#and it doesn't completely overpower the other cards in the set

[dravidious]

You're more amazing than a 1/1000 chance

Blue commons, and another rare I had an idea for

Blue and black together cover all 4 modification themes in the set, so a card that rewards you for using all the different themes is obvious! Unfortunately, treating +1/+1 counters and keyword counters as different kinds of modifications would be confusing, difficult to word, and wouldn't even match the usual reminder text for modified, so you don't technically need to use all 4 themes. But still, this is some great untapped design space, perfect for rare!

[samsalami66]

Hullo!! Here's one from the I Will prompts for Dreamling please!!

"I will fall in love (with you)"

Easy as Breathing

Hey love! Thank you so much for the prompt (and I apologise that this took so long). Have a short but sweet addition to the soccer au, I hope you like it <33

Read here or on AO3!

Weekends have always been Morpheus’ favourite part of the week, although the reasons for it have changed drastically since he joined the Fiddlers. Whereas a bit more than a year ago he loved weekends for the fact that he would not have to deal with Roderick or Alex or any of his other teammates for two whole days, he now loves weekends for the time he can spend with his friends outside of training. Truth be told, almost all of his time is spent at Hob’s apartment on those days. While he loves all of his other team members, they are not Hob. 

Hob, his best friend, who is currently stirring a pot of Morpheus’ favourite soup while singing along to the musical they discovered together last month. The unsteadiness in his lyrics is made up with the enthusiasm in his voice. He sings like he does most things in his life: with emotion, heart, and dedication. His hips are swinging, wooden spoons are being misused as microphones, and Morpheus is pulled into spins and sways every moment Hob does not spend with a knife in his hands. 

Whenever he puts his head on Hob’s shoulder and lets him lead, he prays for it to never stop. He wishes to feel Hob’s powerful voice and laugh vibrating in his chest forever, to wake up to that bright smile and those caring eyes. Morpheus can't remember a single time he has felt so safe before finding the Fiddlers and Hob. Completely and utterly safe. If he were to fall, Hob would catch him, again and again, literally and metaphorically.

Every one of Morpheus’ bad days Hob meets with sympathy, a helping hand, a shoulder to rest on. He does not mind the tears and snot and cries of rage and frustration because Morpheus couldn't stand his racing heart and sleepless nights anymore. But no nightmare or panic attack or act of anger can scare Robert Gadling away. He's there, whenever Morpheus needs him. 

And Morpheus is learning to do the same. He pulls Hob's head into his lap when he notices his friend growing restless and frustrated, cards through the long strands of his hair and massages his scalp until all the tension bleeds out of him at once. When the tears come, so often for others, for the destinies of people who were not his to save, he lets Hob hide his face in his neck and cry until he is shaking with missed breaths. 

But Morpheus notices that over the past few months, it has become less. The crying, the nightmares. Roderick’s voice is a more distant presence now, undoubtedly there, but less overpowering than it had once been. Quieter. Never less angry. 

Hob, too, seems to get overpowered by his emotions less and less. These days he notices the tension in his shoulders and chest as much as Morpheus does, and does his best to breathe through it, to decompress by going for a run or talking the emotions out with Morpheus. 

“Bad with boundaries,” Hob had once told him, and Morpheus had frowned. In his eyes, Hob seems to be rather good at setting boundaries with assholes, but that hasn't felt like the right thing to say. “When I see people hurting, I want to help. But not everyone can be helped. Doesn't mean I stop trying.” 

Morpheus wondered for a while after that, if he could be one of those people who simply couldn't be helped. Every time he woke up screaming from a nightmare, he would apologise to Hob. Over and over, until Hob would take his face in hand and remind him of his progress. The fact that he is going to therapy, changing habits, getting better. 

Morpheus hadn't seen his progress, until that moment. The fact that Roderick’s voice and the nightmares and the panic attacks were still there was proof of the opposite in his eyes. But Hob pointed out they were getting less. Only twice that month did he wake up screaming. He was more focused, and didn't get lost so easily in the dead man's voice. Only one panic attack in six months. 

He smiled more, Hob said. 

Morpheus thought that wasn't entirely his own doing.

After all, Hob taught him how to smile again, with his awful puns and endless patience and ridiculously thoughtful gifts. Gerhard the Great sits between their pillows on Hob's double bed, which is slowly becoming their bed with how much time Morpheus spends sleeping in it. There's also his spot on the couch now, his mug in the cupboard, his part of the bookshelf and closet. At this point, Morpheus wonders if moving in with Hob wouldn't be easier. 

“Hob?” He asks, face pressed into his best friend's neck, his eyes closed. Hob hums in response, easy as breathing, and Morpheus feels no fear speaking his next words. “I think I'd like to live here. With you. If that's something you'd like too.” 

The arm around him tightens, and then the other hand Hob has been using to stir the soup comes to rest at the nape of his neck. 

“I'd love to have you here, Dream,” Hob murmurs, close to his ear, and Morpheus smiles. 

Easy as breathing. 

“I think,” he whispers, quietly enough that it only rings between their chests, between their hearts that are pressed together in their embrace. “I will fall in love with you, kollitós. One day.”

One day. When he will have healed enough to think of words as big as love.

“Can't wait for that day, lovey.” 

The words are quiet, soft, and they warm Morpheus down to his very core. 

He thinks he looks forward to that day as well. 

[lullabyalikpoptarot]

Kang Taehyun Perspective Reading

Disclaimer: This is alleged, no facts, just a card reader. If you have a set image of him and want things fluff, please do not read further, if you like to go deeper into the dark proceed, this was a hard one, up there with Soobin's energy, maybe even more intense for me energy wise. Although, Jimin's was intense too, his energy wasn't. This does start off intense, but as I go through it the first part starts to make sense, so it isn't all dark.

I decided to go ahead and do his reading, since an anon got me interested in seeing what his energy is like. The song that popped up came to me rather quickly. It was You Oughta Know by Alanis Morisette. No lyric stood out for me, but it gave me an inclination that he can be spiteful and vengeful if you cross him or scorn him. I can legit see him doing a song like this if he had the creative freedom to do so. I don't really get an overall bad energy from him. I feel his shadow side tends to come out if you hurt him or in romantic relationships. I do feel he can be secretive and a bit of a trickster. That is the moon in Scorpio in him, but I will now go to the cards to further clarify.

So, taking out my Dark Mirror and ugh, this one may be difficult. He keeps giving me similar energy to Jake where there is some need to overtake women and overpower them. I swear women are his vice. So, I had an inkling that the Revenge card would pop up with the song recommendation I got. It is in reversed though. This kind of gives me this vengeful energy lays dormant most of the time and will not come to light unless scorned. With the Queen of My World card, I see that as a powerful woman, or he could see women as the center of his world, his main goal and focus. Now with the Colorless Angel. I can see that as him, it is like a woman gives him life. It seems he can even take their energy or uses their energy for his benefit. So, the Queen Of My World card has the number 6, which means victory, the Colorless Angel has 10, completing a cycle. It is like to win over a woman is to complete a cycle for him. I can say he may want to dominate a woman in her power. It may be more of a challenge and thrill for him, rather than a submissive woman. Now with the Naked Before the Stars reversed, it is like he doesn't want to show this vulnerable side or weakness he may have. That he actually thrives and needs a woman, referring to a romantic partner. I don't assume sexuality, but this is giving me a strong indication he is more into women. It is like he needs this feminine energy. I wanted another card and got artificial heart, this gives me someone who is a bit cold on his own. It is like he needs a woman to feel. This is kind of creepy and my body feels weird. I will move on from this deck.

Now on to my Astrology deck that I am pulled to, so the Sun and Leo energy popped up, both these cards represent someone who favors appearances, that likes to appear a certain way. They both tend to like the attention and spotlight. A big ego can be a thing. I am getting a grandiose sense of self here. I am getting he may lack self-awareness here. There is this desire to nurture and protect the people around him, but there is also this need to pull in this nurturing, comforting energy into his life. I feel the sense that he may feel he needs to protect the woman he is with, because he may feel they can't care for themselves. His energy is heavy. I have to take so many deep breaths in this reading. I feel like his energy is pulling me down, so his energy seems dense. As I mentioned, he seems to take energy from the feminine and I definitely feel my energy going here, so yeah. This may be one of my hardest, if not hardest reading by far. Wtf is this energy dude, ugh, I do not like this energy at all. Going to need to take breaks with this one.

There is an examination he should do of himself. It is either he likes to pull the strings of others, or he doesn't necessarily have full control of himself. So, there are two cards here that have the Moon in it, which is significant. There is a lack of reflection on his part, a struggle to tap into his intuition. I feel he is lowkey blocked spiritually, because his energy seems very pulled down and Earth based. There are karmic ties and cycles he has not yet been released from that kind of keeps him tied here, pretty sure he is playing out a past life cycle here. Also, there are things in this lifetime he needs to release, basically karmic ties. Hs energy seems pulled down, so he needs to work on elevating it. This makes it easy for him to get caught up in cycles. And he has not released himself from that, yup going woo woo here. Home, comfort and stability seems to be important to him. There is a card in this deck with the phrase become more objective, the person on the card is on a cross like Jesus, this gives me there is a sense of self-importance he may have. Kind of an altered view of himself and reality. Okay, the energy feels a bit better in this section here thankfully.

So, for this section I wanted to do some healing cards because boy needs it, so interestingly I got a card about healing his gut, and I just remember in the beginning of this reading, my stomach felt tense, so there is a lot of energy stored there, like maybe stagnant energy, which may lead to stomach problems for him. That correlates with the sacral chakra, which has to do with intimacy, vulnerability and creativity, it seems he may block that, which leaves that energy stuck there, which may create tension there. There is a need for him to work on nurturing himself, rather than looking for a woman to do this, once again like Jake, he may not have had a nurturing, loving Mother, which is why he clings to women to fill those needs. This is a repeated pattern here, that I am seeing with these two. He needs to work on scheduling time for himself. To focus on his needs and how he can work through them, rather than looking to a woman to fulfill those needs. Now, the first part is making sense to me. Okay, glad I was pulled to this deck, because this helped humanize him for me a bit, because that energy in the beginning turned me off.

Now, to my archetype deck and see what we get, so he got The Castle in shadow, meaning he can overindulge and be a bit too superficial, once again appearance is important to him. I see him wanting to achieve a lot, I am getting a grandiose lifestyle. With this Apocolypsis, it seems he may face difficulties and challenges in his life, or things are supposed to be a challenge for him. It is like he is here to face some hard realities, or he understands the hard realities of life as well. Now, the Shaman makes sense, he does practice being a magician, but also, he is very skilled with his hands but can manipulate his environment. He may do this knowingly, or not. I just get he manipulates the environment to suit his needs, also the narrative.

Now, let's finish this off with Tarot. Okay, this is an interesting combo, this doesn't say much to me. He may have some sort of idea or plan to confront his challenges. It is like he has an idea but may not fully go through with it. There is a confidence he has, or he likes to appear he is confident, but there are opportunities he ends up missing. But it is like he doesn't take what is offered to him, nothing really satisfies him. He may like more of a challenge. Also, once again getting emotionally numb and empty. It is like hard for him to feel. It is like he is disconnected spiritually and emotionally. It is like his guides may want to communicate to him, but he is kind of blocked from it.

Okay, glad I did this. This was highly interesting, and it is wild I never tapped into this energy before after all this time reading for him. It is like that anon awakened me to this energy, so thanks for the eye opener. I say he's got a lot of work to do on this Earth to raise his level of awareness. He seems blocked at the moment.

[fandomfluffandfuck]

Hey, so, I've been contemplating this idea for a while, and I'm aware other people thought of this. But Bucky in a USO Chorus Girl outfit.

I imagine he'd be in the middle of a card game with Steve and their other comrades. Bucky's winning, he's getting cocky, so he makes a bet.

"If I lose, I have to wear one of them pretty outfits the showgirls wear."

Lo and behold, he loses. He's pissed about it. But he goes through with the bet.

And Steve?

Steve can't take his eyes off of Bucky for the life of him. But Bucky's being so whiny and pouty about it, acting like a brat.

So, Steve takes it upon himself to "fix" Bucky's attitude.

I was wondering if you have any thoughts on this? Or have you answered an ask similar to this before?

Oh my God, I love this idea. I've heard lots of ideas bouncing around in the stucky fandom after She Hulk, but never one exactly like this thought!

The thought of it being a lost bet is *chef's kiss*

I'm not currently taking prompts, but... what the hell, I only have a few days before I go back to college, I might as well spend my last little bit of this break by thinking of Bucky in a skirt...

Immediately, when you sent this prompt in, I was imagining Bucky with his arms crossed and a stormy look on his face. His lips are set in a straight line, and his brows furrowed; he's not pissed about being made to dress up in the skimpy outfit meant for one of the dancing dames that Steve twinkled over to this side of the war front with, he's fucking pissed that he lost. He was winning! And he woulda fuckin' won if Monty hadn't--

"You gonna give us a twirl, lady spangles?" Jim howls at him, grinning like a madman.

The wolf whistles of the other Howlies quickly join his words, overpowering them. Monty even sticks his fingers into his mouth to whistle extra loud--being, as usual, extra obnoxious. Just because he can.

"No," Bucky huffs, "that's not gonna happen," shifting where he stands, crossing his arms tighter and only letting his lip curl up slightly. He can feel the gauzy tulle fluffing the skirt swishing against his skin. Vaguely itchy and ticklish. He didn't put on the stockings to complete the outfit, but he kind of wishes that he did now. The sensation would be less distracting with another layer, at least. Probably. He's never worn stockings. Maybe they’d be even more distracting. Yet... he'd also be warmer with tights. Warmer if he hadn't fuckin’ lost and weren't wearing this sleeveless, low plunging, flag-blue top, revealing his decolletage and more. He's so cold his nipples are poking through the thin fabric. And the high waist joining the top and skirt is tight, pressing into him every time he takes a (hopefully) slow, calming breath. He feels not only cold but exposed, too.

Small mercies, at least, his hands were too big for any of the white, shiny gloves to be wearable. He can't get them over his fists. The same goes for the shoes. None of the dames have the same size feet as Bucky does. Saves him some of his dignity. Just some. He won't fall flat on his face in any tiny, shiny heels tonight.

"Aw, c'mon, girlie," they laugh, a fuckin’ peanut gallery, all of ‘em.

"Fuck you," Bucky rolls his eyes hugely.

Bucky would like to go back to approximately twenty minutes ago when they were congregated around a flipped over apple box on the dirty, dusty floor of Steve's private Captain's tent with flickering lamp light and hazy cigarette smoke hanging over them, laid back as much as they could when on the front. Now, standing alone and just barely inside the shut tent entrance makes Bucky feel like he's the game. He might not be as competitive as Steve fucking is, but he doesn't like this outcome. Not at all. He grumbles to himself some more.

"Aw, don't say that." Someone teases.

“Yeah, don't beat yourself up, honey!” Another of the guys piles on.

“Mm-hm. You're so pretty. There's no need to be embarrassed."

"Shake it, baby!"

A few other sarcastic replies and catcalls meet his blunt unenjoyment of this lost bet. Bucky feels himself slowly turning red. His Ma taught him better than to ogle at ladies. Apparently, none of these animals got that message, though. That, or, they don't care about ogling about a man in a lady's things.

"How long do I have to stand here and be drooled over? You fuckers miss your gals that much?" Bucky uncrosses his arms, fisting the hem of the skirt, pulling it down. Does this really cover any of Steve's dancers? He had to roll his skivvies up so they didn't hang out from under the skirt. "Am I done?"

"Just a little longer, twinkles. You haven't paid your dues just yet."

“Yeah, and you won't ‘til you give us a twirl!”

Laughter bounces among them.

Bucky flips them off. But, he does stand there until they get bored of him. The only thing he hates more than losing is not holding to his word. He made a bet. It wasn't a smart bet--even if he's pretty sure Monty cheated just to pull his leg (probably conspiring with the others)--but whatever.

Bucky doesn't realize until the Howlies are shuffling out of the tent, slapping Bucky on the shoulder or ass as they leave, saluting him and drawling, “goodnight, ma’am,” “night, dolly,” and “you come here often, how come I’ve not seen you here before, baby,” among other things before disappearing into the darkness that's swallowed the camp whole... Steve hasn't said anything. But it hits him over the back of the head, the realization, once they're alone in his oversized tent. Steve is a little shit. He never has enough self-control to resist piling on, ragging Bucky harder than anyone else can get away with. Yet...

He hasn't done anything.

And come to think of it, as Bucky ties the canvas tent flaps shut, their men all gone, he can feel Steve's eyes on him. They're intense. Normally, Bucky gets a sense for if his gaze is hungry and burning or worried or whatever. He's not sure what this is. But he knows he's looking.

What can Bucky do but turn around?

Bucky catches his blue eyes ripping up, ashamed, from the bottom hem of his ruffled skirt.

And... they're eye to eye now, a scant few feet separating them. Silent, for the moment. Though, it never takes long for Steve to open his big mouth.

Steve licks his lips, “you--” he clears his throat, a false start, “you sure you don't wanna give it just one twirl?”

Bucky groans, rolling his eyes so hard that he just might pull something. “No,” he grinds his right heel into the gritty floor, “I wanna get outta this fuckin’ thing. I'm done.” And he is. So done. He lost, he made a bet, he got his, he doesn't need more.

He’s so done that he reaches up behind his shoulder, grasping blindly for the zip at the nap of his neck, feeling for the cold metal. He brushes over it a few times but can't quite get a solid hold on it. Wiggling, Bucky tries his best to get it. He can't.

He huffs, dramatic but feeling very deserved, “Steeve.”

“Hmm?” Steve is looking right at him, but he sounds the same way he always does when he's distracted by something else. As if he's stuck in a drawing, and Bucky is pestering him by asking him to do the dishes or launder their sheets.

Bucky’s jaw clenches, “unzip me.”

“Y-yeah,” Steve licks his lips again.

Damn, he's gonna give himself chapped lips. Actually, can he even get chapped lips now? With the serum? Shaking his head, not staying stuck on the thought, Bucky steps forward, turning around when he's in front of Steve and waiting for him to--

Suddenly, Steve's big hands are on his waist, causing him to jump--spooked 'cause he was expecting to feel him at the nape of his neck, slowly taking the zipper of his dress down, leaving him even more exposed to the chill of the night air. His hands are fucking huge. Dinner-plate-sized paws, he swears it. Feeling them around his waist catches Bucky off-guard. They're warm, too. He burns like a furnace now. That's just as unfamiliar.

“Steve--” Bucky starts to complain, the edge of an exasperated whine in his voice.

“Buck,” Steve's thumbs are drawing back and forth over the thin, silky material of his waistband. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. The heat from his big, huge fucking mitts and his thick, broad chest as he steps in closer bleed into Bucky. They're not even touching yet, but he's not cold anymore. The gauzy tulle squishes up against the back of his legs. Itchy.

“Get me out of this thing, I swear, Steve I'll--” Bucky is cut off, gasping, when Steve digs his fingers into his hips and tugs him back against him at the same time. His strength is literally breathtaking.

His lips, hot, are against the shell of his ear, the rasp of his stubble--already coming in even though he cleaned up this afternoon, shaving by the river out back from camp--against his hair, catching, make Bucky's blood turn thicker, “you really hate this that much, Buck?” His voice is low, barely a whisper. Bucky can still hear it. He can feel it. Breathed hot and humid against him.

“Yes,” the word is out of his mouth before he can think twice.

“Hmm, that's a shame,” Steve husks, “I think you should keep it. It suits you.”

That night from the bar flashes through Bucky, scoffing, he struggles fruitlessly against Steve's hold on his hip, “is this just payback for what I said, you can’t keep me lik--”

It turns out Steve can still hold him in place with just one hand. An arm around his waist, the thick, hard muscle pressing into his body. His other hand is busy covering his mouth.

Oh.

“Who’d’a thought all it'd take to put some fight in you is putting you in a little skirt, huh?” Steve chuckles, “coulda done that back home an’ maybe you woulda won more at Y.” He pats Bucky's face, his hand still over his mouth, unmoving like the fucker he is. Too strong for his own good.

Still, Bucky struggles more. Grumbling and debating if it’s worth it to bite his hand, he doubts licking it would make a difference. Struggling if not to get away and punch Steve in his shoulder for being a dick than just to feel him flex--his forearm, bicep, and his chest, so close. Pressed up against him.

Steve, ever an asshole, just laughs more. He doesn’t go anyway, smiling into his hair, “aw, c'mon, don’t be sore at me, the guys were tellin’ the truth, you don't look bad at all, Buck. It suits you.”

“Mmm-mnh!” Bucky complains against his hand, muffled.

“It really suits you…” Steve murmurs, repeating himself as his other hand releases his waist and smooths up his bare thigh, moving up under the skirt. His eyes, oppositely, drag down his body. His gaze boring right into him.

Bucky can't speak because of Steve's hand, but he still trips over his own tongue, choking and feeling heat rise high on his cheeks. It climbs to his ears. Steve is groping him. Squeezing his thighs. Ruffling the tulle. It swishes around his body, rubbing up on him just as much as Steve is.

“You gonna quit bitchin’ if I let you go?”

Bucky thinks about shaking his head, he still wants out of this damn thing, but the gesture turns into a nod without his permission and when Steve, true to his word, stops cupping his wide palm over his mouth, not a sound comes out of him until--

“Ohh,” the moan spills out of Bucky's buzzing lips, dripping in shock and heat all because one of Steve's big hands is on his waist again, touching the soft, silky fabric--petting him almost--and the other has flipped up his skirt and dived under his skivvies to get a whole, huge handful of his ass. Squeezing him filthily. Grabbing him like he wants to take a chunk out of him.

Also with the poofy skirt pushed up and out of the way, Bucky can feel the hot line of Steve's cock against him.

Jesus.

He likes it. He really likes it. He really likes him in this tiny, little getup. They've only just gotten alone, and he immediately had to jump him, and--

“Good boy,” Steve's voice is just a hot and just as close as his dick, pressed into his neck. Humid, dripping with arousal.

His voice is enough of a reward for Bucky, but Steve is generous. He adds to it. Letting his hand travel from his waist up his front, heavily dragging over his hip and stomach and chest until he gets to his nipple. They're still hard. Aching points on his chest. Needing to be touched.

“Nnngh,” another unintentional sound comes out of him when Steve thumbs his left nipple, sending a skittering spark down to his dick and pushing the shirt up.

Steve coos at him, the low hum rumbling through his chest and into Bucky, and Bucky… Bucky is washed away with another wave of heat, flushed heat to toe, and melting back onto Steve's chest. He doesn't budge. A fuckin’ brick wall. All muscle. God.

“That's it,” Steve encourages him, two thick fingers grazing his tight hole between his cheeks, making him shiver bonelessly, “see? That wasn't so hard. Just be good. Lemme look at you.”

Bucky’s so distracted that he doesn't even snip at Steve for doing much more than looking at him. He quivers, head to toe, without a single coherent thought in his head. "Steve," he pleads.

"Jus' lemme look," he reiterates, his voice a delicious purr and his hands dangerous paws, hitting him exactly where it counts.

[firebirdsdaughter]

Also…

… Just bc I feel bad saying I was lukewarm about him in my other tags… I do like Ichigo. He's one of the more well rounded shonen protags in that he's actually allowed to fail from time to time and while he's overly powerful, isn't treated as the super ultimate power, necessarily. He just happens to be a weird chimera of powers that allows him to to do things people of one aspect can't necessarily do.

And he doesn't insist he's the most powerful either. Him chronically trying to help everyone is his nature, not him looking down on them. He respects the powers of all the Captains and his friends, he just wants to help.

And everyone else is allowed to be strong, too. Kenpachi is an absolute wild card, and I think Byakuya's also up there (not favouritism, I swear—okay, maybe a little bit) if he's fighting without being conflicted (I've come to theorise that first big fight between them would have gone on longer/differently except Byakuya didn't really have his heart in it, he'd just convinced himself he did), Hitsugaya's got a massively powerful sword and he's probably just going to keep getting stronger. Renji and Rukia achieve their own bankais and defeat enemies on their own. Ikkaku and Yumichika are no slouches, either. Despite some questionable writing, Orihime is allowed to be strong as well, having powerful defence and healing abilities, and her kindness is often treated as a strength. Her having no killing intent isn't treated as a bad thing. You've got Shunsui, Ukitake, and bloody Yamato in the mix. Uryuu fights on even footing with plenty of super powered enemies, and though he does go out of focus, Chad is never made out to be the weakest or anything.

Like I liked that in the end, they defeated the overpowered invincible big bad through teamwork the Old Men Brigade set things up, and then even Ichigo couldn't get a hit in until Uryuu used what their fathers made to help (and I'm glad that it was Ichigo and Uryuu working together, bc that was super poetic).

I'm just rambling now, but the point is, Ichigo is a good example of making powerful protag who doesn't (always) come off as too overpowered.

It's often treated as more he happened to be the right combination of things or the right circumstances to prevail. Wasn't hypnotised, already had a little hollow in him, is just really bloody stubborn. He's also just a nice guy! He cares about people he befriends and will work his ass off to help them bc that's his belief.

Anyway, to complete in another direction (sort of), I was thinking about this bc of how when he reaches the Soul Society in the blood war arc, the first thing he does after getting Akon to help is go to see Byakuya. Probably bc he saw that Rukia and Renji were unconscious and Byakuya was fading, and probably knew he'd want to now they were alive, but like. While they're not personally very close, I do think Byakuya is one of the Captains Ichigo is closest to bc he's so close w/ Rukia and Renji. Just by virtue of that, he'll end up interacting w/ Byakuya more often. And he does respect him (I think he got over the 'I'll kill you' the moment Byakuya took Gin's sword for Rukia). He goes to check on him, and reassures him that Rukia and Renji are alive, even saying 'don't worry.' Like I said before, I totally think he would have lied there, if they hadn't been, bc he'd be well aware that information would completely break Byakuya. He thinks he's dying, he wouldn't leave him thinking he'd completely failed to protect them. But more to the point, he doesn't respond after Byakuya talks about how ashamed he is and begs him to help. He responds to the first question, but goes silent after that. And…

I love tranquil fury. I love it. I love this moment bc Ichigo's already fuming from sensing/hearing everyone being hurt. He's already super pissed. But to me there's some thing about the way he goes silent during that talk that feels like a switch is well and truly flipped at that moment. After that, he doesn't stop or pass go, just heads directly to Yhwach and is clearly completely enraged.

Bc until then, there's been a little bit of distance. He's angry bc he could hear it, he's even angrier when he gets in there and sees what's happening, but then he goes over to Byakuya and has one of the strongest, proudest, most level headed and noble people he knows break down in tears and beg him, while apparently dying, for help. The one who had previously told him that none of the Captains would ever need his help.

And that just hits the unstoppable rage button.

[tiredinwinter]

I'm usually one to leave my thoughts in the tags but I have a lot to say 👀 Spoilers, thoughts and me being feral below the cut, sweeties 😙

First of all bless you guys for giving us 20k to read, you're godsent 💛 You deseve extra long feedback in my opinion, so buckle up :D

The way he calls her out so easily for wanking before he has called and teases her on!!!! It's just so him, I love how smug and cocky he is about it and then loses control himself 😂

And then the date and his preparation for it:((( My god, he is such a lost puppy and so not used to being out of control :(( Being patient with her, not taking immediately what he wants and plays by human rules is just.. he's such a softie for her :((

I love how he doesn't like junk food and just wants to give and provide and please her is so suitable for his character. You portrayed his emotions, thoughts and feelings really well over the entire chapter 💛 It must be so hard for him to act against instincts, not according to wolf social code, learn new rules of society and the realizing that not even Y/N wants to act upon thatin this case, because she is in the same boat bond with him 🥺 I wish he could give in to Y/N leading the way with the dates and setting the pace or just fucking talk their feelings out but... Yeah then he'd have to lay his cards open to her completely so.. difficult 👀

Also YOU GUYS !!!!!!!!! That smutty scene after the date had me fucking weak in the knees!!!!!!! Good lord, how will we survive a proper sex scene???? WITH KNOTTING???? AND THE FULL ON FILTH LOAD???? HHHHHHhhhhhhh This was definetely not too much imo, what he did with his cum and the way he preyed on her was so in character, I'm glad feral is winning in the polls lololol Also...I'm not one to send in filthy asks but I am absolutely thrilled to see what other people will send in because this man is gonna make us all go insaneeeeeeee

Okay, there is another thing I need to talk about: I am very wary about Karl. He has to be either a wolf from another pack or at least some ancestry according to his knowledge. I wouldn't be surprised if he has killed his co-worker as a wolf for masquerade. If the rings(with delicate nature designs ahem) out on display are such a werewolf indicator for being in a relationship or being promised to someone he KNOWS things. That must be why he mentions the whole topic to her!! And if he is from another pack he might see it as a weakness and a way to overpower the pack OR he belongs to the pack and lets them know what their alpha did behind their back. Anyways, he is trouble and I'm afraid he will intimate y/N so much she (at least will try to) distance herself from Harry. Only knowing the truth here will solve the upcoming trust issues and I'm CURIOUS to see how Harry will solve that one Though I also feel like she could never actually distance herself or actually not trust him. Her instincts are so wolf like at this point already, giving into him as an alpha naturally. I love how she just says she feels safe and taken care of :((((<333

And then you guys dip into one of my favourite tropes with bringing up her period and some hurt/comfort 🥺💛 Him pampering her and taking just such good care of her even though she isn't even like in..worst shape. Like any other human wouldn't even have been able to tell. He protects and comforts his little human (<333!!!!!) at all costs :(<3 Also bringing up her period once as a little stepstone for later with another period that might have to have other remedies for the pain...heh

You write with such detail and leave crumbs and hints everywhere iT' just like a little easter egg hunt and here's me presenting and discussing the eggs I've found 😂😂😂😂

I'm just so so so grateful for you guys writing this story I'm so happy to read all your comments and asks and posts and ofc the chapters!!

hugs and kissies <333

He was staring at her in a way no one had in her entire life. She couldn’t read anything in his eyes - not surprise, not fear, not malicious intent - nothing. (wolfrry, werewolf!harry, alpha!harry, ranger!y/n)

Lupus Noctis- Masterlist, Author’s Note & Warnings

Chapter 5 / alternatively, read on wattpad

Chapter 6 (word count: 20k)- updated April 7th

Y/N was going feral, she was quite sure of it. She even checked to see if she had a fever. Two whole days had gone by since the lake and the kiss and she hadn’t heard a word from Harry since. She wasn’t sure what to make of it. He was probably trying to figure shit out just the way she was because Y/N wasn’t second-guessing their mutual attraction. Not in the slightest.

What had happened between them was real, still palpable in her mind’s eye. She could almost still feel his lips on hers, his tongue sliding against hers in perfect sync, she could still feel his warm hands on her body, his strong arms holding her eye level to him, his hardened cock pressed against the underside of her thigh. Could still hear the low growls that came from him, like he was some kind of animal ready to take what he wanted. All she had to do was close her eyes and there it was again. 

She loved how he handled her and looked at her and spoke to her.

And you’d let me, wouldn’t you? 

She’d been thinking about it nonstop, or in any case- an inappropriate amount. She couldn’t stop imagining scenarios with Harry. Taking it further than they did that day at the lake. How he could so easily just lift her up and manhandle her if he wanted. Maybe he’d place her on the ground and use his big mouth to lick all over her body and down between her legs. She felt like he’d be a man who’d enjoy eating a woman out. Using his tongue.

She couldn’t even focus on work, couldn’t pay attention to anything, because every time she had a spare second her mind wandered off to that evening. 

While she was at work, she was constantly holding her breath for when he’d inevitably show up. And when she was at home she half expected him to knock on her door again.

But he never did.

Y/N wasn’t all that worried about that aspect, though. She could feel it in her bones that she’d be seeing more of him very soon. Not that there was anything left to see. God, just picturing the way his cock wouldn’t even fit into those skinny jeans of his was making her clench around nothing. And well, it wasn’t exactly nothing- but her vibrator was no match for what Harry had been endowed with. Nevertheless, she’d abused it ever since he’d dropped her off at her apartment, all riled up and needy. Harry had even asked her if it’d be ok if he watched her get inside the building from his car- he didn’t trust himself to walk her to the door. And she wanted to ask him why he was resisting it- because in the moment, lord knows she didn’t want him to hold back. 

But looking back, she was glad for it. She didn’t want Harry to be just a hookup. Had they had sex that night, that’s what it would’ve felt like. And she felt like they deserved more than that. And judging by his actions, Harry did too. 

Y/N had nothing against casual sex. With how her past relationships had gone, she even preferred that to the seemingly inevitable heartache and disappointment. But she’d never felt that kind of connection with anyone else before, the way she did with Harry. It went beyond just the physical, at least for her it did. 

Unless there really was some other reason for which Harry was holding back. He’d ran off that first night when they were just about to kiss, and this time he’d taken her back home before things could escalate at the lake- and maybe it was just because she was cold (and for some weird reason he was absolutely fine with the drop in temperature), but then he’d have found a way to get her to invite him inside. But he wouldn’t even walk her to the door- not even with her bad ankle- which really told her that he was serious about not trusting himself anywhere near her apartment.

She hoped his reason was the same as hers- she wanted more than sex, and they should probably try and get to know each other a bit better before they jumped into bed. But what if it wasn’t, and something else was holding him back? It would explain his absence for the past two days… But then again, Y/N couldn’t exactly explain it, but she just knew. She knew this wasn’t the end of her and the mystery man.

She was growing a bit frustrated though. There was only so much her flimsy vibrator could do. Y/N… ached for him. She was desperate to feel full of him. She knew he’d stretch her out better than any other man she’d ever been with, because… well, it was quite obvious why. Part of her was a bit worried she couldn’t take him. She was more than willing to try, though. She was even more than willing to go down on him and try to fit him all in her mouth. A little challenge of sorts. Only there wasn’t anything little about it.

Y/N threw the covers off of her sweaty body with a huff. If only he could hear her, his ego would inflate more than it already was. If only he knew how needy she was for him already, and he’d barely even done anything. Yet here she was, alone in her bed, trying and failing to fall asleep for the better part of an hour and although she’d made herself come once for the evening, she found herself reaching for her toy again. 

She just seemingly couldn’t scratch the ache he left. Just imagining the way he’d placed his large hand around her throat made her thrust the toy inside of her deeper and faster, she wasn’t trying to drag it out. She was tired. And all she wanted was to be absolutely railed by him. Was that too much to ask? She whimpered, bringing her other hand to her clit and adding pressure from the outside as well. She was ready to fall over the edge when a piercing sound made her jump, groaning in frustration when she realized it was her phone.

She turned the vibrator off and fumbled with the phone, almost dropping it when she saw the caller ID. Her heart was already beating fast due to her impending orgasm but now it threatened to break out of her ribcage. A glance over to the upper right corner of the screen read 1:03 am and then she answered when she realized she was taking too long “...Yes?”

“You’re awake.”

Y/N exhaled, trying to steady her heartbeat and breathing “Well, yeah. You can’t pick up calls in your sleep last time I checked.”

“You weren’t asleep though, were you?”

Y/N paused, “No, I wasn’t.”

“Had I not known about your ankle I would even assume you were… running. You’re quite out of breath.”

Y/N didn’t miss the hint of amusement in his voice. Oh, he was onto her. “I hurried to get to my phone, I’d left it in the other room. I thought it must’ve been some kind of emergency. Why are you calling at 1am, Harry?” It was her turn to tease him. 

“Liar. Probably for the same reason why you weren’t asleep.”

“And what reason might that be?”

“...I can’t stop thinking about it either.” 

Damn. Ok, touché. She couldn't even try and pretend otherwise. 

When she didn’t, having taken her aback, Harry continued, “And I know just why you’re so out of breath. I’ve heard your laboured breathing when you’re aroused and that’s exactly what it sounds like. If I close my eyes I can see your mouth parted just right, your eyes hooded and glazed over– I can see it all. It’s mine forever, the memory of you fucked out of your mind like that for me… What have you done to me?”

Y/N was at a loss for words. All she could muster was a pathetic whimper and in response, she heard his shuddered breath over the phone and without even contemplating it, she grabbed her vibrator and without turning it back on, she began sliding it in and out of her drenched pussy again. 

“I can hear that, Y/N. Can hear how wet you are for me from over here… Fuck.”

She gasped but increased her movements, she had already been close, but now that she could hear him, and hearing what he had to say to her- it was all too much. 

“Harry…” she whispered, just as she was about to come and then she heard him growl, almost as if he was in physical pain- that’s what sent her over the edge. She cried out into the phone as she spasmed and thrashed on her bed and she realized he was right there with her only after she’d regained her consciousness somewhat and could hear his pants of exertion.

Hearing his name on her lips as she was coming must’ve been the most beautiful sound Harry could think of. He knew he’d be repeating it in his mind over and over again, now. He was surprised he could even orgasm anymore after all the self-abuse he’d been indulging in because of her, but somehow she’d managed to coax the strongest one yet out of him, and he just didn’t know what to do with himself. He’d called in an effort to calm himself down- he was missing her so much that he felt he was going out of his mind. He needed something, anything- and now that the scent from her panties had completely worn off he was like a junkie desperate for his fix. He’d tried to keep his distance and gain some clarity over the situation- knowing the implications of what he was getting himself in with her he couldn’t just throw himself headfirst into this in good conscience, no matter how much he wanted to. After that kiss, he knew his fate was sealed, but she- she had no idea. She had no way of knowing, and he needed to be strong for the both of them and assess this from every angle.

But every angle was just blurred by the intensity of his feelings for her. He just couldn’t think straight. He knew it was imprudent, and he knew he was risking it all, and he knew it was unfair to her- but damnit he couldn’t resist this. It was bigger than him. He was powerless to stop this now that it’d begun. And it all culminated with him grabbing the phone and calling her in the middle of the night, just to find her rutting in her bed like a needy kitten for him. And just like that- his mind had been made up.

What felt like minutes must’ve gone by where they just listened to each other breathing, trying to come down from their respective highs and finally he broke the silence, “I need to see you.”

“What– now?!”

Harry huffed in amusement, “Don’t put ideas inside my head. I was gonna show up at your doorstep and decided to call instead, and now I’m regretting it knowing what you were up to. Soon. Tomorrow. After work. Come with me?”

“Okay… where?”

“Out.”

“Out? Like… on a date?”

Harry smiled to himself at the prospect. He’d never done that, but if his little human wanted a date that’s what he’d give her. He’d play it by the book, even if it wasn’t the way his kind went about things, he was determined to leave all that aside for her sake.

He was willing to leave everything behind. And the thought sent chills down Harry’s spine because he knew he was done for. 

His kind were loyal creatures. They believed in mating for life, that’s how they went about it, it was how they were built, it was encoded in the animalistic side of their DNA. Sure, Harry had had his fun, but never with any alpha females, and it was agreed on both parts it would be just sex, knowing full well nothing more could come of it. There was no bond, no connection, no hint of anything more there.

But with Y/N, he’d felt something so overwhelmingly different since the first time he’d laid his eyes on her. He recognized what this was, although it didn’t make sense- after all, she was human. She couldn’t be his mate. 

But every bone in his body screamed otherwise. She was his. Their connection was undeniable. Even apart they were losing their minds over each other. What had happened just moments prior over the phone was testament to that. They were so in tune it was impossible that she wasn’t made for him, and him alone. And his instincts told him to do everything to pursue this because it was meant to be.

“It’s a date.”

*

“Is this a bad time?”

“Depends on why you’re calling.”

“Had I wanted to snap your neck for the way you gave my number away I would’ve by now, don’t you think?”

Niall sighed dramatically “Thank you, oh merciful alpha, for sparing me. You’re welcome by the way.”

‘“Welcome?!”

“Yeah, I probably aided your trajectory right into her–”

“Okay. Let’s set one thing straight. You’re to stop talking about her like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like she’s… a piece of meat.”

“I mean, I don’t see her that way at all but I’m betting it’s kinda how you’re seeing her judging by how you were sizing her up the whole time the two of you were in my office, It’s almost cartoonish the way your pupils dilate around her.”

“Well, it’s not. Not at all.”

“Oh,... I see. Are you sure about this?”

“Hundred percent.”

“I mean, not to say I don’t think you thought this through, but…”

Harry cleared his throat, “Then don’t. Besides, I didn’t call to discuss this with you, it’s not up for debate. However… since you have a lot more experience with humans… romantically,...”

“Ain’t nothing romantic about it, I’m afraid.” Niall laughed.

“–Regardless. I was wondering if you could maybe spare some… tips.”

“Tips?’”

“Yeah. Advice.”

Niall furrowed his brows in amused confusion, “What exactly are you asking me, Harry Edward?”

“Well, for instance, how does this whole… dating business go about?”

Niall bit his lower lip, suppressing his amusement over this whole thing while spinning in his directorial chair at his desk in his office. Luckily for Harry, he was on his lunch break, but he was more than willing to skip eating altogether just to hear his friend ask him these uncomfortable questions. He loved to hear him struggle. “Oh. What do you wanna know?”

“Well, anything. Everything, I guess. You know well enough how differently we go about these things. I genuinely don’t have a clue what she’s expecting of me tonight and I don’t wanna give her the impression that I’ve never done this before.”

“I see.” Niall was pinching the bridge of his nose trying to keep it together. He felt for his friend, he really did, but it wasn’t every day that he got to hear him like this. Harry was so… well, alpha, that he’d never heard him sound unsure about anything in his entire life before. He was enjoying this, quite a lot. “So you already asked her out.”

“Yes.”

“Where to?”

“Out.”

“Yeah- but out where?”

“... On a date?” Harry snarled in exasperation.

Niall pinched his thigh “Listen, mate. Want my help or not?”

“Well then help me. Stop asking silly questions!”

“It wasn’t silly. You gotta have a plan- you can’t just pick her up and go out. Out has to be somewhere specific. A cup of coffee, a walk, dinner, movies, a concert. Something.”

“Okay, I see. Alright.”

“So where are you taking her then?”

“Which do you suggest?”

“So the date is this evening. Like, in literal hours, and you haven’t got a plan yet?”

Harry inhaled deeply, trying to keep his cool. Niall was being infuriating, “No, mate. That is why I called, must I remind you? So that you could tell me what to do!”

“Bloody hell. Alright, okay. Let me ask Mitzy to make some calls to my usual spots and I’ll get back to you in a bit.”

Harry hung up and couldn’t help but worry a bit. The way Niall was putting it, he wasn’t at all ready for dating. The last thing he wanted was for Y/N to catch onto the fact that something was amiss, and he certainly didn’t want to appear inexperienced in any way in her eyes. He needed to ace this. Because this is what he did. He was good at everything he attempted. He wasn’t alpha for nothing.

Unlocking his phone again, he googled how to date. He couldn’t solely rely on Niall’s expertise on this, especially when the reason he was dating was just to have sex. His reason was far more complex and therefore he couldn’t treat it as superficially as Niall no doubt did.

He read through the search results. Put Yourself Out There. Keep an Open Mind. Stay Safe. Set Your Own Pace. Remember: Forming Connections Takes Time. Maintain a Positive Attitude.

Harry couldn’t help but grimace in disdain as he read through the 6 Essential Rules For Dating, only to then read the site to which it lead: brides.com

Scrolling further down with a frown, he stumbled across another set of rules: Be not afraid. · Be authentic. · Be outgoing. · Be responsive. · Be realistic, not desperate. · Be chill.

Niall’s call interrupted and Harry sighed in relief picking up, “What the fuck is wrong with humans?”

“I beg your pardon?” Niall laughed.

“I just Googled dating advice and all I got is a bunch of meaningless crap. Why are they so…“

“...So?”

The word he was going for was moronic, but he just couldn’t place his love interest in the same boat. No, since he’d met her he had new-found respect for this sub-evolved species, and he wanted to treat them fairly. “Nevermind… what have you got for me?”

“So it was too late to land any decent dinner reservations, but instead there is one last-minute option that I actually think would strike your fancy just as much.”

“Oh?”

“Still got that convertible?”

“The Ferrari Dino?”

“Damn, when’d you get that one? But no, I meant the Mercedes.”

“The 230sl? Of course. Would never dream of parting with her. She’s in the garage downtown.”

“Ok, dating tip number one: don’t refer to your cars as though they aren’t inanimate objects. Especially if someone could mistake you speaking about your girlfriend when in reality you’re referring to your car.”

“Priceless advice, Dr. Phill.”

Niall laughed, “Actually yeah, maybe search for some re-runs on youtube, I’m sure you’d love what he’s got to say. Anyway- chicks do love a fancy retro car, especially convertibles, so you’re already winning. Then, you take her to the drive-in for a movie. She’s guaranteed to jump on your lap.” Harry growled deep in his chest and Niall was quick to add “And yeah- you know- the works. Buy her some snacks, maybe get her a cocktail if she’s into that, if not make sure to get her a big ol’ milkshake- just go all out. Chicks love to see you’re not looking at money when it comes to spoiling them.”

Harry furrowed his brows. All this sounded pretty obvious to him. Of course, he’d want to treat her to a nice time in his nice car, impress her with his good taste in vintage automobiles, and then he’d want to treat her to a nice meal and have her well-satiated. Obviously, money would never be an issue when it came to her, he wasn’t exactly sure what Niall was thinking telling him all this. It was pretty self-explanatory.

“Ok. Then after the movie is over?”

“Well judging by how you growled at me just then I’m guessing you don’t want me giving you any pointers there.”

“Oh? Is it customary to have sex after a date, then?”

Niall sighed, rubbing his face, “Well. It depends on how serious you want to get with her. If you’re just looking for something casual, then yeah, you could shoot your shot. But if you want more, then I’d advise you refrained from anything too intimate just yet. You can test the waters, see where she’s at.”

“How do I gauge where she’s at?”

“At the end of the date, when you take her back to her place, go in for the kiss. If she doesn’t kiss you back then,... yeah, that’s not gonna happen, judging by that whole sexual tension between the two of you. So she’ll kiss you back for sure. Then you’re left with two options. She’ll either wish you good night or invite you in. If she invites you in, that’s a really good sign that she’s looking to move things along. If she hints at more, don’t hold back. Maybe she’s the one who wants it to be just casual, you know? But if you’re playing the long game then I’m afraid it’s customary to wait until the 3rd date at the earliest for sex. You can fool around a bit though- again, test to see her reactions and how far she’s willing to take things.”

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat listening to his friend. He knew good and well that if he went inside with her, things would no doubt escalate, as they had every single time they’d been confined together. It was therefore up to him to set the pace for this. And judging by what Niall was telling him, he needed to prove to her that he was in it for the long run, and the only way he could do that, was, ironically by holding back from bedding her. This was totally backwards if you asked him, and absolutely opposite of how he’d go about it with one of his own kind. 

But Y/N was used to this human courtship. And he had to adhere to their rules to win her over. He knew that, if he wanted to, he’d no doubt have her in his arms, more than willing by the end of the night, but he didn’t want her to think that’s all he was after. Because it wasn’t. He wanted all of her. And the only way to obtain that was by following these… rules.

*

Since Harry had been rather ambiguous about when their date was gonna start, she’d brought a change of clothes into work the next day. She figured she could leave her uniform there and change into it the following morning. Nick was on duty today so she knew she’d be on the receiving end of some serious side eye if Harry did show up to pick her up from work, and if he wouldn’t be there, then she’d know to drive back home, and wait for him to pick her up there. After all, he seemingly knew when she went off duty by the way he’d waited for her to pick her up and take her to the lake that evening.

Hours went by excruciatingly slowly. It seemed like ages had gone by until her workday was finally over. She didn’t even know what or how well she’d completed of the tasks she’d done throughout the day, her mind had been entirely occupied with all sorts of scenarios of how their date was going to play out.

She went into the rather small bathroom in the station and brushed out her dutch braids, her hair cascading in nice waves down her back as a result. She retouched her makeup and added more blush than she usually would, and even went for a winged eyeliner, giving her eyes a feline aspect she liked to sport from time to time. She accentuated the shape of her lips with a lip pencil, topped it off with lip stain since it was more durable (she was planning on reacquainting their lips a lot during the evening), and then finally went into one of the stalls and changed into the sundress she’d packed. The material was such that it didn’t wrinkle thus saving her a lot of trouble, but it was sufficiently low cut so that it was fit for a night out, and it only went up to her mid-thigh. She kept her white sneakers on, for a more casual look as well as making sure she didn’t overly exert her ankle still. She spritzed some perfume onto her pulse points and checked herself into the too-small mirror, hoping the fit would go with whatever Harry had in store for them for the evening. He hadn’t given her any heads up as to what she should wear, so she hoped this would be fine. She took her uniform into the spare room in the station where the bed was set, and neatly placed it on the back of a chair in lieu of a hanger. 

Just as she was emerging from said room, Lindsy whistled lowly taking her in, “Well, well, well. Should I be looking for the G-wagon outside then?”

“What G-wagon?” Nick popped his head from inside the main office, “Oh… wow. You look nice, Y/N. Special occasion?”

“Her boyfriend’s.” Lindsy wiggled her eyebrows at Nick.

“He’s–” Y/N caught herself just before she could correct Lindsy. Actually- she still wanted Nick to think she and Harry were involved, so why not just solidify that idea, just in case he did show up to pick her up from the station.

“He’s so fucking hot.” Lindsy groaned. “And loaded, apparently.”

Y/N normally would’ve elbowed Lindsy for her indiscretion but seeing the way Nick was looking confused, no doubt wondering if this boyfriend was none other than the man who’d threatened him at the bar that night, had her amused, she couldn’t lie.

Just then, the sound of a car driving onto the small graveled parking lot made Lindsy go straight for the window again. “Oh, my fucking god. Loaded is quite the understatement for Mr. Boyfriend, I’m afraid.”

Nick walked over to the window before Y/N could, curiosity getting the best of him. Lindsy saw the expression on his face and couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “I’d be jealous too, man. Look at that beauty. Mm-hmm.”

Y/N finally managed to peer outside from between the two of them. It was Harry, alright, in a… white convertible? 

“How did he even drive it all the way up here… that must be hell for his suspension,” Nick muttered to himself and Y/N didn’t wanna waste another moment. She’d been dying to see him and the sooner she could get into his car, the sooner they could drive off and she could properly take him all in. And kiss him. Definitely kiss him. A lot.

She grabbed her purse and walked outside and Harry had just stepped out of his car when he turned and took the sight of her in.

For a good moment, all the plans he’d made for the night went out the window. He wanted nothing more but to pick up from where they’d left off at the lake that night. She looked phenomenal. He’d never seen her like this. She was more than beautiful in his eyes, but she’d obviously put in effort to look pretty for their date and the result had him weak in the knees. 

He was used to seeing her in her uniform. Aside from that quick trip to Niall’s office that weekend, when he’d woken her up and she’d barely had time to brush her teeth and change out of her pajamas, he’d not really seen her outside those bulky, tame clothes. 

Well, that was a lie. He did see her with nothing on, after all.

But this was different. And his mind inadvertently went to that top drawer in her bedroom where he’d accidentally discovered her extensive and quite racy lingerie collection. He wondered if she was wearing any of those sets underneath that flimsy dress she had on. A pretty dress that hugged her curves just right- Harry could cry as his eyes unashamedly scanned her head to toe as she approached him.

Everything went quiet around him when he zeroed in on her pouty lips just inches away from his own. He needed to taste them, quite urgently, but he knew he had to refrain until the end of the date to prove his intentions were serious. He wanted to play this by the book but she made it near impossible. His eyes unglued themselves from her pretty mouth and took in her rosy cheeks, her sultry eyes, then her luscious hair. She was… more than he’d ever dreamed of. He didn’t know how he’d gotten so lucky. Suddenly, all the pressure he felt regarding the challenges he was going to have to face pursuing her felt insignificant. She was worth it, she was so worth it.

Y/N was well aware of how Harry was drinking her in. She loved his reaction and was exactly what she’d been hoping for. But she was busy ogling him as well. He was wearing a sheer blouse and was smelling absolutely divine. She stepped inside his car as he held the door for her and soon her hair was fluttering all around her as they drove off, away from the preserve and into the city. 

Y/N busied herself shuffling radio stations. It became apparent to her that they hadn’t spoken a word to each other, but they kept stealing glances of one another. Neither would look away when they caught the other looking. 

“Nice car.” Y/N finally broke the comfortable silence when they sat at the first stop sign.

“Thank you.”

“So you have a thing for cars?”

“I do, actually. It’s a passion of mine.”

“An expensive passion, one might argue.”

Aha, so Niall had been right in assuming she’d be impressed by his collection. Of course, she’d barely even scratched the surface, he had a lot more in his garage downtown. The G-wagon was the one he drove the most since it was the only one that could get him into their village. But when he was handling business he switched it for one of the many others. 

“I’m not in the habit of denying myself the pleasures life has to offer,” he shrugged. 

Y/N could feel herself heat up at that statement. She certainly hoped he didn’t.

Harry was trying to pace himself, knowing he had a long evening ahead of him. But the way she was fidgeting in her seat, rubbing her thighs together, he wanted nothing more than to stick his hand between them and if anything, just hold her steady. She was distracting him from his plan.

“You’re walking a lot better already.” he pointed out, trying to steer the conversation in a different way.

“Yeah. I feel so much better. It hardly even hurts anymore, but I try and remind myself to take it easy still. Where are you taking me?”

“You’ll see soon enough.”

“Oh? Is it a surprise, then?”

“Do you like surprises?”

“Depends.”

“On what?”

“Well, I guess it depends on if it’s a good surprise or not.”

Harry furrowed his brows smilingly “Fair enough. I think it’s a good surprise.”

“Then I’m sure I’ll like it.”

Harry took a mental note of that. He couldn’t say the same for himself though. Every time life had taken him by surprise it had been unpleasant. He liked to feel in control, liked knowing what to expect when to expect it, so he didn’t imagine he’d enjoy any kind of surprises, not even the good ones.

Pulling into the drive-in he heard Y/N’s small gasp. “Oh, wow! I never would’ve expected this!”

“It’s a nice night, figured we could take advantage.”

Y/N smiled to herself. She hoped he’d take advantage. Maybe this meant he’d want to fool around with her a bit. She was already on edge and he hadn’t even so much as kissed her cheek.

After parking in a decent spot, they got out of Harry’s car and walked to the concession stand, which to Harry’s dismay did not have the kind of menu he’d hoped for. 

“This is all junk food,” he pointed out.

Y/N laughed, “Of course it is. What did you think you’d get at a drive-in?”

Harry honestly didn’t know. He didn’t imagine the selection of food would be so poor. 

They settled on a soda pop, a big strawberry milkshake, a hotdog with all the toppings for Harry, cheesy tater tots for Y/N, and a box of chocolate-covered peanuts which they then brought back to Harry’s car.

Harry took a big bite of his hot dog and stopped chewing the moment he tasted the mixture of toppings that Y/N had told him he needed to get. It was awful. A soggy bun with a salty tube of meat melding with a sweet and tangy pickled gelatinous concoction, a fake runny cheese substance, raw onions, and mustard. This was… not good. 

He looked over at Y/N as he forced himself to gulp down the horrid thing as she was happily popping her cheesy tater tots into her mouth. He noted it was the same cheese on his hot dog. 

Unwrapping the foul thing he wiped off the toppings into the paper and used one of the napkins to hold the hotdog and tried again. It was better. Still not good. A grilled ribeye steak sounded much better to him at that moment. Even a bowl of macaroni and cheese (made with real cheese) would have been better.

“You don’t like it?” 

Harry turned his head toward the girl as she eyeballed what he had left of his hotdog, “No. All those toppings were making it worse. What kind of tricks are you trying to play on me?” Harry laughed.

“I’m not! That’s what I’d put on my hotdog if I were going to get one. Do you want my tater tots? We can trade?”

Harry shook his head, “No. It’s got that abysmal excuse for cheese sauce on it. Probably all soaked into the potato.”

Y/N scoffed,” Abysmal? This is nacho cheese sauce, you uncultured man! You cannot talk shit about nacho cheese sauce. It’s classic concession-stand food!”

Harry laughed and shook his head, “It’s awful.”

Y/N held up a tater tot to Harry, “Here, this one is untouched by the cheese sauce. You can have it.”

Harry tilted his head and smiled before opening his mouth up to let her put it into his mouth.

Pushing the tater tot past his lips, Y/N enjoyed how his tongue jutted out and the pad of her finger came into contact with the wet muscle for a moment.

“Good?”

“Better,” he smirked.

Harry tuned the station on his radio to the drive-in channel and kept the volume low. 

He flagged down the hostess who was making her rounds after he finished off his sad excuse for a meal. He decided to order a bucket of buttered popcorn, as he was still hungry. And when he saw that there were cocktails on the menu he figured he’d order one for Y/N.

It wasn’t often that she got to look at him without him casting his undivided attention on her. She wasn’t sure what he’d asked her while he placed their drink order, lost in thought while admiring his side profile talking to the hostess. He was quite the specimen, Harry. Yes, he was. And the way he carried himself talking to other people was a sight to behold as well. He was so assertive and self-assured, she couldn’t even dream of exerting that kind of self-confidence. So, truly, she hadn't been worried about where he was going to take her on their date or what they were going to do, or even what cocktail he was ordering her. It was just something about him that made her want to surrender and let him take over, and this was quite new to Y/N. She was a very independent woman, and she was no pushover by any means. She always stood her ground, always went for what she wanted, never let anything stand in her way, and most of all, never let a man control her in any way. She was quite the rebellious kid, even her own father could never really discipline her the way he’d wanted to. She was more stubborn than even her own brother, and she’d been quite the tomboy growing up. It was why she went to military school and pursued this career. She was not a girly girl by any means.

But there was just something about Harry that brought out her feminine side a lot. She didn’t have to step into her own masculine that much now that a true male was by her side. He was there, and she felt safe. Taken care of. 

She felt conflicted over these feelings. Her independent nature wasn’t used to letting her guard down. But his presence comforted her and made her want to explore this side she’d repressed since forever. All her previous boyfriends had told her she was too bossy, too stubborn, that she emasculated them. And now she was realizing that the right man would never feel that way around her.

The hostess left and he turned to look at her just as she was coming to the conclusion. The right man. Was that him? What about all the things she didn’t know about him still? What about the cabin, what about the expensive cars, the designer clothes? What was he hiding? That was the only thing that kept her from fully jumping into things with Harry. He was still quite the mystery to her. It felt wild that she could feel so safe in his presence, fully aware of how much he wasn’t telling her. How did he manage to do that? How was he disarming her in such a manner?

“So what movie are we watching?”

Harry paused, looking around for a bit, “I’m… not quite sure.”

Y/N laughed, “Are you serious?”

“The whole point of this, sweetheart, is to spend time in your presence. You wanted a date so I took you out on a date. I couldn’t care less what movie is showing, to tell you the truth.”

Y/N’s mouth fell slightly agape at that. He had a habit of rendering her speechless and again- contrary to how she’d normally react to that feeling, loved it. 

“Is that alright?” he pinched her chin between his thumb and his forefinger and dropped his gaze to her lips.

“Yes.” she managed, her eyes dropping to his lips as well. She wanted nothing more than to finally feel his mouth on hers again. She’d normally have taken the plunge by now, but Harry had a way about him that made her want to let him set the pace.

And for a moment she felt he’d go in for the kiss, but the lights went out and the movie began rolling on the big projector ahead. He removed himself and sat back in his seat and so did she.

It wasn’t long before the hostess returned with their order, and with the popcorn placed between them, they were silent for a bit as the movie started. The popcorn was better than the hotdog by far. Harry was taking big palmfuls and scooping it into his mouth. He was rather hungry. He hadn’t imagined the food would be so bad at the concession stand. 

Y/N watched him munch the popcorn, his jaw working as he chewed. Everything he did was attractive. Even watching him chew food had her body warming up.

When he’d swallowed his mouthful he knew she’d been looking at him so he moved his head to look back at her, “How’s your drink?” 

Y/N kept her head leaned on the seat’s headrest as she watched Harry. She had a bit of hair over her face so he reached over to move it away before she could answer, his knuckle brushing against her cheek.

“Thank you,” she smiled, “And it’s really good. If I had been paying attention this is exactly what I would have ordered myself.”

Harry liked how she responded just then. It was a simple touch and he was doing everything in his power not to slide his hand up her skirt and squeeze her thigh like he wanted. Well, he wanted far more than just that. She smelled delectable and the bottom hem of her dress was sitting at her mid-thigh. He could imagine laying her seat back and pulling her legs over the center console and diving right in. She’d like it too. He’d make sure of it.

Harry wanted to devour her. Drag her into his lap and feel her fragile body against his. Put his hands on any skin he could see, and move his palms underneath the fabric to places he couldn’t see. 

But Harry was going to be a gentleman. He was going to do what Niall told him to. At least in part. It was killing him to see her bare thigh only inches from him and not do anything about it. And he had a hard time peeling his gaze from where her soft breasts were covered by the fabric of her dress. He could easily pull the material down and have her in full view. Suck on them. Nip at the smooth skin…

Y/N bit her lip when she noticed Harry kept looking over at her. She felt his gaze on her. She liked it, though. She wanted him to do something. To reach across and press his lips against hers. She could straddle his lap and wrap her arms around his shoulders and let him paw at her all he wanted. 

Y/N had seemed to enjoy her cocktail, so when the hostess came to clear everything up he ordered her another one. He knew how little alcohol went into these things and he wasn’t worried in that regard. He wanted her to loosen up a bit though, something was on her mind and she wasn’t relaxing the way he’d have liked her to. He wanted her to enjoy their date- after all- it’s what humans liked, wasn’t it? Had the movie been a wrong choice? He hadn’t seen it before and wasn’t really paying attention, but from what he could tell it was a typical romantic comedy, pretty enjoyable by the way other people were laughing around them. Y/N giggled at a few scenes but he could tell she wasn’t really paying attention to it either.

By the time she finished her second cocktail and he removed the empty cup from her hands, he took note of her icy fingers. She then pressed her hands in between her thighs and curled in on herself a bit and that’s when he realized she must’ve been cold. Of course, she was- they were standing idle in an open field, it was well into the night and she was only wearing that flimsy dress. 

“Cold?”

She glanced over at him “A bit. Sorry. I didn’t think to bring a jacket.”

Harry pondered for a moment “Let’s move to the backseat so we can sit closer and I can keep you warm, hm?”

Y/N nodded and followed him to the backseat, and he immediately opened up his arms for her, and pushed her flush to his side, rubbing his warm hand up and down her arm. 

It was torture, this date. Harry felt like he could howl. Who had come up with this shit?! Why were they playing this silly game? They were no better than a pair of birds dancing around one another when both knew exactly how this was going to end. He was going to claim her as his, and she’d let him. They both wanted it. What was the use for this preamble? All it did was irritate him. He wanted to touch, sniff, lick, pound, and he wasn’t sure how long he was going to be able to deny his instincts around her. 

And the more he thought about it, the less sense it made. How did he let Niall convince him into doing this? They’d already had their first kiss. She’d already invited him inside. They’d already seen each other naked. This was ridiculous! This was taking a huge step back. It was probably confusing her just as much as it did him. It didn’t feel natural. It didn’t feel right, keeping his distance like this. 

He rested his hand on her hipbone and squeezed slightly, watching as she crossed her legs in response. Atop of what he could see, was what he could smell, of course. And he could feel her whole body tingling underneath his touch whenever he did something like that. She was just as riled up as he was.

Y/N swallowed thickly. She could feel her skin heat up and she knew she was starting to wet her panties. Nothing they were doing was that wild or sexy. But there was something about it being Harry. About how she knew he could do anything he wanted and yet he was only softly touching her. Keeping himself calm while Y/N was practically in a puddle and on the verge of telling him to take her back to her apartment so they could continue where they left off at the lake. 

But Harry was anything but calm. He was already beginning to thicken under his zipper, which was quite uncomfortable. He scolded himself for getting hard from barely even touching but his body’s response to Y/N had never been normal. Maybe he should start wearing joggers around her. He laughed to himself.

“What?” 

Harry looked down at the girl and he nearly lost it. Her lips were bitten and red, her pupils dilated, her chest rising and falling and her thighs pressed together. If this wasn’t the look of a female begging to be fucked…

“I just had a funny thought. Nothing really. Uh, feeling a little warmer now?”

Y/N nodded as she bit her lip again. She hadn’t even realized she’d been doing it but when she saw the way Harry’s eyes followed her mouth she released her bottom lip and then licked her lips, again, without conscious intention. Harry let out a small puff of breath and kept his eyes on her mouth as she spoke, “I feel a lot better. Thank you, Harry.”

That way she spoke his name felt erotic. To them both. She hadn’t intended on his name being spoken so breathily and Harry thought he would lose his mind imagining that that was how she’d say his name when he was pleasuring her. He’d gotten a glimpse the night before on the phone and couldn’t stop imagining the sound.

He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply. She was going to be the death of him.

Her one hand rested on his thigh, and she began scratching with her nails, ever so slightly, just like a kitten. She looked it, with those feline eyes tonight. He wanted to make her purr.

Y/N squirmed in her seat, angling herself slightly toward Harry when she felt his nose in her hair and his breath down her neck. She wanted more. She was feeling antsy and when she could feel his fingers dig into her hip again she decided it was time to move things along. Her patience was wearing thin.

She moved her head away and he mourned the loss of her scent right under his nose for a moment before she brought her lips to his ear “Can we skip the rest?”

*

Harry hated feeling unsure. Hated not being in control. He wanted to do right by her and show her he was serious, but he couldn’t deny his primal nature and the way he felt he should go about it in his bones. She was calling out to him, and she’d even cut their date short, asking him to take her home. That must’ve meant she wanted him, right?

But he had to make sure. He wasn’t well versed in these human rituals, and he couldn’t risk fucking it up. Not when it came to her. 

“That was really nice, Harry. Thank you.” There it was again. The way she said his name was like an invitation for more. And that’s what it must have been. If Harry’s instincts were right about her then she was feeling the same intensity of emotions and lust as he was. If she was really his like he hoped, then they were both on the same page.

Getting out of the car, Harry walked her to her door, keeping as close as possible. He hadn’t liked being so far away from her when he was driving them back after the movie. He knew he needed to tone it down with how touchy he wanted to be with her. He wanted to have her in his lap the entire drive back. He felt like she was his already and his natural inclination was to have some part of himself in physical contact with her at all times. But until he knew for sure she was feeling what he was, he’d keep himself in line.

Y/N was feeling shaky in anticipation as they walked toward her apartment and as soon as they got to her door she felt his warm hand at the small of her back. She was losing her mind. She just wanted to jump his bones and run her hands through his hair. She wanted to tell him all about her past and ask him about his. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted a kiss. It was all she wanted all night. His warm mouth covering hers at the lake was still felt deep in her core and she couldn’t wait anymore. Not even one minute longer.

Harry was taken aback at first, that she’d been so bold, but he felt like he could breathe for the first time that evening when his lips finally came into contact with hers as she stood on her tiptoes and pulled him down so they could finally kiss. He pulled her into his body, his arms wrapping around her low back and they both sighed in relief. He cradled her delicate face into his big palms and kissed her gently at first- tentatively- making sure he was reading this right, but when she placed her smaller hands atop of his and deepened the kiss, he barely managed to pull away enough for her to unlock her door.

Harry stared down at her and part of him wondered if this is where the date would end. Niall warned him that sometimes a date would just end with a kiss. He sure hoped that wasn’t the case but he didn’t want to push his luck. 

He was ready to beg her to let him in if she told him goodnight. He didn’t want to be pushy but he needed more. It had moved past just something he wanted. He needed it. It had his entire body aching and straining.

But he didn’t have to beg. She grasped his hand as she pushed her door open and pulled him in with her. Stepping inside she fumbled to turn on a lamp and turning back around, he pounced on her, pressing her into the inside of the door. She welcomed his urgency, relished in it, had waited for the tension to snap the whole night and finally it had. She couldn’t resist moaning wantonly into his mouth feeling his palms roam over her body. That’s what she’d craved the whole evening, his hands on her, and now she felt like she couldn’t fit inside her own skin.

When he began kissing down her neck, Harry growled at the feel of her delicate skin there, the way he could feel her pulse under his lips, the way he licked where he wanted to bite and leave his mark. Y/N scratched her nails gently against the scalp at the nape of his neck and it made him feral. He didn’t know how she instinctively knew what he wanted her to do, but she pushed all his buttons just right. 

Her breathy moans and whimpers made him want nothing more than to pleasure her. He wanted to feel her shake in his arms, wanted to hear her whisper his name in his ear when he made her feel good, just the way she’d done the previous night over the phone.

“Sorry for cutting our date short… but I wanted to be alone with you. Is that so wrong?”

Harry pulled away, shaking his head and looking at her, placing his hand where his lips had just been and securing it around her throat, “How could it be wrong? Can’t you feel how right this is? Feel that?” he squeezed gently and Y/N rolled her eyes back in ecstasy, nodding as best she could against the door.

“I feel it. I want you to feel me. Feel all of me. Please.”

Harry squeezed his eyes shut at her pleading. He doubted she could make out his eyes in the semi-darkness but he couldn’t risk it with how out of his mind he felt in that moment. He bent in to kiss her again, licking into her mouth with languid strokes while his free hand explored her body, lower and lower until he reached the hem of her dress. He snaked his hand beneath it and squeezed the outside of her thigh, then the round of her ass, biting her lower lip a bit as he did that. He couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into her flesh there. He grabbed her asscheek, squeezing tightly, and he could smell her arousal pooling in between her thighs. He wasted not a moment longer before bringing his hand back up front and grazing his fingers where she wanted him most.

Y/N couldn’t help but thrust her pelvis towards him, going on her tip-toes. She winced from the pain that shot through her ankle in doing so and Harry cursed under his breath for overlooking this. He needed to get her into a position she wouldn’t thrash about. Without a second thought, he grabbed her into his arms and her legs went around his middle, bringing them to her couch. He sat down carefully, mindful of her legs, and he made sure she was resting her weight on his lap and her knees were comfortably on either side of him on the cushions. Harry whined as his fingers found the meatiest part of her bottom again when he felt the fabric of her lacy thong at the center. 

She panted into his mouth when she felt his fingers on her bare bum under her skirt. Her thong wasn’t covering much but she didn’t care. She wanted his hands all over her. Y/N scooted herself in closer as Harry continued slowly kissing her mouth, using his tongue to wet her lips and then slipping it against hers. She was losing her composure. She ground her hips into Harry’s and felt his solid erection under his jeans. 

One of his hands gathered her hair at her back and twisted it around his fist, tilting her head back and exposing her neck to him once more, while the other went in between her thighs gently feeling her soft skin as he moved his fingertips higher and closer to where her scent was beckoning him and found the crotch of her soaked panties once more. He latched his lips at her pulse point again and, pulling the drenched material to the side, he ran his fingers ever so slightly against her wet core.

“Oh my god, Harry. Don’t tease…” she mewled and Harry smiled against her neck.

“Thought you said you wanted me to feel all of you,” his thumb found her clit and she cried out in pleasure. Ah, he loved her response to him. He’d never had such an expressive lover before. He was enjoying it a lot. He’d never dragged it out with anyone this long, either. Sex was usually just that- sex. Adequate foreplay to lubricate everything enough so that it was enjoyable for both parties and nothing more. Harry had always enjoyed foreplay, but it was a means to an end. A way to heighten his own pleasure further on. But this time, he found that he enjoyed this tremendously without even considering anything in return. He loved pleasuring her just for the sake of doing just that- the way she was responding to him was spurring him on and giving him pleasure more than any form of foreplay he’d received in return had ever.

She pushed herself onto her knees against his hand as she tentatively lowered one of her own to his crotch, palming him through his jeans. She gasped at the feel of him hard and straining underneath the fabric and she quickly glanced up at his face to check for permission but his eyes were shut tightly, his nose flared as if he was trying to keep himself in check. When he didn’t stop her, she took it as her cue to begin unbuttoning his pants. 

The moment his button was undone and the zipper was yanked at, Harry groaned and pushed himself back, “Hold on…” he said as he reached inside his pants to straighten himself out more comfortably. Freeing himself of the confinement of his skinny jeans was a relief, but that’s all he would allow himself- knowing full well that if he let her touch him he’d slip over the edge and there’d be no turning back. But he loved her eagerness to please, and it was taking all of his concentrated willpower to hold back.

Y/N watched with her lips parted as he brought himself out. His tip was just there. She held her breath as she lowered her hand once more. She hadn’t had the chance to touch it before. She started to scoot back for more space and wiggled in his lap to adjust her position but Harry pulled on her hair in reprimand, “No. Stay still, sweetheart. You’re going to hurt yourself, and I’ll stop. Want me to stop?”

She shook her head and he let go of her hair, allowing her to straighten up and kiss him “Don’t stop. I need you.”

She could never tire of kissing him. He was giving it his all with every kiss. Leaving her breathless, so much so that she had to pull up for air every now and then. All the while, Harry was rubbing at her pussy in lazy circles, driving her wild. She needed more, but it felt so good like this too. The smell of his own arousal was beckoning her, and she wanted to touch too. She wanted to do a lot more than just touch. But, again, she was willing to let him set the pace, and part of her was taken aback that he’d stopped her. Most guys in his place would’ve happily accepted her returning the favor. She knew he was just teasing her, egging her on. And the anticipation was only heightening her senses. 

Breaking the kiss, Harry brought his free middle finger to her mouth, “Suck”.

She closed her mouth around him, pretending he was letting her go down on him like she so desperately craved to. Harry’s labored breathing was telling her he was waiting for that moment to happen just as much as she was, if not more. “Slide my ring off and spit it out. Go on.”

He could feel her gush against his fingers at his words and bit his lower lip watching her do as instructed. God, she was perfect. Harry would’ve never been able to conjure her up in his wildest fantasies. The way she was responding to him exceeded anything he could’ve wished for.

“This one too.” he pushed his index finger into her mouth next and watched her do the same, spitting the second ring somewhere on the couch next to the other one. “That’s a good girl.” He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand and then switched his hand for the other, bringing his ringless fingers to her entrance. 

She watched between heavy lids as he brought the other hand to his mouth, sucking the tips of his fingers into his mouth and humming low in his chest, closing his eyes. He’d had a hint of her taste before, of course, this was fresh and wet and he just simply couldn’t deny himself. 

This was different. She was different, a lot different to the females he’d been with from his own pack. She was sweeter, stickier, and now that he’d had a proper taste he was never going back. “Fuck me, Y/N. You taste so good. I’m going to want my tongue in there next. But you’ve earned my fingers for now, hm? …You want a finger, kitten?” He nudged at her entrance as he asked.

“P…please!” 

Y/N buried her own hands deeper into his hair and hung on for dear life as Harry finally began fingering her, slowly at first. How could he deny her when she asked so nicely.

“Mmmmm… Harry…. More-” Y/N pleaded in between moans. And by more, she wanted his cock. She knew he was just as turned on and that despite how large he was, with how worked up she’d gotten, he’d be able to push his way in and she wanted so badly to feel it. Not that she didn’t enjoy his finger. She just wanted more. She wanted to feel him in every way. Inside of her and all around her. 

Harry grunted on each thrust of his finger and then adding the second, he began picking up the pace. She could hear exactly how wet she was and she knew she'd make a mess out of his trousers even, but she didn’t care. His free hand went to her breast then, and thumbed at her nipple through the fabric, circling it and tugging at it just enough; then his mouth found hers again and she could still taste herself on his tongue. He then angled his palm and she cried out when he began pressing into her G-spot just right. Normally, Y/N needed clitoral stimulation no matter what, but he was doing something right, something she couldn’t replicate herself seemingly because she was sure she was going to burst any moment.

“Harry-” she grasped his hair tight and began to move her hips in time with his thrusts.

Harry tried to hold back the purr that began to vibrate from his chest but he was feeling the ecstasy just as much as she was. Her scent and her noises, the way she was yanking at his hair… and then when he felt her grinding herself down on his fingers he choked out a moan as his chest began to purr. 

He moved his mouth closer to her ear, “Fuck, Y/N… getting my whole hand wet, kitten. Good girl. Take what you need.”

“Oh god. Oh, fuck. Harry!”

“That’s it!” he nosed at her neck again, sucking the skin there into his mouth just a tiny bit, powerless to resist, “Say my name when I make you come, show me who you belong to.”

Y/N couldn’t believe how much hearing that spurred her on. The tone of his voice, so much deeper and graver than usual, the way in which he’d said it, leaving no room for interpretation or hesitation on her part made her let go and cry out his name as she came, over and over again. He didn’t let up until she slumped against his body, spent and euphoric and he rested against the back of the couch in turn, while she came to her senses in his arms.

She couldn’t put the feelings she had into words but everything about him was something that just felt right. It felt real. She felt safe with him and revered by him. She felt like she could trust him completely. Implicitly. 

Harry nuzzled into her neck to calm himself as her breathing slowed. He soon realized the contrast between his own labored breathing and her own had increased significantly, her body grew heavier against his and her heartbeats were barely audible to his heightened hearing- the girl had fallen asleep. He was surprised, but relieved because he still had a very pressing matter that wasn’t going to go away anytime soon, and if she tried to paw at him again he was sure to cave in this time around. Seeing her come apart in his arms the way she just had rendered him speechless. It was an image that would be forever imprinted on his retinae. And if he could make her come undone like that using just his two fingers, Harry was more than eager to find out how her body would react to taking him fully. 

Just the visual of that thought had him leaking precome. Harry had never needed to reign it in like this. As an alpha, he usually got whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it. He was not used to denying himself anything.

But yet, here he was, holding the most delicious being in his arms and keeping himself from absolutely ravaging her. The hardest part of that was that he knew she wanted it. So why was he doing this to himself? She’d be worth it. That’s why. Everything about the way they interacted had suddenly become so natural and so implicit that his doubts were few about what he wanted when it came to her. And he wanted her. So he’d do this right. He’d play the little game and he’d bide his time if that’s what it took. 

Although what he really wanted was to lay her flat on the couch and stick his nose right into her pussy, lick her clean. Take her flavor with him in his mouth like a parting gift.

Willing those thoughts away so he could focus on the task at hand, he held her carefully as he stood up from the couch and carried her to her bed. He hadn’t bothered turning on any lights in her bedroom but his heightened night vision could make out her pretty features in the dark with no difficulty. 

Laying her down gently, his nose picked up a familiar scent, and then he saw his own shirt he’d lent her at the lake in a puddle on the floor. Picking it up, he discovered a pair of panties in there as well, catching them just as they were about to hit the floor. Without hesitation, he stuffed them into his back pocket for… safekeeping. 

By the looks of it, she’d worn his shirt to bed. The thought alone had him purring again. She slept swaddled in his scent, the fabric of his shirt against her bare skin. She’d needed to feel his presence around her. 

He’d meant to drape a blanket over her sleeping form, but his shirt was large enough to cover her torso comfortably, and his scent would make her feel safe even in her dreams in his absence. 

He lingered a bit at the side of her bed, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand, watching her fast asleep and completely unbothered that she had a strange man in her house.

Harry knew well enough that Y/N had her reservations about him- as she should. He would’ve found her silly and reckless had she not. No, she knew he had his secrets but was choosing to trust him, but he didn’t expect her to be so vulnerable around him so soon. Sure, she’d fallen asleep on him once before- but that was back when she’d suffered what was probably the fright of her life so far (and Harry would make sure, from here on out, certainly). It was a normal reaction coming down from such an adrenaline rush. But this? This he did not expect. Her body was reacting to him instinctively. It recognized his presence was safe and comforting. And Harry reveled in that.

Harry began to back out of the room and stopped in the doorframe. He couldn’t bear the idea of parting from her so soon. He roamed his eyes over her figure. Even hidden under his shirt, or especially so, her body was beckoning him. 

He couldn’t will his feet to step away from the door. He’d just been knuckles deep inside of her. Bringing his hand to his nose he inhaled deeply and his eyes fluttered shut. He couldn't believe the restraint he’d proven not to take her then and there on the couch earlier.

But still, as much as it went against every cell in his body, he knew, rationally, that he must pace himself with her. She was not like his kind. Humans didn’t act on instinct the way they did. They didn’t understand the gravity of mating like that- the implications, the bond they’d create that nobody could ever break. Because, after all, this wouldn’t be just sex with her. This was already so much more than that.

Opening his eyes, he didn’t care to be mindful of them glowing golden. It was hard keeping himself in check like that with how much she riled him up, but not impossible. However, she couldn’t see him now, fast asleep- looming in the dark like that, preying upon her with a watering mouth.

He was achy and literally leaking. Looking down at himself, He was still hard as a rock and his tip was peeking out from over his pants, which he’d yet to zip back up. In fact, it might have been impossible to zip and button his pants with the state his dick was in. 

He brought that same hand, the fingers that had just been inside both her pretty mouth and her sweet, tight cunt, and wrapped it around himself, shuddering at the feel and instant relief. He was so pent-up that all he’d need was a few tugs. And she was right there, her scent was encompassing him, her sweet huffs in her slumber, the way her lips were slightly parted, the way her eyelashes fluttered in deep sleep. Her breath would catch at times and he thought that maybe she’d wake up and see him like that- see the real him, the predator that he was, looming in the dark, with golden eyes and primal urges he was born to give in to. 

This is who he was. 

Not the man sharing popcorn with her feet away from each other.

Cutting their date short, then initiating that kiss the way she had, and finally trying to touch and pleasure him made him believe that she was not interested in playing games either, though. The silly games people engage in that Niall and the internet had informed him about. She was going with her gut instinct more than her rational mind, and he knew it. He could see her apprehensiveness but even so, she gave in to her lust. Maybe they were more alike than he’d realized.

Part of him wished she’d wake up and see him, see the real him, and still want him just as much as she had moments prior. Would she? Could she ever see the real him and possibly want him even more? Could he risk showing her more of him? The thought of her enjoying his perverted ways spurred him on even more, the thought of her possibly being turned on by what he was doing. 

He came undone rapidly, picking a discarded sock off the floor and hoping she’d blame the washing machine for mismatching a pair while trying to regulate his breathing and be as quiet as possible. Coming to his senses a bit, he was more aware of how risky this had been.

But worth it.

He folded the sock in itself and stuffed it into his pocket, zipping himself back up. Just then, he heard the softest whimper she emitted in her sleep and Harry stepped closer with the intention of caressing her again before he left, but, extending his hand, he caught glimpse of a bit of come he’d missed on his thumb just there. His eyes sparked with mischief as he smirked to himself, and swiped his thumb across her lower lip, wetting it with his essence. The parting gift he’d wanted for himself he’d given her instead. Lewd. Dirty. But god did he love the way it looked against her mouth. A mark of sorts. His first marking on her. 

The sight alone made him stiffen right back up in his pants and his eyes widened even more when, subconsciously, the tip of her tongue wet her lips. 

Harry all but ran out of her apartment before he could cause any real irreparable damage.

*

Blinking her eyes open, Y/N knew something was amiss when she felt her socks against the bedding. Why would she be wearing–

Then his scent invaded her senses and she took note of Harry’s shirt draped over her middle and it all came rushing back to her-the date, what happened after the date, but she drew a blank as to how she’d gotten into bed. She remembered falling onto his chest after that mind-numbing orgasm he’d coaxed out of her, and she remembered his warm breath in her hair as he combed his fingers soothingly through it, his other hand caressing up and down her thigh.

She just felt so content, so perfectly relaxed in his arms that she must’ve fallen asleep. That had never happened before. Usually the first few times she was intimate with someone new, she’d have trouble finding sleep if they spent the night. Let alone fall asleep in their arms like that. 

But it was just the way Harry made her feel. Safe and taken care of, that her body naturally trusted him to do just that.

By the looks of it, though, he hadn’t spent the night. He’d tucked her in and left, but there was just one issue- he’d left her socks on. And while Y/N understood why he’d be weary of undressing her without her express consent, even after all they’d already done together and seen of each other, she couldn’t help but wonder- was he the kind to wear socks to bed? Because if he was, as wonderful as the previous night had been, she’d have to end it before it even began. She couldn’t date a monster.

She decided to text him to apologize. The poor guy had to go back home with blue balls and on top of that he didn’t even get a thank you kiss for that amazing orgasm… and maybe another kiss good night, too. 

“I’m sorry for falling asleep :( I feel awful…”

His response was rather prompt,

“Oh? Here I was thinking you were feeling good to have fallen asleep like that.”

“... You know what I meant. I never got to thank you properly.”

“You want to thank me properly, kitten?”

Y/N bit the lapel of his shirt, barely containing her grin at the use of the pet name,

“Yes.”

“I’m caught up with some business but will clear up time over the weekend, and I’ll let you do all the thanking you want. How’s that sound?”

Y/N deflated a bit. That was days away. She’d hoped to see him sooner. Also, what business? This just reiterated how little she actually knew about him. 

“We’ll see how grateful I still feel by then :)”

“We shall see.”

*

Y/N was not feeling fabulous. She figured she must’ve been experiencing withdrawal. The past few days had been agonizing. She realized her little crush might be a little more than just a crush with how much she was thinking about him, and how much she was craving being in his presence. It didn’t even have to be remotely sexual- she just wanted to be around him. Learn more about him. She just… wanted to take things further. 

It was finally Friday though, so if he was going to stay true to his word they’d be seeing each other soon. But by the way he was seemingly treating this, whatever it was, between them, it seemed like he was just looking for something casual with her. He hadn’t so much as called since they’d texted that morning. Which, maybe was her own doing- maybe she’d given him the wrong idea with how she’d all but jumped his bones cutting their date short like that. And the way she’d taken her bra off at the lake that evening. And, well. Maybe had she not been so ready to jump into bed with him he’d be pursuing more than just that with her right now. 

Or maybe she was being ridiculous and this was a grown man and not a high school jock. 

She was sick of these dating games. Was sick of holding back, and playing by the rules as to not appear too desperate or needy and give the other person the wrong impression. What was so wrong in showing you were interested? Yeah- she’d done what felt right in the moment and she didn’t regret it, not at all. She just hoped he knew that that was not the only thing she wanted from him. Because she genuinely liked his presence and wanted to explore this connection further, see what could potentially be there. 

She mindlessly played with the rings she was wearing on her necklace while she contemplated that at the station- this was the last day she’d have to do boring office duty and she was more than ready to come in on Monday and start patrolling again. 

Harry had forgotten his rings at her place, the ones he’d had her remove from his fingers using her mouth. She’d found them on the couch and inspected them closely before trying them on on her fingers and realizing they were too large and instead opted for a necklace, wearing them like pendentives. So she was sure to remember to give them back when he saw him first.

She loved his jewelry. Not usually a fan of men wearing rings but there was something about Harry that made them blend seamlessly into his character. She loved that each was so unique- but she hadn’t had a proper chance to inspect the others as closely as the two he’d left behind in her apartment. She brought them into her view as she sat at her desk and inspected them again for the umpteenth time. The inside of both bands had “Gucci” engraved so she knew they were quite valuable. One of them was a band featuring bears that appeared to be dancing. The other was an animal head, what appeared to be a wolf. She figured he must’ve been more into the forest and wildlife than she’d realized because those were quite the interesting choices for jewelry.

Karl came back from his patrol with Tom and sat at the desk, taking his ranger hat off and placing it on his knee, while his partner readied himself for night watch, brewing coffee in the break room, “Ready to get back out there, Y/N?”

“Am I ever… being cooped up here for the past 2 weeks has been torture.”

The older man chuckled, “I bet. But it was probably for the best.”

Y/N furrowed her brows, “Why, what do you mean?”

Karl sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair, “There’s been some interesting activity regarding wildlife. We’ve been seeing traces but today we’ve found evidence of some pretty brutal attacks, probably between two packs of wolves. Seems to have been quite the carnage.”

“Oh, my. Any carcasses?”

“No, but we’re pretty sure there were… victims, so to say. But, no, interestingly enough we couldn’t find any bodies. Who knows where they must’ve hidden to die off. Further into the forest for sure.”

Y/N couldn’t help but worry at the prospect of all these wolves potentially going at each other’s throats in proximity to Harry’s cabin. 

“... No human victims, though, right?”

Karl scrunched his face in amusement, “What would people be doing so deep into the forest? Nobody goes there, not even us rangers.”

“But what if someone were to wander off…”

“We would’ve heard if someone had gone missing while hiking. And people are usually mindful of the traced paths and all the off-limits warning signs. In all my time here we’ve had very few incidents.”

“Aside from the ranger I replaced.” Y/N swallowed the lump in her throat.

Her mind wandered to her predecessor. The man she replaced was brutally murdered, supposedly by a pack of wolves. There was no other explanation but there was an investigation because the police felt like there was something else at play. Forensics found nothing that pointed to human involvement, though. There hadn’t been such a violent attack in the woods before that they knew of. Certainly not with a forest ranger. Nick told her what had happened and how they found the man off the trail about a mile into the woods torn to shreds. Some of his parts were never recovered.

“Yeah. Frank, may God rest his soul. Poor fellow. Good partner, too.”

“He was your partner?”

“Yeah, back when we used to have assigned partners instead of rotating, we used to patrol together in the deeper parts. But he was just a bit too nosey. Especially about stuff like these…”

“What, you mean the wolves?”

Karl nodded absently, a faraway look on his face. “He was convinced something was amiss, that it was more than just wolves involved. He went snooping on his own… and that’s the last we saw him alive.”

Y/N's blood froze. That sounded a lot like what she’d done with the cabin and even how she’d gone about finding Harry and the pup in the first place. She could’ve easily been in Frank’s stead, and none the wiser. At least he’d told people about his concerns.

“What do you mean more than just wolves?”

“I’m not sure, to tell you the truth. Some of the things we came across were a bit too gore to have been just wolves.”

“Bears?”

“Considering we’ve hardly seen any, it’s very unlikely that there are so many hidden far away. Bears usually are pretty nosey. No, this all looked like wolf hyperactivity; who knows what goes on in their world, you know? What kind of feuds they’ve got going on that we don’t understand. They are pretty vicious creatures, especially amongst their own kind, so it’s not entirely surprising. But Frank was adamant there was more to it…”. Suddenly the man stood up, placing his hat back on his head, “I’m sure you’re very capable, Y/N. Make no mistake, I’m not undermining your capabilities. But Frank was a very experienced ranger, and he was careful, I’m certain of it. It just goes to show that you can’t go poking your nose where it doesn’t belong. Wild animals are not to be tempered with. They’re unpredictable, and this is their territory. So don’t be a hero. Alright? Stay safe out there.”

Y/N nodded as Karl took his leave for the day, gulping as she fidgeted with the rings on her necklace. She felt a very strong urge to call Harry and make sure he was okay. He did mention he’d have some business to take care of, so hopefully, that meant he wasn’t at the cabin while all of this was happening deep into the forest.

Unless said business involved the cabin, as she’d originally suspected.

“Y/N?” Karl popped his head back into the main office, “There’s a young man outside waiting for you?”

Y/N straightened in her chair abruptly and nearly fell off it in what would’ve been a very embarrassing story Karl would’ve probably lived to tell the rangers that joined in after her.

“Yeah. Be right out,” she tried to save face but she didn’t miss the older man's amused expression as he nodded his goodbye again.

She was done for the day too, she’d actually enjoyed her conversation with her colleague and got distracted. Otherwise, she’d been eyeing the clock like a hawk all day in anticipation of her two weeks of office work being officially over.

Trying to keep her cool, she tucked her necklace inside her shirt and gathered her belongings in her backpack, and walked out of the station after wishing Tom an easy night shift in the breakroom, and taking her sweet time in doing so too. She even threw in a giggle there, which probably threw her poor colleague off, but she felt petty enough to do it… and so she did. Harry seemingly had a way of coaxing the most unexpected reactions out of her.

The man in question was leaning against his original larger car, his arms crossed, and of course, sporting that seemingly perpetual scowl that she found so attractive. She bit the inside of her cheek to steady herself and approached him. As she was getting closer, Harry’s expression morphed from neutral if slightly irritated because of aforementioned scowl, to confused verging on… worried.

“What’s the matter?” he asked before she even reached him.

She furrowed her brows, “What do you mean? What?” she touched at her face in reflex “Do I have something on my face?...”

He reached out and grabbed her shoulders, looking her over intently, “Are you hurt?”

“...No? Why?”

Harry was certain she was deeply wounded. There was no way she’d hurt herself by accident and couldn’t feel it with the amount of blood he was smelling on her. 

“Are you sure?”

She laughed, “Yes, I’m sure. What’s gotten into you? My ankle is good as new! See?” she wiggled her foot for show.

Harry was thrown off by this. She seemed fine. She didn’t appear to be lying- he could always tell when people were lying- their not-so-subtle cues paired with the rush in their blood flow always gave them away- but she was being truthful, she wasn’t hurt or at least wasn’t aware of it. Giving her another once-over he decided to take her word for it and drop it- although something was definitely off. 

Was there someone else’s blood on her somehow? But he was familiarized with her own blood’s scent from when he’d cleaned her wounds at the cabin–

“Harry?” The man’s eyes snapped back at hers, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Yeah– sorry. Uhm. Right.” he blinked, re-focusing, “Let’s get moving, want you to catch more daylight than last time.”

‘Huh?”

“The lake. Thought we’d go for a swim again,” he opened the passenger door and held it open for her as per usual.

Y/N stalled, hesitating, “Uhm. Yeah… I can’t, though.”

Harry frowned, “Why? Did you go already?” Without me, he wanted to add but refrained.

“No, I, uh… well. We can still go but I can’t get into the water.”

“It’s still warm outside and I promise I’ll get you out before the sun sets this time around. And I’ll think of other ways to warm you up more efficiently,” he added with a smirk, roaming his eyes over her body once more, but this time for a different purpose.

Y/N raised an eyebrow and fought off a smile, “That’s awfully considerate of you, however… it’s not that. I, uh… well, I’m on my period,” she shrugged, defeatedly. There was no other way to put it.

Harry paused, staring at her for a long moment. That notion had completely gone right over his head. He knew, of course, that human females bled monthly, unlike his own kind, that inherited the canine characteristics in this regard and only went into heat once a year.

His eyes widened, realizing that must’ve meant that Y/N was essentially in heat.

And that triggered something within him. Something he’d just given himself a pep talk over. But how could he possibly stick to the plan in her presence now knowing she was, well… breedable?

Harry used all of his concentrated willpower to keep his eyes from brightening at the realization. 

“I’m sorry if that was TMI…” Y/N grimaced when he just stared at her. She’d never seen him taken aback like that. Had she grossed him out?

“Of course not,” he furrowed his brows even deeper. “Don’t be silly. What, uh… what do you normally do?”

“What, like, when I’m on my period?” she laughed “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“What’s wrong with my question?”

Y/N stammered, “Nothing, it’s just… I mean, I don’t know. I usually just stay in, eat comfort food, fight off cramps cuddled up on my couch, and watch romcoms.”

Cramps. So there was a level of discomfort there, then, “Are you in pain?”

Y/N tried not to laugh again, he seemed genuinely interested in knowing for some reason. Had none of his girlfriends had their periods around him? Or had he just never had a relationship long enough to have to deal with this? Or did he just never have relationships at all? “Uhm, not right now. It’s usually worse during the night, I guess…”

“Do you take medication for the pain?”

“Rarely. If it gets unbearable.”

Unbearable.

“But usually I can ride it out, I just, you know… place a warm water bottle on my belly or something.” she couldn’t resist covering her face, “Gosh, this is embarrassing.”

Harry gently removed her hands from her face, “Why is it embarrassing? I just want to know, so I can help.”

“... You want to help?”

Harry bit his lower lip. This was verging on dangerous territory. “Yes. Is that so wrong?”

Y/N blushed, remembering the instance in which she’d used that exact same phrase after their date. “No. No, it’s not.” She smiled, “You could come over if you want? Distract me?”

Harry was beyond confused. He’d never heard of the females in his pack being in pain during their heat. Well, maybe only if they couldn’t get someone to breed them– Was this why Y/N was hurting, then? Because there wasn’t anyone to breed her? Sure, Niall had told him impregnating her was physically impossible but the act itself was surely enough to comfort her. 

It all made sense. The way he could distract her from her pain was to fuck it out of her. She was in heat and needed to be bred. 

He knew from his own experience during his rut, the agony was almost unbearable. He needed to release around the clock to keep sane. It must’ve been the same for her. Poor thing.

Only- he wasn’t smelling her arousal. Which didn’t make any sense. Maybe her blood was overpowering it… Yes, that must’ve been it.

Harry had really wanted to give this whole human ritual angle a go, for her sake- but refraining from soothing his ma– little human was something he couldn’t even fathom.

“I’ll distract you.”

*

First things first- Y/N mentioned comfort food. He’d take it a step at a time. Harry was quite the enthusiast when it came to cooking, and what better time to etalate his talents in the kitchen than now that his services were needed the most. He drove them to her place, then dropped her off and when she turned to look at him confused as to why he wasn’t getting out of the car, he reassured her “Just gonna grab a few things and be right back, alright kitten?” 

He didn’t miss the small smile that played on her lips as she nodded and headed towards her apartment building. He waited for her to get in safely then drove off to the nearest supermarket. While he was going through the aisles, he dialed Niall’s number. Just to be on the safe side.

“Uhm- I’m kind of in the middle of something–”

“Then step to the side. What can you tell me about human menstruation?”

He could hear his friend rub his face in frustration and a bit of shuffling around before closing a door behind him with a sigh “What about it?”

“How does it work? Is it like when our females go into heat?”

“Yes and no. Ours only do it once a year, they go through this every month. Doesn’t last as long though, a few days, varying on individual aspects.”

“Is it painful?”

“Yeah, it can be quite painful.”

“Would you say it was unbearable?”

“I dunno Harry- last time I checked I wasn’t a woman.”

“Does sex help?”

Niall paused “It can help- but what’s this about exactly? Is Y/N on her period?”

Harry growled lowly “That’s none of your business.”

“Sheesh. You can fuck her if she wants, might help with the pain even- there’s no contraindications.”

“But isn’t it… preferable? You know, the same way females in heat need to be bred?”

“Hold on. Wait. Yeah- here’s the catch. The main difference is that while our kind are most fertile during their heat and need to be bred- humans are least fertile during their period. They have no urge to procreate during menstruation. That occurs for them during ovulation.”

“... What happens during ovulation?”

“Basically, it’s like they’re in heat minus the bleeding. That’s when they’re at their horniest.”

“And does that occur monthly too?”

“Yes, roughly 10 days before menstruating.”

Harry immediately thought about their encounter at the lake and the way she’d smelled a lot more potent and alluring to him. And judging by Niall’s calculations, she must’ve been ovulating then. Which explained her eagerness and boldness. He felt a pang of guilt for taking her home without comforting her in any way.

“You still there mate?”

“Yeah– ok. Ok, that checks out. So sex isn’t necessarily something that would help right now?”

“I’d leave that for later, maybe. Humans are weird about these things.”

Harry recalled how she’d mentioned it was embarrassing and figured Niall was probably right. He was going to shelve this for a later time, then. He had a feeling his little human would benefit from this special treatment. He thanked his friend for the info and let him go back to whatever he was doing that he was eager to get back to, and focused on his shopping. If sex was off the table for now he was going to spoil her in other ways, and he had a good idea about what else might make her feel better.

*

Harry was walking back through Y/N’s door much sooner than she’d anticipated. She had just started getting into an episode of a new show when Harry was opening her door that she’d left unlocked. She turned quickly to watch him with his arms full. In one arm a paper bag full of groceries and in his other, Eddie.

Y/N hopped up from her spot when she saw them and beamed, “You brought my favorite little guy! Look at you!” She took the pup from Harry’s arm and placed him down on the floor, squatting down next to him to pat his head.

“Thought you’d like seeing him. And I got some groceries so I can make us dinner. Now,” he gestured at the girl, “go put your feet up on the couch. Edward can lie with you while I make food.”

Harry wasn’t sure exactly why he was feeling so protective of her. Well, he kind of knew but this sudden need to care for her and soothe her was unusual. He’d never jumped into action in this way before. But then again, everything with Y/N was all new to him. He was fighting his natural urges while also trying to balance them with what she might expect from a boyfriend. Was that what they were? 

Harry had been doing more independent research about what it was like to date and what women expected. They liked to take things slow, but they also didn’t like to be kept waiting for some kind of commitment (which didn’t make any sense to Harry). Dating wasn’t an explicit commitment and sometimes humans would date multiple people at once. Another thing that boggled his mind. If Harry ever found out that she was dating anyone else he’d lose it. He didn’t think he’d be able to hide his inclination to harm the other man. So he wanted to figure out a way to make it clear to her that she was his. Only, he wouldn’t say it like that to her in case that sort of thinking scared her off. Humans were funny about being their own person and possessive behavior was typically frowned upon by them. 

Before he headed into the kitchen, Harry picked up Edward and placed him over her tummy. Y/N immediately started petting him- he was a bit sleepy as it was later into the evening and past his bedtime which was perfect for what she needed right now. Soon, he closed his eyes and started purring, which Harry figured would help soothe her cramps and was essentially what made him go get his nephew in the first place, aside from the fact he knew she’d enjoy seeing him again.

Harry tried to ignore his jealousy over that bit. He really wanted to just lie there with her on the couch and warm her with his hand to soothe her. But he pushed down those thoughts. He planned on doing just that after they ate dinner. 

It didn’t take long for Harry to make the truffle macaroni and cheese dish. Normally, he would use fresh truffles but he didn’t find any at the supermarket he’d been to and an employee there assured him he wouldn’t find any outside specific markets- so he’d had to settle for truffle oil and hoped it’d taste just as good. Thankfully their cheese selection was good, so he was able to use his favorites for the dish; Gruyere, fontina, and fresh parmesan to balance the flavors.

After he plated their food, he handed her a bowl and placed another down on the floor for Edward, only his bowl consisted of a mix of vegetables and meat, to his disappointment- his nephew was not pleased by this. Harry was still trying to keep up the facade about Edward being a pup so feeding him truffle mac and cheese would be confusing to a human. He was lucky Harry wasn’t feeding him dog food.

“Harry! Oh my god!” Y/N spoke as she held her hand in front of her mouth full of pasta, “This is so fucking good!” Harry smiled to himself. He knew it was good. He knew she’d like it.

Y/N was feeling absolutely pampered. He washed the dishes and gave her a pint of chocolate fudge ice cream to eat while he cleaned. But she kind of hoped he’d settle down and just lie with her or at least sit. He’d barely relaxed since he’d come back with the groceries and Eddie other than to eat with her.

“Harry?” Y/N sat up and looked toward the kitchen. She blinked her eyes at the sight of him in there cleaning her countertop and working in it like it was his own kitchen. And he had put his hair into a bun. It was oddly attractive. She’d never dated a guy with long hair. It always felt so feminine on most men. But Harry was an exception to that. He was masculine and took up a lot of space so his soft curls made sense on him somehow. He was equally pretty and handsome.

He turned to look at her when he heard her call his name and raised his brows in question.

“Will you please sit down with me for a bit? Eddie is nice company but I was hoping to have yours as well.”

Harry grinned, dimples carving into his cheeks, “I’ll be right there.”

She wanted him there with her. He would certainly make that happen. After putting the pot away that he’d just dried, Harry picked Edward up and placed him on a pillow next to the couch, and sat down. But Y/N pulled at him so he was right next to her. She was grateful for his attention and thoughtfulness. But she wanted him. Wanted to kiss him and have him hold her. 

“Such a needy little thing, Y/N,” Harry laughed at her grabby hands.

“Sometimes.” 

“What do you need right now, hm?”

Y/N smiled and bit her lip. She was never one to be shy about what she wanted, but Harry brought something else out of her. Made her feel tingly and bright all over the way he looked at her. The way he always seemed to look like he wanted to devour her. She wanted to devour him too, though.

Instead of speaking an answer, Y/N let her eyes travel to his mouth and then back up to his eyes as she licked her lips.

Harry was an expert at reading body language. He had to be because, in his wolf form, he was unable to speak so when he and his pack would need to communicate in their shifted form they relied heavily on body language. And he knew what she wanted by her simple gesture. She didn’t need to speak for him to understand her.

Moving his hand to her hip and pulling her into his arms, Harry put his nose against her neck, “Want me to hold you?” He kissed her soft skin and the way her heart was pumping rapidly against her pulse point was not missed by him. 

She let out a shaky breath and he felt her nod. He placed another soft peck against her neck before bringing his lips up to her mouth in a kiss that had Y/N completely melting. She brought her small hand up to his jaw and opened her mouth for him as he deepened the kiss before parting with a gasp. He had to take it easy. 

Harry moved them around, lying on his back with Y/N lying atop his chest. He moved his hands down and wrapped his arms around her. He hoped this counted as a third date. He wanted to do more than just hold her next time. He could tell she’d probably enjoy more than just being held even this time. To him, she definitely acted just as though she were in heat. And Niall did say it might help her if that’s what she wanted…

He didn’t have to imagine how she was feeling. He could already smell it on her. Taste it. She wanted him in the same way he wanted her. Harry’s willpower to resist was wearing thin. Especially when he could sense her aroused state.

Y/N lifted her head to look at Harry and she brought her hand up to his face and gently ghosted her fingers at his jaw, “I like you, Harry.”

Harry grinned widely and squeezed her tight, “Oh yeah? Kind of figured…” 

Y/N laughed and scooted herself upward and pressed her mouth over his. Harry loved how bold she could be at times. And he loved how she tasted. Her smooth lips against his felt so good he felt like he could lose his mind.

But that didn’t compare to the way it felt when she lowered her mouth to his jaw and then began sponging hot kisses against his neck. Harry moaned and closed his eyes as she licked and kissed his pulse point. However, it was the sudden nip and suck at his flesh that had him feeling the rush of heat that made him solid between his legs in an instant. 

“Oh… you like that…” she smiled into his neck as she repeated her gesture again.

Harry kept his eyes closed and lips parted, allowing her to mark him like she wanted. But he was slowly fading into his crude nature. Too much more of this and he’d just have to fuck her. This was the kind of thing an alpha would only allow a mate to do. 

When Y/N adjusted her position and opened her legs to straddle Harry he held her hips down to keep her from wiggling over his thickened cock too much. He needed to slow this moment down. He was here to comfort her and make her feel better but he was losing composure quickly and he needed to stop before he did anything too hasty. 

“Let’s just lie here and relax, c’mere…” Harry pulled her down so her head was lying on his chest. He couldn’t have her seeing his eyes. He was struggling to control himself.

Y/N whined and pouted which made Harry chuckle, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. You’re right. I’m on my period so I doubt you want to do anything with that…”

Harry gripped her hip tight and with his free hand he smoothed his thumb over her cheek, “Oh, Y/N. You couldn’t be more wrong. You have no idea the things I would do to you. Your period isn’t what is stopping me.” On the contrary.

Y/N drew her pointer finger in circles over his chest, “What’s stopping you then?”

Harry drew in a deep breath and continued brushing his finger on her cheek, “I just want to do this right,” he responded honestly, “there’s something here, don’t you think?”

Y/N tilted her head back to look up at him. There was something. She did know. He was right and she was thankful for his good sense. 

A few moments went by with Y/N looking up at Harry dreamily. His eyes had been closed the whole time.

Harry smiled and then finally allowed himself to open his eyes to look down at her just to find her smiling back. He noticed a necklace dangling from her delectable neck, the chain tucked under her shirt. And when Y/N saw his eyes lower to her neck she remembered his rings.

She pushed herself up and pulled the chain out to reveal the rings Harry had her remove the other night.

The smile fell from Harry’s face when he realized what she had on the chain. His rings. Another gesture that she didn’t realize the implications of. She was wearing his rings like a prize around her neck, a signal to others that she was spoken for. Of course, that wasn’t her intention but to Harry, it felt like a subconscious act that meant much more than she knew.

“I almost forgot I was wearing it,” Y/n placed the rings in her palm, still attached to the chain.

Harry tilted his head to the side, taking the sight in. He was once again taken aback by her natural instinct. First, the way she’d worn his shirt to bed, then the way she’d nipped at his neck just earlier, and now this. These were all things a mate would do, and she was doing them without a second thought. She just knew. When she went to undo the chain at the back of her neck he stopped her, “Looks too good on you to take off right now. Keep it on.”

When Y/N reluctantly pulled her body out of his arms to go for a bathroom break, he noted how Edward was fast asleep on the pillow and figured he should probably get his little human to bed as well. He walked into her bedroom and smiled to himself when the first thing he saw was his shirt discarded on her bed. She was still wearing it to sleep, then. Her room was as messy as ever, but for some reason, he found it endearing instead of being put off. He was quite the neat freak himself.

When she emerged from the bathroom she saw him in her room directly across the small hallway and smiled to herself, remembering the way she’d found him snooping in there the first time. 

He beckoned for her to step inside, “Let’s get you to bed, kitten.” She couldn’t help the wide smile at his use of that pet name he seemed to prefer for her. She then noticed him holding his shirt, “Are you wearing this to sleep?”

She blushed, realizing she’d been caught yet again for using it rather than having washed it to return it to him. Truth was, she didn’t want to give it back. But his cologne was starting to wear off and she secretly wished she could ask for another in exchange. Would that be too forward? “...Yes.”

“Then by all means…” he held it out to her and she hesitated. Did he want her to strip down and put his shirt on instead? When he raised an eyebrow at her expectedly, she bit her lower lip and discarded her top. She normally just wore his shirt and a pair of panties to bed. And he seemed to know that with the way he was looking at her. So she unhooked her bra next and tossed it to the floor. 

Harry’s nose flared, reigning himself in as he watched her undress in front of him in the soft light her bedside lamp provided. He allowed his eyes to linger longer than before on her alluring body. His eyes landed on his rings dangling right in between her breasts and swallowed the lump in his throat. Wetting his lips, he closed in the space between them and made a conscious effort to keep his eyes on hers, draping the shirt over her shoulders, much in the same way he’d done back at the lake when he first gave it to her. 

Never removing her eyes from his, she slid her arms into the sleeves easily with how loose it fit over her body, while he buttoned the shirt up for her. She then undid her pants and slid them off, leaving them in a heap on the floor.

Harry was reminded of her state of distress when the sweet rusted iron scent of blood hit him full force now that she was just wearing her panties under the oversized shirt. It was what snapped him out of it and reminded him he’d meant to put her to bed.

Taking initiative and crawling under the covers, Y/N watched as he pondered his next move. She scooted toward the middle of the bed, making sure to leave him plenty of space to follow suit, should he want to. She hoped he’d stay a little longer. Maybe even sleep over. Would he want that?  Was it something he’d want to do, just cuddle? 

She watched as he eventually took his shirt off, unbuttoning it slowly. She made a mental note to somehow trick him into leaving it behind in exchange for the one she was wearing. Harry then reached for his button to remove his pants and halted, looking up at Y/N, “Is this okay?”

Y/N nodded and gave him a soft smile, knowing full well he went commando. And sure enough, he pulled his jeans down his legs, leaving once again no underwear in sight. She didn’t miss the fact that he sported a semi, but looked away as to preserve the tenderness of the moment. He climbed onto the bed next to her and pulled the blanket over himself before pulling her into his arms again, her face pressed into his left pec.

Harry felt his heart calming and his body with it. He looked down at the girl who had her eyes closed. He brushed his hand against her jaw and his deep voice vibrated against her ear, “Tell me about that picture you have hanging above your dresser. The one where you’re wearing a military uniform.”

Y/N opened her eyes and angled her head to look up at him, moving her palm upward to his chest, before turning to look over at the photo Harry was referring to.

She sighed with a smile and laid her head back down on his chest as she began to tell him about the photo. Her family in it. Her time at military school and her training, “My brother was also in the military. Now he’s running a small business in the town he lives in with his wife. She’s pregnant. I’ll be an aunty soon,” she smiled at the thought.

“When was the last time you saw him?” 

“A couple of months ago. He lives a few hours away so it’s not so easy to just hop on over these days.”

Harry was momentarily lost in thought again as he absentmindedly twirled a strand of her hair between his fingers. He wished he could hop in a car and go see his brother, if only for a minute. He’d know what to tell him, about the growingly inevitable decision he’d have to face soon.

“What about you? Your family?” 

“Mmm…” Harry couldn’t tell her the full truth, but he could give her pieces, “My parents died when I was young. My uncle took care of me, then when I came of age I moved in with my older brother.”

Y/N craned her neck to look at Harry in the eyes, “I’m sorry, Harry. Are you close with your brother?”

“Mmh-” Harry grunted in response. He swallowed thickly and blinked his eyes. He wasn’t quite ready to talk about his brother.

Y/N realized that this might mean he didn’t want to talk about it. She laid her head back onto his chest and brushed her fingertips over his butterfly tattoo and higher, feeling his sparse hairs under her palm. She wanted to ask about his tattoos too. Maybe that would’ve been a safer route to getting to know more about him. Soon, his breathing became more shallow and she was sure he had fallen asleep.

But Harry was far from asleep. They laid in silence for a long while as he considered her question and as much as he didn’t want to talk about his brother, he decided that, for her, he would talk about it. Well, what he could anyway.

“He and his wife recently passed.”

Y/N lifted her head to look up at him. She hadn’t expected that. She listened intently as he continued. “It was a bad accident. Uh… and Edward was their… pet, actually, and so I took him in.”

Y/N pushed her arms around Harry’s frame and squeezed him, smushing her cheek to his chest, “Oh, Harry… that’s awful. I’m so sorry. Eddie is lucky that you took him in. If you want to talk about it… how it happened, I’ll listen.”

Harry sighed and closed his eyes. She was sweet. He felt like he could trust her completely and it took everything in him not to tell her more. But he couldn’t risk that. In that moment, he only wanted to do whatever it took to protect their growing bond.

“Maybe another day.”

Y/N nodded into his chest and closed her eyes. Harry’s natural scent was calming and her cramps were soothed. She was so pleased that Harry had shared with her what he did. It meant he trusted her. That felt important. And it meant more to her than he knew that she finally got to know something personal about him. Especially something so vulnerable. She felt content.

Harry could tell she was beginning to doze off. Her heart rate was slowing and her breaths were lighter even. He gently began to adjust her in his arms so she’d be more comfortable.

Y/N drowsily felt him turn her to her side and, fearing he’d then pull away and leave she asked in a small voice “Will you stay the whole night with me?”

It was then that it dawned on him that he’d be spending the night, sleeping next to her. He’d never done that with anyone else before. He would’ve thought it would feel unnatural to be laying in bed with her- him naked and with her bleeding as if in heat, no less- and not engage in anything sexual, but, somehow, it didn’t. It felt right. And he felt content just to be in her presence, holding her to his body. He reached to turn off the bedside lamp and then brought his arms around her, placing a big warm palm over her belly, wishing he could allow himself to purr to soothe her even more. “Of course,” he spoke into her neck as he closed his eyes. He never wanted to leave her side again.

A/N: (@fkinavocado and @gurugirl here) 20k words - enough said.

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[pandas-pandemonium]

Yandere! Sentient! Twst - Player considers deleting the game due to glitches (Dorm Leaders)

A/N: Thought I'd combine these three asks since they're all quite similar in nature.

"[Name], I really think you should just delete that game off your phone."

The sternness in your partner's voice stunned you. They had mentioned the game acting strange at times, but this was the first time they had confronted you on this issue. Confused, you spoke up.

"Is this about the weird glitches again, [S/O]?" you asked.

"Yes, this is about those weird glitches. I swear, this isn't some simple bug or anything. This is another thing entirely. A game character doesn't curse at you just for opening the app. Shouldn't it be some welcome line or something?"

You frowned.

"I've never heard anything like that..." you said.

They sighed and shook their head. "It only happens when I open the app when you ask me to help you login."

You felt a chill run down your back.

"There's...no way, right?" you said, as you slowly unlocked your phone, immediately clicking on the application. You had to see it for your own, even though deep down you knew [s/o] was right. The game had been acting strange. Comments that were way too specific, the occasional glitching when you switched out a character for another.

With wary eyes you glanced at the opening screen; one more check, one more log in and if anything weird happens again, you will have to delete it. Sentimentality and story progress be damned. You could always watch videos on YouTube anyway.

Riddle

Livid. Riddle would be absolutely livid to hear the suggestion of you deleting the game.

"How DARE they! How insolent! They think know so much better, now do they?!"

Storming around, Riddle would be figuring out how to "chop off" your significant other's head. He won't have it!

He's put up with the fact that you're in a relationship because he convinced himself it wouldn't last long, but now this is the last straw.

"They're trying to cut me off from [Name]! For that, they WILL pay!"

But first, he has to make sure things run smoothly.

You won't delete the game if nothing odd happens...

With that, [s/o] will just look like a liar. How awful!

Once Riddle's calmed down, he will start creating a plan to cut your s/o out of your life, forever.

"I simply will not tolerate a rule breaker, and it so happens, Rule #444 states that "the heads of liars must be chopped off by midnight". That's really too bad, isn't it, [s/o's name]?"

Leona

What's this? You're actually listening to your partner and now you want to delete the game?

He would love to see you try

Sure, he could sit back and pretend that the game is all fine and dandy so that you'll think your partner was lying and being petty, but that's boring, even if it is the easier way

You forget, he's the dorm leader of Savannaclaw; known for his drive to do what it takes to get his way

Don't you remember his plan from Chapter 2?

How offensive. [s/o name] is definitely taking way too much of your time if you managed to forget his role in the story

"You want to delete the app, do you? Then try it, herbivore. I'm sure you love what I've done to your phone."

Leona is smart, dangerously so. Whoever knew Savannaclaw's dorm leader was so well-versed with game code?

Azul

What?! You're going to delete the game?!

Panic surges through Azul as he combs through various alternate plans; it's okay, he's considered this possibility before

All he needs to do is craft a perfect plan to keep you from deleting the application, and to get that pesky human away from you!

It should be simple enough, but his fear clouds his judgment

Right, right! He has to address the immediate concern; that you were going to delete if you sensed something amiss again in the app

That's simple enough.

As long as he plays by the rules and keeps to the "character" the game developers originally intended, he'll be able to delay you, just by a few days

With a practiced smile, and lines that fit perfectly to script, he laughs to himself quietly;

Yes, you seem to be confused for nothing is out of place!

He may have to keep up this constricting act for now, but his plan has to be perfect if he's going to capture you.

Kalim

Oh, the poor boy

He's panicking! His mind is all over the place the moment he heard your words!

Thankfully Jamil is there to set him straight

"Act normal" Jamil instructed him.

Easier said than done, especially when it comes to someone as jumpy and excitable as Kalim

Kalim tries not to laugh a little too loudly or make remarks that shouldn't be in his lines, but it's so hard!

He wants to yell out, "You can't! You can't leave me!"

But his fear of you realizing that the game is no longer working as it should overpowers his desire to call out to you

It's so hard...

Maybe tomorrow he can tell you how he feels! You're sure to have calmed down by then!

Vil

Really now?

You were going to delete the game all because someone told you to? You're willing to sacrifice all that hard work raising his everyone's cards and throw them all away?

Preposterous!

He will not let even your finger touch the uninstall button! Ever.

Gaining sentience was a dream come true!

He too, had been working behind the scenes to find ways to bring you into this world.

Your lover? You mean that useless potato scrap that thinks they know better?

They mean nothing to Vil. After all, surely you would choose a queen over some peasant?

Idia

Strangely enough, he's not too worried.

Seriously, gaining Fourth Wall breaking sentience was like something out of an anime or a game!

This is his realm! You can't possibly do anything to it when he's tampered so much with the game code!

Try it!

You'll find your game uninstallable and registered as a default application for your phone!

Idia feels a little too proud of himself for forseeing this possibility. He's never been so prepared in his life!

"Hihihi, it's all in place! So what if the game continues glitching? You can't do anything about it! Hihihi, who would have thought even some shut-in nobody freak like me can do cool things!"

But right- he almost forgot about your partner...

How annoying. Game code he can deal with, but some irl person? No way...

"Ahh, what a pain... I need to hurry up with the program...then maybe you can leave that dumb normie behind..."

Malleus

You want to delete the game because it's acting weird, you say?

Malleus is disappointed; he was hoping he could enjoy your presence and watching you go about your daily life for a little longer.

It's alright though, he just has to speed things up a bit!

He could care less about you deleting the game;

With Lilia's help, he's found a way to creep in to your phone and has since been existing as an undetectable character within several other applications.

A little longer and he's completely certain his magic will be able to transport into your world.

How exciting!

When he does, he hopes you will celebrate with him as well.

If you won't invite him to your world... well, he'll just have to invite himself, wouldn't he?

[incorrectunrulyprincesses]

Underland’s Unruly Princesses: March of the Witch Hunters (aka the crossover) chapter 7

Ember IV

Later that evening Rosalind, Mum, Stayne and I gathered in the great hall for our usual "family" meal. We were hardly family, well, a perfectly functioning family, that is. Rosalind took her usual spot to the left of Mum, Me to her right. Stayne sat across from us, sided by all the courtiers.

As we ate, Mum and Stayne got into conversation about possibly raising a Red Armada of warships and sending them off to other lands, in hope if overpowering them, taking them over, and adding them to Mums Underland empire. I listened carefully, as it had always been an interest of mine to learn to sail the seas.

After a while, Mum, being as unobservant as ever, took notice that neither Rosalind nor I were wearing our royal jewels.

"Girls, where are your cwowns?" she asked. Ros shoveled food into her mouth to avoid answering the question.

I eyed Rosalind curiously.

Clearing my throat, I filled my fork full of tadpoles. "I set them off to be polished, is all," I said, the quickly shoving my mouth full of food. "My rubies require a good shining," I added. Rosalind swallowed, patted her mouth daintily with a napkin and nodded in agreement.

Mum nodded. "Always assuring you girls look your best, well done, Ember."

Thankfully she had not noticed our gown change. Soon dinner was over and she was heading up to her chambers, Stayne in tow. Rosalind and I watched them as they ascended the staircase.

"Disgusting," Rosalind remarked. "We'll probably have another sibling soon." There was utter disgust in her voice.

I cringed. "Dear Underland, I hope not. I think we are all she needs," I explained. The idea of Mum having any sort of intimate contact with any man turned my very stomach. "Let Mum have her fun, but I forbid there be another child in this castle."

Rosalind laughed.

With a couple hours left until nightfall, Rosalind and I went to my chambers and began a heated card game.

"What do you think she'll do when she finds us gone in the morning?" asked Ros. "I couldn't live with myself if Mum hated me."

"If you that concerned about it, you don't have to come. As much as I'd like you to go with me, you don't have to," I explained to her.

"No, I want to go. I want to stop the witch hunters and save Auntie Winnie. I can't let you go on your own."

I smiled. "Alright then. I'm glad your up for it. And Mum won't hate you, if anything she'll probably wonder where I've run off with you. I may lose my head when we get back," I teased. I loved my Mum.

"If she hasn't killed Aunt Mirana yet, she won't kill us." Rosalind reminded. "And she hates Mirana. Besides, you're her heir, and I'm her baby."

That was true. As much nonsense as Aunt Mirana had put her through, Mum still managed to curb her temper and not have her executed. However, that did not mean that Mum was completely level-headed when it came to family. Her first husband, the King, Bertrand, had been a bastard to her, and she had had him killed long before she even started relations with my father. He had been her own husband, he misbehaved, she killed him herself. It wasn't as if she hadn't thought about executing Aunt Mirana, it's that she harbored enough self control to not actually go through with it.

Besides, she needed me and Rosalind.

When the dark swept over Underland, and we could tell that the castle was quieting down, I went to the window and opened it. Sticking my head out, I surveyed the ground below me. The torches that lined the castle had all been lit, but there were no guards in sight. Quickly I snatched my cloak from its rack and threw it around me. I grabbed Aunt Winifred's spellbook from my bed and shoved it down my corset as far as I could.

"Tie the bedsheets, sis," I instructed.

Rosalind tied the sheets to each other to make a ladder so we could leave out the window.

I tied the very end of the sheets around my waist. I would lower myself down first. "I'm going to go first, Ros. Don't come down until I say it's safe."

Ros nodded.

I had done many a risky things in my lifetime, but lowering myself from a fourth story castle window was something I never dreamed of doing. The whole time I descended down the side of the wall, I bit my lip nervously. I held my breath in until my feet touched the flat of the ground.

Once I was sturdy, I gestured up to Rosalind. "C'mon, Ros, your turn." Rosalind gingerly lowered herself down the tower.

As soon as Rosalind was safely beside me on the ground, I gestured to the stables and I took off at a jog. Rosalind followed, running as fast as she could laced up in Nellie's corset. I whipped open the stable doors and I headed in, not caring that the building was dimly lit by only a few lanterns. A few of the horses made a small nicker at our presence but otherwise hardly made a peep.

My black mare was in the very last stall. We had no real time to tack up properly so I hoisted myself onto her back right in the stall. I walked her out into the aisle way while I watched Rosalind struggle up onto the broad back of her grey and white stallion.

"Got it, sis?" I asked.

"I think so," she replied, finally mounting her horse.

She rode out next to me.

"Are you ready?" I asked. She nodded.

"Then let's shred some dirt," I said, wailing my heels to my mare. She bound forward.

Her hooves pounded heavily on the cobblestone. Rosalind got her horse to canter out of the stable as well, her blonde ringlets flying behind her as she rode. I held my breath as we rounded the outer courtyard, and headed for the main bridge out of the castle. At one point I thought I heard a guard yell something behind us, but I swallowed hard and hoped for the best.

After awhile, we reached my father's house. Ros hesitated as she dismounted. "Are you sure we can trust him, sis?" she whispered.

My father lived in an old windmill out in Trotters Bottom. It was rather dark out, the only light source being the candles that flickered in his windows.

"I trust him more than I trust Aunt Mirana," I told her.

"Fair enough." she shrugged. She rapped sharply on the door. "Hat man! Wake up! Open the door in the name of the princesses!"

I knocked on the door myself with a hard fist. "Father! I need you!"

It actually got to the point where Rosalind and I were both pounding on the door simultaneously. Our rapping became so intense then when the door opened, we both fell face first inside the windmill.

"Dear Underland!" my Father cried. "Ember? Rosalind? Have you any notion of what time it is?"

"Owww," Rosalind said.

"Father," I said, pulling myself off the floor. "I am well aware of what time it is. But I need your assistance right now."

With his big brows, he gave a curious look. "With?" he asked.

"We need to get out of Underland to stop a bunch of witch hunters from destroying the realm as we know it," Rosalind explained.

"Yes, father," I declared. Without asking, I went into my father's sitting room and plunked down on his settee. Rosalind sat in a chair next to me.

"Now, tell Me, what are you babbling on about?" My Father asked us.

Sighing, I relaxed in my seat. "Aunt Winifred informed Mum that there are Witch Hunters afoot. They are determined to end anything magical, alien, anything wondrous. You know how unique Underland is compared to Above. If the Witch Hunters get the upper hand, all of Underland will be lost." Ros put her feet up on the ottoman.

My Father moved across the room and sat beside me. By all means, he wasn't the sanest person in existence, but he had a good heart, and that's all that truly mattered to me. He hadn't known me my entire life, only the last five years or so, but he had done his best to be the best Father he could. That was more than I could say for Stayne. Stayne was Rosalind's father, and a bad one at that.

"You need to get Above, is that it?" my father asked after a few moments of silence.

I nodded. "Yes."

"And what of your mother?" he asked

Rosalind and I looked at one another.

"She doesn't know," I stated.

"We're not supposed to leave the castle until further notice." Rosalind clarified.

He took another few minutes to ponder. Somewhere on the second floor of the windmill, a cuckoo clock sounded off. Finally, he let out a big sigh.

"Although I detest you running off and getting into Underland knows what, you are twenty-two now, and I suppose I can't ask you not to do what your heart tells you to." He eyed Rosalind for a minute and I saw her possum in her chair. "If you want to go Above, then I will show you how to get there. However…" he rose from his seat and he towered over me. His vibrant green eyes shifted to the dark red they took on when his temper spiked. "You are not to tell your mother who took you," he said in his thick, scottish accent.

"Deal," Rosalind and I said in unison.

[daggerpawstudios]

The next Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz: Oscar Pine (Part 1.)

So this one is for my boy!!

Oscar Pine.

I have always loved Oscar's character since he was introduced. Oscar slightly like Dorothy Gale from the Wizard of Oz. In the sense where he is living on a farm in the middle of nowhere( Kansas) and gets wisp away to save Haven Academy to help the Wizard (wisp away to land of Oz.)

Oscar Pine character comes at time in the story where the narration has changed. The Beacon Huntsmen Academy no longer exists. The Headmaster of that school is dead and the world is unsure of the future of Remnant. The world is also on the verge of war and people do not know where their allegiances lie.

Our heroes are separated and no longer feel heroic.

They are depressed, unhopefully, confused and scared. While one honest soul is still trying because she knows if stops who else will continue this fight.

The world is in chaos...

Volume 4, Chapter 1: The Next Step.

This where we met the Farmhand named Oscar Pine.

Oscar is a farmhand. At this moment in time we do not understand his importance nor do we truly understand why he is even being shown to us.

We learn he lives with his aunt on the outskirts of Mistral. His daily routine is mundane, it is the usual farm work. Oscad gets up before dawn and finishes at dusk.

It is not until Chapter 7: Punished that we learn of Oscar's importance in the story. Ozpin at this time has been killed at the fall of Beacon and has been trying to convince Oscar to go to Haven. We also learn that Ozpin's and Oscar's souls and aura are combined into one.

Oscar must go on this Hero's journey to help the Wizard. But he refuses.

Ozpin reads his thoughts about desiring to be more than just a farmhand.

" I never agreed to anything..."

" No, you didn't and neither did I at First. But you do have an opportunity..."

" For what..?"

" Greatness...Hopefully. Greatness in knowing when the world needed help, you were the one who reached out your hand. It won't come without hardship, without sacrifice. But i know you don't want to live the rest of your life working as a farmhand in Mistral."

What I find interesting about Oscar and Ozpin conversation is at this point in time. Oscar has been living a pretty boring life. He is an avid reader of his aunt books and works on a farm day in and day out. The farm also seems to be in the middle of nowhere with no small town or neighbors present. These small visuals also drives the point home that Oscar's life is repetitive.

However, despite his home's life, he still manages to have snarky banter with his aunt when she requests him to have dinner.

Eventually, Oscar does decide to leave the farm and travel to mistral to go to Haven Academy. He tells Ozpin that he feels like leaving is the right thing to do. Now, Oscar has been flung into the story along with our heroes and is now making his way to Haven to change the course of events.

Now at this point the RNJR_Q have made their way to Haven and Qrow is sitting in bar. Qrow at this moment is trying to damage control the situation without the Wizard's guidance. I can assume that it has been a year since Ozpin has disappeared leaving his allies to keep control of the situation till he returns. There is only so much he can do. Salem is now active and without her adversary to keep her check. Salem can practically do what she wants. Surprisingly the next wizard finds Qrow.

This is where the turning point of the story become apparent with the Wizard's return. But Oscar is not the Wizard or at least.... Not just yet..

Going into Volume 5: Welcome to Haven. We learn from the pervious Wizard, Ozpin. That the Wizards are force to reincarnate and have been in a eternal battle with Salem for centuries. ( but we also learn that is not entirely true lol. He was not entirely forced to do this job. )

Team RNJR are completely interested in him since he they think he is Ozpin's reincarnated. Which makes Oscar uncomfortable. Since he just a small boy and has never met huntresses and huntsmen before in his life.

But this is also where Oscar begins to take a semi-passive role in the story. Ozpin is the Wizard that everyone wants and has all of the answers. But that is mostly because Ozpin has the memories of all of their countless lives, their magic, and their knowledge. Plus, Team RNJR_QWY knew him longer and see him as a teaching figure. While Oscar had just acquired these powers.

So Oscar his semi backseated during this Volume. But he does begin training his body to better exercise his aura to gain Ozpin's abilities and memories.

This is the middle of Volume 5 and this where the Team RNJR begin to understand that Oscar and Ozpin are different people. Ruby, Jaune, Nora and Ren all take a liking to Oscar. They give him advice on how to train better and advocate that they should all train together.

Ozpin is someone who is heavily skilled and had years of training. While Oscar is someone who fumbles a lot. Even the way Oscar and Ozpin use Long Memory ( The cane.) Is different. Ozpin's attack are more precise, while Oscar are rapid swings to try to overpower his opponent.

During the battle of Haven is where the Heroes learn that Lionheart has betrayed Ozpin and and is working with Salem. This trap is set up at the school's main hall. During this battle, the Team Ace Card is revealed and that is The Wizard.

We can infer that after the fall of Beacon. Lionheart's heart had begun to grow frighten of the events at hand. The world had witness Beacon fall into madness. The silence without the amity communication had not helped and had help grow suspicion. There had not been any word of Ozpin and his followers were frighten of the events at hand and had decided to do their own thing. Ironwood, traumatized by the mishap at Beacon, had change course to defend Atlas. While Qrow I firmly believe was the only one actually following what Ozpin told them to do. Besides, Theodore, who is the Headmaster of Vacuo.

Oscar presence as the Next Wizard had turned the tide of the story. His mere presence was enough to scary his enemies and make it known that Wizard was not going down without a fight.

In time Oscar's courage would grow and he would soon be worthy to be a real Wizard of Oz.

This point in Volume 5 was also important for Oscar because this was the point where he was finally accepting the call to action.

He was finally accepting the fact that he was indeed the next Wizard. He was making a choice.

During his battle with Hazel. Hazel brings up how his twin sister was killed due to fact of becoming a huntress and following Ozpin with rose-tinted glasses.

During this fight is also where Oscar is now trying to no longer take the backseat but prove himself as a worthy Wizard. Ozpin at this time would much rather take control of Oscar's body and beat up Hazel. But Oscar instead tries to talk to him

" Did she know the risk of being a Huntress? "

The concept of choice is a huge theme in the story of RWBY.

" She made a choice! A choice to put others above herself! And I do too!"

Oscar was finally making a choice. He was choosing the call to action. Which was different from Volume 4 and the earlier episodes because last season he did not chose the call.

The call chose him.

But where did this shift come from?

The shift came from Ruby's and Oscar's conversation in Chapter 5. When Oscar asks Ruby how does she handle all of this considering for the fact that he has been flung into dire situation that does not allow enough time for him to process the information.

Ruby tells him how she feels

" I am scared...but not just for me... "

"What happened at Beacon shows that Salem doesn't care if you're standing against her or not. She'll kill anybody. And that scares me most of all."

Ruby confesses she scared of Salem. But she has to press on for the sake of Penny and Pyrrha who if Ruby had died at Beacon. Is convinced that would keep fighting for Ruby's sake.

This conversation inspires Oscar to no longer be unsure of himself and accept the call. Even despite his fears of dying and being afraid of going into war. Ruby even tells him that since he bold enough to try that he is already brave.

This is what helps gives Oscar the strength to accept the call of being the next Wizard of Oz.

[kali-tmblr]

What's Happening in the Finale?

What's happening in 0713? First of all, kick-ass fighting, usually the best of the season. Last of all, an end credits scene. In between we've got three confrontations. One is centered around Cinder in Fria's room, another between JNPR and Neo (although I think that's likely to end up at the first location), and a third between Qrow and Ironwood. Extra Grimm may or may not show up for the climax. (Personally I think not. Salem would like them to do the maximum amount of damage to themselves before she shows up with her reverse paratrooper brigade, and that could mean letting them tear themselves apart over Ironwood's drastic plan without a worthwhile enemy in sight. "Never underestimate the usefulness of others.")

But what happens in between? There's a lot of ways we can approach that question, but I'm going to start with things CRWBY mentioned but hasn't shown yet. Then I'll move on to things I want to see.

First, the ending. There's a rumour going around that a member of CTWBY said that one of the last two episodes would be a cliffhanger. Well, it wasn't last episode, so if true they're going to pull a Josh Whedon and give us a season cliffhanger. Which is cool, if CW can do it I don't see why RT can't as well. But it means there's going to be substantial plot points left dangling.

CRWBY dropped a lot of hints before the volume started, and three sets haven't paid off yet, regarding Maria, Nora, and Oscar.

Melissa Sternberg, Maria's voice actress, told us to expect "sassy granny shenanigans". Aside from the first episode we haven't seen her involved in anything that could remotely qualify as shenanigans, so I hope we get more from her.

Samantha Ireland, Nora's voice actress, told us we would be getting some of Nora's backstory. It hasn't happened yet, and we're at the last episode. That limits the possible information sources to already named characters who Nora hasn't met, which on a practical level limits it to Neo or Fria. I was hesitant to jump on the "Fria is Nora's granny" bandwagon, but we're running out of other possibilities.

We were given three strong hints that Oscar would do something impressive this volume. Kerry said he was excited about the "small farm boy" this volume, and while Oscar has been a significant presence even I would hesitate to call him exciting. Then in Chapter 6, we got a mention that Oscar hasn't unlocked his Semblance, which was the same clue we got back in Volume 5 that Jaune would unlock his Semblance before the Volume's end. Finally, there is this note from Amity Arena about their current lack of Oscar in the game, "We are waiting on Volume 7 for him to show off something iconic that we can base his card off of!" (They also implied it was different from whatever Ozpin does, which is far too OP for the game's current levels.). So it looks like Oscar will unlock his Semblance as part of the final episode.

That's all the remaining hints, now let's move on to the plot.

Qrow wants to set Jimmy Ironwood down and give him a talk on "The Inherent Problems With Blind Obedience, Complete With a Visual Aid". It's a hard sell for a paranoid dictator, but given RWBY's optimistic nature it might actually work. Ironwood is basically going down the same path as the Director in Red vs. Blue, and Rooster Teeth has already followed that path to it's bitter end with him. It's possible the intervention Qrow is planning may stick. I can't really call it at this point.

There's the Neo vs. JNPR confrontation, which may turn into a fight but may not. Neo allowed them to get close to her, even hit her, while seeming uncharacteristically hesitant to fight. She does withdraw from fights where she is overpowered (a common trait among professional criminals such as herself), however she should wipe the floor with JNPR. But does Neo want to fight JNPR? In Volume 6 her target was Cinder. Cinder tried to convince Neo to assassinate Ruby instead, and it appeared as if she might have succeeded. But did she really, or is Neo just playing along to stay close to Cinder and strike the Fall Maiden down when she is vulnerable? Looks like we may get an answer to that question. If she is, she may well just play JNPR a recording of Cinder announcing her plan to go after the Winter Maiden and send them on their way.

The big fight looks like it's going to be Round 4 of Cinder vs. the World complete with the Winter Maiden Power as the prize, and with all the young Huntresses converging on her location it could be anybody's game. Previously Cinder had always arranged for her foes to have multiple targets to concentrate on besides her, but that doesn't look like it will be the case this time.

There's multiple things to consider about this fight. First, the location. A cramped hospital room is hardly a suitable arena for a Maiden fight. You know it's going to get trashed in order to create more space. Then there's her three opponents, Fria, Penny, and Winter. I include Fria because I honestly expect her to get in at least one lick in this fight. We've already had Cinder kill one Maiden who was lying helpless in one of those transfer tubes, a repeat would be boring. Besides, Fria has held the power for around 50 years. You don't last that long in that job without being a badass. At the same time she is old and feeble, so I don't expect her to get in many licks.

Cinder's main opponents, Penny and Winter, both have crippling weaknesses. Penny is metal, and Cinder's favorite tactic involves superheating substances. To quote Mercury, "That could be bad." Winter's weakness is tactical. She focuses too much attention on what is going on in front of her and too little on what is behind her. Qrow used it to win against her in Volume 3, and Weiss used it to win against her in this Volume. It shouldn't take Cinder long to find and exploit Winter's weakness. On the bright side, with Cinder's tendency to gloat she will probably tell Winter exactly what the other woman is doing wrong, especially considering that Vernal used it against Cinder. If Winter survives this fight she might even listen.

Will Cinder win, lose, or die? Honestly I'm expecting another power split, like with Amber, only this time the Maiden remains conscious. I don't see Cinder completely winning or losing, and I don't see us getting another fully powered Maiden in the cast at this time. (But that raises the question of who can open the Vault. It would be ironic if neither woman could.) So I'm expecting whichever woman Cinder tries to steal the power from to be rescued by the others, ending in a tactical retreat on Cinder's part.

That leaves the current Grimm invasion, possibly with bonus flying Beringals, to wrap up. This may involve Ruby's silver eyes. It may involve Oscar's Semblance. Or it may just be a bunch of nameless Atlesian military forces. It's anyone's guess at this point.

That brings us to the remaining nonviolent resolutions. There's Ren's newfound fondness for Ironwood, which I don't see surviving Ironwood's decision to abandon Mantle, although it might. Hopefully this will lead to a resolution of Ren and Nora's romantic tension as well. There's Robyn and the Happy Huntresses, whom we may or may not see again this Volume but probably won't. There's the Schnees, at least one of whom we probably will see again in this Volume. And last but not least there's the political problems, which is heavily intertwined with the fates of Qrow and Salem. If Qrow does turn Ironwood around and/or Salem does bring the flying Beringals to give them a strong enemy to unite behind, they may survive the political storm. But if Qrow does not get through to Ironwood and/or Salem does NOT bring the flying Beringals to unify the populace in terror, Ironwood's political career is over. Even if he's still in power at the end he will have sustained too much damage to keep it for long.

So that's my take on things. What's yours?

[sexhaver]

some context for non-dorks:

Wizards of the Coast (WOTC) makes Magic the Gathering, and has had a product line for the last few years called Secret Lair. these are limited-run print-to-order products, meaning that they're only available for a week or so via WOTC's website, and they will never print those cards ever again outside that week. this is kind of a skeevy business model to begin with (especially since the price is usually $50 for 5 cards) but people were okay with it because Secret Lair cards were either a. new art on existing cards or b. silver-bordered new cards that are meant as jokes and are not legal in literally any format. for example:

bitterblossom, a staple in competitive formats, got a reprint with sexy new art and 4 tokens to use with it

this is... yeah. they printed this. it's a completely new and original card that had never been printed before, BUT! crucially it's just for fun and is banned in LITERALLY EVERY FORMAT. this is important for later.

so these new Walking Dead cards get announced, aaaand... they're black bordered (i.e. legal everywhere). and original ("mechanically unique"). and only available for a week. and cost $50.

people lose their shit.

the cards themselves aren't even the issue. they're pretty decent but not obviously broken. the issue is that WOTC has decided that it's okay for them to print entirely new cards that can be played anywhere, set the price for those cards unilaterally, and serve as the only possible way of buying them (Secret Lairs completely bypass local game stores). this is obviously Not a Good Thing.

there are three other particularly stupid parts to this. firstable, they very easily could have released these cards in "real" sets before changing their names and art for a Walking Dead themed Secret Lair. they did this two sets ago to allow them to work Godzilla tie-ins into a real set.

secondly, they've LITERALLY HAD THIS EXACT ISSUE BEFORE WITH THE EXACT SAME RESPONSE. MULTIPLE TIMES. in 1994 they released a card named Nalathni Dragon. it sucked, but people were mad because it was a mechanically unique card only available to a specific subset of the community for a limited time. WOTC agreed and promised not to do that again in 2001.

then in 2018 they released this card.

except it wasn't released normally. the only way you could get it was by buying an entire box of cards, with one of these bad boys guaranteed per box. then it turned out to be the cornerstone of a meta-breaking deck. whoops! who could have possibly foreseen this! WOTC banned the card and pinky promised they had learned their lesson this time.

and now this.

the final issue is that Mark Rosewater, the community outreach guy at Wizards, has said that if the Walking Dead cards end up being good and people want a reprint, they could reprint mechanically identical cards under different names in a "real" Magic set sometime in the future. besides never actually committing to reprinting them, this is EXTRA stupid because the format these are designed for, Commander, only allows you to have one copy of each card (other than basic lands) in your deck, determined by its name. that means that if they do end up reprinting these later, the people who bought this first Secret Lair will be able to run twice as many copies of the good card as people who didnt spend $50.

the sole ray of hope here is that Wizards completely forgot that the rules committee for Commander is technically a completely separate entity from WOTC and can set its own banlists. people are SCREAMING at the rules committee to put their foot down and ban these cards before they even get printed to send a message that this kind of shit doesn't fly, because if they don't, WOTC is going to keep doing this with more and more overpowered cards.

also: who the actual fuck still watches The Walking Dead? hello?????

can't believe WOTC is absolutely trashing the little remaining faith the playerbase had left in them for a fucking tie-in with the second least relevant tv series since Game of Thrones