matthew’s dad was waiting for a reply, and when he didn’t get one, he sharply turned away. Matthew was shocked, glancing between me and him as he wondered what to do. Although I was desperate to run to dad, I slowly made a move to stand. Matthew kept his eyes glued on me. I slid off my beautiful engagement ring, now despising it, holding it up in front of his face, and letting it drop to the ground.

“In case you were wondering, the wedding is off.” I spat, instantly turning on my heel.

My body broke out into a sprint, throwing my arms around my dad’s neck as I burst into tears. My legs went weak as he clung onto me, reassuring me that I was safe now, I wouldn’t be hurt any longer. How could I have done such a thing? I turned my back on my family for a man I should have known more about. I had to face it, I was a Shelby, and it was going to be difficult to find someone who wanted me for me, not my name.

“I’m so sorry dad!” I sobbed.“Please forgive me! I don’t want to be hated by you forever. I need you. I love you!”

He calmly shushed me, as if I was a baby again.“It’s alright, it’s alright (Y/N). I’ve got you now. You’re my daughter, I would never hate you.”

“I’m sorry! I won’t ever leave you again.”

“Come on, let’s go home, eh?”

“Please.”

“You’re my family, you always will be. I’m always going to protect you (Y/N), always.”

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

Make A Scene

AMHL – Masterlist

Dick immediately noticed when Y/N started getting quieter and quieter as they got closer and closer to the venue.

Bruce had hired a driver to pick them up from their apartment in Gotham. And the car had gone quiet now. 

Dick reached over to gently hold her hand.

“Nervous?” He asked.

Y/N shrugged, not really seeing the point in trying to lie to her boyfriend.

“This isn’t your first rodeo, ya know.”

She gave him a look. “You know that wasn’t the same.” Her eyes flickered to the driver. “I wasn’t exactly…myself. And I wasn’t your girlfriend.”

Also, tonight they didn’t have the security and comfort of being at Wayne Manor.

No, instead this particular event was being held at the ballroom of Gotham’s most extravagant five-star hotel. It was a party for Wayne Enterprises, not a personal charity or party of the Wayne family.

Bruce had kindly asked Dick and Y/N to attend when board members and business partners started asking if the whole family would be attending. Jason hadn’t answered anyone’s calls or texts about it. None of them expected him to show up. Tim had to attend since he worked for Wayne Enterprises. And Damian…Well, Damian was his father’s son and not yet an adult. He basically had to do whatever Bruce asked of him while he lived under his roof.

“I’m not gonna leave your side,” Dick promised.

He squeezed her hand to further emphasize it.

Their car pulled up to the carpet at the bottom of the stairs.

There had to be a hundred journalists and photographers, along with random civilians who had nothing better to do than to see Gotham’s elite get out of cars and walk into a hotel.

Dick took in a deep breath.

Thankfully the car’s windows were tinted and protected them from any onlookers.

“Ready?” He asked her.

She nodded.

Dick opened the door and ignored the screams and flashes as he carefully helped Y/N out of the car with his offered hand. He also shielded her from the photographers to give her a moment to get out and adjust herself before they could capture any photos of her.

“Mr. Grayson! Mr. Grayson! Who is your mystery girlfriend?” Someone yelled.

Sometimes Y/N forgot that Dick was somewhat of a celebrity in Gotham City through association.

It wasn’t like people were asking for selfies everywhere he went. Or that the paparazzi were following his every move.

But in Gotham, people took note of where Dick Grayson went and who he was with.

And everyone noticed he’d had the same woman on his arm for quite some time now.

Even though Y/N and Dick had been dating for over a year, the media still couldn’t figure out Y/N’s identity. 

What they didn’t realize was that she controlled every single piece of information about herself that lived on the internet.

They didn’t stand a chance. 

Dick smiled and waved at people who called his name. But his hand other hand never left Y/N’s as he helped her up the stairs.

“Who are you wearing?” A female journalist yelled at Y/N.

She ignored them and focused on getting up the stairs without tripping and face planting. Not that Dick would ever let that happen.

However, she knew her outfit was going to draw gazes.

Y/N had made a promise to herself that if she was going to be forced to attend events like this with Dick, then she was going make a statement. People were already going to be staring at her, so she figured she might as well give them something good to stare at.

Instead of wearing a typical cocktail and formal dress, Y/N wore a full men’s suit that was tailored to perfection, but with the bowtie undone. It was what the fashion magazines would describe as “androgynous” in the press tomorrow morning.

Y/N wanted to control her own narrative. And she’d rather be judged for her bold decisions than just her trying to blend in.

Bruce insisted on paying for all the boys’ date’s dresses – in this case, suit – if they happened to bring one. He always thought it was more of an incentive for them to attend these terrible events if he encouraged them to bring significant others. And the press always had a field day with it, which only helped throw people of their trail when it came to their secret lives as vigilantes.

Everyone kept screaming Dick’s name as they walked in, and Y/N wondered how he got so good at smiling through the chaos and ignoring them.

Once they were inside, Dick felt the tension leave Y/N’s body a bit.

“Alcohol?” He offered with a smirk.

“Yes, please.”

He nodded, knowing it was exactly what she needed.

Quickly, he grabbed two champagne flutes off a passing waiter.

They clinked glasses.

Then he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Thank you for being my date.”

Y/N smiled at his sincerity.

Dick sighed before he threw back the champagne, “The quicker we find Bruce and prove we were here, the sooner we can leave.”

“Try not to sound so excited,” she laughed darkly.

Suddenly felt a small human wrap around her thighs.

Y/N gasped in excitement, “Dami!”

Dick smiled as he looked down at his 10-year-old brother hugging his girlfriend.

“Dick gave me the drawing you made for us. It’s so beautiful. I’m trying to find the perfect frame for it,” she told the boy.

Damian beamed with pride at that.

Suddenly the boy started asking a million questions about Stoker, one of his kittens that he’d given to them to take care of when Bruce gave a limit to how many cats Damian was allowed to have in the manor.

Then, to Dick’s shock, he saw Jason slowly walk over to them with his hands in his pant pockets.

He was not at all dressed nice enough for the event. No suit jacket. No tie. His white button-up shirt wrinkled, messily tucked into his pants, and with two many buttons undone. The sloppiness of it all clearly wasn’t an issue with the women, seeing as all of them were ogling Jason.

“Todd,” Damian greeted coldly, pausing his conversation with Y/N, who whipped around at the name.

“Hey, you,” Y/N smiled as she went to greet him.

Jason gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek and a quick hug.

“I really didn’t think you were coming,” Dick told his brother.

“Well, I wasn’t. But I got a business engagement.”

Y/N and Dick shared a confused look.

“What do you mean?” Dick asked.

“I found my neighbor crying on her fire escape a few nights ago. Apparently… one of the finance bros of Wayne fucking Enterprises was everything but a gentleman to her.”

Y/N’s eyes widened in realization. “J, I already took care of that.”

“I know,” Jason nodded as his eyes scanned the room. He was clearly on a personal mission tonight. “You deleted the evidence. I am teaching him a lesson.”

Dick slowly put together what they were implying.

“Oh, please don’t make a scene, Jason.” Dick begged him.

Because he knew Bruce wouldn’t be dealing with the aftermath; it would be him.

“Don’t worry!” Jason laughed. "I’m gonna take him outside before I beat the shit out of him. No one here will even notice. It’ll be fine,” Jason assured him as he gave Dick a far too heavy slap on the back.

“Just tell Bruce and he’ll get him fired,” Dick tried to convince him to take the less violent route.

“Oh, we already did,” Y/N muttered.

Dick’s gaze shot to his girlfriend.

“He’s getting fired on Monday,” she clarified sheepishly.

“Since when do the two of you work together behind my back?” Dick accused them.

But he wasn’t actually mad about anything – maybe just a little bit bitter.

Jason opened his mouth.

“I swear to God, Jason, if you say ‘club business,’ I will lose it…” Dick warned.

Y/N tried to hide her smile.

“Got him,” Jason growled as he glared at someone on the other side of the room.

As soon as he left them, Dick gave Y/N his full attention.

“Seriously?” He accused.

“I’m sorry! He asked me for a favor and I was happy to do it once I realized what it was,” Y/N defended.

Dick pouted a little. Mostly because he hated being left out.

“Don’t worry, ya big baby. I’m still your ‘guy in the chair’ and no one else’s,” she teased before giving him a kiss, immediately wiping the lipstick off his lips.

“How come Jason gets to beat up people at events like this, but I’m expected to behave like a well-trained dog?” Damian mumbled.

Dick sighed and shook his head.

“Jason likes to think he’s a lone wolf who doesn’t have to play by the rules,” Y/N tried to comfort the boy.

To distract Damian from getting further into how unfair it was, Y/N asked him to show her more of his drawings.

This seemed to please Damian and he pulled his phone out, flipping through photos and showing Y/N his recent sketches.

With Y/N being entertained by his youngest brother, Dick decided to go to the bar and get the two of them a stronger drink and maybe get a kiddie cocktail for Damian. He’d pretend to be patronized and annoyed by it, but Dick knew better.

He patiently waited for the bartender’s attention. 

“So Gotham’s Golden Boy really has returned…” a husky voice uttered beside him at the bar.

Dick glanced over to see a beautiful woman close to his age eyeing him.

It was clear what she wanted. Dick used tactics like this on countless missions.

“So I have,” he answered.

He was polite, but distant.

Women hitting on him at events like this was nothing new. To Gotham, Dick Grayson was a Bruce Wayne 2.0 – younger, just as charming and handsome as his mentor and stand-in father figure. 

Dick knew how to play the game. But he never had any interest in casual relationships like Bruce did.

“Back for good?” The woman persisted.

“My girlfriend and I are just in town for a few weeks,” he answered before ordering his drinks with the bartender finally.

“Oh, brought up the girlfriend rather quickly,” she laughed.

Dick quirked an eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”

“No, it’s just…my friends and I had a bet going.”

Then she pointed to a group of three young women, who were giggling and smiling, not even trying to pretend like they weren’t watching them closely.

“Oh, yeah?” Dick asked, already tired of this conversation.

--

Jason had already rejoined Y/N and Damian.

Y/N looked down to see his knuckles red with irritation and bruised.

“Please tell me there’s not a corpse in the alley behind this hotel now…” Y/N sighed.

“No,” Jason answered coldly. “Though there fucking should be.”

“What did he do?” Damian asked curiously, clearly he hadn’t been listening to their earlier conversation that closely.

Y/N shifted her weight in discomfort, not sure how to handle the subject with the boy. Yes, Damian was far more mature than many grown men, but he was still just a kid. There were some things Y/N felt like they should at least try to protect him from still. 

“He got my neighbor too drunk to consent, filmed them having sex without her knowing it, and then showed it to a bunch of people at their work,” Jason answered bluntly.

Damian’s brow furrowed, clearly thinking long and hard about what his brother just told him.

After a moment, the boy perked up, “I know where we could hide the body so even father won’t find out.”

“Damian!” Y/N scolded.

But Jason was beaming.

Y/N looked around for Dick, hoping to find another sane person to stop the two boys from actually murdering anyone tonight.

But when she finally spotted him, she saw a woman standing far too close to Dick and pointing to a group of girls who flirtatiously waved and winked at both of them.

“Real cute,” Y/N muttered to herself.

“Vultures,” Damian growled as he followed her gaze.

“Jason, if I leave you alone with Damian, are you going to kill someone?” She asked without taking her eyes off her boyfriend.

“I don’t need to be watched,” Damian groaned.

“No, I need you to watch Jason to make sure he doesn’t change his mind about keeping that asshole alive.”

“Fine,” Damian whined.

Without any further confirmation, Y/N left them. 

She walked across the party on a mission, never taking her stare off of her boyfriend.

Dick did a double take when he noticed her heading towards him.

“Hey,” he greeted innocently.

Because he was innocent. All he’d done was be polite to a bunch of women who were after him for his name…and maybe his good looks.

“I was wondering where my drink was,” Y/N said with a surprising calmness and smile.

Then she turned to the woman. 

“Hi, I’m Y/N. You must be a friend of Dick’s.” 

She held her hand out.

No cattiness. No rudeness.

Y/N said it with the same kindness that drunk women having with other drunk women in bar bathrooms.

“Oh…I’m Irina,” the woman stuttered as she took Y/N’s offered hand, clearly confused by Y/N’s niceness.

Dick held out her drink.

Y/N took it, quickly clinked her glass with both Dick and Irina.

“Cheers,” she sang before tossing it back and chugging the drink that was meant to be slowly sipped.

Dick didn’t know what game his girlfriend was playing, but he was intrigued.

Once Y/N lightly placed her empty glass back on the bar, she turned to Dick and tilted her head to the side. “Could you show me to the bathrooms? I have no idea where they are.”

“Of course,” Dick answered without knowing where this was going.

“It was nice meeting you, Irina,” Y/N told the woman as she linked her fingers with Dick’s and guided him away.

—

Meanwhile, Jason watched the interaction as if he were watching an award-winning movie. Him and Damian were way too far to hear, but everyone in the bat family could read lips more than fluently.

Then Jason smirked as he watched Y/N drag Dick away.

“Boys,” Bruce greeted as he snuck up on the two of them. “What are we staring at?”

“Oh, you know,” Jason hummed with hilarity, “just watching Y/N assert her dominance.”

“Good for her,” Bruce grinned as he realized what was happening.

He moved his attention to his youngest boy. “Alfred is waiting outside with the car. You’re officially released from your duties.”

“Finally,” Damian groaned.

“Don’t you wanna say bye to Y/N?” Jason asked.

“They’re coming to the manor tomorrow afternoon,” Bruce answered for his son. Then he raised a brow at Jason. “You’re welcome to join us.”

Jason’s only response was a shrug.

Bruce tried to hide his disappointment and nodded before he guided Damian away and walked him outside, where Alfred was waiting.

10 minutes later, Jason saw Dick trailing behind Y/N as she walked back to the main area of the event.

Jason burst out laughing at the spectacle. 

Dick’s hair was an absolute mess. Half of his shirt was untucked. His jacket was draped over his forearm. His lips were swollen and pink. Y/N had left lipstick all over his neck and even a bit on the collar of his shirt.

Yet somehow not a single hair was out of place on Y/N and her makeup was still immaculate. Her outfit was just as sleek and clean as when she’d arrived. The only thing different was the proud smirk on her lips.

Clearly Y/N had just had her way with Dick.

But she wanted to make sure the whole party knew about it.

—

Y/N hadn’t said a word to Dick since she dragged him from that woman.

Her body did all the talking.

One second they were at the bathroom doors, the next Y/N had thrown him against the tiled wall after locking the bathroom door.

She gave no verbal explanation, just started kissing him and undoing his pants.

“Not that I’m complaining. Like, at all,” Dick laughed as they rejoined the party. “But wanna to tell me what that was all about?”

Y/N finally stopped walking and turned to face him with narrowed eyes. “I think you know, Richard.”

Y/N only ever used his full first name to provoke and tease him. And he hated that it worked every single time.

Dick glanced around to see that everyone in their vicinity was eyeing them. Well, they were mostly eyeing him and how it was clear he’d just been fucked in the bathroom.

He stepped close to her and lowered his voice, “Ohhh, I see how it is.” His eyes flickered down to her lips for a split second. “If a guy does that, he’s jealous and possessive. But if a woman does it, it’s sexy…”

Y/N proudly smiled like the cheshire cat. “Exactly.”

Something over his shoulder caught her attention. “Oh, I see Tim. I’m going to go say hi.”

Without hesitation, she brushed past him.

Dick let his head fall, put his hands on his hips, and laughed.

He’d pay her back later tonight. And by ‘pay her back,’ he would just tell her how incredibly hot her behavior had been and basically invite her to do it whenever she damn well pleased.

Dick felt a presence beside him, and he didn’t have to raise his head to know it was Bruce.

“Hey,” Dick greeted him nonchalantly.

“You have lipstick all over your neck,” Bruce told him as he took a sip of his drink and looked around the party. “And your zippers down.”

“Sure is,” Dick sighed.

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

OK. This was way too fun to write. 

Let me know what you think!!!

ALL BONUS CONTENT CAN BE FOUND: HERE

[toomanyfandomssss]

His Girl - Four

In a sort of protective manner, Violet opted to walk with Clarke and Wells in case Bellamy and Murphy decided to pull anything. And of course, her intuition was correct.

"Hey, hold up." Bellamy pushed through some trees as he and Murphy caught up with Violet, Clarke, and Wells. Waving his gun in the air he continued,"Whats the Rush? You don't survive a spear through the heart" he smirked arrogantly. A tone Violet thinks she'll have to get used too from now on.

Murphy pushed Wells forward, "Why don't you do something about it, huh?"

Clarke interrupted, "Jasper screamed when they moved him.  If the spear struck his heart, he'd have died instantly, doesn't mean we have time to waste."

Bellamy grabbed Clarke's wrist and help up her arm, "As soon as you take this wristband off, we can go."

"The only way the Ark is gonna think I'm dead, is if I'm dead. Got it?" Clarke challenged, snatching her wrist back.

Bellamy smirked, "Brave princess."

Suddenly, a voice came from behind the group. "Hey, why don't you find your own nickname?" Fin called out. "You call this a rescue party? You've gotta split up. Cover more ground. Clarke. Come with me."

✶✶✶

Violet and Wells walked together a little ahead of Bellamy and Murphy. The doe eyed brunette had little interest in being around her boyfriend at the moment. As they continued on their way Violet kept catching Well's glances at the spacewalker and princess.

"Are you okay?" she looks at him concerned.

"Yeah," he forcibly smiled at her. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Violet just looked at him, then reached over and squeezed his arm in a comforting manner.

Wells was able to give her a more genuine smile after this act of kindness. Why is a girl like this dating a guy like Bellamy Blake?

Not wanting to see his girlfriend near another guy for any longer, the man himself interupted the moment between the two. "Guess we got more in common than meets the eye, huh?" Bellamy glanced at Clarke and Finn as he spoke. Violet rolled her eyes.

"We have nothing in common." Wells denied.

"No? Both came down here to protect someone we love," Bellamy wrapped his arm around Violet.

Wells stayed quiet, so Bellamy continued. "Your secrets safe with me. 'Course, for you its worse. With Finn around, Clarke doesn't even see you." "It's like you're not even here." he finished, grabbing Violet's hand and pulling her forward to walk with him.

✶✶✶

After Clarke and Finn's discovery of Jasper's goggles near a bloodied rock, they had met up with the other half the group to follow the trail.

Murphy broke the silence, "Hey, how do we know this is the right way?"

"We don't. Spacewalker thinks he's a tracker," Bellamy mocked.

"It's called "Cutting Sign." Fourth-year Earth skills. He's good." Wells defended the long haired boy.

Annoyed, Finn interjected "You want to keep it down or should I paint a target on your backs?" He stopped at a plant as he noticed some blood dripping down. He sunk to the ground to see a rock that had drops of blood on it, coming from the plant above. He and Clarke shared a look.

Bellamy chose this moment to taunt Wells even more, "See? You're invisible."

"Give it a rest Bellamy!" Violet harshly whispered to him, completely over his constant teasing of the chancellor's son. She separated herself from him as much as she could.

He was shocked at the small outburst, getting mildly angry that his girl was defending someone else. His girl.

A loud moan broke out and everyone looked up . "What the hell was that?" Murphy spoke all of their thoughts in the moment.

"Now would be a good time to take out that gun." Clarke suggested.

Everyone moved forward towards the direction of the groaning. They all stopped once they came to the source of it. There was Jasper, strapped to a tree. "Jasper!" Clarke gasped.

Violet was the second one to move forward, after Clarke. "Jasper!" Clarke called out again. "What the hell is this?" Bellamy said before there was a loud snap.

Clarke has stepped onto a trap and was falling when a hand caught onto hers.

She looked up to see that Violet had caught her before she could fall. The brunette immediately tried to pull her up but was having a difficult time by herself.

"A little help?" she called out to the boys behind her.

Bellamy came rushing over and grabbed Violet at the waist as the rest of the boys helped her pull Clarke up. The blonde was breathing very hard after her near death experience. She looked at Violet, "Thank you," she nodded gratefully.

"Anytime," Violet said, letting out a small laugh.

Clarke looked back up at Jasper. "We need to get him down."

"I'll climb up there and cut the vines." "Yeah, yeah I'm with you." Wells offered to Finn.

"No. Stay with the girls. And watch him." Finn orderd. He then gestured to Murphy, "You, lets go."

Clarke noticed something on Jasper, "There's a poultice on his wound."

Wells questioned, "Medicine? Why would they save his life just to string him up as live bait?"

"Maybe what they're trying to catch like's its dinner to be breathing," Bellamy suggested, making Violet grimace.

"Maybe what they're trying to catch is us." Finn said from his spot by Murphy and Jasper, making everyone worry.

As the two boys worked to get Jasper down, there was a strange noise that came from behind them. "What the hell was that?" Murphy asked no one in particular.

Bellamy quickly grabbed Violet and pulled her close to him. "Grounders?"

Clarke noticed a panther beginning to charge at the four, "Bellamy! Gun!" However when he felt for it, he couldn't find it.

The, gunshot came from over where Wells was. He was aiming it at the oncoming animal, hitting it once but it wasn't enough. He kept shooting randomly as the animal made it's way into the grass in front of Bellamy and Violet.

Bellamy was quick to push Violet behind him, shielding her. He would move her and himself the opposite way of where he could hear the dangerous animal.

All of a sudden it went quiet. Hearts racing, the couple held onto each other.

The panther had made it's way behind Violet when it finally jumped out. Bellamy shoved her to the ground and covered her, waiting for the impact of the panther.

When he had heard another gun shot and felt no impact, he looked up. Wells finally was able to shoot and kill the panther. He slowly got off Violet and helped her up, holding her close to his chest. He looked at Wells, "Now she sees you."

✶✶✶

After an eventful day, the small group made it back home to their camp. Bellamy and Murphy who had been carrying the now dead panther, dropped it as Bellamy shouted "Who's hungry!"

Bellamy and Violet embraced Octavia as the 100 celebrated finally having food to eat.

The price of that food though, ended up being wristbands. Violet shook her head as she watched the boy she loved and his hench men taking off wristbands. When Clarke and Finn had come out to see what was going on, they detested it as much as she did. Finn had went up to grab two meat sticks for him and Clarke, knowing Bellamy wouldn't let his girlfriend go hungry. When he went up he was greeted by Murphy who had taunted him about not following "rules".

"I though there were no rules," Finn said before turning around and walking back to the two girls.

One kids who has seen the spacewalkers act of defiance had decided to follow, grabbing his own stick. Unfortunate before he was able to get away, Bellamy punched the poor kids in the face hard enough for him to fall to the ground as the brooding leader glared at Finn.

Violent instantly went to help the boy up, much to Bellamy's dismay. After glaring heatedly at her power-hungry boyfriend, Violet walked the boy to his tent.

Instead of dealing with anymore bullshit today, she opted to go to her and Bellamy's tent to sleep off every stressful event that has happened on the ground so far.

✶✶✶

Feeling herself being lightly shaken, Violent opened her eyes only to see Bellamy sitting next to her, one hand on her shoulder and one hand cradling her face.

He takes the hand from her face and reaches next to him to grab the panther meat he had saved for her after she had walked off. "You need to eat angel," he softly demanded.

"You need to stop being an ass." Violet retorted, accepting the food.

"I have to be strict or else the kids won't follow orders," Bellamy defended.

Violet tiredly shook her head, "There's a difference between being a leader, and being a power-hungry dictator Bell."

The boy sighed, equally as exhausted "Can we please not fight, I just need you to eat angel."

Nodding, Violet silently finished up her meal before laying in her boyfriends awaiting arms. She put her head on his chest listening to the sound oh his heartbeat, lulling herself into a deep sleep.

[baecvlt]

This Night Has Opened My Eyes

Kazuichi Soda X Reader

• smut !

• fem reader

• requested by my irl lmao (they also wanted some hcs so)

“That asshole.. always getting in the way of Miss Sonia and I”

You smacked Kazuichi’s arm, scolding him,“You need to be nicer to him. He hasn’t done anything wrong”. We were in the Hotel Restaurant and it was obvious that Gundham and Sonia had gotten closer since the last trial. Kazuichi didn’t like that one bit. He sighed, taking another bite of food,“Look at him, though!”. He points at Gundham, who is allowing Sonia to pet his hamsters. “Only likes him because he’s a magical cult freak”. You shook you head, trying to explain.

“You think maybe it’s because, I don’t know, he isn’t weirdly obsessed with her?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What I said”

Kazuichi growled, his expression toning down when Gundham approached you both. “You and Kazuichi seem to be two peas in a pod. Tell me, are you both partaking in an intimate relationship?”. Kazuichi was about to get defensive, you just knew it. “What’s it to you?,” he said, fist clenched. Taking a step back, Gundham explains,“I have no such interest in such topics. Rather, Sonia was curious”. Kazuichi’s eyes lit up,“Sonia’s asking about me?”. Gundham cringed and scoffed.

“You’re getting ahead of yourself over pure gossip. Pathetic”

“Watch it, Houdini. I’ll fuck you up”

“Bring it then, you penniless, mediocre mechanic. I’m awfully frightened”

“MEDIOCRE?! I’M A FUCKING ULTIMATE”

He launches himself toward Gundham, knocking him to the floor. Gundham gets a few small, yet hard punches in before Kazuichi lands the nastiest sounding backhand on his left cheek, making heads turn. As gasps can be heard around the room, Sonia runs to Gundham’s side as Kazuichi couldn’t handle himself afterward. “You! How could you?!,” Sonia scolded him. For the first time in forever, Kazuichi wasn’t having it. “How could I?! Fuck you!”. Kazuichi got up, leaving a hurt Gundham and an appalled Sonia on the ground. Gundham turned to you.

“Control your lab rat or I will”

You felt shitty, seeing Kazuichi go off that way. It wasn’t good at all, but by the looks of his response to Sonia, it seems to me like she won’t have to worry about him for a while now. He looked that mad. You thought to check on him, even if you were severely disappointed in him. You had no clue where to look for him and made a mental note of possible places where he might be: his room, Rocketpunch Market, and Electric Ave.

And so began the quest to look for him.

Checking in his room was too simple. When he didn’t respond, it didn’t surprise you that he wasn’t there. You knew he wouldn’t be. I headed off to the Rocketpunch Market. Even if he wasn’t there, you wanted to use the opportunity to buy him a bottle of Ramune. When you got there, there were voices present. That’s when you made them out to be the voices of Nagito, Fuyuhiko, Hiyoko, and Ibuki. “So we’re just not gonna discuss what happened back there?,” Nagito intrigued. Everyone sighed in relief. “Finally, you ask something smart,” Hiyoko said,“Yes, we should definitely talk about it! Kazuichi was totally out of line!”. You got closer to hear, without them seeing you. “Are you kidding me?,” Fuyuhiko spat,“I heard the whole thing. Gundham was being a dick. Had I been the one he disrespected, I would’ve killed that bastard!”. “Well, what did Gundham say?”.

“He called him ‘mediocre’, ‘penniless’, and ‘pathetic’. Kazuichi hadn’t once insulted him. If anything, Gundham approached him!”

“I don’t know,” Ibuki said,“That’s still no reason to be violent! Violence isn’t the answer, only heavy metal!”. “Ibuki, what?”. Ibuki shrugged. Nagito thought for a minute,“Did you even hear why the argument began?”. “Well, Gundham pressed him about his relationship with Y/N,” he said,“but Sonia had asked. He made a comment, hopeful Sonia was slightly interested in him. That’s when Gundham called him pathetic”. “Well, it is pathetic,” Hiyoko said,“But harsh”. The conversation then shifted to something completely different. “Why was he so defensive in the first place,” Hiyoko asked, adding,“he could’ve said ‘no’”. Nagito laughed, shaking his head. “Woah! A laugh like that implies, you believe there’s something going on there!”.

“Ibuki, always knows what to say. Always knows what I’m thinking”

“They belong together,” Fuyuhiko muttered,“Its obvious she likes him”. “Is it obvious or did Sonia tell you?,” Nagito asked,“Everyone, in 3..2..1”... and in union:

“Sonia told me”

Hiyoko laughed. “Yeah, but do you see how they look at each other when Kazuichi isn’t thinking about Sonia?,” she asked,“It’s funny, really”. You decided to come out and without saying a word, grabbed the drink and left. No one said a word as you walked by them. Pussies, all of them. Lastly, you took the long walk to the third island’s Electric Avenue.

Sure enough, there he was, putting together a computer (or a different device with a very small monitor of some sort; it looked handheld). You didn’t want to alarm him, for he might still be tense. You lightly tapped his shoulder. “Hey, Kazu”. He wiped his eyes rather fast, removing what appeared to be glasses. You knew he did this so he wouldn’t be seen crying. “Hi”. His voice was quiet and tired. You handed him his Ramune, making him smile. “What are you doing?”.

“Tinkering”

“Can I watch you?”

“You don’t wanna talk about anything?”

“Not unless you want to”

“Alright,” he said, continuing to modify the device,“Let’s talk”. “What are you doing to that computer-thingy”. He snickered. “‘Computer-thingy’...you’re cute”. Blushing, you were left dumbfounded. “Don’t say that!,” you scolded,“So what is it?”. “I’m making a radio,” he said,“The computer monitor part displays any words that have been picked up by the radio signals. I’ll also make it possible to communicate with them”. You were actually impressed by it.

“That’s so fucking cool”

“Thanks”

There was a bit of silence, then he sighed. “Look, Y/N,” he began,“I’m really sorry about what happened earlier. I don’t know what got into me”. You shook your head. “You shouldn’t be apologizing to me,” you explained,“You need to apologize to Gundham.. and Sonia”. He nodded and mouthed an ‘okay’. He agreed that as soon as he saw him and Sonia, he would apologize. Now that Sonia was in the conversation, he got onto that topic. “Sonia and I can’t be,” he said,“I’ve always known this”. You raised a brow and asked why he pursued her for so long.

“She’s a princess. She’s perfect and kind. She never full on said she isn’t interested in me, so I figured she’d go out with me out of pity”

“But wouldn’t that be a loveless relationship?”

“Not everyone deserves to be loved. I don’t. What I fear more than not being loved is being alone”

“You’d rather know someone is there than to be loved by them?”

“Yeah, it’s fucked,” he admitted,“but that’s over now”. While you were screaming internally, you still felt terrible about what he said. If only he knew how you felt. The question is if he feels the same. “By the way,” he began,“I made you something”. There was a small box next to him wrapped in old newspapers and a ribbon bow. “You and Hajime have been my only friends- well, comrades, on this island. So, I made you both these communication devices!”. You opened the box and a small walkie-talkie device was placed. He further explained.

“They work anywhere on the island. Hopefully, when and if we make it out of here, it works everywhere else. So, y’know, we don’t lose touch”

“I won’t let that happen”

He smiled, warmly. He didn’t say anything else. You were both in a trance, looking into each other’s eyes. “Hey!”. Ibuki suddenly came running towards the two of you. You both snapped out of it, seeing what she needed. She fell in front of you, dusting herself off. “No time to waste!,” she said,“Sonia planned a party at the the Titty Typhoon, what a name for a club, don’t ya think? Anyway, its mandatory, so we’ll see you there at six. Ibuki, out!”. Before you could say anything, she ran off. “Well,” he began,“At least now I could apologize to Gun-dumb”. You sighed as he laughed at his nickname.

Parting ways, you headed back to ensure you could shower and ready yourself a little. As you did, you were grateful for the small moment with Kazuichi. Him not wanting to lose touch? Getting over Sonia. It all made you feel so good and now you were head over heels. Finally, you were ready. You opened the door and there he was waiting for you. “Hi, Y/N,” he began,“I was thinking we should show up together, y’know? Avoid awkwardness from earlier”. You smiled and nodded. “Great, come on!”. He grabbed your hand, dragging you along with him.

You got there a minute or two late. When you stepped inside, the music blasted as loud as possible. You noticed the stares from Nagito and Fuyuhiko. “You should find Sonia, then we can deal with Gundham”. He agreed, checking out the room. Finally, he spotted Sonia near the stage. Cautiously, we approached her. “Hello, Miss Sonia,” he said. She turned around, her rather happy expression turning into something bitter. “What do you want?”.

“I just wanted to apologize for what happened earlier”

“It’s not me who you should be apologizing-”

“I also wanted to apologize for my behavior towards you that’s occurred from the time we’ve arrived. It was really inappropriate, so I’m sorry”

Sonia was no longer bitter, even if she had the right to be. She smiled, nodding,“Well, I guess when you’re being so nice about it.. yes, I forgive you. However, I really think you should apologize to Gundham”. Kazuichi agreed and explained to her that he was trying to find him. “Well,” Sonia began,“He hasn’t gotten here, but he will have gotten back any minute now!”. As if on cue, the doors burst open.

There he was, as tense as ever.

“Tanaka! I’ve been waiting for you,” Kazuichi said. Once in front of him, Gundham was appalled. “You again? I thought I’ve made clear that I was through with you!,” he scowled, shoving Kazuichi into the stage. “Gundham, let him finish,” Sonia pleaded. “Now you’re on his side? What’s wrong with all of you being so pathetic this day?”. Kazuichi got up, trying to explain.

“Just let me finish–”

“I have no reason to further discuss anything with a lowly, degenerate, and pathetic subhuman such as yourself”

“Wait-”

“God, Y/N, I thought you were smarter, but now you’ve fallen for him? You are equally as pathetic!”

“Y/N has a crush on me?”

“God, yes, she does! She is in love with you, you fool!”

“She... loves me?”

Heads were turning and the eyes belonging to them all faced you. There were gasps at first (like this morning), but now there were whispers and small chatter. “Ugh! What’s with you?!,” Sonia yelled,“Kazuichi was only trying tl apologize to you!”. Gundham was the embodiment of the phrase “a face of regret”. “Y/N,” Kazuichi began,“Is this true?”. Your breathing was starting to get worse and worse as you just stood there with an answer, but no courage to confess. You had no other choice, but tear up and say “Kazuichi, no, I-”. You were at loss of words. Then, you ran all the way back to your room.

Once there, you slammed your door shut and locked. You paced around a little, attempting to calm down. When you couldn’t do that, you simply collapsed onto your bed and screamed into the nearest pillow. Your throat hurt and despite having screamed into a pillow, it was still loud enough to hear the scream bounce around the room. You cried into it, for about 5 minutes, moped for 45, then cried again for another 10.

Bing-bong, Bing-bong!

It was time for bed, now realizing that if you didn’t die in your sleep, you’d have to face tomorrow. That was something you didn’t want to do. You began to get ready for bed. Suddenly, there was loud and demanding knocking on your door. You prayed, hoping it was someone here to put you out of your misery upon opening the door, so you opened it without hesitation. To your dismay, it wasn’t the next blackened.

It was Kazuichi.

Your face was all red again and before you could say anything, he spoke. “We need to talk”. You tried shutting the door, but before you could, he forced his way inside. He locked the door behind him. “What?!,” I yelled,“Why are you still here? I don’t want to see you! I can’t-”. He grabbed your face and pressed his lips against yours. “You aren’t one for words are you?,” he asked and after seeing you blush, added,“Guess I’m gonna have to show you”. He lay you down and began kissing you; you didn’t hesitate against him and wanted this to happen for so long. His lips felt amazing on yours. He began to kiss your neck, stopping at your chest. He lifted your shirt up and pulled down your bra, sucking roughly on your tits. He then made his way down. All that was left was-

“Kazuichi, what are you..?”

He unbuttoned your shorts and pulled them down tossing them aside. Looking up at you, he moved your panties to the side and began to work his mouth on your pussy. You whined at the feeling, shifting a little. He held you down, his tongue focused on your sweet spots. “You like that?”. You hummed, nodding frantically. His arms were locked around your thighs to hold you down. You took off his beanie and pulled his hair. He sucked your clit, whining from his hair being pulled. You knew he enjoyed it as he began to be sloppy. He moved away and wiped his mouth before kissing you again. “Sit on my fucking face,” he growled. You saw the fire in his eyes as he said so. “Are you sure?,” you asked him.

“Yes”

You straddled his face and he didn’t wait. He went at it, desperately this time. You moaned as your legs shook. You didn’t just want to sit there and feel stimulation. Noticing the bulge growing in his suit, you grabbed his zipper and pulled it all the way down. You pulled down his boxers and his hard member sprung out. You stroked him gently and spat on his cock. You heard his muffled voice grunt, finally deciding to blow him. “Oh, fuck,” he moaned, his nails digging into your thighs. He thrust upward as you enjoyed him even more. This wasn’t your first time, but it was the first time it felt so good. You stopped riding his face and lay down. He took off his entire suit and boxers, positioning himself between your legs. You’d given a blowjob before, but never actually had sex. You wanted it so bad. He pulled out a condom, slipping it on. As he did, you wondered where he managed to get one. He teased you with his cock in hand, pushing only his tip in, making you whine.

“Oh, you’re so wet”

He shoved in, stretching you out. “Fuck me,” you cried,“Please.. fuck me so hard”. He thrust into you hard, just as you had asked. It hurt for a minute. You shook, attempting to overcome the pain. Kazuichi gasped, feeling your pussy spasm around him. “H-Hey, are you okay?,” he asked. You nodded, your eyes watering; the sensation was overwhelming and in a really good way. His cock grew harder inside you, twitching. His thrusts were rhythmic at first. You can tell he was holding back, he didn’t want to hurt you. He wasn’t hitting your spot like before, so you wanted to help. “Baby, i-it’s not- fuck!”.

“I know, I know. Let me just-”

His hips went from a direct thrust motion, to motion as if his hips were scooping upward. You arched your back as he hit deeper and deeper. “Oh, you like that, don’t you?”. You moaned a little louder, covering your mouth as you were embarrassed and afraid someone would hear what went on in your room. He fucked you harder and asked,“Why don’t you scream for me baby?”.

“Someone’ll hear us-”

“Rooms are soundproof, be as loud as wanna be”

With that, you begged him to fuck you harder. He lifted your legs over his shoulders. His trusts were so sloppy, so messy it hit all areas of your walls, tightening around him. Your eyes rolled back, near frothing at the mouth. “H-ah! I needed this!,” you cried. You put your legs to his sides, grabbing him by the throat and shoving your tongue into his mouth. He moaned when you did, your grip on his throat tightening. The asphyxiation only further excited his cock.

You felt the butterflies in your stomach grow, you knew you were close. “Hh-oh, God, I’m gonna cum,” he groaned. Your kisses grew more aggressive as you wrapped your legs around him, pushing his pelvis deeper into you. “Harder, please,” you whined. He nodded, pounding you mercilessly. Once again, you choked him, dominating him with your kisses. Your pussy tightened around him. You bit him, feeling his dick twitch again. He was shaking and gasped, shooting his load into his condom. He collapsed on top of you, pulling out of your dripping pussy. “Oh my god...,” You sighed wrapping your arms around his neck, playing with his pink locks. His head lay on your chest and his arms were wrapped around your waist all tight.

“I’m sleepy”

You smiled and kissed him. “Thennnn... sleep?”. He shook his head. “We just had really good sex imagine if I go to sleep after that?”. You snickered, making a deal with him. “Fine,” you said,“I’ll forgive it if you hop into the shower with me”. He got up so fast.

“Say no more, princess. Let’s go”

Afterward, you gave him a place in bed, snuggling up with him the throughout the night.

Third person POV

The next morning, Hajime walked out of his dorm. He thought to check up on Kazuichi, seeing how abrupt he left the party last night. He knocked on his door, waiting. Oddly enough, there was no response. Hajime looked around, noticing someone in the distance. There he was, Kazuichi, walking out of a girl’s cabin? Now, the cabin belonging to none other than Y/N! He saw them laughing by her door, Kazuichi smacking her ass as she walked in front of him. Hajime backed up fast, hoping he wouldn’t be seen. He then noticed that they were not headed to the Hotel Restaurant. Now, it was starting to get strange and he had to tell the others. Once they weren’t in sight, he ran to the stairs then all the way up.

“Someone’s late”

Hiyoko stared at him. Hajime, out of breath, shook his head. “Don’t be too hard on him,” Nagito said sympathetically,“It looks like he had something to say”. “Well, I was gonna say something first,” Hiyoko was defensive as she cleared her throat,“I think rather than worry about the next blackened, we should worry about who’s fucking is gonna keep us up at night because I could barely sleep”. “Fucking? You mean, like, I don’t know... sex??,” Hajime asked. The girl’s nodded. “See, last night,” Sonia began,“None of us could get any sleep due to such erotic noises that went on till early in the morning. “Ah, yes,” Nagito said so casually,“Then I do know what you’re referring to”. Hajime decided to bring up what he’d seen.

“Kazuichi walked out of Y/N’s cabin this morning”

Everyone was paying attention now. “Oh my god???,” Hiyoko yelled. “There could be an explanation to that, y’know?,” Mikan whispered. “There’s only one explanation when you see him groping her and he doesn’t get punched”. Suddenly, two people stepped in. “So sorry we’re late,” Kazuichi said,“Y/N needed help..with...a busted pipe!”. “Aren’t you the Ultimate Mechanic? I never heard plumber,” Hiyoko scoffed.

“I do it all. Tinkering with stuff here and there”

“Right”

Kazuichi sat down, Y/N sitting at a completely different table. “So,” Nagito began,“That was quite the eventful night, right, Soda?”. Everyone looked around, having thought they had a world-less mutual agreement that it would be avoided as much as possible. “You mean with Gundham? I already tried apologizing, but-”.

“No, this isn’t about Gundham. This is about last night, last night”

“Nagito, what the fuck are you talking about?”

Nagito laughed, his hand motioning that he gives up and thats he’s over it. Gundham bit his lip, wanting to say something, eventually it came out. “Soda,” he whispered. “Yeah?”.

“You know for a room to be completely sound proof, not a single door or window should be open, right?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“Go outside and let me know if Y/N’s window was closed last night”

It finally struck him. His face instantly became flustered. “Oh,” he mumbled,“You guys heard all that?”. Everyone nodded. “Don’t be embarrassed,” Nagito attempted comfort,“If its in any consolation, it sounded like it was good. Hell, even I’m a little jealous”. Y/N still had no idea. That was the case until Sonia had talked to her. “So, Y/N,” she sat down by her,“Are you and Kazuichi together?”.

“Why would you think that?”

“Well, last night we all heard, um, something”

“Huh?”

“Well, it’s not that serious, but I do have a question”

“Yeah?”

“The rooms are soundproof, right? Well, are you sure you didn’t leave a door or a window open or something?”

Y/N choked on her own air. “H-How much did you hear?”. Sonia smiled nervously, laughing in a tone that was just as anxious. “Um, everything?”. Y/N put her hands over her face and screamed. Kazuichi approached her and kissed the back of her neck. “So, you fucked and that’s it?,” Hiyoko asked,“Like, nothing comes next?”. Before Y/N could answer, Kazuichi butt in. “T-That’s not true! I’ll take good care of Y/N and I’m gonna love her forever!”. He rushed his lips to Y/N’s, making her gasp. The tension and temperature grew within the room, as Kazuichi promised he wouldn’t let a thing hurt her.

[maddieinwonder]

A Lesson In Romance #7: False Start

Spencer Reid x Fem!BAU!Reader

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: Just a lot of awkward vibes hahaha

Word Count: 1.7k

Plot: Reader keeps getting caught in rom-com situations with Spencer Reid. This time, they try to confess their feelings.

A/N: I didn’t actually manage to include the definition of a False Start in the chapter itself, so I’ll add it at the end. No spoilers for now!

Masterlist | All chapters here!

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It took you 24 hours to decide that you were going to do something about your feelings for the good doctor. Pretty quick, considering you were a living, breathing rom-com cynic. But as ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, once said: "The only constant in life is change".

Specifically, change happened after you woke up in your cute co-worker and dear friend's arms and you wanted nothing more than to get back into them as fast as possible.

But by the universal laws of working in the BAU, catching a break seemed to be the hardest when you actually wanted one.

Firstly, it was like every serial killer in the country decided to cancel their vacations simultaneously, swamping the team with urgent case after case. At this point, you were more familiar with the couch on the jet than your bed at home, and everyone was feeling the strain.

Secondly, if you weren't sleeping, you were usually out in the field chasing unsubs with Derek or Rossi. You had stopped holding out hope for being paired with Spencer — on account of your areas of specialty overlapping too much, and Hotch not being the type of leader to waste his resources — and as a result:

Thirdly, getting even ten minutes alone with the genius became an impossible task, and not for lack of trying either. At the start of the month, the two of you had tried to adapt your breakfast ritual to the road, but it always got interrupted mid-coffee order or even at the ding of the lift. Not that you and Spencer stopped trying, no, but your patience was wearing thin.

So you did something you hadn't done since you submitted your application to join the BAU — you prayed for a chance.

Because every day that you didn't admit your feelings to the doctor was another day fighting the compulsion to tell somebody else about them, and god only knows what a room full of profilers (and one nosy tech analyst) would do with that kind of information.

Then, out of the blue, the door of opportunity opened.

After two weeks of straight travel, the team had earned a well-deserved one night’s rest in your own beds before dealing with a local case, bright and early tomorrow morning. And since your flight landed at 2am and all the trains had stopped by then, this gave you the perfect shot to execute your plan.

Unfortunately, you forgot to take into account the most important factor — your nerves.

It didn't help that Derek had wolf-whistled in the carpark as the two of you walked off in the same direction, nor that Spencer immediately put your favourite album into the CD player out of instinct; an overly domestic action that made your heart beat even faster.

But it was when you arrived in front of his apartment building that you felt the worst of it. As you tried to summon the right words to your lips, your heart hammered in your chest and your thoughts jumbled themselves into nonsense.

"Are you ok?" Spencer asked, snapping you out of your anxious spiral instantly. "You don't look so well."

"I-I'm fine." Your fingers twitched nervously.

"Doesn't seem like it." He looked down at your hands, and you cursed your subconscious brain for giving you away. Then, he placed a hand over yours and your heart stopped.

"You're not alright, that's for sure, but it seems like it's just sleep deprivation." He assessed, bending slightly to look at your face. "You can't drive in this state. Do you want to come in?”

Your head snapped up to meet his gaze, ready to protest, but Spencer beat you to it. "Let’s go. You wanted to talk about something, right?" He called out, already one foot out of the car.

Before you could realise what was happening, you found yourself sitting on Spencer's couch holding a warm cup of tea.

This was the first time you were in his apartment. Yet, it was exactly what you thought it'd be like. Every wall was lined with bookshelves, filled to max capacity with books of every topic imaginable from neuroscience to philosophy. Those that didn't make it to the shelves were found in random stacks around his apartment, standing out against his forest green walls.

"Did you know that chamomile tea is a natural remedy for insomnia? In fact, it is commonly regarded as a mild tranquilizer. It's calming effects may be attributed to the antioxidant apigenin, which binds to specific receptors in your brain that initiate sleep and reduce anxiety." He explained, walking over with his own mug.

"I actually did know that." You smiled. The tea seemed to work its magic because you did feel relaxed, and you must have looked it too, because the worried frown disappeared off Spencer's face.

"Didn't know you were a tea person." You commented lightly, blowing the steam from your mug.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me." He replied mysteriously, and you raised your eyebrows.

Spencer's apartment was too quiet, no rumbling fridge or quiet radio playing in the background to make your awkward silence any less pronounced. It was then that you noticed he didn't have a TV. Somehow this fact didn't surprise you very much.

"You... you wanted to talk to me about something?" He broke the silence, looking down at the hot tea swirling in his mug.

Right. You were here to talk about your feelings. Your face flushed as you tried to summon your willpower, again.

"I wanted to tell you something—" You began shakily. "But before that, I just want to preface, we can ignore this entire thing if you don't agree. I mean, I really enjoy our friendship as it is, and I wouldn't want to do anything to affect tha—"

"Wait." Spencer interrupted urgently, before catching himself. "Sorry, um, before that, can I say something?"

"Um, ok, shoot." You replied meekly, trying to hide your relief behind a long sip of tea. There was a pause as he gathered his thoughts, and you might have been seeing things, but he looked almost... nervous? 

"The day we met, I calculated the probability of meeting somebody that shared my exact coffee order and the result was almost one in a million.” He finally spoke, lifting his head to meet your gaze. “That probability decreased when I factored in working together, sharing the same interests, and... and how I enjoyed spending time with you more than with anybody else."

Spencer cleared his throat, a blush coming onto his cheeks.

"Ever since then... my life just started making sense. I know I’m a scientist, not a poet, and I could tell you all the statistics about relationships in the world, but when it comes to you...”

His cheeks were crimson now, as he ran his fingers through his hair. You had a feeling yours looked the same.

"I guess, what I'm trying to say, is that I think you're beautiful and smart, and I have no idea what you see in me, but I'd really—"

Suddenly, both your phones buzzed violently against his coffee table, jolting you out of the moment. You leaned over in a trained motion, only to see exactly what you expected:

Garcia: No rest for the wicked, crime fighters. Conference room in 30.

Penny: No rest for the wicked, crime fighters. Conference room in 30.

You let out a sigh you didn't realise you were holding, and Spencer looked over at you, doe-eyed and nervous.

“The case?" He asked quietly.

There was a silence filled with words unsaid. "We should go." He said finally. "If we leave now, we can still make it on time."

You only nodded in response, more out of duty than desire, and gulped down the rest of your tea. The thought of what he was about to say burned down your throat.

Driving away from Spencer’s apartment was torturous. The doctor hadn’t said anything to you since he entered the car, only fiddling with his bag as he looked out the window. It was too dark to read his expression, but you wondered if he could still hear the way he called you “beautiful”, or whether the moment had already dissolved into the space between you.

Luckily, you didn’t need to wait long for an answer, as Spencer tugged on your sleeve before you exited the carpark, his face scrunched in worry.

"I really didn't mean for that to be so... weird. Can we talk about this again after the case?" He asked softly, and despite every semblance of logic left in your brain, you couldn’t stop the hope from blooming in your chest and you smiled.

That was when Spencer did something completely uncharacteristic. (You didn't know this at the time, but it was something that you would tease him about for a long time after.)

In one fluid movement, the doctor pulled you into a tight hug that elicited a squeak from you, but it only took a second for the initial shock to wear off before you relaxed completely into his warm touch. He took that as a sign to continue, burying his head into your shoulder and letting out a content sigh.

Unlike waking up to your bodies intertwined, nothing about this was a mistake. Not the way his fingers stroked your back peacefully, nor the way his curly hair tickled your cheek. You felt the stress of the past two weeks melt away in his embrace, and so did any coherent thought, except one: normal friends didn't hug each other like this.

Later when the two of you finally entered the conference room, miraculously still on time, nobody commented on the smiles plastered on your faces but everybody could tell. They were profilers after all.

But for the first time in awhile, you were just too happy to care.

-----------

Tag List:

@blue-space-porgs @nobutalsoyes @lady-loves-a-lot @queen-flower @oops-all-ajs @spottedzebrasinpartyhats @agentcarterisgay @totalmess191 @sapphic-prentiss @mellowalieneggsknight || @averyhotchner @amesandpineapples @willowrose99

Definition of a False Start here

[acnelli]

First Time Falling

This is my entry for the @hpqueerfest 2021. Thanks to the mods who hosted this! And a big thank you to my great beta-readers @nagemeikenu and @static-abyss who put up with my phone-writery (writing time is hard to come by these days).

This story was inspired by Prelude and Fugue by shes_gone, and it’s set in a world where Harry didn’t go to Hogwarts, but had been prepared for his destiny.

Pairing: Harry Potter/Ron Weasley Rating: T TW: strong language, mentions of war time, mentions of drug and alcohol consume Prompt: Falling in love for the first time as an adult (late 20’s-early 30’s) Summary: Harry Potter –Head-Auror and Savior of the Wizarding World– spontaneously asked out a cute redhead and it turned to so much more than he could have ever hoped for. 

You can also read this on AO3 and FFN.

*** *** *** *** ***

Not bothering to knock, Ron Weasley marched into Hermione Granger’s office. The heavy mahogany door slammed against the wall, making Hermione jump up from her chair.

“Ron,” she shrieked as a bunch of paper fell off her desk. “What happened?”

Instead of providing his best friend with an explanation for his sudden intrusion, Ron paced back and forth. The panicked look in his eyes made Hermione assume the worst.

With one swift motion, Hermione stepped in front of the redhead, forcing him to stop his frantic pacing. “Ron, please talk to me,” she pleaded, taking his hand into hers. “What’s going on? Is someone hurt? Is your family okay?”

Hermione’s worried expression and the panic in her voice finally brought Ron to his senses. “No, don’t worry, Hermione,” he sighed as he closed her office door. “I’m sorry! But...do you have time for a quick cup of tea in the cafeteria?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. This report is giving me a headache and I need a break.”

Hermione grabbed her purse and gestured for Ron to lead the way.

“I swear, Ron, if you almost gave me a heart attack over something Quidditch related, I’ll hex you into next week and make your new Firebolt disappear forever,” Hermione added as they made their way down to the Ministry cafeteria.

Ron glanced over at the bushy-haired witch, suppressing a grin as he told her his distress was indeed about Quidditch. They grabbed their beverages and headed towards a free table. Gracing him with a dark look, Hermione gestured for Ron to finally tell her what’s going on.

“Harry Potter asked me out on a date!”

This statement caused Hermione’s drink to go down the wrong way, resulting in a violent coughing fit and her spitting out the tea.

“What?” she wheezed out between coughs, as Ron cleaned his face and shirt with his wand.

He waited patiently until Hermione recovered, both from the coughing fit and the shock. “See, even you don’t believe me,” Ron sighed, harshly rubbing his hands over his face, “I don’t blame you, though. I can’t believe it myself, after all.”

Finally being able to speak again, Hermione put her elbows on the small table and leaned forward, determined to not miss a single thing about this story. “Spill! How? When? Where? And don’t you dare to leave out even the smallest detail.”

Ron shook his head, still in disbelief about what had happened to him just twenty minutes ago. Not being able to wrap his head around it, he decided to tell Hermione today’s events from beginning to end.

“Today, Robertson sent me a memo to come to his office to discuss the ridiculous complaints about the Tornados/Harpies game last week,” Ron started and couldn’t help rolling his eyes about the things he had to put up with at work sometimes. “So, I went there, gave him my report about the match and a brief overview. Thank Merlin, he only asked his usual useless questions about referee bribery claims. I was ready to launch into a whole speech but he suddenly dismissed me and told me to write up a statement for the press.

“I was just on my way back to my office when I met Seamus. The fucking wanker had the nerve to claim the next Cannons match for himself. I know he did that just to spite me so, naturally, I gave him an ear full about it as we waited for the lift. We only noticed Harry Potter standing right behind us when we got inside the lift. I probably sounded like an idiot but Seamus and I kept the conversation up because I always get second-hand embarrassment when people stop talking if Potter walks by or joins the lift.”

Hermione patiently listened to his ramblings, restraining herself from telling him to get to the point already.

Ron sipped on his tea and shook his head. “You know what? I read too much into this. Just realised that I’m acting exactly as everyone else does. What’s the big deal? Just a bloke who wants to have a pint after work.”

Hermione stared at Ron, expecting him to go on with his story, but he just kept sipping his tea.

“Ron!”

“What?”

“How did he ask you out?” She accidentally raised her voice but Hermione was finally losing her patience with him.

“I told you, he most likely-”

“Just tell me the damn story, already!” Hermione snapped, blushing a little when she noticed the people on the other tables giving her funny looks.

“Alright,” Ron said, raising an eyebrow at her. “Calm down, barmy woman.”

“You're the one marching into my office like a lunatic. Spill it! Now!”

With a heavy sigh, Ron continued with his story, curling his hands around the tea mug to keep from fidgeting.

“Seamus had already gotten off at another level, so it was just me and Potter in there. I tried to avoid the awkward silence, so I asked him if he followed Quidditch and was going to listen to or even watch the Tornados match tonight. He said that he does follow Quidditch and that he intended to listen to the match at home but if I'd be up to it, we could listen to it at this new pub that just opened in Diagon. He totally caught me by surprise, but I must've agreed because he told me he'll meet me at the fireplaces at 5. Then he left the lift. Then I freaked out and came to your office.”

Ron marked the end of his story by taking another sip of his tea before he defiantly crossed his arms in front of him.

“Jesus, Harry Potter actually asked you out! Oh my God!” Hermione almost squealed, grasping one of Ron's arms.

“Nah! I don't think so anymore. I bet he just wanted to have a pint and was only being polite when he asked me to come along,” Ron said. “Who'd ask someone out like that anyway?”

“Someone looking for a partner?”

“Yeah, but think about it, Hermione. Why would he ask me out? The guy is not only fucking famous, he's also devilishly handsome. He could have anyone he wanted.”

“So?”

Ron looked at Hermione as though she'd just declared the desire to live as a chicken.

“So? So, why would someone ask me out while on a random stroll through the Ministry? Who'd think ‘Oh, that freakishly tall ginger with more freckles than skin looks kinda awkwardly cute. Let's try to get a leg over?'"

“I dated you,” Hermione interjected.

“You don't count.”

“Well, thank you!” Her sarcasm was all but ignored by Ron.

“I just know I'll embarrass myself tonight,” Ron insisted, looking quite unhappy. “Let's go back to work. I still have to write that useless report.”

“Devilishly handsome, hm?”

“Shut up!”

**** **** **** ****

Harry didn't know what had possessed him to ask the cute ginger out for a pint.

Maybe it had been the Prophet article speculating for the umpteenth time about when the Savior of the Wizarding World would finally settle down and make some black-haired, green-eyed babies. Rita Skeeter had many ideas about what worthy witch could conquer the heart of Harry Potter. All things considered, the article had probably not been the worst thing written about him so far.

Sometimes he wondered if he should've taken Sirius’ advice to feed the press and public meaningless details of his life. It wouldn't stop the constant speculations and made-up affairs, but it probably would reduce the paparazzi following him around, the crazy fans sending him love letters and maybe, they would find something more newsworthy than where Harry Potter bought his toilet paper.

But he hated the fact that people demanded this from him. He was 29 now, and while the great hype about him was over, he still seemed to be interesting enough to write about, even over a decade after his defeat of Voldemort.

He knew the majority of the Wizarding World was sincerely grateful for what he'd done. There were so many parents thanking him for the simple fact that they're still alive and able to see their children grow up.

It reminded him that it was all worth it. The sacrifices, the nearly friendless childhood, his secret life away from the public, the growing up with the knowledge that he might not live long enough to celebrate his 17th birthday. All of that had resulted in ending Voldemort once and for all.

When he'd destroyed the Dark Lord and his Horcruxes though, Harry’s hope of finally living a normal life got crushed soon after. In the post-war world, it had been next to impossible to lead a life like everyone else. Because of his childhood and his training by Alastor ‘Mad Eye’ Moody himself, he learned not to trust easily. And since occasions to make friends or interact with strangers had been few and far between, he never really learned what to look for in a friend.

He was well aware that he was complaining about a comfortable life. His parents had left him a respectable amount of gold, and Sirius bought him a flat in London after he graduated from Auror Academy. Maybe he'd gotten this job because of his fame and reputation, but he knew he deserved the position as Head Auror. There was hardly anyone with the same amount of training and experience he brought to the table, and he was under the impression the people working for him did genuinely like him as a boss. Two of them he even considered friends after all these years.

Aside from the two friends at work he also had his family. He had Sirius, Remus, Andromeda, Tonks and his godson, Teddy. He wasn't alone by any means, but he'd never met someone he could possibly fall in love with. Hell, aside from one of Tonks’ old friends from school and her father's attempts to set him up with several of his countless nieces—and later nephews when Harry told his family girls didn't do it for him—he'd never even dated. Toby—a fellow student from elementary school and the only friend his age—dragged him to Muggle pubs and clubs, resulting in the occasional snog or even a shag with a stranger. Needless to say, his first time hadn't exactly been romance novel material and it sure wasn't something he liked to think about. Sometimes, Harry feared that he would never fall in love, that he wasn't capable of developing those feelings for another person.

Those unpleasant thoughts combined with the Rita Skeeter article may have been the result of his sudden impulse to just go for it and ask the redhead out. But it also could have been the brilliant blue eyes, the kind, shy smile and the lean shoulders. Harry was sure, though, that the main reason for it had been the fact that this man hadn't treated him like a Messiah. It had just been an easy conversation, even if it had been only two minutes.

Harry hoped it would remain that way when they watched the game later. In fact, he could just brush it off as a friendly meeting with a fellow Ministry worker if Cute Ginger wasn't interested in anything more.

But when he thought about the redhead’s lopsided grin, Harry felt a foreign flutter in his stomach and he couldn't help but hope for more, even if it was just another visit to the pub.

**** **** **** ****

In the 30 years of Ron Weasley’s existence, he'd never been on time for something not work-related. Today, though, he was almost ten minutes early as he waited by the fireplaces for Harry Potter.

Again, he felt rather pathetic. For a hot second, he considered waiting in a nearby bathroom to pass the time, pretending to get to their meeting place just in time. But then he reminded himself that he wasn’t a petty teenager anymore, and even if Potter found it pathetic, Ron didn’t expect a repeat of tonight, anyway.

He decided to just treat this like a meet-up with Dean and Seamus every other Thursday after work. Just two guys, enjoying a couple of pints together, talking about Quidditch. Nothing special. Nothing to freak out over.

The atrium was busy as ever but he spotted Potter right away when the Head-Auror stepped out of the lift and made his way towards the fireplaces. He still wore his magenta work robes and Ron couldn't help but notice how sexy they looked on him.

“Hi!” Potter greeted Ron, smiling somewhat shyly. “Ready for some beer and Quidditch?”

“Sure! But I forgot to introduce myself earlier, so I figured I'd do that now,” Ron said, giving the dark haired man a smile in return, as he offered his hand for a proper introduction. “I'm Ron. Ron Weasley.”

“I'm Harry.”

**** **** **** ****

“No way! How did he get out of there?”

Harry barked out a laugh at Ron's tale of a night out with Seamus and Dean. His outburst was loud enough for the other guests of the pub to look in their direction. Ron found it amusing how a simple change into Muggle clothes, different glasses, and a slightly lighter hair colour resulted in no one recognizing the Boy-Who-Lived.

“Since it was a Muggle police station, Seamus had to spend the night there. Statute of Secrecy, and all. We picked him up the next morning and filled him in on what he'd done the night before, including showing everyone his pale arse.” Ron grinned deviously at the memory. “I invented some things for good measure. Unfortunately, Dean is too good for this world and told him a few hours later that I was taking the mickey.”

Harry shook his head, chuckling. “That reminds me of Remus searching the whole of London for Sirius, only to find him several hours later in a hidden spot on the roof. He was gazing at the stars and totally stoned. Combined with Firewhiskey, he didn't remember a single thing from that night.”

“Sirius?” Ron looked quite interested at the mention of his Godfather’s name. “Sirius, as in Sirius Black?”

“Yes. He was my Dad’s best friend. And he's my Godfather.”

“I'm just asking because I'm related to the Blacks. My grandfather married Cedrella Black.”

“Yes, I recognize the name. Her face got blasted off the family tree,” Harry said, and at Ron's raised eyebrow quickly added, “Sirius’ mother blasted everyone off that tree who didn't uphold the Black family's motto ‘Toujours pur’. So, Cedrella must have gone against the high and mighty Black Pureblood tradition.”

“Well,” Ron said, taking a swig of his beer, “she married a Weasley. I'm sure that alone was reason enough to disown her. The Weasleys have been notorious blood traitors since forever.”

“Sounds like your grandmother had good taste in men if you ask me.”

Harry winked at Ron, and the redhead felt the burning blush creeping up his neck.

Ron was once again amazed at how little time it had taken him to lose his nervousness. But Harry Potter made it very easy for him. Harry was confident, yet humble and polite. His humor didn't have Ron's sarcastic edge, but the redhead found Harry delightfully witty with a good amount of sass.

Ron didn't know what he expected but it was undeniable how easy it was to talk to Harry. He could only hope the raven-haired man enjoyed this just as much as he did. Harry laughed at his jokes and seemed genuinely interested in Ron's more-than-mundane life.

As much as Ron tried to see this as a meeting with a good friend, he couldn't help the warm feeling in his chest every time Harry smiled at him or his leg accidentally bumped against Ron's. And if the alcohol hadn't gone to his head already, making him imagine things, Harry's eyes kept flitting down to Ron's lips.

When the woman behind the bar announced the final round, they decided to call it a night since it was one of Harry's work Saturdays tomorrow.

As they ventured out of the crowded pub and into the cool night air, Ron was disappointed about the evening coming to an end. Time had flown and he was sure they could've talked for several more hours.

“Would you mind if I walk you home?” Harry asked just as Ron wanted to wish him a good night.

Ron nodded, not being able to suppress his smile as Harry obviously remembered him mentioning that he only lived a few blocks away.

They kept their pace slow and walked a little closer to each other than necessary, their hands bumping against one another. Every touch sent a jolt through Ron's body and he wanted nothing more than to take Harry's hand.

Eventually, they reached their destination. During the entire walk home Ron had gathered all of his Gryffindor courage to ask Harry out, this time for an official date.

“I- um,” Ron started, rubbing one hand against the back of his neck to ease his nerves. “I really enjoyed this evening and I was wondering...Maybe I got this all wrong, but you seem interested, and well, I'm interested too. And if you're not, that's totally fine. But...caniseeyouagain?”

And before Ron's face had the time to go completely crimson, he got his answer as Harry took his hand to pull him close, leaned up and kissed him.

Harry pulled back from Ron's lips, his stunning, green eyes slightly darker than usual and holding a hopeful glint.

Ron didn't give himself the chance to overthink as he put his hand on the back of Harry's neck and kissed him again. A deep groan escaped him when Harry licked at Ron's bottom lip and Harry took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside.

Ron was positive that he'd never experienced something more incredible than kissing Harry Potter. The only things he was capable of paying attention to were Harry and the wild thumping of his heart. And while it was exhilarating and new and positively made him weak in the knees, it also felt a lot like coming home.

Having lost all sense of time, Ron couldn't tell if they'd kissed for a minute or several hours when they broke apart. Harry's hands still gripped his shirt and Ron let his own hands glide from Harry's dark hair down over strong, well-defined shoulders to finally rest at his hips.

Both of them tried to catch their breath and Harry, who finally let go of Ron's shirt to put his arms around him, smiled up at Ron almost shyly.

“Yes, you can see me again,” Harry said, grinning.”What are your plans for tomorrow night?”

“Well,” Ron pretended to think about it for a second, “I thought I'd do this.”

And with that, he leaned in to kiss Harry again.

“I think that's a brilliant idea.”

**** **** **** ****

Just as he turned off the radio and grabbed his coat from the rag beside the door, a loud knock sounded through Harry's now quiet flat.

“Ten minutes early. Eager, aren't we?” Harry said as he opened the door for a tall ginger with a picnic basket in one hand and a broom in the other.

“Says the one waiting right beside the door like a good dog.”

Ron shoved his way inside, putting down the basket and broom before pulling Harry into his arms.

“Happy Birthday,” Ron murmured against the other man's lips. “And I thought I was supposed to give you a present, not the other way around?”

Harry pulled back a little, apparently confused. Ron grinned at him and squeezed Harry's arse. “Thanks for wearing my favourite pants today.”

Chuckling, Harry pointed at the broom Ron had brought with him. “No way I'll fly on a broom in these. Good thing I also packed my joggers.”

Ron hadn't told him where they were going for Harry's Birthday. He'd just instructed Harry to be ready at 9 in the morning, so they'd be back in time for dinner at Grimmauld Place with Harry's family.

Only two months had passed since their first kiss, but Harry already felt as though he'd known Ron for much longer. Every kiss, every touch, all the teasing and banter, and late night talks felt so completely natural, yet blissfully exciting.

“Come on, grab your broom. We're on a tight schedule.”

Ron winked at him and before Harry knew it, they were standing in the middle of a giant Quidditch pitch.

There wasn't a single soul besides them, but Harry immediately recognized the giant Hogwarts House banners from his family's keepsakes of their school years. Aside from that fateful day when he'd fought Voldemort on those grounds, he'd never visited the school. Not before, not after.

Harry tried to swallow down the lump in his throat. The surprise must be the result of one of their late night talks, when Harry confessed that his deepest desire while growing up had been to go to Hogwarts.

“Are we allowed to be here or do I need to arrest you for breaking into school grounds?”

Arms wrapped around him from behind and Harry could feel Ron smiling against the back of his head. “I wouldn't be opposed to playing the big bad Auror and the naughty Suspect later, but this is actually 100% legal. Having contacts with important Quidditch officials has its perks sometimes. And my annual chess game against McGonagall helped too, I suppose.”

“Okay then,” Harry said, lifting one of Ron's hands to his mouth to brush his lips against his knuckles. “Fill me in on that plan of yours.”

Ron let go of him and reached for their brooms, tossing one of them at Harry. “I thought we'd fly over the grounds first, so I can show you everything from above. The castle looks fucking amazing from up there and the Great Lake is a sight to die for when the water reflects the sun.”

Ron mounted his broom and flew in slow circles around Harry as he continued to talk. “I hope you don't mind that I invited your family for dinner. But I thought we could all show you the castle, introduce you to our favourite spots and secret places. Andromeda can show us the Slytherin common room. I've never been there myself. I'll show you the kitchen first. That's where I'll cook dinner later while the others show you around.”

Jumping down from his broom, Ron looked at Harry with a mixture of excitement and reluctance as he rubbed the back of his neck. It was a telltale sign of the redhead being nervous, Harry had learned in the last weeks.

“So, I thought this to be fitting for a 30th Birthday. I wasn't sure what to get you that you don't already have, and I reckoned this might be fun.”

Harry didn't know what to say and his silence only made Ron doubt his plan more. It always baffled Harry how Ron didn't realize how wonderful he was. He wished Ron could see himself through Harry's eyes.

Right at that moment, as Harry looked into Ron's blue eyes, it hit him. In fact, he knew he'd been harbouring these feelings inside him for weeks now, but only now he could see it with shining clarity.

He was falling in love.

The feeling was new, something he'd never experienced, but still he recognized it for what it was.

 Love.

***

[bokunosimpfiction]

Demon!Dimitrescux Reader

Synopsis: Lady Dimitrescu reveals herself as a demon that has made it her personal mission to guard you after what you believe is the case of worst/best timing of your entire life. No trigger warnings. 1.6k words.

A/N: This took me less than two hours to write/publish this. I needed this out of my system ASAP

             The black Toyota Corolla had to look strangely familiar your first pass down the street. It reminded you of your boyfriend’s car, and you swore that the digits of the license plate must have been one or two off his, and the generic pine tree air freshener must have been a different color. Not to mention the woman in the backseat with a cocktail dress on.

             You chose not to think about it as you walked into the 7-11 in nothing but your pajamas and the pair of crocs you haven’t worn since being on the college swim team. It wasn’t hard to decide what to grab off the shelves. A bag of chips store brand sour patch kids and gummy worms, a two-liter of Pepsi, and a bottle of wine too big for one person. The cashier looked just as tired as you did, and you understood what it was like, barely, time is a social construct that distanced you deeply from the night shifts you pulled at this same store while in college. Nine to five shifts (Dolly Parton shifts, your coworker would call them with a smile) were only better because you could sit down and have a stable sleep schedule. It was the same grueling work, and in your case, you had to deal with the same shitty people that complained about things you can’t control.

             His droning voice pulled you out of your train of thoughts. “The total is forty-eight fifty-seven.” He was either crying in the backroom while you were picking out your chips or hit a massive dab, you weren’t sure, but his red eyes made either option feasible. You didn’t comment on it, only handing him two twenties and a ten and taking the change back before walking out the door. You didn’t say anything to him, and vice versa, which you appreciated because you didn’t have the energy to deal with a chatty Kathy right now. And as you pull yourself down the street, your bag of crap from 7-11 in your hand, you pass that same deja-vu-mobile and look at the stickers on the back.

             The same I love my dog and proud cat-dad stickers in the exact same place, the dent on the right side of the bumper, and the license plate that was in fact, one hundred percent his. Which begs the question, who was the girl in the cocktail dress, and what was she doing in the backseat? The question didn’t matter for long because the car promptly burst into flames. Oh well. Wait.

The.

Car.

Is.

On.

Fire.

             It’s your boyfriend’s car.

Your

Boyfriends.

Car.

Is.

On.

Fire.

             You wipe out your phone to call the fire department when you see the girl in the same cocktail dress crawl out of the car, dress pulled up to her waist, barefoot and mascara streaming down her face. She’s violently beating his clutch against the ground, desperate to put out the flames while your boyfriend slams the door open on the other side and throws himself out full force onto the asphalt of the busy street. He looks up and sees the anger in your eyes.

             “Hey, babe.”

             “I-I-can-” he stutters violently. His face was red in anger and blood dripping from his nose due to the face-first collision with the freshly paved street.

             “We’re over.”

             You do him the favor of calling the fire department for his car and walk off as soon as you hear the sirens of the firetruck. You didn’t have anything to do with it. No need to watch the fallout when you had nothing to do with the disaster. Besides, your soda’s getting cold, you wanted to drink that before it got Luke-warm. You ended up dropping off the crap and walking to the 24-7 grocery store a little farther in the other direction to get ice cream. Standing in the frozen aisle, in nothing but your pajamas, bright red crocs, and moist eyes, you try and decide between the weird, nuanced flavors that all taste like vanilla anyhow.

             You look up towards the top shelf when you notice the woman leaning over you. She’s deathly pale, skin as pale as paper and lipstick so red it glowed compared to everything else. Her huge hat would make a shadow on her face if it weren’t propped right above her hairline.

             “So, did you enjoy the show sweet-heart,” she whispers in your ear. You feel her breath on your neck and her gaze freezes your heart. “You didn’t think that his car catching on fire was a happy accident now did you?”

             You turn around, only not to see her behind you, but on the fogged-up glass doors on the other side of the aisle. “Did you really think that I’d be standing right behind you?” Her question is almost taunting.

             “Who are you?”

             She breathes into her elegant pipe only to blow out to re-fog the glass before staring dead into your eyes and saying the words that changed your life forever. “I’m your guardian demon.”

             You honestly thought you were losing your mind, seeing this woman in the glass, telling you she was a demon who set your ex’s car on fire. (It felt odd to call him that, you had been dating him for three years). Her elegant leg steps through the glass, her dress riding up to just below her knee before it hit the ground and the rest of her flowed into our realm as smoothly as her dress swayed when she walked over to you.

             She was almost twice your height, and the view from where she stood in front of you made her feel even more so tall. “So mortal, what do you have to say, knowing that you have a five-hundred-year-old all-powerful demon protecting you?”

             “What happened to my guardian angel?”

             She scoffs. “You never had one. Most people nowadays have guardian angels, in fact, I’ve only heard of one other mortal who hasn’t had one that’s alive right now.”

             “What do you mean?” You can’t help but ask. There’s an entire world of things you didn’t understand. Angels. Demons. Hell, even bigfoot could be real for all you know.

             “Well, darling, there is a very simple answer to that question: there are only so many angels for so many mortals, and so sometimes a few slip through the cracks of the system, and that’s where we step in.” She moves around to the refrigerator next to you and inspects the sorbets. “Despite what the church tells you, us demons love humans. They’re a claim to social status. You bring a human home, and you’re viewed as wealthy, famous even.”

             “So that’s what you get out of taking a person’s soul in a deal.”

             She turns to you. “When I what now?”

             “Ya’ know,” you say, “a person makes a deal with a demon in exchange for money or fame, and when they die their soul belongs to the demon and they’re doomed to eternal hell yada-yada-yada.”

             “Is that what they’re teaching you, now.”

             “At least that’s what my mother says. I didn’t really believe in any of this stuff till you stepped out of the door and said you set my ex’s car on fire.”

             “I would have done it sooner, but you looked so happy with him, it was difficult to pull that away from you,” she sighs before standing up to her full height, “that woman he was with was going to give you HPV and I’d prefer the human I fought tooth and nail over to not get an STD. I would never have let that stupid-man-thing touch you had I known he would cheat on you with a mortal so… infected.” What an interesting word to decide to land on.

             She turns and waltzes back across the aisle with a grace that has long been lost to time. “And besides, you’re better off without him, with him off your mind you’ll be able to take that new project on at work and get that raise you’ve been needing so badly.”

             You’re still trying to process this. “You mentioned that you only heard of one other mortal with a demon guardian. Who is he?”

             “His name doesn’t matter, all I really care about is that damn man-child, Heisenberg, is watching him, which means he won’t be alive much longer.”

             “Do you kill us?”

             She puts her hand to her chest and looks genuinely offended before her features soften when she realizes you had never met a demon in your entire life not to mention even believing in them. “We would never. Our humans are like our children, and while we may not be able to subtle pull strings to protect those that we watch over, we do have our more… direct ways of protecting them.”

             “Like setting his car on fire.”

             “I’ve done worse things to keep you safe.”

             Your face pales, but your curiosity brightens your eyes. “Like what?”

             “Your so demand, child, but remember when lightning struck the tree in your backyard, and it fell and landed on your neighbor fifteen or so years ago?���

             You can’t formulate words.

             “Or how your car broke down on the side of the road so you couldn’t reach the hotel you booked?”

             “You did that!”

             “They were going to steal your luggage!” She scoffs before taking a long drag from her pipe. “Anymore, questions?”

             “Is Jesus real?”

             “I wasn’t there for that, and if he was, he hasn’t left his fluffy little sky bed since being nailed to that goddamn cross.”

             “One more.”

             “It better not be stupid, darling.”

             “What ice cream should I get?”

             Her soft smile returns. “Get the java-chip, but the one right behind the front one, there’s a little extra than usual in that container.”

[smileyyoungchan]

Sweet Chaos- Lee Chan

Dino x reader

Song for this one: Sweet Chaos- Day6

Phrases for this one: “Mind if I cut in?” “Kiss me” “I’m like 20% sure this plan will work. The other 80% means we could die horrible and violently, but honestly it’s a really solid plan

Warning: none

Genre: fluff

Just wanted to say that I love Chan so much and I’ve loved writing this thing about him 🥺

You were laying on Dino’s bed, in his dorm, watching the ceiling as it was the most interesting thing on heart.

Dino was showering, and he invited you to sleep at his dorm, even tho he just had an hard day of practicing, just because he wanted to stay with you.

You perfectly knew that he will end up falling asleep and you will end up watching him without being able to sleep; but it didn’t mattered, as long as you were with him.

When he closed the bedroom door you looked at him. He was the sweetest creature you’ve ever seen.

“Ehi babe. I’m sorry I took so long”

You sat up and smiled at him.

“Don’t worry. The ceiling was really interesting”

He chuckled and hearing his little laugh was the best thing that ever happened to you.

“What do you want to do tonight?” He sat beside you and watched you, tilting his head a little bit.

Every single feature of his face was perfect, seemed to be sculpted by an artist.

“Chan, you know we’re not allowed to sneak out” you said, already knowing where is mind was flying.

He smiled, and you recognised that smile, and you were really worried about it, cause it always led to unwanted consequences.

“I know, but I have a plan”

“Oh no” you sighed, but Chan continued to explain his plan and was completely unbothered by your statement. He explained every single detail, without thinking about the biggest problem: Jeonghan catching you.

“There’s no way this will work” you said, stopping his never ending ranting.

“I’m like 20% sure this plan will work. The other 80% means we could die horribly and violently, but honestly it’s a really solid plan”

“No it’s not?” Chan didn’t even seemed hurted by your words, he was so sure that everything will work perfectly.

You got up from his bed and followed him out of the room, knowing for sure that you’ll be stopped by Jeonghan, cause that man seemed to have a Chan sensor, or something like that.

You had to admit that Chan’s plan was really working, until you were so close to the door that you could have almost touched it.

Soonyoung came out of nowhere.

“Mind if I cut in?” He asked, whit a smile on his face. He was always so cute and helped you in many situations.

“Uhm yes?” Chan said. He was so pissed.

“Where are you two going? It’s almost eleven!” He whispered.

You just watched the two of them giving each other some death glares.

“None of you business” Chan said back, trying to cut that stupid discussion and sneak out with you.

“Oh, you play that card, maknae? Well, be careful cause I can play the Jeonghan card”

“You wouldn’t”

“Try me”

Soonyoung was so close to open his mouth to scream Jeonghan’s name when you decided to save yours and your boyfriends life.

“Soonyoung, honey. Could you please let us go? I promise you it won’t be happen ever again and I’ll buy you an ice cream tomorrow morning”

“Make two and you can considered it done” he cross his arms on his chest.

“Deal” you said.

Chan was in shock beside you. His eyes running from his band mate to you.

And he continued to stare at the both of you, with a surprised look on his face, till you took his hand and whispered “Channie, let’s go now”.

When you were outside, walking in the desolated streets around his dorm, Chan was leading you two into a place that he defined as ‘the best place in the world’. You followed him without asking anything else, but you were a little bit unsure of this definition; however, it didn’t really mattered cause you were with Chan and every place was the best.

“Here we are”

Chan took you in a little garden, hidden somewhere, in a dark street.

“Chan, this is beautiful!”

“Told you so”

He then, gently, started to walk, inviting you to do the same. He lead the both of us to a bench and here he sat, and you placed your head on his shoulder.

“You know. The first time I discovered this place was when I argued with Jeonghan-hyung because of our relationship. It wasn’t like he didn’t wanted for us to date, cause you know he loves you, but sometimes he’s a little overprotective with me. So when we argued I rushed outside the dorm and while I was wandering I founded this place, and the first thing that came to mind was ‘wow. Y/N is gonna love this’.”

You highly appreciated when Chan thought about you. He was always in your mind and discovering that you were in his too was the best feeling in the world.

He turned his head so he could face you, and you instantly left his shoulder and watched him too.

“Kiss me” he said.

It was a simple request, but you could have felt a thousand of butterflies dancing with a sweat melody as background music, in your stomach.

And you did it. You kissed him.

The night passed by and you two weren’t tired of each other yet, and you will never be.

[themadlostgirl]

Treasure Hunt

*Some wholesome fun with a little Panlix tension to garnish*

~~~

We had new toys on the island. New to me anyway.

The Lost Boys and I crowded around the beach and stared out at the ship anchored on the horizon. Pirates.

Where they had come from or why there were here was a mystery to us. But one thing was for certain, they were certain to be fun. Peter ordered all of us back to camp while he spoke to the captain. Not that most of us listened anyway. We stuck around hiding at the entrance to the jungle to see what would happen.

A single rowboat came ashore with a trio of men. One was covered head to toe in tattoos, one was short and portly with a bright red hat, and the third I had to assume was the captain. He had a tall, dark, and dangerous look about him that I’m sure plenty of tavern wenches falling all over themselves.

“Holy shit,” the boy next to me muttered softly, gaze locked on the captain.

“Snap out of it, Teddy,” I slapped the back of his head, “What would Sanjit think if he saw you drooling over someone else?”

“I think he would understand.” Teddy shrugged, “Come on, even you have to admit the man looks great.”

“He looks good, I will give him that,” I peered closer, “Does he have a hook for a hand?”

“Nice,” Teddy grinned wider. I slapped him again.

Peter and the captain talked and argued before the captain and his men got back into their boat and left for their ship. Peter turned around and addressed us hiding in the trees. “You can come out now you disobedient tree stumps,”

Half of the boys fled at having been found out while the rest of us emerged. “So what brings them here?” I asked first.

“Youth and revenge, not the first time I’ve come across that salty sailor. Have to say, he has a lot more backbone as a pirate than he did when I first met him.” Peter said. “Captain Hook he calls himself now. Sounds much more fun than leftenant Jones.”

“Is the revenge he craves against you?” Felix asked. “I could see him blaming his brother’s death on you.”

“No. He’s upset about that for sure, but apparently the Dark One killed his lover and cut off his hand. That’s who he wants to get revenge against. Figured he would have more than enough time staying here while he concocted something. Idiot doesn’t even have a way back. It’s clear he didn’t think any of this through.” Peter scoffed with a smile. “His idiocy is our gain. Tell me, what do pirates always have?”

“Drinking problems?”

“Yes, but not what I was looking for.”

“Big hats.”

“No.”

“Terrible songs!”

“Treasure!” Peter snapped, “They have treasure!”

“Oh...that makes more sense.” I nodded. “What is treasure to us? Not like we have any shops to purchase things from using any of their shiny baubles.”

“True. But it means a great deal more to them.” Peter grinned. “Tomorrow morning, we’re gonna go on a treasure hunt.”

When we got back to camp those of us that stuck around informed the others about what had happened with Peter and the pirates. Many of them were excited about the idea of a treasure hunt. By the time dawn broke the camp was abuzz with anticipation.

“Morning everyone,” Peter greeted his camp, “Last night your fearless leader, me, snuck aboard the pirate’s ship and stole their chest of treasure right out from under their nose.” The camp whooped with cheer. Peter held up his hand to silence the boys. “I have now hidden it somewhere on the island. First person to find it is King for the day. That is...if any of you flopping codfish can find it.”

The boys jeered and raced off in all directions to find the treasure. I had started to run off with them when I remembered I didn’t have a weapon. Knowing the boys they would get violent and try to steal the treasure from one another when it was found. I needed something to defend myself with. I turned around to head back to the now abandoned camp.

I ducked into my tent to find a suitable weapon when I heard voices in the camp. I poked my head out and saw Felix and Peter were the only ones still around. I understood why Peter was still here but why was Felix?

“How long do you think they’ll be out searching for the treasure?” Felix asked Peter.

“They’ll search all day and probably into the night before giving up.” Peter laughed, “The whole time they’re digging around dark caves and in rotten tree trunks the chest is safely buried by the mermaid lagoon. None of them are going near there and even if they do none of them will think to start digging.”

“Maybe I should go dig it up then,” Felix said, “Let myself be crowned king for the day.”

“Now where is the fun in that? Let them struggle for a good while first.” Peter looked around the camp and I quickly closed the flap of my tent. I don’t think he would be too happy about my eavesdropping. “It’s nice to have some peace and quiet around here for once. The noise can get grating at times.”

“I understand that better than most,” Felix’s voice answered. “Even rarer that our Lost Girl isn’t hanging about. Seems she sticks around you more than usual.”

“Do I detect a hint of jealousy, Felix?”

“You’re not funny.”

“I’m hilarious and she’s a good friend.” Peter said. “I still cannot believe that you and those other idiots thought that we were interested in one another. As if I would actually even want to be with her.”

Okay. Ouch. And incorrect! He was the one that assumed that I was confessing my love to him the night I came out to him and said he was okay trying to have a romantic relationship with me. We agreed it wouldn’t work out between us after I told him I was gay but this was needless slander. Got to keep up appearances for the boys I suppose. Can’t let them know he actually considered me at some point. However brief it may have been.

“Not your type, huh?” Felix joked.

“No…” Peter said, “Has a lot of traits I do like. She’s straightforward, bloodthirsty, knows how to have fun, doesn’t take any of my shit, which is refreshing,”

“What are you talking about? I don’t take any of your bullshit either.” Felix said, his voice rising a tad.

“I know, Felix, that’s part of the reason I like you too.”

The camp was silent.

“You know, makes you a good friend too, a great second in command.” Peter continued after a beat.

“Good to know,” Felix sighed. “I’m going to refill my canteen.”

“Felix--”

“What?” Felix snapped at him. The harshness in his tone made even me freeze and it wasn’t even directed at me.

“Nothing…” Peter’s steps receded, “I’m going to go watch the boys run in circles.”

“Yeah, you do that.” Felix muttered before trudging off.

I waited a few more minutes before poking my head out to make sure the coast was clear. That was something. Those two have more issues than I thought. If they could get a nudge in the right direction--no! No! I am not getting myself involved in their problems.

I grabbed the sword I had come to retrieve and fled the camp. At the very least I know where the treasure is now! I ran towards the mermaid lagoon. It was deserted of Lost Boys but I could see the ripple in the water of the mermaids lurking right below the the surface, waiting and hoping I would venture closer so they could pull me down and drown me. I only made that mistake once when I was very new on the island. They were very pretty and I thought maybe they would be friendly towards a girl. I was soon proven how very wrong I was when one of them pulled me under the water and the Lost Boys had to come in and rescue me before I drowned.

Scanning the sand I found a patch that looked like it had been pretty recently disturbed. I started digging with my hands until I felt the solid weight of wood. I dug around it until the very top was uncovered. How was I supposed to get it out by myself? It was firmly stuck in the ground and getting it free by myself would be near impossible.

Maybe I could just grab something to prove that I had found it and cover it back up. I dug my hand down into the sand for the latch and pried it open. Inside laid a wealth of gold coins, gems, jewelry, and other shiny baubles. I stuffed a handful of coins and gems in my pocket and slid a pair of shining, jewel encrusted bracelets onto my wrists. That should be enough. I closed the lid and covered the chest once more. I decided to mess with the boys while waiting for it to grow later and dropped random coins and jewels around the jungle so they would think they were heading in the right direction.

By the time night fell the boys had returned to camp despondent. Some holding up the coins and jewels I had strewn about with a small amount of disdain. Peter was back to his jovial self but looked confused at the boys holding coins. Surely he hadn’t let anything fall out when he stole the chest.

That was my cue. I strolled into the middle of the camp and raised my glittering wrists to the sky. “Bow before your queen!”

“What?” Peter gaped at me. “There’s no way you found the chest!”

“Oh but I did,” I dug into my pockets and tossed the remaining coins I had onto the ground. “That chest was so big and heavy though I couldn’t take the whole thing myself but I think this is sufficient enough evidence.”

“Wait, were you the one leaving coins and jewels all over the island?” one of the boys pointed at me, accusingly.

“Duh,” I rolled my eyes, “I needed to have my own fun.”

“Never let it be said that I’m not a man of my word,” Peter gave an exaggerated bow, “Our dear Lost Girl shall be Queen for the day...or at least for the rest of the night.”

Some of the boys cheered, a lot more of the jealous boys booed. I didn’t care. I basked in the attention and laughed with the others at the silly antics the boys did to entertain their “queen” like court jesters. It was all in good fun, Peter even fashioned me a crown of sticks and leaves.

I pulled him over to dance with me. “So,” I spoke up to be heard over the pounding music, “How long till the pirates find out you stole their treasure and come to hunt us down for taking it?”

“Who knows,” Peter shrugged, “it’s sure to be fun though.”

I laughed along with him as the night grew late and my night of queendom came to an end. The game would begin again tomorrow but with the chest in a new spot. Looks as if I’ll actually have to hunt for it this time. Not a problem, I liked a good challenge.