#and maybe with my face mostly hidden it would help my fear of going back to conventions

[ranger-kellyn]

ugh god i wish i had continued to learn how to sew and make my own costumes. i wanna put together an atticus cosplay so fucking bad-- i love this absolute dweeb i would have SO MUCH FUN running around as him

[sansaorgana]

I had an idea earlier about buck x reader, where after buck and the other 2 escaped and left bucky behind in part 9, they stumble upon a house near the forest (after the german kid soliders attacked them).

The reader lives there and she basically helps them hiding for a bit and also returning to the english base. She is against the war (which is the reason she helps them) and maybe a little angst where buck needs to protect her at the base bc she is still a german citizen.

What do you think?

hi! thank you for your request! 💞 honestly, I think it's the first 100% angst piece I have written for Buck because even the ones with sad events that I have posted so far had happy endings... but not this one 😅 since I have already written a similar fic and didn't want to repeat the same ending... I couldn't think of anything else how they could have their happily ever after 😪 I hope you can forgive me 💔

I had to currently close the requests because I got so many so I'm working on them atm 🙏🏻

In the heart of the enemy’s territory, he felt like a chased wild animal. Even though he was still human enough not to pull a trigger at a brainwashed German kid, Buck Cleven felt like a prey with nothing but survival on his mind. The forest was dark, muddy and unfriendly. A never ending maze with predators hiding all around. A thought of his dead friend and a thought of Bucky left behind were what kept him sane. The sun was going down slowly and he had no idea where to go. His other friend, Bill, was right behind him.

“Buck,” he hissed and waved his hand to make them both freeze in place. “There’s a house,” he pointed at the dark and old building by the country road behind the trees. “We’re close to town.”

“The lights are off. Maybe it’s inhabited,” Buck pointed out. “If it’s the case, we can find some supplies there.”

“Shall I go and check?” Bill asked.

“No, I will go,” Buck nodded and clutched on the gun in his hand hidden under the coat.

He walked carefully and slowly, making sure not to make too much noise, with his back hunched and breath steady. His blue eyes scanned the garden behind the house. It had herbs growing there but it was messy and the windows were dirty. Everything looked as if it was abandoned.

Encouraged by the looks of it, Buck walked to the front of the house and tried to push the door open but they were locked. However, the door was wooden and old, all it took was another, stronger push to open them wide with a loud squeak that made him wince.

He waited for a while to make sure there were no footsteps approaching him but when he heard nothing but silence, he entered the house and walked around curiously as the last rays of the sun going down lit the walls and the pictures hung on them. There were mostly family portraits and religious images – everything cosy and very cottage-like. There was only one portrait of a young soldier in a Wehrmacht uniform but his face was so friendly and sad that Buck didn’t even feel any hatred looking at it.

Focused on the picture, he lost his focus for a while. And then he heard a small noise and turned around with widened eyes as he spotted a young, scared woman in the corner of the room. She had a gun, too. Her hands were shaking and her pupils were huge out of fear but she was pointing the gun at him. He didn’t know if he should raise his hands and give up or point the gun at her in return – it was very doubtful she would actually pull the trigger.

He trusted no one. When he took a small step ahead to test her, she startled but she didn’t unload the pistol. So he pointed his own weapon at her and in that moment she dropped her gun and lifted her hands up while sobbing.

“P-Please, no,” she pleaded in English. “Please, don’t kill me,” her whispers were broken and shaky and Buck felt bad for her. Did she live in that house? 

“Do you live here alone?” He asked, trying not to sound too nice. She nodded. “How so?”

“I lived here with my brother and my papa,” she explained and pointed her finger at the portrait on the wall carefully. “They took my brother away. In the beginning of the war. He didn’t come back. My papa, he was old now. But they took him too a few weeks ago. Because they need more men,” she was looking for the right words with her limited vocabulary.

“How do you know English?” Buck raised an eyebrow at her.

“Papa taught us. He was a soldier in the last war. He met the English and the Americans. He was a captive,” she explained and sniffled her tears. “Please, don’t kill me,” she begged once more and Buck felt stupid for still pointing his gun at her. He lowered his hand and she sighed out of relief.

“Do you need help?” He asked. Something about her and the state of this house made him forget about his own tragic situation at the moment. She was a young woman left alone in the middle of nowhere in a country that was on the verge of losing the war. It was not safe for her and she looked weakened as if she had not had any proper meal in a long while.

“Do you?” She asked.

“Me and my friend… He’s inside the forest… We ran away from the camp, too. We are American pilots. We need to get to the American soldiers. Do you know where we can find them?” Buck asked.

“They are in town,” the girl nodded. “I can take you to them tomorrow,” she offered.

“Why not now?”

“Because it’s dark already. And you need rest,” she pointed out. Buck squinted his eyes at her. “I don’t have a phone here. And German police are not here anymore. You are safe,” she assured him. “Tell your friend to come here,” the girl crouched down and picked up her gun again. Buck clutched on his but she hid hers into the pocket of her patched dress. “It’s not loaded,” she revealed to him with a sad smile. “I lost all my bullets two weeks ago when a few strange men came here and I had to scare them off.”

Buck nodded and slowly walked out of the house. He still was not sure if she was trustworthy but he craved nothing but rest. He came back for Bill and told him about the situation they had found themselves in.

“I’m not sure, Buck,” he shook his head. “Listen, what if I go there and scare her, steal some food and we run to that town on our own?” He proposed.

Buck understood where his friend was coming from. And he did not judge him. However, he did not agree to his plan.

“No,” he only said. “It’s just a girl.”

“They’re all just girls and boys. Like the kids back there in the forest,” Bill reminded him.

“I know. But she’s not like them.”

“How do you know that?” Bill requested an explanation.

“I just know,” was all Buck could say as he nodded at his friend to follow him.

Reluctantly, Bill went to the house after Buck. The girl was sitting by the round kitchen table and lighting a few candles. She looked up, giving them a doe-eyed look.

“I don’t have electricity here anymore,” she confessed. “But the candles are fine,” she added. “Here, I collected some of my brother’s and papa’s clothes for you to change. When I take you to town tomorrow, I don’t want anyone to know who you are. In the forest… There are a lot of people you can’t trust,” she explained.

“And you?” Bill asked, still not convinced. “Why can we trust you?”

“You have to,” she looked at him and then she turned around to point at the kitchen cabinet. “I don’t have much food left. And the fridge doesn’t work without electricity. I have some cans and a few wild berries I picked in the forest. Some cheese they gave me in town out of mercy.”

“We don’t want to eat your food,” Buck assured her. “Only a little bit.”

“I’m hungry,” Bill added and Buck shot him an unpleasant glance.

“So is she. And the food is hers. She doesn’t have to help us, you know?”

Bill went silent and took a pile of clothes to the living room where he began to change. Buck was left alone with the girl in the kitchen. She was looking down nervously, focusing on his hands to avoid his eyes.

“And what is your name?” He asked her out of courtesy.

“It’s (Y/N),” she whispered. “And yours?”

“I’m Major Gale Cleven,” he reached his hand out and she hesitantly shook it. She also dared to look up and meet his gaze. Buck felt his heart skipping a beat at the sight of how sad and broken those young eyes were.

Back where he was from, young girls were not affected by the war like this. Sure, they were worried about their husbands, fathers and brothers. But they were still drinking coke, danced at the parties, whined at the shortage of nylon and drew the lines on their calves to imitate the tights. They were slowly getting used to wearing jeans as they overtook the factories, they were poster girls and had their hair done up in victory rolls. They were marking the letters with red and pink lipsticks and perfumes. And this young girl in front of him already had the eyes of a very old and wise woman. It shouldn’t be like this.

“Major Gale Cleven,” she repeated. “Sounds like from a movie.”

He was just Buck. Nothing special at all. He was not even from Hollywood or New York. But to her he was already unrealistic enough. She batted her eyelashes and looked away, shyly.

“Not really,” Buck tried to convince her and she gave him a sad smile.

Bill came back in new clothes. It was Buck’s turn now but he was afraid of leaving (Y/N) alone with his friend, so he kept staring at them awkwardly.

“Go,” Bill rolled his eyes. “I won’t hurt her,” he promised.

So Buck grabbed a pile of clothes preparead for him and went to the living room to change as fast as possible. When he came back to the kitchen, Bill was already eating some canned food with a slice of cheese and a few wild berries. A similar meal was waiting for Buck, too. (Y/N) was sitting by the table but she had no food in front of her.

“And you?” He asked her as he sat down.

“I already ate,” she told him but he had a feeling she lied so he pretended to be full already after eating a half of the plate. He offered her the rest and she eagerly took it from him as her eyes sparkled. It was probably her first “proper” meal on that day.

After they ate, (Y/N) showed them to their rooms. One belonged to her father and it was downstairs. Upstairs there were two tiny bedrooms. One was hers and one was her brother’s. She wanted Buck to sleep in it. She didn’t have to say it out loud but he knew that she trusted him more than she trusted his friend. Bill was not complaining because the room downstairs was bigger and had a nicer bed.

When Bill was already in the bedroom given to him, (Y/N) was helping Buck to put the sheets on. He was insisting there was no need but she tried her best to be a good host even in such gruesome circumstances.

“When I do this… It’s a bit like… It’s still normal, you know?” She tried to explain the best she could. He nodded at her. He understood. “There you go,” she fixed the sheets for the last time and looked down proudly at the made up bed.

“Thank you,” Buck nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. He looked up at the poster on her brother’s wall. It was very old and the colours were faded away now but he could recognise it. It was a movie poster of Charlie Chaplin’s movie City Lights.

“My brother liked Charlie Chaplin,” (Y/N) smiled. “And the films. Especially American ones. He didn’t get to see many but he liked the posters,” she explained. “When he was able to see a film, he would come back home and tell me everything about it.”

“I hope he’s alright,” Buck tried to cheer her up.

“He died,” she explained and he felt a stinging pain in his heart.

“You only said he hadn’t come back…”

“They sent us a medal and all. He’s dead,” she explained. “But papa threw the medal away. It’s in the river now.”

“Why?”

“Because he didn’t like Hitler. And my brother didn’t like him either,” she nodded. “I wish he was here, my brother. He would like you,” she added before finally approaching the door to leave him alone for the night. “Good night,” she walked away and closed the door quietly.

Buck was exhausted but he couldn’t sleep that night. He couldn’t stop thinking about the girl. What would happen tomorrow? She would take them to town, drop them off with the Americans and then what? She would just go back here? To that awful house in the middle of nowhere where she was starving and not safe? He hated to even think of such a possibility.

The walk to town was stressful and everyone kept giving them funny and suspicious looks. However, (Y/N)’s poker face and determination managed to take them to the town centre safely. It looked awful and empty – like a ghost town. She pointed at one of the soldiers patrolling the street and told them he was an American.

“Go to him,” she only said and turned around to walk away but Buck grabbed her by the sleeve of her coat and Bill hissed at him. Buck didn’t listen to that.

“What about you?” Buck asked her and her eyes widened.

“What do you mean? I don’t want him to see me,” she explained.

“You’re just going back home now?”

“Yes,” she nodded.

“No,” Buck shook his head. “You’re coming with us.”

“What are you doing, Gale?” Bill asked, irritated.

“She deserves a warm meal at least,” Buck insisted and kept a tight grip on (Y/N)’s sleeve as they all approached the suspicious soldier.

They lifted their hands up and explained who they were. Their accents and believable numbers of their units made the patrolling soldier less hostile. But then he laid his eyes on the girl.

“And her?” He asked.

“She’s with us. She helped us,” Buck told him.

“I know her. She lives in this town,” the soldier squinted his eyes at (Y/N) and she took a deep breath in. “She’s German.”

“Yes, she helped us last night. We wouldn’t be here if it was not for her,” Buck repeated. “Listen, I just want her to eat something warm, alright?”

The soldier called for a few other men who came quickly after and had a short and quiet discussion. Eventually they nodded their heads at them and led them inside of a building full of soldiers. They all looked up curiously and suspiciously.

Bill left Buck’s side quickly to talk to the men stationed there. But Buck didn’t leave (Y/N)’s side as he felt he had to look after her in this place. They were given a proper, warm meal and they sat by the table in the corner. She was eating fast and with shaky hands like a starving child given food after a long while. Buck’s heart broke and he reached his hand out to hold one of her cold ones. She looked up, scared, and he smiled softly.

“Slow down,” he only whispered.

“The women here are nothing special,” one of the men sitting by the table nearby commented. “You should have seen the French ones,” he whistled.

Buck didn’t react to that as his jaw clenched. (Y/N) ignored that comment, too, but her eyes were saddened.

When she was done with her meal, Buck approached the man in charge of the unit and asked if they could give her a few cans of food and some other supplies. The man did not want to agree.

“We’re short on them ourselves, Major Cleven,” he explained.

“Yes, sir, I understand, sir. But she lives alone in the middle of nowhere. Her brother is dead, her father most likely, too. She helped us. She’s a good woman, sir,” Buck tried to convince him.

“There is no doubt about that, son. I’m sorry. She’s not the first and not the last good woman suffering in this war.”

Buck felt defeated and helpless when he approached (Y/N) who was already preparing to leave.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t convince him to give you supplies,” he admitted, ashamed of himself.

“It’s fine. I’ll be fine,” she tried to assure him and squeezed his arm. “You’re a good man,” she added. “Thank you for the meal… And the kindness.”

“I should be the one thanking you more,” he couldn’t help himself and he fixed her ruffled hair. Everything about her was screaming inside of him to help her, to take care of her. But he couldn’t and it was killing him. “I will never forget you, German girl.”

“And I will never forget you, Major Cleven,” she smiled and he could only watch her walk away, approaching the small road leading back to the forest.

If Bill hadn’t been there with him, he would have started thinking that she was nothing but a forest fairy he had imagined. After all he was in a land of fairytales.

MASTERLIST || BUCK MASTERLIST

[upat4amwiththemoon]

hi! saw that your requests are open and if you want to could you write a fic with amelia shepard x reader. kind of a mental health fic where reader is struggling (depression or something) and either amelia and reader are a couple or reader is someone coming into the ER (or something else) but either way amelia decides to help R and eventually they become a couple (if they’re not already). i hope you understand what i mean?

anyway, thank you!

i’ll die anyway.

Summary: It’s still hard to find reasons to stay alive.

Pairing: Amelia Shepherd x female!reader

Warnings: depression

Word count: 824

a/n: Amelia Shepherd please cure my mental illnesses <3

masterlists | guidelines

Even though Amelia is oftentimes busy with her work, being the self proclaimed best neurosurgeon, she still makes time for her girlfriend, who unlike her, doesn’t have such a mess of a schedule. However, she just came to the realization that date nights haven’t happened in a while. She really hasn’t properly seen Y/N in a while.

Which is why, after arriving back home, Amelia’s first mission is to find Y/N. She goes up the stairs, towards their shared bedroom, still wearing her scrubs. She frowns as she steps into the room. No one is there. It’s dark and the bed is messy, which indicates Y/N has been there recently.

The sound of water hits her ears. Amelia knocks on the door opposite of their bedroom, trying to open it, but it’s mocked. “Y/N?” She calls out, growing worried at the silence coming from the other side. “Are you okay in there?” There’s slight humor to her voice, but it’s only there to mask her anxiety.

A quiet yeah comes from the other side of the door, but it doesn’t ease Amelia.

“You think you could open the door for me?” It takes a while, but eventually Amelia can hear the soft clink of the lock. She opens the door carefully, only peeking her head in first. When she sees fully clothes Y/N sitting under the running shower, she steps in the room fully, closing the door behind her so the warmth of the water wouldn’t escape. “What are you doing?” She has a gentle smile on her face as she kneels near Y/N. She recognizes the look in her eyes.

“I think I’m getting sick.” She whispers. Water droplets are getting all over her eyes and mouth, but she doesn’t seem to care.

“Sick?” Amelia shuts the shower off, getting no reaction from Y/N. She sets the back of her hand to her girlfriend’s wet forehead. “You don’t feel warm.” She states quietly.

Y/N hums. Her hands are hidden in the sleeves of the hoodie she’s wearing. It’s oversized, one of her favorites, mostly because it’s technically Amelia’s hoodie. Her eyes are unfocused, so she rarely blinks, only when water slides over her eyes.

“Maybe getting out of the wet clothes would help?” Amelia’s tone makes the sentence sound like a question, but it’s more of a request, as she is already helping Y/N up before she has a chance to answer. She leads her into the bedroom, not caring about the trail of water dripping to the floors. “I’m going to get you some clothes, okay?”

Amelia starts looking through their wardrobe, picking the coziest looking clothes for the both of them. She helps Y/N out of the wet clothes and into the clean ones before she changes out of her scrubs.

“Have you eaten today?” She’s pretty sure she already knows the answer, and it worries her, since she had a ten hour shift today. Y/N shakes her head, confirming Amelia’s fears. “Okay, I’m going to order us some food.”

After leading Y/N to the bed, she picks up her phone and orders the food that’ll arrive to their house the quickest. She sets her phone back down, making sure it’s not silenced so she’ll hear when their food arrives.

She sits down next to Y/N, leaning her bad against the backboard, she pulls Y/N’s back into her chest. “Can you tell me how you’re feeling?” Amelia pulls the covers over them before wrapping her arms around Y/N.

She sighs, slowly leaning the side of her head against Amelia’s. “I don’t know.” She whispers, her voice slightly wobbly. “I don’t feel anything but I’m feeling everything at the same time. It’s like I’m stuck in a hole and I can’t scream for help.” Taking a shaky breath, her voice turns almost too quiet for Amelia to hear, “it feels like it doesn’t matter if I’m dead or alive.”

“Maybe we could go meet up with a psychotherapist together tomorrow?”

Y/N hesitates. Asking for, or receiving help has never been something she can do easily. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.”

“But it is.” Amelia states in a way that leaves no room for arguments. “Mental health needs to be always taken seriously.”

Emotions mull through Y/N’s body. She feels guilty and bad for letting Amelia see, for making her worry, that’s not what she wants. She feels like going to psychotherapy would mame it worse, it’d solidify the fact there’s something wrong with her.

Amelia’s embrace turns tighter, bringing Y/N back to the present. Her hands have started shaking, she didn’t notice. “You don’t have to decide now.” Amelia whispers into her ear. “We’ll think and talk about later, okay?” Y/N nods, letting herself relax for now as she lays on her girlfriend, and tries to forget her worries.

[lexsssu]

Soft (Vergil)

TAGS: Vergil/Dragoness!reader, smut, breeding, pregnancy, heats/ruts, oneshot Ao3 ver. | Ko-fi | Commissions (OPEN)

“Moooooommm, my hair’s already okay as it is. You don’t have to keep grooming it!”

“Hush, darling. Mother knows best and if I say that your hair needs to be groomed then it means that it needs to be groomed. Now, stay still and let Mama fix you up~”

Nero grumbled and pouted, but simply allowed himself to become limp in your grasp as you combed his snowy locks for him, a bright red blush lighting up his cheeks that were yet another feature he’d inherited from his father. To be honest, Nero took mostly after Vergil in terms of looks, but he was definitely more expressive than your mate.

“...’m not a lil kid anymore…”

“Regardless of how old you are, you will always be a child in my eyes, Nero. I bore you into this world with my body and nothing can ever change the bond between a mother and her child” You smile and nuzzle the top of the young man’s head, inhaling his scent while bathing him in your own, draconic instincts, particularly your maternal ones, overflowing as you carried another babe within your belly. 

“...Just let your mother be, Nero. Once your new sibling is born she won’t be babying you anymore,” said Vergil eloquently as he sat on his favorite armchair, reading through a well-worn poetry book and looking like painting straight out of a Victorian-era portrait.

“Your father is just teasing you. You’ll always be Mama’s darling boy~” You giggle and place a kiss on your son’s forehead, watching gleefully as his cheeks turn an even deeper red from your affections.

Though seemingly minding his own business, Vergil always had his eye on you both even as he read the ever so familiar words upon the inked pages. There is a softness in the blue of his eyes that is hidden from the world outside of your cozy little home. 

A softness that is reserved only for you, his mate, and all your offspring...and maybe Dante when the devil hunter wasn’t being an absolute insufferable moron.

It’s amazing how meeting you had allowed him to see the world in a different light. To rediscover parts of himself that he’d long thought to have died off on the night his entire life had changed forever and molded him into a man fraught with only the ambition for power.

He could still remember that moment so clearly, as if it happened just yesterday...

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

“Do you need some help? You looked like you had quite the fall from so high up…”

The eldest son of Sparda blinked, a rare look of incredulity on his normally impassive face as he stared at the small hand being held out to him and the young woman who owned it. 

Mundus’ grotesque form lay upon the blood red ground, a mass of flesh with hundreds of hands sticking out of him that would have struck fear in the hearts of most living and undead creatures. However, the Prince of Darkness was obviously deceased as he lay immobile, gaping wounds and terrible gashes littering his foul body as if his opponent had just tore through him without mercy.

“...Do you know that thing? It kept yapping ever since I dropped in here kinda like how you did and well...I just wasn’t really in the mood to deal with the monologues so I took him out of his misery,” you chuckle at the young man’s astonished expression, quite liking how expressive his reactions were despite having only just met him.

“So ummm...do you wanna go to the throne room with me? That thing’s lackeys said that I should sit on the throne to make my rule as their new boss ‘official’ and well, I dunno about you but any place is better than kneeling on the wet ground”

Still flustered with the turn of events, Vergil could only wordlessly nod and before he could get up on his own, you grasp his free hand and pull him up with surprising strength.

“Great! Since you’re new here too, we both can get a tour of the place!”

The katana-wielder would have normally pulled his hand back by now in disgust and or disdain, but strangely enough he didn’t mind how your utterly warm and soft hand clutched his own. Your hand is so small that he could easily cover it if he took the initiative to do so, but he found himself both reluctant to move and content with...whatever this was.

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

“Darling, please...fuck me open. Mate me. Breed me…!” You whine and whimper as you sway your hips tantalizingly, looking back at Vergil who’d activated his Sin Devil Trigger form with complete want and adoration. Everything about his current form aroused your most primal side, wanting nothing more than to have him fuck you until were bow-legged and undeniably swollen with his potent seed.

Though he couldn’t speak up in this form, the low grunts and the way his scaled hands took handfuls of your backside as he pressed his equally demonic-looking cock into your weeping slit had you keening and sighing as he sunk its entire length in one thrust. 

As Vergil had his way with your equally enthusiastic self, you couldn’t help but smile stupidly as thoughts of the future filled your mind. Specifically, the pitter-patter of little feet that would undeniably become an absolute reality soon enough, especially as you feel the base of your mate’s cock inflating in order to lock himself inside your willing cunt.

You always did like the name Nero...

[propertyofkylar]

kinktober day 14: being forced to beg (m!wren x gn!pc)

word count: 897

tags/warnings: begging, criminal activity mentioned, blowjob, kinda not what the prompt is at all actually but idc

You groaned as you crouched on the ground. Another fucking empty box. Tonight’s attempts at looting the docks was basically a failure. Where the hell had all the good stuff gone?

“Well, what do we have here?” A voice from behind made your blood run cold. You quickly weighed your options and were about to run away when a hand met your shoulder. 

In fear, you turned around, only to come face-to-face with Wren. You let out a sigh, half relieved, half annoyed. “Oh, it’s just you,” you rolled your eyes and stood up, tugging down your face mask now that you knew you were safe. 

“Just me,” Wren echoed, eyes searching over your body. “Someone having a difficult night? Bummer.” He held up a nondescript bag and shook it slightly. Your eyes widened as you jumped towards him.

“The hell?” You tried to reach for the bag, but he pulled it away. “I worked all day to memorize what was where. How the fuck did you beat me to it?”

He shrugged casually, holding the bag away from you. “I have my sources too, you know.”

“Whatever,” you grumbled, turning on your heel. Might as well just leave. But instead, Wren called your name.

“Hey,” he said, and you turned back, feeling more annoyed than ever. He had a devious look in his eyes. “I’m not evil. I’m willing to share, since you worked so hard. But…there’s a price.”

You thought it over. You didn’t want to owe Wren anything. But money was tight right now, and you knew right now you didn’t have enough to pay Bailey, and it was due in less than two days. So you relented. “Alright, I’ll bite. What do you want?”

Wren smirked. “You have to beg for it.”

Begging? Begging Wren in particular didn’t sound fun. Though, in the grand scheme of things, maybe it wasn’t too bad. Even a fragment of the loot would be enough to pay Bailey this week. Then it could give you some time to figure out a better plan for infiltrating the docks so you wouldn’t go through this again.

“Yeah, okay,” you sighed. Wren grinned.

“Ah, come on, you could show a little more enthusiasm!”

Rolling your eyes, you clasped your hands together. “Oh, pretty please, Wren, share with me?” You said sarcastically.

“Mm, nope,” Wren said. He tugged you to the side where you were hidden from view. “Try harder.”

You got down onto your knees and looked up at Wren through your eyelashes. “Please, Wren. I need your help.”

That one must’ve worked better, because Wren faltered momentarily before regaining his composure. “Better.”

You inhaled deeply, gearing yourself up for what could end up being some of your best work. “Please. I don’t know what to do. I need your help, Wren. I can’t do it without you,” you even managed to get some crocodile tears forming. “Please. I’ll do anything.”

That caught Wren’s attention. “Anything?”

“Yes,” you whispered, trailing your hands up his legs. “Anything.” 

Wren sucked in a breath, placing a hand on your head. “Show me how bad you want my help.”

With nimble fingers, you unzipped Wren’s pants, pulling them down slightly. You ghosted your fingertips across his lower belly before pulling his underwear down too, revealing his still mostly-soft cock. You gently took his shaft into your hands and began stroking.

“You’re so kind and helpful, Wren,” you said, feeling his cock growing harder in your hands. “You’re always there when I need you. Won’t you help me out, even just this once? It would make me so happy.”

“Fuck,” Wren mumbled, his fingers threading through your hair. “Keep going.”

You kept begging as your hands worked his cock to full hardness. “Please, please. I’ll do anything for you. Anything you want. Just please help me out.”

He looked down at you, eyes dark. You put on the most innocent-looking face you could muster, and then swirled your tongue around his tip, gathering precum in your mouth. Wren hissed.

You smiled at him as you kept pumping his cock. “You’re the best, Wren. Such a great guy for helping someone like me. A poor little orphan. Please help me.”

With that, Wren shoved his cock into your mouth, fucking your face as your braced yourself with your hands on his hips. You hummed around his thick shaft, swirling your tongue around and around as he kept fucking you.

“Fuck,” he groaned, balls slapping against your chin as you took in his full length. “You’re just so fucking–” his words were cut off by his own moan.

As you choked on Wren’s cock, you kept looking up at him innocently, keeping your eyes wide and channeling your begging through them, since you obviously were unable to speak. “God, your mouth feels so good,” Wren gasped.

You smiled and kept at it, sucking hard. You could feel his dick twitching in your mouth and you suddenly pulled off, replacing your lips with your hand. “So nice,” you cooed. Wren’s face was beet red and he was breathing heavily.

You closed your eyes and stroked his cock until you felt his hot, sticky cum splatter on your face. Then, licking your lips and opening your eyes, you offered Wren a sweet smile. You could feel the cum dripping down your face.

“So, was that begging enough for you?”

[the-roo-too]

hwang yeji x reader; spiderman au

warnings: blood; injuries; badly written fighting scene

with a low grunt, her body collided with the cold wall. yeji pushed herself back quickly, trying to catch the stupid goblin off guard. he was cackling, clearly amused with her struggles.

“not so fly now, little spidey?” he jumped onto his glider, readying another couple pumpkin bombs. she jumped and swung herself to the side, crossing paths with the green goblin. she used one of her web shooters to attack the left wing. it didn’t do much, although he lost balance and jumped back to the ground. as she was readying her next attack, he ran at her, forcing her close to the wall.

“you’re getting on my nerves now…” he gritted out, although his famous sinister smile stayed etched on his face. ignoring the remark, yeji tried to come up with a quick backup plan. it was a bit risky, but she shoot her webs at the approaching glider, pulling it towards the two of them.

“burn in hell.” she gritted out before sliding down between his legs and running away. she jumped down from the roof just as the explosion happened. shooting one of her webs to hoist herself up on a balcony, she brought her hand to the earpiece between her torn mask.

“goblin went boom.” she said into the intercom. after a couple seconds chaeryeong, her ‘girl in the chair’, connected with her.

“yeah, i saw. you think he’s dead?”

she glanced up at the smoke enflures rooftop. “no. they don’t die that easily.”

she heard the small hum of the other girl. “get to headquarters safe.”

“i’ll try.”

with that, yeji lowered herself to the ground. while she technically could get to the tower in her suit, it was ripped in many pieces, making her fear if her face was visible. she jumped down to an alley and searched for her school bag she threw there at the start of the fight. inside were her casual clothes, so the hoodie she had on earlier and some jeans. she got changed quickly, hidden by the shadows of the alley. only when she put on the hoodie did she feel the burning pain in her side. hesitantly, yeji brought up her hand to her face.

“shit…”

stumbling upon the empty streets, she cursed herself for thinking getting to the tower by foot would be better. screw the ripped mask, she was barely moving with the bleeding gash on her side. it was hard to pinpoint when exactly she got it, but the goblin definitely did her a number.

yeji winced as her body collided with the harsh ground for yet another time this evening. maybe she would just sleep for a couple minutes…

her eyes fluttered open when she felt her arm being lifted. she saw mostly blurred shapes, but something that appeared to be a person stood out to her.

“d-don’t touch me…” yeji demanded weakly. the person froze for a second before sighing quietly.

“do not move miss, you’ve lost a lot of blood.” the figure said. it turned it’s head towards her but the face was unrecognisable in her state. “i’m a medicine student, please let me help…”

even if she tried to struggle, her body easily succumbed to the warm arms of her saviour. her eyes closed when the person lifted her up. a small whimper slipped from her lips when the figure touched her wounded side by accident.

“fuck, i’m sorry. i-i’ll help you miss, i promise…”

she hummed weakly. she couldn’t go with some random student, especially at night. though the person’s arms were so nice to lay in…

“it’s okay… everything’s gonna be okay…”

yeji always hated sleeping on her couch, it made her back sore. this time, she didn’t mind it at all. the couch had a nice scent to it, coffee-ish with something sweet. she almost didn’t want to open her eyes, until she remembered nothing smelled like that in the headquarters.

her eyes flew open at the sound of something ceramic hitting a wooden table. she looked to the side, wincing at the pain that immediately engulfed her.

“no no, don’t do that! i gave you some painkillers but you’re still a little drowsy..” yeji looked up, finally seeing her saviour eye to eye. she sighed in relief noticing that the face wasn’t familiar.

though that didn’t make the girl in front of her any less breathtaking. her face suddenly felt hot as she couldn’t tear her gaze away from the pretty girl.

the figure in question frowned. “you’re red, did you get a fever? i though you were good earlier…” she muttered, glancing around for what yeji could only assume was a thermometer.

“i’m good…” she was surprised at how hoarse her voice sounded. she tried to concentrate on forming her next question before she accidentally leaned on her wound, making her yelp.

“easy…” the girl helped her roll to a more comfortable position and waited, as if knowing yeji would have many questions. she picked up one of the cups that stood on the wooden table. there was steam coming from both of them and a pleasant citruish smelll. she gestured to the cups. “the other one is for you.”

“…how long was i out?” she lost connection with the tower, the rest of the team will kill her.

“a couple hours. definitely not enough for your body to rest, but i think you regained some strength.”

“and… how bad is the wound?”

the student hummed in thought. “its not fatal- because i patched it up- but i don’t think you should be moving around too much.”

she looked at the girl again. she seemed awfully calm despite bringing a potentially dangerous person to her house in the middle of the night.

“don’t.. don’t you have any questions?”

“you don’t act high or drunk, so i can assume you got into a fight willingly. i won’t question your motives, wether you tried to beat someone up for a book or a guy.”

“…could i use a phone?” yeji wasn’t expecting the girl to take out her phone, unlock it and hand it over to her.

“i’ll be making food if you need me.” she walked away to some countertop, now being away from earshot.

yeji took the device and typed in a number. the call rang for a while before the loud voice of her senior sounded through.

“good morning, park co, how may we help you?”

“jihyo?” the line went silent for a second.

“hwang? where the fuck are you?”

“i’ll send you a pin…” the older girl immediately hung up and yeji winced internally, preparing herself for the scolding she’d get at the headquarters. she sent her location to the number before deleting the contact from the student’s phone.

“um, i called a friend and she’ll come to pick me up, okay?” she yelled.

“sure!”

“…when you said a friend would pick you up, i wasn’t expecting a limousine…” the girl uttered out making yeji snicker lightly. she was leaning partially on the student for support as both of then waited for the ‘friend’ to arrive.

a black limousine parked in front of them, out getting park jihyo, the ceo of park co, and her right hand woman, yoo jeongyeon. both girls glanced firstly st yeji, the older one looking worried while the ceo had a stone cold expression. jihyo then turned to the girl and took out a stack of bills.

“thank you for taking care of my friend, we apologise for the inconvenience.” she muttered, forcing the money into her hands.

“no, it was no problem-!” jeongyeon took yeji by the shoulder to help her inside the car. the wounded girl turned around for a split second and quickly slipped a piece of paper on top of the stack.

“call me.” she whispered softly and the doors closed behind her. the limousine drove away, leaving the poor (rich actually) student confused.

[vi-trying-to-survive]

My Idiot

Anthony Lockwood x f!Reader

Warnings: This is just fluff and a little angst 💖💖💖 Also small mentions of bleeding and a stab wound 🥹💖

Summary: Y/N, a medical practitioner’s apprentice, meets Lockwood in an unlikely way. The two quickly become close, which isn’t a problem. The problem is the fact that he has no regard for his own safety and always runs to her for help.

A/N: I hope everyone likes this one :) 💖💖💖 I’ve been a little slow with updates recently :’) 💖💖💖 but I’m trying to be better :) 💖💖💖 Also I’m currently reading the Lockwood and Co so I have some new ideas that I’m thinking of :) 💖💖💖 but I am working through the requests too ;) 💖💖💖

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The door unlocked with a click and swung open. She sighed, gathering the black plastic bags in her arms, making her way outside. The street was dimly lit by a flickering lamp, which didn’t do much, considering that she could just barely make out the shapes of bins along the wall. She cursed to herself. This is what she got for taking late shifts. Wondering if she still had enough nerve to walk home, she tossed the bags into the bin. They crashed with a loud clang, startling a figure crouched next to it, hidden in the shadows. Her eyes went wide. This was it, this was how she’d die, ghost-touched at the back of a cheap clinic. It wasn’t as glamorous as she’d hoped for, but what more could be done. The shape rose, growing to be much taller than her. She raised a hand to cover her face, her eyes squeezed shut.

She waited for the immense pain and suffocation that had been described to her by others, but it never came, instead, hands gently pushed away her arms. She was no longer frightened, just confused. When she opened her eyes, they were met with dark ones. They belonged to a boy, who looked about her age. His face was smeared with dirt and covered with scrapes. His hair was ruffled and he looked a mess, but somehow he had an air of confidence about him. Not to mention he was very cute. She found a heat rushing to her face and quickly tore her eyes away.

Voices could be heard echoing through the darkness. They both glanced over and for a second fear flashed through his eyes, before he turned back to her, “Can I-“.

She was not stupid and put the facts together. “Yeah, get in, quick”, she shoved him in and drew the blinds hastily.

Only then was she aware of the situation she had put herself in. She was alone with a stranger, with no where to run.

“Thank you”, he gave her a smile. Her heart pounded harder against her chest, threatening to break out. So maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to be trapped in here with him.

She gave him a wary look, “I hope you’re not a serial killer or something”.

“Quite the opposite, I’m Anthony Lockwood”, he took a step toward her. A gleaming rapier glinted at his side. An agent, she was probably safer than she would be if she was alone.

She crossed her arms, raising a brow, “So tell me, why we’re you being chased?”.

“Would you believe me if I said it was a bad accent?”, he laughed. Wincing a little, he clutched at his stomach.

“Oh you’re hurt, let me take a look”, she pried his arms away.

He shook his head, “No, it’s fine”.

“Come on, this is a clinic”, she grinned, holding her hand out. She hoped he would take it. She hoped he would trust her.

His eyes fell to his feet, just for a moment, before coming back to match her grin. He put his hand in hers, “Alright”.

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She smiled as she thought about him. It had been about a year since they had met, and they had grown quite close. Mostly because he was unable to go one job without getting hurt. She wasn’t sure if it was his rash impulsiveness or that he enjoyed the pain. It’s not that she minded, always glad to see him. He made her laugh as she cleaned and wrapped his wounds, not to mention the coffee he would bring her every now and then from her favourite store. Still, the pang of worry that she got every time she saw him hurt was getting more difficult to ignore. She just hoped that he would learn his limit soon, he had became too vital a part in her life.

There was a raping on the backdoor. She got a fright, a bit of her tea spilling out of her mug. She frowned, making her way to the door, ready to give someone an earful for half scaring people to death. When she opened the door her expression softened, “Lockwood ?”.

He looked battered, sagging to one side, his floppy hair messy and blood stained. A bruise was beginning to bloom on his cheek, turning an angry blue-black. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach, “What’s wrong ? You were only just in three days ago”. She put his arm over her shoulder, helping him hobble into the examination room.

He squinted his eyes, an arm wrapped tightly around his waist, “I got into a fight”.

“Quick get on the table”, she hurried gathering equipment onto a tray. They clattered and clanged loudly.

She pulled back his coat, her eyes growing wide, ”Shit, this is a lot of blood”. His crisply pressed shirt was stained a deep crimson, which kept growing larger. Hastily she unbuttoned his shirt, pressing gauze against the opening. It quickly soaked through, giving her gloved hands the same colour. She gasped. This couldn’t be happening.

He coughed, “Yeah”. His voice sounded far-off and weak. This wasn’t the Lockwood she was used to. Even with a broken arm he was always grinning and full of laughter. Yes, there were bad days when it seemed like there was a cloud above his head, but this was different and unfamiliar. At anytime, of any feeling, he was always passionate and alive. Now he was just not present at all, it created a feeling of uncertainty in her.

Her mind raced, thinking of all the textbooks she’d read in her apprenticeship. Although she was still learning, she was an apt practitioner, so much so that her mentor let her run the clinic at night. Still, it was different when it was someone you knew, someone you cared about. It hurt more and the worry clouded her mind. She found doubt in herself, one that she’s never had. She had been nervous, a given with any patient, but this clouded her mind and she wondered if she would be enough for him, if he could be in more skilled hands. Still she shook her head, knowing him well, she was sure that he would be against any proper hospitals. She had never understood it, but if he had that much trust in her, she could have it in herself too. She glanced over at him, “I’ve got to stop the bleeding and-“.

He blinked at her, not really focused. It was like there was a haze between the two of them and she felt a panic overcome her. Still pressing a hand against his gash, she tapped on his face, “Lockwood, come on, stay awake, just a little longer”. She hoped he would jerk back into consciousness, but he remained still and silent.

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The sterile brightness of the lights blinded her as she frowned at his appearance, the only thing keeping her optimistic was the steady sound of his heart beat. A contrast to the stark silence of the room. She had cleaned him up as best as she could, though there were still some traces of matted blood on his scalp and the red lines of cuts along his face and neck. Then there was the angry gash on his stomach. It was neatly stitched and had stopped bleeding a while back, but she still had an inkling of fear. It was irrational, but she couldn’t help it.

His groaning filled the room, “Ow”.

“You’re awake”, she gasped, throwing herself into his arms. He was warm, real and most importantly, he was alive. She knew he would be sore, but even if he was, he said nothing, but enveloped her in his arms.

He pulled away a little, a hand on her cheek, “Hey, are you alright ?”.

She wanted to lean into his touch, but instead she pulled away, “No, of course not, you almost died”. Her brows were furrowed as she glared at him. How could he be fine ? Was the fact that he almost bled out not enough ?

“But you patched me up, like you always do”, he gave her a hesitant smile.

She ran her palms across her face, “It’s not enough, do you even know how risky this was ?”. Her eyes burned with tears threatening to fall, but she refused to let them fall. It wouldn’t help.

“I-“, he was unable to meet her gaze.

“Why do you do this to yourself ? Every week you show up here scrapes and bruises”, her eyes wandered over his skin, littered with scars.

She grimaced, “It- It’s almost like you enjoy being in pain”.

“I- I don’t”, he winced.

She collapsed into the chair, she had dragged up next to the table, “Then why ? I was terrified that you wouldn’t wake up”. She was exhausted, a combination of sleep deprivation and dealing with him.

They were both silent. Again the only sound that filled the room was the heart monitor beeping. “I- I’m sorry”, he reached out to take her hand. Despite her anger, she still intertwined her fingers with his. No matter how much he riled her up with his recklessness, she somehow always wanted to be close to him. It was contradictory to her mental health, but he was good for her in a lot of ways too. A carefree and outgoing to her rule-following introvert. They fit together perfectly and she hoped that he could see that as well.

His eyes were on the ceiling, while his thumb traced patterns on the back of her palm, “It’s just that- I- I needed a reason to come and see you”. What? How could he think that? Was he really that dense? He was quiet again, eyes occasionally flitting to her lips, and she decided she couldn’t take it anymore. She pressed her lips against his. He started slow, surprised, but quickly took the lead, wrapping a hand around her waist. His lips were soft and tasted of honey and bergamot. She could feel the roughness of his palms, as he tugged her closer to him, their chests pressed up against each other. It was full of concern and passion. She ran a hand through his hair, which only spurred him on. This was nothing like what she had expected, it was much better.

They pulled away, breathing heavily. She rolled her eyes, “You’re an idiot”.

“But now I’m you’re idiot”, he laughed, tucking a strand of her hair back.

She shook her head, grinning as she kissed his swollen cheek, “You’ve always been my idiot”.

She tucked her head into the crook of his neck, “Also, next time you come and see me, please let it be without a stab wound”,

“I- Alright”, his face went red.

They just stayed like that for sometime, content in each others company. They were always safe when they were together. It was the way things were.

He shifted about, and she caught him chancing a glimpse of the slash. “Amongst other things, what am I wearing?”, a brow was raised and he seemed perplexed.

“You’re shirt was bloody”, she shrugged her shoulders, trying to keep a nonchalant attitude.

He frowned, “Still did it have to be a unicorn and rainbow hospital shirt ?”. She tried not to laugh, pressing her lips together. Though he looked much more charming in his usual suit, she thought he was still quite cute despite his current ensemble.

“Did you have to go and get stabbed?”, she poked him accusatorially in the chest.

His expression went blank, before pursing his lips, “You win”. She just laughed.

[alexanderlightweight]

I loved in the circle won fic how Alec mentioned them thinking he maybe got brainwashed and try to “rescue” him, so could you do a follow up of that happening?

ooh happy to dip back into that abyss! thank you for the prompt, i hope you enjoy

-

“I thought this was supposed to be a rescue attempt.” Magnus says blandly as he uses magic to set off the trap that’s been laid for them. It’s a brutal one and if it had worked, Magnus would have been injured and Alexander near death.

Alexander shrugs and says, “as long as I’m mostly alive and can be healed, it’s still considered a successful one.”

Magnus is furious at that but unfortunately, not as surprised as he could be. 

“Oh, and they think that's a rescue do they?” He can’t help the way he pulls Alexander closer to him, the way his magic sparks possessively and the way he wants to claim Alexander in front of them all and prove without a doubt who his boy belongs to.

Alexander is amused more than wary in his arms, even on a battlefield.

Several months of Magnus’ weighty claim and protection have allowed him to shed some layers. The layer of layer of prey that Alexander hid under, to never be detected as a threat to Valentine and the Circle.

“It’s not their intelligence that others fear.” Alexander murmurs, a smirk playing across his face as he watches one of the shadowhunters be devoured by a sliver of hidden hellfire. “It’s their lack of it and their dedication to their cause and leader despite it.”

“Fanatics.” Magnus spits in disgust and he looks around, wondering if his preferred mouse is here to play with. “A pity,” he finally sighs, “I thought I’d get to hear Valentine’s heir shriek like a ravener being skewered again.”

Alexander laughs, a free and brilliant noise that Magnus has only recently been allowed to hear. It doesn’t belong here, where shadowhunters trying to steal him away can hear it and Magnus lets his control drop, the flames raging into an inferno. He normally leaves one or two damaged but alive, to drag themselves back to Valentine for punishment and to make it clear that Magnus is winning and that he’s keeping what he caught.

“Overkill.” Alexander teases him, but his eyes are bright as he watches people he probably once knew be savaged by the flames until even their souls cannot be collected.

“Hardly.” Magnus scoffs and he pulls his boy into a kiss as searing as the fire he wields. “They heard what belongs only to me, you expect me to share such delicacies with fools like that?”

Alexander smiles into the kiss, pleased despite himself and Magnus love the proof of his boy delighting in Magnus’ possessive rage. 

“Never.” Magnus is promised and then his boy nudges Magnus, “didn’t we have something to finish?”

And Magnus still marvels at Alexander. That his beautiful boy wants Magnus, wants to be claimed and paraded about as something, someone who belongs to Magnus. 

“We did,” Magnus considers slowly, “however it’s clear I have a traitor in my ranks. My bringing you to the nightmarket here and where I was going to portal is known to very few.” Alexander’s face twists in fury but he settles quickly enough as he tries to never influence how Magnus handles things. 

“Do we have to postpone?”

“No.”

Because if Alexander is so eager to drape himself in Magnus’ claim for all to see, then a traitor can wait. Magnus has more important things to focus on.

The shop they have reservations at is small and empty, the magical wards set to only allow whoever has the appointment card to enter and, as Magnus requested, there is no one in attendance. Only the many items he requested to be crafted.

“Not bad.” He murmurs as he looks over the delicately designed collar. It’s leather, an inch wide and while there is a loop for a leash, it’s the pendant settled into the middle of it that Magnus’ focuses on.  It takes only a moment and drop of his blood before his magic claims the empty demon pearl and Magnus admires the look of his own magic, swirling against the black of the leather. “What do you think?” 

Alexander looks hungry, starved almost as he presses close to Magnus and stares at it with awe. 

“It can’t be removed, not even by adamas. Only by my own hands and magic” Magnus assures him and he pulls Alexander in for a kiss, “they’ll have to behead you to take you from me now.” It shouldn’t be a comfort but Magnus knows it is, because in the very rare chance that Alexander might be taken from him, this means he can never truly be lost.  It’s a risk, but it’s also warded so heavily that they both know it will take several attempts and a lot of lost men on Valentine’s part for him to succeed. 

“I love it.” Alexander promises him and he bares his neck, waiting and eager to be claimed, to make it so that it will take death to steal him from Magnus — though Magnus is working on that — and Magnus loops it around his neck, letting the pieces meld  seamlessly together as his magic seals it shut.

"Then, shall we celebrate tonight?" Magnus asks and runs his fingers over the collar, the way that if anyone gets close enough to look, they'll be able to read the delicately carved MB in the pendant.

"After you've finished business," Alexander teases him because as greedy as his boy is, he's also protective. "I can wait, now." His fingers raise up and he lets them rest against his own neck, against the collar and smiles, content and pleased.

[astoldbyaja]

The Blossom surrounded by Fire - Ch. 5 (Warrior AU- HBO MAX)

I could tell this man didn’t fully trust me, but since I could understand him, and told him each item I was using on him, he wasn’t as tense or cautious. I didn’t bother asking what happened to him. I didn't bother to even make small talk. I was doubtful he would tell me anyways. A lot of people in Chinatown didn’t want to speak to me, even if they requested my help. Some of the doctors here weren’t too fond of me either, since I was once used as a last resort when their medicine didn’t work. It was only a matter of time before maybe they come for me demanding I leave or share my products with them. They would have to kill me first.

Once the man was sewn up, he gave me a brief nod before walking off. I sighed gently watching him leave. I couldn’t guarantee there wouldn’t be an infection since I hadn’t cleaned my hands at all. Guess we will see. I had medicines to treat wound infections. I felt exhausted now and I continued my way to Chao’s. For now, things seemed moderately okay in Chinatown. On occasion, I would help Chao around the shop and tidy up to keep the place nice looking. When he did business, I stayed out of the way, mostly staying hidden.

As weeks passed, I was starting to venture out more on my own during the day, using a small map Chao made me so I knew what territories not to go into. He warned me heavily to stay away from Fung Hai territory.  I kept my head down and made sure my ears were covered. I had a little money on me from helping the tongs and so I decided I should do something nice for Chao. He liked to read and enjoyed nice clothes. I couldn’t afford nice clothes. Maybe something of value, he would treasure only from me. As I walked, I noticed red and black suits strolling across the way from me. Hop Wei. I wasn’t familiar with all the faces, but of course one stood out. Bolo. He found me immediately and smirked, a cigarette pursed between his lips. I noticed the shirts of other Hop Wei were white, where his was black. It was obviously a status symbol amongst the tong. My head was fuzzy, and I didn’t feel I could even form a nice enough smile. So, I just nodded and kept walking.

He and I would get together on the occasion I went to the brothels with Chao. I found a stand lined with clothes and I began to look around at them for a moment. The owner, an elderly woman, Mei, saw me and smiled.

“Maka how you!” she asked happily in broken English. She never said my name right, but I smiled and bowed at her.

“I am well how are you?” I asked in English. She nodded.

“Very well. You look to buy dress?” she asked. I shook my head speaking Cantonese now.

“I am just looking to look today.” I replied. She waved me off.

“I give you for free. Least I do for you healing granddaughter.” she replied. I tried to politely refuse but after further insistence I nodded and agreed. There were many outfits of blues and greens. Some were dresses, others were pants. I knew each outfit signified status here, but to me, an outsider, they were all so different and beautiful. These people knew where their roots started. I was never allowed that kind of honor. I moved to part to dresses and saw a man glaring at me. I gasped noticing his hair was fashioned in a queue and he wore a brown buttoned up shirt and pants with a darker coat over it. I looked around and immediately was surrounded by more of these men. Long Zii. What did they want? My heart was pounding hard in my chest, the fear rising in me as I stepped back. But I didn’t get anywhere for more men were around me. But slowly, the men in front of me parted and slowly, a man walked through them, his demeanor calm. His hands were placed behind his back, and he was wearing the same outfit as the other men.

But his hair was not in a queue, but short and combed forward. I had never been this close to Long Zii before and so I only knew of their leader, Long Zii and his wife Mai Ling, and from what Chao told me, Long Zii isn’t a young man. I moved my hand to my satchel thinking of grabbing my knife, but the man held a hand up.

“Do not be afraid.” he said, calmly. I just watched him carefully as he lowered his hand. “I am Li Yong, Long Zii’s lieutenant. You are Chao’s woman who has been healing many of Chinatown’s citizens?”

Although his energy was reading calm, I knew this man had to be very dangerous to be a lieutenant in a tong especially one as powerful as Long Zii. I bit my bottom lip to bring some feeling in me other than fear so I could answer.

“I am not his woman, but his associate and I help when I can.” I replied carefully. I didn’t know what the right answer was and what was the wrong answer here. Li Yong nodded and tilted his head some.

“What is your name?” he asked. I looked him over some trying to get a read on him, to gauge further if I was in danger or not.

“Amaka.” I replied. He nodded slowly, a small smile creeping on his lips before he stepped back raising his arm out to the distance.

“I need you to come with me, Amaka.” he said gently. I looked at him with fear again my eyes and he must have saw this, for he smiled politely and shook his head. “You will not be harmed. My boss, Long Zii is ill. Our doctors have done all they can. His wife, Mai Ling, would be in your debt if you came and looked at him as well.”

I thought of my options of if he was lying or not. But any member of a tong has no need to lie. If they want something they will demand it. I had no other choice. I nodded.

“Alright.” I replied and began to move toward him, not wanting to stand too close to him or any of these men. He walked beside me, of course because he would have to lead me into Long Zii territory. I was tense and just kept my eyes down as I walked, keeping my hand on my satchel.

“How long have you been in Chinatown?” Li Yong asked. I looked up at him and shrugged.

“A few months.” I replied. He nodded.

“Why here?” he asked. Gathering information for his leader I see. I looked ahead now taking note of the people who walked around us.

“I was not expecting to be here… I was a slave in Tennessee.” I replied. Li Yong arched a brow, looking at me now, his hands still clasped behind his back.

“You are very far from there.” he noted. I nodded.

“My owner was a violent scientist who did all kinds of horrible things to his slaves in the name of science. He traveled the states showing off the things he did to us. He was killed in San Jose and the men who killed him, dropped us off in different locations in California. I was dropped off here in Chinatown.” I replied. I realized I had never told anyone except Chao. It feels odd to speak about it again. Li Yong nodded and pointed his forehead at me.

“Is that why your ears are the way they are?” he asked. I nodded silently. I knew they were covered by my hair, and out of the corner of my eyes I could see Li Yong still staring at me. I glanced at him.

“Would you like to see them?” I asked. He looked forward quickly.

“Forgive my staring.” he said. I shook my head.

“It’s okay. I’m used to it.” I replied and slowly raised up the hair on the right side of my head. He tried to glance, but instead looked my way again. I could tell he was curious of the outer shape and stretched skin. After a few seconds he looked ahead, and I put my hair down.

“I am sorry you were mutilated.” he said sympathetically. I looked at him confused as to why he would apologize. When I told Chao he just said, damn that’s fucked up. But then again, he didn’t really know me well back then. I just nodded and we walked on.

I started to see more men with queue hairstyles and brown on. We must have been in Long Zii territory. The home I was led to was big and fancy Once more it felt like I was walking into a museum. I looked around at the beautiful furniture and paintings. Now it was just Li Yong and I. He seemed to be watching me look around the place.

“Have you ever seen a Chinese home before?” he asked. I looked at him and shook his head.

“No. Being in Chinatown for me is like being in another world not surrounded by white faces looking at me like an animal.” I replied before looking around some more.

“Well here you will not get such treatment.” A silky voice caught my attention and I looked to see a woman in red and gold. I looked her over taking in her slender form. “You are the healer I have heard so much about.” She must be Mai Ling. She is gorgeous just like Ah Toy, but just like the brothel owner, I could sense a dangerous in them. I nodded and bowed at her.

“I am just a woman who has some knowledge on remedies. I am Amaka.” I replied leaning up. She smiled warmly.

“Amaka, a beautiful name to match a beautiful face. I am Mai Ling, Long Zii’s wife. I’m very grateful that you came here. My husband is fighting a fever and a bad stomach virus. Please.” she explained motioning me to follow her. I did and Li Yong followed me.

“He’s been sick for three days with vomiting and diarrhea for the past three days.” she said. I nodded.

“Has he been drinking water to remain hydrated?” I asked. She nodded.

“Yes. But his fever remains.” she said. I nodded and followed her down the long hall.

“Well drinking water can flush out the ickiness in his system. Has he had any Phenacetin for the fever?” I asked. She winced and shook her head.

“No. We must get that from a doctor out in the pond and as you can imagine they will not give us any. Anything to make us die quicker. Our doctors can’t even get the ingredients to make it.” she said pausing at a room and sliding the door open. Inside I could see a bed and an elderly man lying propped up against the wall. Mai Ling led me inside and I looked around at the room before moving to him. Mai Ling took the man’s hand. “Darling, I found the African doctor to you.”

African doctor. That can only be said in places where only outsiders lived. The man peaked his eyes open and looked my way. He looked weak and he looked exhausted. He looked at me and took some even breaths.

“You are the doctor? You are so young.” he said. I bowed to him. So this was Long Zii.

“Hello. I am Amaka. I have been taught by white and black healers alike. You are fighting a fever and a stomach virus I hear.” I replied. He let out a light sigh and nodded. I nodded and noticed Li Yong standing beside the door, still and quiet. I can imagine he didn’t trust me here with his boss. But he didn’t look at me with hostility like the other tongs did, so that was good. I looked at Long Zii and moved over to him. I gently raised the back of my hand to his forehead. He wasn’t too warm, but still pretty warm. I looked at Mai Ling.

“He’s warm, but not too warm that I am concerned. Was he hotter than this?” I asked. She moved to touch the man’s forehead and nodded.

“Very. His fever must be going down.” she said. I nodded and looked at the man.

“Long Zii, have you been given any medicine already for the virus?” I asked. He nodded.

“Just some herbs from the doctor. But this fever has me shaking like I’m freezing at one point then I’m sweating the next.” he said. I nodded and checked his throat, and his nostrils and eyes. I gently pressed on his stomach of which he said was hurting days ago, but the pain has subsided sice then. He hasn’t been able to keep much down. I wrote down his symptoms and looked at Mai Ling motioning for us to move back from the bed. There wasn’t too much I could do here. He hasn’t been sick for very long, and it seems his body is fighting the infection since he has his fever. I turned to her with a calm stare.

“His body is fighting the virus. I have Phenacetin with me. I can give you a few pills for his fever.” I said. Her eyes widened with relief, and I reached into my satchel. I noticed Li Yong moved closer as I did this. I pulled out the bottle, but the label was scratched off it. Mai Ling noticed this and looked at me with suspicion. I nodded at her. “I purposely scratch the names off my medicines. If the police get their hands on it, they are least likely to confiscate it if I just tell them they’re drugs. What’s one dead negro from an overdose, right?” Her eyes softened at my words, and I opened the bottle and poured some of the pills into my hand and even threw one back into my mouth and swallowed before looking at her.

I could tell she was impressed by my actions. This man was the head of a tong. There was no way she would take this medicine from me until I proved it wasn’t dangerous. What did I have to gain from poisoning him anyways? I looked at Li Yong who seemed to accept what I had done. Mai Ling held her hand out and I gave her the pills.

“All we can do is treat his symptoms. Let’s give the other doctor’s medicine a chance to work. If his fever doesn’t break tomorrow, give him one of the pills, but not too many, every six hours or so should be okay. It can damage his kidneys if he takes too much. Let’s give his body time to fight the infection.” I replied. She seemed taken aback by my kidney explanation, but she nodded.

“I understand. Thank you for at least coming here and agreeing to look at my husband.” she said. I nodded.

“Of course. If he isn’t better let me know. I will do all I can to help.” I replied. She smiled and gave a respectful bow herself.

“Li Yong will escort you back to Chao’s.” she said. I nodded and looked at the man who calmly walked from the room. I followed after him and we walked in silence to the front of the home. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag of coins. He held it out to me.

“For your services.” he replied, and I shook my head.

“Keep it.” I replied. He looked confused.

“You helped our tong. This is the least we can do to show our gratitude.” he said. I looked at the bag and shook my head.

“He shouldn’t have to pay to feel better, even if he is the head of a strong tong.” I replied. He seemed genuinely taken back by my words and he nodded before moving to walk in the direction we originally came from. The sun would be setting in a few hours. I knew this by the shop keepers closing their stores. Everything was looking familiar to me, and I knew I was in a somewhat safer spot than earlier.

What surprised me, was Chao standing out in front of the shop and looking around worried and anxious. Had something happened? He seemed to be looking for someone. When he looked our way, I saw relief wash over his face, his shoulders falling as if he had been tensed. He sped up to us.

“There are you. Are you alright?” he asked moving up to take hold of my shoulders. I nodded.

“I’m fine. I was just helping Li Yong with a sick patient.” I replied looking at the silent man who just nodded in agreement.

“The Long Zii tong appreciates her help.” he said moving to take Chao’s hand and placing the bag of money in his hand. I guess he had to give the money to someone on my behalf. Chao looked at me and then Li Yong confused before nodding.

“Well… let’s not make a habit of this huh?” he asked. Li Yong nodded once before looking at me with a gentle stare.

“Goodbye, Amaka.” he said. I noticed the softness of how he said my name. But he seemed like a genuinely calm and soft-spoken person, so I thought nothing of it.

“Goodbye, Li Yong.” I replied tenderly. He dipped his head at me and turned and began his walk back, hands still calmly behind his back. I watched him leave thinking he was not like the other tong members I had seen. The Hope Wei are cocky and walk around with their chests puffed out. The Fung Hai are feral and brutal. Their presence makes me want to shrink up inside my own skin. But the Long Zii, they are the calm before a storm.

[kousaka-ayumu]

My Sleeping Beauty

Es is now sleeping in someone's room but is chained.

The girl has been watching them on the same bed with a completely lovesick look on her face.

Her eyes are now pinkish red with her pupils we're now heart shaped, she giggled maniacally how did this happen? Well....

1. Words of affection

Flashback

The next day it was a usual day for Es at school, usual lectures, usual lunch and witness the usual bullying from the Bee Crew, god couldn't they have something better to do?

As they were putting on their loafers and went to the grocery store to start their work there, a girl is staring them from afar watching their every movement waiting for the right moment to strike.

After finishing their work and going back to their home, they were about to cook dinner until they a letter with a heart shaped sticker with glitter on it.

Strange, they didn't remember having anyone giving them chocolate or letters, but they decided to read the letter.

"My Sleeping Beauty

I have the biggest crush on you ever since you're transfer here at the school.

You're the most admirable person I know my entire life, you always do what the teachers told you to do, and you always help me with my studies.

Your voice reminds me of a songbird, beautiful and delicate like Princess Aurora, yet stern and strong like a warrior.

Do you know about the 5 love languages? They are words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch. I would love to know which one is your love language, but instead of asking, I want to let you experience all of them.

I started with words of affection, see you tomorrow at school. My sleeping beauty!

Your secret admirer 🌹"

The letter had Es burning red from embarrassment from the letter, as sweet as it sounds. It creeps them out.

2. Act of service

The next few days nothing interesting happened other than Kirisaki Shidou, his wife Akari and the their sons went there, oh boy they didn't like Shidou in the slightest.

After that they went back home to their apartment, oh they forget they have to pay the rent, but they stopped the moment they entered.

The entire apartment was cleaned, the trash is gone, and it's replaced by a whole new trash can, the dishes we're wiped clean, and there's even steak on the living room table.

Did the landlord did this? No it couldn't been, the only times he went to their apartment is to remind them to take care of themselves.

Until they saw a familiar letter next to the steak and ended up reading it.

"My Sleeping Beauty

Surprise it's an act of service this time, you're often tire yourself out and you're apartment is a mess, I'm worried that inspects might invested in you're apartment so I'm cleaning it up for you.

Remember to take a break okay?"

You're secret admirer🌹"

They swore they we're hallucinating

How did they get in?!

They always locked their door!

Later they entered their room only to see a nightgown on the bed.

3. Receiving gifts

The next few days are not very safe for Es, the only thing that kept them sane was talking to the costumers though mostly Shidou.

Now they're at the door at the apartment, afraid to open it, fearing the horror behind it.

Only for it to come true as there are presents on the floor and there's the letter, as they read the letter, they feel like throwing up.

"My Sleeping Beauty

I thought it would be romantic to give you two gifts. Since you had a bad day. Oh I can't wait to have you I my arms ❤"

You're secret admirer🌹"

Es is helpless.

Now they didn't want to go back to this place, sure they we're close with Shidou, but not to the point where they call him dad.

Now, they didn't know what to do....

Wait a minute there's Muu, their friend maybe she can help.

4 and 5 Quality time and physical touch

From the moment they met her again after school in the storage room, they collapse unto her arms letting out all the tears they have been hidden and Muu holding them close, giving them a much needed warmth.

But that they failed to notice that she had a cloth with lavender scent, slowly but surely she holds them tightly almost like suffocated them and they immediately noticed it.

They tried to free themselves from her, and eventually they did but before they try to flee, she pulled them and slap the cloth on their mouth.

They we're now scared of her, and try to escape from her again but slowly their body is getting weaker and weaker, then they fell asleep unto her arms.

She smiled devilishly as finally.... Finally!! She has them in her arms just as she wanted!

Flashback ends

Es slowly but surely woken up with Muu right besides them.

"Morning Muu." They said as they collided unto her arms..

"Good morning My Sleeping Beauty."

Inspired by: Dear Till (The 5 Love Languages)

[druckkugelschreiber]

I would like to read something about Artemis ❤️

Hi! Thanks for the ask!

Artemis is a The Old Guard OC (cause you know what else am I writing recently ^^) and she is an immortal on Andy's team (though the on team status is actually up for debate) and old enough to be the inspiritation for the goddess Artemis.

She, Andy, Quyhn and Lykon were a polycule for a long time until Lykon dies and Quynh is lost, due to the unfortunate circumstances around the witch trials.

Andy and Artemis have a major falling out over the whole thing because Artemis murders a lot of people in rage and desperation.

Their story picks up again in the 21st century, when Nile as a new immortal shows up and forces Artemis and Andy to interact again after 600 years of not seeing each other. Artemis helps the team and maybe she and Andy can reconnect. Who knows!

A snippet of their reunion below!

I entered my house. Ril was already asleep on his perch in my office. I spotted him easily through the open door. The windows were almost always open, except when there was a major storm rolling in. 

I let out a long breath, pulled out my hair tie and began undoing the complicated braid in a style this world hadn’t seen in millenia. 

“Still with the fancy braids?” an all too familiar voice said. 

I nearly jumped high enough to hit my head on the ceiling. “Zeus fucking balls!” My eyes found Andromache in the dark of the living room. A couple of the braids now fell into my face, while the others were braided along my skull. “How did you get in here?”

“You think I don’t know all the tricks you taught your huntresses?” Andy said and it sounded very ominous. 

I let my hands drop from my half undone braids and threw her a wary glance in the near pitchblack living room. Only moonlight fell in from the outside. “You know, you’re very badass assassin in that corner. Mind some light?”

Andy reached over and turned on the soft wall lights. “Better your grace?” she mocked. 

My heart tensed. My stomach coiled. Our argument from 600 years ago replayed in my mind, like it always did when I was feeling low, but now I felt like all the walls I had build around my heart, the stitches I had put in the cracks, Andy just tore them all open again, but 4000 years had taught me a couple of things. Mainly a good pokerface. “Actually, it’s ‘my lady’ or ‘high lady’ or ‘lady Artemis’ you may pick and choose.”

“Where’s the new one?” Andy’s voice was dark and threatening. 

“That’s why you’re here?” I couldn’t say I was surprised. “Actually probably helped you find me, right?”

“Artemis, I’ve known you for 4000 fucking years and you’ve never abandoned this temple.” 

Again fair point. “Yeah, I’m kind of bad at staying hidden from people who saw me grow up apparently.” I fought the urge to step closer. “Why do you care so much about the new one?”

Andy’s eyes were as cold as a winter’s sky. It was always fascinating how they changed colour with her moods. How laughter put all the green back in them and anger made them ice blue. “Maybe I care about what you’ll make of her. You really think the world needs another you?”

I swallowed hard. My jaw tensed. “You really want to rehash that particular argument?” 

“No, I told you what I want”, Andy stood up from the armchair and slowly walked over to me. 

I took half a step back before I could stop myself. But Andy didn’t stop. She reached out to take one thin braid between her fingers, twirling it softly, the strand almost the same colour as the moonlight. 

“So, are you going to tell me?” Andy said softly but somehow not any less threatening, “or do I have to test quite how good your huntresses are?”

My eyes flew over Andy’s face. I fought the fear. Mostly fear for what she’d do to my emotions rather than fear for her attacking me. Even back then, after I had lost myself in rage and blood, she had never attacked me with more than words, but those had stung deeper than any weapon as I had found out soon enough.

[invisiblerambler]

I am venting beneath the cut

I had a conversation today with a friend and I feel like I keep having this conversation of I really really like my new therapist. She genuinely challenges me and doesn't take things at face value in a way that is really really good for me. As someone who is painfully self aware, the fact that she pushes back is refreshing and really helpful. BUT healing fucking sucks. I feel it in my body constantly, my sleep sucks it feels like my body is detoxing but I'm not even conscious of it and I am so grateful for where my life is that I can even be in this place, but I can't say that I don't think about going back to the scene of the crime just so that the bleeding is less obvious.

I know, I know eventually I will be grateful to have done this work. To set myself up for success in the future but right now I'm fucking exhausted and as much as I want to engage in healthy coping mechanisms all of my energy is just going into the bare minimum. I'm socializing with friends I'm saying yes to things, I'm not doing nothing but I feel incapable of more than just listening to how much energy it is taking me to heal.

I don't feel very high functioning lately, like all functions except the essential ones have come to a screeching halt. That isn't true, I'm still doing a lot, but everything feels like it takes so much more effort than it should. Some things still feel easy. Mostly work thank fuck but the things I want to be doing elude me. I'm sure that the fact that my novel that I'm ignoring is related to the subject matter that I'm healing from has nothing to do with why I can't put any words on a page towards it.

My therapist asked me if writing was a coping mechanism, I said maybe but it feels more like breathing.

I don't remember a time in which my internal dialogue wasn't forming my experiences into a cohesive and consumable narrative, or trying.

I think in some ways it's my only coping mechanism, not actually but like I said it feels like breathing in a way where it's unfair to pretend like it's something outside myself.

I do write to cope, but writing is also automatic. It isn't always easily wrangled into marketable shapes, but it is always happening.

It's hard for me to not couch this in a painfully humble way. I blunt all of my complaints with an acknowledgement of privilege. As if I am humble enough and aw shucks enough no one can come and take it away from me. I want to be more boastful. Where I am is nothing short of a miracle. But I have this voice that tells me to remember where I came from, remember who got me here. This fear that a mist of success will ruin me and make me forget who I am.

That's flatly absurd. And frankly hilarious considering how long and how badly I swore I would never claim my roots when I left.

It's all so complicated now. I miss it. It lives within me. I feel at home here but also yearn for the familiar.

I've never known what it's like to be homesick because I resented my home for my entire life. Now it feels like three days there would be a cure to what ails me.

In reality, it would put my body back into a state of familiar dysregulation. A child weaned on poison and the like.

it won't fix me, and frankly I can't go back yet. When everything is still so fresh, I may be lured back. I need to find out what life looks like on the other side. Let the shock of being in a place so different from where I came overtake me in a positive way, let the contrast reveal what was hidden.

That's the problem. I want things to stay hidden. I want my body to keep the things it holds close. Here I release them, whether I like it or not, the intellectualization of my traumas no longer enough. I spew gratitude like a fountain. Trying to make sure the universe is aware I know I am lucky.

I deny hard work. It was all luck and good timing. It wasn't. But I come from a place where humility to the point of self-flagellation is encouraged and praised. I may not pray or even believe in the god I was raised with but the echoes of not allowing me to be the person responsible remain.

I have the most agency I have ever had in my entire life, earned through my resilience and sometimes I worry I am drowning in it.

[justice-maul]

Hot Cocoa~ Peter Parker x Winged Male Reader

Word count: 2,360

Request(s):

Ello hi would like winged male reader x peter Parker,so like the reader has wing but peter does not know about it ,the reader is a superhero called nightwing and peter and him has crossdress but never saw one another without their mask and ,male reader thought that he would tell peter also pure fulff I can imagine so excited (sorry if it is too much) Love-night anon <3

Hey! Can I request fluff spider-man(tom) x male reader with wings also he is a super hero like tom and reader is best friend but tom and reader have feeling for each other and tom finds out that reader is a super hero and he is just so excited

Author Note: sorry if this took a while I tried to accommodate both requests but please remember English isn’t my first language and tried to make it up to both of you by writing a lot more stuff than usual

I’m one of the many vigilantes that New York City has but I mostly work in queens where another powered hero works the famous Spider-Man

I’ve seen him many times during my work he always talks a lot and asks me a ton of questions about my wings so I try not to answer too many for fear of my identity being figured out

I work and patrol every night but by morning I’m completely normal I have to make sure everything about me is completely hidden so working in the dark like Batman or something is my best option

By morning I’m a barista at a coffee shop where I work with my friends Ned and Mj who have all been my friends since high school

And then there’s Peter Parker, I’ve also known him for the same amount of time but I’ve always been in love with him

He visits the shop every morning and afternoon talking to Mj and Ned and trying to talk to me but it’s like every time we see each other neither of us knows what to say

Today was a slow day so we closed up early and then stayed over hours sitting down drinking hot cocoa while Ned was talking about a new video game

Mj was making a bunch of jokes about what a nerd he was and I couldn’t help but laugh at the jokes as Mj suddenly changed her attention to me

“Sooooo you and Peter huh?” She said looking at me with a sly smile as I scoffed and shook my head watching as she and Ned exchanged a look

“Where just friends ok?” I said as both of them huffed at that rolling their eyes at me as I shrugged them off taking a sip of my drink

“Ok well you can tell him that when he gets here,” Ned said as he and Mj started chuckling both watching my shocked expression

“What? You called him here?!” I said practically yelling as heat ruse up in my face and Mj took her time sipping her drink before answering me

“Yeah it’s a slow day so we wanted to have him join us and maybe get you guys to finally talk,” she said laughing at my reaction

“Oh come on it’ll be fun we can all just hang out,” Ned said with a big grin as I groaned out a small fine and they both cheered clinking their cups before chugging it down

I went to go make another batch of cocoa for everyone including Peter as I was almost done I noticed that my wings were feeling uncomfortable

I’ve never had them like that for a long period and it hurt a ton I peeled out of the back and saw Mj and Ned and called out to them

“Hey, guys I'm gonna use the bathroom real quick ok?” I said as they both said alright before Mj said

“Just don’t take too long lover boy!” And they both erupted into laughter as I walked into the bathroom I removed my clothes and let out my wings

They were stalls in the bathroom but none of them could possibly fit my wings as they were to large when they spread out

I groaned as they spread out slowly, I rolled my shoulders and flapped them a bit to get more movement in them to try and soothe them a bit

Peter Parker’s Pov:

Mj and Ned had invited me to the store saying that it was a slow day, I had just finished with my patrol and decided it would be good to see my friends and the guy I like

I walked there and knocked on the door as I heard them fighting over which one should get up and open the door I chuckled to myself at their behavior

Ned ended up opening the door as Mj shot him a look from where she was sitting I stepped inside taking in the homey smell and the atmosphere

“Where’s y/n,” I asked them as they both looked at each tiger with smug smiles that made my face heat up

“He’s in the bathroom” Ned replied locking the door again and walking back to his seat as I joined them

“Ned hand him your controller,” Mj said as he groaned at that sounding offded

“Why do I have to do that! I suggested the game” he whined as she scoffed at his behavior

“Because he’s good at it,” she said as he let out a hurt gasp at the accusation she gave him

“Hey it’s fine I don’t have to play I can just watch you guys,” you said trying not to escalate anything as Ned gave a happy smile and Mj rolled her eyes

I watched as they played against each other Ned losing as she laughed at him and even though Mj makes fun of us for being nerds she was always secretly one or not secret

“Hey y/n hasn’t been back for a while shouldn’t we check on him?” Ned asked curiously eyeing both as we started to notice his absence

“I think Peter should go, since he’s the only one not playing,” Mj said as Ned both nodded at me not giving me room to argue as my face turned red

“Alright I’ll see if he’s ok” I got up and headed through the back to the bathroom, I assumed he would be in a stall so I opened the door with no second thought only to be completely taken aback at the sight before me

Reader’s Pov

My head whipped around as I and Peter made eye contact and we both stood there frozen neither of us making the first move both standing completely shocked

I had known that someone could walk in at any time but I was sure It was locked I was always careful but the slow day must have messed me up

Knowing I couldn’t have him say anything to the others I pulled him inside and locked the door behind me and turned to face him as he watched me speechless

“Peter you can’t say a thing to the others do you understand?” I said practically begging him grabbing his shoulders to emphasize my point as he looked at me with wide eyes

“Y-yeah yeah! I won’t tell anyone I promise,” he stuttered out pondering something on his mind and I knew the question

“Yes I’m the vigilante with wings Peter,” I said sighing as he smiled brightly at me practically beaming

“That’s the coolest thing ever! How do you use them? Are you an alien? Can you fight with them?” He was practically attacking me with questions and I couldn’t help but feel that he was adorable

“I use them like any bird, I’m not alien, and not that well,” I answered as he smiled at my replies my body finally relaxed but my feathers felt uncomfortable

I groaned again as I moved them a bit spreading them out further as Peter watched in awe

“Do they hurt?” He asked in genuine concern with a small pout, his empathetic nature always helped me feel better

“Only when I keep them in the same position for too long they kinda feel packed in the same area but I can’t reach most of them,” I said showing him by reaching a hand back

“Do you want me to help you?” Turning my head to look back at him he smiled more softly at me this time not trying to overstep any boundaries

“Fine, but don’t treat me like some type of lab rat,” I said pulling them back in to face the mirror before completely spreading them out to the point where I couldn’t see Peter anymore

“That’s so cool,” he said lowly this time running his fingers atop my feathers and I sighed at the gentle touch practically leaning into it

“Don’t waste time just spread them out a bit and if they look out of place, put them back if you can,” I said telling him to do knowing that he probably would have been confused

“Ok, got it.” He said testing the water by spreading out a few feathers farther out near the top of my wing as he gently pulled on them careful not to hurt me

It felt like getting a good back rub and honestly, Peter was pretty damn good at this his hands were almost made for this in a way

He started moving in toward my back as he finally reached the end and ran his hand over it making me turn my head at him as he made eye contact with me

“Sorry” he quickly said getting back to work and moving onto my other wing and giving it the same care and treatment as the other working his way gently towards the end as he made sure or be extra careful with himself

He finally finished with both smoothing out both of my wings and putting them into place one final time before pulling back

I reclined my wings and turned to face him grabbing my shirt from atop the sink as he finally seemed to notice the fact that I was shirtless blushing and turning away

I chuckled at his reaction putting on my work shirt and buttoning it up fixing any creases before putting on the apron and tying it around me as he stood there nervously chewing his nails

“Thanks for the help I needed that,” I said trying to break the silence as he finally looked up at me and I gave him a smile to which he so gladly returned

“It’s no big deal I can help you next time if you ever need it again,” he spoke out turning an even darker shade

“Plus,” he added “I get what it’s like with the whole vigilante thing,” he said looking up at me as he was trying to gaze at my reaction

“What do you mean?” I asked urging him on as he pondered what to tell me

“Well don’t tell anyone but I’m um kind of Spider-Man,” he said sounding unsure of himself

“What do you mean kind of?” I asked as he looked down embarrassed

“Let me just show you,” he said grabbing a bracelet-like a thing and putting it on his wrist before he used it showing his webs

“Holy shit,” I let out astonished at that as he giggled a bit at my reaction

“I built these but I do have powers like super strength and stuff,” he said scratching the back of his neck

“That’s pretty cool Peter, you always did have a heroes heart,” I said smiling at him as he did the same bashfully

“Well maybe we could talk about it sometime or even team up how cool would that be?” He said excitedly

“And we can share how we both got these abilities and help each other with this” he continued rambling

“Sure we could set up a date,” I said smugly as he nodded at that

“We should probably get back before the tiger starts getting suspicious,” I said pointing to the door he agreed and he walked out

I walked into the kitchen and motioned for him to come with me as he stood by me watching as I was finishing up the cups I had made earlier

“Who else knows?” I asked him not facing him this time focused entirely on the drinks

“Just Ned he helps sometimes but no one else, you?” He asked eyeing me curiously as I mixed in some caramel in all four cups

“No one knows your the first,” I answered nonchalantly as I added some whipped cream and a ton of marshmallows with caramel drizzled on top

I finally turned to face him as I noticed his face looking happy and almost fulfilled at my response

I turned my body completely toward him as I approached him and he looked up at me innocently

“Peter, I’ve liked you for some time now can I know if you feel the same?” I asked him lowly making sure he could still hear me and watching as his ears turned red and he blushed

“I like you too I have for a while,” he said just as low as I grabbed his chin and leaned in to kiss him softly pressing a sweet kiss on his lips as he put his hand on the counter steadying himself

I pulled away and he looked behind him in shock and clear embarrassment as I followed his gaze to see Mj and Ned standing behind us in the doorway

They both had smug looks on their faces as Mj reached out her hand towards Ned and he handed her some money groaning

“I told you I could make them confess,” she said pride radiating off of her as she smiled

I just laughed at the two's antics grabbing their cups and handing them to them as they both accepted them eagerly

“Thanks, y/n you make the best cocoa,” Ned said taking a big gulp of it Mj agreed, nodding as she sipped her drink

I turned to hand Peter his drink who gave me a small and quiet thank you before taking a sip himself and nodding his head

“Ok let’s go watch a movie or something else I’m bored with nerdy games,” Mj said turning around and heading out as Ned followed out

I took my own cup and gently grabbed Peters's hand as he smiled at me and we walked out together hand in hand sipping our drinks

We sat down with the gang fighting over which we should choose and Mj tell us that all of our movie choices suck before we all decided to watch some cheesy movie laughing the entire time

Being a hero it’s normal for me to feel alone usually, but sitting here with everyone watching a movie drinking some cocoa, and finally having someone I could trust with my secret felt nice to have even if it was just for a second

~The End~

[asshlyyyy]

Look Deep Within Pt. 3 (Dylan Lenivy x reader)

Here it is. I struggled a bit with this part, but I think a lot of you are going to enjoy it. Just as a little spoiler, there might be two more parts until this story leaps into the events of the game. It might take me longer to get those chapters out... just because I want to jam pack everything into it. 

Also, if you ever see something that fits the description of a girl, please let me know. I’ve been really good at making sure things are told in a way where you describe yourself. I know I accidently said her instead of them in the last part and that has since been fixed!

Masterlist

warnings: swearing          wc: 2.1k

11:02 | July 3 Hackett's Quarry Lodge Kitchen

Your e/c eyes were stuck staring at the ingredients in front of you. It's not like you forgot how to make the food. It was a very simple recipe and very simple food. It just felt like, your mind was clouded with something else, perhaps Dylan? You have been lost in your mind ever since that one day at breakfast.

"Heellloooo~" Dylan sang as he walked into the kitchen. He was wearing his usual look of a t-shirt and jeans. Very stylish, very comfy. You looked over at him and sent him a small smile before going back to looking at the food in front of you.

"Where's your group?" You asked as you started to paste together what you had to do.

"They're out with Jacob. He's doing ya know, sport things." He answered and stood next to the table you were standing at. He looked down at the food and at your confused face.

"Right right, I forgot that was before lunch,"

"You okay there? Do you need a reminder for what you need to make?" He chuckled lightly.

"No, my mind is just blank at the moment." You replied as you pushed the ingredients together for the corresponding food.

"Ah, brain fart," he nodded and leaned against the counter.

"Yeah..." you mumbled and took a step back and nodded.

"Okay, so meatball subs are pretty simple. We just need to heat up the meatballs and sauce. The pasta salad... We need to cook the noodles, and then put them in the fridge to cool... cut some veggies, we'll have to boil eggs... um..."

"Chill, y/l/n, how about you focus on stuff that goes on the stove, and I'll start cutting things up," Dylan suggested. You nodded at the suggestion.

"Yeah, that works," you agreed and started to get ready. It was sometimes quite awkward when it was just you and Dylan. After you found out about him being your long-lost best friend... It's like you didn't want to be yourself anymore. Mostly in fear that he would find out and it would just get awkward... Would it? It would be awkward for you at least.

Out of everyone, it had to be him? I mean it made sense. He had that humor that attracted you to him in the first place. The charmish smile, those beautiful beautiful eyes- oh my god. Shake the thought out of your head.

That was before... six years ago, he is not the same person as he was then. People change when they hit puberty, and he definitely did. I mean... he got way taller and stood above you no matter what. Some might even describe him as the Hyperion. Aka, the tallest tree in the world.

"It sucks Mr. H took out phones. We could be listening to some jams right now," Dylan commented. You nodded in agreement. He was right, it would be nice to listen to some music while making food for all the kids. And to help keep your head out of your thoughts.

"There might be a radio somewhere? Don't know what stations you would find though," You explained while bringing out some big pots.

"In this very kitchen? Okay, break from the veggies, I'm looking for this radio." He seemed determined, that or he just wanted to get out of cutting veggies. His eyes gazed around the room at the possible locations that the radio could be hidden.

"I don't think so... maybe in one of the tall shelves, or something. I haven't been able to reach up there." You suggested, to which he let out a laugh.

"I gotta hand it to you short people... mostly because they can't' reach it anyways," he held a smug look on his face.

"Is that supposed to be funny?" You looked over at him confused.

"Y-yes?" Dylan sounded unsure of himself. You shook your head and let out a small laugh. He was trying to be funny and you had to give that to him. When in doubt, laugh at the sad attempt at their joke.

"Just look for that radio, dumb dumb." you kept a smile on your face.

"Aww, I got you to laugh," Dylan made his way over to you.

"I think you're just hearing things to feed your ego," You replied not realizing that he was behind you.

"Is that so?" He said as tased your side. You let out a yelp and felt your body fall backward from the impact. Dylan's laugh filled your ears as he easily caught you from falling to the ground. Your head fell back against his chest as you let out a laugh. His arms wrapped around your waist, a smile wide on his face. His eyes looked towards your face.

"Hello fell-" the voice broke you guys out of your... whatever you would call it. The two of you quickly pulled away from each other.

"Am I interrupting something...?" Nick asked as he looked at the both of you.

"No no," you shook your head.

"I was uh- I was looking for the radio. Yes... yes and she um-" Dylan tried to come up with an idea.

"I slipped and he caught me, yup, yup," You stepped in.

"Right... right..." Nick nodded slowly, "right... should I go?"

"No! You- You can help." Dylan nodded in agreement as he slowly pulled himself further and further away from you.

"Are you sure? Cause the two of you look like you have it all under control" Nick pointed out as he slowly backed towards the door.

"I swear Nick. You tell anyone what you saw and put it without context, I will tell Abi how you feel about her." You threatened the poor boy.

"I- You got it, boss," and with that Nick left the kitchen. You let out a sigh and felt your face heat up. You turned towards the pots that were on the stove and steered the sauce to keep it from burning.

"Right... now... where was the pesky radio," Dylan muttered and continued to look for the radio. Your eyes were glued to the food out of fear that... if you looked at Dylan you would break.

It's not like you had a thing for Dylan... it was more like... an awkward moment that would... um.. that would... You know... You didn't want to have anything major. You weren't even looking for a real friendship this summer, let alone a whole-ass relationship.

"Ah-huh!" Dylan explained as you heard the cupboard open and close. You turned your head and watched as he pulled out an old radio. "Now let's see if we can get this baby working."

"Even if you get it working... would you even be able to find a station from all the way out here?" You asked. You were sure that, back when the radio was more useful there were a lot more radio stations out there. However, now you weren't so hopeful.

"God I hope so," he said as he plugged the radio in, and started to fiddle around with it. You shook your head and set up the final things on the stove to cook, before heading over to wear the veggies were to cut them... Since Dylan abandoned that task.

As you went ahead to cut the veggies the static of the radio filled your ears. You didn't know if it was worse than having your thoughts speaking aloud when there was no sound. After a few more moments of having to listen to it... you definitely agreed that the static was way worse.

"There has to be a station, why have a radio if you can't use it?" Dylan pointed out. You hummed a response and finished cutting up the rest of the veggies. You used the knife to push them all into a big bowl.

Shortly after tossing the veggies together, music started to fill your ears. You looked over at Dylan who was pumping his fists into the air in celebration.

"Oh hell yeah! Let's get it,"

"Not exactly the best, but-" you chuckled lightly.

"But it's something," he finished your sentence. You nodded in agreement and went back over to the food that was on the stove.

"Oh shit, are you almost done? Fuck, I'm sorry. I've been no help whatsoever." He apologized and sent you a sincere smile. You shrugged your shoulders in response. It's not like you weren't used to working by yourself.

"It's okay, I'll just have you do the living heavy." You smiled gently towards him. You weren't exactly the strongest, considering all the heavy lifting you did was mostly in the summer... you didn't gain much muscle to be able to pick up pots full of food.

"Ah yes, with my spaghetti arms," he chuckled as he lifted up his arms. He then started to make his way over to you to help with said heavy lifting.

"Nah, you got some muscles," You pointed out as you combined the meatballs into the tomato sauce, having to stand on your tippy-toes. You heard Dylan laughing from behind you.

"I make do with what I have, and these pots are tall," You fought for your height.

"Whatever you say, y/l/n." He said as he leaned against the counter.

As you got the meatballs in, you checked the noodles by taking one out and trying it. As it was at a good texture you grabbed a huge colander and placed it into the sink. You looked at Dylan and tossed him some oven mitts to protect his hands from the hot pot.

"Alright, put those muscles into effect and dump the noodles out into the colander. And keep your face away from the steam, or  you'll whine." You explained. He nodded and put on the fun crab-themed mitts that you begged Mr. H to get. You giggled lightly at his appearance.

"Hang on now," he pointed his clawed hand at you. You stiffed out a laugh and covered your mouth. He rolled his eyes playfully and went towards the pot.

He grabbed the pot full of steaming hot water and noodles and brought it over to the sink. You stepped away to give him some more room. You watched as he dropped every single last piece of noodle out into the colander.

"Once it's empty you can just put it in the other sink for now." You said to him while bringing a cart over to easily transport the noodles to the fridge. As he dumped the pot into the sink, he grabbed the colander full of noodles and placed it on the cart for you.

"Thank you," you said while taking it over to the fridge. You opened the doors and moved over some of the food already in it to make room for the noodles. Since Dylan didn't know what to do, he just watched you.

Your hair was pulled up into a messy bun. The light perfectly danced against the sun as you shined ever so lightly. A small red-tinted your cheeks still from before. He smiled gently at the sight of you.

Before you knew it, you and Dylan were taking all the food out into the main room of the lodge. The two of you put the food out and covered them to make sure they stayed warm. You felt the weight of perfection fall off your shoulders as you realized... you were done with lunch. For some reason, lunch always seemed to stress you out more than breakfast or dinner.

"Hey, take a breath, you did amazing like always," Dylan complimented as he placed his hand on your shoulder. You looked over at him and smiled softly.

"Thanks, Lenivy." You responded as you let out a much-needed breath. You looked out the window at the view and smiled. What you would do to spend time here without having to work. Dylan slowly but surely pulled his hand off you and stuffed them into his pockets.

"The view is amazing. Even after so many years, it somehow gets better with every year." He spoke from beside you.

"Yeah... It's so peaceful."

The doors to the lodge opened and the voices of many kids entered. You gave Dylan one last smile before going off and finding your group. A huge smile on your face as you got reunited with your favorites.

"Y/n!" Some of the kids yelled as they rushed over to you. They started to tell you about their day so far as you listened to every single one of them.

Dylan watched from afar. It felt as if he was back in camp six years ago. He felt his heart beat out of his chest as he heard someone ask to braid your hair. He knew who you were.

Taglist: @starjane312

[deepdarkdelights]

Run Little Red (Namjoon x Reader)

Pairing: Namjoon x Reader

Word Count: 7.8k

Warnings: 18+, Yandere, Werewolf Namjoon, Stalking, Obsession, Forced Relationships, Blood (Lots of it), Gore, Fear, Panic/Anxiety, Discussions of discovering dead bodies, People going missing, Devious Intentions, Depictions of Guns, Mourning, Wolf Courtship Rituals

I do not condone the acts displayed in this story nor do I believe any members of BTS would actually engage in this type of behavior. This is simply written for entertainment purposes and should not be taken as a reflection of my own values, opinions, or morals. 

<<Forbidden Fables Masterlist>>

Preview:  A calm life in a small village was all you ever knew, your days spent in the bakery and keeping to yourself. You liked the quiet and gentle nature of your life, but one day a wolf stands outside of your window, a stranger arrives, and people begin to go missing. Do you dare don your red coat and enter the forest?

A/N: Hello babes! My fellow authors and myself decided to change up the order of our release dates for our Forbidden Fables Collab! And, since I recently finished this little beauty, I get to release it first. yay! Now I can sit back and savor the delectable writings of my fellow authors 💜 I hope you enjoy Run Little Red it was fun to make! I can’t wait to read the comments and asks 💜

There was a wolf outside your window. 

It’s eyes gleaming in the early morning light like molten gold with silver fur that melted into the snow. 

You sat up in bed, wrapping your patchwork quilt around your shoulders as you scooted to the foot of the bed. It was staring at you, that much you were sure of. And that startled you, the almost human like appearance to its gaze was intense and unsettling. It was an animal, but it appeared to be far more intelligent than you had first anticipated. 

Maybe it was hungry, perhaps that was why it was so intent on peering through your window.

No, it certainly wasn’t, that was evident. What you had missed before was glaringly obvious now, its silver muzzle was stained in red. It had made a fresh kill before it had wandered over to your cottage mere feet from the woods. 

So, if it wasn’t hungry, why was it here?

You watched in morbid fascination as its tongue slipped out of its mouth and laved over the fresh, thick, crimson blood that decorated its muzzle. You could see the rows of sharp canines hidden within its maw for mere seconds before the wolf clenched its jaw shut and settled on its hindlegs in the drift of snow.

“My, what big teeth you have.” You whispered to yourself, your voice seemingly louder in the empty room.  

You couldn’t help but wonder what it had made it’s meal. Perhaps a deer, or a squirrel, maybe a bird, or even a small, innocent, little rabbit. 

That would have been ideal. But, you knew it was most likely one of the poor farmer’s livestock. Your village was small and self sufficient, rarely reaching out to its neighboring villages and rarely receiving visitors of its own. So, when the cattle and the goats began to disappear, only their entrails remaining, the town quickly became suspicious. 

It was either one of two things, rebellious teenagers making a hassle for everyone, or a wolf amongst you.   

If only you had known what was to come. 

You stared back warily out the window at the creature, suddenly realizing just how easily it could bust through your flimsy window if it wanted to. This wolf was probably the largest you had ever seen, it was almost the size of a pony, with long limbs that held thick muscle from the time it spent chasing down its prey. You were certain a simple snap of its jaws would kill you in an instant if it desired to do so. 

It’s gaze had not left you, petrifying you to your very spot. You felt like the two of you were playing a game, waiting to see who would be the one to make the first move. 

The call of your mother’s voice was the tie breaker. 

You rose to your feet, your bare skin brushing over the cool wood of the floor as you retreated through your door, back first. 

“Yes?” You replied, angling your neck to the hallway for a moment. 

“Hurry, sweetheart! You’re going to be late!” She called back from the kitchen. 

The bakery had been in your family for the past three generations now, starting with your grandfather, then your mother, and now you. Your mother was showing signs of her age now, her hands were unsteady and unreliable creating more of a mess than a sellable meal. So, it was your turn now. It was the only thing you could do for her, besides be married off and you weren’t quite ready for that. No one was. 

At least that was the gentle way of putting it, in reality you had made yourself quite the social pariah. You were a determined woman, one who liked to keep to herself, one who liked owning the bakery and not having to sign over the ownership to a husband. You had your mother to care for, a business to run, and a grandmother that lived deep in the woods to fret over. 

It didn’t really matter what you wanted, you did what was necessary to stay afloat. 

“Just a minute!” You called once more before slinking back into your room. 

There was a noticeable difference about the space now, the wolf was gone. The only sign he had ever been there being the large dip in the snow that his form had disrupted and a track of paw prints headed into the forest. How strange. 

You shook your head in an attempt to clear your thoughts, you didn’t want to think about what you would have to do if the creature returned. The shotgun looming over you from above the front door said enough.

You couldn’t allow a predator to get comfy around your home, that would only invite trouble into your life.

You dressed yourself quickly that morning in as many layers as you could. The walk to the bakery wasn’t a far one, but it was a frigid one. You made sure to wear your wool stockings and your leather boots, the snow looked to be thick and you didn’t fancy the idea of wet feet all day while you worked. 

You leaned over the side of your bed, scooping up your bag and throwing the keys inside of it in one motion. The extra sleep you had gotten the night before had cost you the time you needed in the morning to ready yourself. 

Once you gave yourself a quick look over and ran through your mental checklist, you rushed out of your room and into the main room of the house. Your house was more like a cottage, it was incredibly small. With only your mother’s room, your room, and the kitchen in one corner with the fireplace in the other it made for a quaint and cozy home. Albeit a cramped one. 

“Your breakfast is on the table.” Your mother said, smoothing a stray hair behind her ear with trembling hands. 

You could see her cleaning up the mess she had made that morning in an attempt to show you kindness. Normally, you were the one to wake early and prepare the both of you for the day ahead. But she had also told you many times before that she was your mother and she was supposed to take care of you as well. 

You eyed the bowl of steaming porridge that sat upon the rickety table. “I don’t think I’ll have the time to eat it.”

“Then you’ll make the time.” She huffed, wiping a wet rag over the counter in two swipes. 

“I shouldn’t have overslept.” You sighed, resting your bag on the floor as you took a seat. 

“You needed the rest, dear. You’re up every morning at the crack of dawn and you don’t come home until nightfall. You don’t need to work that much.” She chided you, smoothing her hands over your hair in a fond manner. 

“I do, for you and for Grandmother.” You reminded her. The cost of living was not cheap. 

“And what about you? You should be spending time with people your age, not working yourself to the bone.”

“I don’t need anyone but you, and Grandmother.” You smiled before sipping at your spoon quickly, hissing as you burned the tip of your tongue in your haste. 

“Youth is wasted on the young.” She chided under her breath, spurring a giggle from your throat. 

You finished your food as quickly as you could before excusing yourself from the table and heading for the door. 

“Your cloak, dear!” Your mother called as you pulled the door open, the chill of the snow seeping into your bones. 

“Yes, mother!” You chirped with an amused roll of your eyes as you curled your fingers around the crimson fabric of the cloak. Your grandmother had made it herself two winters ago, as much as you loved it and her you had to admit it was a tad ostentatious and you weren’t exactly one for attention. But it was warm and it served its purpose well. 

The door creaked shut behind you, squeaking softly as it settled back into the frame. The snow had fallen much higher than you had previously anticipated. You tightened the ties of your cloak and delicately flipped the large hood over your head before gripping your layers of skirts and hiking them up as you began your journey. 

It was rather slippery that day, you couldn’t restrain the slight squeals that fell from your parted lips each time the heel of your boot found a patch of ice and sent you sliding. You were certain you should have caught the attention of a few passerbys, but to your surprise a large group of them had become preoccupied. 

There were about fourteen of them, all in one great circle fervently discussing something. They seemed to be worried, panicked even. It had caught your attention now that the group was made up mostly of men excluding the butcher’s wife and daughter. Both’s cheeks were stained red, their eyes brimming with unshed tears as they held onto each other tight in the crisp air. 

Your face tensed in confusion as you approached the bakery, the group not too far away from you. 

“Oh, poor Sarah.” A tender voice cooed worriedly from next door. It was the tailor, she and her apprentice were stood outside, thick shawls wrapped around the both of them. 

You occupied yourself by rifling through your leather satchel, pretending to look for the shop keys you held in that very hand. You knew that eavesdropping wasn’t very polite, but you also were the curious sort, and that curiosity demanded to be satiated. 

“Don’t worry, miss. I’m sure they’ll find him soon, you know how the young ones are.” The apprentice said, her hand resting on the tailor’s shoulder in a gesture of comfort. 

“It’s not like William though, he’s a sweet boy. It doesn’t make any sense for him to go up and missing at the crack of dawn.” She replied, her dark eyes narrowing in suspicion. “I just find it funny is all, that a stranger shows up here the same day that Sarah’s boy disappears.”

“Coincidence isn’t evidence.” The apprentice hummed, pulling her shawl tighter around herself  as she began to back up against the shop door, aggravated by the chilly air. “I’m sure he’ll turn up, with a search party that size he’ll be back home in no time.”

With that, you finally retrieved your “missing” keys and unlocked the door, sliding into the safety of the bakery. You knew William as well, he really was a sweet kid...to most. Your heart did go out to Sarah though, you didn’t know the pain of a missing child but you could empathize. The sight of her broken face remained burned into your mind as you readied the shop, lighting the hearth and preparing your materials to start your first batch of bread for the day. Your late start was going to nip you in the behind, most of the women arrived by noon to get their first pick of goods and the two hours it would take to make your batches was going to loom over your head the entire time. 

You were mid kneading your dough when the familiar tinkle of the bell above the shop door demanded your attention. You paused for a moment, your aching arms thanking you for the short reprieve. Almost immediately your breath was caught in your throat. You had been expecting one of the regular mothers wandering their way in, or perhaps even one of their children running errands. Not this man that stood before you. 

This was most obviously the stranger the tailor had been referring to moments earlier, there was no mistake. Your village was small, everyone knew everyone and this stranger looked nothing like any of the people in your town. 

He was so much taller than anybody else, broader too. But most astonishing was his pure silver hair and the deep honey shade of his eyes. You had never seen anyone as young as him with hair that light, it surely wasn’t grey, the shade far too bright to be mistaken with something that dull. He was damn near ethereal and unfairly attractive. His looks had almost distracted you from his attire but now that you were paying attention, he was severely underdressed for the weather. He had to be freezing cold. 

“Hello, can I help you?” You asked softly, patting your hands against your apron to remove the excess flour from your skin. 

He had a rather confident stance, like he was the owner of the shop instead of you, you who was slightly cowering and thrumming with anxiety. 

He sent you a wide grin, his teeth were pearly white and for some unknown reason that sent your heart crashing into your stomach. You could have sworn they even looked slightly pointy at the ends, not unlike those of the creature you had seen outside your window that morning. You had almost been distracted by the sweet dimples that rested in his cheeks. What duality he had. 

He tilted his head back slightly, peering down at you from above, “Hm, I’m looking for something sweet.” He hummed. 

“Sweet?” You mumbled to yourself, resting your hand on your hip in thought.

“Oh! I made some sweet rolls yesterday, how about that?” You said with a snap of your fingers, retreating further into the shop without a response from him. 

Now in work mode you busied yourself with preparing the stranger’s order. You couldn’t help but wonder why he had arrived, what his reason for being there was. Barely anybody passed through your village, and they certainly didn’t stay as long as he had. 

Once you had retrieved the tray of rolls you set them on the counter before grabbing a pot of freshly warmed icing and gently drizzling it over top. Once each roll had been thoroughly coated, you set the pot aside and headed to the cupboard to retrieve a bag for them.  

“Perfect.” You sighed in irritation, craning your neck back to see the top of the shelf. 

Normally, you had endless amounts of bags and never needed the ones stored on the top shelf. But this winter had been far more difficult than past ones and your stock had not been refilled in quite a while. 

Desperately not wanting to search for your wooden stool, you stubbornly resorted to balancing on the tips of your toes, your fingers just barely brushing against the material of the bags. You groaned in frustration, bouncing up slightly only to knock the bags back further on the shelf and worsen the ache in your shoulder. 

Just as you were about to give up and resort to looking for your rickety stool, you felt a hand settle on your waist and a chest press against your back as the stranger reached up and grabbed the bags for you. He was incredibly warm, so warm you thought he may even be sick. He felt as warm as the heat emanating from a fire of fresh coals and that was incredibly alarming, but also explained his state of dress.

You flinched in surprise as you felt him set the bags aside and settle his other hand on your shoulder. It was deathly quiet, the only sounds being his slow, steady breaths underlying your panicked ones accompanied by the calm rise and fall of his chest against your back. You had never been this close to anyone before, it was incredibly uncomfortable. 

You felt much like a rabbit, cornered, panicking, and believing that if you stayed still enough he wouldn’t see you and would go away. 

He gently rested his forehead against your hair, nuzzling from side to side before reaching up and playing with a stray strand. You could feel him taking a deeper breath this time, humming softly like he was pleased. 

“Sweet.” He mumbled to himself. 

Oh. Oh, no. Who did this man think he was? You were not on the menu. You shuddered in fear before jerking away, smacking his hands off of you. 

You turned on your heel, backing away from him as you fixed him with an annoyed glare. The look he gave you was one of clear confusion, a layer of hurt and frustration buried beneath. 

“I’m not sure how things work where you come from, but normally you ask for permission before you go touching someone you don’t know.” You huffed, slamming the empty bag on the counter as you began to package the rolls. 

It didn’t matter if he was attractive or not, you were not going to let him touch you as he pleased or get the wrong message that you weren’t even conveying in the first place. 

The stranger rounded the counter, the block of wood effectively separating the two of you, making you feel a little safer. His eyes looked darker than before, less like honey and more like amber. 

His confident demeanor had returned, effectively confusing you even more. 

“Forgive me,” He said, another smile gracing his lips as he rested his forearms on the countertop, “It seems we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot? My name is Namjoon, and yours?” 

So, he did have the capability to be somewhat of a gentleman. He was rather well spoken, and his strange mannerisms and quiet demeanor had all but disappeared in a flash. 

So, begrudgingly, you replied with your name. 

He repeated it after you, his tongue swiping over the full flesh of his lower lip like he was tasting it, sending a chill down your spine. 

“I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, you were correct in assuming where I come from we do greetings a little differently.” He said with a soft chuckle, his amber eyes tracing every movement you made. 

You did feel a little bad now for how you had lashed out at him. Normally, you weren’t one who was quick to anger, but that still didn’t excuse what he had done. 

“It’s alright,” You said, slowly, “You need to be more careful though, if that had been anyone else I don’t think you would have gone unscathed.” 

“Are most of your people so quick to violence?” He asked, titling his head slowly, a strong sense of intrigue exuding from his form. 

“I wouldn’t say so normally, but we’re all a little on edge as of late. Our livestock has been attacked and just this morning one of us went missing.”

“Missing?” He asked, a new glow to eyes. 

“Yes, I’m afraid so. The butcher’s son hasn’t been seen all day, it’s very unlike him.” You said, your teeth sinking into your lower lip, unsure if you should tell him more. But, considering it concerned him you felt maybe it was in his best interest to tell him. 

“If I were you, I wouldn’t stick around for too long. Some find it suspicious you turned up the same day that William went missing.” 

“And what if I don’t feel like leaving just yet?” He asked, disregarding the information you had just given him as if he had no reason to be worried. 

You had no answer for him, truly you didn’t. The packaged rolls sat between the two of you and a long stretch of silence as he stared at you and waited for a response that didn’t come. And, without another word, he dropped a few too many coins on the counter, gathered up the bag, and headed for the front door. 

He stopped for only a moment, his fingers gently stroking at your red cloak you had hung up beside the door. His amber gaze trailed over each stitch as he lightly grazed the material a few more times. 

“I’ll be seeing you soon, little red.” 

~~~~~~~

After he had left, your day had not gotten any easier. Just as you had expected, it had been another busy day. You had managed to satisfy all of your customers, despite that late start you had made. 

There were a few upsides to the job you had, one being that it allowed you to tune into any gossip you would normally miss out on. You were more of a hit with the older women of the village, the people your age finding you to be a tad strange and off putting. 

That day your shop had been filled with hushed whispers of what had come to pass, the search party still had not returned from their trip to recover William. The outlook was not in the boy’s favor, not with the increase in predator activity you had been receiving as of late. You weren’t so sure you would be seeing William walking back into town any time soon. 

Once the day had come to an end, the sun dipping just below the tree line and casting shades of red over the snow, you had extinguished the lights of your shop and were locking up, your hood drawn over your head. That was when you found out the horrible truth. 

As you slid the shop keys into your bag and turned on your heel, you saw the search party emerging from the woods. And with them, you could see a blanketed form lying in the snow, the sheet swaddling the body slowing turning red. 

You swallowed harshly, turning as quickly as you could and beginning to make your way through the snow and away from what you knew was coming. You didn’t want to see the look on Sarah’s face, you didn’t want to watch her go boneless in the arms of her husband. But it didn’t matter what you saw or didn’t see, you would never forget the sound of her screams piercing the crisp, snowy air.

Your breath was visible in hot puffs in front of your face as you felt the burn of tears beginning to prick at the corners of your eyes. It didn’t matter if you didn’t care for William, it didn’t matter if you knew what he was really like, there was nothing quite like the sound of a mother’s heartbreak. It was enough to send anybody down to their knees. 

Your numb fingers wiped away the warm tears rushing down your cheeks, and amidst your blurry vision you could have sworn you saw a familiar figure slinking off into the woods, a flash of silver hair that just barely materialized. You could have sworn that that was Namjoon disappearing like a ghost into the frigid depths of the forest. 

You shook your head, you shouldn’t bother yourself with what he was doing, your main goal should be getting home before the sun completely dips below the horizon and plunges you into darkness. So, with that thought, you rushed home. 

Once you entered the cottage, things didn’t get any better. Your mother was stood there, waiting anxiously for your arrival. As soon as you had stepped foot inside she whipped the door shut and helped you remove your cloak as you toed your boots off. 

“No more working late, do you hear me?” She said, gripping your shoulders to get you to look at her. “It’s not safe out there.”

“Word travels fast then?” You asked humorlessly. 

“It’s a shame what happened to that boy, and I’ll be damned if that happens to you.” She replied sternly. 

“And what about Grandmother then? What do we do about her? She’s out there, all alone, with no one to protect her.”

“She has the lumberjack-”

“And he only checks on her every two weeks.” You interrupted, “Let me go out tomorrow and bring her back to us. I’ll go first thing in the morning.”

Your mother bit her lip, her hands shakily settling on her hips as she thought to herself. “I’ll go with you then.”

“No, you can’t possibly think you’ll be able to make the trip. The snow is thick and it’s a long walk there, you’ll exhaust yourself. It’ll be better if I go, faster too.” You said as you approached the fireplace, raising your hands to the flames to warm them. 

“And your grandmother, you think she’ll be able to make it back through the snow?” She probed, raising her eyebrow. 

She had a point, if you were saying she wouldn’t be able to make it there how would you expect your grandmother to make it back with you? 

You rested your hand on the back of your neck, pacing the floor and causing your layers of skirts to swirl around your ankles. You came to a sudden stop, your eyes settling on the shotgun that was mounted above your front door. Idea.

You didn’t like the thought of her being out there all alone, but if you knew she had something to protect her from the wild animals that would make you feel much better. 

“Alright, what if I bring her some supplies instead? I’ll grab some things that’ll last her a good while and I’ll show her how to use the shotgun. I’ve saved up some money of my own, I could purchase us a new one.” You mused out loud.

You loved your grandmother, she was the last living member of your father’s side of the family, she was the only connection you had to him at this point. You couldn’t bear the thought of losing her just yet, not when you could prevent it from those creatures that were beginning to terrorize your people. 

Your mother was silent once more, her thumb settled between her lips as she nervously chewed at the nail. She didn’t like the idea of you headed out into the woods alone, but she was comforted by the thought of you taking the shotgun with you, that much you were certain of. 

“We don’t know when the next storm will hit, and the last thing we need is for her to be stuck out there, all alone, with no food, surrounded by the wild. Let me go.”

And that was enough to break her resilience. 

“Promise me, promise me that you’ll come back.” She whispered, her body visibly sagging as those words left her lips. 

“It goes without saying.” You murmured, wrapping her up in your embrace. 

It was easier this way, you didn’t want to make a promise you had no certainty in keeping. 

The air in the cottage had lost all tension, everything was much calmer than before. But your peace could only last for so long. It was when you entered your bedroom that you realized something else was wrong.

The room was positively frigid, and upon further inspection you realized that your window had been pried open, the cold winter air surging forth and snuffing out any traces of heat. 

You surged forward and grasped the window, attempting to swing it shut as quickly as you could to try and insulate whatever warmth was left. But the thick scent of copper quickly stalled your movements. Instead of closing the window, you found yourself leaning forward into the brisk air, sniffing intently as you tried to make out where the scent was emanating from. You didn’t have to look far.

Your hands sealed themselves over your mouth, smothering the scream that threatened to break through them. 

Sitting in the snow where the wolf had once laid, was a human heart. The snow seemed to sizzle around it, the organ still warm and slick with blood that carved rivers and valleys into the pure ice. 

You could feel bile rising up your throat, your vision shaking so violently it made it appear that the heart was vibrating with steady pumps like it was still alive. 

And, to your horror, you could make out a form a few feet back in the snow. The only thing that was visible in the pitch black were it’s molten gold eyes, shining back at you in recognition before it scuttled away into the darkness.

You frantically slammed the window shut and drew the curtains closed tight. 

There was no mistake now, someone or something had been following you. 

~~~~~~~

When you awoke the next morning from a restless sleep, you elected to keep your discovery to yourself.

Although you were incredibly frightened by what you had seen, the last thing you needed was to scare your already frail mother. Your grandmother was still in need of assistance, and you couldn’t allow your mother to halt your plans. You had a mission to accomplish, and you were set on completing it with a shotgun slung over your arm and a picnic basket on the other. 

So, you shakily grasped your red cloak and wrapped it around your shoulders in haste, your fingers struggling to do up the ties at the base of your throat. Once you had completed the normally easy task, you slipped your basket onto the inside of your elbow and pulled down the shotgun from its resting place above the door. 

You regularly cleaned it, a task your father had enjoyed teaching you at a young age, so you were certain it wouldn’t jam if you needed to use it in a hurry. You slid a box of ammunition into your pocket, one for you, and another box into the picnic basket, one for your grandmother. 

And then you were off, bidding your mother goodbye with a hug and a swift kiss to her cheek, and an unspoken promise tittering on the edges of your lips saying that you would be home for supper. But those words were better left unspoken. 

The sun was just barely peeking through the thick clouds overhead, you were certain a blizzard was brewing. This only urged you to move quicker through the cleared paths. 

But the clouds weren’t the only foreboding message that morning, it was the mother’s wailing in the town square. There were three more now, holding each other in a comforting manner as they wept into each other’s shoulders. 

More children had been snatched from their mothers.

Sarah sat by herself, of her own volition, an obsidian mourning veil obscuring her tear stained features. A chill ran down your back as you urged yourself to walk by them quicker, she looked more like an executioner than she did a mourner, surrounded by a choir of weeping women. 

You could still hear the echoes of her cries in the back of your mind, the raw chords striking your ears once more. 

You tightened your grip on the strap of your shotgun, your pace slowing as you reached the bridge that led you into the forest. You felt like you could breathe now, despite the knowledge that people your own age had lost their lives in the thick overgrowth before you. The relief that you felt from the women in the square outweighed your fear.

The bridge creaked in protest as your boots tapped against the wood. It would need to be repaired come spring. 

“Little red!” A voice called from the treeline causing you to suddenly stop, snow kicking up beneath your boots. 

Moments later, a familiar figure emerged from the frost coated trees, tall, ash hair, and honey eyes. Namjoon. 

“Where are you off to, little red?” He cooed, his voice low with a sultry edge that sent shivers down your spine. You couldn’t tell if they were delighted or terrified chills. 

“My grandmother’s, what are you doing here?” You asked, your body tense and defensive. 

He drew nearer now, a wide grin gracing his lips with a set of teeth so white they resembled the snow beneath your boots. The closer he got the more you noticed about him. His perfect white teeth seemed a little sharper than most, and the clothes he wore were once more, not suited for the frigid weather. 

“I caught sight of this old thing,” He hummed, his finger tracing over your cloak and the strap of your shotgun as he slowly circled you, “And couldn’t help but see you.”

You stepped back hesitantly, his presence was unnerving. Without saying anything more you pulled away from his reach and began to walk by him briskly, headed into the woods. 

“Leaving so soon? We only just met.” He laughed, it would have been a nice contagious laughter had you not heard the bitter edge to it. 

“I’m afraid I don’t have the time to dawdle, Namjoon. I need to reach her before the storm hits.”

“Well then, won’t you let me accompany you?”

“I don’t need an escort, I know my way just fine, thank you very much.” 

“And what about the beasts then?” He asked from beside you, sending you halting to a stop. 

“Beasts?” You asked slowly, gazing up at him from beneath the cover of your hood. 

“Well, surely you know?” He asked in a patronizing tone, his honey eyes narrowing. “Four people from your village have gone missing, red. Surely you know that wasn’t an accident. Great beasts have roamed this forest for centuries and they don’t take kindly to intruders. It would be much safer if I came with you.”

You stood there for a moment in silence, contemplating his words. He was not wrong, two people were much safer than just one. 

So, begrudgingly, you accepted his offer. 

His hand quickly captured your own, his fingers intertwining with yours as he pressed his side tightly to your own with a grin. How bold. You were struck once more by the fact that he was incredibly warm, it was no wonder why he wasn’t bundled up like you were. It felt like he had struck a fever. 

Namjoon filled the silence between the two of you surprisingly well, telling you stories of the great beasts that roamed the woods, effectively scaring you and holding your attention. He had a way of speaking that drew people in, like a siren from the stories your father had read to you. 

It was easy to forget with him, easy to forget why you had been frightened in the first place, easy to sink into his side as his warmth seeped into your flesh, and easy to get lost in his voice. 

That was of course, until you felt him pulling you off of the path. 

You dug your heels into the snow, tugging at his hand violently. “Namjoon!”

“Yes?” He asked.

“What are you doing? Her cottage is this way, we stay on the path, we never leave the path.” You said, gesturing towards the dirt pathway beneath the two of you. 

That was a spoken rule in your village, never go off of the path. 

“That’s ridiculous,” He chuckled, “If we continue the way you were going, that doubles the time it takes to get there, it’s better we take the shortcut.”

“No.” You sternly said. 

“And why not?”

“Because, there’s predators out there! Mountain lions, bears, wolves!”

A mischievous smirk pulled at the corners of his lips, “Are you scared of wolves, little red?”

“I’m scared of anything that wants to eat me.” You replied with a dry tone. 

“Well you do smell very sweet-”

“Namjoon!”

He took a deep breath, his eyes darting between you and the shortcut. “I promise you, nothing will hurt you while I’m here. Besides, did you know some flowers bloom in the winter?”

“What? You can’t be serious.”

“I am, there’s a field of flowers this way, all different breeds that bloom in the dead of winter. Don’t you think your grandmother would enjoy those?” 

You chewed at your lip uneasily. He knew exactly what to say to make you question your own actions. You would be lying if you said you didn’t want to see what he was talking about, and you knew that yes, your grandmother would be elated by something so cheery in the bleak winter months. 

So, after a few moments of consideration, you agreed.

And Namjoon had not been lying. After a few minutes of trekking through the deep snow the two of you emerged into a clearing, and just like he said, it was filled with flowers of all different breeds. 

You found yourself crouching down into the field, your fingers trailing over each velvety petal that had somehow found a way to survive in the clutches of an icy death. Your favorites were the deep red roses. They were a dead match for your cloak, a beautiful color that was delicately dusted with soft flakes of snow. 

You couldn’t help but greedily pluck several blossoms from the foliage, slipping them into your basket. 

And, amidst your excitement, you hadn’t noticed just how close your companion had gotten until you felt him. That incredible warmth had returned as he crouched down behind you, and just like he had in the bakery, you felt him lightly nuzzling your head and breathing in your scent as he pressed himself closer to you, his arms winding around your body in an attempt to pull you even tighter to him. 

You froze, your finger mid pull on the rose’s stem causing you to slice the appendage on a stray thorn. You hissed in pain as you watched the blood drip from the tip of your finger before rolling down your wrist and carving a pool into the snow beneath you. 

And, without a thought, Namjoon’s hand encircled your wrist and yanked it up to his face. 

His once honey eyes appeared brighter than before, his long lashes fluttering as his warm breath misted over your skin. And before you could stop him, he licked a line up your wrist, collecting the blood, and pressed your finger to his lips swiping his tongue over the wound. 

You yelped in surprise, wrenching your hand free from his grip as your heart pounded violently. You rose to your feet and stumbled backwards through the snow. 

Namjoon remained where he was crouched, a sudden hunger evident in his honey gaze, a gaze that was not so unfamiliar. 

“We-we need to go!” You stuttered, turning on your heel and retreating from whatever had just happened. 

You held your hand close to your chest as you walked, frightened by what had just transpired. A part of you suddenly wished you had made your journey alone as you had previously intended.

But the harsh crunch of snow behind you reminded you of the choice you made, and the molten glare digging into your back exemplified it. 

~~~~~~~

The rest of your journey was made in complete silence, a new tension had settled between the two of you. And, true to Namjoon’s word, the way he had taken you was indeed a shortcut. So, you felt no remorse as you sprinted toward the cottage ahead of you and threw a weak thank you over your shoulder. 

You couldn’t stand the awkward tension anymore, you couldn’t stand being in his presence any longer than you needed to. 

As soon as you approached the front door, you threw it open and let it shut behind you. You leaned against the door for a moment to catch your breath before you shrugged the shotgun off of your shoulder and strung it up on the hook beside the front door. 

“Grandmother!” You called as you began to approach the kitchen door, “I’m here!”

And upon opening it, a blood curdling scream broke free from your lips. 

The sight before you could only be described as a massacre. Your hands desperately tried to cover your eyes, but the damage had already been done. There was blood, so much blood amongst other things laid out atop the counter. 

You fell backwards, your body sliding down the wall as hoarse screams raked through your throat. The unmistakable scent of blood was thick in the kitchen sending your stomach churning in your gut. You knew that scent, it was clear as day whatever had remained in that room had once been human. 

“Sweetheart?” A familiar voice called out to you. 

And upon opening your eyes, you saw your grandmother standing before you. The sudden feeling of elation surging through your body at the sight of her alive quickly died out. She wore a leather apron stained with blood, both fresh and old, and her hands were gloved. You quickly stood and began to back away from her, your sense of self preservation suddenly kicking in, your eyes zeroing in on the meat cleaver she held in her left hand. 

“Sweetheart, calm down.” She whispered softly, carefully setting the blade down on the counter beside the gorey mess. 

Your eyes were darting everywhere but her, panicked breaths leaving your parted lips. Your gaze finally settled in the corner of the room where a pile of clothing sat and a familiar axe. The lumberjack, she had murdered the lumberjack. 

“Why?” You cried, trembling as if you had been drenched to the bone. “Why did you do it?!” 

“I had too sweetie, I have to feed them.”

“Them? Who?” You asked, backing out of the kitchen as she followed your trail, her face soft with sympathy despite the flecks of blood that decorated her cheeks. 

“The wolves, of course. I made a deal with them long ago, if I fed them in the winter I could stay here.” She replied, her voice alarmingly calm. “The lumberjack was a sweet man but this winter was a rough one, not many travelers I’m afraid.”

“You’ve gone mad.” You whispered. 

“I know this is a lot to take in, but it’s best if you listen to me darling. Your grandfather was one of them, he courted me and then we had your father and your uncles. It’s always tricky with litters, you never know who is going to take after who. Your father though, he was the most human out of all of them. Poor thing couldn’t even shift.” She sighed, her eyes glazing over.

“You need help, you’re not well.” You tried again, doing your best to keep distance between the two of you.

“I know you’re a bit shaken up, but you need to listen to me, it’s in your best interest.” She sighed, untying the leather apron from around her waist. 

“That cloak you’re wearing, it’s a symbol that you’ve come of age and Namjoon has had every intention of courting you. He’s been rather obvious really, he’s becoming quite frustrated with you.” 

You suddenly became still, your mind flashing through every time Namjoon had ever touched the very item you were wearing. What she was saying, although deluded, had some semblance of truth. 

“I-I have to go.” You mumbled, your throat tightening from the copper scent and smell of flesh that hung heavily in the air. You needed to get home and far away from her before she killed you too. 

A deep sadness spread over her features as her head hung low, shaking from side to side. “Don’t run,” She breathed, “They find the chase seductive.”

All this time you had been slowly backing away from the person you loved the most, and now you had been stopped by the feeling of a solid form behind you. You quickly spun around, a shriek of horror escaping you as you met the bright, gold eyes of your escort, Namjoon. 

And, without thinking, you ran. 

Your cloak was fluttering behind you rapidly in the harsh, cold winds, the snow coming down thicker than it ever had before. And, to your absolute horror, a loud howl was echoing throughout the trees. 

You peered over your shoulder as you sprinted to the best of your ability through the snow drifts. The wolf that had sat outside your window days before had returned and was chasing you down. Now that there was nothing separating you from the creature you were terrified, it was massive and hunting you down. It had the clear advantage, you were inevitably going to die. You were never going home again, another child was going to be ripped from their mother. 

Tears were pouring down your cheeks like waterfalls as you blindly ran, unsure as to where you were going. You knew that you didn’t have time, four legs were faster than two and you were greatly impaired by the weather. 

With no goal in mind, no destination in sight, you ran in hopes you would be able to live for a little longer. You did your best to weave between the trees, slide down hills of snow, and keep running for your life. Your lungs burned and your legs ached but still you ran, even as you heard the loud steps of the wolf coming nearer and nearer.

And, just as you had lost all hope, an outcropping of rocks became visible at the base of a snowy hill. And with every intention to save your life, you recklessly threw yourself down the hill allowing gravity to take over for you. 

The second you felt yourself cease rolling, you rose to your unsteady legs and dizzily stumbled into the cluster of rocks, pulling yourself into the shelter away from the blizzard.

But your hope was fleeting as you came to a realization. The shelter was a den, one that had clearly been in use. It was littered with furs, blankets, books, and materials for a fire. The creature had been corralling you to this very location. 

You turned as another burst of adrenaline shot through your body only to be stunted by the sight of the silver wolf blocking the exit to the den. 

It’s bright eyes stared back at you with a gleam of satisfaction as it crouched down, shimming it’s way into the den and backing you up further into its depths. 

You watched, horrified, as the wolf began to whimper, it’s body shaking violently as the sound of bones beginning to snap and crunch echoed throughout the space, reforming and distorting themselves into vaguely familiar shapes as it’s fur began to melt away. 

Those bright golden eyes faded to a recognizable honey shade, and the silver fur disappeared and showed itself as ashen hair. On the floor of the den sat Namjoon in the place of where the powerful wolf had once stood. 

He carefully rolled his head from side to side, his neck cracking loudly in response as he rose to his feet. A mischievous smirk pulled at his lips, a triumphant gleam to his eyes as he confidently approached your trembling form. 

A broken cry escaped from your throat as you felt him press his forehead to your own, lightly nuzzling his head against yours. His strange behavior now made sense, he had been courting you in a way that was unfamiliar to you, but natural to him. 

All of the people that had gone missing were male’s your age, he had been wiping out the competition. 

And the bloody organ he had left outside of your window, had been a horrific present. A show of his dominance and his twisted affection. 

You were crying uncontrollably now, everything you had experienced suddenly crashing down on you. You flinched in terror as you felt his fingers grip your jaw, his lips just brushing against your own and he hummed happily.

“You have nowhere left to run, little red.” 

[nineteenninety-six]

A Little Bit of Sunshine

↳ Hector x Reader

↳ Word Count: 3.09k

↳ Requested by @shadechu​

A/N: I have never written for Castlevania before but I really enjoyed writing this, it flowed so easily. Hector is probably OOC but who cares lol. 

Anyway, enjoy :D

Hector had moved to a small town after everything had gone down with Lenore. After she died he realised how much damage she caused him, the lasting marks of her abuse and manipulation still scarred his body and mind and he could no longer stay in a place where they had lived and she had died.

The fact that he managed to escape the bond she had on him and that he was able to deceive her was only able to sustain him for a short while before everything fell apart and Hector was no longer able to act as if everything was okay, so he left and started anew.

The new town was on the smaller side but not small to the point where he would stand out. He easily blended into bustling crowds in the town centre and the residents treated him like any other local. For the first time in a long time, he felt normal, as working for Dracula was an experience that words couldn't explain.

He had his own little cabin in the woods where he could be at peace and the distance to the town centre was far but long enough for him to enjoy the sights as he walked past. All in all, he liked this new path of his life, it was almost completely different than it used to be and he expected to miss it but he enjoyed the calmness and serenity of this new path of his life.

On his usual weekly trip to town, someone called out to him, trying to catch his attention. it was a young woman, probably the same age as him and she was calling for his attention, waving him over to her stall.

"Sir! Sir!"

Hector looked up in surprise and as soon as the woman realised she had his attention a bright smile overtook over her face before she eagerly began to wave him over, swinging her arms back and forth over her head, gathering the attention of the other people around them.

Hector quickly shuffled over to them not wanting her to cause an even bigger scene and pull more attention their way.

"You're new aren't you?" Was the first thing out of her mouth.

Hector flinched in shock at her words, not expecting them. No one else knew he was new and that put him on edge.

"Oh don't look so surprised, I just know everyone that comes here."

Hector raises a brow at her words, " ... That's weird. You do realise that right?"

The woman shrugs, "Maybe but it makes for good business. People are more likely to buy something if I remember them from just previously meeting."

Hector realises that he's standing in front of a stall filled with baked goods, "You're a baker?"

"Family business," She clarifies, “I mostly do the selling due to my - "

"Charm?" Hector cuts in with a sarcastic tone.

"Actually, I was going to say my good looks but yes charm too." The woman grins.

Hector couldn't help but bark out a laugh, the woman never missed a beat.

"I'm (Y/N) in case you wanted to know" (Y/N) informed him with a wink.

Hector had to twist his lips so that the smile that so desperately wanted to escape, couldn't.

"Hector" He introduced himself.

"Well Hector, what can I get you? " (Y/N) asked, gesturing to the spread of baked goods in front of her.

Oh, she was smart. Catching his attention, making him come over to his stall and

converse with her in front of everyone and now he could surely not been seen walking away with nothing after taking up her time. While he didn't really care about the local’s opinions about him, he didn't want to be outcasted more than he already was.

"I'll have a loaf and a sweet pie please"

(Y/N) shoots him a bright smile and packs up his items, then collects his money.

"Thank you, Hector. I hope to see you again soon"

"I'll see you again" Hector responded

As he began to walk back home, Hector thought back on how easily (Y/N) made him feel at ease, how he brought a smile to his face and drew laughter from and he got scared.

This is how Lenore got her claws in him, she manipulated and lied to him before tricking him into servitude and he never wanted something like that to ever happen again.

He decided for the health of his mind, he would keep his distance from (Y/N). He couldn't find it in himself to completely ghost her and ignore her so he'll keep cordial. He'll be friendly but he couldn't let himself become close to her.

.•° ✿ °•.

His plan worked well, every time he went up to town he stopped by her stall and bought what ended up being his usual order of a loaf and a sweet pie, engaged in small talk with (Y/N) before leaving and it worked well for weeks until he had a dream about Lenore one night.

A mere dream had knocked him off-kilter. He had awoken a mess and fell out of his bed in his confused and frantic attempt to escape his blankets. He only managed to crawl a few paces before collapsing on the cold floor, his remaining energy only enough to let him roll onto his back. Hector blinked lazily up at the ceiling as everything he had locked away came rushing back. He relived the moment when he fell for her, the moment he realised that she had tricked him, the moment when she realised he betrayed her and then when she had died by her own will.

Everything that had occurred over the last few years played in front of his eyes and he hated every part of it. He could never forgive himself for being so naive and trusting yet he missed those traits of his.

When he 'awoke' again, the sun was moving low, signifying sunset wasn't far away. He pulled himself up and washed his face at the basin before he left his cabin, his feet taking him into town. The town centre was still busy despite the late hour and so was she, the woman who he came to see.

Despite the other stall owners who had either left or were in the process of doing so, her stall was still set up with what remaining items she had left. She was sitting on a stall with a book on her lap in a different world and Hector felt bad about disturbing her but he needed her.

He didn't even have to call her name, as soon as he was a few feet away, she looked up at him with a smile and closed her book shut, though when she got a proper look at him, her smile faltered.

"Hector?" She made her way over to him, brow furrowed in concern, "Is everything okay?"

He must look like a mess. He certainly felt it on the inside and he had been in a trance since he woke up, not paying any attention to his looks.

"I... um, I -" Hector stumbled over his words, his tongue suddenly heavy.

"Why don't you take a seat" (Y/N) guided Hector to her stall and offered him some water from the pouch at her side.

Seeing that he was in no position to talk about what happened, (Y/N) changed the topic slightly, "I thought you were not coming today. I got so used to seeing you, it would be a shame if I did not see you."

"But do not fret, I set aside your usual order for you," She said as she showed him a little wrapped up basket.

Hector nodded, the change in conversation took the pressure off his shoulders and he felt more at ease to speak.

"What do you do with the ones you do not sell? "He asked

"Today these are going to the homeless. I usually alternate between them, the orphanage and poor families"

"That is kind of you. Nobody did anything like that when I was young"

"I think the world is horrible enough with the wars and death and it costs nothing to do a little good within your own community" (Y/N) then looked up at the sky and noticed the changing colours, “Do you want to come with me as I give these out?”

Desperate for more of a distraction, Hector agrees and he helps her clear up her stan before they set off to a different part of town, him carrying the basket of baked goods for the homeless.

“Do you have any family, Hector?” (Y/N) asked.

Hector shook his head, his grey hair swishing around his chin as he did so, “Just me”

“Hm, well if you want any annoying younger siblings, I’ll eagerly give you all of mine”

“Surely they’re not that bad-”

(Y/N) lets out a laugh, “One day I’ll take you to meet them. You’ll regret your words!”

As they walked around, handing the food to the less fortunate, Hector noticed the strange way (Y/N) behaved. Her head constantly twitched one way to the other, as if someone was calling for her attention but she stopped herself before fully turning around to see and her eyes were flickering about like seeing things that weren’t there.

“(Y/N)? Is everything okay?” Hector asked

(Y/N) froze when he spoke, looking at him with wide eyes, she twisted her head around to make sure no one was nearby before she grabbed his hand and pulled him into a hidden alcove.

There was fear in her eyes as she gripped his hands tightly, “I am telling you this because I trust you but you cannot tell anyone or they will kill me.”

“(Y/N)...?”

(Y/N) casts one more precautionary look around her before speaking, “I can speak to animals”

Hector blinked in surprise, that was the last thing he expected.

“You...speak to animals?”

“Speak, understand, you know the whole thing”

“...The whole thing?” Hector repeated after her.

(Y/N)’s shoulder slumped in disappointment at his words, “You do not believe me. Of course, you don’t, I sound like a crazy woman.”

“No, no!” Hector was quick to reassure her, “I don’t think you’re crazy, of course not.”

(Y/N) gripped Hector’s hands tighter in relief and he suddenly realised that they had not stopped holding hands since she had dragged him. Her hands were soft but strong and steady and they fit perfectly in his, he never wanted to let go.

“I could do since I was a child and I told my parents but they thought I was a child with a large imagination so they ignored me,” (Y/N) began to elaborate on her talent, “And when I was ten there was a witch-burning in our old town, an older woman was accused of conjuring spirits and setting against the people of the village but in reality, she was just a sick old woman who needed help. After that, I knew I couldn’t let anyone know about you know what”

“Why did you tell me?” Hector asked.

“...I don’t know. There’s something about you, so understanding, empathetic, trustworthy. I know I can trust you.”

(Y/N) had revealed her deepest secret to him, made herself vulnerable yet he could not do the same to her, though the ability to communicate with animals was much different than being a forgemaster.

“You can trust me, I promise I will not tell anyone.”

(Y/N)’s shoulders relaxed and she gave him a brief smile, “Your belief in me means more than you know.”

“Now,” Hector lifted the basket up, “Should we finish what we started?”

It had progressively gotten darker, the sun only moments away from going down completely.

“Of course! We must finish before it gets too dark.” (Y/N) stepped out of the alcove and hurried down the street, dragging Hector behind her, still holding on to his hand.

-

It was dark by the time they began to walk home, Hector insisting on walking her home so that she wasn’t alone at night. She stopped in front of a little cabin, not unlike his, it also wasn’t that far away from his.

“You don’t live with your family?” Hector asked.

(Y/N) shook her head, “It is better for me this way. I love my family, truly but the chance of them finding out about me is something I can’t risk. I cannot truly say that they wouldn’t expose me… there are some things that are beyond even family ties.”

“Anyway,” (Y/N) spoke with a sigh, “It is late, I need to sleep. Thank you for today, Hector. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Hector waited until (Y/N) had reached her door and spoke again, “Can we...meet again soon?”

(Y/N) gave him a toothy smile, “Of course. In two days by the lake? I can bring a picnic for lunch.”

Hector nodded, “I’ll see you then.”

He waited until her door closed before he made his way home, his heart feeling happy. He had forgotten how he felt earlier that day and (Y/N) had completely turned his day around. He did feel guilt though, he went to for help, a distraction which she provided and then she revealed a deep secret of hers yet he couldn’t even tell her about his nor his past with Lenore or history with Dracula and being a forgemaster. The things he carried were heavy yet (Y/N) had already been so understanding and kink that he didn’t fear telling them to her, he knew she would understand.

In two days at the picnic, he would tell her.

.•° ✿ °•.

(Y/N) was already by the lake by the time he arrived, speaking out loud to someone he couldn’t see but when he heard the responding barks and yelps, he realised that she was talking to a dog. He hurried his pace to catch up to her, excited to see her communicate to animals in person.

“Is that a dog you’re speaking to?” He shouted as he jogged over to her.

(Y/N) spun around with a smile, “Yes! I’ll introduce you to him!”

She crouched down and took the dog into her arms before turning towards him after he finally reached her,

“Hector this is- Cezar”

“-Cezar”

Hector and (Y/N) spoke at the same time. Hector stared at the dog he had not seen since Carmilla had dragged him away after Dracula died and (Y/N) stared at Hector, surprised he knew the little mongrel dog.

Cezar eagerly barked at Hector, his tiny body wriggling in excitement as he tried to escape (Y/N)’s hold, so she let him down and watched as he raced over to Hector barking like mad and when Hector kneeled down, the door jumped into his arms and wiggled some more.

“...So I guess you know each other then?” (Y/N) asked.

“Cezar is my dog,” Hector explained, giving the small dog rubs and pats, “I got separated from him a while ago but how did you meet him?”

“We stumbled across each other last year and then we became close companions...but I’ve always been curious about something about him.”

“Is it that he looks like he should be dead?”

(Y/N) laughed, “Yes, Hector. Don’t get me wrong, I love the little dog but he looks a bit beyond his years.”

Hector put Cezar down and together they began walking towards the lake so they could set up their picnic.

He took a deep breath before he began to explain what he could do, “I’m a forgemaster.”

“Forgemaster? What’s that?”

Of course, she wouldn’t know what that was, her world was not the same as his.

“I can bring back animals and humans from the dead and call demons from hell.”

“Wow...that’s uh...wow”

“I’m sorry for dumping this on you, I know it’s quite heavy stuff.”

“I did not know that was possible”

“Many don’t. It’s beyond comprehension.”

“If I wasn’t looking at proof right now” (Y/N) pointed towards Cezar who was trotting ahead of them, “I wouldn’t believe it either.”

“Is that what caused you such distress the other day?” (Y/N) asked as they found a place to sit down.

“No, no, that was about Lenore.”

(Y/N) kept quiet allowing Hector to speak at his own pace.

“I was taken captive, stuck in a cell and Lenore gained my trust, pretending that she was someone that I could trust only to betray me and me her slave to her and her sisters. I was under their or more specifically her control for over a year until I managed to trick her and end the ‘bond’.”

“Where’s she now?”

“Dead. She was a vampire and decided it was her time to go.”

“Did you love her?” (Y/N) asked

“No, I don’t think I did. After I realised what she had done to me any feelings that I may have had disappeared, they were not formed authentically. I still feel incredibly stupid about the whole thing, I was foolish to believe someone who was involved in sisterhood with the person who captured me would genuinely care for me.”

“You were not foolish, you were human Hector '' (Y/N) comforted him, “You were vulnerable and she took advantage of that, you should not feel ashamed. You are strong that’s why you’re here with me right now and Lenore is no longer alive. You will never be proud of yourself if you keep on diminishing what you’ve achieved so far. You’ll never be happy and I want you to be happy”

Hector takes her hand in his, “I want to be happy.”

(Y/N) smiles at him, “You will be, I know you will.”

“I want to be happy with you”

“Oh-” (Y/N) smile changes into a softer one that tickles Hector’s heart, “I want to be happy with you too.”

“Imagine it,” Hector falls onto his back and tugs (Y/N) down with him, “You, me, Cezar in a cabin in the woods and all the animals you wish to speak to”

(Y/N) laughs, “You wouldn’t believe how chatting animals are, I’m fine with just being me you and Cezar for the moment.”

Cezar jumps up on Hector’s chest with a bark before settling down with a huff.

“Sounds like he agrees”