#and i don't have the energy to explain why it made me feel awful

[therefugeofbooks]

As someone neurodivergent with depressive episodes, it's so hard to talk to people about being sad. I know I should be grateful for the things I have. I know I should be grateful for the people around me. I know about all my privileges. And still, I can't stop being saaaaaaaad. I don't want to hurt anyone around me, but it's so hard for me to just LIVE. I'd rather not. I wish I could opt out.

[luveline]

could i request teacher!reader with hotch? like maybe she’s jacks teacher

thank you for your request! fem!reader, 1.2k

You're a teacher: you're always tired. Overworked, underpaid, everybody knows how it goes. And maybe you've let yourself go because you don't have any real material hopes for the future beyond getting Macy Danish to read at a first grade level, but how were you supposed to know that Jack Hotchner's father would be so overwhelmingly attractive? It's not fair. 

He's handsome though older than you'd been expecting, but that isn't the cut and dry of it. When he comes in, it's alone, in a well-fitted suit. He's tall and remarkably dark-eyed, shaking your hand without trying to impose any authority, as some of the fathers tend to do, and when you call him Mr. Hotchner, he says, "Aaron, please," but continues to call you Ms. L/N.

"Aaron," you say, pulling your skirt under your thighs as you sit down. You're dressed in nice clothes for the parent-teacher conferences, but you could've covered your sleeplessness better. "Jack is the nicest boy in class. He's actually my loveliest kid. Um…" You search through your notes for the preliminary assessment of Jack. "Sorry, two seconds." 

"Take your time. I know what it's like to dig through a mountain of paperwork every day." 

"Jack mentioned you work in the government, he calls you a special agent," you say, smiling. "You get the bad guys." 

"I am a special agent. Supervisory." Aaron is conscientious enough to pretend he doesn't notice your surprise. "I'm chief of the behavioural analysis unit." 

You can't even begin to guess what that entails. "Oh," you say breathlessly. 

"I understand that it sounds fantastical." 

"It sounds impressive," you say, floundering to correct yourself. Behavioural analysis? It must be obvious to him how nervous he's making you, then, and when you realise that, you get worse. "I'm so sorry about this. I should be more organised. I usually am." 

"That's alright. Take your time." 

Does he always speak that way? His voice is like fucking silk? Is he messing with you?

You yank the notes you made for Jack from the pile and flatten them across the desk. "Okay, sorry. Like I was saying, Jack is really the nicest kid, him and his friend Molly. They're both lovely, and teachers shouldn't have favourites, please don't tell the other parents, but they're my favourites." You smile at him quickly and return your eyes to the paper. The words swim in front of your eyes. "Jack can read better than you could ever hope for a first grader, he's immensely intelligent for his age group. He's patient. He'll explain anything to anyone if they ask him too, and he does it well." 

"I'm glad to hear that," he says, again so softly. 

You pick up one of your skinny biros to have something to fidget with. He's a very good looking man, but you're a good teacher. You can focus on what to say. Some parents need good things only. Some need reassurement that they're doing a good job. Aaron is harder to read, but you know what he needs, too. 

"He can be lonely," you say, looking him in the eye. "I don't think that that's down to any fault. I'm sure you know better than I do why he might feel that way." You know about his mom's passing over a year ago. You've seen grief in children too many times. "He… I understand if this isn't okay with you, but he eats lunch with me sometimes. I encourage him to sit with his peers, of course, but I think he runs out of energy pretty quickly." 

Aaron nods thoughtfully. His brows quirk into a furrow that you're afraid is directed at you. 

"I don't think he necessarily has trouble connecting with his friends." 

"What do you think?" 

"I think something awful happened to your family, and Jack will feel it for the rest of his life, but that it won't stop him from being great. It already isn't. And… he clearly has a father who loves him and who he admires. You're his second favourite topic." 

"What's his first?" he asks. 

"He's really into Fruity Fridays," you say with a laugh. "I bring in fruits you don't get often in America. Someone would've had to sign a form." 

"No, I remember signing it. He likes that?" His smile is golden. "I can't get him to try new things." 

"He had all the leftover gold kiwi last week." You rub your lips together. Time is ticking. You have nearly thirty parents to see tonight, but talking to Mr. Hotchner has been so normal. He's a regular person in a sea of inattentive helicopter narcissists. It's a relief and a half to meet him and know a kid as gentle as Jack is in good hands. "Mr. Hotchner, I have to tell you, I'm really relieved to meet you." 

"Aaron," he corrects.

Your tone drops too low. "Aaron." 

"I'm more than relieved," he says. "I knew that this year would be harder for him. I didn't know… I'm grateful to you, for being so kind with him." 

You look down at your notes, flushed from head to toe despite your airy skirt. Crossing your legs, you shake your head. "It's my job." 

"To let him take up the only break you get all day?" he asks. 

"It's not like that. Jack doesn't bother me." You fold your notes in half. "I can see his role model measures up." 

"I could say the same thing." 

The next time you see Jack, bright and early Monday mooring shepherded by his aunt Jessica, he's very happy to see you. You offer him a hug and pat his back when he wraps his arms around your hips. "Hello, Jack. Was your dad pleased with your drawings?"

Jack smiles at you. "I have a note for you." 

"You do? Can I see? Where is it, honey?" 

Jack takes off his backpack and pulls out the note and a tupperware container. "Oh, wow, did you make treats for the class? Jack, that's so nice!" 

"No. Dad said those are for you. He said you should have nice for nice, or something," Jack informs you. 

"You'll share with me, though? I can't eat them all by myself," you whisper. 

He nods with enthusiasm and runs off to put his backpack in his cubby and his coat on the hook. You look down at the cookies and note, which is actually an envelope. 

You open it with your thumbnail. The writing is Aaron's usual tight cursive.

Dear Miss L/N, 

I hoped to thank you again in person, but work makes that hard. I appreciate everything you do for Jack. There are teachers who work, and there are teachers who go above and beyond. I can feel confident anywhere in the country knowing Jack is being taught by the latter. 

Gratefully yours, 

Aaron Hotchner. 

P.S. Please don't feed Jack too many cookies. They're not for him. 

You keep the letter even if it's lame to do so. When is the next parent teacher conference, anyways?

[dashitsxx]

i might just be in lo-lo-love | hawks x fem!reader

summary. Bumping into him one time was an accident then the second time, until it gradually turns to coincidences. Yet, you've never realized to have your heads over heels for this man.

genre. fluff. sfw.

word count. 600+

warnings. none. just pure fluff <3

notes. inspired by so american by olivia rodrigo <3 it was initially supposed to be long but it was slowly diverting to angst for no reason 😭 anw! enjoy this short one shot! <3

A burst of enormous laughter leaves between both of you. The atmosphere dances in the joy of your relationship as grins plaster on your faces. The music on the radio blasts its harmony as you and him sing forth, enacting gestures and movements.

The speed of the car reaches for the wind as it refreshes the both of you.

Keigo looks at you, a charming smile forms on his pretty lips. You were in a joyful mood, bopping your head. To keep up with your energy, he does the same thing you do.

"You look pretty in my clothes," he smirks as he places his warm hand on your thigh. You feel your face burn as your cheeks are soon painted red, and you clear your throat to focus on driving.

"Stop teasing me," you blush. Keigo only chuckled as he squeezed a squish of your fleshy area. You giggle at the his response. Then, hum with the song.

Soon, you arrived at your destination and the both of you got out of the car. You breathed in the fresh air as you smiled widely and your eyes beamed at the scenery before you.

Being on top of the mountain gave you shivers but from exhilaration. The sun is falling slowly to sleep as it emits a glow of golden light. The trees swayed with the wind with its fluff of colourful variants of leaves. After the fence, the city comes into view.

You sprint with giggles towards the fence before grabbing a hold of it, in awe of the city under you.

"Keigo, this is so beautiful! Come, look at this!"

He watches you run forward as he lets out a grin then follows in pursuit, standing beside you. You had your mouth agape as you carefully studied the cityscape.

As a foreigner in an unfamiliar place, you will never forget how you met him initially, he showed you directions to the restaurant you've been dying to dine at. It took a few bumps of coincidence for you to have the courage, and ask him for dinner. Surprisingly, you and Keigo vibed with each other. Thus, the second date is followed by the third, the fourth, the fifth, and so on.

After all the shitty break-ups and worthless exes you've dated, Keigo was the only man who made you feel like you were a dream to him—it sounds absurd but it's true. However, being in this dream, you fear that sooner or later, you'll wake up to a nightmare... and you don't want that to happen.

"Isn't a heavenly scene? Kei, look there—hey, stop looking at me." You tapped his shoulder rapidly as your gaze lingered on the city.

"I am already looking," you shift your attention to your right side, only to find his eyes on you. You felt a rush of red flowering your cheeks instead you pushed his face backwards.

"Stop it."

"Okay, okay, I will," he chortled as he faced forward.

You place your elbows on the fence as you palmed both of your cheeks, trying to calm the butterflies that emerged in your stomach. Your eyes glance at him on your right side. You spot the corner of his lips tilted upwards subtly as a soft gaze crosses his face. The light of the sun adorned him as it gleamed on his golden-brown eyes. His blonde hair was brushed against the wind and his chin held a bit of a goatee, giving him a suave, chill look. Especially with that casual attire; a clean grey shirt and brown cargo pants matched with numerous accessories.

Oh, why is he so damn handsome?

You feel another rush of butterflies swirling in your abdomen as you abruptly look away.

Oh god, it's just not fair of him to make you feel this much. He is so unfair. Finally, a realization hits your mind that explains your wonders as you let out a silent giggle, enjoying the feels of nature.

You might just be in love with him.

all dividers are from @/cafekitsune, thank you <33

[factual-fantasy]

So with the no fan art of your characters thing…. It seems a bit odd and I’m sorry for saying that,but it intrigues me why someone’s wouldn’t wanna see other people draw their characters

I've been asked this 100s of times, and have had people constantly question this boundary of mine and ask me to explain myself.

I've exhausted all my energy and patience for questions about my stance on fanart. I don't feel like having to defend myself again, and again, and again.. 😞

I don't expect people to understand my stance on fanart, and you don't have to understand it in order to respect it. Just as I don't have to understand anyone else's boundaries to stay behind the line.

I am very uncomfortable with any form of fanart being made for me. Of my FNAF redesigns, my sona, my ocs, you name it, it counts. I don't expect anyone to understand it, I just want people to respect that boundary.

"How are we supposed to show our support for you then?" Comments. That's it. All I look forward to when I post art is reading all the nice comments people have left me. Truly, comments are all I want. Fanart just makes me feel awful.

[talekinesis]

Magical Burnout

Fairly Oddparents fic

Since I'm sick, I'm also gonna make Irep sick :)

I've seen people headcanon Irep and Peri as co-workers/ co-fairies so I'm gonna jump on that too

Summary: Irep gets Magical Burnout and Peri takes care of him

Irep snapped awake and sat up, only to be pushed back down by his goody-two-shoes counterpart. He went to argue, but ended up turning away to cough into his elbow.

"Would you relax? I don't know why you wake up like you fought in war, that's the third time today." Peri grumbled. Though he couldn't help but look at his anti-fairy with pity. The poor guy was pale, thin, and despite sweating and having a fever, he was also shivering. Even his wings were pale and dry.

Dev sat off to the side, sort of just watching them, trying not to give away the fact he was worried, even though Peri had already explained that Magical Backup, and Magical Burnout weren't the same thing.

"Magical Burnout isn't lethal, it just means Irep was stupid and over-used his magic, and now he's sick. He'll be okay." He had said.

Though he told Dev he didn't have to worry, the kid still insisted on staying, and had sat quietly in the corner all morning, playing his puzzle game.

Peri helped Irep sit up and placed a bowl of soup in his lap. "I hope that shark-tornado was worth you getting this sick." He scolded.

The anti-fairy took in a wheezy breath. "Very much so-" he turned away and coughed again as Peri rolled his eyes.

"You look horrible, what spells did you even cast?" He asked, feeling Irep's forehead, and cringing when his forearm came back sweaty.

Dev looked guilty. "Hazel and I watched a bunch of sci-fi movies, and I thought they were cool so I wished for them to be real.. It's my fault-"

"No, Dev, it's not. You're a kid, he's an adult, he should know when his limit is and when to say no." Peri pinched the bridge of his nose. "What movies?"

"Sharknado, Piranhaconda, Robo-Croc, Tremors-"

Peri stopped him. "Some of those movies are too mature for you and Hazel- and I'm sorry, Tremors?? Did you at least wish them away??"

Dev shook his head and Peri groaned, though he turned his frustration to Irep. "You didn't magic them away??"

Irep gulped down the broth and lowered the bowl from his mouth. "No? Why would I do that?"

The fairy groaned and rubbed his face. He pulled out his wand and wished the sci-fi monsters away. "There. Now," he took the empty bowl from Irep and stood up, "Dev, he'll be fine, I'll look after him. You go on ahead and head to Hazel's, alright?"

Dev nodded and hopped down from his chair. Peri wished him over to Hazel's house, and looked back down at Irep, who seemed to be pouting.

"What?" Peri asked.

Irep huffed. "Why are you helping me? I left you to die when you got Magical Backup, and mine's not even lethal, I'd be fine without you're help."

"Yeah, but Magical Burnout sucks. Trust me, I've been there. It's not fun being sick on your own. No energy, struggling to get up and walk. Well, I got it when I was a kid, my mother just carried me-"

Irep scoffed. "My parents would never. My mother had a tendency to drop me-"

"Yeah, my dad too. Grand Canyon."

"And my father made me stay in- I'm sorry, did you just say you were dropped into the Grand Canyon??" He laughed, which just turned into a coughing fit.

Peri shook his head and laid him back down. Irep complied, too tired to protest, and turned over onto his stomach so his wings were comfortable, which told Peri he was planning on sleeping again.

The fairy placed a hand between his wings. "Get some rest. I'll have more soup for you when you wake up." He said. He got up from the bed and without thinking, he rubbed Irep's head before he left the room.

The anti-fairy breathed heavily into his pillow, figuring maybe working with Peri wouldn't be awful. 'He's a better person than me,' he thought.

___

hi sorry this was short or if it didn't make sense, I'm sick, tired, and I ended up rushing it so I could take a nap

I hope it was okay and ended up somewhat legible.

you can kinda see where I tried a "Oh look they're bonding now," thing but again I'm just tired and not feeling well

Anyway, I hope someone liked it

[selineram3421]

🌊The Water-Bending Sun Warrior☀

Zuko X Reader

Part 1

Prologue

The first time you entered the spirit world was when the moon died.

Everything was red for a bit and then you felt a deep ache in your heart before falling into darkness. It was strange at first, being awake but your body asleep. Seeing visions of a giant water-like creature commanding the waves.

Upon awakening, you heard your father speaking to the chief of the tribe.

"Please explain, I don't understand what's going on!", he cried.

"Your child is fine. They will wake soon and come back to the physical realm.", the chief replied.

The next few days were odd, you kept leaving your body, traveling to places you've never seen before. Strange spirits were everywhere and you learned to be extra careful.

You've tried to tell your father about your journeys but he refused to listen or believe it. It confused you how he could trust the word of the chief but not yours.

A few months have passed since then.

Sitting near a small stream of water, you moved your hand back and forth, following the flow. The water following your command.

The first time you made the discovery that you were a water-bender was when you were helping the healers in your village.

You didn't tell anyone but the old man who had helped you out of the spirit world when you fainted on the day of the dead moon.

His home was near the healers as he knew more about chakras and spiritual energies, being able to take care of wounds that would normally take longer to heal due to lingering trauma or evil spirits.

"A water-bender, the same as your mother.", the old man, Xbalanque explained. "You flow with the tide and the moon gives you strength."

"Is that why I lost consciousness that day?", you asked.

"Yes.", he nodded. "You are a little more sensitive to such things since you were born during an eclipse. Thankfully your mother heeded my warning and wore red, so it is not as bad as it could have been."

"Is there any way for me to control it? I feel like this won't be the last time.", you say with some concern.

There is a strong feeling in your gut that this "ability" would not cease.

"Ah, so you've felt it.", Xbalanque chuckles. "Yes, it will continue. And I have just the thing.", he says and stands up.

He walks over towards a shelf and begins to move various things, all trinkets that might be for fun or carry some importance. There were a lot of little things, some hung on the walls and some were bigger and had to be placed on the floor. All of them were colorful.

"Here we are!", the old man says and brings back a box as he walks over to you. "This was something I gave to your father and he gave it to your mother.", he explained and opened the box, taking out a necklace.

The ribbon fabric was like fresh red blood, the stone was obsidian with a carving on the surface that had gold in between to make out the image of a flame with a water drop in the middle.

"I gave him this stone and blessed it with protection.", he said and placed the necklace in your hands. "Your father used it to propose to your mother, as her customs from the North were for the person of interest to be presented with a betrothal necklace."

You stared down at the jewelry in your hand in awe.

There aren't many depictions of your mother, you can't really imagine her with anything at home. This gives you a small glimpse though.

Why is it here? You wondered.

"It was hard on your father when she passed. He gave this back to me with a foul tongue, saying it didn't work.", Xbalanque sighed. "But nothing can stand in the way of fate's plans."

Apá...

"You can keep it. I have no use for it and I feel like your mother would have wanted you to take it.", he says. "Obsidian is used to contact ancestors, so you can always have a guide when you travel."

How convenient.

"Thank you.", you smiled and put the necklace on.

Visits to his house became common for you as you had many questions.

Now, looking at your reflection in the water, you still wore the necklace.

You haven't traveled recently but you have paid more visits to Xbalanque's residence, having more questions about the obsidian stone and its properties. His response was for you to meditate with it.

So that's what your plans were for today.

Maybe things will get more interesting after doing so.

Wow, it's been a long while. I was stuck thinking about what to write for this part. This fic will update slowly.

Read tags for more details.

~Seline, the person.

Next: Part 2

🌊TW-BSW☀️ | Zuko ML

[thelittleliars]

Darkness

Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Warnings: Depression, suicidal thoughts

Words: 902

A/N: I wrote this for my OWN comfort. Depression sucks and I know no matter what I'll always have to live with my it for the rest of my life. This all is just wishful thinking, the way I'd want it to go away even tho it never will. Pls don't see this as me romanticizing depression or any other mental health issues/disorder.

The dark days always hit you hard. The darkness crept upon you as if you hadn't seen the signs but you had seen them. You just couldn't do anything to stop it so you stopped wasting your energy on that and let it happen. Though during the days you always hoped for the next day to be better. It never was. At night all the Demons & Monsters were lying next to you in bed wide awake thinking about all the things you couldn't change. 

Mornings were incredibly hard for you as you could never seem to get up and often question if you still got the guts to keep waking up. When you did get up and were among people in public you hid every part of yourself so no one would see how close to the ledge you were about to jump off from.

A bunch of times followed where you were close to simply get hit by a bus or leaning too far over the railing of a skyscraper. It never happened, it made you even more miserable and at some point it seemed as if even death didn't want you. 

You sat once again on a bench at the Central Park consumed by thinking shallow thoughts that kept you somehow still afloat. Friends were long abandoned, you hadn't reached out in days if not weeks. You couldn't bring yourself to care them, not if this darkness robbed you of ever little strength you had left, you also had no mental capacity for yet another living creature.

Someone had sat down next to you as you were digging yourself your mental grave, you did not notice them, at least not until you felt the first snow flakes falling against your skin. It was Natasha Romanoff, your supposed 'home'. Only supposed home since you didn't feel the feeling of home for a long time now. You had once pushed her away from you. It was something you regretted but never made an attempt to make up for.

"Sharon called me." She started which not explaining further since she knew that you'd know exactly the reason why. "Shit sounded bad so I tracked you down. Was surprised at how good you became at disappearing." You did not utter a single word. Natasha knew you wouldn't answer, most times when it all got too much you turned semi verbal or even nonverbal. "Let's get you to your apartment?" She stood up and held her hand out for your to take. You didn't want to go, sitting there in the cold gave you a sense of comfort that you longed for. "We can watch a movie or simply lie in bed while staring at the stars we hung up on your ceiling." You were hesitant with putting your hand in hers since the lump in your chest felt only heavier. You dreaded to go 'home'. The single reminder of your bedroom reminded you that those four walls had seen too much already and that added more suffocation to your existing pile. 

At your apartment you seemed to crumble even more into yourself. How much more falling into the deep was possible? You didn't know, still hoping that the bottom would come soon enough. The deep bottom you thought would come and wished it came, didn't come, instead a steadiness of the dark arrived, you believed this was your bottom of this awful 'phase'. 

One night of staying with you turned into fully two weeks. Natasha basically moved back in with you. At first she wasn't so sure if it would be worth it but then she really thought about it and came to the conclusion that it was worth it, you were always worth it. As hard as it were for her, she knew how much harder it must had been for you. She single handly saw how at the end you were. You didn't even had the energy to push her away anymore. 

Night after night she laid quietly in bed with you. Day after day she helped you cooking, doing the dishes, changing clothes and if it was an extremely bad day she helped washing your body and hair. On a day you felt better yet still awful, you bought her flowers and her favorite alcohol. You were grateful for her and everything she did for you. She soon became a reason for you to start fighting the dark again. This time you were hopeful that things could get better. And they did, extremely slow for your liking but you couldn't complain, not after surviving your demons and monsters. 

Natasha stood by your side of every step you took. She even went to therapy with you when you told her you wanted to try it. She made sessions lighter until you were comfortable enough to go alone. Looking back you wanted to cry over how much she sacrificed to help you. You felt guilty about that but she reassured you that she'd do it all over again if she had the chance because it was worth it. You were worth it all. To seeing you smile, to seeing you being you, to gazing into each others eyes, to getting to touch you, to being held by you, to loving you and getting loved by you. 

Sometimes all you need is someone who understands you deeply and helps you simply with their presence. 

[messedupfan]

Chapter 9

Summary: Wanda struggles with how she feels about Y/n's rejection. Y/n struggles to with knowing who they should be with. And Daisy finally gets some action.

A/N: Hello!! So, this is possibly my final chapter of the year! Sorry, I don't think I will get any writing done during my trip and I don't return home until after the New Year starts. But I will interact with those who want to and of course, I'm always active on my discord! As always, like, comment, and enjoy!

Masterlist | All Stories Taglist | All Chapters

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

“Do you want to go see a movie?” Daisy asks as she scrolls through her phone. The two of you are hanging out in her apartment after you dropped Rachel off with Jean. You are laying on her bed with your eyes closed and she is sitting next to you with her back resting against the wall. 

“If that's what you want to do,” you say with your eyes still closed. 

“Or we could just stay in while you mope,” she sarcastically suggests. 

You scowl as you open your eyes, “I'm not moping. I'm just… tired.” You are much more than tired. You spent your entire week with Rachel trying to forget about what you and Wanda did. It was just a kiss and you put a stop to it but it kept playing in your mind and the guilt was eating at you. If the kiss didn't mean anything then you would feel fine with not telling Daisy about it. But it did mean something. It made you feel things you're almost certain that you've never felt before. 

How can you explain to Daisy that you do want to be with her when something inside of you wants to be with someone else? You can't. So you won't. 

“Are you sure you're not moping? Because you look a little down,” Daisy says as she starts to play with your hair. 

“Yeah, I'm fine,” you assure her. “You know me, I hate trade off days.” Daisy believes that's all it is and leans down to give you a kiss. 

“Maybe I can help take your mind off of it,” she says as she starts to crawl on top of you. As much as you don't want to, you kiss back. You hold her against your body. As she starts to deepen the kiss you start to imagine she is someone else. You don't realize that you're doing that until Daisy's roommate, Jemma, barges into the room and you are brought back to reality. The two of you spring apart as if she came at the both of you with a bucket of ice water. Daisy lays one of her pillows on your lap as she asks her friend why she interrupted them. 

“Because I got the concert tickets! I had to let you know!” She says excitedly. 

Daisy hops out of her bed matching the energy of her friend. “You're lying! No way!” She says as she grabs her friend in a tight hug. The two of them hop around the room with joy and you're trying to figure out what kind of concert could make the two of them so happy. “I thought it was sold out! I can't believe it!”

“Uh, what concert are you going to?” You ask as you sit up. 

Daisy stops celebrating with Jemma for a moment and turns to you, “Oh it's just some indie band. You don't really know them. But I can't wait to introduce them to you!” Jemma gives Daisy an odd look and opens her mouth to say something but is stopped by her friend. 

Jemma takes the hint, “Yeah they are really underground. It was only hard to get tickets because, because,” she looks at Daisy for help. 

“Because they only allow like twenty people at their venue,” she says. It's obvious that they are both lying to you but as it is, she's withholding concert information and you're imagining another woman when you kiss her. She can have her secret concert. 

“Alright, that's cool,” you stand up and make sure you have everything in order to leave. “When is the concert? So I can plan around it,” you ask as you look between the two. 

“Next Saturday,” Jemma answers with a big smile. “I was so lucky to score these tickets!” She boasts. 

“Aw, babe, I'm sorry. I don't think I can go. I get Rachel back that day,” you put your hand on Daisy's back and kiss her cheek. She looks a little disappointed but you can't read if she's being genuine or not. She must've known that you wouldn't be able to go to this concert. “I should probably go home. Maybe we can hang out tomorrow or something,” you offer and Daisy’s frown deepens letting you know that she doesn't want you gone. 

“Wait no,” she isn't able to stop you until you're in the living room. “I'm sorry about the interruption but I don't want you to go. Please, come on, I feel like we were,” she dances two fingers down your chest and stops at the top of your jeans. She bites her lips and smiles up at you. “We were finally getting somewhere, you know?” 

You take a deep breath and nod, “I don't think we should do that here. At my place we have privacy. Plus, I feel like I should at least take you on a fancy date before we cross that line.” 

This makes Daisy giggle, “You are too old fashioned sometimes. You know that you're still in your twenties right?” Her remark reminds you of kissing Wanda and you're hit with a pang of guilt. She turns around to look for any of her other roommates and then turns back to you. “I don't need a date, Y/n. We've been on plenty of those. I'll just, I'll meet you at your place. I have a few surprises that I want to bring. Okay?” She gives you a quick kiss and sends you off. 

You sigh once you're in your truck. You look at your phone to see if there are any missed calls or messages but your notifications are empty. You look through your photo album and smile at the pictures of Wanda laughing and the ones of her playing with the kids. You miss her. It's been a week and neither of you has contacted the other and you miss her. But you can't miss her. You have to go home and get ready to be with Daisy for the night. 

Meanwhile, Wanda is cleaning her house to get ready for the boy's return. Her phone won't stop going off with messages from Natasha. The woman was persistent in asking her out tonight but she wasn't in the mood. 

This entire week, all she could think about was how stupid she was for trying to convince you to sleep with her. She can't stop playing it in her head. She was embarrassed that she initiated the kiss, she was embarrassed that she begged for more, she was embarrassed that she gave you the cold shoulder the morning after. She was embarrassed by it all and she doesn't know how she can come back from this mistake. Wanda doesn't even remember much of what happened. She knows she kissed you and started to unbutton your shirt and that you put a stop to it. But she doesn't remember what you said, only partially what she said. Moreso what she was thinking when she watched you talk. 

Wanda shakes her head now to clear those thoughts that haunt her. The two of you are friends. Nothing more than friends. The more she tells herself that, the less she believes it. But for the sake of her boy's friendship with your daughter and your friendship slash professional relationship with her brother, she will force herself to accept that as the only truth. You are her friend and that's all that you will ever be. 

Her phone buzzes again and this time, instead of ignoring it, Wanda picks up the device and opens the explicit image that Natasha sent her. Wanda shrugs and sends a quick invite and the woman informs her that she will be over as soon as possible. Wanda doesn't need a relationship right now. She just needs release and time to find herself again. 

That's what she is going to do. 

“Wow, um,” Daisy clears her throat and shifts awkwardly next to you. “Is it me?” She asks with a frown. 

You shake your head, “No, no. It has nothing to do with you. I’m just in my head. I need to um,” you look around your room to find a solution. “I just have a difficult time relaxing and sometimes I need something,” you climb out of the bed and grab some shorts from the floor and frantically pull them on. “Stay right here, I will be right back,” you kiss her on the lips then leave her in the bedroom. You slide into the kitchen and pour yourself a shot. Then another. And one more for safety. The last time you drop the glass to the counter you look over at your phone and lick your lips as you consider looking through her social media page. But it’s better not to. You felt guilty enough. 

You walk back to the bedroom with a mission, to follow through and make your girlfriend feel desirable. You close your eyes and push through to make Daisy feel good. In the end, you feel better about having done it. There’s a sense of freedom from having finally had sex after so many years. It even overshadows the guilt you would have felt for having to think of someone else in order to get started. But once you did, you brought yourself back to the reality that you are with a beautiful woman and you really got to show her how much you like her. 

Although, once she is asleep in your bed you don't want to stay and snuggle with her. You begin to wish that you had done this at her place so that you could get some distance. Make an excuse to go home. Can't do that when you are home. When you've checked to see that she was truly asleep, you sneak out of the bed and pull on sweatpants before grabbing your pack of cigarettes and your lighter and going out to the balcony. You stand out there and take the time to look within yourself and really consider what you're doing with the girl in your bed. Are you just going to end up hurting her? Despite what you promised Phil, you're not sure if you can prevent that from happening. 

But maybe you won't have to hurt her. It's not like Wanda is a real option. You confessed your feelings to her and she kicked you out of her room, ignored you the next morning, and hasn't reached out to you since. It was clear she doesn't reciprocate those feelings. She's probably keeping you at a distance until you apologize and assure her that you only see her as a friend. Something that she's going to have to wait on because you don't want to have to lie to her. You will if you have to but you're confident that you can get over the crush if you just focus on what's in front of you. 

Twisting the butt of the cigarette on the old ashtray, you walk back inside the apartment and crawl into the bed. It takes you a few minutes but eventually you're able to fall asleep. 

Wanda is sitting on her deck staring out at the colors of the sunset as she smokes a cigarette from the pack she bought the day that she met you. As her lips meet the butt of the cigarette she remembers the way your lips pressed eagerly against hers. How is it that she can remember your touch so vividly, but she can't remember your words? Were you disgusted with her or yourself? Did you tell her to forget that it ever happened? She wasn't aware that she was so drunk that she could forget details of the night like that. 

Wanda clearly remembers pouring her heart out to you. She remembers making the decision to kiss you. But anything after that is all a blur of emotions. Embarrassment remains the shining star so far. As she rolls the cigarette between her fingers she thinks about how she tried to remove your shirt and she scoffs and closes her eyes, ashamed of her actions. Even if you weren't putting an official title on it, you are still seeing someone and she feels horrible that she has put you in the position to lie to that person. Or maybe you didn't lie to her. Maybe you told her right away and she gave you an ultimatum. Did you choose her over Wanda? Is that why you haven't reached out? 

She taps the ash off of the tip of her cigarette as she sighs deeply. If you don't want anything to do with her, that's fine. But she won't let her boys suffer from her mistakes. Not anymore. It's a good thing that she got Jean's number so she can make sure that her boys can keep in touch with their friend without having to always go through you. If you didn't want to be her friend then she was fine with that. Sure, part of her was going to miss you but she wasn't going to fight for the friendship if you are so willing to give it up so easily.

“I had no idea you smoked,” Natasha says from the back door as she adjusts her clothes. 

Wanda blows a cloud of smoke out of her lips, “I don't.” Her monotone reply keeps Natasha from asking anymore questions. 

“Okay, well, I guess I will see you sometime next week?” Natasha awkwardly steps closer to Wanda. It was hard for her to know where she stood with the single mother. When she pursued her, she thought it was just going to be a casual fling. The kind of relationship that she is used to having. But then she was being ignored and there is something magnetic about Wanda that made her fear losing the chance to be with her again. She hopes the feeling passes because she knows that Wanda isn't looking for anything more than what they have. But then she hopes Wanda will have a change of heart. Except when she leans in to give her a kiss, she is given Wanda’s cheek. It's enough for her to realize that this needed to end.

“Yeah, I'll um, I'll call you,” Wanda says without looking at the blonde woman. 

“Okay,” she does her best to hold the tears back until she is at the front door. Although this is what she signed up for, she knows that this isn't what she deserves. Without letting the divorcee know, she promises herself that this is the last time she comes to this house. 

Over the course of the week, you lose sleep because Daisy is knocking on your door after her shift is over. She brought an overnight bag on Sunday and practically moved in with you for the week. It was nice to have someone in your bed again. Although, opening up the relationship to a more sexual aspect has shifted the dynamic a bit. Neither of you talk to each other anymore because why have a meaningful conversation when you can be pleasuring and exploring each other in a more physical way? Most importantly, it keeps your mind off of Wanda and the pain you feel everyday when you realize that the friendship is probably over. 

It's not until Saturday when you're saying goodbye to Daisy before your daughter gets dropped off that you remember the other reason you pulled away. You didn't want to complicate things for the kids' friendship. Now you aren't sure what to say to Rachel if she asks to hang out with the boys today. You hope she wants to have a playdate with other friends or is even okay with just hanging out with you. 

You check the time when you feel like she should have been dropped off already and call Jean to find out what's taking so long. As you open your phone you notice quite a few missed notifications and check your messages. Your heart sinks when you read and find out that you are going to have to pick her up from Wanda’s house a couple of hours from now. You close your eyes and take a few breaths to prepare yourself to go over there again. 

It's been two weeks now with no contact. Was it going to be weird to pick up your daughter? Will she allow you to explain yourself? Should you stay in your car and honk for her to send Rachel out? You aren't sure what to do or how to act. You shake your head at yourself as you start to feel a little ridiculous. You needed to pull it together. You need to be an adult and try to work through this awkward phase. Is it worth it to lose this friendship over a kiss and confusing feelings? No, it is not. 

You check the time again and get in the shower to wash up. You get dressed in something a little nicer than you normally wear to her house. Then you decide to drive out to the liquor store to get her a peace offering. You find a bottle called “Enchanted Rock,” a vodka that you've only had once before. You can't remember if it was good or not but it sticks out to you because of the song your daughter would play in the car on the way to and from Wanda’s house. 

You pick up a couple of packs of cigarettes now that you're low from how much you've been smoking lately. Looking at the wall of cigarettes, you recognize the brand Wanda bought the day you met her and ask for a pack. Just in case. You stop by a pharmacy to grab a few extra things. A plain gift bag to hide the presents and a few candies to add. Then you find a card that says, “I messed up big time,” and although you don't feel like you did anything wrong, you feel as though that's the best card for this situation. When you open the card it already has the words “I'm sorry,” printed on it. As you sit in your truck you take a moment to think about what you want to say. Do you want to write a novel expressing your feelings? Or do you want to keep it simple? 

To keep things from getting complicated further, you decide to keep it simple. You write, “Let's forget it happened. Please can we go back to being friends?” You look it over a couple of times to make sure your handwriting is legible. When you're satisfied, you look at the time and realize that you're running late. 

You arrive at Wanda’s house a few minutes later and before you’re out of the car, Rachel is running and ready to go. You give her a big hug and help her to the truck. You keep looking back at the closed door to Wanda’s house and wonder if you should take this as a sign to leave it alone. She is going to keep the kids connected through your ex until it's no longer a friendship. Until there is no reason for either of you to talk to each other. Is that what you wanted? 

You look down at the gift bag in your hand and consider tossing it in the truck and driving away. Following her lead. But maybe the peace offering will prevent the long game of avoiding each other. Maybe it will restore everything to normal. “What’s that?” Rachel asks as she points to the red gift bag. 

“Uh it was a gift for miss Wanda,” you say as you look down at the bag again. “She’s kind of mad at me right now so I don’t know if it’s a good time to give it to her.” 

“Well, did you apologize to her?” She asks as she looks past you to the house her friends live in.

“This is my apology,” you admit. 

“Then you have to give it to her, Baba!” Rachel nudges you backwards. “Go!” She insists. You nod and shut the door on her side of the truck, telling her that you’ll be a moment. You nervously check your watch as you walk up to her door. You lightly knock once but she doesn’t answer the door. You look back at Rachel, who is watching from the window and gives you a thumbs up. You feel like a kid again, her mom made the same gesture when you were in high school and was asking some girl to the homecoming dance. But you aren’t that awkward kid anymore that needs their best friend to encourage them every step of the way. 

You knock again, this time with more confidence and more persistence. You feel more sure of yourself as you wait for an answer. But the door doesn’t move. So you ring the doorbell next. It’s one of those smart ones with the camera and you realize she could see you the entire time. You sigh. 

“Wanda, please, can we talk?” You ask with a solemn tone. There is no change so you try harder. “I know that I shouldn’t have told you that I have feelings for you but I couldn’t-”

The door swings open to reveal a wide eyed Wanda. “You said what?” 

You’re thrown off by her confusion. “Is that not why you’re not talking to me? Is it because I kissed you back, was it a test?”

Wanda shakes her head, “Wait, no, you’re the one not talking to me because I kissed you.”

“No, I haven’t reached out because I thought you hated me. You wouldn’t even look at me the next morning,” you admit. The two of you stand there confused and staring at each other trying to piece together each other's misunderstandings. “I brought you something as an apology for the way I acted that night and the weeks that followed,” you hold the gift out to her and Wanda is crushed with guilt as she accepts it. 

“Why are you apologizing? I’m clearly the one in the wrong here,” she says as she admires the plain bag with tissue paper sticking out. You told her once that your mom taught you how to do that when you were very young and you loved arranging gifts because of it. “You really shouldn’t have. But thank you,” she opens her arms to wrap them around you and you step into the hug. “I’m sorry that I was being childish. I don’t know why I started to assume the worst in you.” Wanda says into your shoulder. 

“Can I ask what you thought?” You ask as you step back. “I’d be happy to tell you my thoughts in exchange." Wanda fiddles with the strap of the gift bag as she nervously explains that she thought you were given an ultimatum and didn’t choose her. You shake your head with a frown. “No, um, that uh, she doesn’t know that it happened. But we are officially together now so I figured um now was a better time than any to tell you that although I meant what I said that night, I’m not expecting you to return those feelings. I have someone who I also really like and she has some strong feelings for me… I think.” She asks you what you mean by that and you go on to describe your side of the events and she starts to blush, moreso from embarrassment than from flattery. 

Wanda nods as she bites her bottom lip, “I actually didn’t remember that part of the night. I just remember thinking that you looked very attractive and I wanted to kiss you. Well, clearly I wanted to do more than kiss you but we’ve been over that.” She awkwardly laughs and you join in because it’s what feels right to do in the moment. “So the two of you made it official?”

“I, well, kind of?” You say, unsure of yourself. “We have definitely taken things further but I think we’re close to a conversation.” 

Wanda nods and does her best to hide her disappointment with a smile. “That’s really great. I’m glad things are going well.” She looks at the gift in her hand and then remembers that you have a little girl in your car that is probably anxious to get home. “Alright, well, I won’t keep eating your time with Rachel. I’m glad one of us is mature enough to want to communicate.” she jokes and you smile in acknowledgement. “I will go back to texting you and calling you. I promise and thank you again.” She goes in for one more hug and you accept it. The two of you say your goodbyes and each of you are filled with relief as you separate. Wanda slides against the front door with a grin on her face, feeling giddy from hearing that you have deeper feelings for her. She knew that with Daisy in the picture nothing was going to happen and right now, she isn’t in the best state of mind to take on a relationship. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t revel in the fact that someone likes her. 

Meanwhile you are singing word for word of the song that Rachel loves to play on the ride home from Wanda’s and Rachel sings along with you as she celebrates the idea that her plan might work after all.

Chapter 10

Taglist: @princessprudy @sayah13 @agaymilflover @awkwardmandalorian @bentleywolf29 @thatshyboy1998 @artisannat @thisischaismagic @wqndanat @madamevirgo @likefirenrain @tearsofglitter @feltlikethat @the-writer-arcane @natashasilverfox @karsonromanoff @aloneodi @lovelyy-moonlight @red1culous @jovialsublimecomputer @natasha-maximoff @iliketozoneout @doudouneverte @druggedduck @notbornbutforged @when-wolves-howl @lifespectator @justyourwritter69 @wandaromamoff69 @awesomelygayasf @nekoannie-chan @diaryoflife @wuwu96 @wandanats-goodgirl @sincerely-indi @blueredg52 @sisiwritesfanfics @fuzzyuniversityeclipsefriend @arcturusseer @scarlettwidow34 @chasethemoon @raven-ss @canyonyodeler @sokovianbaby @alexawynters @knellyc30

[loganswdc]

so....! yesterday's race was.... something....

firstly LET'S GO OSCAR !!!! HECK YEAH I'M SO PROUD OF HIM I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT TO SEE HIM WIN HIS FIRST RACE !??!?!?! i do feel awful for lando ,, that entire situation created by mclaren was entirely unnecessary . their bullshit reason saying they needed to cover hamilton hence why lando got pitted first is so stupid -- it's like they realized they messed up and suddenly needed to come up with something to explain it .

it's especially frustrating because that entire mess that mclaren created only made it so that no matter what happened , fans would be mad: if lando won , people would be pissed that oscar didn't get his first win . oscar won , and now people are pissed that lando didn't win . and the entire win for oscar just doesn't feel the way it should: the energy surrounding his first win isn't as positive and exciting as it should be .

and that genuinely makes me so sad for oscar , because i know he's been waiting for this day . he's been waiting for his first win , and it's completely dampened and stomped on because of mclaren's awful strategy calls near the end . i was genuinely yelling at the screen when they pitted lando first , because what was that for ?? why pit him first ?? he did NOT need to cover hamilton , like there was genuinely no need for that . they were leagues away and lando was fast enough that he could have pitted second and still gotten p2 , or lando and oscar could have actually fought for p1 . and it wouldn't have had this bad , awkward energy around it like it does now .

mclaren seriously needs to get their shit together because they're only harming both of their drivers through these things . and them airing out dirty laundry (considering how they were saying "you need the team to win this championship" or how his race engineer mentioned the morning debriefs , etc. etc.) and trying to guilt trip lando over the radio is actually insane !!

it was honestly just a mess .

i also lowkey found it so funny how lewis was trying to break the tension in the cooldown room and lando was just NOT having it . bro was so mad , he threw his p2 cap on the floor and lewis just side-eyed him 😭 multi-21 all over again literally and lewis is in the middle of it , poor guy HAHA

now on to logan's race !! i felt so bad for him , i know he could have done well but unfortunately he had a really bad start and it all just went downhill from there :( the tyre strategy they had him on was... it actually pulled out of no man's land . i genuinely don't get what they were trying to go for there . it seriously sucks man , this weekend was almost his weekend and then it all went to hell 😭 his post-race interview broke me , too . the fact he looked like he was about to sob and said that start will haunt him ... please someone give him a HUG i need him to know we're so proud of him no matter what . shit start or not he did everything he could to fight for positions in that race :(

i was genuinely so confused about what their thought process was ,, and then the fact that logan had to pit for softs at the end because his hard tyres were destroyed... ugh . and we know logan is good at tyre management !! like that man gets a new set of tyres and he is gonna treat em REAL GOOD . so it just goes to show how much of a mess the tyre strategy was .

especially considering how on the radio alex was practically yelling at his engineer for being indecisive with the strategy , saying that the tyres are destroyed already and that they need to be more sure with what they want to do . williams seriously needs to start listening to both their drivers , honestly . it's incredible to me that this tyre fiasco happens SO often on race weekends . they need to get it fixed , and they need to fix it now.

also the fact we found out that alex's teammate is going to be revealed in two weeks... i am actually terrified !! i need either logan to stay with williams and they pull themselves together or he goes to another team that will treat him better .

overall this race was just . it was something . exciting for oscar , but still dampened by mclaren's mess ups and logan's race was doomed from the beginning , both because of his unfortunate start and tyre strat :/

hopefully next week will be better , for everyone , and the teams will get their shit together !!

and that concludes my weekly rant session , thank you very much for reading <3

[marblecakemix]

I loooove my baby brother. (tw: misogyny, kys)

Today I made breakfast for both of us, bc he was sick and I was feeling generous. Throughout he was saying how much he loves me and appreciates that I'm making the breakfast (I don't cook often, bc of low energy aka adhd).

We were just talking casually. I was telling him a story and the moral of it was for him to not underestimate women's ability to find a man on the internet and make his life worse (if that said men did something bad). His reaction to that was "why so gendered?" - his exact words. I tried to laugh it off in oh you know, women are just better at that because they need to save themselves from dangerous men. He didn't understand why I was telling him that, so I explained that it's a warning for him to not cheat in a relationship. He did not like that one bit lmao. He said that I was awful assuming he would do that, I didn't think so, bcuz mostly men chest on their girlfriends and wives, which now he was pissed because how dare I say women's crimes are not equal to men's. He started going on about how women are more awful than men. How they cheat more and SA more than men, which is a fat lie and I did call him out on it. Throughout our conversation I was always supporting those imaginary women without skipping the beat. In the end he stared at me dead in the eyes and said that he wanted to kill me on the spot. We argued some more after that. My last words were that he is, in fact, the problem. I quickly dressed up and walked out of the house.

I know I don't have a self-preserving instinct, but I can't stop myself from challenging his beliefs. This however is not the first time he said to me that he wanted to kill me, so I knew I was somewhat safe (I know I'm not).

I hate it. He used to be such a nice person. He used to be my little baby brother whom I loved dearly. I fucking hate every Andrew Tate guy out there that distroied him. No matter how much I or my mom tell him that he shouldn't listen to him and other guys on YouTube, he still does it. I hate men so much. I really hate them with a burning passion. I also hate the new "feminism" movement that imbedded the idea that we all are equal in him. I really hate it all.

[slaythebirdman]

does the peanut choir in Quiets head become too much? Does he ever just stare into space engaging in the latest nonsensep while the princess can only wonder what is going on in there? and conversely does the princess ever have times when all of her facets pulling in different directions become too much?

💗 the times where the princess interrupts the voices because birdie has been silent for a really long time were sooo funny. i understand that the game can't make that joke every single time the voices go on and on, but the peanut choir really cannot keep quiet, can they?

(as a side note, what the hell is going on with the poll? why is smitten so popular? i honestly cannot stand him. yellow and i will be posting our individual tier lists for the voices at some point, and smitten is easy at the very bottom for me. if anyone could explain the hype, i'd appreciate it)

The voices can be... distracting.

- The Voices™ are great, really, don't get him wrong. They all mean the best, even if they have wildly different opinions on pretty much everything. But with those differing opinions comes many, many, many arguments, and while it's possible for the Quiet to tune them all out, he feels kind of bad about leaving them alone.

- Sometimes he can't help but engage in the conversation, especially when they often involve himself or an important decision. Usually nowadays it's all trivial matters, and the Quiet finds silent entertainment in sitting back and listening to them all bicker about proper grammar or music tastes.

-The Quiet is pretty decent at responding to the voices in his head, though he will sometimes slip up. He might be washing the dishes and the Princess will walk by and hear him mutter, "This plate was too expensive, I'm not turning it into a shiv."

- There are times when he doesn't realize, however, that the Princess is standing nearby--often right in front of him--with a questioning look, playing her game of "How Long Will it Take for the Bird to Notice Me." The Quiet has before emerged from his own head to a hand waving in his face, to a card game being all set up and ready to go, to hats being stacked on his head. The Princess finds it entertaining at least and doesn't seem to mind too much when he spaces out mid-conversation.

- Sometimes she asks what was going on in there. Sometimes the Quiet can't answer without hours and hours of context. When that's the case, the Princess tells him that she's lost interest.

- The few times where the arguing becomes too much and he can't help but shut them out, he feels awful. It's just too much for his head to handle sometimes. The Princess knows that the Quiet needs some dim lights, cuddles, soft kisses, and whispered reassurances. The voices are all pretty apologetic when he finally tunes back into them and are quieter for a while after.

- A few of the voices have gotten to know the signs of the Quiet reaching his breaking point. Usually it's the Narrator who notices first, though there are times when he's too caught up in an argument to realize. The Paranoid or the Cold are the most likely to notice after the Narrator. The Hero is... bad at realizing, but once he's made aware, he is one of the most active in getting everyone to cool down or at least be quieter.

The facets can be overwhelming.

- The Princess does sometimes experience something similar, though instead of voices in her head, she gets strong, conflicting emotions. She has to sit out and take a breather lest she blow up at the Quiet out of frustration like she used to, allow herself to listen to and feel all of her emotions, understand what they're trying to tell her. It's exhausting and takes a lot of mental energy.

- Some facets will overtake others. It's easier for the Quiet to tell if facets like the Beast or the Witch are the most dominating, and he's quickly able to advise the Princess to take a deep breath and take some time to herself. Ones like the Prisoner and the Damsel, though, are more difficult to detect and are scary in their own right.

- She'll often disappear into the bedroom and close all the curtains to lay in the darkness in silence. The Quiet knows not to disturb her, waiting for her to come back on her own time, offering a hug, a cup of tea, a game, or an ear if she needs it.

- The Princess still loses her cool sometimes, angry tears streaming down her cheeks as she races to the bedroom and slams the door shut. She's incredibly ashamed and apologetic after she's taken time to collect herself, and the Quiet is understanding and reassuring.

...

- They're both aware of what each other needs by now, able to offer the right kind of support without really needing to ask. It's not always easy, but it's them.

[dawneternal]

Just a Favor | pt 6 | Gwynriel

✦ This one is short but the next one has smut so it evens out lol

✦ Warnings: vague talk of intimacy (discussing accepting the bond)

✦ Word Count: 1k

✦ AO3 Link

✦ Masterlist

Gwyn and Azriel made their way back to the House of Wind later that night. Between kisses and laughter and talking, far more time had passed than they had realized. Both were surrounded in a happy glow, oblivious to everything but the contented hum of the bond. They could not bear to separate just yet, settling into the private library at the House to talk to just a little longer.

All the while, Gwyn was planning her own moment. She was determined to sweep him away as he had done for her.

Azriel woke late the next morning, so late that training had ended a half hour before. At first, the only thing he could feel was that glimmering golden thread. He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, blinking in the bright sunlight.

That happiness faded a little as he caught sight of his shadows. They were restless, like they'd been up before him and waiting for him to wake. And one was missing.

He jumped up from the bed and quickly pulled on his clothes, running a hand through his bed-head to smooth it down. He grabbed a pair of boots, stuffed clean socks into them, and ran out of his room.

Nesta and Cassian lounged in the sitting room off of the kitchen. Their heads snapped up in tandem, eyes dragging over him.

“Have you seen Gwyn?” He asked, the words coming out in a rush. He did not know how to explain why he knew that Gwyn and the missing shadow would be in the same place. A gut feeling, he supposed.

“She left a while ago,” Nesta watched him with an expression he couldn't name, “I don't know where though.”

Azriel grimaced and turned on his heel in the direction of the balcony.

“See you in a while, brother,” Cassian chuckled. And then grumbled when Nesta elbowed him.

Azriel ignored them both, tugging on his socks and boots, knotting the laces as quickly as he could. His shadows buzzed with energy.

Take me to her. He pleaded. He couldn't tell if they were worried or excited, another unusual thing. He could always read them well.

Priestess. Valkyrie. Love. Was their response.

The shadows carried him toward the mountains. He found himself standing on the edge of a green meadow, shrouded in mist. The sky overhead was filled with deep grey clouds, threatening to overflow at any moment.

And there was Gwyn, standing beside a picnic blanket, draped in a gauzy white dress with flowers in her hair. She smiled at him, her teal eyes and copper hair so bright against the green and grey around her. The missing shadow swirled around her body.

Relief filled Azriel's being, the rest of his shadows dancing to meet her and their lost friend. She was alright.

“What is this?” He asked, a smile spreading as he walked toward her. A large picnic basket sat in the grass beside the blanket. Thunder rumbled in the distance but he barely heard it.

“They found you,” Gwyn grinned, clasping her hands together. She looked so beautiful like this, the flowy dress hugging her curves and fluttering around her shoulders and ankles. The flowers tucked into her braids matched the ones dotted through the meadow.

“I have no idea why one of my shadows decided to leave and pester you,” He shook his head, resisting the urge to reach out and pull her close. To feel her form beneath his hands.

“Oh, I called it,” She said, eyes gleaming as she tilted her head to the side, “I needed help with my surprise.”

Azriel stared at her in awe. It hardly seemed possible, and yet….Gwyn was full of surprises. Gentle scattered raindrops began to fall around them.

“I didn't think it would rain,” She wrinkled her nose, “The clouds gathered so fast. We may have to rethink the location.”

“What's the surprise?” Azriel swallowed hard, looking down at the picnic basket. Dare he hope?

“I made food,” She said softly, suddenly shy, “I asked Cassian what kinds of foods they cook for each other in the camps and he said sourdough bread was one of them. So I made sourdough bread.”

She gestured toward the basket. Azriel could not help the thing stirring in his stomach.

“But…” He started, his voice low and gravelly, “The bond…if I eat it, then-”

“I know,” Gwyn blushed and took a step toward him, fiddling with her dress, “I realized that I am ready. If it was anyone else, maybe not. But since it's you….”

She locked eyes with him, shy and searching. His gaze was full of desire, admiration, and disbelief that she was his. The rain was becoming more steady, now, making the fabric of her dress see through and revealing the freckled skin underneath. Azriel did not think he minded the rain so much.

“But I…” He said, cursing his brain for being overcome by the shape of her body in that dress, “And you-”

“Azriel,” Gwyn cut him off, “I packed a bag.”

“You…packed a bag?” He repeated. He noticed for the first time the backpack sitting beside the picnic basket. How observant he was, today.

“Yes,” She chuckled, “With clothes and tonic. And Rhysand told Clotho I will be gone. I made you food and I packed a bag.”

Azriel took a shaky breath and brought his hands to rest on her waist. She tossed her arms around his neck and smiled up at him with rosy cheeks.

“So whisk me away, shadowsinger,” She whispered, leaning in so close that her lips nearly brushed his.

“Where to, Valkyrie?” He said, “There's a few options.”

“I will not honeymoon in the House of Wind and subject myself to that teasing,” She pursed her lips, eyes twinkling. The raindrops fell heavier, a few sparkling in her hair like dew drops.

“Then there's my apartment in Velaris, or the cabin in the mountains,” He was not particularly fond of the idea of Nesta and Cassian meddling with things.

“I am very intrigued by your secret apartment, but the cabin sounds farthest away from prying eyes. And if we don't get out of the rain soon, my bread will be ruined.”

“Cabin it is,” Azriel reluctantly let her go and tossed her backpack over his shoulder. She gathered the blanket and basket in her arms and tucked her hand into his.

She gave him one more wide grin before they winnowed, and Azriel's heart was so full it ached.

[mooodyblue]

heyy i saw that requests are open and i was wondering if you could do like 70s elvis helping the reader who’s having a bad day? like they’re just sad for no reason and elvis comforts them?

if not no worries bestie

ty for the request! hope you enjoy 💕 comfort fics r always a favorite of mine.

pairing: 70s!elvis x gn!reader

wc: 1k

➸ masterlist

you were always one to keep your emotions bottled up inside. you never bothered anyone with your feelings or discussed them with your boyfriend. it was pointless especially when elvis had his own problems to deal with too. maybe you’d cry about it to yourself when nobody was around, but most of the time you’d tell yourself oh well, i’ll move on tomorrow.

but today, you just couldn't be bothered with anything. something was off and even elvis could tell. it started with you sleeping later than usual, his efforts of forcing you to get up out of bed failing. he’d grown frustrated with you, upset that he couldn't have breakfast with his own partner. it wasn't all that hard to get up out of bed, what was your problem?

then you moped around graceland all day. your answers were short, you were hesitant on eating and drinking water. you barely cracked a smile.

then it clicked in his brain—you just weren't having a good day.

elvis loved to spoil you on both good and bad days. he was always buying jewelry or clothes, even having things personally made just for you. despite countless times of you scolding him for doing so, he never stops.

he knew you needed something more than just just pretty, sparkly things today. his love for gift giving wasn't going to work on you.

the two of you lazed on the sofa while you were still distanced from elvis, awfully quiet with sad eyes. he pressed his lips to your temple, putting an arm around your shoulder. “honey,” he whispered sweetly into your ear. “you can talk t’me. whatever's on your mind, i’m all ears.”

you gave him a soft smile and a nod, your eyes focused back onto the tv in front of you.

“baby, talk to me.” he begged, “what's goin’ on? you won't talk t’me, you barely look at me. you just ain't yourself today, c'mon.”

you sighed, looking into your lap. “it’s just—” you honestly didn't have an answer. there wasn't a real way to explain why you felt so awful. “i don't know, elvis. i just feel sad.”

“sad?” he questioned, “did somethin’ happen? is it me?”

“no, no. not at all. not you, not anything. nothing happened.” you replied quickly. “sometimes i just get that way. no reason at all.”

he frowned and stood up, going to shut the tv off. “alright, baby. c'mon. i ain't gonna have that today.” he held his hand out to get you up off the sofa. before he said anything, he pulled you into a hug. “i’m sorry you’re havin’ a bad day, darlin'. you know i hate seein’ you so sad.”

elvis embraced you for a bit, the scent of his cologne and aftershave bringing you an odd sense of comfort. he made you feel safe. “you don't deserve t’feel sad at all, baby. not at all. i wish i could take away all those nasty lil’ thoughts inside that brain of yours.”

he pulled away to cup your cheeks, giving you a small smile. “‘n y'know darlin'…i am just so proud of you. you got outta bed t’day, brushed your teeth ‘n got yourself all pretty for the day. that's a big ol’ accomplishment.” his lips pressed against your forehead, gazing into your eyes for a few moments. “i’m gonna make it my goal to get a smile from ya. a real one, not just a tiny side one.”

with the snap of his fingers, an idea popped into his head. “how ‘bout a lil’ tlc? go for a walk around the garden ’n get some fresh air.”

“i don't know, el....” you looked out the window and back at him, the effort of walking around for a while just seeming like too much to bare. there wasn't much energy in your system, but you could do with a bit of sun.

“how ‘bout this then…” he took your hand, squeezing it softly. “just try steppin’ out the door. stand there ‘n take in that fresh air. how's that?”

that you could do. you agreed to step outside, just standing there with him as he had an arm around you—watching the birds fly by and listening to them chirp in the air. it was nice out, the sun was a bit too much at first but your eyes adjusted. it was nice taking in the outside air for once.

“wait right there.” elvis suddenly unattached himself from you, a confused look on your face as he walked off for a few minutes.

but to your surprise, he came back from around the house with a wide grin on his face. “now…i know i can't just magically make you not sad.” his hands were behind his back, his cheeks slightly pink. “but..maybe…” he brought his hands out, holding out dandelions that looked twice as small in his large hands. “for you, darlin’” he smiled.

your eyes widened, taking the tiny bundle of flowers in your hand.

“i-i-i can’t exactly go out ‘n get ya roses or anything like that right now s-so…these’ll have t’ do…” he was almost embarrassed, like he didn't know what to do that didn't involve buying you things. “ain't nothin’ special.”

“are you kidding?” you laughed, “you pulled them yourself. of course they're special.”

“w-well…i’m glad i could make you smile, honey.” he laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “and hey, i said i’d make you give me a real smile today. look at that, baby. you laughed. my favorite song.” he pecked at your lips, proudly beaming at you. “we can head inside and put ‘em in a nice lil’ jar. proud of ya for comin’ outside for a bit.”

you smiled at him again, your eyes lighting up at his sweet words with a nod. “sure, okay.”

he brought you inside, making sure the dandelions were on a sweet display on the dining table in their tiny glass jar. a sweet reminder of his love. “now, how 'bout some iddytream for my sweet lil’ baby?”

[benis-chillin]

Thoughts and theories on Sonic Prime

So, Sonic Prime has ended, good fellers, and since it's a Sonic thing, I shall simply say…

My feelings are mixed.

So, let's start off with just saying that the animation and voice acting? All good. If the English game cast blew up in a mysterious gas leak, these guys would make for fine replacements. The fight scenes are fluid, though do get a bit repetitive in the final few episodes(cause I think they were running low on budget), and everyone moves better than they have in the games…Maybe ever? Music is passable, but outside of the main theme, it's fairly forgettable. I think they used some game music in those sprites scenes that suck ass, so I don't see why they couldn't use a tune or two. At least use "All Hail Shadow" once, dude.

However, I feel that the writing and premise lets it all down. The premise feels like it would be better for a game or IDW arc instead of the rare animated series, especially since this show doesn't establish what Sonic's world is SUPPOSED to be like for new audiences. Sure, the games are at a decent level of popularity recently, and the movies have boosted the brand considerably in the public consciousness, but at least one episode before we start hopping around the multiverse would've made the stakes feel a bit tighter. Just because this is the game world doesn't mean you can skip basic shit like that. A status quo needs to be established for it to be shaken up.

And yes, I did say this is the game world. Prime is, by standards I will explain in a bit, canon. Sonic fans have been arguing against this because of little details, like Green Hill being used interchangeably with Sonic's world(even though they never outright state that they're the same thing, leading me to believe this is simply a weird writing quirk), Sonic not noting other Metal Sonics exist when Chaos Sonic is introduced(even though he never says, "I have never seen a Metal Sonic before in my life!" Or anything like that), and Sonic having particularly shaky characterization(bad writing doesn't dictate canonicity, as otherwise the 2010's games wouldn't be canon either).

All of this is not good writing, to be sure, and Sega should've cracked down a bit harder on that stuff while making this show, but nothing here outright contradicts canon, if you know what a contradiction ACTUALLY is. It's an ongoing problem in the Sonic community that they don't know how to lore at all, and Prime is a good example of this. You don't have to like Prime, but if you count Colors or Lost World as canon, then you have no reason to not include Prime. Otherwise, you're just basing canon on what you do or don't like, which is an AWFUL approach to canonicity.

Personally, I slot it between Lost World and Forces for the moment, but this could change at a later date. Now, let's sit down and speculate on some things.

What are the Shatterspaces?

Long explanation short, I don’t believe the Shatterspaces to be a traditional multiverse setup. They aren’t variants of Sonic’s universe in the traditional sense, but rather partial worlds built on “fragments” of Sonic and company’s collective psyche, and this concept can explain a few things.

(Note: This is purely fan speculation, and not Objective Canon Zone. We’ve gotten past that point)

Let’s break down each Shatterspace.

New Yoke is a dimension entirely overrun by the Chaos Counsel. Nature has been weeded out, and people live by the “mercy” of the Eggmen.

However, this Space is the only one with any Eggman variants, and this is very deliberate, because New Yoke is Eggman’s dream made manifest by the Prism. Remember, his robot was holding it when Sonic shattered it, so it’s logical that at least SOME of that energy came into his control. Hey, if anyone besides Sonic could control it, it would probably be Eggman, right? And when they make a giant construct at the end of Season 2, it looks like regular Eggman, so maybe there’s something to that?

But of course, that begs the question: Why 5 Eggmen?

Well, 5 Shatterspaces.

New Yoke-Mr. Doctor Eggman

The most similar to mainline Eggman, it feels best that he represent this Shatterspace.

Boscage Maze-Dr. Deep

The more zen of the 5, who may have more of a connection to nature than the others. For the crime of possibly having touched grass, I give this Shatterspace to him. The closest to a nature side that Eggman has.

No Zone-Dr. Don’t

This one is a stretch, but bear with me.

This version of Eggman is still a youth, likely to have wanted adventure and freedom before reality set in and he chose instead to zone out to his video games and other electronic forms of entertainment as a substitute for the action he craved. Eggman’s a playful sort when he’s not trying to rule the world, so it’s JUST possible enough.

The Grim-Dr. Babble

(Where the hell did he get a doctorate as an infant?)

A Shatterspace fairly undeveloped, its potential not yet fully tapped, much like dear Babble himself. Also a representation of Eggman’s childishness, though perhaps it more links to his feelings of being neglected as a child, as hinted at in the Frontiers audio logs? Who knows?

Ghost Hill-Dr. Done-it.

A shadow of the past, barely hanging on, just waiting to die out so the new hotness can take over completely.

Also looks oddly like Eggman Nega? Idk.

However, these are merely reflections of what the Shatterspaces already represent, which are aspects of Sonic's Personality…Save for New Yoke and Ghost Hill. The former is mostly Eggman’s domain, and the latter is just what was left after the Shattering.

Also, I believe the Shattering to be an event localized to Green Hill, and not encompassing all of Sonic’s world, which would explain why they use the terms interchangeably. I can’t fully explain WHY I feel that way, just have a gut feeling this is how it works. My main basis for this is the flashback in New Yoke where Rouge and Knuckles are just in Green Hill when the Eggmen take over, suggesting that perhaps they were “localized” when the Shattering redistributed them.

Oh yeah, let’s explain that. It seems that Sonic’s friends, along with ALL of Green Hill’s residents, didn’t have much control over how they were split among the Shatterspaces, but aspects of them clearly adapted to the worlds they were placed in. For example, Rouge and Knuckles both took charge of the Resistance in New Yoke, which fits them well enough. Knuckles commanded the Resistance in Forces, and Rouge is literally a government spy in the main universe, after all.  Amy likely defended nature in this world, and paid the price for it when the Eggmen turned her into a cyborg. Tails seems to have withdrawn into himself completely, becoming Nine. This universe was made by a villain, so these versions are the darkest ones we could get. The bad ending.

Anyway, back to the other ones.

Boscage Maze represents Sonic’s love of nature, and is thus dominated by it. The people who live in this Space are thus devoted to their natural world, which adapts to be a primitive society led by more primitive urges driven by the need for survival. Rouge naturally leads again, and her more devious nature shines through as a part of her survival instincts, but she’s still doing better than her New Yoke version. Knuckles leans so far into his naivete from growing up on Angel Island alone that it gets remixed into paranoia, Big is Big, Tails seems to have still been isolated to the point of going somewhat feral, but is accepted nowadays by his peers(and has a knack for technology when he finds himself somewhere that it exists), and Amy vehemently defends nature to the point of absurdity. Much like how New Yoke is an example of technology being too dominant,  Boscage leans towards going too far in the other direction. The people don’t suffer as much, but they still DO suffer in the end if they don’t work together for a better tomorrow.

No Zone is Sonic’s love of adventure, and everyone in this space represents that. Tails is at his best, being very sociable and accepted by his peers with no hesitancies, clearly. Knuckles' desire for “me beauty” might be a memory of the Master Emerald, but I wouldn’t put too much money in that. Another theory is that it ties into his role as a treasure hunter, without any echidna honor to reel in any greed. This is overall the most positive Space here, tbh. 

The Grim is simple possibility. The future, what lies ahead for Sonic. He rarely looks to it, never plans it out, instead choosing to just live in the moment, but it’s always there waiting for him.

And yeah, that’s it. The only remaining question is where are these Shatterspaces now that the Prism is restored, and the main universe returned to normal? Well, Sonic gave the energy back that the Prism needed and it didn’t kill anyone, so it’s likely that they exist permanently now, stable outside of the main “multiverse.” Different from a dimension like Blaze’s, and the split timeline caused by Generations. But that’s just speculation. Who knows if these concepts will ever appear again?

Idk, could make for a good fanfic.

[aurasoulhikari]

Zexal Month Week 2 Day 5: C is for Chaos

@zexalmonth Did I use this day to make the Barian Lore we never got from the show? Yes. Am I sorry? Hell no!

"Yuma don't touch the water!"

"Huh? Why?" Nasch or Shark, depending who's asking, sighed at Yuma who stood near a lake on Barian World and asked himself how he got himself in this situation.

'Oh yeah because no doesn't belong in his vocabulary.' Shark thought with a deadpanned expression. After the battle against Don Thousand and establishing peace between Astral World and Barian World with Yuma’s and Astral's help along with stabilizing the planet with the Numeron Code courtesy of Astral, Yuma had begged Shark to let him see Barian World now that the planet was decently safe for its citizens and outsiders. Shark had been unsure in bringing Yuma to his planet due to things he experienced there but Yuma assured him that compared to the time he went to Astral World it had been a walk in the park. (Shark didn't believe him for a second though given he saw Yuma's memories thanks to the resonance of his Baria Lapis and Yuma's Emperor's Key) So after much persuasion here he was acting as Yuma's guide to Barian World. And of course Yuma was driving him crazy.

"The waters are dangerous for Barians. It burns us. Who knows how bad it'll be for humans." He stated.

"But you and Astral helped fix things up with the Numeron Code, right?" Yuma asked. "So I'm sure it's fine."

"You’re too optimistic and a hazard to your health." Shark snapped. But he stayed close to Yuma as he kneeled down next to the water. Yuma carefully reached just barely touching the water surface and moved back.

"Well?" Shark asked.

"No burning but it is warm." Yuma admitted. "Come on, give it a try!"

Shark looked at the water suspiciously for a moment but then sighed. He did worked with Astral to make this place more safe for his people. Might as well test things out now then later. He reached and carefully touched the water just as Yuma said there was no burning but a warm sensation. He cupped the water for some to fill in the palm of his hand before letting it pour down his hand.

"Warm right?" Yuma grinned, making Shark glance at him and huff amused.

"Guess it is." He relented, moving his hand back. He waved his hands over the water letting his Chaos flow making it glow much to Yuma's awe.

"That was your Chaos, right?" Yuma asked.

"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure there was nothing dangerous in the water." Shark stated. Yuma looked at his best friend and a thought occurred to him.

"How does it all work for you guys?" Yuma asked. "I mean I get you guys aren’t entirely made out of energy like Astral so..."

"Well it's true we're not entirely made of energy like Astral beings but that doesn’t mean we don't need it either." Shark huffed, standing to which Yuma followed. "Barians have a Baria Crystal inside them that acts as our hearts in a way it’s also our Soul as well and keeps us alive with Chaos."

"But I thought you used your Baria Lapis to use Chaos." Yuma said, confused.

"It acts as more of a medium for us especially when we're in places that don't have chaos in the environment like on Earth." Shark explained. "The Lapis helps us control and refine our Chaos in use instead of just letting out a blast of it."

"Oh that would be bad." Yuma sweatdropped. "So then what about your bodies in general? It's not made of well flesh like me or energy like Astral."

Shark hummed and held out his hand to Yuma. He was confused that much Shark knew yet Yuma took his hand and grew wide eyed by the rough sturdy feeling.

"We're not made from organic matter but made and as hard as stone on the outside even our attire is a part of us and if we're damaged we can use our Chaos energy to reform our bodies hence why we have to stock up on Chaos energy inside us." Shark explained to an awed Yuma. "We also have veins but we refer to them as Chaos vessels that are attached to the Baria Crystal heart inside us and connect within our entire body. That's what allows us to move and such."

"But... Then how do you feel pain and stuff?" Yuma asked.

"You can think of our Chaos as a sensor with our Baria Lapis along with the smaller gems on our bodies." Shark replied, pointing at the one on his forehead. "And when connecting with someone close we would press our gems together to share our emotions, our memories, our very beings to one another. It's... The most open we can be."

Yuma looked awed looking at Shark as if staring at him for the first time and Shark had to admit it made him twitch but then Yuma paled as if something came to him.

"What?" Shark questioned.

"Ah.... Th-Then if the crystal that’s your heart...." Yuma began, as if afraid to ask. "If the Baria Crystal inside you shatters then.... Does that mean you..."

"Yes we would die." Shark confirmed with a solemn nod, making Yuma choke shaking. "But that's all the more reason why our bodies are what they are so that they won’t shatter."

That seemed to relieve Yuma a bit, sighing softly in relief to which Shark huffed fondly by Yuma's worry for his well-being per usual. He then patted Yuma's back, making the human yelp in surprise.

"Come on, that's enough exploring we should head back to the palace." He replied. "You said you wanted to meet Iris, right?"

Instantly Yuma brightened at the mention of the little Barian girl who was practically his best friend's daughter.

"Yeah! Do you think she'll be ok though? I mean she hasn’t exactly seen a human ever since she got here and plus I'm sure she's shy with strangers like Haruto was and."

Shark allowed Yuma to ramble, chuckling to himself his people were already made aware of this bright, hyperactive, and brave human who was close to their king and were just as curious about him as he was to them. And truly Shark couldn’t wait to introduce Yuma to the people he cared about as much as him.

[manawari]

What is Love?

Cha Hae-in knew what was it like to let someone know how much they meant to her. The problem? She didn't know how to express it without feeling embarrassed or being worried that she might mess up. She was quite timid, yet once she let her heart out, she made sure those she loved or cared for would be safe from harm.

She always saw herself as a protector. A guardian for those who strayed from the path of hope. And most of all. . . She was someone who wished to share her heart to those around her.

"Love" was a word who was as big as the universe. No one could be able to tell where was it. You just. . . Feel it. Love could be the warmth brought by an embrace. Love could be receiving something that brought joy. Love was like seeing the daylight for the first time.

To her, Love could be anything.

From making her parents proud and smile to achieving her goal in the field — those were her happiness. And happiness became love.

But how far could she be able to express the dearest word in the universe?

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

— Gift Giving —

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Oh, wow! This tastes so delicious!" Park Hee-jin, one of her classmates, gushed as she held a half-bitten cookie in her hand. The cookie had chocolate chips and was coated in powdered sugar.

Hae-in flushed. "You think so?"

"Of course!" Hee-jin exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me you have such a talent in baking?"

"I don't exactly have a talent in baking. I was hungry and found some ingredients in the shelves, and since I didn't have the energy to go out, I decided to make some snacks for myself." Hae-in explained. "And since I made quite a lot, I decided to bring them and offer them to you."

"Aw! You shouldn't have!" Hee-jin giggled. She took another bite and kept her smile at the taste. "God, you baked so good for a first timer."

Apparently, Hee-jin didn't bring the container with her. There were only seven cookies left. Hae-in rolled her eyes at her friend for saving such an amount. So, she placed it back inside of her bag and left the classroom with Hee-jin, chattering about today's class.

Hee-jin soon waved her hand in farewell before taking off to the car that was waiting for her in the entrance of the campus. Unlike her, Hae-in usually walked alone. She liked that going home meant giving her some time for herself to ponder and soothe her mind from the stress she had endured just like any other student.

However, as she neared the exit, Hae-in had to pause her tracks when she noticed a familiar presence standing beside the gate. The uniform was dark blue, which was very unlike to the male students in her school. But the light smile on her face could tell whom he exactly was.

So, Hae-in continued her way toward the gate and was eventually met by a pair of dark eyes. If one stared at them longer, it would be as if the abyss was staring back. But that was just a metaphor she often had in her mind whenever she thought about it.

"You're here," she said to him. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Not quite. But hey, it's my turn to pick you up from school." Jin-woo smiled. "Want to hit the cafe and do homework together?"

Hae-in hummed. After making up her decision, she nodded. "Okay! Let's go."

Then, just as she was about to take another step, she caught his hand stretching out to her. She blinked at him questionably.

Jin-woo was silent for a second, but then he cleared his throat. "Do you want me to carry your bag?"

"Uh. . . Sure thing." Hae-in nodded and took off her bag from her shoulders to hand it to him. Though, a small part of her reckoned that he had a prior idea before speaking those words.

Nonetheless, Jin-woo was a someone who was surprisingly. . . Which word should she use? Unique? Different?

Literally. She met him outside of the stadium where she was worrying about her injured foot. Then, he came and kneeled down to heal her foot by his hand in an absolute magic and invited her to run with him. Hae-in still wondered how in the world did he possessed such a skill and why was she not speaking a single word about it — sure, she was thankful that she could still run in the field, so that was something she felt indebted to him

Sung Jin-woo. The name sounded like she had it before, but she couldn't tell how. Had she met him in some point in her life? Was he someone she had accidentally bumped with before?

Despite of these speculations, Hae-in couldn't help but feel at ease around him. He was kind, funny, sometimes childish, genuine, and clever too. Jin-woo acted as if he had known her for a long time because of how loose he was around her since the second time they had met. Meanwhile, Hae-in was still shy toward him, though it he never said that it bothered him.

She wanted to get to know him more.

. . . Especially when they made a deal together.

"Now, subtract these two together and get the square root, then you'll have your answer."

Hae-in snapped out of her daze. "H— huh?"

"You okay, Hae-in?" Jin-woo asked beside her.

"Uh— yes! I'm sorry. I suddenly got distracted." Hae-in apologized.

Jin-woo smiled in understood and placed his pen aside. "It's alright. I think we should get a break for a while. Do you want to something?"

"You don't have to, Jin-woo," Hae-in shook her head. She reached to her bag and pulled the zipper open to bring out the plastic container. She placed it on the table and peeled the lid open. "I made some cookies last night and since I was worried that they might become stale, I brought them with me. You can try them if you want."

Jin-woo grabbed one and brought it between his teeth to crush a small piece of it for him to nibble. Hae-in watched him intently. Sure, Hee-jin liked it very much and so did she, but who knew if Jin-woo had a sweet tooth as well?

A familiar glint appeared in his eyes and his lips stretched into a broad smile. He stared at the cookie and took another bite until he finished what was left in his hand.

"It tastes wonderful!" He looked at her. "Thanks for bring these cookies, Hae-in."

Hae-in let out a chuckle. "I'm glad you like it. A friend of mine told me that I baked good for a first timer."

"Then that person is right," Jin-woo concurred and grabbed another cookie. "I hope you'll bake next time. I'm sure they'll be as delicious as this one!"

Her heart was as big as her smile.

Jin-woo was a quiet person. Usually, he wouldn't start a conversation, but when he did, he was one of the best people to talk to. Even in simple words, it made a huge affect on Hae-in. He indeed had a sweet tooth. But most of all, he liked the cookies she had made.

Hae-in learned another thing about her close friend.

Come to think of it, she hadn't done anything for him ever since he healed her foot. Jin-woo wasn't even asking for anything in return, but Hae-in thought she should repay for everything he had done for her — he did nothing but show kindness and generosity wholeheartedly. He was such a good friend to her.

If only there is a way I can do for him. . . Hae-in mulled as she hid under her covers.

What did he like? Should she buy him those comics he often raved about? No, there had to be something else. Something that would impact him the way he had to her.

Then, an idea finally came to her.

She sprung from the mattress and her mouth parted into a vast smile. I know!

Jin-woo was probably set to have his exams today. She knew how hard he had been preparing for the midterms to pass every subject in school. So, the moment the bus stopped, Hae-in practically rushed out the vehicle and headed to the sidewalk that led to the school.

The paper bag dangled furiously on her hand as she raced toward the students who were going inside of the campus. She had informed Hee-jin to cover for her in case a teacher asked for her presence, so she wouldn't have to fear being late, but what mattered to her was getting to Jin-woo before he disappeared into the crowd.

"Jin-woo!" She called out.

Some eyes were drifted toward her direction, but her main focus was Jin-woo, who stopped his tracks to meet her gaze. He was surprised to see her so early. Hae-in panted as she finally reached him, her bangs had plastered on her forehead due to the sweat beading on her head.

"Hae-in. . . ?" Jin-woo spoke. "What are you—"

Hae-in handed him the paper bag with her two hands. "This is for you, Jin-woo. I'm sure you will do well in your exams!"

Jin-woo accepted it and peered on the bag's content. His mouth curved into a smile. He looked up to her warmly.

"Thank you," he said to her.

Hae-in tucked her hands to her back as she reciprocated the smile. "Good luck!"

"I will."

With that, Hae-in turned around and walked away. Her smile never left her face. Inside of the bag was a pack of brownies sprinkled with crushed almonds and on top of the lid had a sticky note that said 'do your best! ♡'. It may be a short message, but Hae-in poured her heart into those brownies when making them.

Thankfulness. Adoration. Happiness.

Things that Jin-woo had made her feel over the past few months of friendship. Hae-in could only hope that he would get the message.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

— Words of Affirmation —

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Cha Hae-in was not good with words. She often thought of them carefully before opening her mouth. Words could be the sweetest things to hear and absorb, but words could also be the most bitter and sharpest to tear someone apart. And Hae-in didn't want that.

She didn't want to hurt someone unless it was in retaliation.

Hae-in always did her best to speak out her feelings. She congratulated Hee-jin when she learned that her friend got a scholarship overseas. She cheered when she came to watch Tae-gyu's tennis match. She comforted those around her. She made handwritten letters to her parents in their anniversary when she was a kid.

Words had the power to affect one's life. So that was why, her grandfather reminded her to choose her words carefully. Her choices of words could make someone's day or leave a scar on their heart.

Hae-in was shy anyway, so it would not be easy for her to voice out all the time. She wouldn't even talk unless someone started a conversation. Sometimes, she was frustrated at herself for it, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it.

She entered her bedroom with a clean towel over her shoulders as she scrubbed her cheek with it. The night shower was refreshing. After hours of studying, she could finally get some sleep to end her day with, but that was until she heard her phone ringing on her desk.

Curious to know who could be calling her at 10 PM, Hae-in headed toward the table and picked it up.

It was Jin-woo.

He doesn't seem to be the type to call in this time of the night. I wonder why he's calling me? She wondered and answered it.

"Hae-in?"

His voice was quite groggy. It made Hae-in ask. "Are you asleep?"

"Yeah," replied Jin-woo from the other line. "Are you— uhm. . . Are you about to sleep?"

"Not at all. What is it, Jin-woo?"

He sighed. "I. . . I just had a nightmare."

"A nightmare?" Hae-in raised an insiqutive brow and sat down on the mattress. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm not sure. . . It looked way too complicated. And this is the second time I had it. I just don't know— maybe I got scared for real?"

"Jin-woo, it's okay to be scared, you know? You're human. Humans are made to feel any kind of emotion."

"Thank you, Hae-in. It means a lot."

Hae-in nodded her head in response even though he wasn't there in front of her. She tucked her knees to her chest and realized this was the first time she witnessed Jin-woo being afraid. Or admitting that he was afraid. He was always composed and almost nothing could surprise him.

Perhaps this time was one of those rare moments.

"Hae-in?"

"Yes?" Hae-in realized that she was still on call with him.

"Nothing. . . I just want to your voice." He said. "It gives me comfort."

It brought a smile to her face. "You think so? Who knew that the brave and mighty Sung Jin-woo is afraid." She jested at the last sentence.

Jin-woo laughed airily. "Does it weird you out?"

"No. Fear is normal." Hae-in told him. "Even the strongest walls can crumble, but you can always build them up. If you aren't ready to tell me about your nightmare or don't want to tell it at all, I understand and respect your choice."

"But. . . Do you think I can hurt you?"

"Hurt me?" Hae-in was partially taken aback at the question. "Does this has something to do with your nightmare?"

"It is. I— I saw myself wrecking everything on my path and hurting the people around me." Jin-woo mumbled. "I guess that's when I knew I had to reach out to somebody."

"You can still reach out to me or someone else if you are feeling this way, Jin-woo," said Hae-in. "You don't have to carry this weight with you all the time. I'm here to listen no matter what it is."

"Thank—" she heard Jin-woo swallow. "Thank you, Hae-in."

She smiled. "What friends are for?"

"I know." Jin-woo's smile was evident in his voice.

Jin-woo was her friend. Her best friend. She would always be there for him whenever he needed someone to vent his feelings out. Hae-in liked it when someone was open to her — she felt like they trusted her and that trust was one thing she could never break.

Jin-woo. . . He was someone who had walls around him to protect himself. Everyone had inner wounds and so did he. Hae-in didn't know every pain he had gone through as she hadn't known him since he was a kid, but she promised herself to show him that he was not alone this time. He had someone to share his pain with.

Hae-in found herself getting better at words. In times when she wasn't vocal, she was able to express it to let Jin-woo what he needed to hear.

"You're one of the best people ever." She told him one time. When he looked at her, she just shrugged a shoulder and smiled. "I just wanted to let you know."

His reaction? Priceless.

Hae-in realized that Jin-woo needed to be reassured. No matter how much he hid it, Hae-in liked to think that she had mastered the skill of seeing through his walls. She read him like a book.

When they started dating, Hae-in aimed to be expressive. Every time she was about to go to sleep, she'd send him a sweet message and didn't have to wait for his response. She knew what would he reply even though there were no exact words in mind.

Because sometimes, words were everything a person needed to hear and remember, especially when it was felt right from the heart.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

— Acts of Service —

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"How about this, Jin-ah?" Hae-in offered the spoonful of stew to Jin-ah

The younger girl hummed and took a sip on the soup. Her eyes lit up. "Mm!" She swallowed. "Yes! That tastes delicious!"

Hae-in chuckled. She placed the spoon down and continued to stir the ladle around the pot to keep mixing the ingredients together.

"Noona? Why did you decide to cook dinner again?" Jin-ah asked. "We could've waited for my brother to come home and let him do the task."

"Your brother might be tired," said Hae-in.

Jin-ah huffed. "Oh please! I've never seen him become exhausted before. Although he can, but that's just once in a blue moon!"

"You'll never know, Jin-ah," Hae-in winked.

"Damn. How did my brother get you to fall for him again?"

Jin-woo came home a few moments later. He knew that he had invited his girlfriend over to have dinner, which was why he teleported himself in front of the door after his class was over. But to his surprise, he found the two girls settling plates on the table. He didn't remember having leftovers in the house when his sister complained that there was none.

"Hey!" Hae-in greeted him.

"Brother!" Jin-ah said. "Noona made some food!"

"Wait, what?" Jin-woo blinked and turned to Hae-in. "You cooked dinner?"

"Yep! I just thought I'd do it since it might be shameful of me to let you cook when you must be tired from the university." Hae-in said.

Jin-woo rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. "You don't have to be worried about me, Hae-in. I'm the one who invited you anyway."

"Who cares? I can't let you move around when you are supposed to be resting." Hae-in shrugged. "Now come here before the stew gets cold."

"Yes, ma'am."

Hae-in didn't think she could be a doting girlfriend, but she wanted to keep her relationship with Jin-woo equal. There was no way she was going to let him do everything all the time. Regardless of being in the Sung household where she was welcomed, Hae-in didn't see herself as the type of person who would sit still.

She helped around as much as she could. She'd help Kyung-hye do the dishes and other times if Jin-woo was on laundry duty, she would walk over and didn't accept his refusals as an answer to her helping him. She was stubborn and there was nothing he could do once she had set her mind on something. In the end, they both enjoyed doing chores together.

Jin-woo was a man who never run out of energy. Even if he might do a hundred or more push-ups, he'd be drenching in sweat, but wasn't utterly exhausted. It was unbelievable. It was as if he was built different. Hae-in didn't think she could do a lot of push-ups, but the only time she was on sync with him was when they were jogging together.

Their weekend mornings were spent with meeting up at the park to run around to exercise their stamina. With Jin-woo no longer being part of the track and field, running was just an exercise for him whereas Hae-in would continue her passion to become a successful runner in the future.

The pair soon returned to the spot they had started and was also the place they had kept their bags. Hae-in had grown used to leaving their belongings behind the tree since nobody had dared to steal anything from the inside.

She was the first one to go to their hiding place and headed to Jin-woo's bag first to take out a clean towel and his water bottle. Hae-in handed him the latter while she chose to hold the towel.

"Lean down for a bit," she ordered him.

Jin-woo obliged and lowered his head where she began scrubbing his hair with the towel and wiped it across his sweating forehead. Yes, he had hands, but was it wrong for her to show her affections through actions?

"All done." Hae-in stopped her ministrations after finishing wiping the back of his neck.

"Thank you," Jin-woo smiled and twisted his bottle's cap open to drink the refreshing liquid to cleanse his lungs. "What about you?"

"I'm good." Hae-in smiled back. As she got her own towel to absorb her swear, she brought out a blanket from her bag to sprawl it across the ground for the both of themselves to sit. She also grabbed a peanut butter sandwich and unwrapped the tissue covering so she could take a bite on it. Meanwhile, Jin-woo settled next to her and fanned himself using the collar of his hoodie.

She offered him her sandwich. "Want some?"

Jin-woo glanced at it and as if without having a second thought, he swooped down to take a large bite on the sandwich.

"Jin-woo!" Hae-in exclaimed. "I brought two! You could've just said yes so that I gave you the other one in my bag."

"You didn't tell me beforehand," Jin-woo said, still munching on the portion in his mouth.

Hae-in rolled her eyes. "What an idiot."

"You love me anyways!" Jin-woo grinned brightly.

"I can't even tell how why I do," Hae-in chuckled. She eyed her sandwich that was now bitten by her boyfriend and offered it to him again. "You can have this if you want."

"Ah." Jin-woo opened his mouth.

Hae-in resisted her every urge to facepalm despite finding the situation adorable. Jin-woo truly had his own childish moments. No matter how ridiculous he looked, it didn't stop her from seeing him cute. It made her wonder if he was too used to his mother feeding him as a kid or he did it because he was being himself.

Big baby. Hae-in giggled.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

— Physical Touch —

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Sung Jin-woo, no doubt, was the most handsome man she had ever encountered. Not just for his looks, but for the way she fell for his kind heart and brave spirit. He had arms who could crush someone to death, but those were also the same arms who held her tenderly to his chest and listened to his heartbeat. He had eyes who were twin pits of darkness and had the power to intimidate someone just beneath his gaze, but those were the same eyes who cherished every part of her.

People might be quite unnerved in his presence, but to Hae-in, he was a man whom she held so dear in her heart.

Hae-in was the only one who knew how clingy Jin-woo could get. He would curl up to her side or drape his body over her, snuggling his head on her chest and the junction between her neck and shoulder. In turn, Hae-in would card her fingers through his soft, unruly hair and let his breaths fan over her skin.

She knew he liked it when she touched his hair.

Sometimes, Hae-in would lean to plant her lips on his forehead and watch him smile afterward. Things like that usually ended him dozing off while she was trapped in his arms until he awakened.

Hae-in had no clue how much she loved this side of him.

Though, she received her answer when they said their vows in front of each other and lived under the same roof. She wasn't just turning a blind-eye to how he healed her injury, she wasn't just cherishing the moments of being alone together, and she wasn't just loving how their bodies were close to each other. There was a reason.

They were lovers.

Well, not necessarily in a way Hae-in should see it after having her memories from the erased history, but judging the way Jin-woo acted since the moment they met. . . It all made sense now. He loved her since the beginning and she loved him the same way back. Jin-woo was making up for the lost time they could've had if it weren't for the Monarchs. . . And Hae-in wished to do the same.

She wondered how long he must've been holding himself when they were friends. The answer? The way he always snuggled to her.

"I didn't know the Shadow Monarch can be such a big baby," teased Hae-in, who sat on the couch with Jin-woo's arm over her stomach.

He grumbled something in response.

She chuckled, finding it adorable.

And sometimes, Hae-in craved for his warmth.

If he wasn't snuggling to her side, Hae-in would move toward him and press her cheek on his chest. Other times, she'd crawl to his lap and settle there whilst he wrapped his arms around her frame, it always made her smile and sink into his embrace.

It was not easy for her to speak out most of the time, so she expressed it through actions instead.

The living room was dark when she had climbed down the stairs. But over the kitchen table, she found a light coming from the laptop her husband had his attention on. His eyes were trained on his work as his fingers clicked the keys and rested his jaw on his palm to analyze it. She had been waiting for him in their bed until she decided to fetch him herself.

She headed toward him and went to his back and slid her arms over his shoulders, securing it with a hand on her wrist. Hae-in placed her chin on top of his head.

"Have you finished it already?" She asked, glancing at the screen where a report was presented in the center.

Jin-woo hummed and planted a light kiss on her arm. "Don't worry, I'm almost done. You can get some sleep."

Hae-in whined and craned her head to bury it on his neck, smelling his tender scent that she had always loved. It was not usual for Jin-woo to stay up on his work, but when he did, it would take some time for him to finish.

"Can I stay with you instead?" She murmured.

"Okay," Jin-woo nodded and stretched his left arm to give her a way to his lap. Hae-in obliged and moved over to to his left leg to sit on while hers were between his.

Hae-in wrapped her arms around his torso. The oversized shirt, which likely belonged to her husband, fell on her hips, thus making the rest of her skin pressed against the rough fabric of his jeans.

"Is there something wrong, love?"

Her heart almost skipped a beat at the endearment. To hide her cracking smile, Hae-in buried her face into his shirt and tightened her grip around him.

"Nothing. I just like being with you." She answered.

Jin-woo curved up a smile and moved his left hand to her thigh, squeezing it, then he pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Just hang in there, as soon as I finish this, we'll be in bed in no time."

"You mean, you'll just be using your powers again."

"Well, if my wife is that sleepy, so why not? Unless you want me to carry you—"

"Shut up!" Hae-in laughed. She raised her hand to trace his jawline and leaned up to peck his cheek. "Have you always thought that we'd end up this way, Jin-woo?"

"Yes." It was an instant answer. Jin-woo scrolled down his screen as he continued. "After our last call together, I did picture ourselves somewhere. . . Peaceful. Remember that time when we were gazing at the stars? Yeah, something like that."

"Likewise," Hae-in smiled softly. "Amazing how you still managed to find me even if I didn't know you back then."

Jin-woo chuckled. "I'd be a fool if I let you disappear in my life forever."

Oh, how he always knew his words. . .

When words were not necessary, Hae-in would do things such as embracing him and Jin-woo immediately got the message. The thing about their relationship was that both of them knew what each other wanted to say even in silence. She'd kiss his cheek to mean simple words — thank you.

Hae-in would kiss his forehead to remind him that she was there and she was not going anywhere.

She'd squeeze his hand and let their fingers intertwine together. How big and calloused his hand was compared to her, which was the product of the battles he had faced with his army alone. The weight he carried on his shoulders throughout his whole life. . . She wished she could make them all disappear.

She made sure that her love would overpower the pain he hid within.

Jin-woo always wore a glove to cover the wound he had on his left hand after his battle with Antares in the dimensional gaps. Back when she hadn't gotten her memories back, he'd tell her that he got the wound from a terrible accident when he was a kid. But now, he was quite shy around her when it came to his hand.

He immediately clothed it with his glove every time she was around. Hae-in could tell he was insecure no matter how he tried to hide the feeling. It was normal for someone to be ashamed of anything, especially when it was the body.

"Are you just going to wear your glove even though you're in our home?" She said to him when she spotted him staring at his naked left hand as he sat on his side of their bed.

He sighed. "I just thought it might make you uncomfortable."

"How so?" The corner of her mouth twitched. Hae-in crawled closer to him and placed her two hands over his. "Your wound won't change the way I see you, you know? You've fought the monarchs to prevent the world from turning upside down. It's almost unbelievable."

"Well, I am also a Monarch, remember?" Jin-woo said.

Hae-in let out a chuckle. Sometimes, she forgot that she was married to a Shadow Monarch. "Right. But no matter, you'll always be the hunter I've always known. Monarch or not." She took his left hand and intertwined their fingers, its texture made his skin rougher than the other one. She leaned her hand on his shoulder. "How did it feel?"

"It feels. . . Nice." Jin-woo spoke.

"Does it make a difference when I was holding it with your glove on?"

Jin-woo paused. His thumb rubbed the smooth surface. He replied. "Not at all. But does it annoy you? It isn't as clean as my right one."

"No, it doesn't bother me," Hae-in shook her hand. "Now, do you get my point?"

She wished to see her lover overcoming his worries and for once, move around without any wound to hide from her. He was imperfect, but that was what made her love him. Jin-woo wasn't awakened into an S-Rank, rather he was the weakest of all hunters, and it never once bothered her thoughts.

E-Rank or S-Rank, wounded hand or not, an ordinary hunter or a Monarch, Hae-in would love him the same.

She lifted his hand and brought it to her lips, kissing the wound that had been cloaked for a long time. Jin-woo must've had a lot of scars before he healed them himself, but if he still had them, Hae-in would kiss them each as to tell him that he was a work of art.

. . . Because love made every imperfection to perfection.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

— Quality Time —

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If she was born in an ordinary world, Hae-in would say that her life was complete. But since she lived as a hunter in the former timeline, Hae-in had this feeling that there was something missing. . .

New memories.

Whenever she was alone, she would think back to her old life. How little were the joyful moments in her life when she was too focused on ensuring everyone's safety. The responsibility of being a hunter weighted on her shoulder. Nonetheless, Hae-in managed to create time for other things such as joining her guild members to dinner and having coffee with her fellow S-Ranks.

Such moments were worthy enough for her to hold close to her heart. After all, before she became a woman who needed to fight for humanity, she was a girl who liked to create memories as long as she lived.

And Jin-woo was one of those memories.

Like her, he was a hunter whose days which were supposedly spent resting had been replaced with pouring himself into various tasks. She remembered how her heart fluttered when he called her through the phone to go with him to the amusement park. Being with him felt surreal. She thought her bond with him was the same as the ones she had with hunters like Jong-in and Yoon-ho, but instead, it was something she could not describe.

When they were trying out the rides, even though she didn't let out a scream once, it didn't hinder her day with him. Hae-in liked being with him no matter what.

. . . But little did she know was that their day together didn't simply end there.

He took her on a flight with his shadow wyvern, Kaisel. And that was actually the first time he heard her scream. Her adrenaline rose higher than facing a gigantic monster, thus pulling her to hold him tightly. Eventually, she calmed down and looked at the scenery around her, taking her breath away and allowing the sunset paint her face in amazement.

It was a memory she must never forget.

Jin-woo was indeed a man full of surprises. The fact that she wasn't able to determine what were under his sleeves made it more exciting. He too never failed to take her breath away.

"What are you thinking about?"

Hae-in stared up to her paramour, whom she was watching television with until her thoughts shrouded her mind. "Oh, nothing."

"Nothing, huh?" Jin-woo squinted his eyes at her.

"Yeah, why— kyah!" Hae-in yelped when his finger poke her waist.

Jin-woo grinned devilishly. "So what is it?"

"Oh my God! Are you that invested in my thoughts?!" Hae-in exclaimed as she pried his hands away, yet he kept persisting.

"Hmm. . . Maybe?" Jin-woo smirked and jabbed her waist again. Hae-in laughed and squirmed. "Don't tell me you are thinking about other men."

"Jealousy doesn't look good on you, Jin-woo!" Hae-in snorted and clutched on his wrist as firm as she could get. "And please, where did you get such an idea?"

"Answer my question first!"

"No— puhahaha— JIN-WOO!" Hae-in burst out again and began to use her feet, but he was too strong, especially when he had his mind on something and that was torturing the heck out of her. "Fine! I'll tell you!"

Jin-woo faux pouted. "My, are you surrending yourself so quick?"

"Idiot!" Hae-in jabbed his shoulder. She was about to make a move when she realized she was basically trapped in his arms on the couch. "I just remembered our day together at the amusement park!"

"You mean, our first date?"

"That was a date?"

Jin-woo glowered at her and jabbed his finger at her ticklish spot again. Hae-in guffawed again.

"I'm just joking!" She exclaimed. "Stop! I already gave you the ans— please!"

Jin-woo laughed and obliged. He reached up to run his fingers through her soft tresses before leaning over to peck her forehead. "So, are you going out today?"

"Nope," she shook her head. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing much. Didn't you mention last night that you will be meeting the beginners?"

"Oh, that!" Hae-in chuckled. "Well, most of them had important matters to attend to, so I told them to meet up on Monday. And besides—" she enclosed her arms around his neck. "I'd like to be at home with you anyway."

She loved being with him. Jin-woo was that one person she'd rather spend the rest of her days with. He was funny, annoying in a good way, and he had this side of him that she never thought he would have. He knew which buttons of hers to push if he was in the mood to tease her or hear her laughter.

If she left her work early, Hae-in would head to the precinct and wait for him outside. Just like what they did when they were in high school. But if she saw him heading out of building, Hae-in would rush toward him and surprise him by jumping up to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Hey!" She beamed.

"Woah! Easy there!" Jin-woo chuckled. "You're lucky that I'm all by myself. If I have the guys with me, who knows what will happen."

Hae-in huffed. "Who cares? You're the one who's going to suffer from them anyway."

"How evil."

"More evil than you!" She laughed. Hae-in grabbed his wrist. "Let's head home."

"Alright— ah, wait! Let's stop by at the grocery first. What do you say if we should have japchae for dinner?" Jin-woo suggested.

Hae-in nodded. "Okay. Mind if I help as well?"

"Of course," smiled her husband.

Jin-woo was a better cook than her, but she always helped him around whenever she could and learned a thing or two about cooking. And not just the aspect of learning, it was one of the things they liked to do together — they would ask each other about their day and other things to keep the air warm and cozy.

Hae-in cherished every second she spent with him.

She couldn't ask for a better lover when Jin-woo was everything she could ever find in a person to set her heart aflutter. When something was bugging her, she'd reach out to him. When Jin-woo needed to make a decision, he'd ask her for an advice. They were straightforward to each other.

Now that she thought of it. . . Hae-in was thankful for the reversal of time.

She got to do things she had never gotten to do as a hunter. Live up to her dreams, meet people without a hindrance, and build moments with the ones she loved with all her heart.

Her gallery was filled with precious photos she captured. They served as the key to her memories. And of course, the ones she had with Jin-woo were kept in a separate album — it featured selfies of them together on their dates, some were tender moments whenever they were laying next to each other, that one time Jin-woo covered her eyes and was facing the camera with the brightest grin on his face whereas hers was a shocked one, and other handful of shots.

When Hae-in was tired during her work, she'd head straight to her favorite album and wait as her exhaustion drifted away.

Call her cheesy, or a lovesick woman, but Hae-in would never apologize for it. But who could blame her? If anything, Jin-woo was worse when it came to showing affections.

Jin-woo pulled the covers up and crawled his way under them. He looked over and heard his wife giggling at something on her phone. Curious, he moved closer to steal a peek over her shoulder and found the messages with his sister. It had been a few months since Jin-ah got wedded to Jin-ho and were now living in one of the Yoo's vacation houses in the countryside.

"Jin-ho got drunk and proposed to her for the second time, huh?" Jin-woo said once he got the gist of the conversation.

Hae-in chuckled. "I don't think Jin-ah will let him near any alcohol if she's not around."

"Good thing I can't get drunk," Jin-woo huffed in pride of himself and lowered himself into the pillows.

"And that is why you are always get chosen to take wasted people to their houses!" Hae-in grinned. "Remember that time you came home with vo—"

"Ah! Ah! We shall never speak of that!" Jin-woo put his index finger between her lips. "I still have a grudge against Tae-gyu about that, so don't remind me again."

"Well, Tae-gyu always has a bad stomach for beer, but that won't stop him. I think it happened to Jong-in also when the guys and I were out for dinner at a restaurant."

"Dear!"

Hae-in snorted and placed her phone under her pillow. "Okay! I'll stop!"

"Thank God," Jin-woo sighed and snaked his arms around her to pull her to his chest and nuzzled her head with his nose. "I don't want to have dreams about that either."

"What do you wish to dream about then?" She asked as she snuggled comfortably into his embrace, jutting her chin a little to meet his eyes.

"Us." It was a simple response, yet spoke a lot of meanings. Jin-woo smiled. "I have everything I ever wanted, so I don't think I can dream of something else."

Hae-in hummed softly and moved her head underneath his chin. Jin-woo was truly content. She remembered him telling her about all the things he wanted in his life when they were under the stars together, two of which included having a peaceful life and love without boundaries. He was vocal about the things he desired.

"My Liege? I apologize for the interruption." Igris spoke up after ascending from the shadow. "The Little Lord is outside."

Hae-in raised her head from her beloved's chest as she and Jin-woo looked at the door of their bedroom. Igris bid his dismissal and disappeared. They watched as the doorknob was being fumbled from the outside and was pushed open by none other than their four-year-old son, Sung Su-ho.

"Mama? Papa?" The little boy said and clutched his bear stuffy to his chest. "Can I sleep here?"

Hae-in let out a smile.

"Of course. Come here, Su-ho." Jin-woo nodded and peeled the covers off him for his son.

Su-ho let out a beaming smile and pushed the door closed behind him with his small hand before rushing to his parents' bed. He tossed his teddy bear to the mattress first and grabbed onto the blanket to hold onto while he climbed up to the bed.

"Did you have a nightmare, sweetie?" Hae-in asked her son.

Su-ho crawled over his father so he was settled between his parents. He answered. "Nope! I just want to sleep with you and papa!"

"Is that so? Then why do I get a feeling that something might've scared you?" Jin-woo jested.

"No, I'm not! I am a brave boy." Su-ho exclaimed. "Nothing scares me!"

"What about ghosts?"

"Beru will always chase them away!"

"Hm, but can Beru chase away this?" Jin-woo pulled Su-ho close and started tickling him on his sides. It burst his child into laughter.

"M— mama! Save me!"

Hae-in laughed. Instead of 'saving' her child, she joined her husband. Now, Su-ho was trapped in his parents' tickles throughout his body; his laugh was contagious that the couple didn't even hold theirs back.

"Who's our brave little boy?"

"Me!" Su-ho let out, then Jin-woo raised the hem of his shirt to blow a raspberry on his belly. The boy whined in protest. "Papa!"

"More like our cute little boy~" Jin-woo embraced his son and started rocking him sideways gently. "Now, try not to grow up so fast. Your mama and I are not ready yet!"

Hae-in watched the two most important boys in her life. Not even her smile could express the love that was overflowing in her heart.

I have everything I need.

A loving husband and a precious child, Hae-in's life was now officially completed.

Who knew she'd end up like this?

This was what love felt like. The feeling that every second mattered and the realization that what was in front of her was enough. Su-ho would grow up knowing that his parents loved each other and that he was given such a wonderful childhood. And that was something Hae-in felt successful at achieving.

Once, she was a hunter. Her country's only female S-Rank hunter and a formidable swordswoman. For her whole life, Hae-in had this sense of responsibility in her that she must never break, otherwise she'd fail her duty as a protector. But now. . . She had the peace she always wanted.

To cherish her loved ones without fear. To feel free. To love without anything holding her back. Hae-in didn't know what she could possibly done to deserve such a life where she would have a family of her own and someone to share her heart with.

Love came in the most unanticipated time.