#and glowing eyes I think. clique for fun

[crabussy]

idea for a light ancient breed on flight rising…..

[domesticandlovingmonsters]

Pick Your Romance Starter- Dark Fae Addition

Plot/Story: Oh no, you've fallen into the Fae Realm through a circle of mushrooms. How convenient, I mean inconvenient! And look, there's some hot Fae men wanting you're attention...how so very clique. But they're not all flowers and sunshine. That would be too damn easy, wouldn't it?

Warnings: Dark Fae, slight non-con touch, blood, 10k words

Notes: The dry-spell has finally worn off and I present to you a little morsel of writing.

Poll is 'here' (Patreon) and here (Tumblr)to choose which character is written for first!

Poll has been finished! Hezirus got the pick. Here is another poll to choose what type of spicey story you want with him.

This is all based on a world built together with a friend. The characters are OCs of mine we play with and use in our stories together. And for your amusement, and torture for my friend, I have started a series where you pick which one I write for first.

This will be a heavy female x male character story. I apologize to my MxM and FxF readers. But I do plan on making these three fuck eventually. Just because it's fun. 

And by all means, give me ideas and feedback. I crave the attention!

Enjoy!

The sharp iron-like smell filled your senses and you felt yourself falling. The warm night air turned bitterly cold and the light from the street disappeared into a wall of black. You blinked. The wind whooshing around you was as loud as a hurricane; before your feet slammed onto stone and you stumbled into something hard and cold. And everything went unnaturally quiet.

You opened your eyes. Blinking rapidly to remove the haziness from your vision as you reached out, calling for your friend. It was dark. Too dark for your eyes just yet.

Your fingers found the cold bars of something circling you. Your hand followed it until you pushed away and stood on your own two feet. Swaying a little, the alcohol still affected your body even as the adrenaline coursed through you.

Finally, after some more blinking and squinting into the dark, your eyes adjusted. And horror filled your stomach as you looked around you.

You were in a cage. An iron cage in the center of a dark room. The floor, the pillars, the walls, all made from gray, smoothed stone. Dust layered the ground like a blanket around your small prison. And thick, but empty, cobwebs lined the corners of the room.

It didn’t look like anyone had been in here for…a very long time.

Your eyes caught the faintest touch of blue light on the floor and you looked down. Finding a glowing ring of sigils carved into the floor, fully encircling your cage. And everytime you moved, the strange letters pulsed with energy and that sharp smell filled your nose once more.

Something in you whispered that it was the same diameter of the mushroom circle you had jumped into… And with that thought, horror filled you. It had happened. It actually…worked. But not in the way you expected.

You don’t know how long you stood in that cage for, calling out into the darkness. It was long enough that the effects of tonight's drinks had worn off and the feeling of dehydration was starting to kick in.

The cold of the room settled on your skin like ice. And you tried to huddle up as much as you could, trying to preserve as much body heat as possible. But the cold iron and the freezing stone was sapping away at your warmth like a hungry beast.

Eventually, just as you started to think you’d be in this dark room forever, a door opened. One you didn’t see at the far end of the room that spilled bright, warm sunlight into the shadows. Making the twilight scatter and your eyes hurt from the blinding rays.

“Well, well, well, I thought all my little traps had been sealed off.” A velvety voice echoed from the doorway. The very sound settled on your skin like the breeze of an autumn afternoon. “What a surprise, indeed.”

Something shifted to your right but when you looked, only darkness stared back. Hiding behind a stone pillar, escaping the bright morning light.

You blinked until the sunlight stopped blinding you and the stranger approached. His boots echoed in the empty room as he closed the distance. His face silhouetted by the soft glow of the blue circle at his feet.

He was handsome. Very handsome. The type of handsome you would take a second glance at because you weren’t sure if your brain properly processed his face. His hair was a slight mess, a dark but silky tangle of blonde and deep brown. Matching a gaze that was fixed, but curious. And you felt every inch of your skin alight with a cold fire when those copper coloured eyes raked over your body. Not an inch of you was left untouched by his gaze. And it left you a little breathless when he smiled.

But your mind was racing. A voice deep within your mind was telling you to run. To hide. Get away from this man and never look back.

“What’s your name, sweet thing?” The man asked. The softest curl of a smirk twitching the corner of his lips.

But you didn’t give it. You weren’t stupid. And you remembered what happened. You jumped into a ring of mushrooms and suddenly you were falling. Even if you could blame this on a drunken dream, you still didn’t give this man your name.

When you didn’t reply, the smirk stretched fully across the stranger's face. “Ah, so you’re smart. That’s cute. I haven’t had a smart one in a long time. Come along, then. Let’s get you cleaned up. You’re exactly what I need to make up for my little blunder last night.”

The cage groaned around you and three of the metal bars slid into the ground. Allowing you a doorway to step out of your small prison and into the stream of light from the door.

The stranger didn’t look at you as he led the way out of the cold stone room. But still addressed you as you stepped out into the light. “My apologies for leaving you in that cold room all night. We had a little…accident, and I was busy until this morning.”

The man led you into a long corridor of more stone. Though the temperature was vastly more welcoming than the room, it was just as empty and just as dusty. You passed many doors like the one from where you landed. Some were left open, revealing more empty areas with a single cage. Others were closed but something dark marked the metal entryway. It looked suspiciously like old blood.

If this stranger saw you staring, he didn’t give any move to answer your unspoken questions. He led you up a spiraling staircase and a door of heavy carved wood and granite, creaked open before he touched it. Opening up into a sprawling room of many desks and shelves and cabinets.

“Clean her.” The stranger said. And from beneath the desks, dark tendrils launched towards you. Black, clawed hands wrapped around your wrists and ankles. Icy cold fingers latched onto your throat, squeezing just enough to silence the scream of fright from your lungs. Iron strength yanked you forward, making your attempts at fleeing fruitless as you were dragged towards a large basin.

More arms of shadows rose from the stone floor and you watched as steaming hot water was poured into the tub. Buckets of water manifesting from darkness and then disappearing when dropped to the floor.

You didn’t get to take a breath before you were lifted and then dumped into the basin. Hot water burned your skin and drenched your clothes. You gasped for air, but a cold hand slammed your head back under the water and you felt harsh bristles scrape over your bare skin. Something sweet smelling poured onto your hair as your head was yanked back out of the water for a brief moment

You coughed and spluttered, barely getting a breath in before you were dunked back into the water.

Your clothes were torn away. Despite your best effort to keep them against your skin, the material ripped apart under the strength of these shadowy limps. You wrapped your arms around your chest, obscuring the man’s beautiful gaze from seeing too much.

His smile was too sweet. Too wide as you were finally released and you turned your back to him. Your skin burned from the brush and soap. Your hair felt silky and smelled like a field of freshly bloomed flowers. But you were completely bare in front of him.

“That’s much better.” The man said. Leaning against a desk nearby. His molten gaze took in every inch of you before he waved his hand and a shadow presented him with a dress. “Wear this. It suits you much better than…whatever else you were wearing.”

When you didn’t get out of the tub, the man sighed and rolled his eyes. Then he turned around so he was leaning against the desk with his palms on the surface of the table. “I won’t look. Go on, try it on.”

You hesitated. But already the water was starting to get cold and you couldn’t sit in here forever. Curled up and shivering. You sighed heavily and carefully slipped out of the water.

Another shadow appeared beside you with a towel. But it didn’t allow you to take it. Instead, it dried you off, harshly rubbing the soft material against your body until your skin felt sore from the material. But dry.

You grumbled a curse towards the man and snatched the dress from the floating shadow.

Surprisingly, the man kept his word and didn’t turn around. Until you were in the dress and staring down at yourself in horror.

The material was thin…extremely thin… You might as well stand in front of him naked without the gentle glimmer of the sparkly dress. And it was very tight. You could see every curve of your breasts and hips, down to your thighs before the dress spilled out around your feet like a bronze ink spill. The only saving grace to this material was that it darkened around your chest and lower center. Refusing to give a full, clean picture of your body that was hidden beneath the dress.

It didn’t stop the perked peaks of your nipples from the cold air. And the stranger hummed a low sound in his throat as he adjusted the sleeve of the dress and picked at some imaginary lint on your waist.

“Much, much better.” The man said. He started to circle you. His eyes scraped over your body as you stood frozen under his gaze. He picked at the dress and the shadows appeared with trinkets and jeweled chains. Your wrists were wrapped in silk and your neck was decorated by a thin, delicate silver chain with topaz stones resting warmly against your neck. A belt of lace loosely circled your hips and your cheeks were assaulted by a dusting of red. Giving you a small blush before cold hands grabbed your face and the man stepped closer.

His forefinger lengthened, growing a black claw that came to a dangerously pointed tip. And you tried to yank yourself away from him but the shadows held you firmly in place. You could only watch in growing horror as the dark talon descended towards your eye…and cautiously drew a line along your upper lashes. Then the man delicately did the same on the other. Giving you a perfect dark eye-liner flick.

The man then stood back. His other hand held your chin as he tilted your face back and forth, admiring the touches he did to you. The shadows relaxed when you did. And you allowed this stranger to do what he wished with your face.

“What’s your name?” You asked him. Finding this close proximity with the handsome face was filling your chest with sharp flutters. You could see the finer details. The sharp, pointed ears. The tattoos under the collar of his shirt and the dusting of gold along his face. Perhaps a decorative choice?

“Jackal Borcalas, Royal Archivist and Spy Master of the Wilds” His smile was predatory. Proud. Cocky. As if the widening of your eyes gave him a sense of smugness. “But Jackal is fine, sweet thing. And yours?”

He said it so casually you almost willingly gave it to him. Like carrying on a normal conversation. But you clapped your mouth shut and glared up at Jackal. Rewarding yourself with a laugh from the Spy Master.

“Ah, well, you can’t blame a man for trying.” Jackal said, shrugging. Then his hands moved from your face down to your body. Adjusting chains and bracelets and anything else the shadows had placed on you.

But you found his hand barely touched you. His fingers brushed over your hips but didn’t linger for too long. The pads of his fingers glossed over your perked nipples but his eyes didn’t stray any longer than they needed. His attention was too focused on his task that you doubted he even knew where he was touching.

“Gorgeous.” Jackal purred. And despite the hungry look in his eyes, you sensed the genuine compliment behind his words. Or was that just a…Fae thing to get you comfortable around him. “Now, a few things before I throw you to the wolves.”

You felt the blood drain from your face with his words. And that wicked smile returned, alongside the cold touch of shadows as they wrapped around your legs and started moving them. You felt like a doll on strings, puppeteered after Jackal as he turned and exited the room.

Your captor led you into more corridors and halls. Many stone steps and coloured glass windows that bathed you in greens and golds and bronze. You didn’t get to look around. The shadows had you transfixed on watching Jackal’s back as he walked through…wherever you were.

“If you want to live through the day, you will follow these rules to the absolute letter. Do not look directly into his eyes. He gets…crabby when you do it for too long. And keep your hands off of him unless he places them somewhere. He doesn’t like to be touched. Do not turn your back on him unless he tells you to do so, and for the love of the Moon, do not touch his horns. Just…keep your hands to yourself unless you’re ordered otherwise.” Jackal said all this while he led you towards a massive metal door. The shadows relieved their hold just enough that you could finally look around you. But your gaze was transfixed on the entrance before you.

Towering above you was a grotesque, twisted display of melted weapons and armor. Swords Maces Axes Shields Any and all kinds had been liquified against the doors. You spotted helmets and chest plates carved through with spears. All dented, all worn, from battle.

“Oh, and also, for my later entertainment, keep yourself alive.” Jackal whispered, looking over your shoulder at him. “We haven’t had a human here in…centuries. So try to make your stay last a little longer than a few minutes.”

With a wave of Jackal’s hand, the war-torn doors opened with an ear-clawing sound of metal on the stone floor.

A blast of heat slammed into you as a voice as deep as thunder growled from within a dimly lit room. “What do you want, snake?” Your very bones vibrated with the voice. And a knot of fear coiled in your stomach as Jackal entered the room.

The shadows had you follow him and you entered a room that was more like a throne room. It was a vast space of furs and blankets. Blazing fires were cradled in braziers along the walls and candles flickered on hanging chandeliers made of bone and skulls. The scent of sulfur and burning meat filled your nose and you tried not to gag as you passed a body laying on the floor. Three deep gashes tore up the person’s back and blood pooled around their limp body. Their face twisted in agony and terror.

Jackal didn’t even look at it. He continued to stroll into the heated room towards a pile of furs and hides.

“I brought you a gift.” Jackal said. His voice echoing in the massive room. Mixing with the heavy breathing of something huge in front of you. The shadows didn’t let you go. They kept you firmly in place behind Jackal.

Something sniffed the air. And you felt the very air around you shift with each deep breath. You started shaking as the tiled floor trembled. The blast of heat came closer and closer. The heat in the room roared and you felt like your arms were being scorched by a blazing fire. Your ears popped and the tremble through the floor halted, but you heard the distinct sound of bare feet stepping over tile towards you.

And then Jackal stepped to the side and you were suddenly staring at a broad chest of muscle and scales.

The shadows released your head. Allowing you to look up, almost craning your neck all the way back, to meet a burning red gaze of a man. He was massive, much taller than 6ft and broad, rippling with muscle. Scars streaked across his arms and chest, giving a stark pale contrast to his dark complexion. A creature of war and battle.

But what was more terrifying was the plating of black scales that protruded from his dark skin. Horns swept out from atop his head. Splitting apart thick, shiny black hair that was braided amongst the crown of thick spikes. And his gaze was heavy. Watching. Calculating.

Jackal tsked harshly and you quickly dropped your eyes. Remembering what Jackal had said only moments before.

The man in front of you growled, a deep rumble that rippled through you like thunder. “A human?” A voice of stone sounded surprised. And you flinched when a massive hand wrapped around your waist, his fingers almost completely encircling your hips, and yanked you closer.

Black scales filled your vision as the man buried his nose into your hair. You felt him take a deep breath and the growl turned into something like a broken purr as the man laughed a cynical chuckle. “Is this your way of saying sorry, snake?” The scaled man snapped at Jackal. Releasing you before stalking over to the much smaller man.

Despite their size difference, and the display of bared teeth from the other man, Jackal remained perfectly calm. His hands resting behind his back as if he was having a casual conversation with someone.

“This is my way of mending my mistake.” Jackal replied slowly. “Hezirus will want her for himself. But I thought you should get some time with her before she’s claimed entirely. I thought it would be a nice…treat, Maahes, from me to you. From a friend.”

That word brought a snarl out of Maahes. Like he didn’t like how it sounded coming out of Jackal’s mouth. “Watch it, snake. You almost cost me my territory last night. A morsel won’t make up for that blunder.”

“Then let it be the start of my amendment to you.” Jackal titled his chin down in a submissive display. And whatever rage Maahes had, seemed to melt away. You felt the sharp tang of something hit your nose and suddenly the beast in front of you roared.

Claws raked through the marble pillar where Jackal had been standing moments before. Then you felt the shadows retreat and Jackal was standing in the doorway behind you. An amused smile across his lips

Maahes roared again, crimson eyes glowing with a surge of anger. “Keep your filthy magic out of my head!”

The doors slammed closed with a thunderous bang as Jackal laughed. Leaving you alone with a creature that was practically shaking with rage.

Your eyes swooped to the floor when the beast looked at you. You heard the click of claws as he approached. Two dark tree trunks entered your view and you realized he was standing right in front of you. He at least wasn’t naked, wearing a loose pair of dark trousers. But the thin dress did very little to make you feel protected at this moment.

“What is your name?” Maahes asked. You didn’t respond, cowering in front of him. The beast snarled and a rough grip wrapped around the underside of your jaw and forced you to look up at him. You kept your gaze from staring into the pools of rubies, looking at the scar that carved down his neck and to his collarbone. “I am not a Fairy, sweet morsel. I won’t use your name against you. What do I call you?”

You felt him lift you a little. Until you were standing on your tiptoes to stop him from choking you. “(y/n)” You managed to say. And the grip released you.

“Get me a drink, (y/n).” Your name rolled on his tongue like he was tasting you through those words. It sounded awfully sinful to hear it. And you quickly hurried over to the table by the dead body. Where an array of goblets and bottles were laid out. You choose the largest cup and fill it with an amber liquid. You had to carry it with both hands to ensure it didn’t spill and didn’t strain one arm too much. Hurrying back to Maahes, who had returned to lounge on the pile of furs. Which even his massive frame seemed to be swallowed by the vast mattress of pelts.

The beast rumbled. But it wasn’t an aggressive sound. You almost thought he sounded pleased as you carefully climbed onto the furs and offered him the wine. He took the cup from your hands. And as he pressed the wine to his lips, his free hand lashed out and took purchase of your hips before you attempted to step away.

You couldn’t fight him. The amount of strength beneath those fingers alone was enough to pull you towards him with barely any effort.

You found yourself flush against his side. His scales, rough and jagged, pushed painfully against your soft skin. And once you were positioned how he wanted, the hand moved down to cup your ass. His talons caught on the material of your dress as he squeezed hard. Making you wince a little.

“How did the snake manage to catch you?” Maahes asked. Placing his cup precariously on a position of the bed as he moved so he was on top of you. His nose scraped against your neck and you felt his teeth playfully pull at the silver chain around your throat. “Trapping humans was outlawed centuries ago. Did he say some pretty words and you were suddenly here? Or did you fall through a mirror?”

His words were surprisingly teasing for how rough his hands were on your body. The pads of his fingers were calloused and coarse, sweeping along your thighs before moving you so he could settle between your legs. He was massive above you. Obscuring the ceiling and bone chandeliers with his mass.

You explained what happened. Recalling the ring of mushrooms on the side of the walkway on your way home. The stupid decision to test fate and jump into the circle. Laughing, thinking nothing would come of it. And then accidentally said ‘we’ jumped in, and those crimson eyes pulsed intensely.

“There’s two of you?” Maahes asked. Glancing at the door as if Jackal was about to come through it again with another person. You said you didn’t see your friend in the cage and the man shrugged. Returning his mouth to the hollow of your neck. His lips sending goosebumps along your skin as his hot breath bathed along your chest.

It was a long moment of licking and hard nips along your neck before Maahes changed position. Burying his face against your breasts. Even through the dress, you could feel his mouth hungrily take in your left nipple and rake his tongue over the peak.

“No matter. I’ll feast on you first before I worry about someone else's pet.” You felt him shift against you and something huge and hard pressed against your clothed core. Then Maahes raised his mouth and a burning hot tongue seared along your neck, carrying the smell of wine and meat along your flesh, up to your cheek before your lips were harshly trapped between Maahes’.

Your struggling only seemed to amuse Maahes. As you tried to push him off and twist away from him. But just as he forced your lips open with his tongue, the doors to the room blasted open in a cold gust of wind. The flames around you simmered out under the gust and the chandeliers swung wildly above you.

Maahes growled and tore his mouth from yours. He poised above you like a beast protecting a kill. Thick arms caging you against the bed as the sound of his snarl ripped through you. You could feel the vibrations through your core, from where his covered bulge was firmly pressed against your core.

You turned your head, peering around Maahes’ arms to see a gorgeous man standing in the streaming sunlight. Like an angel, wings of bronze and gold framed his tall figure and a thick set of arms were crossed over his chest. Lines crinkled his perfect brow and long chocolate brown hair was kept away from his face by a gold crown of gnarled vines and flowers.

“Maahes,” The man said the beast’s name like a warning. But his tone was playful, teasing. “What have you got there?”

Maahes’ snarl crumbled into a softer sound. But he didn’t move from atop of you. His talons ripped into the furs as his hands turned to fists beside your body. “She’s mine.”

“Not anymore she isn’t.” The angel said. Stepping into the dark room, closer to the creature that was bent low over your frozen body. “I caught her scent on my way to breakfast. I don’t know how Jackal got her, but she’s a guest in my palace. I won’t have you break her on her first morning here.”

Soft, bronze eyes fell upon you and his smile softened. But those warning bells in your head were singing again. Even more so than they had with Jackal. “Give her to me, Maahes.” The man said, his wings opening a touch to make him seem so much bigger than he was. “I won’t ask again.”

The beast above you growled deep and threatening. You braced for something to happen. Another gust of wind. A fist. Claws. Something.

But then the heavy, hot weight of Maahes disappeared as he crawled off of you. And you scrambled off the bed to stand beside the winged man. Hiding behind him as his wing opened to protect you from Maahes’ heated gaze. “Good boy.” The crowned stranger said. A very careful smile placed over his lips. “Do not let me catch you playing with her again.”

Maahes’ gaze lowered to the furs. But you could see the tension in his body and the thick, throbbing vein that was protruding from his neck. He bowed. “Yes, Prince Hezirus.”

That seemed to be enough for the…prince. And he turned, his wing shifting to envelope you in a warm embrace against your back and guiding you out of the room.

The heavy doors slammed shut behind you both. And the wings of the prince moved to lazily return to his back. A different type of heat simmered in his gaze when the prince turned to you. A striking difference from the softness he offered you before. “Now, human, you will tell me how you got here. And why you’re…dressed the way you are.” Despite the quizzical tone, Prince Hezirus’ eyes were just as hungry and heavy as Jackal’s when you first got dressed. You instinctively tried to cover yourself but a narrowed glare from the person in front of you made you halt.

Your arms dropped to your sides as you explained everything. But this time, you kept the ‘we’ out of it. Only insinuating that you alone jumped into the very obvious Fae trap.

“But you know our customs,” The prince hummed. Tilting his head like how a dog did when it was intrigued by something. “You won’t give me your name. You even called the circle a trap. So…you knew what it was.”

Your cheeks burned with embarrassment. The drunken stupor of a joke was now very obviously a suicide sentence. “I didn’t think it would work.” You argued. “I was…drunk.”

“Superstition has kept your people alive longer than you’d think. You should start listening to your fable stories, there’s a reason they exist.” The prince began walking and you hurried to follow. The tall man, possibly as tall as the beast on the furs, didn’t shorten his strides to let you keep up. Instead, you had to fasten your steps to almost jog alongside him.

“Where am I?” You asked. Finally looking at your surroundings. There were large paintings that covered the towering walls. The ceiling looked like marble with many hanging candles and torches to illuminate what the sun couldn’t. Massive glass windows bathed your walk with the prince in color. But at least this time you could see the shapes of beasts and battles and fields of flowers as you passed them.

It was all very beautiful.

“You’re in the Fae Wilds. My kingdom.” The prince replied. His chin tilted up with pride as he spoke. “I am Prince Hezirus of the Wilds. Son of Queen Melusine, the Lady of the Forest. You’re in my palace in the deepest forest of our kingdom. My…holiday home, I guess you would call it.”

You stalled for a moment to peek through one of the windows. Spying the grounds of the estate that sprawled out in grassy knolls and flowing creeks that sliced through lush gardens and tumbled through the gnarled roots of mountainous trees.

There were people working in the gardens and some walked the earthy paths through the estate. Someone even started flying into the branches of a nearby tree. With wings like an insect.

A soft cough from the prince made you turn. Finding him standing by the cliff of a long stairwell that led down and into the center of the palace. You quickly hurried back to his side and started descending next to him.

“It’s beautiful.” You said. Unable to keep your eyes on one thing at a time. A man walked past you both, bowing deeply to the prince before walking briskly away. His features reminded you of a rat.

“Thank you. But you will have time to see everything soon. I want you to join me for breakfast.” The prince said. And you followed him down a corridor and into a grand hall. A long table was presented before you. Its surface was chock-full of plates and bowls of food. All steaming, like the dishes had just come out of the oven.

At the end of the table sat a beautifully crafted chair of twisted roots and vines. The cushions looked as soft as clouds and a plate of sourdough bread, bathed in eggs and bacon with a drizzle of white sauce, was sitting awaiting the prince.

Hezirus waved his hand and a chair pulled itself from the table next to the prince. And Hezirus gestured for you to sit, before he flicked his hand and the chair pushed you snugly against the table. A plate was placed in front of you by an owl-faced woman and the prince seated himself in his chair.

Leaning his cheek on his fist, propped up by his elbow on the table, he watched you curiously. “Please, eat. Enjoy.”

The smells of everything laid out in front of you was maddening. Your stomach twisted in hunger and the slight hangover that had plagued you with a headache, wished for water. But you didn’t reach for any of it. And watched the prince take his gaze off you just enough to take a bite out of his egg smothered bread slice.

“So now you start to believe in your fables?” The prince asked. An amused smile twitching his lips as he chewed. “I do not need to charm you to keep you here, lovely thing. You may eat freely. This food is not poisoned and untouched by magic. Other than what is needed to prepare certain dishes.”

You still didn’t reach for anything. Not even the water. Which sat chilled in a glass pitcher in front of you. Like it was teasing you. You shook your head. “Thank you. But I’ll skip breakfast.”

The prince’s eyes flashed gold and suddenly you were reaching for the water. You tried with all your might to stop yourself from pouring a glass, but your hands worked just like they did when the shadows had hold of you.

Puppeteered.

Helpless.

You tried to cry out as your fingers brought the glass of water to your lips. But your body defied you. And you sipped cleanly, without choking, a long draught of water down your parched throat. Once you had placed the glass down you felt your body return to your control and you stood. Almost knocking the chair over as you jerked away from the table.

“Like I said, I do not need to charm you to make you stay.” The prince said. As if you had asked about the weather. So casually glossing over what he just did. “Your tales of us are true…in some sense. But we hold more power than we allowed you to believe. Please. Eat. You look like you’re about to pass out. And I won’t tell you again. You won’t like it if I have to do it myself.”

It was true. You could feel the edge of your mind falling into a dizzy spiral. And the thought of you passing out in front of him made the hunger turn to fear. You shook your head, clearing it, and sat down before your legs gave out. And begrudgingly served yourself some pancakes.

And it was the best thing you’ve ever eaten. Whether it was because of hunger, or the Fae chefs, it was delicious. Even the fruit you ate was sweet and juicy. Perfect. Also too perfect.

But if you didn’t eat, you were sure he’d probably force you too. So, you gave in. As much as the logical side of the brain was screaming at you to stop.

The prince’s gaze never left your lips as you ate. His eyes were persistently on you, even as he devoured his own breakfast and poured a cup of something that smelled strongly of coffee.

“Did Jackal explain anything to you before he shoved you into a room with a horny Drake?” The prince asked. An eyebrow raising when you told him of the rules Jackal gave you. And you added on that you were meant to be a treat, as a means of amendment from Jackal.“At least he wanted you to live through the morning. And yes, Jackal made a small mistake last night. Maahes exaggerates, it wasn’t so bad he’d lose his territory. He’s just angry he lost a bet at all. You were lucky I found you before Maahes went too far. I do enjoy it when Maahes is rough with me. But your delicate body would snap apart the moment he pulls down his pants.”

The rush of heat that exploded in your body, crawling up your neck and into your cheeks made the prince chuckle. “That’s adorable. But also very dangerous. Don’t do that around Maahes. If he gets whiff that you’re into things like him, you’ll be chained to his hips and riding his cock until your body breaks.”

You tried to argue. Maybe say something that it wasn’t arousal, but shock at the prince’s choice of words. But the prince shot you a look that silenced your rebuttal before it began. “I can smell it on you, pet. Don’t even try lying to my face. It won’t end well for you.” His words carried a threat that made your skin crawl with a chill. Even if his tone was light and teasing. Something in his gaze had your heart racing.

“What are you going to do to me?” You asked. You wanted to know, so you could at least brace for whatever was about to happen to you. How many books have you read about similar scenarios? You had the hot, sexy men part ticked off. A strange, weird place in the Fae realm, checked. But this wasn’t a romance. You were just left to the mercy of a creature with scales. Given a hint at the power that could make you do anything the man in front of you wanted.

Your life very much was in danger right now.

“Hmm, I’m not sure yet.” The prince said. Leaning back in his chair as he regarded you with a critical eye. Like he was appraising a piece of art. “But I’m sure you’re asking if I’m going to kill you. Eat your bones. Turn you into a…I don’t know. What do we Fae do to humans? It’s been centuries since I’ve talked to one. But you never forget the scent.” The prince breathed in deeply and released it slowly with a long sigh. When his eyes opened, his pupils were blown wide like he was intoxicated.

“Such a delicious fragrance. It used to drive me mad in my youth. The lust. The hunger. Oh, fuck, the sex…” The prince finally looked at you again. As if suddenly remembering you were there and had asked a question. “No, dear pet, I am not going to kill you. Some of my court might try. But I’ve already ordered them that you are to be untouched. Left only for me to squeeze.”

He flashed you a smile that made his already handsome face become even more beautiful. “Anyone that tries to force themselves on you will meet my wrath. You are welcome to wander the palace. I do suggest staying as far away from Maahes as possible. And don’t go into the gardens until-”

“If I may, Hez.” The sudden voice of Jackal made you jump as he appeared by your side. Seeming to appear out of thin air as he joined you at the table. Sitting to your right. “I suggest we keep her caged until the staff and court get used to the scent of her in the estate. Already there has been enough unrest that Maahes has had his fill of Fae blood. She will be safer in the dungeons until you solidify the order for her to remain untouched.”

The prince played with the fabric of his tunic as he thought over Jackal’s words. His eyes following the line of your neck to your shoulders and then to the material that smothered your breasts into a perfect soft mound. “You make a good point, Jackal. However…because it was your trap that brought her here, she is your responsibility.”

Jackal’s jaw twinged as he glanced at you. “Hez, I cannot afford to be distracted from my work. I cannot continuously check on her in the cells-”

“Then have her in your office until you ensure she won’t be touched down there.” The prince smiled. A sense of amusement flashing over his face as he winked at you. “Jackal will take fine care of you until I have time for you, pet. Stay close to him and do what he says.”

A sharp scent ripped through your nose and you winced as your mind latched onto the words the prince spoke. An order. An order given by a Fae prince laced with…magic.

“I don’t think she’s stupid enough to try and run from me.” Jackal said. Sighing heavily as he took a sausage from one of the plates and took a bite from it. “Come on then, Lily. Time to watch me do paperwork for hours on end.”

“Lily?” Hezirus asked as Jackal stood. You felt your body follow suit. But it wasn’t anything like the cold touch of shadows or the constricting power from Hezirus. You wanted to follow Jackal. You were told to do as he said, and damn well you will do it.

“It’s not her name.” Jackal assured the prince. “She’s as lovely as a lily. So, that’s what I’ll call her.”

“Hmm, I don’t think that suits her.” Hezirus said thoughtfully. Tilting his head as he looked you up and down again.

“Well, she’s your pet. You pick a name for her.” Then Jackal smiled viciously and tapped the tip of your nose. “Or are you going to introduce yourself?”

When your glare was the only reply they got, the two men laughed and Jackal clicked his tongue. You followed him like a puppy on a leash, up many staircases and through many corridors. Until you found yourself back in the room you started in. Where the basin had now been emptied of water but the room still smelled of the shampoo in your hair.

“Sit.” Jackal ordered. And your body slumped into a wooden chair by a large desk. One that was covered in many long pieces of parchment and piles of books. A few empty ink pots were put to the side. While a stack of new ones awaited to be used. “You might want to get comfortable. You’re going to be here for a while.”

You looked around. Attempting to get comfortable in the wooden chair next to Jackal’s desk. Much unlike the plush, armchair-like seat he possessed, the wood was hard against your ass and the surface cold to the touch.

A few minutes passed as Jackal opened a few books and arranged them to stand in small holders to keep them open. He arranged paper out in front of him and then opened a thick, leather bound book by his left hand. You tapped your fingernails against the wood of the chair. Already insane from the quiet of the room.

“Can I have a book or something?” You asked. And Jackal scoffed a laugh.

“I doubt I have anything here that you can read. It’s all documents and spellbooks; all in languages you can’t read.” Jackal waited for you to argue. But when you didn’t give a rebuttal about knowing more languages than one, he left it to rest. “If you’d like to pass the time, you’re more than welcome to pass the time on me.” The smile was playful. Menacingly teasing as he smirked at you when your cheeks flushed pink.

“You’re not going to order me to do that?” You asked scornfully. And Jackal shrugged, plucking a quill from its seat in an ink pot and started writing.

“I could. Since Hezirus gave you the order to do whatever I say. Or I could force you to do it with my servants. But it’s not as much fun when the giver uses teeth and tries drawing blood every second.” At the word ‘servants’ the shadows from beneath the desks nearby came alive and crawled over the floor towards you. You pulled your dress away from the curious clawed hands and the room filled with whispered laughter as you gasped in horror.

Jackal tsked and the shadows scattered. Returning to being nothing more than dark spots under the desks. “Now hush, I have to concentrate.”

You must have dozed off somewhere after the third hour mark of sitting and doing nothing. The room was bitterly cold now and you shifted in your seat. Trying to find a comfortable position when a touch of fire brushed over your thigh.

You jerked awake. Startling when you came face to face with Jackal. Who had turned his chair towards you and was sitting almost directly between your legs. Both of his hands were coiled around your right thigh. Molding the cool skin with his fingers so gently that it almost tickled.

“Get your hands-”

“Shush, I’m thinking.” Jackal barked back. And the harshness of his voice froze you in place. Or was it the order to do as he says? You had no idea, but you knew that you were helpless in that chair as he squeezed your leg like he was kneading dough into shape. Scraping his palm along your skin through the velvety material of your dress. You had to lean back as he lifted your calf and draped your leg over his lap. You were left completely open to him in this position. But Jackal didn’t seem to notice.

He never went any higher than your upper thigh. His eyes were distant, staring at your chest but not actually paying attention to the shape of your cleavage. It was just the last place he looked before his thoughts trailed off.

You kept quiet. At least welcoming the warmth from Jackal’s lap and touch over your chilled skin.

Any longer here and you were going to freeze. You’d even welcome the harsh treatment of the hot bath just to warm you up. The dress was useless against the breeze that blew in from the open window. And the sun was beginning to go down.

Shit…have you already been here the entire day? No wonder your back was killing you.

Jackal startled you by humming and dropping your leg from his lap. Non-delicately letting your bare foot slap against the stone and you shuffled back onto the chair. He returned to his desk and started feverishly writing something down.

You stayed silent. Kicking your leg over the other to try and savor some of the tingling warmth from Jackal’s fingers. You hated how tenderly he had touched you. Because your core kind of enjoyed the attention.

The sky outside was pitch black and somewhere in the castle, you heard distant screams. It had started some hours ago and had long since lost its pitch. But the volume was still there. Telling you of the absolute agony that was ripping through someone.

“It’s no one you know.” Jackal assured you. Seeing your worried expression. “Maahes told me that there was a second human that jumped in the trap with you. And so far, I haven’t found them. Even if someone already claimed your friend, there would be traces of her. When a Fae consumes or fucks a human there’s…changes.”

That was at least comforting. But hearing such visceral cries turned your blood cold and nausea twisted in your stomach.

They were cut off rather quickly some hours after nightfall. And you weren’t sure if the silence following it was worse or better.

Jackal leaned back in his chair and stretched. Your eyes caught a glimpse of the toned body beneath the fine black tunic. But you tore your eyes away just as Jackal glanced at you.

“You’ve been rather quiet…Oh, right, I told you to shush. You can talk now. I don’t need to think for a bit.”

“I was going to say to get your hands off me.” You snapped. Suddenly finding an urge to speak now Jackal told you so. “Don’t ever touch me again.”

“But you’re so soft and warm.” Jackal practically purred. His arms hanging over the back of his chair as he stared at you. And this time, he really stared at you. With an intensity that had you looking away and a fresh wave of heat flooding your center. And that little nibble of his bottom lip was an added unfair flare.

“You’re disgusting.” You mumbled.

“I’m sure you'll change your mind eventually.” Jackal chuckled. The molten copper turned sharp once more as he returned them to the desk full of freshly scrawled paper. “If you were literate I’d have you read these so I can rest my eyes. But you’re unfortunately not that useful.”

“I can read.” You hissed and Jackal rolled his eyes. Lowering his arms so they came to rest on the desk.

“Can you read dwarvish?” Jackal asked. Then he clicked his tongue when you huffed a curse at him and turned your head away again. “Like I said, illiterate. Shame…it would have been cute having you sit on my lap while you read this over.”

“Fuck off.”

Jackal laughed and sighed. The breath was heavy as it filled his lungs. “I better get you to your cell before I let your arousal do anymore to me. Get up, little flower. And stay close. Maahes is wandering the halls looking for a chance to drag you under him again. And Hezirus is busy ensuring the court doesn’t devour you through the night. So, I’m all you have keeping you alive until we get you to your cage.”

You stood before your mind could think of doing so. And then you were walking beside Jackal through the palace, a step behind him. “What is stopping Maahes from…getting in my..cage?” It sounded weird to say. And you dearly hoped it wasn’t going to be a cage in the middle of a room like the one you appeared in.

“Hezirus.” Jackal replied, as a matter of factly. “Our prince holds alot of power. And not even a Drake as powerful as Maahes can disobey his orders while in his own home. He’ll try to lure you to his bed chambers, or the floor, I’m sure. But as long as you keep saying ‘no’, you’ll be safe.”

“That’s all that is stopping him from…you know…”

“Words hold more power here than your world, sweet flower. And Hezirus has explicitly ordered your words are the rules to your body. So, be mindful when speaking to anyone here. It might save your life.”

You trailed alongside Jackal as he took you deeper into the palace. Down even more stairs and corridors, until he stopped outside of a steel door. You weren’t stupid. This was a dungeon, deep under the palace. You could smell bile and filth from the other locked rooms. And the air was cold and thick.

But there were no guards here. Only the flickering torches along the walls and the soft, pained whimpering of the other prisoners.

“I had your cell cleaned before I brought you down here.” Jackal said. As if his words made it all better as the door to the cell opened without him touching it. Revealing a cramped, dark room. A cot was pushed into the corner. Merely a wooden pallet with hay stuffed into the crevasses and a thin blanket covering the splintering wood.

The pillow looked thin and splotched with gray marks.

“I’m going to freeze down here.” You said. Pulling at the stretchy material of your outfit. “This is barely going to keep me warm.”

“That’s Hezirus’ problem, not mine.” Jackal replied.

Then a hard cold force slammed into you and you stumbled into the cell. The door creaked shut and you heard a lock click into place. You rushed to the door as Jackal opened the little slit, allowing you to see his copper eyes through the darkness.

“Whenever Hezirus remembers his pet is down here, I’m sure he’ll provide you with all the best luxuries your little human body needs.” Jackal said with a roll of his bright eyes. “I, however, do not have time to babysit you at every minute. So, you’ll sit down here, in the dark, like a good girl until things settle. My servants swarm this place, so you’re safe. Just don’t make too much noise. Or you’ll attract some unwanted attention. Get some sleep, little flower. You’ll need it for tomorrow.”

You beat your fists against the door as the slit slid closed. Calling after Jackal in a colorful array of words and sentences. Some even got an impressed whistle out of the spy-master before you heard his boots disappear.

You retreated from the door when someone screamed from a nearby cell. The whispering laughter of shadows echoed through the darkness in response.

You went to the cot. The wood creaked under your weight as you curled up against the corner of the room. Gathering the thin blanket around you. Ignoring the itchiness from the hay and tried very hard not to think of bugs crawling in your hair or down along your arms.

You tried to stay awake. Something was moving beyond the cell door but it never came any closer. Someone would scream or start crying. Another would start begging. Only to be silenced by a harsh hiss that made your blood run cold.

You curled up tighter and closed your eyes. Hoping the sun would scatter the shadows when it rose.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Continuation: Prince Hezirus: Chapter 1, Chapter 2 (Patreon)

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[bropunzeling]

i’d love a director’s cut of one-two punch!!!

here is the restaurant scene!

That night, the team takes them to some restaurant downtown [i picked elliott's oyster house on pier 56, which has an enormous deck and is suitably fancy for a ~nice night~], right on the water. There’s a huge wrap-around deck, and the whole west side of it, with its salt air and view of the tangerine sun sliding behind blue silhouetted mountains [literally the perfect view. can't tell me otherwise. love you olympics!!], has been reserved for them.

“Damn,” Jagger says as he follows Shane towards one of the tables. “This is the nice shit, eh?”

“Yeah, really,” Shane says, sliding into a chair. There’s a breeze coming off the sound, and he can see a pine green ferry docked to the south of them; if he twists in his chair, there's a view of an enormous Ferris wheel glowing in neon green. He didn’t even know they had a Ferris wheel here. [i think they built the wheel between when i graduated high school and when i moved back for grad school. it is obscenely expensive and ive never gone on it.]

The team’s gone all out on feeding them all camp; tonight it’s practically every fish in the ocean, and the shellfish besides. The smell of saltwater mixes with the taste of brine and lemon as Shane shovels down some clam pasta, pausing only to make fun of Jagger’s attempts to eat an oyster [the shane/jagger friendship was one i uncovered doing my research and it was fun to give shane as a little anchor point amidst all the change he's experiencing]. All around he can hear the noise of the other tables; the sound of waves hitting the pier; once, memorably, the blare of the horn as the ferry pulled out from the dock [my fiance grew up on one od the islands in the sound and his parents live near one of the ferry docks, and it is the loudest noise on earth]. The sun warms his face, enough that his cheeks will be pink tomorrow.

As dinner winds down, people start to shift tables. Jagger’s first to wander off, finding some of the other boys from the W; then Ty gets pulled into the NCAA table and starts talking about—fuck, Shane doesn’t know, probably Fortnite [showing the little groups and cliques that form when you're all slightly unsure of who to hang with]. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Matty going from table to table, sitting down for five minutes or so, listening in, before standing up with a slap to someone’s back and finding another empty chair. [future captain matty being very captainly; and shane noticing that behavior]

Still, even though he knows it’s coming, it feels like a shock when Matty’s sliding into the empty chair next to Shane’s [a clique of two], casually dropping an arm over the back. If Shane leans back, Matty’s thumb will touch his shoulder. [a lot of building the tension in this fic was figuring out the right balance of shane thinking about wanting this, shane noticing the opportunities, and shane deciding not to take them (until he does)]

Shane doesn’t lean back.

“Last one standing?” Matty asks.

“Apparently,” Shane says. “Nelly’ll be back, though. Forgot his hat.” [his hats were a delight to learn about]

Matty laughs. “He does love a hat.”

Shane laughs too. It’s hard not to. “Yeah, he started getting them when we were, fuck, twelve? And now he has a whole collection.” [pointing to the familiar versus the new in shane's relationships. he knows ty and jagger, he doesn’t know seattle, the team, matty]

Another laugh. Shane thinks Matty laughs easy, but that doesn’t stop the thrill of victory in his stomach. He made it happen, after all.

For a long moment, neither of them say anything, just watch the ocean. Shane tries to relax, listen to the lapping of the water, but he can’t. Not when Matty’s sitting next to him, almost but not quite touching him.

“I heard what Nelly and Firky said earlier,” Matty says, breaking the silence.

Shane glances over. “What? They say a lot of shit.”

“About the media questions,” Matty replies. [captaining!]

“Oh,” Shane says. He looks back at the water. “Right.”

“Are they still asking you that shit?”

Shane shrugs. It brings his shoulders into contact with Matty’s arm, warm along the top of his back. He thinks about pulling away, but that’ll just draw more attention to it, so he doesn’t. [now shane is willing to let it happen; he won't go for it, but if they're already in contact he won't pull away] “Not so much this time.”

“Good,” Matty says firmly. “That’s good.”

Shane shrugs again. He’s used to answering the same five questions over and over; there was one set when he first started in the O about the special exemption, then another set all last year. At some point the media will get over themselves, especially if he has nothing new to say. [reading articles for this i noticed some distinct Media Narratives, shall we say, so this is my nod to that. also hockey media is so fucking boring because they always ask the same shit over and over lol so can't resist a dig.]

"I am curious, though.” Matty says. Shane turns his head to look at him, only to find Matty already looking back. "Do you have a chip on your shoulder?" [obviously i took a lot of the post-draft narratives and ran with them, because they are fun]

Shane glares at him, but Matty doesn’t flinch. Not ruffled at all.

"I don't know," he says finally. "I mean. Yes, kind of. And no, kind of." He pauses, trying to marshal his thoughts. Matty’s still looking at him. It’s weird, getting the full force of Matty's stare. It makes his face prickle, same as an incoming sunburn. It makes it hard for him to keep his thoughts on the inside of his head. [nothing can be so intoxicating as attention]

"I should've been first," he blurts out, glancing down at his plate, at the pile of clamshells and the napkin crumpled to the side. "I should've. I was good enough. And it's—all year everyone talked like two years ago was the peak or something, like I wasn't playing up to their standards, but I know I was. [again the media narrative was fascinating and seemed to not account for the pandemic of it all?] I know I'm going to be good. So that pissed me off, all the fucking assumptions, but—" He pauses, swallows. "I like it here. I don't know that I'd like Montreal as much. I just—I like it here," he says again. He doesn’t know how to put it into words, exactly, doesn't know how to say it in a way that doesn't sound small and stupid, but that’s what he thinks this last week has meant. [this for me is the real emotional climax of the fic. it's not so much about shane and matty per se than about shane himself understanding the draft, coming to terms with where he'll be, figuring out if there's a place for him here, figuring out if this is a city he can see himself in. kissing a teammate is just a bonus.] The firm grip of Ron Francis' handshake on the stage of the Bell Centre; stepping into KCI and onto fresh ice as fans in the stands cheered him on; Jagger and Ty laughing at practice. Matty's texts at the top of his messages; Matty's grin as he beat Shane at the faceoff dot; Matty's arm around his shoulders while they smiled for the camera in the middle of the field at T-Mobile, as warm as the summer sun. [matty as a person obviously is part of shane beginning to see himself in seattle, but also matty as a symbolic representation of what going to seattle might bring]

When he looks up, Matty’s looking back at him, steady. "Yeah," he says, like he gets it, like he knows what Shane means. Maybe he does.

Shane nods. In front of them, the sun is dipping down below the mountains, streaking the sky with pinks and purples and oranges. It's starting to get cooler, the breeze off the water picking up, but he can still feel the heat of Matty's arm where it's braced over the back of his chair, touching his shoulders. He doesn’t pull away. [this is the start of shane deciding actually he will go for this. he wants to, he can.]

[luminnara]

Maneater | Billy Hargrove x demon!reader NSFW (18+ ONLY)

There’s a new girl in town…and she’s got a killer beauty routine.

AKA Billy x Jennifer’s Body style reader

Requests and commissions are open! 

@smenny @infinitelyforgotten @littlewinter1917 @djiafjaidjcj

Warnings: violence, cannibalism (sorta? Reader is a demon so technically not?) eating people lol, sexual talk, flirtin, smut

(I tried really hard to find a cropped version of this gif but I couldn’t 😩)

You always felt your best after a good night’s beauty sleep, your usual skincare routine, and devouring a boy or two. Sure, it was a little unorthodox, and it was the result of a virgin sacrifice gone wrong (seriously, how did those creepy band dudes think you were a virgin? Ouch), but it was your thing now, and you were totally owning it.

The best part? You wouldn’t have any problems finding fresh meat in your new home of Hawkins, Indiana, because you knew that no matter where you went, there were always going to be stupid, horny boys just begging for you to play around in their chest cavities. You could go just about anywhere and still be able to do your thing, and even though you were in the middle of buttfuck nowhere Indiana, you were excited to check out the locals. Maybe size them up.

Look for someone yummy.

It was a gorgeous spring morning, and you felt amazing. You felt like you could do anything, and you could—when you were full and happy, you were way more powerful than a normal human. Those shitty band guys may have been total idiots, but at least you got some cool new powers out of their silly little ritual. On the outside, you looked gorgeous, with clear, practically glowing skin, a charming smile, and bright eyes…but on the inside, you were a monster straight from hell.

And that didn’t bother you one bit.

Hawkins High was a small school. The parking lot wasn’t even paved. The junior high was right across the driveway. Despite the���quaintness of it all, however, everyone milling around by their cars looked like they all thought they were hot shit. There were groups of girls standing around, snapping their gum and twirling their hair as they gossiped. There were guys in letterman jackets, shoving each other around for fun. There was one boy with impressively nice hair, and one who screamed metal head trailer trash.

Some of them looked like their families had money. Some looked like they were from the wrong side of the tracks. Some were nerds, some were band geeks, some were desperately trying to fit in with the popular clique…they were all equal in your eyes, no matter how different they seemed. They were all fresh meat, and they probably all tasted just fine.

“Who the hell is that?” Carol asked, shoving Tommy aside to get a better look.

Her boyfriend stumbled slightly, irritated that she had cut him off just as he was finally getting handsy with her for the first time in two weeks. “Who?”

“Look, idiot,” Carol snapped.

She grabbed him by the jacket and forced him to turn. When he did, he saw that she was looking at someone he didn’t recognize—

Someone hot.

Someone real hot.

“Goddamn,” he breathed, his eyes glued to you as you sauntered through the lot. “Hargrove. Hey.”

Billy wasn’t listened. Instead, he was leaning against his Camaro as he lit a cigarette and tried to pretend that his ribs weren’t bruised. When Tommy grabbed at his shirt, he immediately stiffened and sneered, straightening up and catching the other boy’s arm.

“The hell is your problem?” He growled.

“Check out the new girl.”

Billy’s grip loosened slightly, teeth clenching around his cigarette as his eyes left Tommy. He found you way more interesting to focus on, anyways, and he was immediately interested.

He grinned, clapping Tommy’s shoulder as he straightened up and moved in your direction.

“Where’re you goin?” Tommy called after him.

“To give our new compatriot a friendly, Hawkins welcome,” Billy replied, a wild look in his eyes as he followed you through the front doors.

You stopped by the office for your schedule and locker number, playing nice and dumb with the secretary. You laughed whenever she did, you said thank you when you took your papers from her, and you gave her a charming smile that you knew would win anybody over. If she was any indicator, Hawkins would be even easier to settle into than you thought.

When you stepped out the door, you nearly ran face first into someone.

Someone who smelled delicious.

“Oh, sorry,” you immediately turned on the charm as your eyes traveled up his broad chest. When they settled on his face, you were surprised to see that he was absolutely gorgeous…and something in his gaze sent a little shiver up your spine.

“No need to apologize, sweetheart,” he smirked. “Name’s Billy.”

You could tell he was checking you out. Boys always did, especially when you were feeling well fed and full of yourself. There was some sort of magnetic pull that drew them in, like the sweet smell of a carnivorous plant beckoning insects forward. Billy definitely wasn’t an insect…but he might make a nice meal nonetheless.

You bit your lower lip and batted your lashes at him. “Wanna show me around, Billy? I don’t know where my new locker is…”

Billy wanted to laugh.

Did you think he was stupid? He knew his way around flirting. He was the king of playing nice to get what he wanted, whether it be slipping into someone’s pants or getting information. Billy could tell that you were pretending to be sugary and sweet with him…but what were you hiding underneath this practically otherworldly exterior?

You were a lot more interesting than he had originally thought, apparently. 

“Yeah, I’ll show you around, sweetheart.” He winked.

“Thank you, handsome,” you said, your voice dripping with honey.

It was obvious that he wanted to get in your pants. You knew boys well enough to know that much. He was being sweet and charming to get what he wanted, kind of like you did…and you figured that would make him a nice and easy target.

You walked down the hall with him, looking up at his face and studying what you could see. He had a nice, strong jaw, and thick, curly hair cut into a mullet. His eyes were the brightest blue you’d ever seen, and as he watched rest of the student body, you noticed that they were incredibly observant.

Like a hawk looking for fat little rabbits.

“So where’re you from, sweetheart?” He drawled boredly, as if small talk wasn’t his thing at all.

“…a little town called Devil’s Kettle. You probably haven’t heard of it.” You shrugged, determined to show him that small talk absolutely was your thing. “I like Hawkins a lot more.”

Rather than go along with you, Billy rolled his eyes.

He actually rolled his eyes.

At you.

A demon.

You were a little taken aback, to say the least. Your natural, passive charm was enough to keep any human nice and quiet and complacent until it was time to turn it off and enjoy their terror. So why did Billy have such an attitude with you still?

“You don’t have to flatter me. There’s nothing good about this shit hole.” He said. “Well…‘Cept you, of course.”

Your eyes narrowed slightly. Alright, then. This guy had an attitude, but it was nothing you couldn’t handle. He still smelled and looked delicious, and you had a few more days to figure him out before you needed to feed again. Ever since that ritual left you this way, you’d found yourself enjoying playing with your food…and Billy was no exception.

“Thank you so much for your help,” you said, laying it on thick as you stopped next to your locker.

Your hand found its way to his chest, a move that always had boys rolling over for you. Billy looked down at it and smirked, an absolutely beautiful sight, before his eyes trailed back up to yours.

Your heart skipped a beat.

“Anytime, princess.” He said, his voice smooth, its timbre sending a rush straight down between your thighs.

And then, he was gone, melting back into the crowded hallway, leaving alone to figure out what the hell just happened.

———————

“What the hell is she doing?” Carol asked haughtily.

Vicky wrinkled her nose. “Walking with Billy to his car.”

Carol let out a disgusted sound and turned away, determined not to show her jealousy. You’d only been in Hawkins for what, one day? Twenty four hours, at most? And Billy Hargrove was already giving you a ride home?

Ridiculous.

Tommy H just smirked. “Nice one, Hargrove!” He called out as he leaned against his car.

Carol glared at him.

You heard his shout and turned to look toward its source. You were still confused about Billy…but that moron looked like he might be a good snack in a day or two.

You gave him a wink, watching as his girlfriend fumed next to him.

“You’ve got nice friends.” You commented as Billy opened the passenger door and waited for you to sit down.

“…yeah. Nice.” He snorted, slamming it closed before walking around to his side and getting in.

“How long have you been in Hawkins?” You asked, studying your nails as the Camaro roared to life.

Okay, so you liked his car. Maybe you could steal it after you ate him…? No, that would be way too obvious in a town like this. Everybody would know you had something to do with his disappearance.

Damn.

“Six months. Somethin’ like that.” He said absentmindedly as he backed out of his space. “Why’s that matter, princess?”

You shrugged. “You don’t look like everybody else here.”

You don’t smell like everybody else here.

He grinned in what might have been triumph. “That’s a fucking relief.”

“You definitely don’t look like a local...” you purred, your fingers gliding up his arm. You gave his bicep a squeeze through his jacket and saw him lick his lips from the corner of your eye, and you knew you were getting somewhere. 

Okay. This was okay. You could totally have some fun with him, shove all those weird feelings aside, and then do your thing and devour his innards like a good little demon. No more second guessing yourself, though. Time to be a big, confident succubus. 

“Can we go somewhere...private, handsome?” you asked, voice dripping with that golden honey as you leaned against him. 

“Your place or mine, sweetheart?” he grinned down at you. 

“...Yours.” you decided. Today was about having fun and celebrating your move. Next time, you’d take him back to your new house and tear him to shreds.

For sure you would. 

For real. 

Never mind how genuinely cute you found him. You were gonna wreck this guy, in more ways than one. 

You could tell that Billy was excited at the prospect of getting laid. You could smell it rolling off of him in waves, and for you, those pheromones were like a drug. They made you feel happy and floaty, your chest buzzing as he squeezed your thigh and put the pedal to the metal. 

“You always drive like this?” you asked, laughing loudly over the sound of the radio and the wind whipping through the open windows. 

Billy glanced over to see you smiling, and he grinned. “You like it, sweetheart?”

“I love it!” you replied without thinking about your cool demon persona for once. 

Billy’s grin just grew wider and he floored it, tearing down the quiet highway towards his place.

His house was small and simple, decorated conservatively in a way that told you his folks weren’t very much fun. He didn’t give you much time to take it all in, though, quickly ushering you down the hall and into his room before you could make yourself at home.

“You in a rush?” you quipped. 

“Can you blame me for being eager?” he smirked as he shut the door. 

No. You really couldn’t.

Being alone in a room with Billy Hargrove felt special. So many girls at Hawkins High would probably kill for the chance to cozy up with him like this, and yet there you were, on your very first day in town, climbing on top of him like you owned his soul. 

Wait...was that an option? Could you do that? It might be a nicer option than eating him at this point, because honestly...you were starting to think you should keep him around for a little longer than originally planned. Like, for real…it took a lot to satisfy a demon like yourself, and somehow, Billy Hargrove was managing to do it.

Maybe it was because in bed, he absolutely dripped sin and sex appeal. His hands? Killer. His dick? Perfect. His mouth?

Godly.

“F-fuck!” You gasped, mouth agape, eyes wide as you gripped his hair and pulled hard.

He grunted against you, looking up from his place between your thighs. Fuck, he was glad you wore a skirt, because the second he got you in his room, he was tossing you down on his bed and diving right in. If he had to fuck around with jeans or some bullshit like that, he’d have been seriously pissed off.

Instead, all he had to do was grab your hips, pull your panties to the side, and let your moans serenade him as he showed you how fucking good he was with his tongue.

Normally, he’d be the one guiding your head right now, not the other way around. He’d be quick and demanding, get his kicks, make you finish with his fingers or something, and then get outta there. That’s what he always did with girls, and it was always fast and fun. Hollow, in a way, but fun. With you, though…with you, he was determined to savor everything, because you tasted delicious in a way he’d never experienced before, and he couldn’t get enough.

“Billy…” you moaned, grinding your hips against his face as you felt yourself getting close again. Perks of being a demon, you guessed…lots and lots of orgasms.

He was lapping it all up like it was ambrosia, eyes trained on you obediently.

He had really, really beautiful eyes, and as you gazed into them, you came again.

“O-okay,” you huffed, thighs shaking as you yanked his head back. “That’s enough.”

You felt him resist, trying to get one last taste, but you were stronger than you looked.

And you also had an appetite that needed to be sated.

“Your turn, big boy,” you purred, switching your positions.

Billy was more than happy to recline and watch as you unbuckled his belt and unzipped his jeans. As much as he wanted you to sit on his face for a few hours, he was eager to find out if the rest of you was just as sweet.

You were just happy to see that his dick matched the rest of him.

There was no point in trying to hide your glee as you freed him from the confines of his tight jeans, and you immediately wrapped a hand around his shaft and your lips around his head. He shuddered at the feeling of your mouth on him, a hand coming to rest on the back of your head as he made a move to guide you. You didn’t need him to, but you let him pretend he had some semblance of control as you bobbed up and down, and honestly? It was pretty cute that he thought he was in charge.

His cock slipped deeper into your throat, until your nose was brushing his pelvis. You were surrounded by his scent, that natural, musky smell and—cologne? Did he put cologne down there? Yeah, that was kinda cute—and it made you hungrier.

When you leaned back, he tried to follow you, searching for that warmth again…but when you pushed him down against his own mattress and sank down onto his cock, his eyes widened.

“No rubber?” He asked.

You just smiled and leaned down, hands on his chest as you licked the side of his face. “Don’t worry about it, baby.”

Fuck, you were perfect.

And you were weirdly warm.

“Fuck, baby…” he groaned, hands squeezing your ass as you rode him.

You felt fucking perfect, and he knew he was gonna have to come back for seconds, something he almost never did in Hawkins.

Because Billy Hargrove was hooked on you…and when you watched his face as he came, you realized you were a little hooked on him, too.

Shit.

He was too cute to eat.

“So.” He said as you rolled to the side, catching your breath. “What’s your deal?”

“My deal?” You asked, eyes flicking toward him.

He lit a cigarette. “There’s somethin’ up with you, babe. Knew it from the second we talked this morning.”

You floundered, staring at him. What did he mean? Guys never guessed that you were anything other than hot. Nobody had ever suspected that there was something supernatural about you, not even your best friends back in Devil’s Kettle.

“I don’t normally do this whole…talking thing.” Billy said. “But you’ve got me intrigued, princess. So what’s the deal?”

“I have no idea what you’re—“

“Cut the shit,” he growled, surprising you again with how easily he fought through your natural defenses. “You’re hiding something. I can tell.”

“Did you fuck me just to grill me?” You asked in irritation.

“Nah. That was just a bonus.” He grinned, reaching down to brush his fingers over your swollen clit. When you immediately flinched, he laughed. “You sure are sensitive, babe…”

You rolled your eyes and sat up. “I don’t know why you think something’s up, but I don’t appreciate it, Hargrove.”

He raised his lip in a sneer. “Fine. Don’t tell me. But I’ll figure you out eventually, sweetheart.”

You just narrowed your eyes.

——————

Billy’s suspicions weren’t enough to keep you from hanging around him. You liked the resident bad boy, even though his friends were annoying, and he seemed to enjoy keeping and arm slung around your shoulders in public. For a few days, everything was fine…until you felt yourself starting to fade, and you knew it was time for a snack.

It was easy enough to pick a boy out of the crowd, some senior whose name you didn’t bother to learn. When Billy was busy with sports, you chose your victim and whispered in his ear, leading him out of the building, across the parking lot, and into the woods. He thought he was about to get lucky; after all, rumors had begun flying about how easy you were, after everybody saw Billy Hargrove giving you a ride on your very first day in town. This guy probably thought he was about to get a once in a lifetime opportunity with the hottest girl in town.

“Don’t count on it,” you grinned dangerously before shoving him back against a tree trunk.

You watched his expression change from confusion to horror as your jaw unhinged and your teeth elongated, ready to sink into his flesh and tear him apart. As soon as you made contact, you flew into a frenzy, ripping his rib cage open with your hands and digging in.

Delicious, as always.

As you tore chunks out of his chest cavity, you thought about Billy. You imagined the feeling of his hands on you, squeezing your thighs and your hips…you could picture his face looking down at you, cheeks flushed and lips parted, and those gorgeous blue eyes…

Your fantasy was interrupted by a sudden pain in your torso, and when you looked down, you saw that your victim had managed to shove a huge, sharp tree branch straight through you.

“Ouch.” You said.

You coughed up some blood.

“That’s what I get for being distracted at dinner, huh?”

You heard the boy gasping, desperately clinging to life even with his organs out on display. Well, this wasn’t really how you thought this would go…and shit, it was really starting to hurt.

With one last chomp that finally silenced your victim, you let his body fall to the ground and stumbled back. You were in worse shape than you thought, and your little house out in the woods was pretty fucking far away. You needed somewhere safe to go in the meantime, somewhere you could curl up and wait for your body to heal itself.

By the time you limped up to Billy’s window, night had fallen…but his light was still on, and with any luck, he was alone and free of other girls. You really didn’t have it in you to tear someone else apart, not while you were in this state. You shuffled up to the window sill, gripping it with bloody hands and thumping against it weakly.

Billy immediately stiffened.

He was fresh out of the shower, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. He had been considering jerking off to the thought of you before bed, but now, the sound of something outside had him on high alert. He’d already been stressed thanks to his father yelling at the dinner table earlier, and the last thing he needed was some weird bullshit to deal with.

Unfortunately, when he opened his window, that’s exactly what he got.

“What--the fuck--” he stammered, eyes wide as you tumbled in and landed in a bloody heap on his floor. 

“H-hey,” you panted, chest heaving with effort as you pulled yourself into a more comfortable position. 

Billy just stared. 

“I--I know this looks crazy,” you said, grunting in pain when you managed to sit up against his bed. “I just need to rest here--”

“What are you?” he interrupted. 

“I don’t know what you--”

“I told you to cut the shit the other day.” he growled. “Now I really fucking mean it, princess.”

You looked up at him, still breathing hard. “...You have to swear not to freak out.”

“Try me.”

“So...back in Devil’s Kettle, there’s this weird waterfall. Some guys offered me up to Satan on a platter, I guess, and then tossed me down...only their ritual didn’t work. And now I’m...like this.” you gestured to yourself. 

Billy was taking things surprisingly well. “Like what?”

“Like...a demon.”

You watched his face closely, waiting for the inevitable. Waiting for the panic. 

It didn’t come, though. Honestly, Billy didn’t even know why he wasn’t totally losing it, especially given the state you were in--covered in blood, a huge wound in the middle of your stomach--but as he sat down across from you, he barely felt anxious. 

“So...what’s with the blood?” he asked, reaching for a smoke. 

“...Okay, now you really can’t freak out.”

“Fine, sweetheart.”

“I just...had dinner, and dinner...fought back.”

He raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t press further...so you spared him the details, lest he end up having a weaker stomach than he pretended to. “I just need a couple hours to heal and then I’ll be gone. Swear.”

“Neil and Susan are still gone. Max is in bed.” he said as he calmly lit a cigarette. “Go shower before you get that shit all over my stuff.”

You blinked. “You’re really not...weirded out by all this?”

“I told you I knew something was up with you.” he smirked. “Didn’t know it was this weird, but I still fucking knew.”

You let out a breathy little laugh at that and tried to stand. When your knees buckled, Billy caught you with one arm, choosing to haul you to the bathroom himself. And then, he joined you, because even though it was probably the strangest situation he’d ever been in, you were still you, and you were still hot, an even if you were a demon, you were kinda his demon now...and he wasn’t gonna pass up the chance to shower with you.

[animeloverskylarmoon]

Dabi- Oneshot (My Hero Academia) AU

"Dabi, wait up!!"

You grin the moment you're walking in pace with him. His blue orbs shift in your direction lazily.

"Didn't I say stop watching those lame shows? You're always late." you pout.

"It's not my fault their so good Dabi-kun, not to mention the characters. " While you are swooning, Dabi just walks away.

"Hey!!"

Dabi has always been a weird one to you. He's pretty laid back, much like his brother. You're sure it's in their genes. Even though that's the case, Dabi's one of the realest people at your school. He's straightforward, painfully blunt and honestly, he gives you major villain vibes sometimes. In a good way of course. He was the type of person that would beat a bully to a pulp just for the fun of it. Kind of crazy, but hey, he was nice when it counted.

It's partly how you'd become friends. This high school like many others had cliques. Dabi was what you would call a respected delinquent. A lot of people knew who he was, and of course, never to mess with him. The burns that defined him and terrified others, well it's what attracted you. Dabi didn't give a crap what people said about him. Nor did he try to change to appeal to society. You admired that, admired him.

"Quit spacing out, we're going to be late for class." you blush.

"G-Gomen!" you sprint through the hallways, and Dabi just watches with a shake of his head and a smile.

To him, you were a pretty good source of entertainment. Your first meeting, he never really paid much attention to you. Your classes collide all the time, and he'd never even chance a look at you, that was until you ran into him one afternoon, spilling a drink all over his shirt. The students in the hall went completely quiet, maybe some assuming he would reprimand you with some harsh punishment.

All he'd done was pick up the bottle and advised that you be more careful in the future. He wasn't sure what it was, but after that, you started following him around like a puppy. Thinking it was just an interest that would fizzle out, it never happened. That happened about a year ago. That small incident had made you one of his closest friends.

Tomura and Toga never stopped teasing him, just to get a reaction. They were probably as messed up as he was, but you never seem to mind. You were calm, outgoing and accepting of his personality and strange taste in friends. That's why he respected, and most importantly cared about you.

The minute he stepped into the classroom he could see you smiling widely in your seat. You were glowing. He couldn't get why you were so excited for class. Sometimes he questioned your sanity. Stepping through the lanes, another student bumped him roughly. Assuming it was a mistake, he turned, but the moment he saw who it was, he could tell it was no accident. Enji smirked widely.

"Watch where you're going Dabi-san."

His voice was taunting, and Dabi knew the minute he saw the glare set on your face that you would try and get in the middle of it. Brushing it off, he just continued his venture to his seat. Your eyes didn't leave the other male as he took a seat. Dabi could practically see the steam pouring out of your head.

"Calm down." He mumbled. If looks could kill, Enji would have been a puddle at your feet right now. Reluctantly you back down. No use in getting worked up. The rest of the class settled when they could no longer feel the tension in the room. Just because it dissipated, didn't mean it wasn't there.

~~~~

"That bastard thinks he's hot stuff just because he's popular. I'd sure like to give him a piece of my fists!" you punched the air repeatedly and Dabi sat down, leaned against the wall.

Being on the roof was supposed to get you to cool down, but you were just getting more heated. Enji 'Endeavor' as his friends called him was the jock of the school. The girls worship him, guys wanted to be like him. It pissed you off. He was so fake.

"No use losing your mind over something like that." Dabi was casually eating his bento.

"Why aren't you even the least bit irritated?They bother you all the time."

"I can't stop idiots from acting foolish, it'll be the same as trying to get you to stop fantasizing over that bleach character." you gasp dramatically.

"How dare you compare my love for Byakuya with them. I'm disappointed in you Dabi! Disappointed!!"

"Quit yelling you're giving me a headache." you huff, dropping down next to him as you started digging into your bento at inhumane speed. Dadi sweatdropped. He really thought he'd be used to your weird behavior by now.

"Why do you like him so much anyway?" you blink, turning to Dabi. Swallowing the octopus sausage, you smile.

"Well I mean, I guess I kind of like his personality. He acts stoic, aloof and uncaring, when in reality he cares a lot.

He just doesn't show it the same way. Even if he doesn't express his feelings outwardly, it doesn't mean they aren't there. Your eyes linger on Dabi, a realization hitting you. Dabi's has also settled on you at the evaluation. Your cheeks color at his stare.

"Now that I think about it, he reminds me a little of Dabi.."

Maybe that's the reason you like him. Dabi's hand raises, and he brushes a grain of rice off your cheek.

"You're messy." He mutters. It's so low that you nearly think you imagined it.

"KYA!! He's so close my ovaries are gonna explode! Why does even that insult sound so good from him!!

His thumb brushes right under your chin, tilting it up, and your eyes clenched shut. Dabi is getting closer. With each second, you can hear your heart rate increase. You tremble when your lips brush.

"Toya!!!!"

You fall back comically at the sudden yell, and Dabi just watches as Toga marches over to rant about her latest obsession.

You lay on the side crying.

"Why is the world so cruel to me, so close!"

~~~~

"So I don't know if you heard, but Sensei said we have an exam. I'm thinking we should cram for the next couple of days. If I get full points on geography you owe me three melon buns." You were grinning at him as you sat on your bed. Dabi sighed.

"I don't understand why you feel the need to extort me. " He turned the page in his text, twisting the pencil absentmindedly in his hand. The little moment earlier is still fresh in your mind. Dabi was definitely going to kiss you. Why else would he get that close?

"He did say I was messy."

He must have just been cleaning another piece of food off your face. You frown. Now that you think about it, you've known each other for a year. How come Toga gets to call him Toya but you can't. In her defense they have been together since childhood.

"Somehow that's more depressing. "

You sulk. She's on a different level than you. With pursed lips, you focus on him, determined.

"T-Toya." you mumbled. He hums. For a moment you think maybe he hasn't really registered what you just said. He just continues scribbling down work.

You puff your chest out, cheeks filling with color.

"T-Toya!!"

It's a shout this time. You wait for his reaction. Dabi stops writing, turning back to you with curious eyes. "Toga-san c-calls you that all the time. I-I don't think it's fair that you only let her address you that way. "

"You sound jealous."

"W-What!! That's crazy! W-Why the hell would I be jealous, I-It's not like I like you or anything!!!" you pause, the color draining from your face.

"You idiot! How could you expose yourself like that!"

The best option is to change the subject, find something else.

"Are you hungry Dabi, I am! Let me get you something to eat and then we-" he stands, and you freeze. Those sapphire eyes have never looked so brilliant to you. He doesn't say a word, just walks over to you. You're almost afraid to move, or speak. Dabi walks with purpose. A goal. Of what, you have no idea. You only hope that you don't have a heart attack before he gets to you. From the erratic beats, you just might not make it.

"What do you like about me."

He is standing right at the bottom of your bed, and you look up from your seated position. He doesn't sound embarrassed, but you're turning all shades of red.

"I-I never said that I-"

"Tell me (Y/N)." His voice has dropped a few octaves, and you swallow. He could have pretended not to hear it, but he's actually curious. That must be a good sign right? If only you could articulate your feelings without passing out. You take a breath, closing your eyes for a second before reopening them. With your fists balled in your lap, you finally speak.

"I..I like how cool you are. I-It's like you don't even try, like it comes natural. You don't care if people mess with you. Because even though you could take them, you don't feel the need to prove yourself to anyone. "

"What else."

"Your eyes are..beautiful."

"What else." He's no longer just standing over you. Dabi has moved onto the bed sitting next to you, hand covering yours that's placed on your lap.

"Your hair looks so soft, I've thought about running my fingers through it all the time." His hand tightens slightly, and it makes your breath catch, you finally will yourself to look at him, and that laid back expression has changed to one of hunger. Your lips quiver.

"I want to kiss you.."

The last confession is what breaks the last of his control. Dabi pitches forward, kissing you greedily. All you manage is a small sound as you back hits the mattress. Dabi pins your hands at your sides, and you whimper the second his tongue invades your mouth. His body is pressed to you, fueling all the delicious fantasies you've had. None of them compare to the reality of this moment. He's in full control, you stand no chance.

His wet muscle strokes your own, and you buck involuntarily, urging a needy sound from Dabi. The calculated caresses travel all the way up your spine. This kiss is so wet and raw and amazing. The only reason he parts is for the need of air.

His hands still have you pinned to the bed, and you can hear his labored panting in your ear.

"You ruin me (Y/N)."

You press your thighs together, holding in another whimper. He was the one ruining you. Dabi presses a kiss to your neck, smirking into your skin.

"I give you full permission to call me Toya any day."

It's not like you didn't have before. He just assumed you felt better calling him by the nickname everyone used. "Toya.." He groans. If you were gonna keep saying it like that, he wasn't sure he'd be able to go a minute without covering you in kisses.

Somehow he knows you won't mind one bit.

[jeonsjiddies]

Say You Want Me | ksj (m)

Summary - Reluctantly joining your friend at a party pays off when you end up alone with Seokjin in his apartment and he shows you what you’ve been missing out on.

Word Count - 2953

Pairing - Seokjin x reader

Genre - smut

Warnings - praise kink?, short lived sexual harassment, penetrative sex, oral (f recieving), big dick Jin, soft sex

a/n: another re-write from a previous fandom. :)

“No,” you glared at your friend, crossing your arms.

“But Y/N! I can’t go without you,” MacKenzie whined.

“I won’t tell.”

“It’s not that, Y/N. I need you there.” she pouted. “You’re my moral support.”

“I support you morally… from here,” you sighed, resolve already breaking.

“Please?” she begged, gripping your arm dramatically.

“I hate you,” you hissed and she jumped up and down, squealing.

You only sighed in response, but that didn’t deter MacKenzie. She jumped into action, pulling out clothes for you to review. Most of her clothes left little to the imagination and you felt naked just looking at them.

“This would look amazing on you.”

She held up a black dress with a belt that was shaped like a bow with diamonds on it. The hem was high and the neckline low.

“There’s no way I’m wearing that.”

“Come on, Y/N. Live a little. Maybe a certain Mr. Kim will be there,” she wiggled her eyebrows.

Your friend was well aware of your weakness for Seokjin. You had several classes with the tall boy, and you guys talked often, but weren’t exactly friends. You had a huge crush on him though. Low blow to use them as bait. You grabbed the dress and put it on in the bathroom. You looked in the mirror, looking like a different person entirely. You threw on a light jacket so the outfit wasn’t quite as revealing.

“You look hot,” MacKenzie sing-songed.

“So do you, babe.”

You both split an uber to take you to the party, not wanting to mess with driving in the event that you did end up drinking and she no longer had a designated driver. The closer you got to the party, the more you shook with nerves.

“This is going to be so much fun!” MacKenzie giggled.

You nodded, already wishing you’d stayed home. The uber dropped you off and you could hear the music thumping already. You gulped, pulling your jacket tighter around you.

“MacKenzie and her little wallflower. You made it,” Wonho, who was throwing the party, greeted with a grin.

You waved shyly, surveying your surroundings, where people seemed to have grouped off in cliques. Athletic people were in the kitchen drinking. The artsy crowd were over by the couch, giggling amongst themselves. The “bad” boys were by the TV chatting. Some stragglers danced. You saw Jimin, Taehyung, Namjoon, and Hoseok off on their own, and you went to talk to them, following MacKenzie.

“Hey Kenzie, hey Y/N,” they greeted.

You smiled and waved, “hi guys.”

You guys talked for a while (you mostly listened) before you wandered off to get some water. You left your jacket on the chair because the house was getting pretty hot, and you figured no one would pay attention to you without MacKenzie.

“Wow, y/n/ Looking good.” Gi-oh, the local campus fuckboy, slurred as he leaned on you with one arm.

“Thanks…” you said quietly, trying to wiggle out of his grip.

“Where have you been hiding that banging body baby?” he drawled on, one hand drifting to your backside and giving it a squeeze.

“Gi-oh, don’t,” you said, trying again to move away from him but his hand gripped your arm, pulling you in.

“Come on, Y/N. You didn’t dress up like that to be ignored,” Gi-oh argued.

“Stop, please,” you tried yanking your arm free.

“She said no, Gi-oh,” you heard a deep, angry voice behind you.

You turned around, coming face-to-face with Seokjin.

“Back off, freak. Y/N and I are just having a little fun,” Gi-oh rolled his eyes.

“Are you having fun, Y/N?” Jin asked.

“No,” you said quietly.

“Leave her alone. No means no,” Jin growled.

“Fine, you can have her ugly ass. Y/N don’t come crying to me when this bites you in the ass,” Gi-oh huffed, storming away.

“You okay?” Seokjin asked you.

“I’m fine…” you looked at the ground.

“Do you want to get some air? You look flushed.”

“After what happened with Gi-oh I don’t want to be alone out there in the dark,” you kicked at the floor with your shoe, avoiding eye contact.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Jin offered.

You looked up at him nervously and nodded slightly.

“If you wouldn’t mind?” you asked.

He nodded, following you out the door and down the driveway.

“Thank you for coming with me,” you nearly whispered, looking down at the ground.

Jin was hot and you were super nervous to be alone with him outside of classes, yet his presence made you feel safe, like nothing and no one could hurt you.

“No problem,” he smiled reassuringly.

You both walked in silence, and you kept glancing over at Jin nervously, feeling more awkward by the second. Jin was a man of few words, unless he was angry, so he wasn’t likely to start a conversation. You normally thrived in silence. Comfortable silence. This was awkward silence. It was driving you insane.

“Sorry you’re missing out on the party because of me.”

“I didn’t want to be there anyway,” he shrugged with a light chuckle.

“Why’d you come then?” you asked.

“Namjoon and Hoseok,” he explained.

“Your friends dragged you along too,” you smiled.

“Seems to be a recurring theme,” he glanced at you, the corner of his mouth twisting up.

You shivered as a chilly breeze flew past, cursing yourself internally for leaving your jacket at the party. Jin looked at you for a moment before shrugging his jacket off and wrapping it around your shoulders.

“Won’t you get cold?” you asked.

“I’ll be fine. Can’t let a pretty lady freeze to death, now can I?” his eyes twinkled.

Your cheeks burned hot and you hid your face but you were sure Jin could tell from the glow of the street lamps but he didn’t say anything. You didn’t miss the smirk that played on his lips though.

“I...thank you.” you managed to say quietly.

“Just callin’ it as I see it, princess,” Jin chuckled.

You hadn’t noticed you’d been walking long enough to be almost to the end of the Northside. You slowed down, looking around. The beautiful dark sky had lost its pretty diamond stars magical glow and storm clouds had replaced them.

“Where are we?” you asked.

“Edge of town, didn’t notice we’d gone this far,” Jin answered.

The first drop of rain fell right on Jin’s forehead, and it started sprinkling, slowly turning into a heavier rain.

“Fuck, we’d better get inside somewhere,” Jin said, glancing around at all the closed signs on businesses.

“How far away are we from the party?” you asked.

“Like, 6 miles.”

“We’re gonna get soaked,” you frowned.

“My place is only a half mile from here,” he shrugged.

“Your place? You live alone?” you asked.

Jin nodded and the rain started pouring.

“Lead the way!” you shouted over the drumming of the water on the pavement.

He took off running, grabbing your hand and pulling you along with him so you didn’t fall behind with your much shorter legs. You struggled to keep up as he led you to his apartment complex and unlocked the door to his unit, ushering you inside. You stood by the door, trying to squeeze the water out of your hair. Jin shook his head like a wet dog. You froze, not sure what to do, rocking back and forth on your feet.

“Do you want some water? Maybe some dry clothes?” Jin offered, gesturing to your soaked dress.

“Would you mind? I’m kind of cold,” you let out a nervous giggle.

“Sure.” he disappeared into the bedroom, re-emerging in dry clothes, holding out a flannel shirt and some shorts for you.

“I think the shorts might be too big but the shirt is pretty long, so…” he trailed off.

“Thank you,” you took the clothes and went to the bathroom to change.

You stripped off your wet dress and pulled Jin’s shirt onto your body. It was almost as long as the dress. Your hair fell in damp waves after you’d rung it out and brushed through it. You cleaned up some of your running makeup and tried on the shorts, but they fell right off and you didn’t have a hair tie to make them stay. You hung your dress over the shower rod to dry then turned to look at yourself in the mirror and you felt kind of… sexy. Standing there in Jin’s shirt covering your body until mid-thigh, you looked hot. You walked out of the bathroom, immediately feeling less confident until you saw Jin’s split second double take. You coughed nervously and looked down.

“The shorts were too big,” you explained, handing them back.

“Okay,” he said quietly, his eyes raking up and down your body before snapping out of it and clearing his throat.

“So… what now?” you asked.

“It’s still pouring so I guess wait out the storm here?” he asked.

“Sure.” you smiled.

“Ummm… do you want to play a game or watch a movie or something?” he asked.

“We can play a game.” you smiled, sitting down and making sure you were covered up.

“Never have I ever or truth or dare?” he smirked.

“Ummm.. never have I ever,” you decided.

“Drinking version?” he lifted an eyebrow.

“Not in your best interest,” you laughed.

“Alright then, hold up your fingers,” he instructed.

You held up both hands, showing all ten fingers.

“Never have I ever read a fashion magazine.” Seokjin started.

You put one finger down.

“Never have I ever joined a frat,” you grinned, watching him frown before putting his finger down.

“Never have I ever read a romance novel,” he smirked.

You giggled and put your finger down.

“Never have I ever played beer pong,” you shot back.

Jin put down a finger, then thought for a moment.

“Never have I ever shaved my legs,” he laughed.

You rolled your eyes with a smile and put a finger down.

“Never have I ever been in a fight,” you said.

Jin put his finger down.

“Never have I ever had sex with a guy,” he grinned.

You sat there awkwardly.

“Wait, are you into girls?” he asked.

You shook your head, avoiding eye contact.

“You’re a virgin?” he gaped.

You looked down and nodded.

“That’s insane. Is it a personal choice?” he asked.

“Kind of? I haven’t met anyone I want to have sex with that feels the same,” you explained.

“Who in their right mind would pass up that opportunity?” he shook his head.

You looked away and giggled.

“Never have I ever kissed someone,” you said, keeping the game going.

“WHAT? No one has kissed you?! Y/N this is a travesty!” he squawked.

“Volunteering as tribute?” you joked.

“Damn straight I am.”

“Wait, what?” your eyes bugged out.

“I’d gladly kiss you,” he clarified.

“Really?” you tried to hide the hope in your voice.

Your stomach was in knots, butterflies wreaking havoc when he said, “yes.”

“Okay,” you barely whispered.

Jin scooted closer to you, glancing from your eyes to your lips as the anticipation increased. You were nothing but nerves as he cupped your face in both of his large hands, calloused fingers gingerly rubbing along your skin. Jin leaned in, closing his eyes. Holy shit, this is happening. Jin’s plush lips barely brushed yours, a featherlight touch, but your heart stopped. He kissed you for real, pressing his lips against your own firmly, and your whole world spun out of control. You were dizzy and full of joy and you couldn’t believe you’d been missing out on this. You felt like time had stopped. Jin pulled away, looking into your eyes like he was searching for something.

“Wow, if I’d known kissing felt like that I’d have done it sooner,” you broke the silence.

“It doesn’t,” he said in awe, “it never feels like that.”

“Oh,” you whispered.

In a flash, Jin crashed his lips to yours again and you fell back with the impact, Jin hovering over you on the couch. You wound your hands in his hair as he deepened the kiss, hands all over your body. You felt like a light switch had been turned on, and you were warm all over. You moaned into Jin’s mouth as his hands grazed your inner thigh.

“If you keep that up I won’t be able to stop myself,” Jin warned.

“Then don’t,” you said, looking into his eyes, “don’t stop.”

His eyes darkened and he studied you for a moment.

“Are you sure about this, Y/N?” he asked.

You nodded.

“I need to hear you say it. Say you want me,” he purred in your ear.

“I want you Seokjin, so badly,” you whined.

That was all it took.

Jin ripped his shirt over his head, then with ridiculously quick and talented fingers, unbuttoned the flannel you were wearing, exposing your body to him. He licked his lips, eyes wandering along your smooth skin. Jin wasted no time, tossing the shirt off somewhere in the room and attacking your neck with love bites. You moaned his name, spurring him on. He unclipped your bra in record speed, his tongue instantly finding its way to your nipples, causing you to arch your back off the couch.

“This is your first time. It shouldn’t be here,” Jin mumbled, picking you up bridal style in nothing but your panties, carrying you into his bedroom and placing you gently on top of the covers.

You watched as he undid his belt and slid his pants off, only in his boxers as his body hovered over yours once more. Jin slowed down his assault, reminding himself this was a special moment for you, and he wanted it to be a good memory. He kissed and sucked on your neck, collarbone, your breasts, giving every inch of your skin attention.

“You’re so gorgeous, Y/N. So pretty,” he cooed in your ear, “I’m gonna make you feel so good baby, you’ll never forget this night. You’re going to feel me inside you for weeks after this, I promise.”

You squirmed at his dirty words, watching him.

“Prove it.”

Jin lifted an eyebrow, then started kissing down your stomach, skipping where you really wanted him entirely, and nipping at your inner thighs, massaging them each time. You leaned your head back, reveling in the feeling. You should’ve started having sex ages ago, this was amazing. Or maybe it was just Seokjin.

You were so lost in your thoughts, it took you by surprise when Jin’s tongue dived inside your aching heat and you groaned as his tongue licked figure 8’s on your clit, fingers slowly pumping in and out of you. It felt so good to be touched by Seokjin. Of course you’d touched yourself over the years, but fuck it felt so much better when Jin did it. He was electrocuting you in the best way possible. You were so close to losing it when Jin halted his efforts and reached for the condom. He pulled his boxers down, exposing his rock hard cock and your eyes widened. He was huge. He had such a pretty cock though, you weren’t surprised. All of him was pretty.

“Are you sure you’re ready?” Seokjin confirmed.

“Yes. I want you so bad, Jin,” you said, taking his hand and pulling him closer, “I’m glad it’s you.”

Jin smiled, kissing you gently and sliding into you, pausing to let you adjust when you hissed. Jin was big, you knew that even with your limited experience, and it kind of burned. The burning subsided and you gave him the okay to move, and once he did, you lost your mind. Every time Jin moved inside you, you felt like you were going to explode with pleasure. Each thrust felt significantly better than the last. He went slow, murmuring sweet things in your ear and taking his time, making sure you were comfortable.

“Fuck Jin,” you moaned.

You were so close, on the edge of bliss, and Jin could tell. He sped up, moving in and out of you a little rougher, only once he knew you could handle it. It didn’t take long after he sped up for you to lose it. You screamed his name, clinging to his body and scratching at his shoulders. You were flying, floating, burning, dying inside. It felt like nothing you’d ever experienced in your life. You could die a happy woman if this was the last thing you ever did. You couldn’t even suck in a breath, your whole body was shaking from the immaculate pleasure coursing through you. Jin rode you through your high, milking it for all it was worth before spilling into the condom himself, then flopping next to you, exhausted. After you both calmed down and found your normal breathing again, Jin looked over at you and found you watching him.

“Not to be ‘that girl’ but… what are we now? Are we just friends, or-” you began.

“No. I want you to be mine. I don’t want to think about you begging for anyone else, being touched by anyone else. Will you be mine?” he asked.

“Yes,” you rushed out, tackling him in little kisses.

You both cuddled for a while, and you changed your relationship status online, begging Seokjin for a couples selfie. He said no about 15 times before you wore him down, fixing your hair as best you could before snapping the photo and posting it online, tagging Seokjin in it. You commented underneath.

@sugaflake thanks for making me go out tonight, it was definitely worth it. <3

[many-gay-magpies]

oh no my cover is blown i think i failed secret agent school also shhhhh you have seen nothing here im not done burying my posts from 3 years ago yet but yes i agree this dynamic is really fun it feels like we're writing each other letters

honestly now that i read your thing about a new student not seeing the appeal because they're not integrated into decelis's clique culture it really brought to mind just how ROBBED we were in terms of sooha's character— i think it would've been better planned and Much more fitting if instead of her being automatically y/n-ified she showed up to decelis just . entirely immune to the pretty boys with vampire charisma. ik the boys feel a ~strange magical attraction~ which draws them to sooha but wouldn't it have been so great if she was just . weirded out by the attention instead of falling for heli immediately? like SHE could've been that student screaming "this idiot (jaan) just broke a hole in the floor bc he put down a dumbbell too hard and THIS IDIOT (heli) FORGETS THAT YOU HAVE TO MOVE YOUR MOUTH TO ACTUALLY TALK TO PEOPLE." i just think we were absolutely robbed of sooha really becoming part of the friend group instead of being yet another charmed student. and then SHE could become a cryptid too!! bc all the girls think its so strange that she doesn't get shy or blushy around them!! like imagine everyone whispering about sooha just one day sucker-punching solon to get him to shut up. PRICELESS.

help im imagining an exchange between that sleuth student and shion one night when hes ~on the prowl~. they go "hi, shion" and hes like "oh hi there- wait hold on how did you know it was me?? do you have powers too???? is it night vision????" and the student like "wha- no i just know that heli walks around at night so i assumed the rest of you would too and your eyes literally Glow In The Dark and hold on did you say too???? as in you have powers????????" and shion just . panicking like "aha no i meant do you have powers… in general… ahaha"

-vrvr anon

oh noooo hdhfbfjfb-- dont worry i will continue to pretend like i know nothing :> but no omg it is like writing letters thats why i like it so much!! its just. idk its so nice because rather than dms where conversations happen in small increments and can get kind of messy and mixed up, asks let you read over and give special attention to every part of what someone is saying so you can respond to it fully!! and theres less pressure to answer immediately and such (at least with the kind of asks you send) :3

LITERALLY THOUGH like. with sooha i WANT to like her character and mostly i DO but she has fundamentally been a reader insert protagonist from the start and its pretty easy to tell lmao. allegedly its worse in the webnovel (and from all the screenshots one of my friends sent me... y e a h) but she's still pretty heftily y/n-ified in the comic, what with all the boys being ✨mysteriously drawn to her✨ and her basically being a starry-eyes fool in front of heli lmao. we were absolutely robbed because it would have been SO COOL if they made her like... an actually interesting and compelling character... rather than just a love interest for the boys lmao. like it would have been great if she got close to the brothers and became their friend and everything SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE she wasn't disillusioned by the rest of the school's clique mentality and thought they were sort of weird. and maybe eventually theres a whole "man i feel like ive known you forever" exchange that happens between them, alluding to the whole crazy past life connection or whatever tf their deal is, but also it would be entirely platonic and just... kind of sweet, because she's the first person in SO LONG that they've been friends with that hasnt just wanted to be around them in hopes of looking cool or dating one of them. like what if sooha walked up to the brothers after hearing all the shit about them from her classmates and just went "lmfao yall are a bunch of fucking idiots arent you" and then they were friends. i think that would be neat

also now that ive gotten STARTED on this train of thought im just thinking about all the character traits i wanna see more in female characters in media, specifically protagonists... thinking about sooha WITH some of those character traits... just a very brash, not very friendly sooha that maybe built up a hard/defensive exterior due to years of being bullied and taught that showing vulnerability around people would get her hurt... a sooha that maybe isnt very nice, is a little bit mean actually, and clashes with solon because theyre both stubborn af and dont know how to converse or apologize like normal human beings... a sooha that, when heli catches her using her powers, yells "i swear to god if you tell ANYONE about this--" until he's like "whoa whoa its okay i have powers too"... a sooha that learns that being vulnerable around people and trusting people is okay actually, in an entirely platonic way... lots of thoughts hsjfbfjn

YEAH SOOHA CRYPTID!!! now i really wanna see her punch solon lmao

(we could have had it all. we could have had it ALL. but alas <//3)

also sidenote. the mental image of heli straight-up forgetting that you have to open your mouth to talk to people and just staring at someone not understanding why they're not hearing/answering him/why theres no sound coming out has me DYING. then when they call him out for it like "uhhh why are you staring at me like that?" he starts sweating and goes "HAHAHA SORRY NEVERMIND I JUST ZONED OUT HAHA WHAT WERE UOU SAYING.??"

NO OMG SHION. his chattiness/instinctive friendliness being his downfall is such a funny concept hsjfbfjf. like the resident Sleuth Student just casually says hi to him in the hallway and he full-on says hi back and starts being all sweet and polite before his brain goes VERY RAPIDLY through the following thoughts: "wait omg how does she know its me" "WAIT NOBODY'S SUPPOSED TO SEE ME AT THIS HOUR SHIT" "wait fuck why did i respond wHY DID I RESPONd--"

also now i have the mental image of shion with his crazy anti-grav powers just straight-up walking on the ceilings at night because its fun and (allegedly) no one will see him, only INCREASING the cryptid allegations if anyone does

[imagineabrighterworld]

Tenya Iida with a Princess S/O

You first meet him as a page

Tenya Iida was the second son of a family of nobles. There was no doubt that he would have a bright future ahead of him. You were the crown princess of the land, your brother instead opting to travel as an ambassador. This meant it was up to you to greet each of the noble families closest to the crown.

Bunching the fabric of your skirts in your hands, you wend your way down the spiralling staircase to the main foyer, your ladies in waiting trailing after you with varying levels of excitement. Today you got to meet the noble families of Florrum! It was scary, but it was also a little exciting. After your brother passed the crown to you, it was now your responsibility to make the people love you. A scary thought, but you were ready for it.

“Ooh this is so fun! I hear the Iidas’s and the Eijiro’s are coming today!” Your best friend and lady in waiting Ochako Uraraka squeals from behind you. “The Todoroki’s are already here too! Shoto was kinda cute don't you think?”

“She knows that silly.” Momo Yaoyorozu chides, pulling Uraraka slightly in order to fix a stray strand of hair out of place. While she didn't speak it, she used the excuse of managing Uraraka's hair to avoid speaking about the young white and red haired noble. "We just met them yesterday.”

You pause your trek down and pull the two girls to hide behind the banister as your father’s voice echoes in the room. Four voices accompanied his own, two of which you didn't recognize. Those must have been the Iida's. The third was a boy who had accompanied Shoto Todoroki, his name was Izuku. So either the fourth was Shoto, or it was the youngest Iida son.

Peeking around the corner, you scan the group of adults before looking at the younger boys following them. It was indeed Izuku Midoriya, and a boy who looked much like the eldest Iida.

His eyes flash to yours upon noticing the three of you crouched like spies. Immediately he rushes to his father’s side, grabbing his hand and chopping the air in your direction with vigor. “There are three strange girls over there!”

With an embarrassed queal, you duck further down and use the top layer of tulle fabric to cover your face. On the other hand, your ladies in waiting stand up to get a better look of the boy.

“So that's Tenya?” Ochako questions while nudging your arm. “He looks kinda serious.”

“ ‘Raka it is not polite to call strangers by their first names.” Yaoyorozu helps you up despite your tremblings. “Come on, my lady, let’s see him.”

He was overbearingly polite, but it was sweet

Standing in front of Tenya Iida you bulster up the courage to look him in the eye after being dragged by your friends to approach him. It wasn't queenly at all, and now you missed your elder brother more than ever. He was good with greeting people. This was still new to you.

The boy bows a perfect right angle, nearly flinging the glasses off of his face. You wouldn't be surprised if they weren't his first pair to go flying. “My apologies Princess! My name is Tenya Iida, from the prominent Iida family! It is an honor to meet you!” 

His father smiled crookedly behind you, looking at his son and back to you. He bows his head. “Princess, it is a pleasure to meet the future queen.”

Glancing back at your friends for strength you curtsy to the men in front of you, grateful your hair was blocking their view of your flushed cheeks. “Likewise. I hope you enjoy your stay here. My staff are ready to cater to your every need.” Was there something else you needed to do? Was there a piece of etiquette you were missing? There had to be, why would the young Iida still be bent at the knee if you did say the right words?

Your question is answered as the elder Iida taps his son on the shoulder. “That will be enough Tenya.”

The boy straightens immediately, his face pink with sheepishness. “Right!”

Looking him in the eyes, a smile creeps its way onto your face. 

He was cute. 

“Pardon me Tenya Iida-”

“Yes princess!”

“Would you like to join my friends and I for a game?”

He looks put off, but soon a look of excitement replaces it. 

“I would!”

Now friends, Tenya stayed at the castle to become a squire, and became somewhat of a guard

He was now a decent acquaintance, someone you enjoyed being around. Surprisingly he grew to like your little touches and was accustomed to how you would cling to him when you were afraid. It was endearing. But unfortunately it didn't last after your quirk finally presented itself.

Now at age 14, you couldn't see yourself without your friend by your side. Iida had fully integrated himself into your clique of ladies in waiting and squires. Your shyness seemed like it was finally out of your system, allowing you to bloom and show your potential as Crown Princess! 

Walking in the market place with Tenya by your side, you greet the people by name, having jotted down notes ages ago to help remember the faces of your kingdom. 

“Isn't this wonderful?” You question your friend as you examine a dressmakers shop, peering in through the window before the scent of honey bread pulls you away to the bakery. “Everyone is so lively and peaceful. After the contract with the Todoroki’s, everything has been tranquil.”

Tenya hums in agreement, his eyes glued on the dress you were staring at moments before. He moves along with you after you give his hand a small tug. 

The hand holding was a small rule of yours- of his. Ever since he lost track of you in a market place at the age of 8, he vowed to hold onto you whenever you two went out. He didn't want to risk losing the future queen. And his best friend. 

Suddenly you feel a warmth course through your body. In an instant you jerk your hand away from his and use it to. stable yourself by holding onto the table behind you. 

The baker screams. “Look at what you've done!”

“Princess!” Tenya reaches out to you before halting, looking at something on the ground.

In fear, you look at yourself, wondering if something had spilled onto your clothes, but there was nothing there. Next, you check your arms. It is from your arms that you realize what has happened.

Your quirk, after years of waiting, had finally shown itself. 

What used to be a simple wooden table with baskets of bread on top, was now solid gold. The metal had already begun creeping down to the ground beneath you and up your arms and legs.

You screech and back away, scared to touch anything else around you.

The townsfolk watch in amazement as the creeping gold stops in its tracks, slowly pooling back to the table where it stayed there. 

“Princess-” Tenya attempts to reach out for you only to be waved away. Your heart was beating out of your chest, gold hued tears spilling from your eyes. “Please- don't touch me- I don't want to hurt you.”

Slowly clenching his now empty hand into a fist, he nods. “Lets get you to the castle.” Removing his cloak, he drapes it over your shoulders and guides you back to the castle.

He doesn't touch you.

Your quirk was dubbed the golden touch, a blessing and a curse

Once news spread about your ability to turn normal objects into pure gold, you become the most highly sought royal of the nine kingdoms. This meant you would need even more guards than ever. It was not at all an ideal situation for you, as your parents now were questioning whether finding a suitor with a strong quirk would be better than simply hiring arms. 

You fought against it, not wanting your life to be dictated by a quirk you didn't want. For 14 years you were quirkless, for 14 years you were happy, why now did it choose now to ruin that happiness?

Learning that Tenya was a potential knight of your personal guard left you winded.. Or in your case, glowing

Now at the age of 18, often hiding away from the public and sometimes even your own friends, in fear that your emotions would stir up trouble, you are met with a letter that could potentially change the course of your life. Possibly.. if you could convince your parents. See, you were the Crown Princess, the future Queen. Queens weren't supposed to fawn over their knight.. but maybe you could be the exception?

Tugging open the heavy wooden doors of your room you walk across the lounge area to the staircase leading up the turret. It was from the turret where you sat at the balcony and watched the world from above. You didn't have much say in the matter on when you could leave the castle now that every thief and king knew of your quirk, but this balcony did offer some reprieve from your loneliness. 

“Don't get too close to the railing princess, we've already replaces it twice now.” A familiar groggy tone says from beneath you. You look into the tired eyes of the Captain of the Guard, Aizawa Shota. His scarf was partially bound around his fists as he pulled several of the knight trainees closer to him. “Turn it to gold again and you'll be signaling to every mercenary in the land which room you are in.”

With a sigh you step back and adjust your elbow length gloves to keep your skin from touching the metal bars. “I understand.” 

He mumbles under his breath before turning his attention back to the recruits in front of him. There was around twenty in total, some you recognized from your old travels in the town outside of the castle. But there was one that caught your attention and held on tight.

Tenya Iida. 

The same rush of warmth hits you as you run back into your room, holding the wall as you spiral downstairs. Unbeknownst to you, your golden touch seeped right through the gloves, turning the turret walls and steps pure gold. Only when you were in your room pacing back and forth with cheeks as red as a rose did you see the mess you had made. Nearly everything you came in contact with was gold, even your hands. 

Looking into a mirror, you whisper in horror as gold flecks spread up your neck like an expensive collar. “Why is this happening?”

Always the gentleman, Tenya came to your aid

“Princess?” A knock resonates through the room. “I saw you earlier- I don't mean to intrude but it would be dishonorable of me to leave a girl to cry alone!”

You pull the door open slightly, peering up at him with wet eyelashes and a pink nose. “You saw me cry?”

He halts his prepared speech, his mouth open as he tries to come up with the right words. 

“You.. You looked distressed. So I assumed..”

“You assumed I was going to cry.” You wipe your eyes, a teasing smile on your face. “That’s rather bold of you Sir Iida.”

“I-I-” He bows his head, “I apologize for my bluntness!”

He definitely had potential as a warrior, but you were also focused on something else

You had to admit, as you both grew older, you were more than twitterpated  He was charming and bluntly honest, unlike the suitors you were presented with that would leave you in tears of frustration. Did you need to lower your standards in order to make your family happy? You didn't think so. And beyond that, Tenya was a knight, one who came from a noble family. His pedigree wasn't important to you, but it would definitely help in getting your parents approval.

Observing the trainees from above, you take deep and slow breathes to keep your heart beat steady. With a few months of testing your quirk, you've realized it was emotional based. Rather than golden touch, it was more of a golden aura. It reacted with you. 

But it was difficult to keep your heart at ease when Tenya Iida came into the picture. 

Your heart skips a beat when the sound of his laughter raises to your turret. He was with Midoriya and Ochako, your lady in waiting most definitely there to keep her sights on the green haired knight. How you wished you could join them. Laughing with them. Talking like you had before. 

Tenya looks up at you from his spot below. He didn't have his glasses on, and his hair was slicked back to keep out of his eyes after his long training session with Aizawa. He smiles and waves. “Good evening Princess! How about joining us today? I can assure your safety.”

The tiles underneath you turn a rose gold as your heart stops. 

Could you join him?

Aizawa was the best wingman you could hope for

By some heavenly fortune, the Captain of the Guard saw your struggle and stepped in. Why he did it? He said nothing. Maybe it was because he could smell the desperation rolling of the two of you and grew tired of it.

“Just get down here Princess, I’m going to be here the whole time.” Aizawa motions you down. “If you don't join us he won't focus, and that will cost the head of whoever he spars with.” 

The blood flushes from the face of a blonde knight looking extremely uncomfortable at the prospect of sparring with the young Iida. 

“Ah- Okay, I'll be down soon.” You catch a glimpse of Uraraka giving you a thumbs up, missing the way Tenya watches you with a look of excitement mixed with dread. 

Of course he wanted you to join him and your other friends, but.. He hadn't been as close to you ever since your quirk presented, what if he stumbled or messed up while you were watching? Would you think less of him? Would you kick him off of your guard? Would you be ashamed of being his friend? Or were you no longer friends?!

His engines begin to smoke as he panics, his face blank though his mind was running a mile a minute.

Damn your shyness!

Taking the stairs two at a time, you scramble to your vanity to check your hair and add small touch-ups of makeup before launching yourself out of the room. You barely remember to inform the guards at your door of where you were headed before continuing your journey to the training grounds.

What did you do to deserve such a perfect vantage point to watch them? To have the opportunity to see your knights train? Or rather, to see Tenya, a boy who for the years you've known him, refused to train in front of you. 

And now not only was he inviting you to watch, but even the Captain of the guard agreed to it!

Finally at the front doors of the castle, you brush the tulle layers of your dress and do a once over. Everything was in place, and you had no spots of gold to rat out the thrumming heart in your chest. You looked fine!

Taking the left path to reach the training grounds, you can’t help but pick up the scent of smoke. It was odd, but you knew where the smell was coming from. It had to be Iida. He was the only one with a quirk that gave off the smell of smoking fruit. An odd combination, but you were used to it after all the times he short circuited as a child by bump in trees. 

What was he stressed out about?

Thats what you would ask when you found him, but instead, he found you.

Turns out he was just as shy as you 

Iida had spent a good five minutes pacing in a circle, pressing the fine grass into odd circles. He wasn't ready! He was definitely not ready for you to see him! You were his princess, someone he held in the highest regard, and someone he wanted to protect. Ever since he met you and discovered what kind of person you were, he vowed to become a knight so you could rely on him. You were infinitely precious to him, and so he worked hard every day so he could protect your smile. 

“Aizawa Sensei-” His engines were roaring to life, and he couldn't help but run. Where he was running to? He didn't know. But before his captain could order him back he was already running around the side of the castle to reach the front doors. He assumed you would get to the grounds by the side doors, but life had it out for him as he bumped into you and took a tumble to the ground.

Your golden aura was your second best wingman

When words failed to work, your quirk led the way. It was emotionally activated after all.

Iida’s eyes are as wide as dinner plates as he sees you laying underneath him, excuses were sticking to his tongue, unable to come out as he processed the vulgar situation. 

Which, wasn't as vulgar as he saw it. You were laying on the grass next to him, half underneath him as he used an arm to prop himself up in order to keep from crushing you. 

“Ah-!” He sits up swiftly, bowing until his head was pressed flat against the grassy floor. “My humblest apologies Princess! I didn't mean to hurt you!” 

You slowly sit up, plucking a blade of grass from your hair, seeing it had turned gold under your touch. In fact, gold was already spreading from your body to your clothes and to the earth below.

But this time, you didn't feel embarrassed. 

“Tenya?”

The young knight raises his head to look at you, his face tight with anxiety. 

You reach out your hand and cup his cheek, allowing a golden glow to cover you both. You smile and place a small kiss on the tip of his nose. “Its alright.”

[lupinlongbottom]

Shortie

Fred Weasley x Short!Reader

Summary: (Y/N) is short. Plain and simple. While she admits this to herself, she hates, more than anything, than the nickname a certain redhead has tagged her with.

Prompt: Can I request a Fred Weasley x Reader with a short reader? And Fred thinks she’s adorable and flirts with her all the time? - Anon

Word Count: 3.2k

Warnings: none

A/N: Yeah. I love Fred Weasley. I bet you do too, hm? Yeah you do!! Welcome to the club  we meet on every other Thursday

__

(Y/N) (L/N) loathed being called short. She was short, to their point, but it was always an awfully un-clever observation. No one ever thought to call her ‘bright’ or ‘pretty’, it was always ‘short’ or—

“Hey, shortie!” 

(Y/N) turned around, her books held tightly to her chest. It didn’t take a genius to know who’s voice it could’ve been, but she looked anyway, scowling.

“What do you want, Weasley?” She continued her previous steps, the flats of her feet slapping against the marble rhythmically.  

“Woah,” Fred said, holding his hands up, running to her side. “Such hostility, coming from such a small thing…”

(Y/N) pulled the books tighter into her chest, the covers reaching her chin. “What do you want?” She repeated, ignoring the redhead who was now matching her rather brisk pace.

“What? Can’t a guy try and flirt with the cutest little thing at school?” Fred said teasingly. (Y/N) could hardly tell if he was joking or not, a common theme from the Weasley brothers.

“Calling someone ‘shortie’ isn’t considered flirting,” (Y/N) huffed, feeling her fingers curl around the spines of her books, the tips tracing the musty covers. “Hardly would get you any points from anyone.”

“You see,” Fred clicked, pointing a finger. “I said ‘try’, didn’t say it was working,” he glanced up and down the girl quickly, grinning, “though, you’re talking to me, so something must’ve worked.”

“Do that with all the girls, do you? Flirt constantly to see if something sticks?” (Y/N) said, almost breaking a smile. A small tug at her lips peeked through the cracks, one that Fred noticed instantly, a warmth spreading quickly to his cheeks.

“No,” Fred said, shaking his head. “Just with you.”

“Right,” (Y/N) said, laughing genuinely. “Sure, Weasley,” she turned the corner, reaching her destination, her next class. “If you don’t mind, I actually have somewhere to be right now, so—”

“Funny,” Fred laughed, opening the classroom door. “Me too. Forgot we had Charms together, huh?”

She didn’t.

“Easy to forget,” (Y/N) said, pushing past Fred, hoping to reach her seat before Flitwick had their heads. “I focus entirely on the lecture, unlike somebody I know.”

“Hard to focus when the prettiest girl in school sits across the way from me,” Fred said, eyeing (Y/N) down.

“Oh sure,” (Y/N) scoffed, rolling her eyes, trying to ignore the creeping heat flowing across her face. “That’s your problem.”

“Though, it’s hard to see you behind your stack of books. I reckon you could use one of them to boost yourself up, it’d be easier to spot you—”

(Y/N) smacked his arm, hard, before fleeing to her assigned seat. She held back a scoff, not letting Fred get the better of her and her reactions. Pulling the various textbooks from her bag, (Y/N) scooted them slightly more to the left for no reason in particular.

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Studying was a chore, something that (Y/N) loathed to do, but understood it’s importance in her academic life and future. As far as libraries go, the one at Hogwarts wasn’t the worst one she’d been in. Surely the temptation of practically anything and everything one would or could possibly know about the magical community and world around them was just at their fingertips, pages away from their young minds. However, instead of the fun material she could be reading, she was stuck scribbling lines from a textbook about various charms she’d never need to use.

“Honestly, making legs grow on teacups? How absurd…” (Y/N) mumbled to herself, scribbling the incantation down in a bolder ink, underlining it lightly.

“Reckon you could try it on yourself,” A voice said, pulling up into the chair next to her. “Maybe you’ll grow a bit, hm?” 

“Weasley,” (Y/N) clicked, setting her quill down harshly. “I’m trying to study, can’t you go bother some other poor soul? Throw a dungbomb around or whatever you and your brother get up to?”

“Nah, we ran out of dungbombs a bit back,” Fred said, picking at his fingernails, examining them closely. “We planted some frog spawn soap in the bathroom near here, but that’s going to take a while to kick in,” He glanced at the roll of parchment beneath (Y/N)’s hand, covering her writing. “What? Don’t want me to cheat off of you?”  

“Exactly,” (Y/N) hummed, placing another hand atop her words. “You haven’t done the assignment yet, so I’m not going to let you read mine.”

“Smart,” Fred said, nodding his head. “Really smart.”

“Thank you?” (Y/N) said, almost unsure. 

“Tell me, shortie,” Fred said, leaning in. “While you’re here hiding your work, do you need me to grab any books off the top shelf? I have long arms, you know…”

“Nope,” (Y/N) said warmly, her voice sickeningly sweet. “I’ve got all I need, thanks.”

“You sure?” He asked again, cracking his signature grin, his eyebrow pointed. “You sure you don’t need Charmingly Charming Charms by Gretchen Hopstock?” He pulled a red book from behind his back. “I know that Georgie and I needed to look at it when we were finishing our assignment…”

“You did the assignment? You’re bluffing!” (Y/N) said, bewildered and confused at the recent discovery. “There’s no way!”

“Yeah,” Fred laughed. “No way you’re reaching that book without my help,” he laughed again, the voice as smooth as honey, “it belongs on the sixth shelf, second case in. Seeing as you can barely reach the fifth shelf without your tiptoes—”

“Have you been watching me?”

“Hard not to,” Fred said, grinning. “It’s rather cute, watching you struggle just a bit. Of course, just say the word and I’ll leave the book here instead of putting it back.”

“I’m good,” (Y/N) said, shooting back an equally large grin, hoping the mockery would hit him in the face and let him leave. “But thanks!” 

Fred shrugged, turning quickly on his heels. He took five steps into the bookcase, eyes quickly scanning across the various covers, hoping to find the empty spot he had pulled the book from previously. With extra care, he slid the book back into its home, turning back to grin at (Y/N).

“I didn’t need it, anyway.”

“We’ll see, shortie,” Fred said, shoving his hands back into his pockets. “Though, tell me,” Fred said, pointing to (Y/N)’s hands, still covering her parchment. “You’ve let that ink dry before smacking your hand on your writing, right?”

(Y/N) froze.

“Nah,” Fred laughed, waving his hand. “I’m sure it’s fine, you’re a bright witch, there’s no way that you would’ve done that,” he laughed again, turning back to his table of friends, neatly settled on the other side of the library. “No way.”

(Y/N) waited a few beats before prying her fingers off the paper, sure enough, the ink wasn’t done drying when she placed her skin atop of it. A puddling of what could’ve been words flowed along her skin, thankfully her parchment was still somewhat legible. She hesitated for a moment, debating on packing up her things and leaving entirely, or excusing herself for a moment to wash her hands. She chose the latter. 

“Stupid Fred, stupid ‘shortie’, stupid book…” (Y/N) mumbled to herself, entering the girls lavatory quickly. The sooner she cleaned her stained hands, the sooner she could finish her assignment and the sooner she could ignore Fred Weasley. (Y/N) turned on the tap, allowing the hot water to cover her hands, a good majority of the black ink flowing directly into the water. 

“Honestly,” (Y/N) said, grabbing the bar of soap, scrubbing vigorously. “What is wrong with me? He’s just some stupid boy…” She glanced up at her reflection, the pink in her cheeks practically glowing. “A stupid boy with a stupid smile…” Her face softened, recalling the way he grinned at her, a face he only seemed to direct at her and her alone, she had noticed. She never stared too long, honest, but she wasn’t dumb. Maybe he did truly like her. Maybe she liked him. Maybe.

The moment, however, ended quickly, as (Y/N) felt the soap beneath her move slightly. She looked down, only to find tadpoles swimming in sink and wriggling between her fingers.

Her scream rang throughout the castle.

__

The orange autumn day basked over the courtyard, the gaggles of cliques and friends finally were returning from Hogsmeade that fateful Saturday. (Y/N) had spent more than she’d like to admit at Honeydukes, her friends egging her to buy ‘just one more’ chocolate frog. Though, to their point, having a few extras around wouldn’t have been the worst idea.

(Y/N) settled herself down next to the fountain, allowing herself to get her recommended fifteen minutes of solitude she desperately needed. The burbling of the water and the idle chatter of students around her was calming, a white noise to her loud thoughts.

“Shortie!” Fred called from across the courtyard, leaving George behind. The other twin looked almost shocked, but only for a moment, his gaze falling upon the girl at the base of the fountain. He shrugged and waltzed away, knowing very well that Fred would catch up later.

“Fred,” (Y/N) said, not opening her eyes. She continued to take in deep breaths, focusing harder on the fountain behind her. “What is it?”

“Woah,” Fred said, almost taken aback. “Not ‘Weasley’? We’re on a first-name basis now?” 

“Could you try and be quiet?” (Y/N) said, taking in another deep breath. “I’m trying to enjoy a few moments of silence,” she opened an eye, glancing at Fred, “I know how hard silence is for you.”

“Please,” Fred scoffed, falling down next to (Y/N), hands folded in his lap. “I can be silent.”

“Prove it,” (Y/N) said, closing her eyes again, taking a deep breath.

“Fine,” Fred said, staring straight ahead, trying to prove his point. The sounds of the fountain were calming, he noticed. Frankly, he wanted to make fun of the spot (Y/N) had chosen, but after thinking about it for a few moments, he understood.

Fred couldn’t help but glance over to the girl on his right, noting how even seated next to one another, their height difference rang true. He never sat next to her, not this close, she never gave him the chance. His eyes floated over to the bag at her side, a Honeydukes one, to be exact. Without a second thought, as silently as he could, he pulled the bag onto his lap. Thankfully, (Y/N) hadn’t heard. Fingering through the bag, he noted the various chocolate frogs, a box of fudge flies and a package of jelly slugs. All favorites of hers.

“Of course…” Fred laughed quietly, examining the bag a little deeper. A smaller bag reached his grasp, the packaging seeming familiar. He had seen these bags plenty of times before, in fact, George had been carrying one on their way back from Hogsmeade.

“What’re you doing?” (Y/N) said, careful not to shout, to draw more attention to herself. She noticed the bag in Fred’s lap after he had stayed quiet for a bit too long, a feat she clearly thought was a prank. She reached forward. “Gimme that!”

“Nope,” Fred said, standing up quickly, bag still in his grasp. “Why do you have a Zonko’s bag in here? I don’t think they have any products that’ll help you grow—”

“Will you quit it!?” (Y/N) finally shouted, rising to her feet. Fred froze, just for a moment. “Honestly! It’s all ‘shortie’ this and ‘shortie’ that! Could you cut it out for just—cut it out for a moment?!”

“(Y/N), I—”

“Yeah?” (Y/N) spat, ripping the bag from Fred’s grip, clutching it close to her side. “Gonna ask me to speak up because I’m so far away from you? You, all the way up there and me, so terribly close to the ground, might as well be dirt—”

“(Y/N) I’m sorry,” Fred said, almost sternly. Whatever grin he had on his face earlier surely dissipated. “I didn’t think that, that nickname bothered you so much, had you told me I would’ve—”

“Would’ve stopped? Yeah right. Biggest prankster in the whole school stopping something because someone asked nicely?”

“I would’ve stopped because you asked me,” Fred said, making his word choice clear. “Honest.”

“I don’t believe it,” (Y/N) said.

“Why do you think I call you shortie to begin with? Has it ever crossed your mind that I could’ve chosen anything else in the English—or perhaps French—language to call you?” Fred asked, not expecting a reply. “I mean, yeah, obviously you’re short—”

“You call people loads of other things, why not one of those?”

“What? Do you mean prat or git?” Fred laughed. “I could never think about calling you that, are you being serious?”

“What’s so hard to believe? You call everyone else things like that!” 

“Yeah? Well I don’t fancy everyone else, do I?”

“Fancy?” (Y/N) said, fighting back a laugh. “That’s how you treat someone you fancy? It’s so elementary, Fred. Would you like to pull on my hair to really drive your message home?”

“Oh shut it,” Fred said, his voice low, cheeks growing red. “I’m not good at things like this… affection, flirting…”

“You? Not good at flirting?” (Y/N) said, letting herself laugh. “Now that’s funny.”

“How so?”

“Please, half of the words that come out of your mouth make me want to crawl as far as I can in my jumper, hide from the embarrassment,” (Y/N) admitted, feeling a bit honest. “From what I’ve heard from the other girls in our year, you seem to have that effect on women.”

“Really?” Fred smiled. “I make you all flustered?”

“Y-you make other girls flustered, too!” (Y/N) said rather quickly. “Don’t go and twist my words.”

“Ah,” Fred clicked, rocking on his feet. “But you admit it, I make you flustered.”

“P-perhaps,” (Y/N) said, the back of her neck growing hot to the touch, the heat rising to her ears. “Perhaps a bit, yes.”

“Then, that’s all that matters, hm?” Fred said, smiling.

“What? Do you get some sort of pleasure of getting me flustered?” (Y/N) said, trying to keep a straight face.

“Of course I do,” Fred laughed. “Doesn’t every guy want to see the girl they like get all hot and bothered, especially by their own words and smirks?”

“I suppose,” (Y/N) said, nodding. “But, why me? Of call the girls you could possibly fancy, I’m the one you’ve gone after?”

“You challenge me, (Y/N),” Fred shrugged. “I like the chase, what can I say?” He let out another laugh, the sound ringing throughout the courtyard. “Besides, you’re rather pretty and have got the cutest laugh—little snorts and all—”

“I do not snort!” (Y/N) exclaimed. “I just—my laugh isn’t—I don’t… snort…”

“Awh,” Fred took a step closer, placing his hand hesitantly on (Y/N)’s shoulder. “S’all right, (Y/N), I think it’s cute. I think you’re cute.”

“Shut it…” (Y/N) said, looking away. After all that talk of getting flustered around Fred, why was her own body betraying her so poorly? Surely Fred could see the pink in her cheeks, there was no point in trying to hide it. “I think you’re cute too…” she mumbled, the words barely passing her lips.

“What was that? I didn’t quite catch that?” Fred said, grinning.

“I said I think you’re cute too,” (Y/N) repeated, her voice louder. “There, happy?”

“Elated,” Fred said, his smile growing softer. “Since you think I’m terribly attractive—”

“That’s not what I said—”

“And since I think you’re terribly adorable, what do you say to us going on a date? Say… next weekend, Hogsmeade? You, me, a couple of butterbeers against the world?”

“I’d like that,” (Y/N) said. “I’d like that quite a bit, actually.”

“Wicked,” Fred said, removing his hand from (Y/N)’s shoulder, knowing if he didn’t, he’d probably do something stupid, something she’d slap him silly for even trying. “Now that we’re on the same page, tell me (Y/N)…” he slanted his eyes, “what did you purchase from Zonko’s? Doesn’t seem like your type of store.”

“I…” (Y/N) chose her words carefully, feeling the bag at her side grow almost heavy. “I bought some hiccoughing sweets… to… give to you…”

“You… were going to try and prank me?” Fred said, his finger pointed at his chest. “A woman after my own heart! Oh, (Y/N), you don’t know how attractive that is.”

“I didn’t buy them to seduce you, Weasley,” (Y/N) laughed. “I bought them for… revenge purposes only.”

“Revenge? For the shortie thing? That seems a bit much,” Fred said, crossing his arms. “Don’t you think?”

“Oh no,” (Y/N) said, waving her hand. “The shortie thing doesn’t bother me nearly that bad,” Fred gave her a look, “what? Can’t a girl apologize? Regardless, it wasn’t because of that.”

“Alright, shortie,” Fred said, using the nickname again, dipping a toe in the water. (Y/N) smiled, just a bit. “Then what could you possibly need to get revenge for?”

“Frog spawn soap, women’s lavatory near the library.”

“Holy shit,” Fred said, suppressing a laugh. “That was you? Your scream was so hilarious!”

“I went to go wash the ink off my hands and—”

“So you did get ink on your hands,” Fred said, leaning closer. “I knew it.”

“Your soap,” (Y/N) said, ignoring Fred’s teasing. “Probably will give me nightmares about hand washing for the rest of my life… I figured a few prank-sweets would compensate it fairly.”

“Well played,” Fred said, nodding. “It’s a good plan, though I’d re-think it now that I know all about your devious little scheme, wouldn’t you agree? Try something that’ll really grind my gears, hm?”

“Grind your gears?”

“Yeah, the key to a good revenge, or revenge prank is the one that while the other isn’t expecting, also annoys—”

Without a second thought, (Y/N) leaned upwards, reaching as far as her toes could get her. She grabbed Fred’s face, placing a soft peck to the space near his lips, dangerously close, but not quite touching. She fell back onto the flats of her feet, grinning widely at the now-speechless Weasley in front of her.

“One that the other isn’t expecting? I’ll have to remember that,” (Y/N) said, taking a few steps away from Fred, ready to leave the courtyard. “What? Kneazle have your tongue?”

“I just…” Fred sputtered, trying to find the words. Of all the things he had expected from (Y/N), teasing him to that caliber was not at the top of his list. “I just, didn’t expect you to reach that high,” he forced a laugh, trying to cover up his embarrassment, “shortie.”

(Y/N) smiled softly at the boy, turning her heels to leave. The sound of Fred’s soft laughter met her ears, him surely doing a little jig, something she knew she would see if she turned around, but (Y/N) let him have his moment. Turns out, she didn’t hate that nickname after all. More specifically, she didn’t hate the boy it came from, not one bit.

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General Tag List: @maralisa124 / @leighxlover / @hey-its-me-rai / @missihart23 / @biatheintrovert / @luna-xxxxx / @chocolaterumble / @why-am-i-sad-and-sleepy / @steve-thotgers / @greeneyedthief / @kitkatkl / @thelightsideoflife / @thataudreydork / @badgirlsdeaddreams

Fred Weasley Tag List: @carolinesbookworld / @flyawayjulianna

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[tra-sh]

Paul Lahote x reader (Twilight)

Request from Anon: “Hi, could you maybe do Paul from Twilight where you're friends with the Cullens and Bella makes you meet the wolf pack and Paul imprints? Maybe gets jealous too? Female pronouns please xx" 

Full disclosure, don't hate me, I've never read the books. I saw the first movie when it came out but I' a bit rusty on the characters, so I hope I did them justice! 

Part 2 Here

In the eyes of the world, you were a curious thing.

Well, maybe not the world, but definitely the people around you. After all; not just anyone gets to sit with the Cullen siblings at lunch. Not just anyone can make Rosalie laugh or Edward crack a smile.

There was no doubt that in the eyes of the teenagers of Forks, you were an enigma. There was no shortage of rumors about the strange girl who had wormed her way into the exclusive clique of ethereal beauties. But as frustratingly mysterious as you appeared to be, no one could hate you. You were far too kind and trusting to attract negative attitudes. This is why when Bella made the executive decision to force the Cullen’s into the wolf pack's good graces, she brought you.

Though the Cullen’s weren't allowed in the vicinity, Bella figured that if the wolves could trust you, maybe they could begin to trust your close friends. You were extremely adept at social gatherings and made a point to introduce yourself to everyone in the room. Your general attitude is warm and inviting-- surely this meeting would go smoothly if you were there, Bella hoped. 

Because of this, you found yourself sitting shotgun in Bella's truck as it rattles down the old dirt road. You stole glances at the brunette every so often, noting her tense features. "Relax, Bells," you say after a moment of silence. "I'm sure it'll all be fine." 

You hadn't known her for very long, but any friend of the Cullen's was a friend of yours. The two of you really only spoke when she was at their house looking for Edward or at school. You'd made a point to try to get to know her better over the past few months, to bring her out of her shell ever so slightly.

You watch as her shoulders relax slowly, her eyes never leaving the road. "I'm more worried about Jake's friends," she mumbles. You've never met Sam Uley's gang, but you knew what they were. Or rather, Alice had explained to you what they were.

You hum quietly as you look back out the window at the passing trees. Bella veered off down a slightly overgrown path that barely passed as a road, save for a worn trail of tire marks in the weeds. A wooden house came into view and you could just barely see the glow of a bonfire flickering from the backyard.

You smile to yourself as the truck comes to a halt a few yards away. Bella turns to unbuckle her seatbelt and gives you an anxious smile. "Here's to a good night," she says hopefully. You give her a reassuring grin before turning to exit the vehicle. You couldn't wait to meet everyone. 

You sidle up to Bella as the two of you make your way to the white front door. You take in the peeling paint of the house and garage as you walk. The house is old but gives off a cozy and inviting feeling. The surrounding pine trees almost hide it from view and make you think of a witch's cottage or something from a fairy tale.

You hear the hinges of the door squeak as a tall boy with dark hair and tanned skin greets the two of you. "Hey, you made it!" He looks between the two of you, slightly skeptical of your presence.

You smile and step forward, your hand outstretched.

"Hey, you're Jacob, right? I'm [Name]," you say politely.

Jacob seems pleased and reaches over to shake your hand. "Any friend of Bella is welcome," he says after looking you up and down. He turns away and opens the door wider, allowing the two of you to step inside. 

The house smells of sage and sandalwood and has numerous artifacts lining the walls. You can't help the grin that dances over your lips as you take in your surroundings. Jacob leads you and Bella through the kitchen to the back door.

"Everyone's waiting around the bonfire."

There's a twinkle in his eye when he looks at Bella, and you can't help but wonder if there was something between them at one point. No wonder Edward didn't want to come, you muse. 

As you step outside into the lush backyard you're greeted by a few nonchalant 'hello's and silent nods. You're not sure if they're directed at you or Bella, but you smile all the same.

Five boys are sitting around the bonfire, not paying attention as you walk down the steps. One boy stands next to an older man outside of the circle, with two girls.

"Emily!" Bella passes by you to go greet one of the girls in question.

Jacob stands by your side and points at each member of the pack, listing them by name. "The ones sitting are Jared, Quil, Embry, Seth, and Paul," he begins. "The girl with the permanent frown is Leah, Emily's with Bella, and Sam is with my dad."

You nod as he relays the names and hope you can remember all of them. "Are they all..?" You trail off, unsure of how to ask. "Wolves?" Jacob interjects. Your face flushes lightly and you nod. "Emily isn't," he clarifies.

You suddenly feel like the odd one out all over again, the same way you felt when you'd first met the Cullen’s.

 The boy standing away from the fire, Sam, makes his way over to you. You straighten your posture and try to not look too intimidated. "Hi, are you Sam?" You ask. He nods in response but doesn't make a move to shake your hand.

"Sam Uley. I assume Jacob introduced you to my pack."

Your hand falls limp at your side and you try to pluck up a friendly smile. "More or less. I've yet to actually talk to them," you joke. Sam gives you a curt nod and turns to look at the other boys. "I wanted you here tonight to make sure of something," Sam begins. He turns back to you with a firm stare, and you frown. "What's that?" 

Sam exchanges a look with the boy standing next to you, and you can feel Jacob shift awkwardly under the scrutiny of the stare. "I'm not sure how much you've been told, but our ancestors and the Cullen family have a treaty," Sam states. You nod slowly. You knew the basics of the treaty; they weren't allowed to bite humans or trespass on the wolves' territory unless invited. "We wanted to ensure that treaty hasn't been broken." 

You freeze and stare at the boy before you. Surely, he isn't suggesting what you think he is?

"Are you asking me if I'm still human?"

"Please understand where I'm coming from," Sam says calmly. You study him carefully, before letting out a small sigh. You should have known there was an alternative motive for this meeting.

"The Cullen’s wouldn't harm me, and I can assure you I'm still painfully normal."

Sam seems pleased with this answer and nods to you before turning around and assuming his place by the bonfire. "Sorry about that," Jacob mutters. "We just needed to be sure." You give him a reassuring smile and place your hand on his arm. "It's alright, really," you promise. The boy cracks a small grin and leads you over to the bonfire to properly introduce you to the pack. 

As you approach the bonfire, one of the taller boy's scrunches his face in mock disgust.

"It smells like a leech," he says in a loud tone. The other boys snickered amongst themselves.

You roll your eyes and sit down in a lawn chair as Jacob takes the seat next to you. The boy who made the joke was smirking like the cat that ate the canary until his eyes met yours.

His snarky follow-up comment died on his tongue as he stared at you. Your brows knit together in confusion, wondering why the sudden change of heart. He looked at you like a desert traveler would an oasis. You tear your eyes away from him to look over at Jake. 

"I didn't think I smelled that bad," you joke lightly. 

"Paul didn't mean anything by it," one of the boys speaks up. You think this one is Seth, if you're not mistaken. Another one of them, Quil, nods in agreement. "You smell good!" You snort at his affirmation. "Thank you?" That was certainly one of the stranger compliments you've received.

Paul suddenly growls at Quil who then shies away in fear. The boys fall silent as they stare at Paul, but no one dares to speak. You look over to Jacob, who only shrugs. "So," you begin, drawing their attention once more. "What do you guys usually do around here?" 

"You're looking at it," Embry pipes up, gesturing to the bonfire. You raise a brow and lean forward in your chair. "Sit around a fire and make fun of people?"

Paul seems to shrink back at your comment.

"The mocking is optional," Quil says with a smirk, jutting out his elbow to bump Paul. The taller boy sneers but makes no further comment. "What about you?" Embry asks as they turn to look at you. "I didn't take those bloodsuckers to be the nurturing type."

You purse your lips at him and he smiles apologetically. "They're nice when you get to know them," you say.

Paul scoffs, causing you to look over. "As nice as monsters can be, sure," he mutters. "Excuse me?" You ask, frowning. What was his problem? As far as you knew, the Cullen's hadn't done anything to earn such biting words. Paul avoids your gaze and crosses his arms over his chest. "I think you heard me." 

His words hang in the air and poison the atmosphere, making the yard fall silent. Sam and Mr. Black are glancing your way with disapproving looks. You glance around at the other boys as they shift awkwardly in their seats.

"Right," you mumble under your breath. "I'll leave you alone."

Paul's head snaps up as you stand from the chair. He gives you a kicked puppy look, as if he wants you to stay. You're beginning to get whiplash from his changing moods.

You turn away from the bonfire and make your way over to where Bella and Emily stand, next to the back door of the house. "What did you do to Paul?" Bella asks, brows knit together. You let out a huff and fold your arms over your chest. "I didn't do anything," you say defensively. "He was being rude, so I left. I'm not going to stick around and listen to someone insult me." Emily gives you a knowing smile and peers over your shoulder at the bonfire. "You know what they say about little boys who pull pigtails," Emily begins. "It means they like you." 

You're about to attest her suggestion when you feel a warm hand grab your shoulder. You look over to see Quil standing next to you, offering a small smile. "Hey, sorry about Paul. We really do want to get to know you better," he says. He nods politely to Bella and she gives him a small wave.

You let your arms relax and fall back to your sides as you turn towards the boy next to you. "I'm not mad, Quil. I just didn't feel like he wanted me there." Quil gives you a tight-lipped smile and glances nervously over his shoulder. "Well, that's the thing," Quil starts. "He might want you there a little too much." 

Before you can ask him to explain, a familiar growl echoes through the yard. "Quil!" You feel the hand on your shoulder stiffen as you peer over at the bonfire. "Move your hand or I'll rip it off," Paul seethes.

You clench your fists and move so that you're standing in front of Quil. "What's your problem?" You ask, glaring at the angry boy before you. Paul ignores you, his eyes trained on the boy behind you. "Don't defend me," Quil hisses. "It'll make it worse!" 

Paul takes a step forward and you instinctively reach back, your arm stretched across Quil's chest in a protective fashion. 

Paul did not like this one bit. 

His body shudders and his nostrils flare as he fights the urge to transition. Quil reaches over and grabs you before calling out: "Sam!" 

Sam rushes forward, using a demanding tone to order Paul to calm down. Paul winces, but you can see his muscles rippling still as his anger keeps him teetering on the edge of shifting. Quil pulls you back toward the house with Bella and Emily close behind. 

Paul bares his teeth and roars, sending a shiver down your spine. What was going on? 

Quil shuts the door and turns to you. "You need to leave, now. He's not calming down." He throws nervous looks at the white door as he speaks. Bella paces the kitchen, her brown eyes flitting between you and the backyard. "He didn't, did he?" She asks.

The silence that follows is all she needs as a response. Bella looks at you with newfound shock, and you suddenly feel left out.

"He did what?" You ask. Did they know something you didn't? "What did he do?" You ask again, stepping forward.

Emily stands next to you and places her hand gently on your back, rubbing small circles. "It's hard to explain," she begins. Suddenly, Sam comes barging into the house. "Where is she?" His head whips around until he spots you. "You need to call the Cullen’s and have them pick you up from the reservation line," he demands. His tone gives you no room to argue and you fumble to get your phone from your pocket. 

"What's going on?" You ask, your hands shaking. Why was no one telling you?

 "The pack is keeping him at bay, but we don't have much time. Quil, make sure they get out safely," Sam instructs, ignoring your question. Bella hurries you to the front door as Quil follows. 

You run to the truck and watch in shock when Quil shifts into a large dark grey wolf with brown streaks dappled in his fur. He shakes his head, his ears on high alert.

Bella slams the truck door shut, snapping you out of your trans. You shakily strap yourself in just as a splitting howl echoes through the air. You and Bella both look back at the house anxiously. Quil runs behind the truck, on the lookout for what you could only assume was Paul. 

You nearly forget the phone sitting heavy in your hand as your eyes scan the passing forest. Your heart hammered in your chest as you turn to look at Bella.

"What's going on? Why is Paul so angry?" You ask quietly. You were growing sick of not knowing what was going on.

Bella glances nervously in the rear view mirror, her eyes trained on Quil. "The wolves, they have this thing called imprinting," here she pauses, trying to remember the way Jake had explained it. "It's like finding their soulmate." 

You stare at the brunette, confusion written on your face. "Are you trying to tell me that a man I just met imprinted on me," you pause to gesture wildly at the woods, "And is now on a murder spree because Quil touched my shoulder?"

Bella would have laughed at your word choices if the situation were different.

"Like Emily said, it's hard to explain. Some of them handle it better than others."

You look out of the windshield and stare at the road. The sun is setting and the old truck's headlights do very little to illuminate the coarse dirt ahead of you. Before you can ask her what you're supposed to do with this sudden information, a silver wolf steps out into the road. "Bella, watch out!" You screech, fingers grasping for the handle to the right of your head. Bella slams on the break and the truck shudders to a sudden halt. Dust kicks up around the vehicle, momentarily clouding your view. Your heartbeat pulses in your ears, drowning out all other sounds. Your eyes search the road frantically, trying to spot the wolf.

"That," your throat constricts as you try to speak. "Who was that?" You're afraid to know the answer. 

"Paul," Bella whispers, voice hoarse. 

You see a large form dart out from behind the truck and loud snarls begin to echo from the road before you. "They're fighting!" You say, feeling panic bubble in your chest. Bella doesn't move, but instead fumbles for her phone. "I need to call Edward," she mutters. You stare back at the road as the dust blows away slowly, revealing the dueling animals. You can't sit by idly and watch as they all but destroy each other.

Your fingers tremble as you unbuckle your seatbelt, much to Bella's dismay. Before she can stop you, you're hopping down from the cab of the truck and stumbling towards the hulking wolves before you.

"Paul? Quil?" You ask, your voice betraying your fear.

As you push forward, you get a clearer view of Paul. His fur is a dazzling shade of silver and almost shines from the headlights. You would have been amazed if his teeth weren't digging into Quil's shoulder.

"Paul," you repeat, trying to sound more authoritative. This catches his attention and his head snaps up to look at you. Oh god. Well, you didn't think this through. Quil takes this chance to limp backward, giving the two of you space. 

Paul's eyes are trained on you, calculating your every move. You swallow thickly and step forward, inching closer to him. "Paul?" Your voice is softer this time. His ears twitch as you approach, signaling to you that he was listening. "I'm not sure what all of this means," you continue. "But I'm not going to lie to you. I'm scared," you pause to gauge his reaction. If a wolf could frown, you were sure this is what it looked like. He looks almost upset at your confession, and you quickly backtrack.

"I think it would help if we could talk," you add.

He steps forward, and you do your best to not shrink back in fear. His nose presses against your arm and he snorts lightly. Your hand trembles as you bring it up, resting it on his head. "Good dog," you joke. Paul snorts again, giving you what you can only guess is an unamused look. 

"Can we talk?" You ask gently. He seems hesitant to leave your touch, but after a moment he steps back. You glance over to Quil, who slinks away into the trees. The wolf before you shudders, and the sound of bones popping fills your ears. You cringe at the noise and look away as Paul slowly returns to his human form. Before you turn back, Paul stops you. "Give me a second," he says a bit awkwardly. He shuffles away into the woods before you can respond. Curiously, you glance over to his fleeting form before turning away with wide eyes. He was naked. Very, very naked. And you saw everything. 

You try to shoo the thoughts from your head and focus on the dirt beneath your shoes. You hear soft footsteps and turn back, seeing a now-clothed Paul approaching you nervously. He scratches the back of his head as he makes his way back over to you. "Can we go somewhere private?" He asks in a low tone. You glance over at the truck sitting in the road and nod. "Sure."

You follow the boy down into the woods, stopping at a fallen tree. You note a neat pile of clothes tucked away in a little crook of the log and chuckle lightly. They must leave these around for when they phase.

Paul sits beside you, his eyes darting over to you every so often. He looks like he has so much he wants to say to you, and maybe he does. After everything you just experienced, you could use a bit of an explanation.

"I'm sorry," he mutters finally. "I didn't mean for any of that to happen." His leg bounces nervously as his eyes refuse to meet your gaze. 

"I have anger problems, and I just didn't know how to handle all of this." 

You nod slowly and turn to glance back up at the road. Bella's truck was still in view, and she was no doubt waiting nervously to see if you were alright.

"This is all really sudden," you say quietly.

  "It usually is," Paul says, thinking back to when Sam and Embry first imprinted. He couldn't explain his feelings to you; he couldn't even explain them to himself. All it took was Quil laying a single hand on your body and all rational thought flew out the window. He just wanted-- needed-- you near him. "So, what happens now?" You ask, bringing Paul back from his thoughts. He wanted to hold you, to cradle you in his arms and kiss you. But he knew this was just the imprinting part of his brain talking. The two of you had met less than an hour ago, and he didn't want to scare you off. He settles for a brief, "Whatever you want." 

You hum quietly as you stare at the leaf-covered grass beneath your feet. This definitely was sudden. But there was a sort of calming presence around Paul that pulled you in and left you wanting more. Which was ironic given his lack of control. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing-- the concept of soulmates and all. It would definitely take some time to get used to, but you didn't feel repulsed at the idea.

"We could take this slow," you offer quietly.

Paul's body language oozes relief as he finally looks over to you. "We can?" The hopeful lilt to his tone almost makes you giddy.

“Is that alright?" You wonder, looking up to meet his gaze. His warm brown eyes are captivating and he gives you a boyish grin. "More than alright," he assures you. He inches closer to you and you feel the warmth pooling off him in waves. His fingers brush yours lightly, looking for silent permission.

You lift your hand and allow him to cradle it in his large, calloused one. His touch is hot, but not uncomfortable. It warms you to your core and you can't help but lean into his side. Paul brings your hand up carefully and places a light kiss to the back of your hand. This was definitely going to take some getting used to.

But in this moment with him, you couldn't see yourself anywhere else. 

[fight-for-humanity]

Sundown

I found myself at a beach. My feet sunk into the sand, the grains squeezing in between my toes. My gaze faced the water as the waves lapsed against the shore. It was beautiful, from the fresh air to the vivid cerulean color of the sky. The soft roar of the ocean swell could lull you to a restful sleep. I don't remember Redacre having an ocean, but I didn't think to question it.

The chorus of laughter and jubilation reached my ears. Turning my head to investigate, I found many familiar faces also here with me, each in various stages of beach time fun. There were many different kids from the Club, members of various cliques intermingling to build sand castles and bat around a beach ball. Everyone was happy. Strange though. I thought those two hated each other, yet they were sitting together, laughing and drinking juice under a little umbrella to shield them from the sun. I didn't think to question it.

"Hey, Ry!" A voice called to me and grabbed my attention, a voice I so desperately missed. I twisted around to find Connor waving at me with a wide smile stretched across his face. His long black hair was tied back into a ponytail. He must have finally come back from his deployment. Beside him sat my mother in a beach chair, equally happy and waving at me. Awake. I mirrored their smiles and waved back.

This was everything I ever wanted. I should be happy. My heart should be threatening to explode in my chest from joy, but it wasn't. I didn't feel anything. I didn't even feel sad. I just felt blank, but at the moment, I didn't notice. I didn't think to question it.

I froze as I felt a hand grasp my shoulder. I was flooded with an urge to run, but before I could call to my family for help, I was spun around until I was face to face with a kid covered in grime and dirt, out of place in this glowing paradise. My mind screamed danger, but I couldn't flee. I was held firmly by a hand on my shoulder and one holding my head, forcing me to maintain eye contact with this kid with a threatening aura. Ever so slowly, the paradise faded from my vision, and I felt my numbed senses come back to life, like I was being pulled out of a dream. With my mind's return to clarity, I recognized who the kid was.

Aaron Costa.

"I wasn't sure I knew how to do that," Aaron said with a sheepish smile, releasing me upon realizing I was awake.

I blinked rapidly, trying to regain my footing on reality. I took a quick assessment of my surroundings. It was dark. I was in the Maze, surrounded by dirt walls. The sharp ringing of multiple metallic strings permeated the air. I fished through my memory, diving back as far as I could remember to discern how I got here. I remember putting on a Sleeper's uniform and wandering into the woods with other Club members. I'm unsure exactly how we arrived, but we soon found ourselves in a familiar place, though not a specific place we had been to before. I remembered hearing our names being called out by the Voice. We had been led to where the Sundown ceremony was being held, where we saw Bells. I remember time standing still as she fell.

My body tensed at the memory, a torrent of dread overwhelming my senses. That was the last thing I remembered. I blacked out afterwards, but how I ended up in that dream-like state was a mystery to me. I looked to Aaron for answers, but as my eyes wandered to his white jacket, the words died in my throat. He was the enemy, a part of those wretched, horrible people responsible for the tragedy of Sundown, yet he pulled me out of the Song. The same person who tried to force me to the red door now saved me from it. I was bewildered, amplified by the emotions I was already overwhelmed with after seeing the aftermath of that blasted ceremony. I held myself together for now.

"What happened?" I asked, giving him a cautious, yet inquisitive look.

"They found the Club in the Maze after... After..." he stammered, guilt ridden gaze sinking to the floor. A few times his mouth would open, only for no sound to come out. He let out a sigh and shook his head, brown strands of hair falling into his face. "I followed the Sleepers and then found you here, suppressed."

I tried rummaging through my memories again, trying to pick out a moment I could have ran into the Shape. A vision flashed through my mind, though the fogginess of it made me wonder if it happened in a dream or not. I was running with some of the Club members when we felt a familiar pressure in our heads. I stopped to face our pursuer. I didn't have the time to further ponder this faintest of memory before Aaron spoke up again.

"We're..." he paused, face scrunched in thought. "I'm sorry, RK. Really. I wanted to end hatred and suffering for everyone, not just the elite few built up on the bones of others. The Voice hid so much from us. I never wanted this."

I was skeptical. He was complicit in so much suffering by following SA1, yet they convinced him that the Blackout Club was the ones hurting others. Does his ignorance excuse his culpability? I didn't think Aaron would have been on board had he known about the experiments and the sacrifices, but I couldn't act as jury, judge, and executioner on whether or not he deserved forgiveness. Not now. Not in the middle of the Maze with the Instrument aggressively banging and clanging around us. He pulled me from the Song, so he deserved some gratitude, for now.

"You didn't know," I attempted to console him, a deep sigh escaping my lips. "But, we need to get out of here."

"One more thing," he interrupted me. I raised a brow. What could be more important than escaping the doom tunnels? Aaron took a deep breath. "I realized I was wrong. About the Song. About Speak-As-One. About everything."

I looked at him in surprise, eyes wide.

"I hated to see you feel sad. I thought the Song would help you by taking away your pain. But...that would have also robbed you of your joy." He fidgeted at the corners of his jacket, his thumb running over the white fabric. "You continued to fight even when you felt everything was hopeless. You earned your happiness when you felt the entire world was against you. It would be wrong to take that away from you, or anyone, after you fought so hard for it. And now..." He let out a breath, his eyes falling to the floor briefly before rising to the ceiling, as if he was looking for some kind of answer written clearly on the walls to ease his confusion. "I don't know. I thought I was helping the world become a better place, it turns out I was the one being fooled all along. I know sorry doesn't make everything alright, but I am. Really."

I stood flabbergasted at his admission. You fool. You big oaf. Why didn’t you come to this conclusion earlier? Why now, of all times, when shit was hitting the fan? We could have been friends. I wouldn’t have had to hurt as I did. I should have yelled at him right there, chastised him for what he and his own put me through, for what they put us through, but thoughts of Sundown still dwelled in the forefront of my thoughts. I just wanted everything to be okay again, for everything to be happy again. I missed it. I yearned for it so deeply. I remembered laughing and playing video games with Aaron, before this all started. Everything became so complicated since those simpler times. A mix of anger and sorrow swirled in my head and panged in my heart, but before I could muster a response, a familiar, yet threatening pressure pulsed in my head as if on cue. A loud clunk of the Instrument reverberated through the Maze. Aaron must have felt it too, judging by the wince that escaped him.

“We can talk more later, but we really need to go. Now,” I said, grabbing the sleeve of his white jacket to urge him forward.

Aaron was as still as a statue, staring down the tunnel behind us for a long moment before turning back to me.

"There is an exit," he explained. "Hug the right wall. The cave will split off into forks or intersections four times. After the fourth, there is a ladder to your left. Climb up and take a left. Keep going and you should find yourself in a place that's more familiar."

My mind threatened to blank out at his long list of directions, but I repeated that little mental map in my brain so it wouldn't slip out of my memory. If I got lost, I am certain he would correct me on the way regardless, but we had no time to lose. Hesitation would kill us.

"Let's go. Quickly," I urged, tugging on his sleeve. He simply gave me a smile and nodded his head.

"I'm right behind you."

With a nod, I released his sleeve and spun on my heel, rushing down the tunnel as fast as I could. I could still feel that damn pressure in my head, evidence of our invisible pursuer hot on our tails. With each right turn, the pressure lessened, and after the third it was gone completely. I didn’t stop. We needed to find somewhere safe first before letting down our guard. I ran and I ran until my lungs burned. As soon as the ladder entered my vision, I grasped the railings and climbed as fast as I could, taking the immediate left as soon as my feet reached the next level. Farther down the tunnel, I could recognize the bunks of the Barracks. We made it. I could easily make my way back from here.

With a triumphant smile, I turned back to Aaron, but he wasn’t there. My expression deflated immediately.

“Aaron?” I bleated softly, taking a step down the tunnel I came. “Aaron??” I called out again. The loud twang of the Instrument answered me. Panic settled in my chest, and as I took a step forward back to the ladder to search for him, the pressure returned in my head. I winced and grabbed at my head. The Shape was close and approaching quickly. As I turned to leave towards the Plexus, I swallowed my fear and convinced myself that Aaron could find his way out. He would find me again.

He would be okay. He was one of them.

Right?

[elvendara]

Sugar and Spice Day 2

July 13th

Cheerleader/Stoner HS AU

“He’s looking at you again.” MC said and nudged Yoosung with her elbow.

“Stop it! No he isn’t, he’s probably looking at you.” He retorted and continued to stretch, reaching for his left foot as he sat on the ground, legs spread apart as far as they would go. MC shook her head.

“Uh uh, he’s gay, and you’re the only one with a penis over here.”

“Oh my god! How would you even know he’s gay? What a rotten rumor, just because he isn’t interested in any of the girls that throw themselves at him. Maybe he has standards.” He scoffed.

“Sure, all the standards of a stoner.” MC scoffed right back.

“Wow, way to generalize. You don’t even know him.”

“And you do?”

“I didn’t say that, I just mean, don’t judge.”

“I may not know him, but you’re right about one thing, he isn’t your general stoner.”

“I know, he’s like super smart. The teachers love him because he doesn’t cause any problems and does all his work fast. He’s probably the smartest kid in the school…” Yoosung stopped when he heard MC laughing. “What’s so funny?”

“For someone who isn’t interested, you sure know a lot.”

Yoosung snapped his mouth shut. So what if he’d asked a couple of questions about Saeran? It was only because he’d overheard the teachers talking about him while Yoosung was in the office helping out.

“Just, be quiet OK. He’s going to hear you.” They both stood, side by side, legs apart and began to bend at the waist, stretching more. It was important to prepare their bodies before beginning practice.

He couldn’t help it, he snuck a peek at the bleachers and locked eyes with Saeran. He looked away quickly, as if it had been an accident. His heart rate increased and sweat broke out all over his body. It happened every time he saw the guy. Something about him just seemed to ignite a craving that was insatiable. He’d bleached his hair during summer break and added pink tips at the beginning of the school year. He wore a red shirt, a leather jacket, skinny jeans and biker boots. He usually wore eyeliner and a spiked collar, but Yoosung couldn’t see for sure if he did now. It looked good on him though.

“Sure.” MC rolled her eyes, as she stretched in the same direction as Yoosung. His blond hair was pulled back in a small tight pony, his white school t-shirt was cropped, and his gym shorts were tight around his ample ass and crotch. His amethyst eyes strayed to the bleachers continuously.

It certainly seemed like Saeran was looking at him. He could feel those brilliant amber eyes on him. He tried to shake himself, it wasn’t very manly to swoon. Though he supposed being a cheerleader wasn’t manly either, but he’d like to see one of those jocks try and do a backflip into a perfect split!

There was movement out of the corner of his eye, and he glanced back just in time to see Saeran step down from the bleachers and head around back. It meant nothing of course, but he felt a little sad. He’d been looking forward to try and show off his moves. Flexibility was sexy right? No use in wallowing in his absence, time to practice.

They both ran towards the group already practicing and joined in. They rehearsed the cheers they knew by heart and learned the new dance routine their captain had prepared. Yoosung liked dancing, even more than the gymnastic and cheers part of being a cheerleader. But his head just wasn’t in it. His thoughts wandered back to Saeran. Was MC right? Was he gay? People said that about him all the time, but they were just assholes, trying to make fun of him because he didn’t want to join any of their cliques.

“Ow! Damn it Yoosung! Pay attention! You almost dropped me!” Hena screamed at him as she hit the ground roughly but still on her feet.

“Ah, sorry, sorry.” Yoosung shook himself, it was dangerous to not pay attention while doing the stunts they did. He felt terrible.

“I think that’s it for you Yoosung, why don’t you hit the showers.” Ashie, the cheer captain ordered with a shake of her head. She didn’t even look at him as he walked away. MC gave him a pitying look as he passed her and a squeeze of his upper arm. He nodded his thanks but knew he was in big trouble. He wouldn’t lose his spot on the team, but Ashie would make him pay for sure. He did as he was told and showered then put his uniform back on. The top was of the same style as the females, but with sleeves and longer, and the pants were plain white and loose fitting with stirrups for his feet so they wouldn’t ride up.

Grabbing his bag, he set out towards the busses. It was the last run but wouldn’t leave for another hour because it was set to take the kids home who had after school activities. Crossing the grassy area next to the track where the football players and cheerleaders were practicing, he glanced towards the bleachers and saw Saeran standing underneath. At least, he assumed it was him, all he saw was a patch of bleached hair. Without making a conscious decision his steps carried him towards the area. Before he realized where he was, he stood under the bleachers almost eye to eye with the taller boy. He held a newly rolled up joint, but only played with it as he watched Yoosung approach.

“Oh, uh, hi…” he stumbled and felt like an idiot.

“Hey.” Saeran answered and took a few steps towards Yoosung, standing close to him. Yoosung watched as Saeran reached his hand and traced his finger down his face. He swallowed at the touch, shivers crawling down his spine. They were so close! Close enough to kiss! The thought sprang into his mind, and he could feel himself burning up. He wanted to look away, but he was held firm in those amber eyes. They were clear, so he it seemed he hadn’t smoked anything yet. There was indeed black eyeliner around his eyes, the edges smudged to give him an edgier look. His nails were painted black, and he wondered what their hands would look like intertwined as his own nails were currently a bubblegum pink.

“Can I tell you something?” Saeran asked, so close he felt the warmth of his breath on his cheek. Yoosung nodded numbly, his body beginning to vibrate. “You are beautiful.” The sentence was short and to the point whispered intimately into his ear. Yoosung’s heart stopped beating, his eyes widening. He felt faint and stumbled towards Saeran, who caught him in his arms easily. It only made his reaction worse to feel the boy’s hands on his body. Once he was steady on his feet again Saeran took a step back.

“Sorry.” He let go of Yoosung and moved an arm’s length away. The joint was back in his hand as he turned and looked through the bleachers at the track and everyone still at practice. It felt like someone had doused him with a bucket of cold water. He wanted to reach out and touch Saeran again, but his body’s response left him shocked and confused. “Saeyoung says I’m too intense sometimes.” He kept his gaze away from Yoosung. “Heh…that’s me I guess, either no interest or too much interest.”

“Am I…interesting?” Yoosung asked.

“Very.” Saeran answered. There was a full minute of silence as they both let that sink in. There was a small smile on Saeran’s lips as he seemed to be mulling over something. Yoosung thought he could stand there and stare at the boy for the rest of his life. That smile was heavenly. Beautiful? Yes, Saeran was an angel!

“Do you read poetry?” he asked, his amber gaze once more piercing through Yoosung’s heart.

“Poetry? No…I…no.” the question took him aback, why were they now talking about poetry?

“I do. I like poetry. The way it flows, the language it uses to describe something so sublime there really are no words, yet…they try.” He turned towards Yoosung again and took a step forward.

“Cloaked in darkness with an icy heart

I roamed this earth.

Head held low with a shuffling step

Denied of every warmth.

Into my sight and in my world

A ray of sunshine

With golden hair and cherub lips

A vision so sublime.”

As he spoke Saeran again traced his fingertips down Yoosung’s face to his jaw and back again.

Yoosung swallowed, “What…who…wrote that?” his brain was buzzing, was Saeran really quoting poetry to him? He wondered how his legs were still able to hold him up, as they felt like noodles.

“I did.” He whispered into his ear again. ��The first time I saw you, it was like the rainclouds above my head opened up and for the first time let the sun’s rays in. You glow. Your light is so radiant it puts the sun to shame. How anyone can be in your presence and not be blinded is beyond me. And now, here I am, touching that light.”

[21burritoseavey]

Slow Down - Chapter 8

a/n: k i literally hate this but i hope you enjoy it a little lol. let me know what you think!

Summary: Daniel and Y/n are best friends, but like every clique love story lol, Daniel fell for Y/n, though he’s never admitted his feelings because Y/n has a boyfriend. After their exams, the group of friends decide to go on a “California-cation” (see what I did there haha) but Y/n’s boyfriend also tags along. It gets a little interesting and I guess you’ll just have to see how things go…

Daniel could barely sleep the night before. His feelings about Y/n only fuelled his anxiety, fogging his brain with a thick haze of memories and thoughts that he couldn’t shake. After hours of tossing and turning, he finally drifted into a faint slumber, rousing from his sleep - after what felt like mere seconds later - by a soft hand on his shoulder.

 “Daniel...” Y/n whispered, biting back a smile at his slight pout and steady breaths. She tried again, “Daniii, wake up.” 

 Daniel shifted in his sleeping bag, stretching his legs and arms out messily with a small groan. The sound of gentle birdsong and aroma of breakfast filtered through the small gaps of his tent had him lifting himself up sleepily. “Uhm...-” he cleared his throat. “Good morning,” he said in a quiet, raspy voice. 

 “Morning.” Y/n replied with a small smile. She got up onto her feet and out of the tent. Daniel followed quickly behind her. “What time is it?” He asked gently. 

 “About eleven thirty or so.” Y/n answered casually as she took a seat on the wooden bench beside Corbyn. She grabbed the box of cereal to pour into a plastic bowl. 

 Daniel’s gaze narrowed into a squint as he peered through the morning sunlight to the array of breakfasts displayed on the table, a blue chequered tablecloth underneath. “Did you guys wake up late too?” He asked, taking a seat next to Jonah. 

 Corbyn glanced at him with a small chuckle, “eleven o’clock is late?” 

 “Well yea, I really want to go on that trail.” He smiled shyly. “You know the one you talked about before?” He glanced at Y/n. 

 “Yeaa!” Her eyes lit up instantly at the vivid memory.  

 Her sudden excitement sent a wide grin to Daniel’s face. “Yeah, I-I planned it for you” he said bashfully, eyes flashing at Corbyn with a smirk. He received a teasing glare in return and Jonah hid his giggle behind a sip of his coffee. 

 “I’m sure we’ll have time. But I actually planned for us to go canoeing today...” Jonah revealed, offering a simple smile in response to his friends’ open mouthed, shocked stares. “I’ve decided to conquer my fear of the ocean...Well, we’re not going in the ocean. Just the river a little way away. But that’s still conquering my fear, right?” He looked to the others for reassurance. 

 “Right.” Corbyn said with a light chuckle. 

 “Whatever you say.” Daniel shrugged, a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of him. “Thanks for breakfast by the way” he said, shovelling a forkful of pancakes into his mouth. 

 “That’s okay, I figured I’d volunteer since I’m the mom of the group.” He said plainly, earning light chuckles from the others sitting around the table. 

 A calm aura swallowed the atmosphere as the group of friends ate their breakfast, lavishing upon fresh memories from the past few days. The two other bandmates woke up not long after. They dragged their feet through the squidgy grass tiredly. “Morning…” Jack breathed. The others simultaneously replied with gentle waves and ‘morning’s. Zach shuffled his feet over to the mini, portable coffee machine and poured himself a soothing cup of rich coffee before squishing right next to Corbyn on the picnic table. 

 “Where’s Grayson, he up yet?” Zach asked, peeking a brow as he filled his plate. 

“Nope.” Y/n sighed, dropping her gaze as she haphazardly stirred her bowl of cereal. “I don’t think he’d like canoeing anyway...” She said honestly. Daniel’s smile faltered as he listened to Y/n’s words, and he exchanged identical looks with the guys. 

 “Maybe I can convince him?” Corbyn volunteered, shooting a comforting look at Daniel. He received a grateful nod in return, and they shared tight smiles. 

 -----

The gang were finally ready at around 2pm. They had played almost every board game they brought with them and had grown irritated by hearing the constant chirping of birds and rustling of trees around the campsite. 

 The fresh morning glow of the sky had subsided. The sun scorched down on the cluster of friends as they were ushered - by Jonah - to the sparkling river only a five-minute walk away. A rich tapestry of blue spread across the gentle velvet waters of the river. Jonah nearly sprinted to the wooden rack of canoes. To him, an inviting new adventure was just waiting to be experienced and he was oblivious to his friends’ teasing remarks. 

 “Ten bucks says he’ll absolutely hate it.” Daniel turned to Corbyn, a Nike swoosh of a smirk plastered on his face. 

 Corbyn chuckled, “I think he’ll tolerate it.” He replied truthfully. With a vigorous shake of hands, their bet was official. The guys lifted their canoes from the rack and placed them on the rocky shore. “Hey, Grayson? Can you help me with this?” Y/n asked tiredly as she tried to lift the canoe. She looked around for her boyfriend, but he was nowhere to be seen. “Grayson?”

 “Here.” Daniel giggled, a few paces away. “I can help.” An easy grin played on his face as he shifted the canoe from her arms to his. He passed her a life jacket and calmly watched her slip it on. 

 “Thanks” Y/n said, her cheeks a little more pink than usual. 

“s'ok” Daniel uttered lovingly. 

 Meanwhile, Jonah had been struggling with his own rickety canoe. It was so noisy that the wood creaked every time they moved. Jonah turned back to Daniel hesitantly, “Is this safe to use?” He asked, jerking down the brim of his lopsided baseball cap. Daniel looked up from his spot in the river. His knees were deep in the calm water and his forehead was already dampened with a layer of sweat from pushing the weighty canoe. 

 Daniel laughed lightly. “It'll be fine.” He reassured with a toothy smile. 

 Jonah tried his best to pull a grin in response and he turned back to the front, watching the water ripple and sparkle gracefully. A shaky deep breath left his lips as they finally plunged into the water past the shore. The three other bandmates drifted past, paddling recklessly through the water without a care in the world. “Oh my gosh” Daniel chuckled as he glanced at them. 

 “They're gonna fall in for sure.” Jonah said quietly.

 “I don’t think they’re gonna fall in...” Daniel joked. 

 He couldn’t help but steal a glance at Y/n and Grayson behind them. Y/n’s smile shone as bright as lighthouse beams and the corners of his mouth pulled upwards, spreading light to every inch of him as well. The natural dew on her skin fostered a gentle glow to her face. The serene reverie he slipped into was broken by the familiar voice of Y/n’s boyfriend. 

 “Can you help please?” Y/n asked after her laughter died down. She raised and lowered the oar steadily through the water, watching it glide graciously upon the surface. “You can’t possibly expect me to do this alone.” She chuckled lightly. 

 “Okay, Y/n.” Grayson picked up the single bladed oar beside him and began paddling. “I didn’t even want to do this anyway.” He murmured quietly to himself, but Y/n heard. 

 “Can you please just do it...for me?” Y/n said, “let’s just try and have fun, okay?” She spoke pleadingly with a tight smile.  

 Daniel sighed after hearing their small conversation but just went back to paddling with Jonah. 

The image of Y/n and Grayson on the canoe froze in his mind, kindling some kind of twisted jealousy or hurt in his gentle heart. The lingering goosebumps on his skin chilled his body to the bone. He let the serenity of silence calm him and the warmth of the sun’s rays heat up his cold body. 

 How are you holding up? You seem a little tense.” He asked Jonah although his eyes wandered elsewhere. Denying his shallow breaths and slightly quivering body, Jonah replied with a confident, “I’m doing great” as they travelled forwards quietly.

 “Oh my gosh. Not these stupid bugs again” Daniel complained, eyes bolting to all directions and arms swinging in weary irritation. “-hate that I didn’t bring bug spray,” he groaned. 

 “Daniel.” Jonah said gingerly. Daniel was so distracted by the hasty bugs that circled him, he didn’t notice the canoe’s persistent wobbling.

 “I swear I’m gonn-” His complaint was cut off by the crashing waves of the river washing over him as the boat completely toppled over. All the two boys could hear was the muffled laughter of their friends - perfectly dry and safe in their canoes. Jonah tried to shoot up to the surface of the river desperately, and with the help of Daniel beside him, he made it to the surface, to shore and then finally a decent length away from the river in good time. 

 “I’m never doing that again! I’m just gonna be scared of the ocean forever!” Jonah yelled breathily. 

 “Okay,” Daniel soothed gently, swallowing back his laughter as he walked past him. Jonah frowned at him before shifting his eyes back to the water. He watched peacefully as a soft breeze rippled the surface of the river. It danced along gracefully before hitting the rocks and pebbles on the shoreside. 

 Among the tall oak and pine trees, a pleasant shade had fallen where Jonah had been sitting, staring morosely at the water. Daniel padded across the grass and plunked himself beside Jonah, offering him a fresh, red towel. Jonah gratefully accepted and slung it over his shoulders, clutching it tightly around his body. “You, okay?” Daniel asked gently, biting back a chuckle. 

 Jonah turned to him, hiding his own laughter behind a supposably serious face. “Yeah.” He pushed his arm across his forehead tiredly. 

 “You’ll be alright.” Daniel assured. Just then, in perfect, comical timing, Corbyn emerged from the shore and tapped Daniel lightly on the shoulder. 

 “I guess I owe you ten bucks now.” He shrugged, unknowing of the conversation the two other boys just had. 

-----

“Okay, what’s next?” Y/n asked eagerly. 

 “The trail.” Daniel said simply. He looked behind his shoulder. “You can stay here if you’re not feeling up to it Jonah.” He assured lightly, a small smile playing on his lips. 

 “Uhh...no.” Jonah shut down quickly. “You just feel bad for earning ten bucks at my expense” He joked, glaring at Daniel teasingly. 

 “Okay then, if you’re all ready to go, let’s do it.” He suggested. 

The friend group were on their second adventure of the day and even though some of the boys were tired, they knew how much Daniel wanted to do this, especially for Y/n. They trekked through the summer heat in clusters as they conversed. Daniel draped his shirt over his shoulder and his hair sat all muddled on his head, flicking hard against his forehead as he walked. 

 Zach’s gaze caught something in the distance. In the dappled sunlight, amid the strong boughs, overgrown cabins scattered the dark areas of woods. The trees grew so tall, they veiled the sun’s light. He turned to Jack, tossing a sweaty arm around him. “You wanna mess with the guys?” He asked mischievously - not that he really needed to. 

 “Of course.” Jack responded with a chuckle. They were a few paces behind everyone else, so they quietly devised a plan. “K, i’ve got this” Jack said, clearing his throat and rolling up his sleeves. 

 “No, I've got this.” Zach corrected blankly. 

 “No. I’ve-” Jack started, before he was suddenly interrupted by Corbyn. 

 “You guys alright?” Corbyn asked gently with a light laugh. 

 Jack shuffled his feet closer to Corbyn a few paces ahead of him so he could hear better. He turned to Zach again. “Yeah, me and Zach were just talking about that cabin over there. Further in the distance” He asked, pointing to a random, bleak cabin. Zach merely sighed and nodded as he glanced at Corbyn. 

 Corbyn replied, “yeah? What about it?” He asked, slight hesitation laced in his voice. 

 “That’s my dad’s cabin. He bought it back in ‘97.” Jack said casually. 

 “Really?” Corbyn asked, matching Jack’s pace as he walked beside him. 

 “Yeah, he got it pretty cheap from the old owner.” 

 Corbyn peered into the distance, the archaic architecture and spoiled timber exterior didn’t go unnoticed, and he simply nodded. “Makes sense.” He chuckled. 

 “The guy caught his brother cheating with his wife…” He uttered eerily. Just then, Daniel and Y/n’s attention was caught by his fake story too. He continued, dropping his gaze to the brittle leaves that crunched beneath his feet. “He chased them out of the cabin and into the dark woods with a...” He paused for a second, searching for more ideas, “a machete and stabbed the dude three times. People say he’s still out there trying to find his wife, a sharp, bloody machete still in his hand.” He looked up to stunned faces looking back at him. “He could still be out here today.” Jack finished casually, continuing his onward stride through the trail. 

 Grayson scoffed, “Yeah right. You can’t tell me you guys really believe this.” He sneered. 

 “Y-yeah guys don’t be silly” Y/n said lightly, even though she was really shaken by it. She cleared her throat nervously before turning back to continue walking. 

 Grayson slowly approached Daniel from behind before uttering a gentle, “hey uhh, there’s not service here?” He questioned, holding up his phone to the sky with an outstretched arm. 

 “Oh yea. Sorry, I must’ve forgotten to mention it.” Daniel replied casually, turning back to the rocky path. 

 “Oh...okay” Grayson hid his slight uneasiness with a feigned grin that tugged at the corners of his lips. 

 The walk was peaceful for the most part, filled with organic, simple conversation. The brown and dry ground had little patches of green peeking through the roots of flowers and low-lying bushes. Y/n broke the momentary silence first with a question.

"Where's my necklace?"

'What?" Grayson asked. 

 “My necklace.” Y/n repeated. “You know the gold one, with the little crescent moon sorta thing?”

 Grayson paused for a moment before replying with a tired “yeah, okay well when was the last time you saw it?”

 “I’ve had it on for the whole trip, until now I guess.” Her face was etched in concern as she looked around. “I can’t lose that Gray, Dani gave it to me” She whimpered. 

 Daniel’s head turned at the familiar sound of his nickname. “What’s going on?”

 “She lost that gold necklace or something.” Grayson said plainly as he continued walking. 

 “Wait-” Daniel gazed at Y/n seriously, “the one I gave you?”

“Yeah.”

 “Okay, uhh. Okay. It’s okay. We’ll find it. Don’t panic.” Daniel reassured, more to himself than her. 

 “Don’t panic? You literally look like you’re panicking right now Daniel.” Y/n teased lightly with a faint giggle. 

 “Uhh, okay guys!” He turned back to his bandmates ahead. “Y/n lost her necklace. We need to go find it.” He announced gravely, resting his hands on his hips. He turned back to Y/n, noticing her panicked look. "Don't worry, we'll find it" Daniel assured her gently. 

 "I hope so" Y/n said, worry written all over her face. 

 Zach fluttered about trying to find the necklace in unusual places. First his eyes roamed the precariously balanced boulders, then Jack’s hoodie that was tied around his waist and finally Jonah’s hat. He grasped Jonah's baseball cap from his head, peering into it solemnly. 

 "It's not in there," Jonah countered, snatching the hat back defiantly. 

 "Great, thanks Jonah" Zach said sarcastically before focusing back on finding Y/n’s gold chain.

 The sun settled around them, gushing warm, dark golden streams through the columns of tall trees. It splashed warmly from their faces to their feet as they tread through the woods back and forth. Daniel weaved in and out through the trees and bushes as seamlessly as a shuffled deck of cards, concentration.

 “Okay, you guys look over there,” Jonah said, pointing into the distance. “And the rest of us will go back down this way.” He suggested, and everyone agreed. 

 “Have you got any idea where it might be?” Grayson asked, glancing at Y/n. 

 “No, not a clue.” Y/n sighed worriedly, “It was around my neck like a minute ago” She dragged a hand over her face in frustration. 

 “Well, it obviously wasn’t if we’re still looking for it.” He muttered quietly. 

 “What?” Y/n asked gently. 

 “Nevermind.” Grayson walked past Y/n in the opposite direction angrily, but Y/n didn’t notice. 

 Grayson's groan of annoyance had Daniel averting his gaze to the boy beside him. “What’s wrong, man?” Daniel tried gently, slowing down to match Grayson’s pace. 

 “I just wanna find this stupid necklace” He huffed irritiatedly.

 “It’s not stupid,” Daniel returned quietly, swallowing back his hurt. “I’m sure we’ll find it soon.” He assured calmly. 

 “We better.” Grayson warned. 

 “And we will...” 

 “Yeah, sure” Grayson returned, his voice dripping in sarcasm. “This forest is so big. It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack”.

 “If we all just focus, we should find it pretty easily.” Jack said reassuringly with a grin. Daniel nodded lightly in agreement. 

 “We’re literally just wasting time right now. I’m not even the one who gave it to her so why should I care?” Grayson glared at Daniel out of the corner of his eye. 

 “Because it’s important to Y/n.” Daniel glared at Grayson with utmost distaste. 

 Grayson only scoffed loudly. 

 Daniel stopped his movement and stood up straight. “Look, Y/n really wants to find it. If you were a good boyfriend, you wouldn’t be complaining right now.” He said seriously, storming further into the ever-darkening woods. He didn’t even think about the necklace anymore. It’s not just about the necklace. He thought. 

 “I’ve got more important things to do.” Grayson grumbled. 

 “Really? Cos you’ve sure been spending a lot of time on your phone” Daniel replied shortly. Grayson squirmed under Daniel’s blank gaze. He dropped his head and shuffled his feet nervously to hide his flushed, pink cheeks. Daniel took a deep breath in an attempt to compose himself. Grayson's words stirred inside of him, and he felt his arms bend at the elbows and hands close into fists almost uncontrollably. He was so focused on maintaining his supposedly calm facade that he didn’t realise how far they were walking. 

 “Guys. Can we-” Jack huffed. He searched his mind wretchedly to try and stop their argument.

Grayson looked at Daniel, “It’s just work, my brother and I work together so it’s just a lot of back and forth you know,” He chuckled, a hint of a grin on his lips. 

“Like what? calls? Texts?” 

 “Guys.” Jack tried again gently. 

 Grayson paused for a moment before words stumbled out of his lips. “Y-yea. Calls and...stuff”

“I haven’t heard Ethan’s name come out of your mouth once this whole trip so far.”

 “What are you trying to say?” Grayson challenged. His tone was pugnacious, calculating at most. 

 “Guys!” Jack’s loud voice snapped the two other boys out of their argument, and they looked at him expectantly. “I think we’ve gone too far,” he said slowly. 

 “Great.” Grayson groaned. “This is all your fault.”

“My fault? Seriously, don’t start this” Daniel responded tiredly, 

 “If you had just minded your own business then we wouldn’t be lost or whatever.”

 “This is my business. She’s my best friend.” Daniel replied without hesitation. 

 “Wait guys, don’t you fear” Jack said positively, pulling out a crumpled map from his back pocket. “I have a map.” His eyes darted from side to side as he stared at it. 

“It’s upside down.” Grayson said tiredly. 

“Oh. I knew that.” Jack chuckled, turning the map over to the right side before continuing. “Okay…. umm does anyone actually know how to read this?” He asked shyly, a giggle escaping his lips. He glanced back at the two boys beside him. Their deadpan faces and silence had him dropping his gaze to the map again. 

[soft-glitch]

Through Thick And Thin

Fandom: Sonic the Hedgehog

Type: hurt/comfort, platonic fluff

Word count: about 2700 words

Author’s notes: this year was a mess. But I’m grateful for a few things that happened to me in 2020. One of these things is getting into the Sonic fandom, which helped me find joy in being creative again. Another is a budding friendship with someone really cool, that I can only hope will last for a long time.

This fic is kind of a gift to that person for New Year’s Day. To everyone, but especially to you O, I wish a happy new year and many good things to come.

- - - - -

It was not an easy morning.

Shadow had always been an early bird. He never needed much sleep compared to other mobians, thanks to his bio-engineered origins. This was both a blessing and a curse, depending on the days.

Being able to stay up most of the night during missions proved useful more than once. On the other hand, when ugly thoughts would assail him and sleeping them away was not an option, well… It was suddenly much less interesting.

On this last day of December, the hedgehog could not shake uneasy feelings. Between Eggman’s plotting and his own personal issues Shadow always had rough times, but this year had been… a lot.

Walking silently in the empty corridor, careful not to wake up anyone in the household, the dark mobian reached the kitchen and started preparing hot chocolate. Since most of his friends knew about his sweet tooth he didn’t bother hiding it anymore, and Rouge always made sure they were stocked up on cocoa.

While waiting for the milk to warm, he glanced at the clock on the wall. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The eerie calm of early hours often made Shadow slightly uncomfortable. Despite his introvert side enjoying the peaceful solitude, it was also a moment where his thoughts would simmer in his mind, either awoken by confuse dreams or simply emerging as the day started. He would often put some music or read a book to avoid thinking too hard about it.

Didn’t always work, though.

Taking a deep breath the hedgehog felt some relief at the sweet scent of chocolate. He took a small sip before moving to roll himself in blankets on the large couch. With a long and noisy yawn he reached for the remote and pointed it at the large TV screen in front of him. Maybe there was something nice to watch while waiting for his roommates to get up.

- - - - -

When Shadow opened his eyes again, sunlight was gently glowing through the translucent curtains of the living room. Which meant it was probably kind of late already. It seemed he fell back asleep at some point.

With a frown, he rubbed his dishevelled quills and took a look at his phone. Almost 11am, and no sign of Rouge or Omega... This was odd, especially since they planned on spending the New Year’s Eve together.

That’s when he noticed an envelope lying on the small coffee table, next to his now empty mug. It was plain kraft, with a small card inside that only offered an address and the words “At noon, don’t be late hun”.

Obviously from Rouge. She loved putting mystery and drama in everything she did. Shadow huffed and shook his head.

Irredeemable.

Did that mean his friends got up without waking him and prepared some kind of surprise? However silly it was, this simple envelope brought some warmth to the hedgehog’s heart. He got up to take a quick shower and prepare for the day, a small smile peeking at the corner of his lips.

- - - - -

The location was one Shadow didn’t particularly recognise, a small intersection in a popular part of the town. Since Team Dark lived in a suburban area and their job at G.U.N was usually all over the world, his knowledge of the city was lacklustre. Right as his phone displayed 12pm a text popped up on the screen.

Rouge Right behind the shoes store, a cafe.

The striped mobian rolled his eyes with a hint of amusement. Even for something as simple as a New Year between friends, the bat couldn’t help making some kind of fun game to play. Shadow would gladly proclaim it futile and childish, but he actually enjoyed these quirky adventures his best friend always peppered in his life.

What he saw next filled him with pure joy. Of course Rouge wouldn’t choose a random cafe to meet. She had to make it extra one way or another, and she just knew how to please him.

The Gentle Garden Chao Café & Flower Shop

Almost giddy at the idea of having some sweets surrounded by chao, the ultimate lifeform stepped into the small establishment. A quick glance around made him happy beyond words: soft muted lights and warm colours complemented vintage furniture, large potted plants adorned all sides of the place, and —most importantly— chao of every kind were all over the place, either walking, being cuddled by clients or sleeping on small pillows.

In the back of the room was a large counter, behind which a massive chalkboard displayed both the cafe menu and prices of various flower arrangements.

Before Shadow could go and talk to the barista, a familiar face caught his attention. Rouge was there, sitting nonchalantly and sipping some drink in the most ostentatious way possible.

The hedgehog smirked and sat in front of her.

“So...?” he started with a raised brow. “So what? Did you think I’d let you stay home for this special day?” Rouge huffed between two exaggerated sips. “It’s just New Year’s Eve, not an anniversary or something...” Shadow said, glancing at the table.

He realised an order of white chocolate cappuccino —his very favourite drink— and forêt noire —one of his favourite sweets— were set in front of him. For a second he felt something rise in his chest. A mix of gratitude and that odd yet pleasing vulnerability he could only feel with his closest friends.

“I know it’s just the new year.” the bat leaned on the table, her eyes both tender and serious. “I also know you haven’t been doing great lately. It’s been a difficult time, and of course it won’t magically be over as midnight comes, but...”

She looked in the distance, her eyes piercing through the windows and their cold winter lighting. Shadow could very clearly feel the bittersweet essence of her expression. This year had also been hard on her.

“We’re in this together, y’know.” she resumed, turning a gentle smile towards him. “And while I can’t resolve every problem we have, I can at least invite my emo bestie to enjoy some chao and indulge in sugary treats!”

The hedgehog chuckled at this, then raised his cappuccino mug. “Let’s have a good time, then. To us bitches.” he said with a knowing grin. “To us bitches!” she exclaimed happily. ”Now drink that ‘ccino, we have chao to cuddle.”

Some laughs and friendly banter later, two chao had found their way on Shadow. One was sleepily nested on his legs while the other was playing on his head, brushing his quills curiously.

“You really have your way with them, just like Omega...” Rouge remarked. She loved the little creatures very much, but she never seemed to attract them as easily as her two partners. No one really knew why and she honestly didn’t mind. It was fun enough to observe them from a distance: no risks of ruined haircut or having one mess with her wings.

“This is the best.” the hedgehog whispered, his voice full of emotion. His friend chuckled. Shadow was endearing in many ways, but his love for plants and creatures was unparalleled in an extremely wholesome way.

“Did you ever consider adopting one?” she asked before biting into her remaining pastry. Shadow’s expression became slightly somber as he looked at her. “I…” he sighed and scratched the sleeping one’s head. “I always wanted to, I guess. Even on the Ark, once we learned about them with Maria, we used to pretend having one. There was a plush, I don’t remember its name. We would play parents, bring it along for walks across the Ark, this kind of things.”

Rouge nodded sympathetically. Maria was less and less a sensitive subject as years went by, but Shadow was still defensive about these memories. Sharing them was one of the most intimate things he would do, and she felt honoured every time it happened.

“Maybe one day.” the hedgehog shrugged with a tired smile. ”Right now our lives are too dangerous. I can’t raise one properly as long as we keep fighting and going on missions Chaos knows where. – Let’s hope we get Eggman and his clique once and for all, then!” Rouge said with a grin. “Can’t wait to have you pester us with photos of your ugly little baby.”

The genuine laugh that followed made the bat beam with happiness.

- - - - -

The very specific atmosphere of New Year’s Eve was not lost to the two mobians as they strolled in the city. Streets were bustling with activity, but in a way that felt distinct from other winter holidays. The ambient anticipation was less frantic, almost… solemn. Instead of rushing for gifts and food, people seemed determined to enjoy the final hours of this year.

Shadow found it interesting, not without its charm. He was more used to strolls in mountains, lonely forests and small paths undulating through fields. The buzzing activity of the city was something else —very nice, though. Plus Rouge knew every neighbourhood surprisingly well, and offered him little fun facts and stories about all sorts of buildings and places.

“It’s a real shame we don’t get more free time between G.U.N and Eggman.” the bat lamented. “There are so many nice spots I’d love to visit with Omega and you. – We do have vacations once in a while.” Shadow replied. “Yeah, but they’re either ruined by some apocalyptic event or by an intense need for rest.” she sighed. “We can’t enjoy the Museum of Arts if we’re falling asleep every two paintings.”

The dark mobian nodded. Technically Omega and him didn’t need a lot of sleep, but being world-saving heroes brought its own kind of mental fatigue. Moments of calm and respite were too few and far between.

“Well. Next time we have some days off we’ll organise a Team Dark afternoon.” Shadow offered. “An exhibit or two, some games at the arcade. Maybe a small concert at a cafe. – Oh my. Hun, I’m impressed to see you take this kind of initiatives.” the bat replied.

The hedgehog gave her a friendly nudge. “Shut up, can’t let you make all the decisions. – I don’t see why not.” Rouge shrugged with a knowing smile.

They suddenly stopped. Without really realising it, the duo had reached the large avenue leading back to their house. As they exchanged a glance, Rouge winked. “Omega must be waiting for us. Let’s move!” she said cheerfully.

- - - - -

An immediate wave of relief filled Shadow as soon as they passed the front door. “Finally some warmth.” he sighed, removing his large coat and thick scarf. “I was expecting your lowered body temperatures.” Omega’s robotic voice answered from the kitchen. “Hot tea and biscuits are ready for immediate consumption. Made with love.”

Rouge snickered and Shadow repressed a chuckle.  Both knew Omega was absolutely unable to cook anything without setting fire to it, so the biscuits were probably store-bought. They still appreciated the gesture greatly.

Everyone gathered around the table, remembering stories about the now-ending year and its numerous developments. Adrenaline-filled fights, obscure investigations and exhausting assignments went alongside hilarious mistakes, glorious teamwork… and even celebratory moments with all the other heroes of Mobius.

“Okay, but the award for the best party of the year still goes to Knuckles’ surprise birthday.” Rouge said confidently while helping Omega put on a colourful crochet beanie. “Ughh please. Let’s not talk about it.” Shadow groaned, knowing exactly where this was going. “It was extremely fun. The fireworks accident made it over 200% better than any other celebration.” the robot insisted. “Oh right, I almost forgot about that!” the bat laughed. “Poor Knuckie, having to deal with a fire hazard on his cherished island…”

Memories of the furious echidna shouting frantically brought a grin to Shadow’s face. “But!” Rouge added, ”I mostly remember someone having a few drinks too much and— – NOPE!” the hedgehog exclaimed as he brandished his hands. “No talk of this specific event shall happen in this house. Ever.”

Omega tapped his fingers on the table as he eyed his smaller friend. “It is a shame I did not record it for ulterior viewing.” Shadow’s glare was so intense the former badnik recoiled slightly.

“Oh well, it’s all in the past now.” Rouge mused teasingly. ”Good times, good times...”

- - - - -

The closet was absurdly full of useless trinkets and Shadow was very, very close to “fix” it with a Chaos blast.

Of course he wouldn’t, knowing how preciously Rouge kept all those odd items from her past. Jewels, foreign souvenirs, postcards, old plushies, photographs… All her memorabilia was kept there, in a mismatched mess mixed up with cleaning supplies, spare beddings and various tools.

“They should be somewhere near the bottom!” the bat shouted from across the flat. The hedgehog growled, his eyes desperately scanning the clutter in front of him. Finally he found what he came for.

Fairy lights. The essential accessory to any LRCS —Living Room Camping Session.

Shadow walked back to the main room, where a drying rack and several chairs formed a structure covered by sheets and blankets. Omega was evaluating whether the improvised tent was big enough for him. “It is perfect, Rouge. We will be able to fit within the designated comfy area.” he said before crawling underneath the colourful construction.

The hedgehog carefully hung the string of lights around and inside the tent before plugging it. Rouge grabbed some snacks and scuttled against the large robot, who fiddled with the remote until a title screen showed on the TV.

“Are we really watching this?” Shadow asked hesitantly. “Shadow. We all know your inclination for romance between organic beings. Please come cuddle so we can start the movie.” Omega said. “Don’t tell me you suddenly decided to hate cheesy fiction, sweetie.” Rouge added. “I would rather perish than lose your snarky remarks and teary-eyed spee— – Alright, I get it, I’m coming.” the hedgehog replied with a frown. “This better be good, though.”

It was everything but good. Outbursts of laughter and incredulous stares followed one another as the movie —a romantic parody of the famous blockbuster Attack On Mobius— kept getting more and more absurd. Omega threatened to turn himself off as he struggled to find any reasoning behind what was happening, and Rouge almost choked on her pop-corn near the end of the second part.

When the credits started rolling, the three buddies snuggled together. The winter night cold was no match for a group hug and thick quilts. Shadow eyed his phone and hummed.

“It’s almost midnight. – Does that mean we have to prepare a wish?” Rouge asked in a sleepy voice. “We don’t have to.” the hedgehog replied, glancing at his two friends.

Has to be an odd sight, he thought. A haphazard team with so many differences, united by pure luck in a challenging world. Chilling together in a makeshift tent in the middle of a flat like nothing else mattered. He closed his eyes and took a moment to appreciate the warm feelings. Being surrounded by such amazing souls for whom he really mattered. Knowing all the affection and dedication hidden behind that seemingly cold name, “Team Dark”.

“I wished for a pony.” Both Omega and Shadow looked at their bat friend with tilted heads. “What? They’re cute, I dunno.” she shrugged with a shit-eating grin. “What would you guys wish for? – Dual plasma swords.” the robot replied. “Maybe I should ask Miles when we cross paths again.”

Rouge rolled her eyes, then shouted curse words as she realised midnight was mere seconds away. Omega startled, making the whole tent fall on the team. The striped hedgehog quickly covered his muzzle with his hands, trying to suppress an irresistible laugh. No matter how hard life was, no matter the obstacles in his way, one thing was certain as the year came to an end.

Friendship was all he could wish for.

[k7l4d4]

Midnight Striga: Fairy Tail/Owl House Cross Fic Episode 3 Part 4

Hello, once again, to Midnight Striga, by yours truly! Everybody Clap Your Hands!!

Skara nervously ground her teeth against each other. A bad habit, really. One she constantly tried to break, and keep others from discovering. It was honestly something of a miracle that no one had figured it out already. These mundane thoughts did nothing to distract her from what was occurring not even four feet away; Boscha, a truly frightening grin on her face, holding a quivering Demon student by the neck of his hood. “H-hey, Boscha? Maybe we should head to lunch first, you know? I mean, it’s not like this guy is going anywhere.” Skara cringed at how obvious she sounded. Luckily, it looked like Boscha bought it. For now.

“Hmm… yeah, I could eat.” Boscha casually answered, heedless of her tightening grip on the poor Demon’s neck, as well as his increasingly urgent struggling, releasing exactly one second after he stopped moving, dropping him to the floor in an unconscious heap. It was all Skara could do not to visibly shudder at the sight. Violence was a common sight around the Isles, but that level of coldness and cruelty was usually reserved for the bitterest of enemies; it wasn’t meant for some random kid who didn’t apologize fast enough for bumping into you!! 

‘Don’t think about Skara. Tuck it away, and don’t think about it. Boscha’s your friend, you look out for each other.’ She kept repeating the mantra, unsure of how much she believed it. ‘Just don’t think about it.’

Aloud, Skara replied. “That’s great! And hey, maybe afterwards, you, me and Amity can hit the town for a bit. You know, have a little fun?” She nudged her elbow against Boscha’s ribs, hoping the playful gesture would get a laugh, or a frown, or just ANY reaction other than that creepy, blank passiveness she’d had for the past few days, when she wasn’t brutalizing some Demon that is. ‘Don’t think about it.’ What Skara didn’t expect, however, was for Boscha to lift her off the ground by the front of her uniform, and bodily SLAM her against the wall!

“Don’t. Do that. Again.” Boscha growled out. Skara whimpered, barely getting out a confirmation, the pain in her back throbbing from the blow. As Skara slid down to the floor, the few members of their clique nearby watched in stunned horror. Then, to Skara’s morbid shock, Boscha’s face blanked out, cleared, and then shifted into confusion. “Why are you hanging out on the floor? Come on, let’s go eat.” Skara barely held back the tears threatening to break loose.

Shakily pulling herself to her feet, Skara did her best to enter her usual stride, following in Boscha’s footsteps. She willfully ignored the frantic whispers kicking up behind her. ‘Don’t think about it.’

Amity marched down the halls, dead set on finding Principal Bump. Surely he had some kind of answer to this!? Willow cheated. That was the only possible answer. Willow had no talent, it was an established fact throughout Hexside. That feat back in class was impossible! Gritting her teeth, Amity carefully pushed back her anger, letting her features smooth into their usual blank indifference. She wasn’t entirely successful, however, as her eyes were still narrowed, and her jaw had a harsher set than usual to it.

As she marched, she thought back to Willow’s claim. Advice. How cute. As if Advice was enough to generate such an explosive increase in skill. If that was the case, she’d be in the Emperor’s Coven by now!

As she muttered bitter things to herself, she brushed by some of the girls Boscha, and by extension herself, hung out with. They attempted to grab her attention, with one even trying to physically grab her. A glare and a few choice words sent them scurrying. She’d probably have to deal with that later. What a bother. As she rounded the corner, she spotted Willow, that kid she hung out with these days, Augustus, a new girl, and… Principal Bump!? There was no way in the Titan’s name she was letting this fly!!

As Luz and Bump traveled the halls, she wondered just what, exactly, he had in mind. She had caught a glimpse in his eyes, the look of someone who had just hatched a plan, and was very good at keeping it tucked away inside. Still, whatever it was, she could at least take comfort in the fact that it probably wasn’t harmful, or at the very least wasn’t fatal.

“Oh, LUZ! OVER HERE!!”

Turning her head in the sound of the shout, Luz caught sight of Willow standing some feet away, a vibrating younger boy standing next to her.

Bump shot her a wry glance. “I feel as though that is the student you were talking about, correct.”

Luz smirked. “Got it in one, sir.”

As the two strolled over, Luz saw Willow tense up, most definitely because of the authority figure by her side. Luz was not expecting the kid she was with to rush her, shoving his face uncomfortably close to her own.

“Oh, my Titan, A REAL LIVE HUMAN!!” The kid squealed, literally squealed!, in delight. “IS IT TRUE RAIN DOESN’T BOIL IN YOUR WORLD WHERE ARE YOUR GILLS HAVE YOU EVER EATEN MEAT RAW ARE YOU CAPABLE OF EXPELLING VENOM FROM GLANDS STORED IN YOUR NECK MEH MEH MEH MEH MEH MEH!!!!”

“Whoa!” Luz shouted, easing the kid back. “Personal space please.”

Bump gave a tired smile at the boy. “Hmm… I should’ve expected that reaction from young Augustus here.” At Luz’s questioning look, he elaborated. “Young Augustus is the head of Hexside’s Human Appreciation Society. Out of every being in this school, his knowledge is the least flawed.” Say what you will about his teaching style, but Bump was very much willing to admit to having gaps in his knowledge and understanding.

“Augustus, eh?” Luz grinned. “I think I’ll call you Gus. Easier for me to remember.”

“Gus? Gus!” The now christened “Gus” started shouting. “A human nickname!” He whirled towards Willow. “Gus! Call me it! Gus! Yes!”

Luz gave a confused smile to a tired-looking Willow. “He’s certainly hyper.”

Willow sighed. “Yeah, but he’s a great guy when you get to know him, and he’s stuck by me through everything.”

As heartwarming as this was, Bump knew now was the best point to head things off. “Ahem.”

As Willow and Gus refocused on the sight of their Principal, both snapped to attention. “”Principal Bump!””

“Oh, calm down children. Now, Miss Park, if I recall correctly, you are in the Abomination Track.” At her sullen nod, her expression gave Bump all the confirmation he needed. “My associate,” he gestured to a smirking Luz, “has informed me that your skills are being underutilized in your current class and that you wish to transfer.” He bent down slightly, giving Willow a better look at his face, and him a better look at hers. “Is this true?”

Willow hesitated for a moment, but at an encouraging glance from Luz, and a thumbs up from Gus, steeled herself. “More than anything sir. I just… I really REALLY hate being in Abominations.” She clutched her uniform, slightly embarrassed at the admittance.

Bump gave a warm chuckle. “Don’t fret. As your Principal, one of my duties is to see that all my students reach their full potential, and to see that they enjoy their learning.” The bright grins from the three youths elicited another laugh from him. “Now, let’s see what you can do, and then see what I can do, shall we?”

Willow’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Oh Absolut-”

“Principal Bump!”

All present turned to see Amity striding their way, an irate expression on her face. As she pulled closer, she stopped herself, and pointed at Willow. “Willow Park cheated on her Abominations Project today!” The sheer certainty of her statement, and the boiling anger in her voice, sent the group rocking back.

“”WHAT!?”” The synched shouts of Willow and Luz rattled the windows.

Bump frowned, his earlier joy draining away. “Miss Blight, I hope you understand the severity of your accusation. This is not something to be made lightly.” He warned, hoping this wouldn’t escalate.

“Trust me sir, I am fully aware.” Amity stated, having rallied enough of her temper to present herself in a calmer manner. “Willow presented an Abomination today in class that was far beyond any prior recorded demonstration of skill, a jump far beyond what could be attributed to typical practice.”

“What!? Amity, that’s crazy, I didn’t cheat!” Willow cried, shocked and hurt at the accusation.

“Yeah,” Luz leapt in, more than willing to defend the girl. “I even saw her practice it myself!”

Amity gave Luz a flat look, before fixing her gaze on her ears. “I wouldn’t expect a human to get it,” she stated condescendingly, “but Willow has none of the skill needed to produce an Abomination of that caliber, such as it was.”

“Amity, I’m telling the truth, I just practiced!” Willow insisted.

“Practice doesn’t just magically erase years of incompetency, Park!” Amity shot back.

Luz stepped forward, glaring down at the mint-haired girl. “Don’t you dare call her incompetent, kid.” She snarled, fed up with the brat’s attitude. “I was the one who gave her the advice she needed to make that Abomination, and I watched her practice to get it just right. Don’t talk about things you don’t really understand.”

“Gave her the advice?” Amity murmured, before her face split into a nasty grin. “Oh, so you're the one who helped her cheat.”

“Cheat!?” Luz shouted.

“Of course.” Amity waved dismissively. “Willow always did like playing with plants, so it makes sense now how it turned out. She just slathered some vines in Abomination Goop and stored them in her pot. Of course,” she arched an eyebrow, somehow not quite concealing the anger in her eyes, “I never thought a human would understand the value of hard work anyway.”

“You...You!” Luz fumed ready to throttle the girl in front of her, but…

“I…”

The group turned to Willow, the tiles beneath her feet shuddering.

“Didn’t.”

Her eyes started glowing.

“CHEAT!!!”

With a scream of rage, a massive collection of vines ripped out from the ground, slamming Amity painfully against the far wall, a rough crack echoing from the landing. Panting for breath, eyes still burning with rage, Willow glanced down at her hands, looked back at Amity, and her eyes widened in horror. With a yell, tears streaming, Willow tore off down the hall, Gus rushing after her in worry.

Before she headed off to join them, Luz stomped over to Amity, a book clutched in her hand. With a stormy frown, she threw it at the girl’s feet. Amity hesitantly picked it up. “What is-?”

“Those are Willow’s notes.” Luz flatly stated. “Take a look. I’m done wasting time here.” And with that said, Luz took off like a bullet down the same hall as Gus and Willow, dead set on helping her friend.

“Miss Blight, I am deeply disappointed in you.” Bump stated, hovering slightly to the side of Amity.

“Principal Bump!?” Amity gasped, having forgotten his presence on the excitement.

“Indeed.” Bump stated. His face was flat and stony, his temper almost peaked. “I have always held you in high regard, Miss Blight, due to your dedication, skill, and commitment.”

“T-Thank you, Sir.” Amity shakily grinned, only for it to be wiped away by his next words.

“I now see, that was a mistake.”

Amity stilled. “What?”

Bump tisked. “Amity, your actions did nothing but disgrace yourself, based on supposition and your own jealousy of another’s work. You didn’t even take the time to test the Abomination Pot, did you?” Amity reeled back as if struck; she hadn’t, she had just assumed.

Bump turned his tired eyes to her, shame burning in his gaze. “I am afraid that I will have no choice but to inform your parents of your recent conduct. I hope you will reflect on your actions, Miss Blight.” With that, he headed off to see to his other students, one of whom had just been provoked by the girl lying behind him.

Solemnly, uncomprehending of what had just occurred, Amity turned her gaze to the book the Human had thrown at her, Willow’s notes apparently. With nothing better to do, and her usual calm utterly shattered, Amity slowly opened the book. Inside were the notes, scribbled all about, and Amity’s eyes widened. Some of these were the same kinds of notes she had taken over the years; no, some of these were Better! If Willow had been studying this diligently, then how was she struggling? Was she really a Half-A-Witch at all? ...Was what happened between them all for nothing? Shakily rising to her feet, wincing slightly at the pain it brought to her back, Amity stumbled after the others. She needed answers.

If anyone saw Boscha in the moment, they would’ve assumed she was in a bad mood, what with the intense scowl on her face. They would be wrong. She wasn’t in a bad mood, as that would imply she cared enough to allow this situation to upset her. Her fist tightened around her jewel, the edges almost biting into her hand. As the sheep scurried around her, Boscha held in an eyeroll. Such blatant weakness might’ve been welcome before, but currently? It just served to annoy her.

“Ugh, if even just one more of these pests gets in my way, I swear I’m gonna lose it!” Boscha groaned, running a hand through her hair. “It’s like they don’t have anything better to do. Right Skara?” Boscha asked, turning to look at her closest follower (friend), who was oddly subdued, hanging farther back than usual. If she was being honest, it… irked Boscha to see one of her friends so weak.

Skara blinked, dazed. “Wha? Oh! Y-yeah, totally Boscha. Totally!” She chuckled nervously, lightly rubbing at her collar. Boscha gave an eye roll to that. Just what was up with her today? She was acting like Boscha was going to commit a murder or something! Seriously, the worst thing she had done lately is put some vermin in their place, that’s all.

Grumbling, Boscha soldiered on, all the while, that voice in the back of her head, screamed it’s message; she was here.

[fics-not-tragedies]

One Day in December: Chapter 4 🎇

one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten - epilogue

Words:  3696; Warnings: none, unless you want a warning for drinking then you have it; Summary: In another year Andrew tries to fix what he screwed up last year, but even though Bianca came through alone - she really isn’t.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight​​​​​; @angelpeachamber​​​​​; @sgt-morgan​​​​​; @julessbrown​​​​​;

December 2013

Andrew didn’t know what to do with himself this year. It was his first Christmas alone in over two years. He split with his girlfriend only few months prior… and since he was on the receiving end of the breakup, the wound was still fresh. He didn’t miss her really… well, he did… but it was more like he missed being with someone.

The thing was… the morning after he cried himself to sleep like a stupid baby… he woke up from a dream about Bianca. It’d been nearly a year again already, and suddenly, he didn’t feel as horrible as he had. Her face and the way she looked just before they were about to kiss under that godforsaken mistletoe, was the singular image that carried him through until two weeks before Christmas when he headed home to Wicklow. He was going to stay with his parents for awhile, hide away and let his mum take care of him. It was the main perk of being the only child, and also a mama’s boy.

For a week, he migrated from location to location in his parents’ house; his old bedroom… the couch in the sitting room… the kitchen table where his mum made him all his favorite meals… It was perfect. He did nothing but watch tv, eat biscuits, and think about her.

Maybe if he had some way to contact her, he would, but he still never found out who she was related to at the party. Then again, even if he did have her number, he was too chicken to call her; especially after how she left last year.

Instead of being an adult, he just made himself sick over her for a week, thinking about all the conversations they could possibly have this year… what he’d say… how he’d act… He was giving himself anxiety over it, and he had no idea if she’d even show up in the first place.

The day of the party had come, and he was going with Ryan and Cormac and even Rory. They’d all come home to see their families, and Andrew finally had someone to hang out with. They met up beforehand, just down the street, passing a flask between the four of them. It was silly and dumb, but it made Andrew feel loads better. The best part was, everyone made a pact to come alone so Andrew wouldn’t feel left out.

“How are you feeling Andy? Look like you’ve been sleeping well. Getting fed. Raine makes you all your favorite meals?” Alex asked, taking a swig from the flask and thrusting it in his direction.

Andrew chuckled, “Yeah… made my favorite biscuits, too. I’m a spoiled little boy” he coughed when the alcohol burned his throat and he handed it off to Rory, “I’m glad you guys are here. Getting lonely, actually.”

“Well… no one told you to run away to your mum, did they?” Cormac grinned, nearly finishing off the booze.

“He’s got a point” Alex muttered through the collar and scarf he’d pulled up tight around his ears, “Are we fucking done yet? I’m freezing out here.”

“Right…” Rory finished the flask and tossed it back into the car and the four of them trudged through the muddy snow to the house.

The party was already in full swing; seemingly much more loud and rowdy then it had been in years past. They shuffled through the front door single file, shaking off the cold as they waved and nodded to friends they hadn’t seen in ages. It was a good welcoming… everyone happy to see their hometown heroes. And it was rare that they were all together for a change in the same place.

They barely removed their coats when someone passed them a shot and Andrew wondered what kind of night this was going to turn into. He’d thrown his coat over his arm until he could make it to the backroom, knocking back the shot with the guys before going off in search of a beer to wash it down. He entered the kitchen to find the fridge wide open, someone bent in front of it. He stood back a little, not wanting to be rude and push through.

“What kind did you want?” The voice called to a girl standing just behind her.

Andrew raised his eyebrows, the girl’s voice behind the fridge sounding awfully familiar. She popped up a second later, and Andrew gasped.

Bianca.

She was here.

She hadn’t seen him yet, her back to him still. He momentarily contemplated running out until he was better prepared to talk to her, but it was too late. She was already peering back at him with those pretty hazel eyes of hers. She looked… so good. Better than his memory served him.

“Thought you weren’t coming this year?” Andrew blurted suddenly, and he felt the blush creep up his neck to his cheeks.

Of all the fucking things you planned on saying…

“Nice to see you, too” Bianca grinned, leaning against the fridge, “Can I get you something while I’m in here?”

“Em… yeah… just… a beer… whatever’s…in there…” Andrew stammered, brushing his hair back feeling like a complete fool. Two months worth of anguish over this girl, and this is how he behaves.

Bianca pursed her lips, raising her eyebrows before ducking back into the fridge and grabbing one for each of them. She opened both their bottles and handed one to Andrew.

“Cheers, love” he murmured and she grinned before taking a sip.

Bianca studied him over the top of the glass, how different he looked this year as opposed to last. His hair was longer, fluffier, and the front strands framed his face so adorably. He wore a maroon sweater, tight-fitting with the sleeves pushed up, and jeans so worn in she felt like reaching out to touch how soft they were.

“How you’ve been?” She finally asked, once they’d stared at each other long enough before the silence became uncomfortable.

“Alright… you?” He said softly, unable to take his eyes off her. Here she was. Live and in the flesh. Standing across from him in the same kitchen they’d stood in at least once every year. Her hair was done up in a purposely undone bun on top of her head, her bangs grown-out and swept to the sides of her face. Little wisps hung down like flyways… and his fingers twitched from wanting to tuck it back over her ear, to let his fingers linger down her neck…

“Better than last year” she grinned, her bright smile stretching across her face.

“Last year…” he murmured, taking another sip of his beer, “That year was a bit shit, wasn’t it?”

Her eyes widened and she smiled, “Yes. Yes it was. But this year seems to be shaping up to be better already.”

It was Andrew’s turn to smile now, and he mirrored hers, “Yes. Yes it is.”

*

They were right.

They were able to talk for once, hanging around in the same little clique. All the boys were together, and they were all in good spirits, telling jokes and stories. Bianca listened with wide eyes, fully enthralled in every tale. They made her laugh and being with Andrew made her feel as if perhaps last year had never even happened.

He sat perched on the arm of the couch, pushing his sleeves up as they kept slipping, telling a story quite animatedly with his hands flying about for emphasis. Bianca was staring, she knew it, and when he caught her eye, she bit her lip and bowed her head; he’d caught her. He smiled almost bashfully and stuttered a second as he lost his train of thought. He scratched his head, ruffling his hair until the thought came back around and he picked up where he left off.

He was beautiful she decided.

The Christmas tree was just behind him, back-lighting his profile and she squinted a little, making the lights behind him look blurry in her vision. It was like a rainbow glow hummed around him and she secretly wished she could sneak her phone out and snap a picture of him; to remember him just as he was right now. But it wasn’t worth it.

The camera could never capture how perfect he looked.

*

The karaoke was back.

When the regular party music was turned down, everyone groaned, but it quickly became as popular as it had been last year. Every drunk partygoer took a turn, and everyone laughed egging them on. Even Alex had a go with Rory singing backup to some silly Christmas song.

Bianca and Andrew were tucked away in the corner, talking quietly, getting warm from the outdoors. She’d followed him outside earlier for a smoke, getting lost in the way he looked when he puffed on his cigarettes… the way the little clouds curled up around his head, and the way he held it between his fingers. She was mesmerized all night by him and who he’d become. She found herself getting lost in his gentle muddy eyes, admiring the long lashes and the way they brushed against his cheeks.

Andrew had caught her staring again, for the hundredth time that night. It made his stomach twist in knots, and he felt like he could spend the whole night just hanging out beside her. She was wearing a cute little knit dress, always a dress, and stockings with tiny hearts. His own heart ached at how adorable she was. He knew he should make his move, but… he honestly didn’t know the move to make. He didn’t want to screw this year up as bad as the last. So he chose to do nothing. He would let the night play out and see what happened.

*

The party was dying; many of the guests had gone home or were idling about talking in clusters throughout the house; just hanging on to the evening as long as they could. Andrew had imbibed just enough beers to make him a bit bold and a lot romantic. He was sitting beside Bianca, their legs touching completely, watching some horrible rendition of ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ by someone very drunk who assumed they sounded much better than they did. They giggled, trying not to poke too much fun at the very serious performer.

“Honestly, I thought that’d never end” Andrew muttered, arms crossed over his chest when the last notes faded away.

“Mmm,” Bianca smiled, “you should go up there. Show everyone how it’s done.”

Andrew seemed to shrink back into the couch, trying to disappear altogether, “Em…”

“Come on. I’ve never seen you sing before” she countered, batting her eyelashes at him.

“Do you live under a rock?”

“Noooo… I meant live, silly. In front of my own eyes!” She teased elbowing him.

He chuckled, “You should come to one of my gigs then. Can work out a triple A pass for you, if you want.”

“No, no, no!” She exclaimed, shoving him, “Sing me a Christmas tune, like… here at the party. I’m in the mood for a cliche holiday song.”

“What… that last one didn’t do it for you?” He joked, sitting forward and pushing up his sleeves again.

“Absolutely not. Get going.”

“Alright, alright” he smiled, hauling himself off the couch and over to the laptop that was set up with an open playlist. He stumbled a bit, tugging at the hem of his sweater while he scrolled the list finding one could do properly. He grabbed the mic, spotting the one he wanted.

Clearing his throat, he mumbled, “Em… I’ve had a couple of drinks so… dunno how well this’ll sound… but…”

He didn’t need to watch the little screen, he knew the lyrics well. When the tune kicked in Andrew started off shaking a bit even though there weren’t many people watching. He didn’t really care who was present anyways, because he only had eyes for her.

Bianca sat tucked into the couch, holding her drink with both her hands on her lap. Her full focus was on him, and he smiled shyly at her, making eye contact.

“Oh, the weather outside is frightful

But the fire is so delightful

And since we've no place to go

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!”

Bianca’s heart pounded so hard in her chest, she swallowed back the sound, hoping no one could hear it. She was melting, melting down right into the couch because he was singing not just for her, but to her. She glanced around to see if anyone else was paying attention, and there were a few, but when she glanced back, his eyes were still on her.

“It doesn't show signs of stopping

And I brought some corn for popping

The lights are turned down low

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow”

She sucked in her breath, the way his fingers pushed up the sleeves of that maroon sweater, and the way he gripped the mic, his nose just skimming the top of it. He had a scrap from a silver tinsel garland hanging haphazardly around his neck, and it made him look so much sweeter.

“When we finally kiss goodnight

How I'll hate to go out in the storm

But if you really hold me tight

All the way home I'll be warm”

Bianca worried her bottom lip as his eyes closed just for a moment to croon that particular line. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and hug him; to cover him in kisses. Maybe they could run away together, and then they wouldn’t have a reason to come back to this silly party ever again…

“The fire is slowly dying

And my dear, we're still goodbying

But as long as you love me so

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow”

Andrew wanted to be with her; to see her again outside of this little bubble. The notes faded out, and he stared at her intently, making sure she knew. He clicked off the mic and set it aside, pushing up those damn sleeves again as he made his way back to the couch. He rubbed his palms on his jeans, his hands sweaty with nerves before he settled back in beside her.

“Hey…” he murmured, his body angled towards her, his arm on the back of the couch, so close to her now he could smell her perfume and he breathed in subtly to remember the notes forever.

Bianca’s heart was beating fast and she put her hand over it to calm it down. This… this wasn’t what she’d expected tonight; didn’t even think she’d still feel this way after all this time, but…

Andrew didn’t know if it was the right thing to do or not, but he did it anyways. He placed his hand on her thigh. She was soft and warm, and he knew she was going to taste sweet when he finally-

“Andrew… I-” she began, her voice small and timid.

“Bianca… I screwed up last year… I’m sorry… I, em… shouldn’t have let it go that far… I ruined your night… em, and it’s destroyed me ever since” Andrew admitted, getting out some of the words he’d practiced so many times over, “And then I let you leave… and, em… it’s crushed me ever since.”

He squeezed her thigh just above her knee, and she looked down at his hand, covering it with her own, “Andrew… it’s… it’s okay. That was a long time ago… I just think you should know…”

But Andrew wasn’t listening. Instead, he was leaning in towards her… his muddy eyes nearly falling closed as he licked his lips in anticipation. Bianca whimpered, the smell of him intoxicating her, his hand so soft and a little bit rough as he squeezed her. She could do it. She could close her eyes and do it. Just let it happen.

She gulped, watching him tilt his head in preparation and she gripped his fingers tight; hoping he’d understand, “Andrew, stop.”

This time, he heard her.

He halted, hovering so close to her, only pulling away just slightly. His eyes were full of confusion as he searched hers, “What? Do you, em… should we go somewhere else?”

Bianca shook her head, the tears prickling behind her eyes. How many times was she gonna cry at this stupid party anyways?

“No. I can’t… I can’t go anywhere with you. Not tonight.”

“But Bianca… I thought…?” Andrew’s heart sunk, unsure of what was happening exactly. He’d put himself out there… read all the signs… all the signals she’d sent…

“You’re going to hate me. I hate me.”

“Tell me” he said quickly, needing an immediate answer. After these last two months of torment and anguish from losing one girl, and then pining after the next…

“I have a boyfriend, Andrew.”

What.

Andrew’s heart sunk into the pit of his stomach and when he fully took in what she said, he retracted from her so fast it was as if he’d just scorched his hand on a hot iron.

“A boyfriend?” He sputtered, his head a complete mess. “But why would you…? Where is he then?”

Bianca gulped, the expression on Andrew’s face breaking her heart into a thousand pieces, “He couldn’t make it tonight… he wanted to, but…”

“And you’re serious?” He asked her softly, raising his eyebrow in disbelief, “You’re not just having a laugh because of last year?”

“I’m not lying to you. I’m… so…” she didn’t want to simply say sorry because, it was too insensitive. She’d already crushed him, she couldn’t do it again, “I… apologize for… leading you on… honestly… I was enjoying your company so much… I just love being around you… and if-”

“Don’t say it” he struggled trying to get off the stupid couch, wishing he could literally disappear right then, “Don’t fucking tell me if he wasn’t in the picture, because I don’t want to hear it.”

“But it’s true, Andrew!” Bianca cried in a whisper, sitting forward as he stood up. She ruined everything.

“That was a shit thing to do. You should know that.”

She’d never seen him upset. Ever. This was new. And it was eating her alive. She scrambled off the couch and after him as he turned to leave. “Wait!” she exclaimed, much louder than she’d intended. A few people turned to look at them, including Alex and Rory who’d come back into the room after all this time. She bowed her head sheepishly in front of their audience.

Andrew turned back to her, lowering his head as he stepped closer, “Bianca. Listen…” he waited for her to look up into his eyes and it felt like a thousand knives stabbing him in the gut. Rusty mangled knives, “We’ve gotta stop doing this to each other, yeah?”

A tear slipped down her cheek as she stared into those beautiful eyes of his, his soft, fluffy hair falling across his forehead in waves, “Last year you were seeing someone. And it killed me. What you’re feeling right now is exactly how I felt.”

“So you did it on purpose? Led me on so you could… just, em, embarrass me like that? So I would hurt as much as you did? Like payback?” He scoffed in disbelief.

“No! Never! I never meant to…” she sighed, “Andrew. Listen to me. I have liked you since the moment I met you. I’ve thought about you every single year since… and I thought… well… I can’t sit around and wait forever, so… I did something about it.”

Andrew sighed, “It’s just… never been the right time, has it?”

“No. It hasn’t” she told him softly, exhaling heavily.

“I don’t have anything else to say right now… em, so if you’ll excuse me… I’m gonna go.”

She grabbed his large hand, stopping him, “Wait…” he looked back at her, and she stood on her tiptoes, cupping his face with her other hand before placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

He looked down at her with so much sadness in his eyes, her soft lips tearing his heart right out, “I hope you have a good holiday, Bianca. I’ll see you around” he squeezed her hand once before pulling away.

Her hand dropped to her side when he let go, and she watched him sulk away, her legs like jelly. It was over. She’d literally ruined everything. Again. She should’ve just let it happen. What harm would a kiss have done?

Well, it ruined your last relationship, so…

“What just happened? Where’s Andy going? Why does your face look like you’ve seen a ghost? Too much to drink?” Alex’s slightly drunk questions were relentless.

“He hates me.”

Alex laughed, “Why’s that? You broke his heart or something?”

“As a matter of fact, yeah. I did. I told him I have a boyfriend.”

His face fell, “Oh” he watched Andrew escape through the front door, “That’s unfortunate… He erm… just broke up with his girl not too long ago, so… he’s feeling… sorta down right now. You know like, a gaping wound where his heart were before?”

Bianca closed her eyes. Maybe one year she wouldn’t fuck up royally, “Perfect. Well… I tried to apologize, but” she sighed, giving up, “He forgot his coat, Alex.”

“I’ll get it. Don’t worry” he patted her back, “It’s gonna be fine. He’ll be fine.”

She nodded as he too left her. And once again; she was alone.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, breaking her out of her trance. Some small part of her hoped it was Andrew… but then she realized, they’d never bothered to exchange any information.

I miss you. I hope you’re having fun. x

She sighed deeply at her boyfriend’s text, sending off a quick response, unsure even of what she said. The only thought on her mind now was Andrew, and the face he made just before he left.

“Merry fucking Christmas, Bianca.”