#and in the anime when his voice gets all deep and sharp when he's mad

[meownotgood]

i always think what it's like to piss off aki like he doesn't get riled up that easily but when he does he's gritting his teeth and being a sexy smug face. I want him (inside me)

this is so true because I'd never want to make aki mad at me but his little pissed off face is so cute and hot it makes me feel things

[ch3rriiii-bunn]

So unfair!

How the fuck do these 4 fine ass mfs get animated and no one's writing smut of them? I'll do it then🤦🏾‍♀️

Warnings: female bodied reader, lots of Degrading, 5 some, Dacryphilia, blood kink? (Just their sharp nails but not too much blood or deep cuts), MEAN DOMS (a little soft dom on Aizetsu part), squirting, humiliation(?), oral sex, rough sex, anal sex

"Hantengu please come out from the corner it was just a small vist from "that man" it's okay" you spoke in a gentle tone trying to calm him down while resting your hand on his shaking body.

"EEEEKKK!!! nooo! That man must've been so angry with me! He looked so mad!" Hantengu panicked and you tried not to laugh since muzan always had a resting bitch face. "You know you have clones right? Just send them to look for the spider, lily, " you said, which made the little old man turn your way with teary eyes and nodded.

When you first met Hantengu, he was hiding in a bush under a tree with just enough shade to cover him from the sun. Your first thought was to help this poor old man with an "allergy" to sunlight and help him to your house for the time being with an umbrella to sheld him from the sunlight. Later that day, you found out you actually rescued a demon, but luckily enough, Hantengu didn't try to kill you. In fact, he now lives with you and makes your home his. It was scary at first because this demon could kill you at any time, but he was always to himself but didn't mind having a human around.

The only difficult part was his clones since each one had their own personality and were much bigger than Hantengu, so dealing with them wasn't exactly the easiest. Whenever it was his turn to search for the spider lily, one clone would stay with you to make sure you wouldn't dare tell any demon slayers an upper rank was living at your house. Only this time, the most bitter clone was in charge of keeping his eye on you.

"Human. Bring me a human here now I'm staving, " said Sekido. You turned your head and looked at him with disgust. "For the last time, my name is y/n. If you can't say my name, don't ask for shit. It's night time. Go look for someone yourself, " you said, preparing your own food. "You stupid human if I go out there and eat you know those slayers will fine us," he said, looking at you furiously.

"Then that's not my problem now, is it?" You smirked and went back to your cooking. There was a moment of silence when you decided to turn your head again to check on Sekido when you noticed him look away quickly with a slight blush on his cheeks. You scoffed. "Were you checking me out just now?" You grinned.

"Absolutely not. All humans are ugly to me, so there's no way I'd be checking you out. " Sekido kept his head turned away from you with his arms crossed. You always had a thing for teasing Sekido since it brought some amusement, and it was way too quiet in your house with just the two of you.

You took off your kimono and put it to the side leaving you in your sarashi and skin tight shorts, Sekido growl "what the fuck are you doing? Put that back on" he said "it's my house and I'm making soup. It gets really hot and stuffy in here. What? Is the 200 year old demon shy to see a half-naked human?" You chuckled at how mad he got but in reality he was trying to relax himself from his cock growing any harder which frustrated him even more and you made it more difficult then he could imagine.

Once your food was done, you bent down searching for a bowl "Hey you want soup too?" You asked, shaking your hips a little."Oh wait, you demons can't eat normal foods since you'll just throw it up," you said and stood back up. "Can... you...!" You felt Sekido standing right behind you, and you turned around with a nervous smile."Heh heh... I went too far this time, huh? " You said, hoping he won't kill you, but you tried to stay calm.

"Put on your kimono. Now, " Sekido said with aggression in his voice holding your kimono in his fist. "You know it's been touching me this whole time, right?" You said bending over a bit more to make your ass rub against his cock and giggled "I can already tell through your clothes it big" you grinned and turned to face him "if you want to fuck me just say so" you said and hopped on the counter and pulled Sekido with your leg to close the gap between you two "no shame in that right?" You grinned, wrapping your arms around Sekido.

"Tsk." Sekido grabbed your hips and slammed his lips onto yours, kissing you deeply and forced his tongue in your mouth. He pulled his pants down just enough to expose his cock and grabbed a handful of your ass as he grinds himself over your clothed pussy. Deep grunts and heavy breaths came from Sekido as he broke the kiss and ripped off your shorts and sarashi right off your body. "You wanted to taunt me just for this? look at you, all wet just from kissing" he said rubbing his two fingers over your hole and then your clit making you mewl "what a slut you are. You should be fucking greatful I'm going to fuck you, being the worthless human you are" Sekido said breathlessly as he rubs his tip over your hole "fuck me please, i need you".

"Huhh? What's going on here?" Urogi opened the door with a cocky grin "wow you both sure are some freaks aren't ya?" Karaku tried to hold back a laugh while aizetsu just looked at you two in the act and turned his head away blushing. "Fuck off. Y/n was pissing me off this is punishment" Sekido said and you giggled "aw that's the frist time you said my name" you said as Urogi and Karaku aw'ed too making Sekido more furious. Sekido picked you up from the counter about carry you to your bedroom "that's not fair for us to do all the work and you just get to fuck y/n... y/n can we join too?" Aizetsu asked softly with Karaku and Urogi wanting to come too.

"Sure why not. That's only fair" you grinned

"Ngh! Haa haa your still so fucking tight. Even after I've came in you twice" Sekido groaned holding onto your hips thrusting his cock inside your filled up pussy. "Mhm too bad you can't see her fucked out face" Urogi caresses your face with his cock in your face "crying already?" He said and wipes your tears with his thumb "We're just getting started" Urogi smirked starts slapping his tip on your lips "open up and suck my cock like a good whore" Urogi said

You sat up as much as you could to level yourself to his cock while behing fucked by Sekido and grabbed his cock in your hand and started sucking it as much as you could and moaning on it. "my cock to big for your mouth y/n? I'm sure you can take more then that!~" Urogi grabbed your hair pushing his cock further down your throat making you choke a little but after some seconds you got use to his size and began to bob your head"that's right keep sucking~ I'm so close- fuck!" His head went back as he thrusts in your mouth.

After a few seconds both Sekido and Urogi came and pulled out a moment after. Sekido sat back as Urogi wipes his cum off your lips "we'd fuck you more but we can't be too gready now. Time to make two more demons cum got it?" He held your face making you look at him and you nod. "Good slut" Urogi smirked and tapped your cheek twice before moving away.

"You look so pitiful and weak right now. I don't think you can handle two more demons, y/n" Aizetsu said taking off his clothes and helped you sit up "no Aizetsu I can take it~ I'm fine I want more~ I can handle more" you bit your lip getting needy "of course you can but this time your gonna have two of us at the same time Kay?" He winked, and you knew what he went "haa what a pain... you have to stand up, but your legs are probably all weak and useless, aren't they?" Aizetsu asked as you shook your head and stood up with wobbly legs "it dosnt matter since you can hold onto our heads" he said holding your hips and then spread your ass cheeks open "w-wait Aizetsu are you!-" you gasped at the feeling of his tounge on your hole and as you were about to bend over Karaku caught you by the hips "Don't pass out on us yet, gonna fuck you real good" he smirked and started licking your clit.

Your moans grew louder from how sensitive you were from Sekido and Urogi. You couldn't help but cover your mouth in some embarrassment. "Don't do that" Aizetsu spanked you hard on your ass and you yelped "I want to hear you moan like the whore you are or eles this won't be fun at all" he said and went back to preparing you. "I was planning on not being so rough, but since you're so shy to let us hear you, I guess I'll have to go all out, huh? Do you want that? To be fucked stupid hmm?" Karaku asked fingering you and you could feel his smirk as his tounge flicks faster on your clit and you nodded whimpering from the pleasure.

After being prepared Aizetsu laid on his back and helped you on top while holding your hips looking at you shyly "your pussy has probably adjusted to our sizes so I'm going to slide right in" he said and as he puts his tip in you go down on it causing you both to let out a moan. "Ass up," Karaku spanked you and grabbed your ass "that hurts! Your nails are too long, " you whined, feeling his nails dig in your skin."That's a lie, y/n... your pussy is throbbing on my cock from that feeling" Aizetsu said

"Heh not only are you a whore but you like a bit of pain too? I could get use to this" Karaku said and slowly pushes himself in your ass making you let out a loud moan. The two demons then started to thrust their hips, making your whole body move. "You're gonna squrt for us this time, got it?" Karaku digs his nails into your hips, making you bleed a little."You didn't squirt before," he pants thrusting harder, "and that was so underwhelming. Be a good whore and make a mess on Aizetsu cock won't you?".

"Sekido was right, you're still so tight~ i-i don't think I'll last much longer" Aizetsu let's out soft moans and whimpers "but I'll try to just to see your slutty pussy squirt on me. I want it so bad~" Aizetsu said and moves his free hand to your clit and rubs it while sucking on your nipples. "T-too much! Aah!! It's too much, " you whined with tears streaming from your face from the pleasure that turned Aizetsu on ever more as he thrusts his hips up harder and faster making you scream in pleasure from him hitting your spot.

"That's right~ That's the voice I wanted to hear," Karaku pants, thrusting harder, making your skins clap, hitting your other gspot in your ass. Karaku slips two fingers in your mouth and whispers in your ear "look at you going stupid on our cocks~ you're so tight and cremaing all over Aizetsu's cock. So fucking sexy~ fuck I'm gonna cum inside this ass" Karaku said as he lifts your leg and thrusts faster in your ass. You could only reply with whoreish moans leave your lips getting close yourself

"Y/n y/n~ oh y/n fuck~ gonna cum inside you- ngh mhm~!" Aizetsu whines as his head fell back on the pillow and grabbing your waist as he came. "cumming- Cummings!" Karaku choked "Me too! Aahh!!!" You both came and this time you squirted just like how they wanted you too. After your intense orgasm your body collapsed on Aizetsu.

They pulled out, and Aizetsu rubbed your back. "I underestimated you. It looks like you are capable of handling 4 demons but I want you to do that again" Aizetsu thrust two fingers in your leaking pussy making you squeal "looks like the others aren't done too" he kisses your chin as you turn around to see the three demons with stiff cocks again "think you're ready for more?" Aizetsu asks and you nod

"Good girl~" Aizetsu said kissing your lips

[msbigredmachine]

The Boy Next Door: Chapter Six

MASTERLIST ✨ harmshake’s masterlist ✨ msbigredmachine’s masterlist

Word Count: 9k

TRIGGER WARNINGS: 18+, NSFW, language, angst, violence, smut

Ivy hadn’t realized how much space Roman took up in her life until she pulled away. A week of zero contact felt like forever, especially after they’d been practically inseparable before. Where his texts and calls once lit up her phone all day and made her smile, the same texts and calls…well, voicemails…were now grating, each one pleading and importunate and doing nothing to quell her current stance. She wasn’t sure if the distance was for his sake or hers, but after what she’d witnessed that day, it was absolutely necessary.

Every time she thought about Roman yelling at Zaia, the venom laced in his voice, it sent a chill up her spine. Sure, he had apologized—and was damn near begging since then—but the memory lingered like a bad taste. She couldn’t get past the fear she’d seen in her daughter’s eyes.

Zaia, funny enough, seemed to have already moved on. It helped that Roman was pretty much bombarding her with presents, the latest being a Little Mermaid (Halle) coloring set and a handwritten note that Ivy found in Zaia’s new Hello Kitty backpack:

“For the best little DJ I know.” Zaia had beamed when she read it, proudly showing Ivy the small charm bracelet he’d tucked into the package as part of his peace offering.

But Ivy wasn’t a six-year-old. Roman’s charm, his gifts, his apologies—they didn’t erase the cracks forming in her trust. She couldn’t shake the memory of his sharp tone, his anger. And, as much as she hated to admit it, there was something else. Something deeper, a gnawing unease she couldn’t quite name.

Saturday Afternoon

She was folding laundry in the living room when the doorbell rang. Duchess barked sharply, scampering to the door as Ivy set down Zaia’s unicorn-printed pajamas and sighed. She knew exactly who it was. Roman had texted her earlier, saying he wanted to stop by.

When she opened the door, there he stood, impossibly handsome in a fitted black T-shirt that clung to his broad chest and sweats that hung just right on his hips. His tribal tattoos spread from beneath his right sleeve, a tantalizing display of inked skin. In one hand, he held a large gift bag, and in the other, a bouquet of deep red roses.

“Hey, baby,” he said, his voice a smooth rumble as he flashed a tentative, almost nervous grin. “I come bearing gifts.”

Ivy crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “More, huh? You trying to bribe me?”

Roman chuckled. “Is it working?”

Rolling her eyes, she stepped aside for him. “Not yet.”

He grinned, closing the door behind him before following Ivy into the foyer. Duchess sniffed at his boots, her tail wagging, while Roman set the bag and flowers on the counter. “This is for Zaia,” he said, pulling a small stuffed dolphin from the bag. “She mentioned how much she loved that sea animals documentary the other day. Thought she’d like this.”

Ivy softened slightly, her arms uncrossing. “At this point, you’re spoiling her,” she said.

Roman shrugged sheepishly. “Well, I do owe her. And these,” he held up the roses, “are for you. Not cuz I messed up—though I know I did—but because…I miss you. I miss us.”

His words hit a nerve. Ivy wanted to stay mad, to keep him at arm’s length, but the longing in his dark eyes tugged at her heart. She took the roses from him, inhaling their sweet scent.

“You ain't making this easy, you know,” she said quietly, setting the flowers in a vase.

“I don’t want it to be easy. I want it to be right.” Roman insisted, reaching into the gift bag before turning to her. “I got you one more thing…” He held a small box out to her, wrapped in elegant gold paper. 

Ivy frowned but accepted it, unwrapping it carefully. Her eyes widened at the Tiffany & Co. packaging. She glanced up at him, gauging his hopeful expression, and then opened the box. Inside was a delicate gold necklace with a small heart pendant. It sparkled in the light, simple yet stunning.

“Roman…” she started, her voice trailing off.

“I hate this distance between us,” he implored, stepping closer. “I miss you, Ivy. I miss your smile, your laugh, the way you look at me when you think I’m not paying attention.” His voice dropped to a near whisper. “I miss your touch. Your hugs…your kisses.”

She swallowed hard, her emotions warring inside her. “Roman, I…I don’t know…”

“I understand why you’ve been staying away,” he said quickly. “I fucked up, baby, and I’ll spend as long as I need to, making it up to you. But I can’t stand being away from you like this. It’s killing me.”

He cleared his throat, his Adam’s apple shifting and his hand running over his mouth and gray beard. He then, reached for her hand, his touch warm and familiar. “Baby, I’m not perfect, but I’ll do whatever it takes to make this work. I swear to you. You and me—we’re amazing together. I need you, Ivy.”

Her resolve faltered. Damn him and his way with words. The sincerity in his tone, the way his thumb stroked her knuckles—it all chipped away at her defenses.

“I don’t know, Ro…” she started, but he didn’t let her finish.

“Come here,” he murmured, settling down in one of the foyer chairs and pulling her gently onto his lap. “Sit with me.”

“Roman,” she protested weakly, though she didn’t resist.

“Just for a minute,” he said, his arms circling around her slender waist as he looked up at her. “I've missed holding my baby. Let me hold you. Please.”

Ivy sighed, her body betraying her as she melted into him, growing even more traitorous as she absorbed the feel of his lips brushing her neck, then her jaw, and finally her mouth. The kiss was slow and consuming, pulling her under like a riptide. Her hands found the sides of his neck, gripping tightly as she kissed him back. His lips were soft yet insistent, his hands firm as they slid up her back to keep her close. She hated how good he felt, how easily he unraveled her. There was something about his kisses. They made her forget the world, made her forget him—the man who scared her, the man she doubted. In these moments, he was just Roman, the man who made her feel alive. 

At last, they broke apart, but only just. Roman's big hands caressed her face, holding her as if he was afraid she’d disappear. “Tell me, Ivy,” he whispered, “Tell me you’ve missed me too.”

Her resolve wavered as she looked into his eyes. Damn it, she had. Despite everything, despite her doubts, he drew her in like a moth to a flame. Every damn time he touched her, kissed her, all her defenses crumbled. It was dangerous, but fuck did it feel good.

“I missed you too,” she admitted breathlessly, pulling back just enough to meet his gaze.

His smile was slow, almost predatory. “I knew you did.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t pull away, kissing him one more time before resting her head on his shoulder. For a moment, it felt like old times, like they hadn’t spent the last week avoiding each other. But then the doubts crept back in, nagging at the edges of her mind.

As if sensing her hesitation, Roman kissed her forehead and shifted the mood. “I’ve been thinking,” he said, his tone lighter. “We need to get away. You, me, and Zaia. Somewhere warm and sunny. How about Hawaii?”

Ivy sat up straight, blinking, caught off guard. “Hawaii?”

“Yeah,” he said, his enthusiasm growing. “You’ve been working so hard at the hospital lately, and I see how much you do for Zaia. You deserve a break. Both of you.” He trailed off as he rubbed her hip, his touch firm and persuasive. “Plus, we can really focus on us. No distractions. Just paradise.”

Ivy smiled faintly, but something about the way he was speaking—so eager, almost insistent—made her uneasy. “That does sound amazing,” she admitted, glancing over at Duchess, who was now laying in her kennel. “But it’s not that simple. Zaia’s school just started back up, and I have shifts scheduled. Plus, traveling with a six-year-old isn’t exactly relaxing.”

Roman waved her concerns away, his expression unwavering. “All of that can be worked out. I’ll take care of the arrangements. You deserve this, Ivy.” His voice lowered, more intimate now. “You’ve given so much to everyone else—Zaia, your patients—you need to give yourself a little grace.”

Ivy hesitated, torn between the allure of his words and the knot of unease tightening in her chest. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to get away—God knew she could use the break—but Roman’s urgency felt…off. Too perfect, too rehearsed.

She settled with a forced smile. “Let me think about it, okay?”

Roman’s expression flickered for a brief moment, a shadow in his eyes. But before he could respond, Zaia came bounding down the stairs, her eyes lighting up when she saw the big man in the foyer.

“Roman!” she squealed, running over to hug him.

He grinned, lifting her onto his lap alongside Ivy. “Hey, little lady. Look what I brought you.”

As Zaia tore into the gift bag, Ivy watched Roman out of the corner of her eye. He was attentive, affectionate, the perfect picture of a doting boyfriend and even a possible stepfather.

But deep down, Ivy couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Something about Roman wasn’t adding up anymore. And until she figured out what it was, she couldn’t let her guard down—not completely.

Sunday Afternoon

Her bedroom was dim, save for the slivers of sunlight that slipped through the blinds, casting long streaks across the walls. A faint hint of lavender clung to the air from the candle Ivy had lit earlier, now reduced to a hardened pool of wax on the nightstand. The room was warm, and would have been quiet had it not been for the bed rocking beneath the moving bodies, heavy breaths mixing in the silence. The rhythmic creak of the bed, their moans and gasps, filled the space, escalating until she collapsed on top of him, their bodies trembling from the intensity of it all. 

It had started innocently enough—a nice Sunday lunch on her day off, opting to extend an invitation to Roman to ensure he wasn’t alone…or so she told herself. There had been the familiar, easy chatter between her and Roman, Zaia’s laughter echoing as they set the table together, their bodies just inches away from each other, close but not too close as they sat side by side. But as time ticked by, the tension began to shift. By the time she tucked Zaia in for her afternoon nap, it was sizzling. Roman’s gaze had deepened, his touch lingered a little longer, and before she knew it, he was in her bed again. 

A blur of sensations—long fingers, warm skin, the heat of his body overwhelming hers. Roman had been tender but forceful, his touch demanding in a way that sent electric currents surging through her veins. The feeling of him inside her had been comforting, intoxicating, and sorely missed, and when she had begged him—moaned for him—it was as if she had lost control completely, her body responding to him in ways she couldn’t explain.

An hour later, her bare body pressed against his solid, warm frame. His muscled arm draped lazily over her, his fingers tracing absent patterns on her butt cheek. The steady beat of his heart was a reminder that, for now, they were both here, tangled in the aftermath of what had just happened.

“I’ve been thinking,” Roman said suddenly, his baritone voice breaking the stillness.

Ivy turned her head, her curls brushing against his chest. She raised an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at her lips. “Thinking? That sounds dangerous. About what?”

He huffed a soft laugh, his fingers pausing their motion before resuming. “About us. About you…and Zaia.” His tone softened, dipping into something vulnerable. “You two are the best thing that’s happened to me since I moved here.”

Her chest tightened at his words, the sincerity in them catching her off guard. She wasn’t sure what to say, so she stayed silent, her fingers sliding idly along his tattooed forearm, encouraging him to continue.

His dark eyes gleamed in the low light, his expression open yet serious. “You know I don’t have any kids of my own. Elesha and I never got to…” he trailed off, his voice dropping to a tender murmur. “Being around you and Zaia…it’s made me realize how much I want that again. Marriage. A family, a real one. With you.”

Ivy’s breath hitched, her lips parting slightly as her eyes searched his. “Ro…”

“I mean it,” he said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. His fingers lingered on her cheek, his thumb stroking her skin. “Watching you with Zaia always warms my heart. You’re an amazing mom, baby. And I can’t stop thinking about how incredible it would be to give her a little brother or sister. To give us that.”

His words landed with the weight of a tidal wave, equal parts intoxicating and overwhelming. For a moment, Ivy could almost see the life he described: the happy, chaotic mornings, the sound of children’s laughter filling the house, Roman’s strong arms wrapping around her as they watched their family grow.

But then reality crashed back in. The nagging memory came rushing in again; of Roman’s voice raised in anger at Zaia, the way he’d lost control, even if just for a moment. He’d been trying to be much better since then, but Ivy couldn’t help wondering—what if it happened again? What if this perfect vision cracked under the pressure of another child?

Her gaze dropped, her stomach twisting. “Roman, that’s…that’s a lot to think about,” she said carefully, her tone hesitant. “I mean, I love what we have, but I don’t know if I’m ready for another child. Zaia’s still young, and—”

He cut her off gently, his fingers tilting her chin back toward him. “Hey,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a soothing whisper. “I’m not saying it has to happen tomorrow. I just…I want you to know how serious I am about us. About you.”

Her heart thudded painfully in her chest, torn between the warmth of his words and the unease curling at the edges of her mind. She was in love with him—she knew she was—but something inside her held back, a quiet voice whispering caution.

“I get it, baby. But let’s…let’s take things a little slower,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “Okay? We still have time.”

Roman’s smile faltered for the briefest moment, but he recovered quickly, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. “Fair enough,” he said, though his tone carried an undercurrent she couldn’t quite place.

Ivy tried to lighten the mood, needing to shake the weight of the conversation. “So,” she said, running her fingers along his forearm, “have you thought about having a housewarming party?”

Roman tensed slightly, the flicker of apprehension in his eyes so quick she almost missed it. “A housewarming party?”

“Yeah,” she said casually, though her curiosity was piqued by his reaction. “You’ve met more people since Gemini’s party. It might be nice to invite them to yours. I remember how fun it was when mine happened. You’ve made some friends, right?”

He shrugged, his hand resuming its idle strokes on her hip. “I don’t know, Ivy. I’m not really comfortable with people coming over just yet.”

“For real?” she pressed, her tone light but probing. “I haven’t even met your work colleagues yet. Or seen your office, come to think of it.”

Roman stiffened, his jaw tightening. “Nah, not happening,” he said, his voice sharper than intended, but quickly added, “I mean, the office is a mess—renovations, chaos everywhere. Besides,” he said, his tone softening as he ran a hand down her back, “I like keeping my personal space… personal.”

The words landed heavily, and Ivy blinked, her hand freezing mid-stroke along his chest. Confusion flickered across her face before it hardened into something sharper. “Wow,” she said slowly, her voice laced with quiet frustration. She rolled off him, sat up and crossed her arms. “So, what? You don’t want me in your space? After everything I’ve shared with you?”

Roman hesitated, his dark eyes narrowing slightly. “It’s not that,” he said, his tone smooth but guarded. “It’s just…I like things a certain way. My space is where I clear my head. You get that, right?”

“No, Roman,” she said, her voice firm but tinged with hurt. “I don’t get it. It feels like you’re shutting me out.”

Roman’s jaw clenched, his fingers curling into the sheet beneath them. “It’s not about you, Ivy,” he said softly, though the tightness in his voice betrayed his frustration. “It’s just…I need to keep some things separate. Trust me, okay?”

Ivy let out a bitter laugh, pulling away from him slightly. “Trust you,” she repeated, her voice cold. “Funny how that’s getting harder to do.”

Roman sat up slightly, the tension in his broad shoulders undeniable. “Baby, wait,” he said, his voice softening. When she didn’t respond, he reached out, his hand brushing hers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Ivy rolled her eyes. “Right.”

He sighed, running a hand through his long, loose hair. “I’m just…tired. Work’s been a lot lately. Stress piling up. You know how it is, Miss Assistant Head Nurse.”

Ivy studied his face, searching for answers he clearly wasn’t willing to give. She’d learned that despite his openness, Roman was a man of walls—carefully constructed barriers that he rarely let her peek behind. The storage room in his basement came to mind, a fitting example of his tendency to shut things away. When she’d asked about it, he’d claimed it was just filled with his late wife’s belongings. The curt manner in which he’d also dismissed the topic had made it clear there was no room for discussion. It saddened her that he wasn’t opening up to her as much as she was to him.

Still, she knew when to back off. She wasn’t the type to push too hard—at least not with such a fresh wound, pun intended. Despite the faint unease curling in her chest, she let the subject drop. There were battles to be fought another day.

“I get it,” she said softly, her lips curving into a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Work can be crazy sometimes. Just…don’t let it get to you too much, okay? Stress has a way of eating people alive if you let it. It got both my parents. I don’t want the same to happen to you.” Her hand found its way to his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her palm grounding her. She watched as his eyes fluttered shut at her touch, his shoulders easing just slightly, the weight of her presence momentarily lightening his burden, it seemed. 

“I…I want you to know you can talk to me, Roman,” she whispered now, as though she feared scaring him off. “About anything. Alright?”

Roman’s eyes opened, but they weren’t clear—they were shadowed, distant, as if he were looking somewhere she couldn’t see. Something lurked behind them, an emotion she couldn’t quite name. For a long, silent moment, he just stared at her, his full lips pressing into a thin line.

Finally, he exhaled, his voice low and heavy. “I’ll try.”

The words felt like a fragile bridge, half-built but still offering the promise of something more. Ivy patted his chest gently, nodding, even though her heart ached with the knowledge that there were still so many walls he wasn’t ready to let down.

As she started to pull away, his arms tightened around her, the hold both firm and tender. His gaze softened, filled with a yearning that sent her pulse racing. Then, his lips met hers, and the kiss wasn’t just passionate—it was a silent apology, a plea for her forgiveness. She allowed it, savoring the moment for what felt like an eternity. By the time he pulled back, just slightly, she was breathless, her anger reduced to embers.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re a great kisser?” he teased, his voice low, his eyes burning with intent. 

Ivy’s lips twitched despite herself, the teasing jab disarming her slightly. “Don’t try to charm your way out of this,” she warned, though her tone was less icy now.

“Charm’s all I’ve got,” he said with a smirk, leaning in to kiss her cheek. 

Ivy exhaled shakily, her eyes searching his, the tension between them dissolving in the heat of the moment. She sighed, rolling her eyes but not pulling away. “You make it hard to stay mad at your ass, you know that?”

Roman smirked, brushing his nose against hers. “That’s the idea.”

Ivy giggled. “You’re exhausting.”

“In bed? Hell yeah,” he murmured against her skin, his voice a low growl that sent a shiver down her spine.

Ivy shook her head, smiling faintly despite herself. “You’re lucky you can fuck, Reigns.”

Roman grinned evilly, tugging her back on top of him as he crushed his lips to hers, sealing the moment with a deep, hungry kiss that spoke volumes more than his words ever could.

Ivy paced her living room, her bare feet sinking into the plush carpet as her thoughts spiraled out of control. It had been two weeks since she’d last heard from Gemini. Two long, agonizing weeks of silence. Even when they fought, they never went this long without talking. But now? There was nothing—no calls, no texts, not even a passive-aggressive email. The memory of their last argument kept replaying in Ivy’s mind like a broken record: Gemini’s sharp words, the tension overwhelmingly thick, and their meeting after that, with Ivy storming out of Gemini’s office without looking back. It was petty, childish even, but neither of them had made a move to fix it. And it didn’t sit right with her. 

The pit in Ivy’s stomach grew heavier by the hour, the silence suffocating. She tried to distract herself—organizing Zaia’s schoolwork, tidying up her kitchen, even re-watching an old favorite movie. But nothing worked. The nagging thoughts wouldn’t let up.

So, she grabbed her keys. She couldn’t ignore the gnawing worry any longer. Sliding into her Kia Carnival, she drove through the quiet streets of their neighborhood, the familiar route to Gemini’s house offering little comfort. 

Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel as she pulled up to the Beaufort mansion. The porch light was off, and the curtains were drawn, giving the place a hollow, almost abandoned feel.

Ivy stepped onto the porch, her breath hitching as she reached for the potted fern by the door. She found the spare key exactly where Gemini had always kept it, hidden under the dark green leaves. Her hand trembled as she unlocked the door and stepped inside.

The house was eerily still, the kind of quiet that made the hairs on the back of Ivy’s neck stand up. The faint scent of lavender hung in the air, but there was something else, too—a faint metallic tang she couldn’t quite place.

“Gem?” Ivy called out, her voice breaking the silence. It sounded small, fragile, like she was afraid of what might answer.

There was no response.

Ivy moved cautiously through the house, her eyes scanning every detail. The living room was untouched, the pillows perfectly arranged on the couch. The kitchen was eerily spotless, the countertops gleaming as if freshly wiped down. A wave of unease rolled over her. Gemini was a lawyer, but even she was never this meticulous, not unless she was trying to make an impression.

Heart pounding, Ivy made her way upstairs, her footsteps muffled on the carpeted stairs. When she pushed open the door to Gemini’s bedroom, her breath caught. The unmade bed was the first thing that stood out, the sheets tangled in a way that was so unlike Gemini, who prided herself on a pristine home. A faint breeze fluttered the curtains, but the windows were shut, amplifying the strange stillness.

And then she saw it: a piece of paper on the nightstand, folded neatly, waiting.

Ivy froze, dread tightening in her chest. Her feet felt like lead as she crossed the room and reached for the note. It was typed, the words precise and cold. Her eyes darted to the signature at the bottom—it was Gemini’s, unmistakable. But as she read the letter, the words felt alien.

I can’t do this anymore. I’m sorry to everyone I’ve hurt. I just want the pain to stop.

To my dear Ivy,

I’m sorry I pushed you away. I will miss you the most.

“What the fuck!” Ivy whispered. Her knees buckled, and she sank onto the edge of the bed, tears spilling down her cheeks. “No, no, no…”

The sobs came hard and fast, her chest heaving as she clutched the letter like it might disappear. She couldn’t bring herself to read all of it because it didn’t feel real. Gemini had always been the strong one, the vibrant one. She was the one who dragged Ivy out of her darkest moments, who never let her give up no matter how hard life got. And now? Now she was gone.

But something didn’t add up. The thought clawed its way through Ivy’s grief. If Gemini had written this note, where was she? The house was empty, devoid of any sign of her presence. There were no personal items packed, no indication of where she might have gone. It was as if she had simply vanished.

“Where are you, Gem?” Ivy whispered, staring at the bed as if it might hold the answers. Her mind raced with possibilities, each more terrifying than the last. Was Gemini even alive?

The weight of that question bore down on her, suffocating her as she sat in the silence of her best friend’s room, the unanswered questions echoing louder than any scream.

She hadn’t even realized she’d driven to Roman’s house until she was there, her heart pounding so loudly it drowned out the quiet sounds of the neighborhood. Ivy stood trembling on his doorstep, clutching Gemini’s note in one hand and Duchess in the other. The puppy whined softly, nuzzling against Ivy’s neck as though trying to absorb her pain. Thank goodness Zaia was at her friend's house and unable to see her mother's distraught state.

When Roman opened the door, his concerned expression immediately softened into something more tender at the sight of her tear-streaked face. But before he could speak, Ivy blurted, “I need your help. I need to find her!”

Roman’s brows furrowed, and he stepped closer. “Baby, what’s going on? Who are we looking for?”

“Gemini,” she stammered, her voice breaking as her body trembled. “She’s gone, Roman. I went to her place…She left this note but she’s not there and I don’t know where she is. I have to find her!”

Roman’s jaw tightened, his features hardening for a split second before he schooled his face into a mask of calm. He reached out, cupping her face with both hands. “Baby, slow down. You’re shaking. Come here.”

Ivy allowed herself to be pulled into his arms, Duchess squirming slightly between them. Roman’s embrace was warm and steady, but Ivy could feel the weight of his silence pressing down on her. She clung to him for a moment, trying to gather her spiraling thoughts, before pulling back to look up at him.

“She’s out there somewhere,” she said, her voice shaking. “She sounded so lost in the note, but this don’t feel right. Roman, I need you to help me find her. Please.”

Roman sighed, his hands sliding to her shoulders. “Baby, let’s not jump to conclusions. Maybe she just needed some space. People do that sometimes.”

“No!” Ivy insisted, shaking her head. “Not Gem. She wouldn’t leave like this, not without saying goodbye properly. And the note—it doesn’t make sense.” Her grip on Duchess tightened as tears welled in her eyes again. “I feel like something’s wrong, Roman. Please, we have to go look for her.”

Roman stared at her for a long moment, his dark eyes unreadable. He led her into the house and shut the door. “Baby girl,” he said softly, his voice calm but firm, “you’ve been through a lot. You’re exhausted, and I think that’s making this feel worse than it is. Let’s take a minute, sit down, and go over everything together.”

Ivy shook her head, stepping back from him. “We don’t have time to sit around, Roman! She could be in trouble. She could be—” Her voice cracked, and she pressed a trembling hand to her mouth.

Roman reached for her again, his large hands cradling her shoulders. “Baby, listen to me. I get that you’re worried, but running out into the night without a plan isn’t going to help. Let me take care of you first, okay? You need to breathe.”

“I don’t need to breathe!” Ivy snapped, her desperation boiling over. “I need to find my friend! Are you gonna help me or not?”

Roman’s jaw clenched, his grip on her tightening briefly before he let out a measured breath. “Of course I’ll help you, baby,” he said, his tone soft but deliberate. “I’d do anything for you. But we need to think this through. Let me make you some tea, and we’ll figure out the best way to look for her.”

Ivy hesitated, her tears streaking her face as she searched his expression for reassurance. “You promise?” she whispered, her voice small.

Roman leaned down, pressing a kiss to her lips. “I promise, baby girl. I’m here for you. Always.” He stepped back, his hand on her shoulder. “Come on,” he said gently, guiding her toward the kitchen. “You need to sit down. Let’s figure this out together.”

Ivy followed him numbly, her legs moving on autopilot as her thoughts churned. She clutched Duchess tightly, the dog’s soft whimpers a faint reminder of her reality. When they reached the kitchen, Roman pulled out a chair for her, the scrape of wood against tile sounding too loud in the stillness.

“Sit,” he urged, his voice steady but insistent.

She sank into the chair, her hands trembling as she smoothed Duchess’s fur. The note burned in her mind, its shaky words etched into her memory. It was so unlike Gemini—strong, vibrant Gemini—to write something so hopeless.

Roman leaned against the counter, his dark eyes studying her intently. His arms crossed over his chest, and the stark black of his tattoos seemed even more pronounced under the harsh kitchen light.

“What did the note say?” he asked, his tone calm but probing.

Ivy swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper as she replied, “She said she couldn’t take it anymore. That she felt lost and alone. And…she said she was sorry for pushing me away.” Her throat tightened, and fresh tears spilled over.

Roman held out his hand. “Let me see it.”

She handed him the crumpled note, watching his face closely as he read it. His expression darkened subtly, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his features before he looked up. “And you found this where?”

“On her nightstand,” Ivy said, her voice shaky. “But she’s not there, Roman. Her car’s gone, and she’s just… vanished. It doesn’t make sense. She wouldn’t do this. She wouldn’t leave me like this.”

Roman frowned, his jaw tightening for a brief moment before his face softened again. “Maybe she…didn’t want to do it at home,” he suggested cautiously. “She might’ve gone somewhere private.”

“No!” Ivy’s voice rose, her frustration spilling over. “That’s not her! She wouldn’t just leave a note like that and disappear. Something’s wrong, Roman. I can feel it.”

Roman sighed heavily and stood in front of her, his large hands resting on her thighs. His dark eyes met hers with an intensity that made her stomach twist.

“Ivy,” he said softly, his voice low and soothing. “You’ve been through so much lately—Angelo, Zaia, work—and now this. You’re overwhelmed, baby. Your mind is running in circles, and it’s making you see things that aren’t there. Let me take care of you tonight. You need to rest.”

Ivy blinked, her resolve faltering under his steady gaze. Was she overreacting? Was her grief clouding her judgment?

“But—” she began, only to have him interrupt.

“No ‘buts,’” Roman said firmly. His hands squeezed her thighs gently before he stepped back. “We’ll figure it out, but you need to trust me. I’ll take care of you, okay?”

The reassurance in his tone eased some of the tension in her chest, though unease still lingered at the edges. “Okay,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Roman’s lips curved into a faint smile. He leaned down, brushing a soft kiss against her forehead. “Good girl. I’ll make us some tea,” he said, turning toward the stove.

Ivy watched him move, her mind still racing despite his calming words. Something about the way he had responded—too measured, too controlled—didn’t sit right. She wanted to shake the thought away, and blame her exhaustion and grief. But she couldn’t.

Something was not right. No matter what Roman said, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Gemini’s disappearance than the note suggested. And deep down, a tiny voice whispered a warning that she wasn’t ready to hear it.

Her gaze drifted aimlessly around the kitchen, desperate for a distraction from her spiraling thoughts. That’s when she saw it, tucked into a shadowy corner near the pantry: a vibrant tan-colored Prada tote bag. 

Her breath caught in her throat. 

It was Gemini’s—her favorite bag, the one she saved for special occasions and treated like it was made of gold. Ivy’s pulse quickened, her fingers freezing mid-stroke on Duchess’s fur. Why was it here? Gemini never let that bag out of her sight. Panic surged through Ivy’s chest, an icy flood that made her stomach churn.

Setting her puppy gently on the floor, Ivy’s feet moved almost on their own, carrying her to the bag. Her fingers hovered over it for a moment before grasping the worn leather strap. She turned it over in her hands, her heart sinking as her eyes landed on the unmistakable ‘G’ charm dangling from the zipper—Gemini’s signature touch. There was no doubt now. This was her best friend’s bag, here in Roman’s kitchen.

“What are you doing?” 

His deep voice startled her, sharp and sudden, cutting through the tense air. Ivy jumped, clutching the bag tighter as she spun to face him. His towering frame loomed in the doorway, his expression dark and unreadable. 

“This is Gemini’s bag. Why do you have it? Why is it here?” she demanded, her voice shaking. Her wide, tear-streaked eyes locked onto his, searching for an explanation, but the dark, unreadable look that flickered across his face sent a chill down her spine.

The mask of charm finally slipped. “Ivy…listen to me...”

But Ivy wasn’t listening. Her hands shook as she unzipped the bag and rifled through it, pulling out the contents one by one. There were several printouts of news articles of missing persons, Rhea and Bianca among them. One particular photo made her stomach drop into the void as she laid eyes on it.

Roman’s mugshot. 

“What the hell is this?” Ivy’s voice cracked as she held it up, the other documents in her other hand.

Roman took a step toward her. “Ivy, calm down.”

She ignored him, her hands trembling as she stared at one of the headlines:

Mateo Hobbs Wanted in Connection with Multiple Murders in Florida.

The image was unmistakable—Roman, though his hair was shorter, and his beard less full. Ivy’s stomach turned, the bile threatening climbing up her throat.

“What is this?” she demanded, her voice shaking. “Who the hell are you?”

Roman’s face darkened, his jaw tightening as though he were physically restraining himself from reacting. “Baby,” he said, his voice low and deliberate, “I can explain—”

“Explain?!” Ivy’s voice rang out, sharp and filled with betrayal. 

“Ivy—”

She threw the papers at him. “Tell me that’s not you! Tell me that’s not your face! You can’t, can you?”

Roman took a deliberate step toward her, his large frame cutting an imposing figure in the dim kitchen light. His large hands were raised in what he probably thought was a placating gesture, but to Ivy, it was nothing more than a threat. She backed away, her movements jerky and panicked. Duchess, standing protectively at her feet, growled low and steady, the sound vibrating through the tense air.

“Baby,” Roman said, his voice soft yet firm, as if he were speaking to a child on the verge of a tantrum. “Calm down. Let’s talk about this.”

“I let you into my house! You held my child!” she yelled, her chest heaving as her mind raced to comprehend the horrifying truth. Her voice cracked under the weight of her disbelief. “Oh my god…you and me, we…” Hot tears welled in her eyes, sick to her stomach.

“Ivy,” Roman repeated, more hostile now. “You don’t understand. Come here and let’s talk—”

“No!” Her scream was shrill, laced with fear and fury. Her hands fumbled blindly behind her as she searched for something—anything—to defend herself. Her fingers brushed against cold steel, and she wrapped them around the handle of a kitchen knife, holding it out in front of her with shaking hands.

“Stay away from me!” she yelled, the blade trembling as she brandished it. Duchess barked furiously now, the sound filling the space as she bared her teeth at Roman.

Roman’s expression flickered with anger, frustration, perhaps��but he didn’t stop. Instead, he took another step forward, his gaze fixed on Ivy.

“Put the knife down,” he said, his voice dropping to a low, commanding tone. “You don’t wanna do this, Ivy. Just listen to me.”

“Don’t come any closer or I’ll stab you!” she shrieked, her grip tightening on the knife even as her hands shook violently. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps, her heart pounding so loudly she could barely hear her own thoughts. “I mean it, I’ll-”

Roman lunged.

The world blurred into chaos as she swung the knife wildly, her instincts overtaking her terror. Their bodies collided, and the knife clattered to the floor with a metallic clang. Roman’s strength was overwhelming, his grip on her arms like iron as he wrestled her to the ground.

With a loud bark, Duchess launched herself at Roman, her teeth snapping dangerously close to his leg, but he kicked her away with brutal precision. The yelp that came from the dog sent a fresh wave of panic through Ivy’s chest.

“Duchess!” she screamed, her voice breaking as she thrashed against Roman’s hold.

“Stop fighting me!” he growled, his voice no longer calm or coaxing but sharp and commanding.

Ivy’s nails clawed at his arms, her legs kicking wildly as she tried to free herself, but Roman was too strong. He grabbed her wrists, pinning them above her head as her screams echoed through the kitchen.

“Let me go!” she cried, tears streaming down her face as she bucked beneath him, her energy rapidly depleting.

Roman’s face was inches from hers now, his breath hot against her skin. His eyes were dark, swirling with a mix of frustration and something far more dangerous.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Ivy!” he said through gritted teeth, but the menace in his tone betrayed the words.

Ivy let out one last desperate scream, thrashing with so much force that her head struck the floor hard. Pain blossomed at the back of her skull, sharp and blinding, her vision tunneling before the world around her faded to black.

Roman sat back on his knees, breathing heavily as he stared down at her limp form. His jaw twitched, and he ran a hand through his hair, muttering under his breath.

“This isn’t how it was supposed to go,” he said, his words low and tinged with frustration. He stood, lifting Ivy’s unconscious body effortlessly into his arms. Duchess growled weakly from where she lay near the corner, her movements sluggish. Roman didn’t spare the dog another glance as he carried Ivy toward the basement door, disappearing into the shadows below.

When Ivy woke, her head throbbed viciously and her vision swam with disjointed shapes. The cold concrete floor beneath her sent a chill through her body, seeping into her bones. She blinked, trying to piece together where she was and how she’d gotten there. The dim, artificial light cast long, eerie shadows across the space, and the faint, sharp scent of bleach stung her nose. But there was something else—something foul, sour, and unmistakably metallic.

Blood.

Her stomach lurched as she inhaled sharply, the nauseating scent overwhelming her senses. Ivy’s pulse raced as fragments of her memory returned. 

Roman. 

His shift in tone. The confrontation. And then… darkness.

Her heart pounded harder as she pushed herself onto shaky feet, her legs wobbling beneath her. She instinctively reached for the back of her head, feeling the tender knot where she must’ve been struck.

“This can’t be happening,” she whispered to herself, her voice trembling and barely audible over the oppressive silence.

The room came into focus slowly—a basement, cold and sterile, with pristine white walls that somehow felt wrong in this suffocating space. A basement that didn’t belong to her.

Roman’s.

The realization hit her like a jolt of electricity, and her breath hitched. She spun toward the only door, but it was locked. Of course, it was locked. She pressed her ear to it and froze as she heard faint, deliberate footsteps above her. He was there.

Ivy backed away from the door, her movements frantic. Her chest heaved as panic clawed at her throat. She scanned the room for any means of escape. But nothing. The basement was immaculate, eerily so, with nothing out of place except for a large barrel in the corner. No ropes. No gags. No tools. Nothing that looked like it belonged to his wife, as he’d claimed. Just her, the empty space, and the deafening sound of her own breathing.

And then she saw it.

A trapdoor, set inconspicuously into the concrete floor.

Her stomach twisted, a war raging inside her between dread and desperate hope. Could it be a way out? Or was it something worse—something she didn’t want to face?

Ivy hesitated, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure Roman could hear it from upstairs. She had to move. Had to act. The door wasn’t an option, and she couldn’t stay here waiting for him to come back.

Swallowing her fear, she crept toward the trapdoor, her breath shallow and ragged. Her hands trembled as she gripped the edge of the wood, the rough surface digging into her palms. She hesitated, every instinct in her body screaming at her to stop, to leave it closed. But her desperation overpowered her fear.

The wood creaked as she lifted it.

The smell hit her first, a nauseating wave of decay so strong it made her gag. She stumbled back, one hand covering her mouth and nose as her eyes watered. The pit below was dark, but her gaze caught something—a shape, pale and unmoving.

And then the shape became clear. Familiar.

Gemini.

A scream tore through Ivy’s throat, raw and guttural, reverberating in the empty space around her. “No! No, no, no, no, no, no!” she cried, her voice breaking, each word more desperate than the last. Tears slipped from her eyes as they locked on her best friend’s lifeless face, barely recognizable beneath the bruises and caved-in features. A long, open gash sliced through her throat, like a knife had been taken to it. 

Her stomach lurched, bile rising in her throat as she tried to process the horrific sight. Her breathing was ragged, each inhale feeling sharper, heavier, as though the very act of drawing breath into her lungs was a betrayal of what she was seeing. That somehow her mind was playing tricks on her. But the light above the trapdoor cast cruel shadows on Gemini’s body, highlighting the sheer violence of what had been done to her.

What Roman had done.

“Gemini!” Ivy’s body convulsed as she collapsed beside the pit, clutching at the edge and reaching in as though this act could somehow pull her best friend back into the world of the living. Her shaking hands closed around the cold, stiff fingers that no longer curled into playful fists or reached out for hugs. Ivy’s entire frame shook with the force of her loud, hysterical cries as she clutched at Gemini’s hand, willing it to warm, to move, to hold hers back. 

“Oh my god…Gem…” Her voice cracked, her words barely audible over the torrent of anguish pouring from her. “Oh god, Gemini, no, no, please, please wake up—”

The words caught in her throat, strangled by guilt and despair. She couldn’t finish. There was no point. No plea could bring Gemini back. The realization hit her like a physical blow, making her chest ache as if her heart were shattering into shards inside her ribcage.

“I’m sorry, babe, I’m so sorry,” Ivy wailed, fat teardrops splashing onto Gemini’s lifeless hand. The stark, unyielding coldness of her skin was wrong—everything about this was wrong.

Her sobs increased, her chest heaving as she cried out, “You didn’t deserve this. You didn’t deserve this!” Her voice echoed in the space, bitter and broken.

Ivy rocked back and forth, her eyes squeezing shut as if it could stop the memories from flooding in—memories of Gemini’s laugh, her hugging Zaia and tickling Duchess, her fierce loyalty, her way of making Ivy feel like everything would be okay even when it wasn’t. All of it was gone now. Snuffed out by Roman’s brutality.

And she had let him in.

The realization was like a knife to her gut, twisting and unrelenting. Her fault. All her fault. She’d seen the signs. Felt the unease in her gut. Gemini had warned her, but she hadn’t listened. She’d ignored the warnings, chosen to believe in him when she should’ve been running far, far away.

“I’m s-sorry,” Ivy wept, the words spilling out over and over like a mantra as she gripped Gemini’s hand with both of hers. “F-Forgive me, Gem. Please forgive me…”

The weight of her grief was unbearable. Slumping in a heap next to the pit, her shoulders heaved from crying. Somewhere above her, the faint creak of footsteps reached her ears, a reminder that this horrible nightmare wasn’t over. But Ivy couldn’t move. She couldn’t leave Gemini here—not like this, not alone.

She pressed her forehead to the ground, her tears soaking the cold floor. “I’ll fix this,” she sniffled, her voice hoarse and trembling. “I swear to God, Gem. I’ll make this right. I’ll—” Her voice broke, the words dissolving into another gut-wrenching cry.

The silence in the room was deafening now, save for her choked sobs. The world felt darker, heavier, like it had shifted irreparably. Because it had. Gemini was gone. And Ivy wasn’t sure she could survive the hole that had just been carved into her soul.

The sound of heavy footsteps descending the stairs snapped Ivy out of her daze. Her heart raced as she released Gemini’s hand and scrambled to her feet, backing away from the trapdoor. Her body trembled, cold terror coursing through her veins.

Roman appeared, carrying a large, barrel-like tank similar to the one that sat in the corner of the basement. His broad frame filled the space, and the calm expression on his face made Ivy’s stomach twist in revulsion.

“I see you've found her,” he said casually, as if discussing something mundane, his tone unsettlingly smooth.

Ivy’s breath hitched, and her voice came out in a trembling shriek. “What did you do?!” she screamed, her hysteria bubbling over. “What did you do, you monster!”

Roman’s dark eyes flicked to her, and for a moment, something like disappointment crossed his face. But he didn’t answer. Instead, he turned his attention to the trapdoor, kneeling down and pulling it open fully.

“What are you doing?!” Ivy cried, her voice breaking. “Roman, stop! Please! Don’t—don’t touch her!” She stumbled forward instinctively, her hand outstretched, afraid to get close.

Roman didn’t stop. He bent down with deliberate precision and gripped Gemini’s body, hauling her up with a disturbing amount of strength and lack of hesitation. Ivy gagged, her knees threatening to give out as he moved the corpse with chilling efficiency.

“Stop it! Don’t do this!” Ivy cried, tears streaming down her face. “Please, Roman, I’m begging you! Leave her alone! Stop!” Her voice cracked, raw and desperate, but he didn’t even glance her way.

Instead, he began forcing Gemini’s limp form into the tank. The sound of bones snapping and joints dislocating filled the air, each crack a horrific reminder of his strength—and his cruelty. Ivy pressed her hands over her ears, crying uncontrollably as she backed against the wall. She couldn’t look away, no matter how much she wanted to. Every fiber of her being screamed to run, to fight, to do something, but her legs wouldn’t obey.

Roman worked methodically, his movements almost clinical, as though this was just another chore to complete. He didn’t speak, didn’t react to Ivy’s pleas. It was as if she wasn’t even there. Her sobs filled the silence, broken only by the grotesque sounds of his work. And all she could do was watch as the man she once thought she loved continued to unveil the monster he truly was.

“Why?” she begged, “Why are you doing this?”

Roman twisted the lid of the barrel closed and turned to face her. “They didn’t understand me like you do,” he explained, his voice almost tender as he glanced at her. “I didn’t want to kill them, hell, I ain’t even plan to…but Angelo was in the way, and Gemini…she just wouldn’t stop digging…”

For a moment, Ivy couldn’t breathe. Her chest tightened, her vision blurred, and the room spun. She blinked rapidly, hoping—praying—that she’d misheard him. But the look on his face, calm and unrepentant, told her otherwise.

“You…what do you mean you killed Angelo?” she whispered, her voice cracking.

Roman tilted his head slightly, as if her disbelief confused him. “He was holding you back, baby,” he said simply, his tone almost matter-of-fact. “Every time I saw him with you, I knew he’d never let us be happy. And Zaia deserves a father who loves her, who loves you.”

Ivy stumbled back, pressing herself against the cold concrete wall. “Oh god. Oh god, oh fuck…” The words tumbled out of her in a broken chant, her hands clutching at her chest as if trying to hold her heart together.

Roman took a step closer, his hands spread in a placating gesture. “Ivy, listen to me. I did it for us. For our future. Don’t you see?”

But she couldn’t hear him over the blood roaring in her ears. Memories of Angelo flooded her mind—the way he used to playfully lift Zaia onto his shoulders, how his laugh would echo through the house during family dinners. Yes, he had his faults. He was stubborn, controlling at times, and their relationship had ended messily. But he was Zaia’s father. He was her child’s father!

“I can’t believe this!” she cried, her voice rising in hysteria. She sank to her knees, clutching her head as tears poured down her face. “Angelo stressed me out, but I never wanted him dead! He was Zaia’s father! How could you—how could you take him away from her?!”

“Ivy,” he said, his tone low and coaxing, as though she were a frightened animal. “I know this is hard to hear, but Angelo was a piece of shit. He wasn’t good for you. He didn’t treat you the way you deserved. And Zaia? She’s better off without a man like him in her life.”

“Fuck you!” Ivy screamed, her voice cracking under the weight of her anguish. “You don’t get to decide that! You don’t get to play God with our lives!”

Roman’s jaw tightened, his expression darkening for a split second before softening again. “Baby girl,” he said, his voice almost soothing. “I’m protecting you. I’m protecting Zaia. You both deserve so much more than he could ever give. What’s a measly fucking house and some necklace when I can give you ten houses? A hundred necklaces? He was the bare minimum and you deserve more.”

“You’re sick,” Ivy hissed, her voice shaking with raw emotion. “You’re fucking insane!”

Her words seemed to pierce through Roman’s calm façade. For a moment, his face hardened, his jaw clenching as he stared at her. Then, just as quickly, his expression shifted back to one of calculated composure.

“I know you’re upset,” he said, his tone gentle but firm. “But one day, you’ll understand. You’ll see that everything I’ve done was for you—for us.” He swallowed hard, emotion clouding his features, “Because I love you, Ivy. I love you so much.”

Ivy let out another guttural sob, her body wracked with uncontrollable tremors. She pressed her hands to her face, trying to block out the sight of him, the sound of his voice. The man she had trusted, the man she had thought she was in love with, had taken Gemini and Angelo from her.

From Zaia.

The realization hit her like a physical blow, stealing the air from her lungs. Her baby would grow up without her father—not because of a tragic accident, but because Roman had stolen him away. And he had the fucking nerve to stand there, calm and unbothered, as though he’d done her a favor as opposed to destroying her and her daughter’s life.

Roman crouched down in front of her, his large frame blocking out the dim light. He reached out as if to comfort her, but Ivy recoiled, her entire body rattling with fury and grief. “Don’t touch me!” she choked out, her voice raw and trembling. “Get away from me!”

He hesitated, his hand hovering in the air before slowly retracting. He stood, his towering figure casting a long shadow over her trembling form.

“You may hate me right now,” he said softly, “But deep down, you know I’m right. I’ll give you time to see that.”

Ivy didn’t respond. She couldn’t. All she could do was curl into herself, her sobs echoing through the cold, sterile basement as the horrifying truths engulfed her like a vulture swooping in on its prey.

Thanks for all your support last year! Your replies and reblogs are so much appreciated! Please keep your Asks coming, we’re loving all the theories!

Roman gif by @dejameflorecer

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[arthurbristow]

The night air was cold and thick, heavy with the stench of sweat, dirt, and failure. The rain had long stopped, but the dampness still clung to the streets, making everything feel oppressive. 

The rest of the League had gone out on various errands — Twice had muttered something about scouting locations, Toga was off on her own twisted business, and Dabi had left without a word, his typical indifference hanging in the air. 

It was just you and Shigaraki now, and the atmosphere in the hideout was heavy, oppressive.

You sat on the edge of a broken-down couch in the dim, crumbling warehouse that served as the League of Villains’ temporary hideout, your heart racing with a mixture of fear and exhaustion. 

The aftermath of the botched mission hung in the air like a noxious cloud, and you could feel the tension simmering, thickening with each passing second.

Across the room, Shigaraki Tomura paced back and forth like a caged animal, his movements jerky and erratic, every step an explosion of pent-up anger. His red eyes glowed with a fury that hadn’t subsided since the mission went south. His fingers twitched, clawing at the air, brushing dangerously close to his neck as if he was barely containing the urge to grab at the skin beneath his collar and tear it apart.

They had failed. He had failed. The kidnapping of Bakugo had gone sideways — again — and now Shigaraki was teetering on the edge of a meltdown.

“I had him!” he snarled suddenly, his voice echoing off the walls of the dilapidated room. His boots scraped against the floor, the sound as harsh as his breathing. “We had that damn brat right in our hands, and they — those fucking heroes — had to ruin it!”

You flinched at the sharpness of his words but stayed silent. His fury was like a storm, wild and untamed, and you knew better than to step into its path without caution. Still, watching him unravel like this — it sent a chill down your spine. 

He stopped pacing for a moment, one hand coming up to claw at his white hair. “Every damn time… every single time we get close, it falls apart!” His voice was growing louder, more frantic. “Those damn heroes, they think they can just—”

“Tomura…” you said quietly, trying to find a way to ground him, to pull him out of this spiral.

His head snapped toward you, eyes blazing. “What?” he spat, his voice venomous. “What the hell do you want?”

You froze under his gaze. You’d seen him angry before, but there was something different this time — something more unstable. His frustration with Bakugo’s escape had compounded, twisting into a deep, festering rage that seemed ready to consume him. 

“I—I just wanted to help,” you stammered, your voice weak, the words clumsy in your throat. 

“Help?” he repeated, a mocking edge to his tone as he stalked closer, each step filled with barely contained violence. “You think you can help? You think anyone can help when I can’t even—” His voice broke off, his breath hitching in a ragged gasp. “This was my chance to prove it. To show the master that I’m more than just some kid with a quirk that destroys everything he touches. But of course fucking All Might had to intervene!” 

His face twisted in frustration as he dragged a hand through his hair again, fingers shaking. The movement was erratic, desperate, as if he could somehow pull the failure out of his mind if he could just grip hard enough.

The sight of him like this — so raw, so vulnerable under all that fury — made your chest ache. You wanted to reach out, to offer something — anything — to ease the madness burning in his gaze, but how could you? You weren’t sure he’d even listen.

“Tomura-kun,” you tried again, softer this time, more careful. “It wasn’t your fault. We’ll get another chance. We can—”

“Shut up.” His voice was low, but it cut through the air like a knife. His head snapped up, eyes narrowing beneath the curtain of his hair. “I said shut up.”

“I just… I just don’t want you to blame yourself.”

He laughed, a harsh, grating sound that sent a chill down your spine. “Blame myself? Oh, I’m very aware of whose fault this is. It’s mine. It’s always mine.”

You stood from the couch, your pulse quickening, but you couldn’t just sit there and watch him tear himself apart. Still, against your better judgment, you stood and crossed the small space between you. He didn’t stop you, didn’t even look up as you approached, his eyes fixed somewhere on the far wall, lost in whatever thoughts he was keeping locked away. His hair was an unruly mess, strands sticking to his forehead, clinging to his cheeks. “Tomura, stop. You don’t have to carry this—”

His hand shot out before you could finish, fingers wrapping around your wrist in a vice-like grip. His touch was cold, painful.

Instinctively, your gaze darted to where his thumb and four fingers gripped your arm — but his fifth finger hovered, suspended just above your skin. So close. Just millimeters away. The threat was immediate, palpable. One flick, one slip, and you would decay into nothingness. Your flesh would turn to ash in an instant, just like everything else he touched.

“Boss…” you whispered, your voice trembling, but you didn’t pull away. Fear churned in your stomach, cold and sharp. “Please. Let me help.”

“Don’t patronize me,” he hissed, his voice low and deadly, his face inches from yours. “You think I care about your hollow words? You think your comfort means anything to me? And you want to help?” he spat, his grip tightening, though his fifth finger remained just shy of contact. His red eyes bore into yours, filled with rage and something darker, something more desperate. “You can’t help me. You can’t fix this. You think you’re different, but you’re not. You’re nothing, just like the rest of these morons are!”

You swallowed hard, your pulse pounding in your ears. Without thinking, you moved even closer. 

His eyes followed you warily, but he didn’t pull away, not yet. 

Slowly, you reached up, brushing the strands of his white hair out of his face. The touch was gentle, and for a moment, he let you do it, his breath hitching slightly as your fingers grazed his skin. You tucked the loose strands behind his ear, your hand lingering for just a second too long.

His body went rigid under your touch. The air between you stilled, his crimson eyes widening ever so slightly in shock. His breath hitched, and for a fleeting moment, the rage in his expression faltered, giving way to confusion. He stared at you, as though he couldn’t understand what you had just done, as though your gentle touch had cut through the chaos swirling in his mind. 

“What are you trying to do?” he asked, his voice dangerously low. “You think you can fix me? That this—” He gestured to your hand. “—is going to make a difference?”

“I don’t want to fix you,” you whispered. “I just don’t want you to feel so alone, boss.”

Shigaraki didn’t move. He didn’t let go, either. His fingers trembled against your skin, the tension in his grip a constant reminder of the fragility of the situation. “Why?” he rasped, his voice hoarse, broken.

You swallowed, heart still pounding, but your voice remained steady. “Because I care. I’m here, boss. And I’m not leaving.”

His grip loosened, just enough for you to breathe again. “I’ve killed people, you know,” he claimed suddenly, his voice cold, detached. “I’ve wiped them out without a second thought. Innocents. Villains. Heroes. It doesn’t matter to me. Everything I touch turns to dust. I don’t deserve kindness of any kind.”

You stood your ground, even as the danger of his quirk lingered so close. “Maybe you don’t think you deserve it,” you said quietly, “but you do.”

With a shuddering breath, he let go. His hand fell to his side, his entire body sagging as though the weight of his anger and frustration had drained him. He looked away from you, his expression hardening once more, but there was a crack in the armor — a crack that hadn’t been there before.

“No matter how much you push me away, boss, I am not leaving. I believe in your cause.”

But Shigaraki didn’t respond. He turned away, retreating into the shadows, his shoulders hunched, his hands trembling at his sides as he mumbled something under his breath.

You swallowed the lump in your throat, the tears burning at the corners of your eyes. But you didn’t let them fall. Not in front of him. 

And as you watched him retreat into the shadows, you knew that no matter how close you got, no matter how much you tried, the chasm between you would always remain. He was right. You couldn’t fix him.

Shigaraki was alone.

And deep down, you knew he always would be.

[ria-writes-stories]

Self care day

Ship: Nuzi Genre: Fluff/Cotton Description: The sillies going to the mall

@maryalezoo --------------

(No one's pov)

Since murder drones, well one of the last living murder drones, stopped killing worker drones, Uzi had all that she needed to go out and explore. Not that she couldn't kill another murder drone again but killing her friend wouldn't be beneficial. How would he fly her to one of those abandoned malls if she did? "Uh- Uzi, this place looks wasted." "Well duh, it's been abandoned for so long, we just need to find the power generator, turn it on and we should have some electricity running around for the lights…" "I dunno Uz…" N said as he looked around skeptical fiddling with his hands. "Oh come on! There's no hollow spooky crab here! Come on!" Uzi said grabbing N's hand as she began to run through the mall with him. "WOAH-" "COME ON! KEEP UP!" Uzi said giggling, she seemed really excited to explore this abandoned building for some reason, N didn't understand why, but it made him happy that she was happy. So, he soon began to run with her as well.

At some point during the run N took off with his wings. "HEY! NOT FAIR!" Uzi shouted as N simply laughed as he spun around in the air, but when he looked back Uzi was gone, and oh boy that panic hit him harder than a truck. "Uzi-? Uzi? UZI!" N shouted out as he looked around desperate. Was there anyone else in the building besides them? What if there was another murder drone around? What if something got her? What if she got lost? Oh no! Uzi in the meantime was laughing her ass off behind a corner, covering her mouth as to not to make too much sound.

For the next ten minutes N went around like a mad dog on the loose while Uzi constantly hid as quiet as she could, moving from one place to another as he searched for her. N took a moment to breath in when he suddenly heard a small snicker. But soon enough that went quiet as joy and laughter were replaced with shock and horror as Uzi looked up at N with confusion deep burried in her eyes. His eyes were turned into that awful X and his sharp teeth were threatening to bite. Uzi stayed quiet as N pinned her down, what happened? Did he overheat and went into overwrite? Did- He started to laugh… "Bahahahahaha!" "Hey!" "You should have seen your face Uzi- ahahahaha!" Uzi punched him in the shoulder as N continued to laugh. "You started it!" N reminded her as she mumbled and crossed her hands and looked away mumbling, but she then got her idea for revenge.

"Hey! I know where to go, I saw a shop somewhere down this floor." "Aren't we looking for that power generator?" "Eh, screw it, it's old and broken most likely. Come on, this will be much better." "Ok! Just… don't do that again." "Says the one that doesn't listen to those exact words." "When since prom have I got split into half?" N asked as he followed close behind Uzi as the girl simply rolled her eyes.

As N continued to follow her, Uzi suddenly squalled and rushed into one of the shops. N looked up at what was written above it. "Hot…topic? What's hot topic?" "N! LOOK AT THIS!" The sudden tonality change in Uzi's voice startled him and it made him so very sure that she was actually in danger, but instead she was holding…hair pins? "Uh…what?" "Look how many things are here! Oh I've waited forever to be into one of these!" Uzi said as she ran around through the shop digging through the anime merchandise and the emo-goth accessories and clothes. "You…want to try some of these on?" N asked confused as he looked around at the stuff that were there. "YES!" Uzi said excitedly. None of this was his style… He was more…elegant to say so, or at least simple. He was used to a whole different style of clothes but he'd go with whatever made her happy. "Okay!" N said with a small smile as he gave her one of the accessories from the higher shelves. "Don't just stand there idiot! Go get dressed up too!" Uzi urged him as she pushed him out of the store. "W-wait what?!" "You heard me!" "But I don't know what to even-"

"Not with clothes from here! Go somewhere else!" "Why…?" "Don't you want new clothes?" "I'm fine with my coat honestly-" "N. Go find clothes. Come on you'll like it. You can dress with whatever you like and find." "But…" "Come ooooooooon, we'll meet here afterwards!" "Well, alright then-" "Cool! And don't peek in here if you finish earlier than me!" Uzi said before going into one of the changing rooms there as N was left more confused than ever before he roamed around the place looking for a shop similar to the one he found for his costume and V's dress. Maybe it was due to N's weird visions of himself in that butler suit, but he had a thing for fancier and more elegant things, simple but stylish. If you'd ask him what stylish is he'd ask if it's a dog, he only knows the word 'dapper' and he can only 'feel' what he likes. He's a little goofster like that.

Eventually N found a shop filled with suits, and oh boy the headache to find one that looked good on him. Those his size weren't appealing, the color yellow was just out of the question, his eyes were yellow too so it didn't work. Grey, white and silver were also poor choices. He tried black and white but it was too… plain and it gave him a bad feeling, like in his dreams… He ended up walking out of the shop like a watered down dog. He really did want to participate in this thing Uzi was doing but he just didn't know how.

As he was walking back he spotted something on one of the stores. A back pack. A black backpack with tiny wings like the one's of a bat. The first thing that he thought of when he saw that was Uzi, so he did the most natural thing, take it. Maybe he couldn't find things for himself…but maybe he could find something for her!

N's mood changed entirely to joyful as he began to roam around the mall collecting various items, a flashlight, some batteries to make it work, and others that gave what he called 'detective dapper items for great adventures!'

By the time Uzi got out N was already there, waiting patiently outside of the shop with his tail waggling from side to side. ". . .?" Uzi looked confused as N seemed to be holding something behind himself. "Did…you find something to your liking?" Uzi asked puzzled. "Nope! But I found something for you!" N said with a bright joyful smile as he held out the backpack filled with the various items inside. Uzi gasped in surprise as he took the backpack and analyzed it. Soon enough a small blush crept on her face as she looked away flustered. "I… didn't find anything for myself either… Those things were great but not me style… so uhm…" Uzi said as he held out a coat that was probably N's size. It was made out of far better quality and it had very fluffy fur at the scurf, far more cozy than what N have…as well as a camper costume. "I found these tho… So I thought I could-" N practically snatched the clothes out of her hands as she looked at them absolutely mesmerised. Uzi did pay attention to him…she did!

A few days prior

"Uzi, what's a camp consoler?" "Hm? Oh, it's an adult that takes care of a group of campers, basically people going out in the wild to sleep out in nature and do all sorts of activities." "Woah! So- you get to have fun with a bunch of people?" "I mean- yeah but you are also responsible for their safety and-" "That's so cool!" N said happily as Uzi looked at him confused. "What?" "I'd love to be a camp consoler with you Uzi! We could have so much fun!" "I don't want to be one-" "Then I can be the camp consoler for you!" N said happily. "We'd have so much fun! What do you even do in a camp?" "Well… there are various things for it and-" "Wait-! How do I have to dress for it? I can't wear impractical clothes." "N, I don't think you even have clothes for that…" "Oh…" N said as he pouted a little as he looked away. "Stop thinking of that! Come on we got other things to do." Uzi scolded but she felt bad for him. "Oh- right! Ok!"

Present time

"So… I was thinking of getting to this camp but it's too big of a trip so, I talked with my teacher to make a camping trip and stuff…you could come along…with V… I will be searching for some answer regarding all of these things and-" N hugged Uzi tightly to his chest. "Thank you Uzi." He said happily as Uzi blushed heavily and looked away flustered. "You're welcome- h-hey! Let go of me!" "Why?" "Because- EEEEEP!" Uzi yelped as N began to spin around with her, making the poor worker drone dizzy. He got too excited…

By the time Uzi got on her feet she was barely holding balance and ended up falling, thankfully N was there to catch her. "Woah! Easy there!" "You're the one that spun me!" "Oh yeah- I'm sorry, let's sit down." "There's nowhere to sit." Uzi said holding her head but before she knew it N was sitting on the floor with her on his lap. As the realisation slowly sunk into Uzi her cheeks got warmer and warmer, and N noticed this, placing his hand on her forehead. "Are you ok Uzi?" "I'm fine! Stop asking!" Uzi said with a small frown as she slapped his hand away while looking away absolutely embarrassed.

Two clueless idiots, unsupervised and confused with their emotions, not that their parents, well, Uzi's parents- parent- not as if the older drone generation had a clue more of how to handle emotions and how they work but you get the point.

Why is it so hard to hang out with your guy friend? Why was it so hard to make your girl friend happy? Neither of them had answers, but they knew that they felt great in each other's pressence, nothing felt scary anymore, nothing felt bad anymore, and that was all that they needed after going through so much on their own. They finally found their home.

The end

[kokinu09]

can you write me a felix apocalypse fic 🤔

running ‘til the end

word count : 2083

A/N : Thanks keeps, new series unlocked 😂

trigger warnings : none yet

~~*~~

The bowstring is pulled taut beside his ear, aimed directly at the grazing doe a few yards away. Felix keeps his breathing steady, eyes sharp on his target.

He can’t let the potential meal get away this time. Hunger gnawing at his insides from just the thought of finally getting to eat something substantial.

The air is quiet around him. Only the sounds of nature filling the silence. The slight breeze rustling the leaves and overgrown grass, the occasional chirp of a passing bird, the snap of a nearby twig—

The doe’s head whips up before she darts away to disappear in the wild brush.

“Wha—! No!” He quietly curses, forced to lower his bow as he watches his prey completely vanish in the overgrowth. His teeth grit in anger, eyes sweeping the area to find the source of what started the deer instead.

Some rustling catches his attention at the edge of a tree line not far across from him, reflexively raising his bow in defense towards the presence. He half expected to see an undead monster stumbling into the clearing. But, to his surprise, he sees two boys looking to be around his age carelessly bickering as they come out into the open.

“How could you possibly think that was a good idea!” The shorter of the two huffs, cheeks puffing out like a rodent’s full of food as he stumbles trying to keep up.

“You’re just mad you weren’t the one to think of it,” The taller, more slender boy quips. His movements smooth and graceful as he easily maneuvered through the leaves and branches.

“Excuse me?! You think I wanted to nearly break my neck from that jump?!”

“Don’t be dramatic. It wasn’t even that hi—”

Felix stands, making himself known with his bow drawn, deciding enough is enough. If these trespassers keep it up, they’ll scare every animal in the area so far away, he’d have to cross the border to catch them. Or attract the unwanted attention of a hoard of brainless monsters that would kill them all anyway.

The tall one spots him almost immediately, cutting himself off when his movement catches the corner of his eye. He freezes and his friend bumps unceremoniously into the back of him.

“H-hey! Why’d you stop—” When the other boy finally lifts his head to look around, his spine stiffens too, eyes blown wide with panic.

Felix tightens the bowstring a fraction more, prepared to pierce them through the heart if they even so much as move too quickly. “You should go back the way you came,” he tells them firmly.

Both boys have their hands raised in surrender. “Y-yeah! W-we definitely will do that!” The cheeky boy laughs nervously, elbowing his friend. “Hyunjin, let’s go,” he urges through gritted teeth.

“No, we can’t,” the tall boy hisses right back, not looking away from the arrow pointed straight at them.

“What do you mean?! We’ll find another way! But we can’t die here!”

“We’ll all die anyway if we turn back.”

Felix isn’t sure if they realize that he can hear their little quarrel, or maybe they don’t really care if he does. But his curiosity is peaked nonetheless.

“What do you mean by that?” He asks the two strangers and when he gets startled looks from both of them he clarifies. “‘We’ll all die anyway if we turn back.’ What did you mean by that?!” His voice rising from impatience.

“Alright! Ok! Relax, we’re not here for a fight.” The tall boy says, trying to reassure the tense boy in front of them. It does little to ease Felix’s nerves.

“There wouldn’t be a fight anyway,” Felix threatens, his deep voice rumbling with promise. He can see the color drain from the smaller boy’s face. “Now talk!”

“Our water supply was contaminated!” The tall boy shouts. It feels like the whole world goes silent in reaction to his heavy words. And it’s Felix’s turn to stand frozen. “If we don’t find another water source, then we die. Happy now?” The sarcasm and malice dripping from his tone is palpable.

A few moments of silence stretches on between them, feeling much longer than they should, until Felix very slowly lowers the bow. His eyes still watching them cautiously, however. The two boys follow suit lowering their hands as tense sighs leave their lungs.

“How many are in your group?” He asks more calmly now.

“Four! We split up to search more of the area!” The smaller boy blurts out, earning an elbow from his friend. “Ow what?!” He questions in annoyance.

“We don’t know if we can trust him! Don’t spill all our secrets,” the tall one replies through gritted teeth.

“Well he didn’t shoot us in the heads so I’d say we can trust him at least a little,” the other pouts.

“Again, you know I can hear you right?” Felix can’t help but chuckle at their banter now, sliding the arrow back into the pack slung over his shoulder.

“Right. Sorry,” the tall one apologizes with guarded eyes. “I’m sure you can understand my hesitation though.” Felix nods in agreement.

“Yeah, I understand better than anyone. I have people to protect too.” He admits as an olive branch for a truce. The wide eyed gasp he gets as a response to his honesty is a good sign. “I’m Felix.” He introduces before they can ask any more questions for information he might not be willing to tell.

“I’m Han!” He greets cheerfully, stepping around the taller boy to extend his hand out to Felix. “It’s nice to meet you!” The latter hesitantly shakes his hand but finds the wide smile that spreads across Han’s cheeky face contagious.

“Nice to meet you too, Han,” Felix says politely before turning to his companion expectantly. There is a tension as the two stare at each other.

Han looks back and forth between them, nervously wringing his hands together as the silence drags on. Until he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Hyun, be nice. Maybe he can help us,” he persuades in a quiet voice. The other boy looks at his friend skeptically then sighs.

“You’re right. I’m sorry…again.” His eyes drop, looking ashamed at how he’s acted. Felix knows, and he doesn’t blame him, so he offers a warm smile.

“I get it. To be honest, I’m still hesitant about you too,” Felix chuckles. This draws the other’s eyes up to meet his, sincerely grateful and curious at his good nature all of the sudden.

“Yeah,” he breathes a laugh along with him. “I’m Hyunjin, by the way.”

Felix’s smile widens. “It’s good to meet you, Hyunjin.”

Han makes a loud clap with his hands as a sign of finality, reasonably startling the other two half to death. “Now that that’s all settled and we’re all buddies now,” Han drawls out cheerfully, “do you know of a good water source around here?”

The lilt of hope in his question makes Felix feel a little guilty that he can’t just help them right away. Minho taught him better than that. These people may not be dangerous but they’re still strangers and he can’t trust them just yet.

“Um, maybe,” he answers honestly, quickly going on when he sees their faces drop in defeat. “I just have to talk to my people! I do want to help, but I…can’t put them at risk. I’m sure you can relate.” He offers and gets a nod of understanding from Hyunjin.

“Makes sense,” Han agrees too, but it doesn’t stop the sigh that escapes him.

Once again, Felix feels awful. So he quickly drops his backpack at his feet and digs through its contents until he finds what he’s looking for.

“Here! For in the meantime,” Felix says, handing over his canteen that’s three-quarters full of fresh water.

Han’s eyes grow wide, sparkling as he looks from the canteen to its owner. “Wait, are you serious?!” He asks excitedly.

“Of course! Take it! You can use it more than me!” Felix laughed, handing it over. Han eagerly takes it from his hands and turns to Hyunjin with a huge smile.

The latter motions for him to go ahead, prompting the cheeky boy to twist the cap and take a big slug. He groans at the refreshing taste, then passes it to his friend who also takes a drink before replacing the cap. He goes to hand the container back to Felix but he shakes his head.

“No, no. You guys take it. Let the rest of your group have some, too.” Felix says encouragingly.

The canister gets handed back to Han, who holds it tightly to his chest. “Thank you Felix,” he says with the utmost gratitude and sincerity. Both boys offer him a deep bow but Felix waves his hands in denial.

“It’s no problem really!” He says with a laugh, helping both of them stand upright. “Listen, why don’t we meet back here tomorrow. I’ll talk to my people and see what they say. You bring the rest of your group and we can try to work something out. How’s that sound?”

Han’s mouth opens with his smile but Hyunjin raises a hand to cut him off from speaking too quickly. “How many people are with you?” The taller boy asks.

Felix hesitates. Debating himself with how important that information is and how much he can trust these new people he desperately wants to help. If they’re not lying, they’re equal in numbers. And he knows they can all take care of themselves.

“We have four, too,” he admits.

Hyunjin raises a brow at him. “What a coincidence.”

“I’m not lying. They’re my three best friends,” Felix says.

“Prove it.” Han says quickly. “Stop hesitating and tell us their names,” he challenges.

And Felix doesn’t hesitate this time. “Lee Know, Seungmin, and I.N.”

“‘Lee Know? I.N?’” Han parrots. “Are those aliases?”

“It’s what they go by,” Felix responds. It’s not a bullface lie after all. They do go by those names with strangers. If it makes them feel safer, why would he introduce them as anything else? Then his voice lowers in warning. “Got a problem with that?” The threat clear in his tone.

“Easy! I do the same thing!” He squeaks, hands raised in surrender and a nervous laugh bubbling out of him. Felix’s brows lift in surprise. “My first name is Jisung if you’d rather call me that,” he adds with a shrug.

Felix smiles as he shakes his head with a chuckle. “Wow, we’re not so different, are we,” he says more to himself than to them. But they hear and they agree.

“I know it’s stupid to say, in this messed up world we live in now,” Han says softly, a vulnerability can be heard in his words, “but I hope we can become friends. When everything is said and done, I mean.” Felix’s eyes widen at the admission.

“Sungie…” Hyunjin sighs, taking a step closer to him. Ready to comfort the smaller boy when his hopes are smashed by an uncaring stranger.

The little voice in the back of Felix’s mind excited and shouting at him that he wants that too. That there was something about these two that he relates to and can feel that it’s fate they met today. But a bigger more rational part of his brain reminding him that it’s just not plausible to trust new people.

“I…wish we could too, Jisung,” Felix decides to say mournfully. The other’s eyes drop to his feet, nodding in understanding.

“Come on, Sungie. Let’s go back,” Hyunjin suggests, sliding an arm around his slumped shoulders. Then he looks back at Felix. “Will we still be able to meet tomorrow? Even if we just get a supply until we can find—”

“I’ll be here,” Felix cuts in, shaking his head to say he doesn’t need to explain. “One way or another, I’ll help you guys out. I promise.”

Both boys give him a grateful smile. “Thank you Felix,” Hyunjin replies before guiding Jisung back the way they came.

Felix watches as they leave, never turning his back on them until they’re out of sight. Like Minho had taught him. He lets out a deep sigh as he throws his pack over his shoulders to head his own way back home.

How is he supposed to explain this one to the others? And how can he make sure he keeps his promise to these people his heart is bleeding to help?

~~*~~

[lvrcpid]

could u please do angsty prompt 77 with neyetam? maybe reader's dating neteyam and follows him into something dangerous and gets hurt?

of course honey! i hope you like it ♡

neteyam w prompt #77 ☆

“You shouldn’t have been there!” — neteyamxgn!reader

—————————————————————————————

you sat in your pod all alone, time seemingly going slower and slower as you waited for your boyfriend, neteyam, to return.

your relationship had been falling faulty though. he’s been going out more recently, shrugging you off, canceling dates. and it made you wonder, did he love you the way you loved him. he was the light of your life. you even remembered that he never even told you that he loved you, opting to kissing your cheek instead.

the way he used to look at you when you talked, his smile, his small praises. everything. you loved neteyam. you loved him so much.

but you didn’t know if he loved you back.

sitting up from your spot you remembered where neteyam told you he would be for a few hours. he was on a solo hunting trip! it couldn’t be too dangerous, he’s probably just hunting for fish to eat.

you stood up and grabbed your bow and arrows, walking outside and calling for your ikran. as she landed next to you, you climbed on her back and road off into the sky.

after flying for a few minutes, your ears perked up as you heard neteyams voice coming from the trees. with a smile you flew down to the voice and hopped off of your ikran, running over to him and smiling. “teyam!!” you waved at him. his face riddled with shock as he quickly held a finger to his lips as he turned to you.

“what? what’s-“ you heard a branch snap behind you. oh shit. you barely had time to think before the unknown animal tackled you to the ground, it’s sharp claws creating a long and deep scratch down your back.

the scream you let out was vile as neteyam ran over to you, fighting off the creature with his leftover arrows before running to your side.

“(y/n)! what’s wrong with you! eywa come on!” he quickly lifts you up by your shoulders and gets you on his ikran, quickly flying off as you weakly called for yours to fly with his.

the fly back to mo’at was silent, neteyam didn’t want you talking much cause one, he was frustrated with you and two, you needed to save your energy. you on the other hand were worried sick. you almost died but neteyam is mad at you, that’s wayyy more important.

when you both arrived back to the forest, he quickly got you to his grandmother, cringing as he saw your wound first hand.

it was long and some what deep, blood was literally everywhere. he’s surprised you didn’t bleed out but was thankful you did. he didn’t know what he would do without you.

mo’at quickly took you into her care before pushing neteyam out. he paced the entrance and prayed to eywa that you’d make it out alive.

after a few hours mo’at let neteyam come in “they’re awake, they’ll be fine.” she smiled before leaving the pod.

neteyam rushed over to you and held your hands with a smile. “eywa you are so dumb sometimes..you shouldn’t have been there!” he scolded, tears brimming his eyes. “woah why are you crying?” you said, cupping one of his cheeks and frowning.

“cause i almost lost you okay?! i don’t know what i’d do without you and the fact i almost lost you made my heart shatter because..” he looked up into your eyes, tears now streaming down his cheeks.

“because i love you (y/n).”

[crikeygatormate]

I Promise - K.B ; Part 2

Summary: After your clan had been exiled and shunned from the western lands, your family grew to hate the royal family who they felt betrayed them. In return you were sent on a mission to reclaim your families honor, but you would come to find out that your mission came with a price.

Dragon Prince!Bakugou x AFAB Reader

Warnings: Hunting and animal death, somewhat graphic, use of weapons (spear), detailed creepy scorpion type bugs sorry lol, acceptance of death, graphic injuries, spelling errors ofc

A/N: sigh I’m a sucker for bkg treating wounds, makes me happy lol and to add this isn’t like a abo sort of thing, I just like long canine teeth 

(Part Three)

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

PART TWO

You waited for a good hour before Bakugou came back to your tent. In the time you waited, the clear dawn sky was starting to fill with dark clouds, you could even see lightning crackle in a few clouds in the distance. You sighed, it smelled like it was going to rain even, and with a groan you leaned forward and laid your forehead against your knees, watching a small ant fight its way through the thick summer grass. 

“Hey,” Bakugou’s timbre voice appeared out of nowhere causing you to jump out of your own skin, “let’s go.”

You blinked hard, still recoiling from the small adrenaline surge from his sudden appearance, you took another beat of silence before speaking up, “and where are we going?”

“Showin’ you around,” Bakugou grumbled as he brushed a ladybug off his bare shoulder.

You lifted a brow about to say something till he shot you a menacing stare.

“I am not your tour guide, just fuckin’ doin’ this so the ancient hag will get off my ass,” he quickly snapped, “get up, I need to get out and hunt before it rains.”

You pressed your lips together, clearly a little displeased with his attitude, but you listened and got up to follow him around the camp. Your sharp tongue would not serve you well during this time, you needed to be passive, collected. You needed him to trust you, in fact, you needed him to befriend you.

You furrowed your brows in thought as you followed him around the camp, not really listening to him as you mulled through different ideas on how to become his friend. Obviously you couldn’t ask what he likes, that would give you away, he was already suspicious of you. 

“This is where most of the women cook, if they chose to do so,” Bakugou explained, unaware, or simply not caring that you were completely zoned out and deep in thought. “I’m sure you’d love to spend a lot of time here,” he quipped, as his vermillion gaze cut towards you.

You were pulled out of your thoughts at his comment. Was that a dig at you? “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothin’,” Bakugou shrugged, trying hard not to let his lips pull up into a smirk at your frown.

You scoffed, rolling your eyes, “you haven’t changed at all, ya know? You’re still that little snotty brat I met in the field when we were kids,” you said before you were able to hold your tongue.

“The fuck?” Bakugou gasped, clearly caught off guard, “what makes you think you can say that to me?”

You shrugged, internally wincing at your words, you should not have said that. Now he’s all mad, in fact his ears were all red. You tilted your head as he lifted his upper lip into a snarl, or was it a sneer? Wait, you paused as a slow grin grew on your face, was he embarrassed? “Did I embarrass you?”

Bakugou huffed, and quickly glanced at the older women who stopped skinning their deer to listen, and then he looked back at you. The air around him dramatically rose a few degrees and he bared his teeth at you, “no, you didn’t embarrass me, fuckin’ gnat. You can figure out the rest of camp by yourself if you’re gonna be like that,” he snapped and then promptly left you, cursing you out under his breath no doubt. 

You snorted, shaking your head. There was a small twinge of pride you felt bloom in your chest at his outburst. Then again though, you probably just took about five steps back from becoming friends with him. With a quick glance over your shoulder you took off after him.

“Hey, please show me around, look I’m not a morning person okay, I get grumpy this early-”

“No,” Bakugou hissed, as he looked at you through narrowed eyes.

“C’mon, this place is at least triple the size of my home, I’ll get lost,” you tried to plead, which wasn’t very convincing at the slightest.

Bakugou stopped walking and folded his arms over his chest. The sky was now almost black with storm clouds, “No.”

You rolled your eyes, “why not?”

“You’re annoying as shit,” Bakugou began taking a step towards you, “and not to mention you’re obviously hiding something, don’t think I can’t see the way you’ve been watching us, watching me. Sizing me up like prey.”

You folded your arms across your chest, mirroring him. The little lighthearted banter you had going on was quickly put out as he took another step towards you and you were reminded again how big he was, how strong, how smart. 

“You’re sly, like your clan, I know a snake when I see one, and you’ve been givin’ me all the signs,” he hissed as lightning flashed behind him, illuminating his figure.

“I’m not like them,” you said seriously, a small part of you couldn’t tell if you were lying or not. “I’m not, just because I share the same name and traits does not mean I am them. You don’t even know me, and not to mention I went out of my way to save you and your dragon. If I’m such a snake, why did Kirishima come to me first?”

Bakugou’s upper lipped twitched up and he shook his head, “he’s fuckin’ dumb thats why.”

“No he’s not,” you shot back, “just give me a chance, your grandmother is willing to give me one, why can’t you?”

Bakugou mulled over your words, keeping his unblinking gaze trained on you before he spoke again. “Come on my hunt then, if you can feed the clan before yourself, then I might be convinced.”

So he wanted you to hunt and then feed his clan, but not yourself. So obviously he wanted you to give up your food for the foreseeable future, which was not ideal. But you had no other choice. A bitter feeling settled in your gut as you glanced at some clan members, they were watching you through narrowed eyes and bared teeth. They hated you.

Not like you liked them, but you were willing to do anything to get your job done, and if that meant feeding your enemies before yourself you would do that.

“Fine,” you said with a curt nod, “I’ll do that-”

“For a week,” Bakugou concluded. A week with scraps would break almost anyone, which is what he wanted. If you were hiding something or had an ulterior motive it would come out surely. No one would sacrifice their wellbeing to that extent. 

“A week then,” you repeated, keeping your face passive.

—--------------

You found yourself out in the woods with Bakugou, along with a few other hunters. It was raining now, and hard. Water was streaming down your face, making you have to wipe your eyes every few moments to help you maintain your sight. 

You were hunting an elk, a bull. The elk in these lands were large too, larger than any animal you’ve seen in your life. When you told Bakugou’s hunting group that you’ve never seen an elk before, they laughed at you. Then not so subtly mocked you on how your clan was used to eating rats and other vermin.

You would have normally snapped at them, said something foul, but a quick glance at Bakugou reminded you that you were on a mission. He was watching your every move. You were an outsider here, a traitor, and you needed his trust. 

“Look at how clumsy you are,” Sero, one of the other hunters mocked as he flicked your arm, “clearly never been in the woods in your life.”

“You’re loud too,” Kaminari said with a snort as he watched you step directly on a branch, causing it to snap loudly. 

You were bristling, barely holding back your venom as you pushed forward. In fact, you were sure you were going to break a canine tooth if you kept grinding your teeth so hard. Did they not forget that you were practically once royalty too, not like Bakugou, but far above the likes of their families. 

You shared a lot of the same traits that the Bakugou’s did, the oddly colored eyes, affinity for dragons, and sharp teeth. Not to mention being more skilled athletically than the normal person. 

“There,” Bakugou interrupted his friends, lowering his voice as he came up next to you. He was crouched low, vermillion eyes trained on a group of elk in the distance. “You have one shot,” he said quietly as his gaze slid over to you.

You met his eyes with a look of determination. Of course, you were somewhat nervous, but you had practice taking down big game, well if emancipated cows counted as big game. You didn’t have the luxury to practice on real game because there were none in your homeland. 

With a sharp inhale you looked away from him and zeroed in on the largest elk in the herd, the bull. He was massive, with a tawny coat that stretched over strong muscles. He was grazing ahead of the herd, but was cautious, swiveling his ears to listen for any sign of danger. 

The rain was your friend in this moment for it helped cover the sounds of your movements in the undergrowth towards the bull. You kept yourself low to the ground, as you moved downwind so he wouldn’t catch your scent. Just like you used to practice. Your breaths were slow, calm as you reached back to grab your spear when you came within range. The bull still hadn’t noticed you, and was looking more relaxed, this was your opening. With one swift movement you pulled your spear off your back and threw it towards the bull. 

A thud and a short scream from the bull let you know you hit your mark. It was a clean shot, right through the heart, and you watched with pride as the big elk tumbled to the ground. He let out a final breath as he watched his herd run to safety.

You were quick to make your way over to your kill, inspecting it to make sure it wasn’t suffering any longer than it should. To your delight, you had done everything perfectly. For a moment you felt a twinge of happiness that you accomplished something, but it was quickly doused the moment you remembered not to get distracted by your own feelings again. 

“Well that wasn’t that impressive,” Sero said as he yanked your spear out of the elks side, “he was old anyway.”

“Should have made her hunt a young bull,” Kaminari added, “those ones have a lot more fight.”

You shot them a glare, but quickly turned your focus to Bakugou who was silent. 

He nodded once at you, “Bring it back to camp, and clean it for tonight.”

You glanced at the bull, it had to be at least eight hundred pounds. Which was heavy, how could you even begin to pull it? 

“Don’t be out here after dark,” Bakugou added, his eyes holding a slight glint of malice as he turned around to head back to camp. Not before smacking Kaminari in the back of the head as he passed by him. 

You stood still, dumbfounded that they would leave you out here in the pouring rain and make you figure out how to make your way back to camp even though you’ve only been there one day. With a disgruntled sigh you glanced to the sky, it was probably about midday now, and the trek back would take all the way till nightfall, if not more. 

—---

“Damn,” you panted, as you dropped the bulls antlers, you were shaking from exhaustion. You probably made it about halfway back to what you presumed was camp, but it was already night. Thankfully it stopped raining though, or else you would have not been able to see the smoke stacks that were rising at the foot of the mountain, where you assumed Bakugou was. 

There was no moon out tonight which would have been problematic , but the forest was surprisingly well lit. There seemed to be some sort of bioluminescent plants that would glow at night, lighting your path with a soft blue light . It was strange seeing so much life and so much diversity after being in a place that had none. 

As much as you were intrigued with the flora in the woods, you didn’t forget Bakugou’s warning to not be in the woods at night. He knew there was something in here that was dangerous, was he hoping that you would encounter it? Surely he must have, you’re practically inviting something to hunt you with the carcass you're dragging. 

You glanced over your shoulder quickly, trying to see if there was any flash of movement before beginning to pull the elk again. 

—----

Bakugou huffed, glancing up at the forest from where he sat around the fire. You had been gone a long time now, and his grandmother would be heading to dinner soon, which meant she would ask him about you. 

He frowned, already expecting the ancient hag to smack him over the head with her cane. His mother, though, would be pleased to hear he left you in the woods, where the creatures of night would surely be thrilled to have an easy meal.

Someone sat next to him, he didn’t have to look to know it was Kirishima. 

“Got anymore of that boar from the other day?” Kirishima’s voice cut into his thoughts.

Bakugou glanced over at his dragon, he was still pale. His red eyes seemed dull, but he looked much better than he did this morning. “No, waiting for the traitor to bring back dinner. Elk.”

Kirishima gasped, “you left her up in the woods! Katsuki!”

Bakugou rolled his eyes and returned his gaze to the forest, “she’s fine.”

“No she’s not! The moon is gone tonight,” Kirishima said as he looked up at the dark sky. There were only stars out tonight. “Those things will be out, and they’ll be hungry.”

“Then she’ll have to figure it out,” Bakugou replied with a shrug. The things Kirishima was so worried about were some kind of creature that he thought resembled a scorpion. They were blind, and would only come out once a month during a new moon to hunt. He tracked them before up to a large cave near the top of the mountain. He learned they didn’t like light and used their sense of smell to hunt. They would kill their prey with a sharp sting to the side and carry it back up the mountain to a much bigger one, presumably the queen. 

He thought they were fuckin’ creepy as shit, not mention hard to kill. They had a tough armor of chitin on their backs and could only be killed with a spear to the abdomen or fire. 

“They’re gonna sting her and bring her up the mountain, Katuski, you can’t let that happen,” Kirishima said with wide eyes as he grabbed Bakugou’s shoulder roughly.

“Why the hell do you care so much?” Bakugou snapped, looking back at Kirishima with furrowed brows.

Kirishima’s hand slipped off Bakugou’s shoulder and he brought it to his lap and looked down. “I dunno,” he shrugged as he played with a string on his pants, “I just trust her I guess. She has a good heart.”

“A good heart, huh?” Bakugou snorted, “good heart my ass. She obviously is here for a reason and not a good one, don’t you think it’s ironic that she showed up almost a minute after you got hit with a silver arrow? Not to mention, someone knew that silver would hurt you.”

Kirishima nodded, but kept his gaze down, “I know, but she has a dragon, Katsuki. I know I’m not like the wild ones, but we follow the same routine when picking our rider, our partner,” he explained as he looked up at his best friend. “We don’t choose people who are truly evil by nature.”

Bakugou rolled his eyes and then glanced over to the area where your dragon was tied off. She looked agitated. Her amber eyes were focused on the woods too, maybe something was wrong.

“I’m starved,” a frail voice said, his grandmother, who he somehow didn’t hear sit down across from him. “Did you have a successful hunt this morning, Katsu?”

Bakugou looked at his grandmother, she seemed to already know what had happened. “Yes.”

“That’s good,” she said as a horrid shriek from the forest echoed down the mountain. It sounded like a woman’s shriek, and suddenly your dragon was up, roaring loudly. A few commoners screamed as she violently tugged at her restraints. 

Bakugou ran a hand over his face before making eye contact with his grandmother once more.

“Did you leave that poor girl up there?” she hissed, narrowing her vermillion eyes, “a prince shouldn’t act like that, that’s barbaric.”

“That’s rich- '' Bakugou began, about to remind her of his family line, which did in fact include barbarians.

“Go get her,” his grandmother interrupted, her voice was low and she was looking at him like she was going to smack him with her cane from across the fire. 

Bakugou stood up and roughly kicked a log into the fire, causing sparks to fly up into the air. Why was his grandmother so trusting of you? Why was Kirishima so trusting of you too? Were they blind? 

—---

You let out another shriek as a horrible insect tried to grab you with its pinchers and sting you again. They were disgusting, pale and huge with a coat of slime covering their backs. Their eyes were small and milky pink, and you had quickly figured out they couldn’t see, but their sense of smell and hearing were impeccable.

You tried giving them the elk to at least try to get away, but they didn’t want anything dead it seemed. 

They wanted you.

The bugs were clicking and chittering to one another as they circled the bottom of the tree you were clinging to, and occasionally stabbing the trunk with their tails. Maybe you were safe up here till morning. They couldn’t climb right?

You held your breath as a smaller one, probably about the size of you took a running start at the tree and leapt. All eight legs landed squarely on the tree, and you watched in horror as it dug its little claws into the bark before using its tail to anchor itself into the truck. 

“Shit,” you hissed as you looked up at the tree, you could climb a few more feet. Maybe if you got to the top, the thin branches would snap under the weight of the bug. Your heart was pounding in your chest like a drum as you did your best to climb up the tree. The bark of the tree was cutting into your hands, making the insects below go wild when they scented your blood. 

You continued to climb, glancing down to see the one bug was almost caught up with you, and their clicking became unified and loud. You took another step but the branch beneath your feet broke and you now you were hanging.

The bug that was chasing you up the tree was now snapping at your feet, just a few inches away from getting your legs. You let out a cry of frustration as you tried to lift yourself up, but after dragging that elk for most of the day your muscles were exhausted, you were barely hanging on. 

All at once a searing pain erupted from your left calf and you screamed, and turned around to see that the bug had planted its pinchers into your leg. It was waving its tail and you felt dread sit heavy in your stomach like lead. 

Was this it? Were you going to be killed by these insects? Fail your mission and be remembered as the one who failed to bring your family's honor back? 

No, you couldn’t give up. Not when you’ve gone through so much, sacrificed so much to be here. These insects were not going to take that away from you. 

With a growl you used your good leg to kick the bug in the face, causing it to screech, but it kept its pinchers locked in, tearing at your flesh as it used two legs to grab your upper leg, trying to yank itself up your body to get you to fall.

You kicked it again, and again, hoping that it would detach but it hung on, and dug in deeper. You let out a cry of frustration, maybe you could drop from the tree and land on it then run away? You glanced down, the forest floor was probably about fifty feet down. You’d die if you fell from this height. 

The bug while you were looking away for a moment raised its tail, the stinger was aimed at you. In a split second you glanced towards the bug and acted on pure instinct, one hand shot out and grabbed the bug's tail, leaving the stinger inches from your face. You were now hanging on to the branch by one hand, supporting you and the insect that was clinging onto you. 

“Fuck,” you shouted, as a few tears threatened to spill down your cheeks, “let go damn it!”

You kicked the insect one time, letting out another shout. Maybe this was it, your hand was slipping off the branch, and there was nowhere else to go but down. You let out a sigh and shut your eyes. The sounds of the bugs faded and the forest faded till all you could hear was your unsteady breathing and rapid heartbeat.

You took a few more breaths before you decided to let go, your fingers slipped from the branch and you felt your stomach drop and air whooshed past your ears. It would be fine in a few moments, you thought to yourself as you felt the bug that was on you fall away from you, scrambling to grab back on to your leg in mid air, it managed to scrap its stinger down your thigh in it’s attempt, drawing blood, but you didn’t even feel it. 

You braced for impact, but to your surprise it never came. 

Something grabbed you, yanking at your cloak hard, making the clasp of your cloak tighten around your neck and practically choking you as you were flung up into the air and onto something hard. You coughed, scrambling to grab onto something as you opened your eyes, only seeing the stars above you.

Suddenly an orange light illuminated the sky and you could feel the heat of fire on your skin. You blinked as a face came into view in front of you. It was Bakugou. 

He was looking down at the forest floor, baring his teeth as he turned his mother’s dragon around and commanding her to set the bugs on fire again. Another plume of fire erupted in the forest and you could hear the dying screeches of the insects as the flames devoured them. 

“Fuckin’ insects,” Bakugou snarled before he turned his gaze to you. You looked horrible. Dirt and blood covered your skin and hair and most of your clothes were torn. He glanced at your hands, they were rubbed raw from dragging the elk and climbing the tree you were clinging to. His gaze moved down your body, checking for any obvious sting marks and he frowned when he saw the large scrape on your thigh, it was oozing the same black liquid that he saw when Testsu got stung. Then he noticed the bite marks in your calf and he was quick to yank off the leather strap around his bicep and tie it above the bite mark.

You winced, weakly trying to push Bakugou away as he tied a tourniquet around your leg. “Stop.”

He glanced at you with a neutral expression, ignoring your comment before looking back at your wounds. A small part of him felt a twinge of regret for leaving you out in the forest all alone. He expected you to get a little roughed up, not to get hunted by a pack of those things till the point of pure exhaustion. 

As your senses started to come back more you were able to sit up a bit, well as best as you could since Bakugou had you slung in the saddle in front of him on your back like a carcass. You glanced at him, “can you help me get upright?” you asked as your body flopped back down, making the world appear upside down.

“Fine,” Bakugou replied, his voice was clipped as he yanked you upright, frowning as you let out a whimper when you moved your bad leg over the side of the saddle. 

You let out a sigh, feeling like you had your bearings a bit better now that you were upright. You could see the camp was so close now, and you could see your dragon in the distance too. She was worried you could feel it. 

As you prepared to land, you started to feel strange, your bad leg was starting to freeze and it felt like it was on fire. “What’s happening?” you hissed as you grabbed your thigh, trying to find the source of the pain.

“You got stung, not badly though, just a scratch,” Bakugou explained as he glanced at your thigh from behind you, “our healer has seen this before.”

You nodded, hissing as the fire seemed to travel up your side making your abdominal muscles spasm and contract. The pain was nothing like you felt before, it was like it attacked your nerves, made them feel like they were burning.

Bakugou quickly wrapped his arm around your waist as you started to writhe against him, hissing and clawing at his arm. He now felt a little more than just a ‘twinge’ of guilt. Once he landed he was quick to get you both off his mother’s dragon and to the healers tent.

You were crying trying to grab at anything to distract yourself from the pain, which resulted in you yanking one of Bakugou’s necklaces from his neck. You missed the curious looks of the commoners watching Bakugou rush you across camp to the healer covered in your blood. You also missed Kirishima rushing up to Bakugou’s side.

“I told you, you shouldn’t have left her out there,” Kirishima said as he glanced at your leg. It looked mangled and was streaked with black lines. “Katsuki, I told you,” he repeated again, more softly.

“I know fuckin’ shitty scales,” Bakugou growled as he walked past his grandmother whose eyebrows rose in concern, and his mother who smirked at the sight of you writhing in her sons arms. 

Someone grabbed your hand, they were warm and you looked to see a blurry outline of someone with red hair. They squeezed your hand before the pain made you black out and your hand fell out of theirs limp.

—------

Midoriya usually liked to spend his evenings in his tent, inspecting the flora and fauna he collected from the forest under his magnifying glass by the fire. Sometimes he would read through some of his findings for the day, try to see if he missed something in his research. 

But his favorite thing to do was to paint. 

Most of his medicinal plants and flowers could be turned into colorful paint, which at night would glow on the parchment he’d use. Tonight was one of the rare nights he could paint.

Tonight he was painting your dragon.

He had never seen a dragon like yours before. She was long and slender, like some of the forest snakes he’s observed. Yet she had an extra set of teeth like the marine sharks he saw when the clan was near the ocean during winter. Her fire, though, was what was most intriguing to him. It was green, which meant unlike the dragons he knows to have gold in their blood, which keeps their fire orange, yours must have copper, which turns it green. 

She was fascinating to him. Midroyia dipped his paintbrush in the green paint he made from a bit of malachite and filled in the tail of your dragon. He was pleased with this painting, it was probably one of his best.

“Deku!” Bakugou’s voice carried through the tent, “get that art shit off your table!”

Midoriya glanced up to see Bakugou yank open the tent flap and in his arms was you. “Oh my,” he said in mild shock as he quickly cleared his painting and his supplies off his table. “Put her down, Kacchan.”

Bakugou moved inside and set you on the long wooden table and leaned back as Kirishima entered the tent looking worried. 

“What happened?” Midoriya asked as he examined your wounds and your body. Black lines were traveling up your skin towards your heart. He didn’t wait for Bakugou to answer, he knew it was those arachnids out in the woods. 

He wasted little time moving through his vials of anti-venom before he grabbed one that was filled with an opaque blue liquid. “Open her mouth,” Midoriya said as he glanced at Bakugou, “she’s going to need a few other things as well.”

Watching Midoriya practice his medicine was almost like watching him paint, he was precise in his movements, and intentional. He never made a mistake. 

Bakugou glanced at Midoriya as he continued to pour vials of who knows what down your throat, and lift your head off the table so you wouldn’t choke. “What is all that?”

“Medicine,” Midoriya muttered, as he continued to rush around the tent grabbing various items.

Bakugou rolled his eyes, “dumbass.”

“Will she be alright?” Kirishima asked, ignoring Bakugou’s glare.

Midoriya nodded, “yes, no need to worry. She’ll be fine by morning. I'm assuming because of her lineage she’ll be similar to Kacchan in terms of recovery time. Your families seem to share similar traits,” he added as he pressed his pointer finger against your canine tooth, it was long and pointed like Bakugou’s.

Bakugou narrowed his eyes as he ran his tongue over his own teeth, you were similar to him in some ways. Not in all ways clearly, you were still a traitor in his book. He let go of your jaw, making Midoriya yelp when it snapped shut, almost getting Midoriya’s fingers. “Tell me when she’s up.”

Then he left the tent, not glancing back behind him, and tuning out Kirishima’s voice. He rolled his shoulders and flexed his neck, feeling a headache come on. He made his way back to the fire where he could see his grandmother who must have took it upon herself to get dinner from somewhere, probably from the old hags who were skinning the deer earlier today.

He looked away from her as he passed only to feel a sharp whack on his head, “shit, what the hell!”

“That’s what you deserve after doing that to that girl, traitor or not, she didn’t deserve to be left to those creatures,” his grandmother said as she placed her cane down, “you still have much to learn before you can lead us.”

Bakugou rolled his eyes while rubbing the top of his head as he made his way to his tent for the night. 

[yzeltia]

ErenWol Week Day 1: Emotions

Characters: Erenville, U'rahn Nuhn, Cahciua Expansion: Dawntrail Rating: T Notes: Everyone out here being soft and sweet. Did I get the assignment wrong?

"What could you possibly know about how I am feeling," Erenville said, voice raising slightly as he tightened his fists.

U'rahn's eyes widened as his ears rose. "Well...my mom, y'know...she sacrificed herself twice..."

"And she yet returned! You will return home to be held by her! To be embraced by her! When we get to the last mine will be forever gone! Leave me be!"

U'rahn reached out as the other walked away. "But...Eren I want to help...I love you-"

"You do not. You do not even know what love is. You married an emotionless being that you project your own feelings on. You had daughters to fill your own ego. The only person you love is yourself," Erenville said firmly, not looking at U'rahn before walking ahead. "Go back and join the others."

U'rahn opened his mouth, throat suddenly feeling hot and dry. Erenville's form blurred out of focus before the rest of the colors of the city did the same. He felt a sharp pain in his knees, having fallen on them without realizing he was losing the will to stand. A wheeze sounded from him as he tried to inhale, only able to do so in short panicked breaths before he let out a wail he thought only a child could make.

As he let out another sob he felt a soft hand on his back. "Oh, my poor little lion. I'm so sorry about my son," Cahciua cooed, helping U'rahn back to his feet. "I could not help but eavesdrop. Elene'shypa was always such a shy boy. When pressed too much he would lash out and knew just what to say to make it sting. Come now, dry your tears."

Cahciua smiled, using the ribbon on her arm to rub the man's tears away before stroking over his ears. "I-I thought he  loved me...I...I thought I loved him..."

"He is hurting. Do you really believe what he said? I cannot say I understand your relationship in full, but even so, the one who knows your heart best is you is it not? I am sure your wife loves you and you light up when talking about your girls."

U'rahn blinked then sniffed hard. "Yeah...yeah...I've never doubted Nyx has loved me before. And my girls mean the world to me," he said before shaking his head. "And Erenville does too. He always explains stuff to me in a way that I can underrrstand it and smirks at my jokes. He knows a bunch about animals and always has stuff on him to help when I get aether sick or hungry. When Nyx is away I always have someone to talk to about the things I'm scarrred of and he understands."

Cahciua smiled, stroking over U'rahn's ear before leaning down to peck his forehead. "I am happy you love him so much. As a mother I could not ask for a better partner to be there for him. I know he's mad right now, but that's at me. Can I ask you a favor? Will you forgive him? And when it is time will you stay by his side?"

U'rahn wiped at his tears a bit more then wiggled them as he gave her a nod. "Yeah. I will.  Just gotta shake the gloomies first," he said before taking a deep breath.

Cahciua laughed then put her arms around U'rahn, hugging him tight before parting to go find the others.

A bit away, Erenville crossed his arms, frowning and looking away as he listened to U'rahn try to calm his breathing and psyche himself back up.

---

U'rahn sniffled a bit as he reached out, taking Erenville's hand as the other shut down the terminal. He kept his eyes on him as the other turned to watch his mother fade.

"That makes all of them," Wuk Lamat said quietly.

"All that remains is to wait for the Meso terminal to become vulnerable, when it's about to initate fusion. And then we strike," G'raha said.

V'anille took a few steps froward, looking out at the ruins of the the golden city.

Erenville turned to U'rahn, looking down then up into his eyes. "Rahn. I'm-"

The words were cut short as the Meso Terminal began its alerts.

[rainy-astrology]

ONEUS Seoho Birth Chart Analysis

Based on my opinion and observations. Not an expert. May change later.

June 7th, 1996

Busan, South Korea

9:24 am

☀️♊️, 🌙♒️, ⬆️♌️

Sun and Venus Gemini in 11th - Intelligent and witty, funny and straightforward. Sociable and charming, can get along well with others usually. He values friendships greatly and cares for his friends a lot. He may find a romantic interest through friendship first. Sun conjunct Venus is expressive and charming, able to get along well with many people. Although his Venus is in retrograde, so he may be a little awkward at expressing his affections. Not one for conflict, prefers peace and harmony. This peacemaker trait is emphasized more with Moon trine Venus aspect, especially as both are placed in relationship houses (7th and 11th).

Moon Aquarius in 7th - Having close relations gives him emotional security. He may not show it well due to having an air moon (his air placements seem to make Seoho a bit aloof and reserved from affection), but he values the relationships he has. His moon squares pluto, mars, and mercury...Detached yet intense but likely repressive bc he wants to be optimistic and positive. Should be careful about being impulsive and brash, can say harsh things when he gets very heated. Although his mars in taurus may calm this a little bit.

Very friendly and easygoing overall - which the members have said he is. He's also quite a jokester, which is likely due to his Gemini and air placements in general.

Mercury and Mars Taurus in 10th - Mercury in Taurus definitely explains that lovely voice of his! Many singers with Taurus Mercury have such pretty tones and amazing range of notes and emotions. His impressive vocal ability and sound (mercury) has given him recognition (10th). Mars in Taurus is in detriment though. Mars is aggressive and active, ready to go but Taurus goes against it since the sign is much calmer and slower than Mars is comfortable with. Mars in Taurus is also quite passive, which Seoho is - he doesn't really fight with the other members (although all the members have admitted to being passive/passive-aggressive to each other when mad lol), he lets people do whatever to him sometimes. E.g the time Leedo was playing around by pulling on his limbs and i was actually worried that Seoho would crack in half since Leedo's so strong, yet Seoho just laughed it off. Also the time he was playing a game with Tomoons (animal crossing iirc) and he did absolutely nothing when Tomoons stole his stuff in the game.

Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune in 6th - With all three in the 6th, it seems he can get bored easily? Routines and structure is not his thing, he needs variety and fun in his life. Neptune can make him more sensitive about his health and can be afflicted easily with sicknesses and other health risks.

Saturn in 9th - Practical and solution oriented, careful with decisions and planning. May have strong beliefs or none at all (I haven't seen him mention any personal beliefs so far tho). Realistic and usually self controlled.

Pluto in 4th - Deep transformative connection within family dynamics. There could also be power struggles within family. This could possibly affect his other relationships...there seems to be a theme of companionship in Seoho's chart.

Chiron in 3rd - Wound of being misunderstood and overthinking the way he speaks and expresses himself.

North node in 3rd - In the house of communication and learning, it seems Seoho should focus on connecting with others. He will learn and grow more when he talks with others; discover new things from other people instead of digging through things by himself. To not forget about others, work on cooperation. Maybe to be more self confident and speak up as well, esp in group settings considering he has Chiron in 3rd too.

Leo rising - Seoho can be quite charismatic and charming in his slightly dorky ways. He is a bright and energetic person, witty and funny. He stands out a lot with his sharp comments and thinking, his voice, and looks as well. The sharp eyes and cheekbones especially are prominent features with many Leo ascendants. Even the way his short film for his Malus was warm toned and darker compared to the other member's cool and soft tones is quite bold like a Leo rising

Taurus mc - Seek comfort and stability, being involved and recognized in the art field. In his case, it's being an idol with a lovely voice. Leo ac + Taurus mc makes for a creative person and career that values aesthetics

___

Kpop astrology list

[sakumasmut]

Dogboy!Subaru x Afab!Catboy!Natsume

this has been in the works for a bit, and I finally beat the (summer) heat to finish it up! hope people enjoy!

tags: animal hybrids, heat, knotting, knot fucking, breeding, marathon sex, vaginal sex

ao3

In the middle of a weekday when all the idols at the dorms should’ve been busy with work, Natsume was curled up in a ball underneath his blanket, sulking to himself as his fingers idly traced the folds between his legs. The agitation that he had been feeling the entire day refused to leave him, much like the uncomfortable warmth eating up his feline body. His long, red tail flicked back and forth in the air, just as restless as its owner.

It wasn’t like he hated his body, but by god did this stupid heat cycle make him want to turn into some spirit and leave his physical form for as long as this lasted. Not being able to work when his schedule was already so packed was just another annoyance. He would’ve preferred to not tell anyone that he was in heat, but it was necessary to notify Switch and Anzu about his absence from unit work, as well as Nito so that the rabbit could sleep elsewhere for the week.

His phone screen constantly lit up with notifications of unread messages, likely from his Nii-sans or unitmates. He was in no mood to read any of them though, already knowing that they’d be filled with pity and sorrys that wouldn’t actually help with his current state. They were all well-meant and concerned of course, but Natsume was stubborn, and insisted he was fine. Most of all though, he wanted to ignore the messages asking him why he hadn’t called his boyfriend over to help. It wasn’t like he was entirely against the idea, it was just…embarrassing to be seen in such a vulnerable state. Besides that, Subaru was even busier than him since Trickstar only continued to skyrocket in popularity. One idol being out of commission was already a hassle, he’d hate to make it two.

So that’s how he stayed, trapped in his dorm of his own volition, only getting up to eat and take cold showers when he hadn’t exerted the rest of his energy fucking himself on his fingers. The mess he was making put the crumpled sheet music Leo left around the room to shame, low grunts coming out of him as he tried to push a finger that was already knuckle-deep further inside his throbbing heat, as if it would make him any less unsatisfied. A knock on the door caught his attention, sharp ears perking up at the sound. It made him grumble and pull his hand away, but any sort of distraction would be nice since touching himself wasn’t getting anywhere.

“Natsumeee, it’s me! Can you let me in?”

He froze at the sound of the cheery voice, recognizable even past the door.

“Little yellow told me to come check up on you. He said your color was super pink? Something like that.”

Natsume didn’t respond. He couldn’t be mad at Sora for wanting to help, but sending Subaru of all people? And now of all times?

“Natsume, can you hear me?”

“Baru, go aWAY.” His voice came out more hoarse than intimidating, and a whole door separating them probably didn’t help.

“Ah, so you are awake! That’s good!”

You shouldn’t be herE.”

“Why not?”

Another series of knocks resounded from the door, and Natsume glared at it.

“LeavE, noW!”

“Hey, what’s wrong? Do you need help?”

The last thing he wanted was for anyone to see him in this sorry state, but Natsume wasn’t ready to admit that he could easily imagine Subaru’s fingers fucking him in place of his own inadequate ones, fantasizing about spreading his legs and seeing that cheeky smile of his before being devoured. The mere thought of it, as much as he denied wanting it, betrayed himself as it doubled down on flooding his body with pheromones. He buried his face into a pillow to stifle a moan, trying to pretend the solution to his problems wasn’t offering himself on a silver platter a wall away.

“Natsume, don’t ignore me! I’m gonna stay outside until you open the door!”

Ugh, he hated that Subaru was almost as stubborn as he was. His cunt ached with want, clenching onto nothing as he rubbed his thighs together. Natsume shut his eyes to try and go back to relieving the searing heat rolling over him, but Subaru’s voice kept echoing in his head. No matter how much he touched himself, not even the biggest toys would satisfy his heat—nothing would besides a certain someone taking his fertile body and filling it to carry what it was meant to.

…Would letting him in really be that bad?

In the lustful haze that was already clouding his mind, his legs finally found the motivation to stand up, albeit shakily. Natsume wrapped himself in the blanket he had tangled himself in and walked to the door, the voice in his head arguing to itself that this was either a very good or very bad idea as he unlocked it. He opened it a crack and saw a bushy ginger tail wagging back and forth in the air, its owner just slightly out of frame. He sighed, then pushed the door open a bit more.

“Hurry iN.”

Subaru squeezed through the gap, and the light from the hallway was shut out just as quickly as it was let in, the lock pushed in place not long after. His fluffy ears were raised and attentive, pupils dilating when he sniffed the air filled to the brim with pheromones, all radiating from the redhead.

“Natsume…” Subaru leaned in closer, sniffing his neck and nuzzling his nose against his nape. Natsume felt arms wrap around him as he was pulled into a hug, and a purr vibrated in his throat the moment the comforting warmth hit him.

“Why didn’t you tell me you’re in heat?” Subaru asked softly, clinging onto him so gently that Natsume felt like he could collapse into them. He didn’t say any of that though, he simply looked away.

“Why did you comE?”

“I told you, little yellow said your color was weird. Hibiki-senpai told me I should check up on you too.”

Of course his Master was involved somehow, he always had a part to play. Sora was perceptive, but it seemed obvious now that the older of Sora’s roommates lended a hand in suggesting this amazing idea.

“I told those guys I was finE…” Natsume groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“They just want to make sure you’re okay, and I do too!” Subaru pulled away from the hug to look him up and down.

“When did it start? Did you know it was coming? You’ve been eating, right? It’s no good if you’re skipping meals!”

“Can you shut up for one seCOND?” Natsume snapped. “Stop asking me dumb quesTIONS, I can take care of mySELF.”

“I don’t want you to do this alone, though.” Subaru frowned. “I know what it’s like; it’s not fun to deal with by yourself. I want to help, if you’ll let me.”

Natsume suddenly felt much more self conscious under his serious gaze, pulling the blanket tighter around himself.

“WelL, you’re already herE, so…”

“Is that a yes?”

“Ugh, kind oF. But first off alL—“ Natsume jabbed a finger into his chest, glaring, “no doing anything unless I say you caN. I’m in chargE.”

Subaru perked back up instantly and nodded his head, the furious wagging of his tail giving away much of his excitement. Natsume could still feel his gaze eating him up, like he was already claimed just by being seen in such a vulnerable state.

“Take your clothes ofF.”

Subaru followed his instructions eagerly, and Natsume watched as he tossed his shirt and pants aside, paying extra attention to the semi-hard cock that revealed itself once his boxers were removed too. He felt the coil in his stomach tighten just thinking of where that length would be in a few minutes, wondering if it would be a snug fit or if he would be stretched out past his limits…he really shouldn’t be this excited, but his body couldn’t help itself.

“Get on the beD.”

Subaru laid on his back, erection slightly raised in the air as Natsume hovered above him. Natsume shed the blanket that had been covering his naked form and tossed it into a crumpled heap on the side of the bed, his feline features now on full display. Even from below, Subaru could clearly see Natsume’s pointed red ears, white fluff lining the insides. He licked his lips while his long tail flicked back and forth, showing how eager he was to sink onto dog dick. Claws on Subaru’s chest, Natsume placed his legs on either side of his hips and slowly lowered himself onto Subaru, the tip of his cock catching between his already wet folds.

Natsume bit his lip to prevent the whimper that wanted to come out. He could feel the heat radiating just from the tip, but he was determined to take his time, not to seem too needy. He grinded his wet cunt carefully against the tip of Subaru’s dick, the head just barely allowed past his folds. The feeling of another person against him already exceeded his previous attempts of fingering himself, though it was mostly due to how excited Natsume was. It would be so easy to sink his entire weight down, to just give its body what it wanted…

Below him, Subaru was gripping the mattress, clearly wanting to place his hands elsewhere, but obeying the command he was given to let Natsume stay in charge, at least for now. The teasing was getting to be too much for both of them, neither one satisfied with just brushing their intimates against each other. It was only a matter of time before one of them snapped, and unsurprisingly, Natsume’s heat got the better of him. After a few minutes of testing their patient, he lifted his hips up high before he let himself sink right onto Subaru’s length, filling himself up in one smooth movement. The stretch felt so good, he barely felt any pain just from how the pleasure overwhelmed him. He opened his mouth and let out a silent moan as Subaru groaned, the tight clamp of his partner’s walls around his cock exactly what he wanted.

“So warm.” He murmured, looking at Natsume squirm as he adjusted to the intrusion before beginning to move again. It was so cute how out of breath Natsume was already. All he was doing was lifting his hips up and down, yet he was already making so much noise from the exertion and pleasure. Subaru couldn’t get enough.

The concentration on Natsume’s face faded into bliss as his movements became more sloppy, tiny whimpers coming from his mouth as he continued to bounce on Subaru’s length.

“H-Hah~ngh—C-ClosE!” Natsume moaned, claws digging into Subaru’s chest. Maybe it’d hurt later, but in the moment it just added to the pleasure.

“Don’t hold yourself back.” Subaru groaned, thrusting upwards. “Cum on my cock.”

Natsume leaned forward, gripping Subaru’s shoulders tightly as he cried out and did just that, walls squeezing the length buried inside him. Subaru placed his hands on his hips, keeping his partner steady while rocking into him, letting Natsume ride out his orgasm. He panted softly as he came down from his high, eyes shut and sweat decorating his eyebrows. Subaru could feel the hot exhales coming from Natsume’s open mouth, the flushed skin of his neck just begging to be marked up.

Subaru felt his erection throb inside of the warmth that still enveloped it. He wasn’t going to just stop when he was halfway there, was he? In that moment, Subaru’s instincts stirred him into action. Natsume was recovering from his high one second, and the next he found himself pressed against the mattress, hungry blue eyes staring down at him.

“H-Hey, what are you—“

He was cut off by the slamming of hips against his own, the new angle blowing his eyes wide and making him cry out. Subaru pressed his legs up against the bed with his hands, spread as far as they could go.

“I haven’t knotted you yet.” He growled, the sound that came out of his mouth more animalistic than human in nature. He began to rut into Natsume at a much faster pace than the boy was ready for, newfound vigor in his veins.

“W-Wait, Baru—ah!” He whined, feeling each stroke of the thick cock pushing inside him, especially sensitive after his orgasm.

Each thrust stole the air out of his lungs, Natsume letting out small gasps each time Subaru’s cock pressed against his cervix. Subaru leaned over him in a way that brought Natsume face to face with his intense eyes, pupils dilated like a predator towards its prey. Natsume’s sharp claws dragged down the skin of Subaru’s back, digging deep into flesh, but the pain didn’t deter Subaru from slowing down at all, even amplifying the pleasure. It was clear that he wasn’t going to stop. Natsume hated not being the one in control, being treated like a fleshlight as he was split apart, but it turned him on all the same.

It wasn’t long before Subaru could no longer smoothly hilt his entire length inside Natsume’s soaked cunt, the clear cause being the large bulge forming at its base. Natsume didn’t have time to react before Subaru pried the claws out of his back to flip Natsume onto all fours, manhandled into position before Subaru mounted him and continued the rough slapping of skin against skin. The more weight that was pressed against Natsume, the more the gap between his legs widened, the perfect position for taking a knot. Natsume whined louder and louder, claws dragging against the sheets and ripping through the threads.

“Baru, hah, n-not inside, it won’t fit!”

“It will,” Subaru growled, “you’re such a good kitty for me after all.”

He grinded his knot against the entrance to his swollen cunt, getting louder whines in response. Natsume sobbed, the inside of his folds already feeling so raw. Cats weren’t made to take knots, after all. And yet the thought of being torn apart, pushing his physical limits just to make it fit, to make sure all his mate’s cum stayed nice and warm inside him…

“Gonna knot you so good.” Subaru panted. “Gonna make sure it all takes. How many puppies are you gonna have after tonight? Three? Four?”

Natsume didn’t answer, or rather he couldn’t, eyes rolling back and moaning when Subaru pushed himself in deeper. His slicked up hole was ruined, folds puffy and red from all the friction and excess fluids oozing slowly from the small gap that Subaru’s cock didn’t fill. Though even that wouldn’t last for long as the base grew wider, his knot swelling rapidly to plug up all the seed that was going to gush out once it was locked in place.

“I-I can’t take it—just push it in already! Please~”

His initial hesitation had been fucked out of him, or maybe he was just so overwhelmed with desire that he needed it all to come to a halt, no matter the method. Subaru’s knot was fully swelled up now, all he had to do was push it past the folds that were blocking his access. His growling grew louder, and Natsume’s clawing more desperate, tearing up the sheets.

“Baru! Baru, please!”

“Natsume, Natsume…” Subaru kept groaning his name, until finally he popped his bulbous knot inside and came with a howl.

Natsume’s body shook as he cried out, his own orgasm following Subaru’s closely. His walls clamped onto the girthy knot that was forced inside, ensuring that it wouldn’t go anywhere. With his hips lifted up, all the cum Subaru pumped into him flowed straight into his core, a warm feeling gathering above his crotch.

Even after all of that effort to make his knot fit, Subaru didn’t stop thrusting. At first it was to make sure his cum went as deep as possible, but afterwards he couldn’t stop moving his hips back and forth. Subaru’s thrusts were shallow due to the knot obstructing his movement, but he greedily kept tugging it against his partner’s overly sensitive cunt, like he was trying to force it back out. Natsume kept whimpering with each tug against his tender walls, but no matter how much Subaru pulled, he cock stayed where it belonged, knot and all.

“Baru, don’t pull out…I need you inside…”

“Shhh, it’s okay.” Subaru murmured, tongue tracing the skin of his mate’s neck. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He tugged his hips backwards while holding Natsume’s in place, forcing his knot out just slightly. Natsume mewled as the knot stayed partially inside him, stretching his outer folds to accommodate the girthiest part of it, before it slipped back inside him, for what was the umpteenth time today. Subaru kept using his knot to fuck Natsume wide open, the pain and pleasure of the large knot pushing itself in and out making him cry out sweetly. Subaru was sure it wasn’t going to deflate, not when a cute kitten in heat was mewling for it over and over again.

There were barely any breaks between Subaru’s knot locking them together while pumping another warm load into him, and then climbing back onto all fours to do it all over again. It felt like Subaru’s knot never deflated, never leaving his sore cunt empty for more than a few seconds. Natsume wasn’t sure how long they were at it, nor how many times he had cum by the time the piston that was Subaru’s hips finally stilled inside him, but when he finally did tire himself out, Natsume didn’t have the energy to move nor support his own weight, his entire body pressed against Subaru’s.

Natsume buried his face into his partner’s neck as satisfied purring came from his throat, hips pressed flush against each other thanks to the legs he had wrapped around his waist. His sharp claws were still on Subaru’s back like a scratching post, but the dogboy didn’t seem to mind, lapping at Natsume’s cheek as his knot pulsed inside the other. One hand held Natsume’s waist steady while the other pet his fluffy ears, stroking them as Natsume grumbled to himself, pink and embarrassed now that his hormones had calmed down.

“Good kitty.” Subaru peppered him with a mix of kisses and licks. “You’re gonna have such a big litter for me, aren’t you? With how well you take my knot, you’ll have no problem pushing them out~”

“Stop talking about kidS.” Natsume glared, though it didn’t have much of an effect when he was still cuddled up to Subaru’s chest for warmth. “If this stupid dick of yours wasn’t stuck inside mE, I’d be taking plan B by noW.”

“Eh? Weren’t you begging for my stupid dick just a few hours ago?”

“Can you shut uP? I’m too tired for thiS.”

Natsume let out a yawn, curling himself up further against his warm chest. Subaru chuckled, but a yawn left his mouth right after.

“I guess we did tire ourselves out.”

“Mm, I need to take a resT…”

Subaru nodded and leaned towards the pillows so that they fell on their sides, still embracing each other tightly. The area below Natsume’s stomach felt bloated, and Subaru almost started salivating while imagining how much bigger it’d appear sometime in the future, once the litter growing inside his mate began to make his hips widen and belly grow. For now though, it was just filled with his seed, locked inside until the morning came. Gentle snores from Natsume resting his head on his shoulder lulled Subaru to sleep, his body powering off near instantly from the exhaustion of a good mating session.

The thing with hybrids though, is that even a whole night of mating won’t cut it.

Natsume was still sleeping when Subaru woke up, mouth opening wide for a loud yawn. He nuzzled against Natsume’s neck happily, taking in his mate’s scent and licking him as his tail wagged. Natsume stirred, but didn’t wake up just yet. It made sense, Natsume probably went way over his body’s limit last night at no fault of his own.

Subaru looked down at where they were joint, his cock still partly nestled in the warmth of his folds, though with his knot deflated and no longer keeping his cum in place, most of it had leaked out overnight. Just thinking about the night before got him excited again. He moved the hands that were encircling Natsume’s back down to his hips, keeping them steady as he rocked his cock in and out with shallow thrusts, feeling himself get hard with each passing second. By this time now, Natsume was unable to stay in slumber, and he woke up to an ache all over his lower body.

“Ngh, Baru..” Natsume let out a mix between a yawn and a moan. “I can’t feel my legs..”

“But you can still feel me, right?” He murmured, quickening his pace now that his mate was awake. “I’m not done yet, far from it.”

“Ngh.” He whined as he gripped Subaru's shoulders, eyes blinking awake. “Hah, wait—“

Soft cries of pleasure filled the air once more, their lovemaking far from done.

[alllthebadpartss]

- AI-Less Whumptober -

day three: trauma thursday

prompt(s): survivor's guilt, "it's not your fault."

fandom: Wolverine Frogs (my debut novel ayy)

"You know, you remind me a lot of her."

Lara looks up with a scowl on her face. "Of who?"

"Polly."

Lara rolls her eyes. "That would make sense. I'm her sister—"

"You're also... different from her, though. I can't really explain it."

Lara blinks at him. "I heard the others say she was blonde. That she died her hair."

"You know that's not what I meant, Lamb."

Lara stares at him blankly, trying to figure out why she's even bothering to entertain having a conversation with him. "This is stupid." She settles on saying. "You're stupid."

That does it.

"Why do you always push me away?” Joey’s voice is raw, laced with frustration.

Lara exhales slowly, trying to keep her voice steady. “I’m not Polly, Joey.”

His brow furrows, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know what it means.” She snaps, feeling the heat of the moment rising. “You wanna know why I'm so different from my sister? Polly let you hurt her. She let you walk all over her, over and over again, but I won’t let you do that to me.”

For a moment, Joey seems frozen, like her words had struck somewhere deep. But then, as if something primal snapped inside him, his face twists in rage. His claws shoot out, and before Lara can react, she feels the sharp sting of his claw grazing her arm. A searing pain blooms where he cuts her, red drops of blood welling up on her skin.

Lara gasps, flinching back, clutching her arm. Joey’s breath comes out in ragged bursts, his eyes wild. But then, almost as quickly as the anger had come, it fades. His chest heaves as he looks down at his hands, his claws retreating, the horror dawning on him.

“I... I didn’t mean to—” His voice wavers, softer now. “Lara, I'm sorry.”

Lara, still holding her arm, looks up at him, her gaze steady despite the pain. “You're so full of shit, Joey.”

Joey shakes his head, his expression pained. But she's right. She knows she is. “It wasn’t about you, alright? I’m not even sure why I got so mad. It’s not your fault, Lara. I—” He stop, looking at her wound, guilt shadowing his face. "It's not your fault."

She's not going to cry. She's not. She's—

Lara knows she should just take it at that and shut up about the whole thing. But she doesn't. She just can't ever seem to help herself. "Did you say that to my sister when you attacked her like some rabid animal as well?"

"I never attacked her, lamb," his voice breaks.

"She was scared of you, though, wasn't she?" Lara sneers. "She was scared enough to run from you, and she was scared enough to try and shoot you."

She'd never seen him look so small. She wondered how far she could go before he stopped being sad and started getting pissed.

Lara says, "It's a shame she didn't finish the job."

"Yeah, it is," Joey says, catching her off guard, laughing dryly. "A real shame."

The blood from her arm drips onto the ground, a drop hits her foot.

A single tear falls down Lara's cheek.

[maria021015]

SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 12 AHEAD!

She hated hiding things from Lydia, but this was something she had to do on her own and tonight was her best chance at it. She knew that Xander had originally been rostered to work at the station, but had since been reassigned to guarding the cemetery due to the recent ‘grave robbings’. It gave her the perfect excuse to show up at the station under the guise of dropping Xander’s dinner off, which would then allow her to sneak into his office, access his computer and locate the files from her parents’ case. At the moment, it was the only lead she had to work with. Maybe there would be something her brother had missed.

Her plan - for the most part - went without a hitch. She was able to get into the police station with just a box of rice and a sweet smile. The oblivious and kind officer at the front desk even directed her to Xander’s office. The blinds were already half drawn, obscuring her from the vision of the rest of the officers on duty at the station, which surprisingly wasn’t many. It seemed the Beacon County Sheriff’s Station was low-staffed with all the unsolved murders around town, but there was nothing new there. If anything, it worked in Zaida’s favour. She casually sat herself in Xander’s desk chair and shook the mouse to bring the screen to life. Luckily for her, Xander had used the same password for all his devices since before he graduated school, and Zaida had memorised it long ago. It was easy to log into his computer and navigate through the system to keyword search for her parents’ names. Multiple reports popped up immediately, including the initial police incident report, the coroner’s report and the final report closing the case. She opened each one up and read them through thoroughly, her blood running cold at the same repeated strange details. No point of entry or exit in the house was discovered. The injuries noted on the bodies were deep slashes caused by claws, in an unusual five-fingered pattern. The cause of death was ruled an animal attack. Five fingers. Xander had told her she’d remembered incorrectly. He promised her that he’d read the reports and it had noted four, as consistent with any other animal attack. He’d lied to her. Why had he lied to her?

Before she could dig any further, the blaring noise of the fire alarm pierced the silence, causing her to jump to her feet, nearly knocking Xander’s desk over in the process as her knees crashed against it on her way up and out of the office. She abandoned the desktop and hurried out into the hall only to see Stiles being dragged by an officer further down the corridor towards the holding cells.

“Stiles! What the hell?” she shouted over the ear-numbing alarm and didn’t fail to notice the broken-off arrow buried deep into the man’s leg. There was only one person she knew who shot arrows like that. This was not just some cop. Something was going down, and the others had left her out of it. She could be mad about that later, but for the time being Zaida launched herself after the man dragging Stiles, gripping the doorframe as she changed directions quickly at a sharp turn. Her stomach lurched when she entered the next room to find a cell had been busted open and a figure had tackled the fake officer as Stiles grabbed her hand and tugged her to the floor with him, pulling along whilst scrambling away into the far corner.

“What are you doing here?!” Stiles yelled at her in a high-pitched shaky voice.

“I should be asking you that! What’s going on?” she shouted straight back, eyes glued to the curly-haired male attacking the man in uniform until he slumped to the ground, unconscious or dead, she wasn’t sure.

Stiles didn’t have time to even attempt to answer her question before the werewolf turned on them and with a sharp intake of air Zaida identified that face even beneath the twisted, animalistic features and expression of aggression. “Isaac?” her question came out in a quiet squeak of shock.

There was no recognition in those glowing yellow eyes as Isaac approached them with bared, sharp teeth. Derek entered the room with a loud howl that sounded more akin to a roar than anything else, and scared the other wolf, leaving him retreating to cower in a crouched form against the far wall.

“How did you do that?” Stiles asked, his chest heaving from the panic and exertion from his earlier struggle.

“I’m the alpha,” Derek smirked in explanation, flashing his red eyes and Zaida got to her feet shakily.

“Will someone tell me what the fuck is happening right now?!” Her tone was shrill and angry to cover her fear. She turned to Stiles with fury in her features and the boy licked his lips nervously.

“Derek bit Isaac and then Isaac’s dad turned up dead so he was arrested, but the hunters found out and sent a mercenary to kill him so we decided to come and break him out of prison before any of the actual killing could happen.” The words flowed out of Stiles’ mouth like a chaotic waterfall.

“Did you know about this earlier? Why didn’t you tell me? Who else knew?” She flew into a rage, shoving both hands into Stiles’ chest to push him away from her when he tried to step closer.

“Scott and Allison knew. I tried to tell you earlier but I just…I couldn’t do it.” Stiles admitted and hung his head low in shame.

“Why is everyone around me constantly lying and hiding things?!” She screamed in frustration, feeling her anger boiling inside her. “You said that you wouldn't make the mistake of leaving me out again. How could you keep this from me?”

“I know, I should have told you. It’s just…I know how much you like Isaac. I didn’t want to tell you until we figured out the truth and had the situation under control.” The boy apologised and tried to reason with her but she was far beyond listening right now. Between the revelation that Xander had been lying to her, that she’d been right about her parent’s death, and now that Isaac had turned and may have murdered his own father…she was overwhelmed with a flurry of emotions, and none of them good.

“That wasn’t your decision to make.” Zaida scoffed and pushed past him, knocking her shoulder against his, leaving the station and not glancing back.

She took the long way home, taking the time in the cool night’s air to think and try to clear her mind. How had her life ended up like this? One best friend was from a family of viscious hunters and the other was likely turning into a supernatural creature. Her best friend’s boyfriend was a werewolf, leaving their group right in the middle of a feud between the supernatural and hunters. The guy she was dating was also now a werewolf who might have murdered his own father and was out of control. Her friends were hiding things from her. Her parents had been killed by a werewolf and she had no idea why. She herself was something supernatural and her family likely hid that from her for her whole life as well. Her brother was lying to her and gaslighting her to make her think that she was crazy. What else did he know and what more was he keeping from her? She didn’t register she was crying until hot tears were streaming down her face. Why was this happening?

Her feet worked on autopilot and she cried until her emotions dulled into numbness. Her legs ached as climbed the stairs up to the third floor of the apartment building. The keys were cold in her hand as she twisted them in the lock and swung open the front door. The apartment’s lights were on, and Xander was waiting for her in the living room with a furious expression on his face.

“You broke the rules again, Zaida.” His voice was dangerously low as he turned to look at her with a locked jaw. “What’s your excuse this time? A friend has been kidnapped? Someone’s in the hospital?”

“Ask me where I was.” That was all she responded with. She couldn’t bring herself to care at all that he was on the verge of yelling at her. “Go ahead and ask me, so I can tell you about how I broke into your office and found the files from Mom and Dad’s case. So I can ask you why the hell you’ve been lying to me for years about what was in those documents.”

Xander merely stared at her, his mouth slightly open and alarm behind his dark eyes as his anger dissipated. She didn’t allow him to speak. Instead, she kept pushing, her own voice raising in volume. “Tell me about how you knew I was right and you lied to me and told me it was all in my head. You made me think I was going crazy!”

“What you did was illegal.” was all he could come up with. From the guilty look in his eye, Zaida knew he was aware of how wrong his actions had been.

“Yes, it was. But what you did was immoral. You know how important trust and honesty are to me and I thought it was equally important to you. That was what made our arrangement work, but you’ve broken that. I’ve never lied to you.” she shook her head, eyes going glassy as she crossed her arms around herself like a protective shield. With all that was going on, she’d still managed to be truthful about where she was and why she was there, simply omitting the supernatural details. Even that had been hard as she hated keeping anything from him but he’d now proven that he didn’t deserve the honesty and trust that she had given him.

“I told you what you needed to hear. Telling you that you were right was never going to make a difference. It only would have kept your mind stuck there running over all the possibilities pointlessly. You needed to move on and I gave you that.” he insisted, though she suspected his defence was more to make himself feel better about what he’d done than to convince her.

“You didn’t give me the peace you think you did. I have thought about it unceasingly. Remembering what happened as one thing and thinking the truth was something else entirely was so much worse. I wasn’t able to stop going back and forth between the two. You have no idea how confusing it has been. This wasn’t just some small white lie for my benefit. I knew I was right about what I saw that day and you knew it too, yet you let me think that I couldn’t trust my own memories. That I couldn’t trust myself, and it has weighed on me for years.” Zaida stepped away from him when he tried to move closer.

“None of it matters, Zaida! Mom and Dad are dead, and the details do nothing to change that! Knowing what happened isn’t going to bring them back.” Xander’s temper started to return in his frustration with her fixation on the past. “You are so obsessed with it, it’s not healthy. You need to move on.”

“Knowing the truth, gaining closure, that would have helped me move on, but you took that away from me. I don’t think you understand what you’ve done. I am never going to trust you again.” Zaida’s words left her mouth before she even really came to the conclusion herself, but the reality of it sunk in during the silence that followed. Something between them had been damaged beyond salvaging tonight, and now they both knew it.

[narrators-journal]

Part 6

Oooooffff, I think I'll just resort to posting these parts whenever they get done, lol. Because making myself stick to a schedule is kinda crushing all the love I have for this fic. Because, with me not posting it until finished, I was able to take my time and put a lot of care into it. So, I think I will take my sweet time with posting it too. To ensure my editing isn't rushed and that I don't forget something important like I nearly did here, lol.

Hope you enjoy, though!

CW: suicidal ideation is mentioned, depression is mentioned,

Previous part: here

Next part: here

TOC: here

Why couldn't I have gotten sacrificed to the god of spring or some shit? Minato mentally griped against the cruel bite of the snowy wind and crunch of the snow under his feet. Both, clutching a stick to erase his footsteps, and keeping his teeth from chattering. Regardless of his complaints though, the blue-haired man had to work with what he got. Which, at the moment, was a two hour opening, a familiar combination of too-thin clothes and clumps of snow in his hair, and sharp winds ripping at him like a feral animal. Yet, this time he couldn't afford to to curl up in the snow and try to use his breaths to keep warm. He had to push through the winter's icy attacks. Breath, Arisato. He told himself. Continuing to scratch his footsteps away in spite of the painful numbness in his fingers. All while he continued to walk himself through his situation step by step. Take a deep breath, you've got this. With any luck, the snow will hide my tracks, I had a good enough window to get some distance, and I'll find some shelter soon. I just need to focus on finding civilization. Only for the meager confidence those words bought to get blown away when the wind blew just right.         "Minato! Funeral lily, where are you?!" Like a bucket of ice water thrown over him, the spectral voice drifted on the breeze. Distant, yet unmistakable. With it, Ryoji's frantic voice brought the first bout of bone-deep panic Minato'd felt in years. His words sending hot bolts of adrenaline through the sacrifice like a second wind on cram night. Fear. Minato felt fear. Despite his flippant view of his own death. Fear warmed his frozen limbs. And while he still tried to erase his footsteps, he couldn't deny how his heart thundered in his ears.         "Funeral lily, please! I'm sorry I scared you, I wasn't meaning to hurt you, I only wanted you to stay!" The wind whispered. Ryoji's voice little more than a ghost through the thrum of Minato's heartbeat and breaths. In a split second, all of the ambient noises fell under suspicion. Too loud. Too frequent. Too close. It almost completely drowned out the rational voice in Minato's head. I need to chill. He's far away. He's not on my ass. That voice assured. Minato's fog-grey eyes trying to speedrun analyzing the boney hands that jutted up from the blanket of diamonds beneath his feet. Wait, shit. Have I been erasing my steps? The thought was too late. As soon as it bubbled up, Ryoji's words rang louder in his ears.        "Minato! Come back before you freeze or get snatched up by fucking lunatics! Will you please listen to me!" That wasn't a whisper on the arctic winds. That was close enough to be a problem.  There was no more time to worry about his tracks. So, with all rationale thrown to the cruel winds with his stick. The midnight-haired man turned to a full-blown sprint. His heart pounding for freedom against his sternum. His blood racing through his veins. The barren forest all but a blur in his mad dash through the cold snow. If Ryoji called out to him again, he couldn't tell over the hiss of the snowy wind and his painful gasps. Even when his foot caught a root hidden by the frozen powder. Sending the man face-first into the cold blanket and forcing him to claw like a rat in a trap to get his legs beneath him. Or when his feet refused to coordinate to move. Minato forced himself forward. The chill and adrenaline numbing him further to the sting of the increasing winds and snow on his bare skin. Hide! Find a place to hide! Screamed the desperate voice in his head. Driving him on despite how the arctic air tore up his throat with each breath. His only warmth coming from the panic heating the thrumming blood in his ears. Yet, despite his struggle to find even a cabin or burrow to hide in from the brunette. Minato slammed back into the snow all the same. The unforgiving winter staved off by a sudden, overwhelming heat and weight.         "Minato, stop it! Stop it, god damn it!" Ryoji ordered. Hauling the man back out of the snow despite his writhing and attempts to fight him off. Staunching that frantic flailing by trapping the midnight-haired man's wrists in a painful grip. "Stop." The order was forceful. Almost a sharp bark of pure aggression and frustration. Which, was such a surprise, that Minato forgot his fight to get away and instead dumbly blinked at the man. Looking into Ryoji's cold eyes and seeing little beyond sparks of fear, anger, and hurt in those harsh pools. That moment of hesitance, an opening Ryoji readily took to scoop the sacrifice up. Heading back home without further words. And, while Minato's stomach still churned with discomfort from their last encounter. he couldn't help but squish himself into the brunette's warmer figure. The squeamish sort of feeling sitting in his chest overridden by the allure of fighting off the vision-shaking shivers still raking the sacrifice's body. So, Minato resigned himself to a tense silence filled with the crunch of snow and dying gusts of icy wind for the walk. Snaking his arms into the brunette's fur-lined jacket and trying to somehow find a way to squish his bare legs into the warmth as well. Though, the brunette trapped his legs in his elbow to halt his squirming, so that didn't quite work out. Glancing up again a bit into their walk, the blue-haired emo still saw little warmth in Ryoji's eyes. Those sapphires could've re-froze the ice caps with how cold they seemed to be. So, Minato held off on any excuses or explanations until the brunette had gotten him back to his warm room to drop him onto the bed. Yet, even then. All Minato did was worm his way under the heavy comforter while Ryoji fished a clinking ring of house keys out of his coat pocket. Silently moving to lock the balcony door with a gut-dropping snick. The sacrifice then heard him walk out of his room before locking him in with another soft snick. Without a word, Minato's chances of escape got snatched away. So, with nothing left to do, the man curled up under his comforter and tried to rub the warmth back into his quivering body with stiff, numb fingers. All the while, thoughts trickled back into his mind in the wake of the adrenaline and fear. I guess that was stupid. Can't outrun death, can I? The more rational side of him mused, Though, perhaps I can ask to go to the store with him next time. If I behave well enough, he'd definitely let me and I can then ask for help in public. Right as he thought that, the thoughts paused at the sound of his bedroom door unlocking and opening. Ryoji returned and approaching the bed. The soft clink of a bowl on the side table the only warning Minato got before the comforter got pulled off and Ryoji ordered,          "Eat." with a gesture to the steaming bowl of soup. Which, the sacrifice didn't argue with. So, the duo ended up sitting in silence. Minato sitting up and hugging the bowl as he cherished the warmth of each bland bite. Ryoji only sitting on the edge of the bed with his head hanging down. Neither spoke as the chicken noodle soup thawed Minato's bones. Even when Ryoji finally moved to pull the sacrifice into a cuddle to further thaw, neither spoke. Letting the silence of the mansion sit until the brunette finally sighed,          "I'm so sorry for scaring you." His voice still lacking the joy and warmth the shaggy-haired man had gotten used to hearing. The warmth replaced, instead, by a shamed pain that turned each word into a dagger of guilt digging into him.            "It's okay," Minato croaked in response. His throat still sore from the chilled air he drank down, so he didn't dare push out more noises and risk his voice. Yet, the way Ryoji's voice shook with heartbreak still somehow managed to sting when he followed his first question up with,            "Then why did you run? If I didn't upset or scare you, did I not give you enough attention? Mistreat you somehow?" He asked, tightening his hold on the sacrifice as he spoke. And, Minato had no answer. The sacrifice didn't have the words to explain how or why Ryoji's happy energy and the joy he ignited in his chest almost made him sick. So, all he could do was sit and stir his cooling soup until Ryoji retracted his body heat and got up. Not to leave the room or pace, only to put some distance between them, which added to the growing spark of hurt. Regardless of that, though, Minato stared into the golden broth of his soup and picked at the chicken chunks tangled in the pale noodles. Leaving Ryoji be since he had nothing to offer him as comfort, and he didn't have the energy or heart to spit venom to chase him away. He was only cold, and more disgusted with himself than anything. He's not that important. He's a stranger, he's probably a GOD, I can't get attached. He thought to himself, I'm NOT attached. He added. But his insistence didn't quiet the other voice in his head. Ryoji's had to watch all the other sacrifices get taken. I wouldn't be surprised if he feels guilty for keeping people here. I should be a little nicer to him. But, even that voice wasn't reasonable or logical, so all its point did was add to the melancholy in Minato's gut. All given ample time to ferment by the continued silence between him and his companion. At least, until the brunette finally sighed, and the sacrifice's attention returned to him.         "Minato, are you aware that you're depressed?" He finally asked. Looking back at him with blue eyes that finally didn't have a film of pain over them. Even if they did still lack the sunny glint. Yet, Minato couldn't say he looked any better when he nodded,        "I was on medication for it before I got sacrificed. But, I don't think the dose was strong enough, or...something like that." he muttered, still refusing to do more than glance at Ryoji to lessen the pang of madness eating at him.         "Are you...are you suicidal though?" The brunette asked, the fearful concern earning a final burn under Minato's pale skin. A firecracker of pain that was the catalyst needed for the flash of defensive anger.         "so what if I am?" Sharpening his words into a curt, cutting snap that finally soothed the building pain of shame within the emo. "You don't know shit about me, why would you give a single fuck if I froze to death out there in that fucking storm?" But, this time, Ryoji didn't back down. He threw himself back on the bed to get in Minato's face with his fangs barred. Matching the venom he spat with his own snarl,         "I don't need to know you to not enjoy you getting hypothermia, you jackass! It's called basic human empathy!" And for the second time that day, Minato was left too stunned by Ryoji's outbursts to speak. Not because he had never gotten into a screaming match with someone, he'd had his share of them. But the tight anger in Ryoji's voice was such a jarring change from his usual doormat behavior, that it struck like a sucker punch to the jaw. Leaving the sacrifice wide-eyed and staring at the brunette. Yet, even if he had the words to form a retort or apology, Ryoji didn't give him a chance. As fast as he'd backed the emo into the headboard with his fangs, they were gone again and he was getting to his feet once more.          "Look, you don't have to like me, and I'm sorry if I came off clingy. But, you still can't leave. Don't fucking try again, Minato." And that was it. That was the final icicle given to the sacrifice before Ryoji left the room and locked the door back. In his wake, Minato was left sitting on his bed alone. His soup now cold in his lap, his comforter no longer the safe, warm haven it has been, and the warmth of indignation and anger gone as fast as it had come. So, the sacrifice had to sit there with an icy pit in his stomach, and a pain in his chest that he couldn't place.

[renneliaselfship]

Deep in the forest, chapter 1

In the southwest of the big continent was a forest impossible to enter. The cities and villages around it kept their distance and never built houses that were more than five kilometers close to it. They have learned their lesson long time ago. The only ones allowed inside were animals, even if an animal came from far away the forest will welcome them. Cows, horses and pigs had disappeared from villages, some saw them enter the forest but no one could go after the animals. Going after them was the same as having a dead wish.

The animals there had lived a peaceful life for the last few years without the fear of being hunted. “There’s someone in this forest,” a lynx exclaimed, the moment he arrived at the place where other animals were, he had run all the way there the moment he saw someone in the forest. In their forest. He was mad like he hadn’t in a while.

It was impossible to think someone would be able to get inside, not when the protector of the forest was right in front of him surrounded by other idler animals who gasped at his words. The protector was the only non animal allowed to be in the forest.

“I know that,” the creature known as the protector replied from the branch of a tree, it was simply resting there with its eyes closed not minding the mad tone from the lynx that resonated in its mind, hands behind its head used as a pillow with a cat resting on its chest, “I have no idea how I didn’t sensed them until today though,” it sighed, pissed of at the idea of its powers not being good enough to detect an intruder.

“It’s your job to keep anyone away!” The lynx yelled before the protector could say anything else. The rest of the animals stayed in silence. For years, they have been under protection and the days of living in fear of being hunted for fun was a thing of the past, to think someone was there and their protector didn’t do anything could only mean one thing…

“And I said I didn’t sense anyone until today didn’t I?” The creature raised its voice, it made the animals shiver, the cat resting on its chest jumped from the branch, “what? You all thought I wasn’t going to do anything?” A drop of something fell to the grass under the branch. All the animals knew, the protector was pissed. The small patch of grass died within seconds, “I’ll go and take care of them.” The protector of the forest jumped to the ground like the cat just mere seconds ago, squatting down once its feet touched the ground.

“Why didn’t you go the moment you felt the intruder?” A white rabbit asked, the protector looked down at the small animal.

“I needed a plan. The presence appeared out of nowhere already inside the forest, I didn’t feel anyone approaching so I needed to think how was that possible. How long has that intruder been here and why,” the protector explained, the reason it had been pissed just moments ago was because of that. The idea of someone being there, undetected for who knows how long made the protector mad, no animal had disappeared but that didn’t mean there wasn’t any danger around. “What? Did you guys thinks I was just lying down up there?” The protector pointed at the branch, the animals didn’t say anything.

“Are you going alone, Rene?” A snake asked, making her way to be in front of the protector, there was fear but also worriedness in her voice, someone has been living there who knows for how long and only now were they aware.

“You guys hate anyone that isn’t an animal or an elf, right?” The creature said, moving a long and thin black tail with the tip resembling a small triangle, it had been that same tail that dropped the liquid that killed the small portion of grass under the branch of the three. It was venom, “it’s okay, I’ll protect you guys.” Red pupils and iris, black sclera looked directly at the snake, the sharp teeths were shown in a smile that made the creature close its eyes.

It was nothing like an elf.

It was, at first glance, a demon.

A tall demon with short black hair that barely even touched its neck, black horns coming from the frontal bone almost where the forehead started. For anyone but the animals was something scary.

But the demon had said it, the animals hated anything that wasn’t an animal or an elf. “Be careful, Rene. I don’t think it's one of the powerless race,” the lynx said. Yet there they were, trusting a demon dressed in all black.

“Leave it to me,” the lynx and the other animals saw the demon walk away and the back of their protector disappeared in no time.

The protector, Rene, could feel anyone that got close to the forest and forbade their entrance. According to some birds that enjoyed visiting the cities and villages nearby, it had gotten to the point that the people had started to say the forest was cursed. It was for the best. With the time, he thought no one would ever try to get close to but there were always idiots who tried to look cool by trying to get inside but with his power Rene could make flora grow in seconds and block any entrances or even make them touch a poisonous plant and that was enough to make them leave. He was good at sensing everything in the forest and its surroundings so how, how had someone been there without him knowing?

It wasn’t even that whoever had invaded the forest had stayed near the entrance, no, they were deep inside the forest. Just how was that possible.

After walking for a good few minutes he finally got close to where the intruder was, he started to walk slower, trying to make the least noise possible to attack by surprise. He just needed to get close enough to inject some venom with his tail.

Then the presence disappeared.

Rene stood frozen for a moment, what had happened. He was close to the intruder, he was sure about that.

He ran to the place he last sensed the intruder had been, he ran and looked all around him, surely he would see if someone tried to run away.

And then he saw it.

Far in the distance, running directly at him. The intruder.

Before he had time to process anything he jumped back, falling to the ground and hitting his back with a tree, he made himself smaller some centimeters to avoid the ice that attacked him.

He looked up, he barely avoided what would have been a lethal attack to his brain, he could see the smoke of the ice that had perforated the tree. He should get up and get ready to fight but he couldn’t. Another spear looking ice had appeared from the ground between his legs and had stopped right at his neck, he could feel it making pressure like saying a false move and you’re dead.

“A dem-” The intruder was finally in front of Rene, he didn’t hesitate to make vines grow and immobilize the intruder’s legs and arms. He heard the intruder murmur something to themselves before speaking out loud, “what the hell are you?”

Rene laughed at that question, “I could ask the same thing,” he snarled back, “you’re in front of me and yet I can’t sense you at all.”

The intruder’s eyes brightened at that statement, “it worked out,” once again the intruder went back to murmur to themselves. It was getting annoying.

“Hey! Stop murmuring to yourself, who the hell are you?” Rene asked, “judging by those clothes you are a-”

“An Ice witch,” the intruder said with a smile, “I specialize in potions and I took one to hide my presence, I didn’t think it would work out though.”

“Ice witch?” Rene repeated, that was something he had never heard before but if he wasn’t wrong he remembered something similar, “a winter witch?” He asked.

“It’s not like we control the winter you know,” the intruder sighed, “ice witch is way more accurate, as you can see” a smirk was on their face.

“Then, what is an ice witch doing here?” He asked.

“I’ll reply if you agree to a civilized conversation, these vines are annoying… and itchy?”

He sat there in silence, the vines were annoying? He was the one with ice almost making a hole in his throat. But he removed the vines and a moment later the ice melted.

“I’m Cornelia,” the witch said.

He hesitated for a moment before saying his name, “Rene.”

“Oh, a cute name, not demon like… but it’s pretty.”

“I picked it up myself.”

“What a coincidence! Me too!”

[earlgreydream]

time for us.

| loki x reader | angst | fluff |

anon requested. loki has been working a lot lately and hasn’t really had anytime for the reader and he completely forgets about their anniversary and she doesn’t tell him for a couple of days but then he snaps at her and they have a huge argument

a/n: this doesn’t have any spoilers for the show— just mention that Loki works for the TVA (which isn’t canon at the time of me writing this)

You loathed Loki’s new job, working for the Time Variance Authority.

Ever since Loki began at the TVA, they’d managed to occupy nearly all of his time and energy, leaving little to none left for you. Your relationship was strong, but only a few weeks of work had put a strain on the two of you.

He’d become more short tempered, and easily agitated. You tried to be patient, but little things seemed to antagonize you, and soon every small thing was becoming huge.

Above all, you hated to fight with Loki. You bottled up your frustration, shoving them down inside of you and keeping them hidden and locked away. Your limited time with Loki was precious, and you didn’t want to poison it with your annoyance. However, it was doing damage that you hadn’t yet comprehended, building a pressurized weapon that was bound to explode.

It took weeks, but the explosion came.

.

Loki had been so caught up in work that he missed your anniversary. It had escaped his mind entirely, passing like any other day. He was distracted by variants running wild, and the need to please his new boss. He felt responsible for things that were going wrong, and he had put your relationship on the backburner.

You’d been certain he’d take you out during the night, or at least do something to acknowledge the anniversary of your love, but you’d been dead wrong. You waited at home as hours passed, and when his normal arrival time had long passed, the pain in your chest grew until your entire body was throbbing with hurt.

You took your makeup off, along with the pretty dress you wore-- the green one that your husband adored.

Loki had stayed late at work, taking overtime and showing up just before ten. You were so hurt you could hardly speak, but Loki’s mind was too muddled with work to even notice. You were already in bed when he returned home, and he’d kissed your forehead and gone to sleep with less than five words leaving his lips.

You laid awake in bed that night, staring at the wall. You should have told Loki you were angry, said something then and at least gotten it in the open. But you shoved it down with everything else— every other hurt and grievance and annoyance that poisoned you.

.

“Can you set that down, please?” You asked, four days later. You tried to keep your tone even, but you were impatient. The bite in your words was all you could do to keep from tearing the file from his delicate hands.

Loki was in the kitchen, his face buried in a variant case file. He was supposed to be helping you make dinner, but you were dismissed and cast aside once again as his work outshined you.

“I’m working, Y/N! It’s important. Don’t you want me to get paid so you can have your pretty things?” Loki snapped, shocking you.

“No!” You screamed, slamming the cabinet door shut.

He stared at you, turquoise eyes wide in shock at your outburst. He dropped the file on the counter, a harsh glare adorning his stunning face.

“No, Loki! I don’t fucking care about the pretty things. I don’t even know that I care about YOU!” The words were coming out before you could stop them.

“You don’t care about me?! All I ever do is for you!” Loki met your anger, matching your energy and only fueling the fire of rage that was building in your stomach.

“You’re such a selfish liar! You don’t give a fuck about me, Loki! You’re in a relationship with your bullshit job, you don’t give a damn about me! All of your time and your energy... and fuck, even your kindness goes to the stupid fucking TVA!! There’s nothing left for me, and I don’t want your scraps!” You shoved him back when he took a step toward you.

“I’m selfish? You’re needy and dramatic! You’re a spoiled brat, acting out when not every ounce of my attention is being given to you. What, you’re mad that I didn’t help you make this salad? Grow up, Y/N!” Loki’s hateful words poured out, tasting like acid in his mouth.

“No! I’m mad that you forgot our anniversary and that you haven’t seen how much you’ve hurt me!” Tears burned as they streamed down your face, blurring your vision that was bleeding at the edges.

Loki’s lips parted, and realization suddenly crossed his features. He took a step back, recognizing his anger had spiraled out of control, and that your anger was justified.

“I didn’t mean it… I do care about you, I just want you to care about me.” Your voice broke, and shaky hands went to your mouth, stifling a sob. Guilt swelled in Loki’s chest as he saw you fall apart, unable to bear the weight of your anger.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. I don’t know how I’ve forgotten. Please, my love, forgive me,” Loki’s tone softened, and he knelt down to his knees before you.

He didn’t care about the messy floors ruining his perfect suit, nothing mattered to him then except for you.

“I shouldn’t have gotten so angry, I just miss you,” you were weeping, unable to hold the sobs at bay.

“It’s okay, scream and cry if you need to, but know I love you more than anything and I am terribly, terribly sorry.”

Loki gently pulled you forward, closing his arms around you. His forehead rested against your stomach, and you laid your hands on top of his head.

“I know. I know,” you stammered in shaky breaths. Your fingers trembled as you dragged them through his hair, overwhelmed with every emotion that washed over you all at once.

.

You got home from work, a couple of days after your fight. You had both apologized, easing the tension over. Loki hadn’t stopped apologizing, even when you promised him it was okay. It had been better since-- you weren’t keeping secrets or harboring anger, and you felt exceedingly better in the aftermath of your fight.

You walked into your master suite, considering a hot bath or a shower after your day. You were lost in your thoughts as you kicked your shoes off, before turning to the bed. A dress was laid out on the end of the bed, glittery heels and jewelry in a box beside it. Loki wasn’t home, but a note was attached, telling you to get dressed and he’d meet you.

You smiled, lifting the black cocktail dress. You changed, fixing your hair and makeup in the mirror. Your day at work had been long, and you didn’t know what Loki had in store for you, but you were excited.

The lock clicked open on the door, signaling the arrival of your husband. You stepped into the foyer to greet him, met with Loki in an all-black suit. A grin spread across his expression as he noticed you, making warmth bloom in your chest.

“You look-” you both started at the same time.

You smiled and tilted your head, letting him speak.

“You look beautiful,” Loki spoke softly before giving you a kiss.

“Thank you. You look sharp. What’s the occasion, what are we doing?”

“I’m so sorry I missed our anniversary. I thought we could celebrate us tonight.”

You broke into a grin, nodding excitedly.

“Yes. Yes, let’s do it.”

“Of course. Let me set my things down,” he kissed your cheek and stepped into your master, cleaning up and dropping his bag.

.

You were driven to a fancy restaurant, one hand in Loki’s as the other smoothed over the wheel of his black sports car. He dropped the keys with a valet, and you were escorted to a table in the back of the place.

“Wine, Mrs. Laufeyson?”

“Please,” you nodded, and the waiter poured you a glass of sparkling pink moscato.

“I’ve gotten us a suite at the resort in the city. I have a bag packed for you in the car, I thought we could enjoy a weekend away. You deserve it,” Loki brought your hand to his lips, kissing your knuckles.

“You’re spoiling me,” you giggled, sipping your wine.

“As I should be.”

Elaborate French dishes were brought out on gorgeous plates, looking like something from a food blog. It tasted divine, and Loki told you some history about the dish from some time he was living or traveling in Paris. You listened to his animated stories, thinking about how you were so in love with him. 

“Why’re you staring at me like that?” Loki laughed softly, spooning sorbet into your mouth.

“Because I love you. And you’re charming and cute when you get excited,” you confessed with a grin. 

“I love you too. I’m sorry about everything,” he apologized. 

“It’s okay. We’re past it. Time moves forward for us.”

Loki nodded, leaning forward and smearing a kiss over your temple before retrieving your car from the valet.

“To the hotel?” he asked, sliding his hands over your hips and kissing your neck as you waited.

“Okay,” you giggled, squirming in his arms. 

He squeezed your bum, making you gasp before opening the door for you, helping you into the passenger seat. 

When you arrived at the hotel, there was a bouquet of roses on the table, and candles burning around. He kissed the back of your head, setting your bag down for you.

“Let me make this up to you,” his voice was deep as he unzipped your dress.

“Please,” you smiled, turning in his arms and pulling him into a heated kiss.