#and now i am settled into my interests comfortably and happily

[crowleys-right-eyeball]

me after making puppets and good omens my entire personality (i love these things more than anything and not just in a hyperfixation way)

[iamtired10]

sugar, spice, and everything...?

pairing - pham hanni x female reader

genre - fluff.

synopsis - you were trying your best to read your book in peace, but with hanni sitting beside you with a bunch of candies, your quiet evening was a thing of the past.

warnings - candy kisses, hanni being playfully sulky and dramatic, hyein walking in at the worst (or best) moment, a bit of swearing (?), cringe, don't read it, my failed project

word count - 1k

a/n - draft - 01

this is my last update of the month.

you’d had a long day—like the kind of day that makes you dream of nothing more than a cozy blanket. a good book. and absolute peace.

so you’d settled yourself comfortably in your little reading nook, sighing in relief as you opened to the first page, savoring the silence that finally blanketed the room.

perfect.

only… silence never lasted long with pham hanni around.

“whatcha reading?” she asked, plopping down beside you, her voice bright with interest.

you glanced up, trying to keep your reaction neutral. “just…a book. needed something relaxing after today.”

“uh-huh,” she said, like she’d heard but totally ignored the part where you were trying to relax.

instead, her eyes sparkled as she held up a bag stuffed with candy. “well, you know what makes a good book better? candy.”

you held back a sigh, barely turning the page. “enjoy, i guess.”

she giggled, plopping closer, the scent of fruity candies wafting your way as she unwrapped a piece and popped it in her mouth, crunching happily as if your mere presence made the treat better.

but when she tried leaning over to talk to you, you didn’t look up—still too caught in the chapter you’d just started.

and hanni, being hanni, wasn’t having that.

“oh, so we’re ignoring people now?” she huffed, her lower lip jutting out as she peeled back the wrapper of another piece, holding it near your mouth.

“babe. here. open up.”

you shot her a look, lips pressed together, but there was no way to say no to those hopeful eyes.

so you obliged, letting her press the candy between your lips, and you gave her a quick smile before turning back to the book.

but hanni was watching you carefully, studying you like you were a stubborn puzzle she just had to solve.

“wow, the book must be really amazing if you’d rather stare at it than me,” she grumbled, poking your arm.

you raised an eyebrow, but before you could reply, she yanked the book out of your hands, clutching it to her chest like she’d just won some kind of battle.

“are you serious right now?”

she looked at you, an exaggerated pout on her face, her eyes dramatically wide and wounded. “i am heartbroken,” she declared.

“here i am, trying to share candy and cuddle, and you’re over here acting like some tragic main character, glued to a book instead of your own girlfriend. this is betrayal.”

you just stared, lips pressed into a firm line of confusion, wondering if she was for real. “…babe, give the book back.”

“not until you pay attention to me!” she argued, straddling your lap and effectively trapping you in place.

she crossed her arms, looking every bit like a sulky child who wasn’t about to let you win.

“are you serious?”

“dead serious. i want attention,” she said, leaning close, a smirk forming. “and now that i’ve got it, you’re not getting away that easily.”

rolling your eyes, you tried to stay exasperated, but she was just too cute—and she knew it.

hanni wiggled in your lap, unwrapping another candy, and you watched as she chewed it slowly, her eyes glinting with mischief.

she leaned forward, close enough that you could feel her breath, and before you could react, she pressed her lips to yours, the taste of cherry lingering as she stole a brief, sweet kiss.

“see? this is way better than reading,” she murmured, the slightest hint of smug satisfaction coloring her tone.

your eyes narrowed, but she only laughed, popping a lollipop from her stash and twirling it like it was part of some grand plan.

“oh, and this? i’m calling it the ‘attention-getter,’” she said, waving the lollipop teasingly before tapping it against your neck, painting your skin with a sticky, fruity trail.

“oops.”

you gave her a look of disbelief, watching as she brushed her lips over the spot she’d just marked. “now, that is an artistic touch,” she said, grinning up at you as if she’d just created a masterpiece.

“is this a whole performance?”

“mhm, a little drama for effect,” she replied, pretending to be deeply thoughtful.

she leaned in closer, the lollipop tracing a new path down your neck, stopping just over your pulse.

your eyes fluttered, trying to keep calm as she brushed a gentle kiss over the candy-marked spot, then another, her lips dragging slowly, sending warmth through you.

she pulled back slightly, still perched in your lap, eyes sparkling with amusement at your exasperated face. “ah, there’s that expression! finally paying attention to me now, huh?”

“oh, i’m paying attention all right,” you muttered, trying to hide the fluster creeping up your cheeks.

“good,” she replied, voice soft and victorious, planting another candy-flavored kiss on the corner of your mouth.

then she leaned back, still grinning. “better than any book, right?”

you sighed, accepting defeat. “fine, you win. happy now?”

“ecstatic,” she purred, giving you another peck as her fingers traced small circles along your arm.

“but we’re not done here.”

she tilted your chin, a lollipop still clutched in her other hand, her eyes dancing with a playful, sugary mischief as she pressed a final, lingering kiss on your lips, then back to your neck.

and just as you thought you could relax into the moment, the door flung open, and a voice burst in.

“babies, dinner’s—”

hyein’s sentence cut off as she took in the scene before her: pham hanni draped across your lap, marking your neck, while you sat there with the most unimpressed look of the century.

hyein blinked, frozen in the doorway, her face morphing from surprise to sheer horror as she processed the sight. “oh my.. fucking god...”

you shot hanni a look, but she burst into laughter, covering her face with her hand.

“hanni…” you muttered, absolutely mortified.

hyein shook her head dramatically, raising her hands as if warding off the scene before her.

“MINJI UNNIE, YOU’RE PAYING FOR MAKING ME COME HERE!”

she yelled, already halfway out the door.

the door shut with a loud click, and you and hanni exchanged looks.

she reached for your hand, a glint of pride in her eyes. “so… ready to ignore books for a while?”

“just maybe,” you teased, wrapping your arms around her, letting yourself get lost in her laughter, realizing that, yeah, this was definitely better than any book.

[nyoomfruits]

osctober day seventeen

prompt: cat pairing: lando/oscar word count: 300w a/n: tiny little sequel to purring in my lap ('cause he loves me)

Oscar, who had been happily asleep in his cat form, curled up on Lando’s lap just out of view of Lando’s streaming set up, cracks open one eye when Lando jolts and lets out a high pitched squawk.

It’s annoying, because Oscar had been quite comfortable, actually. Lando had been scritching him behind his ear for the past ten minutes and Oscar loves being scritched behind his ear, so. The fact that it’s stopped. Annoying.

“I am not wanking, oh my god,” Lando exclaims, and Oscar raises his head in interest. That’s. Surely a statement to make to his 30k+ viewers. “I am stroking my cat.”

Oscar raises his head just enough so he’s out of view of the camera but can still read the chat. The reactions vary from ‘Did Lando just admit he has a pussy’ to ‘CAT!!! SHOW CAT!!! CAT!!!!’. Oscar blinks lazily, and settles back down.

Until Lando says, “Oh, you guys want to see him? Yeah just give me-“ And Oscar gets unceremoniously hoisted into the air.

He is going to kill Lando, he thinks, as he’s held up to the camera, trying to sport his most unimpressed look. The chat seems enamored, though.

“Right? Isn’t he the cutest?” Lando says, snuggling Oscar close and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. This, at least, Oscar can appreciate. Also he is mercifully put back in Lando’s lap, so. Yay. “His name is Oscat.”

Which is. A choice. To admit live on stream that his cat shares a name with his teammate. Now that teammate also happens to be a cat and his boyfriend but like. Chat doesn’t know that. Which is evident when the messages start rolling in at lightning speed, Lando letting out a panicked little noise.

Oh well, it’s already happened, and there’s not much Oscar can do about it, so. He settles back down, curls himself into Lando’s lap, and falls back asleep.

[baldurs-gape]

Gap in the Resume

In a way, Gale should have been grateful to Elminster, the man had pulled strings to get him the interview. Life was all well and good but he did feel a little guilty for relying so heavily on Astarion, not to mention it was setting a bad example that they made ends meet through skills of theft and contract killings. Determined to make an honest life, Gale had started job hunting once life had started to settle a bit and his hands weren't quite so full. Brushing out an invisible wrinkle from his tunic, he waited on the creaky leather sofa. Finally, the door opened.

"Mr. Dekarios?"

Standing so quickly his vision speckled, Gale tried to look confident as he approached the Dean of the school. It wasn't Blackstaff, he couldn't go back there, not after everything but a less prestigious school might just be what he needed.

"Good to meet you, and please, call me Gale." He shook hands with her eagerly and settled on the even less comfortable chair by the impressive desk.

"Elminster has talked highly about you and your skills. It made me think that perhaps you were a little too modest on your CV."

"Yes, well, some things are easier to explain in words than with in on paper."

The Dean looked at him over her glasses with a smile. "Well, here's your chance, Gale. Why would an ex-Chosen of Mystra herself want to teach at our school of all places?"

Rather than say that he was scraping the barrell and needed his old mentor's help in getting honest work, Gale tried to smile, cleared his throat and straightened his back. He'd rehearsed this, it was going to be fine, smooth even."

"Teaching has been somewhat thrust upon me in the last eight years or so. It's a little difficult to always keep track of time in the Underdark. It wasn't a career I had ever really entertained until I got firsthand experience of how rewarding it could be."

So far so good, the Dean nodded along and settled back with a more relaxed posture. Emboldened, Gale decided it was better to throw in some examples to back his words up.

"Perhaps my proudest moment as a teacher was when I took a small group on an expedition towards Lenore's tower and we encountered yet another minotaur - I swear they are the cockroaches of the Underdark - and the six with me made a meal of it." The somewhat puzzled look he received had him rushing to explain. "Before it would have been a lot of snapping and snarling at each other, more blood wasted than drank. Sebastian had a nasty habit of trying to claw the eyes out of anyone who so much as was near him when drinking. Yet there he was, happily sharing the bounty with five others!"

"Mr. Dekarios, Gale-" the Dean held up a finger, "-just what exactly do you teach? I was under the impression you were a wizard."

"I am!" Indignant, Gale huffed. "But you try teaching magic to 7000 feral vampire spawn. Manners had to come first."

"Seven. Thousand. Vampire. Spawn."

Nodding with vigour, Gale's arms came into play as he began to explain.

"We were responsible for them after freeing them. Well, first we had to sort out the Netherbrain while the Gur rounded them up and kept them safe from everyone including themselves. It wasn't like we could abandon them. I happen to take responsibility very seriously. It began with a book club for the more recently turned and those interested and just grew from there." Barely stopping to take a breath, he continued, "Trust me, I wanted to show them the wonders of magic but some of them couldn't even read, a tracesty if you ask me."

A strained smile appeared on the Dean's face. She sat primly, hands clasped on the table between them.

"Did this happen after your status as Chosen was revoke?"

"Yes. Well, not immediately. I spent a year trying to tame the Netherese orb in my chest." At that, the Dean looked alarmed. "Don't worry, it's all taken care of now, it's old news. But for a year I worked heavily on the research of the elimination of Netherese fragments bonded to a human entity. Alas before I could refine my findings and publish, a Nautiloid snatched me up as I was hanging my washing. Now, I know mindflayers don't have emotions in the same capacity but it was downright rude. Then they put the tadpole in my brain."

By that point the strained smile had fallen away and the Dean was outright alarmed, edging away from the table and away from Gale. Off script and caught up in the story, he wasn't slowing down.

"Anyway, you've probably heard of the Baldur's Gate Netherbrain incident. That was me and a couple of others who are now good friends of mine. But try putting that on a resume. It wasn't relevant to teaching magic really. I don't want to walk into the classroom as some mighty hero, I just want to be normal and treated as such. And now the spawn as all mostly settled, I feel I can leave them without fear of any incidents. I did so enjoy teaching them that I thought; why not? I could do this with young people. They'll probably be more likely to singe off your eyebrows by mistake than try to drain you of blood. Much cheaper if you ask me, scrolls of revivify used to make up a good 70% of our weekly expenses."

Tirade over, Gale leaned back in his chair and sighed, glad to have got that all out. A little sheepish at having gone so far off script, he offered a tiny smile. "Do you have any other questions about the gap in my resume? Because I don't think I touched on the mental health of students. Mystra demanded repeatedly that I kill myself. It is safe to say I wouldn't ever be anything but accepting and nurturing of even the most frustrating minds in the classroom. They're safe with me."

"Actually," the Dean's voice was a little breathy, "I think you've been very informative, thank you. I can let you know the outcome of the interview in the next tenday once all interviews for the position have concluded. Thank you so much for coming in today."

She stood and Gale copied. This time she didn't stand close to usher him out the room, a rather large amount of space was left between them. Gale's heart sank. It wasn't the first time an interview ended so abruptly and with such false smiles. Nodding, he turned to the door and left.

Outside, Astarion was leaning against the wall, covered from head to toe for safety.

"How did it go?" he asked.

Sadly, Gale shook his head and deflated. "I went off script. At least she didn't call security I guess?"

"Not to worry. We'll find a place. Hells, we could probably even found it, the Underdark Academy, a place for the unruly to come and be transformed into etiquette experts. What do you think?"

Laughing, Gale bumped their shoulders and sighed, trying to let go of the disappointment that had settled in his gut.

"You say the sweetest things to me, don't you?"

Their hands tangled until fingers interlaced and Astarion pulled it up to press a kiss to the back of Gale's. This job wasn't to be but that was alright. They had all the time in the world to figure it all out. And for Gale to discover that while he was in the interview, Astarion had stolen anything that moved from the school.

[todoriin]

tidal waves | ayato is looking for a spouse. he comes to you.

cw: mentions of pregnancy, ayato kind of toxic (sry), coercion, manipulation, arranged marriage, unrequited love, ambiguous ending.

“Our new diplomatic relationships with Fontaine are moving along smoother than I imagined.”

The blue-haired head of Kamisato Clan sits before you comfortably, happily relaying the events that occurred during the time he was away from Inazuma. The sunlight shines delicately over you, creeping through the leaves of the sakura blooms that hang overhead. Often, the leaves fall around and onto you, summoning drizzles of pink.

Ayato remains the centre of your attention, though, the colour palette of spring enchanting when it is surrounding him. 

“I’m happy to hear that. Trustworthy and hardworking, that’s our Yashiro Commissioner for you,” you praise, raising your cup of tea to your lips. 

“No doubt this will bring forth some interesting business opportunities for you, correct?”

“Of course, as with any nation. However, my greatest concern with Fontaine is the travel time, but with their advanced technology, I doubt any rigorous human effort will be required during the process. I’m hoping it will be smooth for both parties.” 

A long time ago, you were ashamed of how long you could talk for. Now, with someone like Ayato listening to your every word, you don’t withhold any (negligible) information. 

(There is no news that will escape Ayato. He knows more than he lets on and has ears placed at all corners of Inazuma. Try as you may to keep something from him, the only thing you can truly control is when and how the information reaches him.) 

“Please, feel free to keep me updated. I am fascinated by Fontaine’s productivity with their machinery, I would love to learn more.”

With a humble bow of your head, you reassure him you will invite him so he may see for himself when the time comes. “Why did you invite me here, Ayato?” You ask, setting down your now empty tea cup with a clink. 

“Oh, yes, thank you for coming on such short notice. Hopefully you did not have to cut out any important matters for this meeting, did you?”

“I will always have time to see you. Arranging my schedule is no trouble if the Yashiro Commissioner needs me.” 

He blinks twice before his expression melts into something softer. “I am delighted to hear that. As for why I summoned you here today, well, I am hardly as young as I was when I first took up the mantle of Yashiro Commissioner. With every passing day, I am increasingly aware of my age.” He begins, violet eyes as unreadable as ever as they gaze into you, unyielding. It’s always hard to look away when you first get a glance.

(If you were to describe Kamisato Ayato, you’d compare him to an ocean. On the surface, harmless with his calm and predictable waves, reflecting the light of the sun in ripples, tempting you to take a step in.)

“Even Chiori made a comment about having to make me look younger.”

“Stop it- the wrinkles around your eyes aren’t that deep-”

“-Y/n. There is still no heir to the Kamisato Clan or the Yashiro Commission.”

“You won’t be giving up the mantle any time soon though, right?”

“Rest assured, I have no thoughts as such, but it is now the time to think about matrimony.”

You’re not sure why, but your stomach feels like a falling anvil, premonition settling in your bones like lead. “Why did you call me here, Ayato?”

An answer formulates in your head before he even needs to open his mouth, and it sounds out an awful song, one that causes your ears to bleed and knees to buckle. 

(You take your first step into the sea. The sand is silk beneath your feet, and the water splashes with your every step. You keep going until the water is up to your waist, knocking against your chest with each wave.)

“I want you to be my spouse.” 

No matter how many surprise meetings you have sat through with alarming news, none will ever shake you to your core like this one. For all the news of lost shipments, pirates that confiscated your products, and investment failures, nothing would have ever trained you for an occasion like this.

Professionalism is a delicate mask, and Ayato knows exactly how to chip away at it.

“No- no, I couldn’t,” you begin, nothing but a jumble of feelings that have turned you inside out like a kimono. “Ayato, I refuse.”

You? A Commissioner’s spouse? How detestable. You know the last thing Ayato could wish for you is a life of misery, confined to the chains of propriety, social etiquette, and societal management, but you also thought you’d be the last person he’d consider to be wed to. 

All these decades of friendship, was it just so it could lead to this finale? Did you ever know him like you truly thought you did? 

The monster disguised as a man sits himself beside you, sinking to his knees, and the white, rich fabrics of his attire pool around you. 

“I can promise you happiness, Y/n. Mora, safety, whatever you need, I’ll be at your beck and call.”

Happy? Married?

His gloved hand finds yours. It’s not warm, and his touch feels inhuman, but you don’t have it in you to pull away from him. “In collaboration with the resources from the Yashiro Commission, we could make your business operations much more efficient.”

“Can’t you find another partner? There are no shortages of elites who are looking for potential partners in Inazuma. I could talk to some candidates on your behalf to organise a meeting, I am certain no one could ever reject your hand in marriage-”

“-Then, why are you?”

“Why are you so persistent that it must be me?” 

“There are… no other individuals like you. I recognise that not all marriages need to be formed from love, but that does not exclude friendship. Our companionship is one I trust, you are my ideal candidate.”

“I would not make a good spouse.” You omit to tell him of your carefree qualities, that you have a business to run, and that you could not imagine a life bound to another, even if he is someone as dreamy as the Kamisato head. “I could not make you happy.”

“Guaranteeing my happiness does not have to be your duty.” His hands delicately trace the lines on your palms, you protest against the way they naturally curl at the sensation. 

“Then what will be?”

“Producing an heir to the Kamisato Clan.” 

He does not miss the way you shift uncomfortably in your position, or the subtle displeasure that clouds your eyes. Ayato’s not sure how successful he can be if he remains this persistent, every attempt seems to only push you further away, but if there’s anything he’s good at it is biding his time. The best lesson his time as the Yashiro Commissioner has taught him it’s that patience leads to success, and he’s willing to give you some time to figure it all out.

“I do not want to force you into something you do not want to partake in. You may have some time to think, I await to hear your answer once you are ready.” he gets up silently and quickly. It’s strange. You feel like you disappointed him. 

He strides out of the gardens, tea and sweets untouched. For all the years you have known him, this is the first time he leaves without escorting you out, showing you the retreating figure of his broad back.

What will you do? Ayato, above all else, is cunning and calculating; a terrifying trait of his. Everything he wants, he eventually gets, the art of patience is one he has mastered. The only thing you can liken him to is a fox biding its time to catch its prey.  

You will not remain ignorant to the fact that it appears this time, you are his prey.

He will find subtle ways to intercept in your business, he will take advantage of everything he knows about you and use it to your demise, everywhere you turn, he will be there. How long will it be until he sinks his teeth into you? 

That day, you go to sleep with an uneasy heart. You feel like you’re playing with a lit bomb, juggling with it so that it will explode when it is out of your hands. 

Three weeks later, you receive news that a shipment of yours suddenly caught fire, destroying everything that you were exporting, harming few of your employees in the process. 

Your time is up. 

(His hand grabs your ankle, and pulls you under.)

[disappointmentofthefam]

Love? Love. (part one)

(Andy Barber x reader)

summary- recently split from his wife, Andrew Stephen Barber, aka, Mr hotshot ADA daddy dilf, lives with his 14 year old son Jacob. All he has known since the tender age of 17 is Laurie, and their baby boy. Will his life change when a bright eyed and bushy tailed y/n moves in the house right opposite to his? More importantly, will it change for the better or the worse?

*contains adult themes, smut and age gap (reader is a senior in college, Andy is in his early thirties)*

Andy's sleep is rudely cut short by the whirring engine of packers and movers mixed with the commotion of workers walking back and forth, setting up the furniture.

His face grimaces as soon as he opens his eyes,

at seven fucking am on a sunday! fuck off!

Apparently-as he later finds out-a new family had just moved in the house opposite to his. From what he had heard from his best friend(and neighbor), Sam, the family had a son of around Jacob's age which was about perfect since Jacob was a shy kid and wasn't exactly Mr. popular with kids his age. maybe he would find a friend in the new kid

By the next weekend, Jacob and the kid, Tyler, were already friends and today Jacob had invited his friend to play video games together.

"Daaaaddd", Jacob whines, "Please don't embarrass me!"

Andy gasps dramatically ,"Are you ashamed of your old man!", he even goes as far as to clutch his chest, right where his heart is, "i knew this day would come, i just thought it would be fifty years from now when i am bound to a hospital bed and shit my pants every time i try to say a word with more than three syllables"

As Jacob rolls his eyes, laughing, the doorbell rings, "whatever old man, just behave or i won't buy you diapers when you're all old and 'bound to a bed'".

Tyler shyly greets Andy and the boys disappear into their boy cave. Andy decides to settle down for a movie from the comfort of his couch. He can already imagine what Sam would say if he found out about Andy's weekend plans

are you seriously wasting all that good-good on a couch? Let's go out man , find you a pretty girl, you need to get out of this 'grandma' routine

Sam wouldn't get it ,he was married, happily so, and had a baby girl with the woman of his dreams. "Between the two of those pretty girls, i don't stand a chance"- he'd say

It wasn't that easy for Andy to navigate the modern dating world, there were too many 'what ifs' and not enough 'why nots' for him to fall in love again

what if he's a one night?

what if he catches feelings and she doesn't? what if he finds someone perfect only to find out he's incapable of feeling love again?

oh shit, worse yet- what if he was a reboun-

His thoughts are interrupted by the ringing doorbell, jesus can't a man watch the godfather for the millionth time in peace?

"Hi, Mr. Barber"

Andy's breath hitches, "Hi there"

"I would shake your hand but mine are full", she giggles.

Andy's heart does a backflip at her laugh as he shakily reaches out to take the four tupperware boxes from her.

"I'm y/n", she gives him a sweet smile, "I'm Tyler's sister and we just wanted to thank you for inviting him over, god knows we needed the break! Teenagers, amirite", she looks up at him with those big doe eyes.

Snapping out of the trance, Andy invites her in, "Come in............uh",

"Y/n"

Andy's chest is filled with a warm, fuzzy feeling

Names are so intimate, Y/n, while he asks her to come in, Y/n, he asks her to sit, Y/n, as he brews her a cup of coffee.

Andy, as her eyes sparkle when she realizes the movie he has on, Andy, as she tells him she cooked all the treats she brought him tonight

"So", Andy strikes up the conversation as they settle on the couch, "i've heard that you tutor children?"

"Oh, yes, It's just to earn a little before i graduate, besides, my god complex is fulfilled while teaching people", she jokes.

Andy doesn't remember the last time he was so interested in a conversation that wasn't about work or crime, or both, really.

An hour later, they are way past formalities, talking about everything and nothing, as if they were old friends.

Her mouth agape, she looks at him in utter disbelief, "He got away with it?" ,Andy can't believe she's so engrossed in his work stories, Laurie had always told him to keep his work where it belonged-in his office.

"Tyler and i should leave now, it's getting late, mom will be mad if we're late for dinner"

Andy's heart sinks why did she have to leave

"Alright sweetheart", he says lowly, "it was a pleasure to have your company".

Y/n smiles bashfully 'sweetheart'

did he mean it? no way! he must have a thousand women worshipping at his feet, he's the fucking ADA, he's single, he's hot and don't even get me started on that smile-

Focus Y/n!!

Andy notices the hitch in her breath, the sudden tint on her cheeks and the way her shy eyes try to look anywhere but at him

a straight up filthy image crosses his mind-

you, laying naked on his bed, all spread out for him, whining as he sucked between your petals

you, closing your eyes bashfully as the head of his thick cock lines up with your wet, tight hole

he would have no qualms with slapping your face lightly, "look at daddy while he's fucking you open"

"look at me baby, look at who's making you feel so good"

he'd kiss your pouting lips, "my dumb little baby can't think with daddy's cock inside her, ca-

okay Andy, She's a smart and beautiful twenty-one year old girl, she must have boys falling at her feet, the last thing she'd want is you.

As she and Tyler leave, Andy can't help the stupid smile on his face

"dad?, you good there?"

Andy snaps out of the trance, "yeah kid"

"phew! With that shit eating grin, you almost had me convinced that you had shat you pants"

OH THIS LITTLE ASSHO-

author's note: heyyyyyyy girlies, i purposefuly made the first chapter short and vague so i can take the story forward as you'd like me to! Please do leave suggestions!!! nothing is off limits to me

[keruimi]

The Person behind My Passion

Pairing: Tsukishima Kei x Reader

Warning: Angst and Comfort

Note: I wrote this while I was watching an amv about him. Titled: [AMV] Tsukishima Kei - Pride. It inspired me to write this for a better imagination. I suggest you watch it. My first Haikyuu oneshot so enjoy!!!

_____________________________

"I'm quitting"

Those were the words I let out in front of the volleyball team in my second year of high school.

For the reason...

Of not being happy at this place anymore.

"Tsukki! Are you crazy?!" I heard Yamaguchi the moment I stepped out of the gymnasium with my belongings as I didn't bother looking back anymore.

"Tsukki!" I kept hearing him calling for my name until I felt my ears block any sounds from my surroundings.

Until I finally felt the strange throb in my chest.

Right...

I don't love volleyball. Because it's one of the reasons for my  trust issues. The reason why someone lied to me.

But right now... I'm asking why I gave it another chance.

A second chance to dedicate myself to it again.

Volleyball was my hobby before, until it became my passion the moment I proved myself worthy to be a player in the court.

All of it started, because of one lady that caught my interest.

"I want to see you in court. In the volleyball court"

That was her first request from me. The request that made her close to me.

The sport that helped me build my relationship with her.

The game that made me see the happiest moment of her life. The plays that made her my proudest fan.

I felt a tear slide from my cheek.

The game that made her love me deeper, but was never enough to make her stay at all.

Fuck...

I feel like I'm losing myself

~•°•~

"I don't believe that Tsukki would quit like that so easily!" I shouted in frustration towards my fellow members as I held back my tears.

I will make sure he stays.

After all, I believe he started to love volleyball again.

"Yamaguchi"

"Tsukki" I felt myself start as I properly stood up. "He's the type of person to love something the moment he starts to be happy with it"

"I don't dare believe he would leave wholeheartedly"

"Why are you leaving?! I thought you began to love it again?" I managed to catch up to him when he halted from his steps.

I grabbed his uniform and made him turn to look at me but I stopped when I saw how he gazed at me.

It feels so foreign to me.

"What's wrong Tsukki"

"Please tell me"

Silence settled around us as I fisted my hands when those seconds turned minutes.

"Tsukki!"

"I have no reason to stay"

"Because she was the reason I played"

"I will make sure to bring him back"

~•°•~

Why did we end up in this way?

A man who once stood beside her, can just silently linger his gaze on her.

I look away with that thought as I put my headphones on my ears to block the voices of the people around me.

I hate how my heart can't stop aching.

Where did it go wrong?

Where did I go wrong?

I hate when I feel like I am the one who lost everything.

When she was the first one to love me.

"How was it?" She asked me as I lent her my jacket before we started walking back home.

"It was fine" I told her as I heard her hum happily that moved my heart a little.

"I am so happy you got accepted. Rest assured, you would always see me in your games" she declared wholeheartedly as I nod, going along with her words.

Silence surrounds both of us when she notices I kept my mouth shut.

I just stopped walking when I didn't hear her next footsteps. I looked back and saw how she stayed still in her place while looking at the sky above us.

"I love you because you play volleyball..." She whispered before she lowered her head for our eyes to meet each other.

"But I didn't know seeing you play again would be one of the memories I choose to cherish." She chuckled before she went closer until she stopped in front of me.

"You really made me happier, Kei"

The woman who made my heart skip a bit, would be the same person to break me into pieces.

She started everything...

But she was also the same woman who left me with nothing...

I felt someone stood beside me that made me glance at them and saw her.

I didn't bother talking as I stood up to leave.

"I heard you quit"

Those were her first words that made me scoff.

"That's right" I told her as I fix my things as the class reaches its end.

"Why" I didn't fail to notice how her voice turned to whispers that made me scoff.

It is not obvious?

"Why did you leave?"

That I only played volleyball for her.

"Because I chose to"

"Kei" she called out when I answered her as I zipped my bag close.

"You made me hate it" I honestly admit to her as I saw how her eyes widened a little.

"I never wanted to play that sport again until you came into my life. A woman who reminded me how I loved volleyball back then" I looked back at her.

"I hate myself for giving it another chance" I continued as I properly faced her.

"Just because of one woman"

She stayed still facing me as I saw her contemplate whether to say the words she was thinking or stay silent.

"Tell me what you wanted to tell me" I sighed as I let my hands fall to the side.

"Does Kei hate me?"

I looked down on her who chose to not look at me as I felt my chest tightening.

"I hate you so badly"

Because I started to love you truly.

"You love volleyball" I started before I gazed on the window behind her to see how the sun started to set.

"But it was just a club for me" I muttered. "I have no reason to keep going for it"

"I'm sorry"

I heard her but I was so numb that her apology felt so empty.

It felt nothing...

I felt myself leave the room as I let my feet and took me to where it decided to guide me.

And I saw myself staring at the open gym doors of the volleyball court.

Great...

I felt myself getting suffocated when all of the feelings I felt in this gymnasium went back to me.

When can I have peace of mind?

Why is everything blurry in my mind?

These are the times I need to keep my cool.

But I felt my cold barrier broke when Nishinoya was the one who stood in front of me.

He silently stared at me before he sat on the bench near the gymnasium while I stayed still in my spot because I got caught.

I wonder what his next words will be...

"Right now, I'm going to blame your impulsive thoughts when you decide to quit the team" he stated with his arms crossed while I saw him look ahead the moment I turned to face him.

"You get the recognition you wanted. A great player you wanted to be. Why did you quit?" He looked up to me and I felt how serious he is on this entire ordeal I started.

"I can't play like how I used to be" I admitted as I leaned on the wall near me.

"I feel like I can't keep my focus back on the game"

That was the truth. Because volleyball reminded me of her.

Now we broke up, it feels like I will lose my entire focus. Since I dedicated the game to her.

"It will be too much for me"

I don't want to drag the whole team because of my heartbreak.

He kept silent that made me close my eyes to cherish the small sounds of balls hitting the floor and the squeaking of the player's shoes.

The sounds that I got accustomed to.

"Do you love volleyball?"

"I don't know" I answered without a second thought. "But.."

"I did love the moment that everyone cheered for me. It was those moments I thought I would never experience"

"Volleyball..."

Was everything for me, like she was to me.

"I love volleyball because I am good at it. And I found the friends I needed" I heard him that made me open my eyes to gaze at his back.

"If that one reason left, find another reason to stay" he stood up from his seat before looking back at me with a smile.

"After all... You began to love volleyball too"

I let him walk past me as the blank color of my mind finally started to fill with thoughts.

His words made me realize. I found the things I love because of volleyball.

I look at my hands that I used to receive the spike of players.

I somehow need to learn how to play with a heavy heart.

It's been three weeks since I finally decided to approach Takeda-sensei to give back the form he returned to me the moment I declared on leaving.

That moment, it felt like everything went back to their own places.

I was glad that the team welcomed me back without side remarks. The things I would usually do if someone is in my shoes.

But that time, I learned to put my happiness in volleyball.

I went back to my usual routine after getting the hang of the break up.

Everything is going as it should be, until I saw her in the library.

She was laying her head in a table as her close eyes captured my attention.

Somewhere deep within me, I wish everything would go back to the way it was before.

Everything...including our relationship.

I remove my eyes from her as I decide to walk to another aisle until I hear her tiredly call for my name that made me halt from my steps.

I looked back and thought she was just sleep talking but I changed my mind when I saw her sit properly while rubbing her eyes.

"You're finally here"

Her words made my mind blank as I looked at her with no emotions.

Do we still need to talk?

"Can we please talk?"

I felt my heart start to feel heavy again as I frown in annoyance because of these feelings.

I still can't get over her.

"Let me get this straight. I don't want you calling for me anymore. You and I are nothing but strangers"

"I'm sorry" she cut me off that made me prevent myself from frowning harder.

"I know. You already told me that"

"Fear took over me" she muttered as she slowly blinked her tears away. "Because you became someone so great, I feel like I'm not deserving of you"

"I felt like you would get tired of me. I thought I could get used to your dismissive character. But it scared me" she didn't give me a chance to cut her off so I finally chose to stay silent.

"I thought I could careless what you think of me, but I didn't know I cared about your words so deeply" she wiped her tears before looking back at me.

"I was afraid I will become no one the moment you reach something bigger. Our future turned blurry the moment your status to the public changes."

"You change to someone better while I am still the same" she sobbed out.

"Until it felt like I don't belong in your world anymore"

~•°•~

"I hate this"

I suddenly started as I heard Yamaguchi let out a small sigh in confusion as I scoffed.

My mind was jumbled again. Just because I met her.

The world keeps testing my patience.

"She apologized to me. She told me the reasons I decided to not seek anymore" I told him as I decided to be the one to stop walking so I can talk to him properly.

"Right now, is it acceptable to just leave or give another chance that will surely break me"

I saw him lift a small smile to me before shaking his head.

"Y/n..." He called out for his name before sitting down on the sidewalk that was in front of me.

"She was the type of person to be happy at small things. But small things can also hurt her easily"

He looked up to me with a small smile.

"Everyone is deserving of a second chance, Tsukki. It was a chance where you could correct all the wrong things." He stated as he sigh before looking at the moon above us.

"Don't deprive her of it. Since you also didn't give her the assurance she needed." He stated truthfully before standing up to face me.

"You should see the slight changes. Especially when you love a woman whose love language is words of affirmation" he chuckled before patting my shoulder.

"Another chance for both of you"

"For a peaceful life"

Those were the times I was thankful that I have Yamaguchi in my life.

Now, the woman who once broke me, was the one who I also decided to embrace.

The moment feels so right.

That I decided to just forget our past and focus on the new relationship we both have.

The person who proves to me that second chance is not always bad.

Sometimes, it is also given to us to correct the mistakes we both had.

Because of her...

Second chances feel so right...

[truebluehue]

Seven

Greed

“It has been 10 cycles since your iknimaya, when will you settle?”

Ah yes the question that has been thrown at you since you turned 18 cycles.

“Sa’nok, I will when the time comes. I am just not interested in anyone at the moment.” You say exasperatedly. Well no one that isn’t already mated or looking for a third.

“Surely there is someone?” Verya was not a patient woman for anyone except her family. And even she pressures them. “By the time you have your first child I’ll be with Eywa.” 

You sigh. “Sa’nok, I will have a child you will be able to happily meet,” you give a mischievous smirk, “When they connect to the Utral Aymokriyä for the first time.” And with that you rush out of your home, hearing your mother swear behind you.

It wasn’t that you weren’t interested in people. You have had your fair share of offers. It was just that none fit. Mating isn’t just something you wanted to do based on mere attraction or comfort, it was more serious to you than that. You wanted to feel as if Eywa gifted you. You wanted to See someone. It made you feel greedy at times. Sad that you haven't had that feeling yet. As you walk to the forest to get your mother a few fruits you knew she liked, Timun, a close friend walks up, making sure to call out to not spook you.

One concussion was enough.

“Y/N! How is my favorite tsamsiyu doing?” He says with a wide grin. It was only with an eye trained from years of friendship that you can see the slight frantic look of his eyes, his shoulder slightly tense despite his friendly nature.

You raise a brow. “I am well. I’m going to pick fruit for sa’nok.” You respond, sending him the Look.  Are you okay?

Without dropping his grin, he eagerly replies, “I’ll join you.” I am freaking out. Get me out of here. Mental communication received, you both begin the walk towards the woods.

_______________________

“We talked. We actually talk.” Timun says in shock, head between his legs.

“You know. When I invited you here, I actually did expect your help.” Your strained voice comes from the top of a tree, a utumauti fruit just in your reach.

“Y/N. I understand you probably said something to your sa’nok to warrant this, but I am freaking out down here. I actually talked to him. And I didn’t stutter once.” A utumauti lands on his head, causing him to yelp. It’s not the first time he has ranted to you about his crush, Ayekxo. It was sickening how many times you’ve caught him staring as the hunter practices in the range. But, you do agree about one thing. He does have a weirdly nice looking back. Plus you’ve seen the looks Ayekxo gives him in return when Timun’s is turned, wistful in a pitiful, sad ikran way.

Climbing down, you pick up the fruits, turning to Timune to give him an exasperated look. “I’ve already told you. He likes you as well but you won't do anything about it.” You begin the trek back to High Camp, Timun following behind. “It’s just sad the way he looks at you. I bet if you asked him to court he would just skip to mating.”

“What you say and what I think, is very different.” Timun sighs dramatically. “You don’t even know if he also likes males. He hasn’t even been seen with anyone other than women.”

My best friend is a skxawng. And dramatic. How is he in the war party? You thought fondly. “Look, I can confirm it. But we have to wait till we get to my kelku.” 

Timun turns his head to look at you so fast, it has its own breeze. “Confirm what? Confirm how?”

You stop at another utumauti tree. “Get the fruit or you learn nothing.” You smirk.

_______________________

It was now evening,and na’vi were dancing everywhere. It is also where. Jake sees you again, dancing with the other unmated women in the center. It was a small celebration in tribute to Eywa but all he could look at was you. The kids had already returned home, he and Neytiri wanted to stay for a bit longer. And boy is he glad he did. IT was almost as if you were floating. Graceful, like a ballerina. He thinks. Beautiful too.

The dance comes to an end, him and Neytiri yipping along with the rest of the People. He has a clear view as you walk by, feeling almost as if he just drunk a whole pot of coffee, feeling a buzz flit through his mind. But he also has a clear view of you walking towards a young male Na’vi, who’s smiling at you a bit too much to his liking. And Jake recognizes him as Timun, a member from the ground team for raids against the RDA. As he hands you a drink, saying something that causes you to laugh, he looks away and watches as another group begins to dance.

And Jake tried. He really did try.

But as he keeps glancing over to you, watching as you and Timun continue talking and laughing, he can tell you guys are close based on your body language. There's a blush to your face making your smile radiate even more. A swarm of butterflies erupted in Jake's stomach, causing him to use all his years of marine training to keep his face straight. Jake looks away, taking a sip of his alcoholic beverage he had beside him. He feels as his thoughts begin to turn. He unsuccessfully tries to drown out the green eyed snake beginning to coil in his stomach, but it does nothing to clear his mind of the way you moved in your performance.

What are they talking about?

Why do you want to know?

They seem close. Are they mated? Courting?

Why do you care?

She looks beautiful tonight.

She does every night, why is it different now?

She should be here with me. 

She’s young, why should she be with you? Besides you have Neytiri.

And it is true. You are younger than him from what he can see. He’s olo’eyktan, and has been for years now. He knows his stomach is softer now. He has 4 children. He’s protective to the point of overbearing strictness at times. He also has Neytiri. Jake sighs, putting on a mask of pleased indifference. Don't get him wrong, he loves his wife. She is everything. She Sees him. So why does he feel greed slowly making a space for you in his heart? Carving the beginnings of a crush that he knows has no possibility of ever coming true? He knows it's not unheard of for a mated pair to mate with a third. But something, the human part of Jake’s mind, feels disgusted with himself.

I feel like I'm cheating and I haven't even done anything. Jake looks at Neytiri, who turns her head and gives him a smile. Jake smiles back and relaxes, turning back to the performances.

Little did he know, his wife and mate were having the same war within herself.

But Eywa doesn’t set paths for no reason.

It was the next morning, Jake and Neytiri spending time with one another since their children were off somewhere.

“Ma'Jake, how do you feel about adding a third?” And just like when she told him at the Spirit Tree that they were mated for life, Jake feel a surprised shock. But he also feels skeptical.

“What do you mean?”

[dreadsuitsamus]

Kensei Muguruma x Reader Blurb 1

i need his cuddles. kensei x fem!reader. this was written for me tbh but i am sharing with u guys too 🩷

You're jittery, and for a damn good reason! It's your first night at Kensei's apartment, and as you lay beside him while he sleeps soundly in his plush, king size bed, you're replaying every small detail of the evening in your brain. It's inevitable, the way you mentally wince at such unimportant little mistakes you made during dinner, dessert, and even the sex that has Kensei boneless and in quite a recuperating slumber. You shift in between the sheets and the duvet, urging yourself to find comfort in these strange covers; if things continue going this well with you and your new boyfriend, you'll be here often and in this very same position.

If.

Worry tacks onto each emotion you feel, even with the logistics of the entire situation looking down at you. He likes you, very much so, otherwise he'd have never invited you to his home, much less have a rather romantic evening with you. You've dated for nearly five months now— holding a man's attention like that would be mighty hard if he lacked interest, especially a man like Kensei. He's not cold, though the warmth in his heart and the care he does have isn't worn on his sleeve like some. Certainly, you'd know if he didn't like you or if you'd done something wrong.

You dare a glimpse to your side, a little smile curving the corners of your lips as you watch Kensei sleep. To be able to fall asleep around you, easily at that, should be more than enough evidence that he's all yours and happily. He's always on edge, that man, ready to fight, argue, cuss or kill at any given moment if needed, but here, finally, he lays, relaxed and snoring gently at your side.

"I really like you, Kensei." The whisper is muted; wouldn't want him to actually hear this, after all. "And I don't want to mess this up. I could be your wife someday, after all. I think... that would be nice."

A little sigh follows the declaration of your dreams, and the force of sleep again tries to settle in your bones. There's nothing that should be keeping you awake; you're fed, fucked and safe beside a wonderful man. And still the nonsensical worries nag you, prodding your brain with cruel laughter.

The bed shifts beside you and strong arms loop around your body as Kensei moves himself closer to you. His body is hot from sleep, his hands finding purchase on your hip and shoulder in a warm hug as his lips find your forehead in a soft kiss that barely registers before you're nuzzling into his chest.

"You can be my wife one day." He mutters, resting his cheek atop your head. "'s long as you go to fucking sleep."

You laugh, and after that, rest is easy.

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

We don't have enough Aonung x Rotxo, and im not happy about it.

First of all: what is their ship name?

second: why are there not so many fics about them?

third: i want prompts about them.

the only one i came up with is; Rotxo feeling jealous/left out/ not consider now that the sully kids are here, since Aonung spent all his time (tormenting) them.

one night after maybe five months of the sully being there, is one of Aonung and Rotxo date night (they are officially courting) but Aonung can't stop talking about the sully kids.

"Are you fucking serious?!" asks Rotxo as he suddenly stands up from the soft sand. "What?" asks Aonung with a surprised (and scared) tone, he watch worry as his best friend and boyfriend gets up. "i been planning this night for weeks, because you are always busy or with training or with the family of toruk maktao, we barely spent time together, and once we do you are talking about others!" Rotxo is angry, Aonung saw him this angry only once, when they were little and an older kid pushed Tsireya on the ground. Not hard or on purpose, but still Tsireya who at the time was only a toddler immediately started crying. And as Aonung comforted his little sister, he noticed Rotxo yelling at the older kid and making him run away with tears. Rotxo could be as evil as a sky demon if someone hurt the persons he cares about. it was at that moment that Aonung knew, that was his future mate, not discussing it further. As Rotxo makes his way to walk off, Aonung manages to hold his wrist. his eyes full of regret, he watched as the not-braided curly boy snapped his head towards him. "i swear i stop, I'm sorry oeyä tìyawn, please forgive me, tell me everything you want i won't talk, only admire you" Aonung said and he relaxed when he saw Rotxo lips becoming a smirk. as he settled down again next to him (now closer, he could if wanted rest his head on the other chest) he murmured "Corny skxawng" then Rotxo narrated to the other boy, all the things he done that week, and all the things he planned to do. after they happily eat together and went to race with their ilu, then said goodbye with a kiss before returning to their own family marui.

this is stupid, but is okay because is like 3 am and I'm stupid myself.

You are not stupid, this is adorable! I 100% agree, they were the first ship I thought of honestly. I was like oh this kid is just hanging around all the time and is basically part of the family? Well, one of my favorite tropes ever is the family basically adopting their kids significant other. Rotxo's just over all the time living with Tonowari's family just because he'd going to mate with Ao'nung and everyone just like, knows and now expects him to be around? Iconic.

Like, Ronal's baby she hasn't had yet? That child would just grow up 24/7 with Rotxo around, they've never experienced life without him there. That's adorable. My mom is eight years older than her youngest brother, and going through her family pictures eventually it's just her and her siblings and also my dad there in every graduation picture, holiday picture, and so on. It's so funny and adorable to me. That's Rotxo with Ao'nung.

I think the best prompt for them is that they aren't crazy into PDA, they just vibe mostly in the most secure and confident relationship ever, to the point that it takes the Sully's an absurd amount of time to notice they are even courting. Spider is rescued and Neteyam is recovering and Ao'nung is being a little bit of a dick to Spider, and Rotxo goes "Sorry about my future mate, he can be a dick." And Lo'ak and Kiri are like WHAT.

I can also see a story in the personality differences. Ao'nung... not to be rude, but he's kind of a dick there at the beginning. Rotxo is our sweet baby angel so I can see Ao'nung spending too much time with his little asshole friends and them drifting apart as a result. It's another interesting dynamic.

[believingispowerfulmagic]

The Dark Legacy

Summary: Sequel to “The Prince of Darkness.” Things in Storybrooke have been relatively quiet since the dark entity that turned people in the Dark One was destroyed and Robin Hood was its last host. Now a family of six, the Locksley-Mills are happy and content, with only the clash between Regina and Robin and Zelena over little Haven their main worry.

When their daughters turn five, though, they start to worry about the magic inherited from Robin’s dark heritage and the power their two little girls have. A strange presence takes an interest in the girls, forcing Robin and Regina to team up with Zelena to protect the children from a cruel fate. Their quest will bring them to a strange and challenging new land–the Underworld.

Stakes are high as our heroes are forced to face their own pasts and what it means for their children’s futures as well as their own.

Chapter 1: FFN | AO3 | Wattpad

Chapter 8: The Straw That Breaks the Camel's Back

FFN | AO3 | Wattpad

Excerpt:

"How was your self-care day?" Archie asked Robin, settling down in his armchair as he started their session.

"It was good," Robin replied, getting comfortable on the couch. "I spent time with my men, time with my children and time with my wife."

Archie paused, raising an eyebrow. "It sounds like you spent a day meant to be about you with a lot of other people."

Robin chuckled, anticipating that statement. He shrugged. "Spending time with people I love is self-care to me. I did things I love that help me relax just with the people who matter most to me."

"So how did you feel when it was over?" Archie asked.

"Very relaxed," Robin replied. "Rejuvenated. And feeling better about myself."

Archie smiled as he jotted down a few notes on his pad. "Then that clearly was the kind of self-care you needed."

"Yes," Robin agreed. "Spending time with everyone who matters to me just…it just makes me happy, especially when I'm with my wife and our children."

"I can tell," Archie replied. He took a deep breath. "So we're going to be meeting with Zelena again soon. How do you feel ahead of that?"

Robin pressed his lips together as his stomach did a flip. "Nervous. I'm worried about how she will act and how I will react. I don't want to a repeat of our last meeting."

"Understandable," Archie replied. "And I do appreciate that you're worried about how you will react. That's the only thing you can control in this situation."

"I know," Robin said, sighing. "I just hate that there's all this animosity. And I understand that she doesn't want to share Haven because I don't want to share her either. But I am willing to do that because in the end, Haven would be the one who gets hurt. The last thing I want to do is hurt her."

Archie nodded, writing down more notes. "Of course. You're her father and you just want what's best for her."

"I do," he replied, a lump forming in his throat as he thought of his sweet daughter. He saw her crawling over his and Regina's bed that morning, babbling happily as he and Regina lay there watching her. It filled his heart with so much love, he thought it would burst.

"You're thinking of Haven now, aren't you?" Archie asked. "Your eyes softened and you got this big smile on your face."

Robin nodded, biting his lip. "Yeah. I was just thinking about this morning. She had woken up around the same time I went to the bathroom. And she was so happy to see me when I came to check on her and Honor in the nursery. Haven stood and reached out her little arms to me…"

"Good morning, sweetheart," he cooed, picking her up. "Did you have a good night's sleep?"

She laughed, clapping her hands. He chuckled, nodding. "Good! Did you have some good dreams?"

Haven babbled and Robin kept talking with her as he changed her diaper. Once she was in a clean one, he picked her up and tickled her stomach. She laughed, pushing against his hand. He stopped and kissed her forehead, breathing in the soft scent of her baby shampoo as his heart swelled with love for her. "Come on, sweetheart, why don't you spend some time with Mama and me in bed?" he asked.

Robin carried her into his bedroom and placed her down on the bed before he climbed in. As he slid back under the covers, Haven crawled over to Regina and curled up beside her. He lay on his side, watching the two as Regina unconsciously shifted closer to Haven. It was as if she sensed one of her children was there and moved to cuddle her.

It made him love her even more.

Haven looked up at Regina, patting her cheek before settling down. She seemed just happy to lay beside her mother and entertain herself. Robin moved closer to them and held out his finger for Haven to grasp. She did so and gave it a little shake every so often, a smile on her face. He watched her and felt his love for her grow even more as well.

"I really can't imagine my life without her," he said, shuddering at the thought. "Our family would not be complete without her."

Archie nodded, looking thoughtful. "Do you think that feeling would change if you do have to share her with Zelena?"

"Well, no," he replied. "I would miss her when she was gone but we will always be her family and our house will always be her home. My worry, though, is that Zelena won't share her. That she will kidnap Haven and take her some place that Regina and I can't easily get to."

"An understandable fear given that she has tried to kidnap Haven in the past," Archie replied.

Robin nodded. "And so I'm hesitant to turn my little girl over to her. I don't know what I would do if she took her away."

He paused before sighing, running his fingers through his hair. "No, wait, that's lie. I do know what I would do and I'm not proud of it."

"Then I think we need to talk about it," Archie said softly. "That is why you're having these sessions."

"Right," Robin said, nodding as he leaned back against the couch. "Right. To help me control the darkness inside me."

Archie frowned. "Not exactly. We're here to help you process the trauma you've experienced in a healthy way."

"So it doesn't feed the darkness inside me," Robin replied, knowing everything circled back to that. "I know it's there. I know it will always be there. I'm okay with that. I just want to make sure I don't let it consume me and that I stay on the light side."

"And we are working on those healthy coping methods to help with that," Archie agreed. "And that does include not bottling up feelings."

Robin nodded, knowing he was right but still having concerns. "But I'm worried about my anger. I don't want it feeding the darkness."

Archie frowned, writing something down. "Do you feel that anger is a dangerous emotion?"

"Well, um," Robin said, thinking it over. He frowned, feeling as if there was a right answer to the question and worried he would give the wrong one. "Isn't it?"

"Not necessarily," Archie replied. "Anger can be very healthy."

That surprised Robin and he leaned forward as he asked: "How so?"

"Most of our emotions are healthy. We feel what we feel and we should express them," Archie replied. "It's how we express them that becomes the issue. And, of course, if we feel certain ones more than the others."

"Like anger?" he asked.

Archie nodded. "Anger is one of them. Do you feel angry all the time, Robin?"

"Well, no," Robin replied. "I only feel angry when I'm dealing with Zelena because she just frustrates me so much. And I know she's doing it because enjoys seeing me get all worked up. She derives some perverse pleasure from it."

"She probably does," Archie agreed. "It makes sense, then, that you would feel angry. And it's okay that you do."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "It is?"

Archie nodded. "Yes."

"But that gives her what she wants," Robin reiterated, knowing that the best way to get her to stop was if he took away the satisfaction she felt.

"That is true," Archie replied. "But the answer isn't to not be angry or to suppress your anger. Suppressing such powerful emotions never ends well."

Robin paused, thinking about Regina's past and how she suppressed her grief until it got channeled into the hatred that powered her reign as the Evil Queen. If he suppressed his anger, he worried it would then channel to the darkness that lay dormant inside him. "So what is the answer?"

"The answer is to control your anger until it's safe to express it," Archie replied. "We can work on some exercises if you want."

"I do," Robin said, grateful for the therapist's help. "Thank you."

Archie smiled softly, nodding. He finished writing something before placing his pad aside. "Alright, let's go over a few I think will work best for you and we'll practice them so you're prepared for your next meeting with Zelena."

Robin nodded, moving closer to Archie. He hoped the exercises worked and that would be able to stay calmer when dealing with Zelena. They all needed to be at least civil with each other and come up with some agreement that best served the most important person of all.

Haven.

[zmzebra-writes]

ES Rare Pair Week 2024 Day 3: Wedding

Title: Marriage Fever Relationships: Mayoi Ayase/Tatsumi Kazehaya/Kaname Tojou Additional Tags: Future Fic, Post-Idol Career Summary: Three impulsive and impatient idiots go from dating to engaged to married all in one evening. Click here to see how!

Tatsumi always knew in his heart when he agreed to this that he would need to make compromises. His partners certainly were not short of compromises when it came to him. To this day, he was still surprised they agreed to this arrangement. He felt selfish being allowed to date his two favorite people, much less people he had already hurt so badly. Perhaps they would be better off if he left…

“Hah?!?? No way, Tatsumi!” Kaname had very loud thoughts regarding Tatsumi’s late night musings. He must have been talking out loud when preparing the tea in the kitchen. “We all agreed that all of us are important to each other and that we won’t leave because we think the other two will be better off without us!”

Tatsumi smiled at Kaname. His boyfriend was so sweet. “Yes, yes, I remember. I won’t leave you two. You and Mayoi don’t have to worry.”

Mayoi let out an “eep!” from behind the door frame, but still slinked into sight and into the kitchen next to Kaname’s side. Kaname didn’t look convinced. “You shouldn’t lie, Tatsumi. We promised to be honest about our feelings.”

Tatsumi’s smile became a bit more strained. “Ah… You know I don’t mean to lie to either of you, it’s just…”

“It’s just…?” Mayoi followed up.

Tatsumi’s smile finally fell into something more quiet. “... I visited my parents' church a few days ago. It had been years since we’ve talked, but they had taken an unusual interest in my life. Asking questions about if I had found a girlfriend and the like.”

“I remember that…” said Kaname.

“Did they say something about us?” asked Mayoi.

“Not in so many words,” answered Tatsumi, “I didn’t see much point in confirming what I already know. To them, I am still their strange son who has yet to properly follow the flock.”

“Then…?”

“... I got to see many of my old peers during my stay back home.” Tatsumi turned his eyes to the brewing teapot. “Everyone I met had already gotten married and many of them had started their own families.”

Tatsumi went quiet. Kaname pushed. “... And?”

“And I worry that I am the one holding us all back,” Tatsumi settled on saying, “I am the one who is so caught up in rules that I worry I am hurting you both with my choices. If it wasn’t for me, you two could face the world without a deadweight holding you down and keeping you from living as you like.”

Mayoi moved forward to comfort Tatsumi. “That could never be the case, Tatsumi. We are able to live happily because of your presence in our lives.”

Tatsumi smiled at Mayoi’s touch. Kaname wasn’t satisfied though. “Well what kind of rules? We’ve already gotten over the ‘being gay’ thing so is there another rule I’m missing or…? Your parents didn’t convince you that you’re actually straight, right?”

Tatsumi laughed. “No, I think I’ve reached the point that I don’t think even the Lord above could convince me to stop loving you two.”

Kaname felt more confident now knowing that this wasn’t going to end how his brother used to warn him. “Then what is it?”

Tatsumi glanced away as a blush dusted his face. “... It’s silly to admit.”

Mayoi grasped Tatsumi’s hand tightly to reassure him. “If it matters to Tatsumi, then we care as well.”

“Right!” Kaname agreed as he came over to grab Tatsumi’s other hand.

“Ah… Well if you are both going to insist…” Tatsumi felt warm as he shuffled between his two partners. “... I want us to get married.”

Mayoi and Kaname both turned red. “Married?!”

Tatsumi tried his best to hide his face in his shoulder. “It’s selfish, but while I was back home, I got to help officiate a wedding. The couple was so happy and the moment was so beautiful, but all I could think about was how much I wanted to stand there myself with you both at my sides. I just love you two so much, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you both, no matter what anyone else thinks.”

Tatsumi took a chance to look at his partners. “I’ve overstepped my bounds, haven’t I?”

Mayoi blinked to shake away his shock. “No not at all, Tatsumi! I am so honored that you would want to spend your life with someone like me.”

Tatsumi focused on Mayoi. “You think too lowly of yourself, Mayoi. I don’t want to marry someone like you, I want to marry you.”

Smoke spewed out of Mayoi’s ears as he combusted. Used to this and knowing it was usually a sign Tatsumi needed to step back and let Mayoi calm down, Tatsumi turned to Kaname who had yet to say a word. “What do you think, Kaname? I wouldn’t want to force you to do something you don’t want to.”

Kaname’s grip on Tatsumi’s hand tightened as his eyes began to water. 

“Kaname?!”

Kaname brought their entwined hands up to his eyes as he choked back his tears.

Mayoi snapped back to awareness as both he and Tatsumi began fussing over Kaname, asking him what was wrong and how they could help.

“It’s just…” started Kaname as he tried to speak through his tears, “A part of me never thought I would be able to get married. I’m just… so happy.”

All three of them smiled as they embraced each other. 

~~~

“So when should we get married?” asked Mayoi after they had spent a good portion of the evening being sweet to each other. “Do we need to get rings? I think we may have accidentally missed some steps. Will they still let us get married if we don’t have engagement rings?!” 

As Mayoi began doom-spiraling, Tatsumi began thinking more seriously about their plan to wed. Things couldn’t be this simple, could it? There were still the laws and the more important in-laws. Would they even be able to get married at all?

“Why not right now?” asked Kaname, cutting through the worries of both his fiances. “You’re a priest, aren’t you, Tatsumi? I really don’t want to wait to get married.”

Tatsumi smiled and kissed Kaname on the cheek. “You are so smart, my darling.”

Kaname blushed as he instinctively puffed up. “Of course I am! I am the brilliant Kaname Tojou after all.”

“Are you alright with doing this now, Mayoi?” Tatsumi lifted Mayoi’s hand as he looked at him. “We can wait if you want. Despite Kaname’s words, there is no rush.”

Kaname pouted. “Don’t act like you don’t want to get married right now too, Tatsumi.”

Tatsumi continued to look at Mayoi. “Regardless of my own feelings on the subject, you also get a say in what we do together. Neither of us would want to get married if you did not feel ready.”

Mayoi fidgeted under the attention. His emotions were in a twist, anxiety soaring through the roof, but Tatsumi’s grip kept him grounded. His old self never would have made it this far without his two partners helping him. He looked at Tatsumi and Kaname and knew that this was one thing he didn’t have to overthink. 

If they were together, they would make it through somehow.

“I do.” Mayoi said with a smile.

Tatsumi’s grin grew. 

“Don’t go skipping to the end, Mayoi!” said Kaname.

Tatsumi laughed and beckoned Kaname over. “I’ll get right to the good part for us.”

“Kaname Tojou and Mayoi Ayase, have you come here to enter marriage without coercion, freely, and wholeheartedly?”

They nodded. “I have.”

“As have I,” responded Tatsumi, “Are you prepared, as you follow the path of marriage, to love and honor each other for as long as you both shall live?”

“I am.”

“I am prepared as well. Since it is our intention to enter the covenant of Holy Matrimony, we shall join our hands to declare our consent to one another and God.” Tatsumi grabbed Mayoi and Kaname’s hands as they grabbed each other’s to complete the circle.

“I, Tatsumi, take you two, Mayoi and Kaname, to be my spouses. I pledge to honor, cherish, and love you as my partners today and forever. You two were the first people who saw me as the person I am and met me on equal footing. For that I will be eternally grateful.”

Kaname spoke next. “I, Kaname, take you two, Tatsumi and Mayoi, to be my spouses. I promise to love and defend you both through whatever life throws at us. I’ve spent most of my life working to prove myself to be seen, but I don’t have to worry about that with you guys. I love you two and I know you love me back unconditionally.”

Mayoi sensed it was his turn and spoke up. “I, Mayoi, take you two, Kaname and Tatsumi, to be my spouses. I am yours forever and always, as I swear to love you both until the end of time. I’ve spent the majority of childhood alone and afraid, but since meeting Tatsumi and getting to know Kaname and everyone else I am no longer lonely. You both help me come out of my shell and be a better person.”

With wet eyes and a smile, Tatsumi continued the blessings. “May the Lord in his kindness strengthen our vows we have declared to each other and graciously bring his blessings within us. What God has joined, let no one pull asunder.

“Now we may have no rings, but—”

“Wait!” interrupted Kaname, “Let me just…”

Kaname let go of his partners to remove three rings from his hands. “Rings!”

“Are you sure you are alright giving these to us, Kaname?” asked Mayoi, “Your rings are important to you.”

“It’s fine, I have like ten more in my jewelry box,” waved off Kaname, “This is more important.”

Kaname handed the rings to Tatsumi. “Will these work?”

“They are perfect, Kaname.” Tatsumi took the rings in his hands and began to pray. “Bless, O Lord, these rings, so that those who wear them with deep faith and love for one another.”

Tatsumi lifted and tilted Mayoi’s hand. “Mayoi Ayase, I give you this ring as a symbol of our never ending love and our vow to you.”

Mayoi blushed and blinked back tears as Tatsumi slid the ring onto his finger. He took the remaining two rings and turned to Kaname.

He lifted Kaname’s hand. “Kaname Tojou, I give you this ring as a symbol of our never ending love and our vow to you.”

Mayoi slid Kaname’s ring back onto his finger. Kaname didn’t bother blinking back tears as he’d already lost that battle. He took the final ring and turned to Tatsumi.

“Tatsumi Kazehaya… Tatsumi Kazehaya,” Kaname mumbled to himself as he lifted up Tatsumi’s hand, “Tatsumi Kazehaya, I give you this ring as a symbol of our never ending love and our vow to you.”

Kaname slid the ring onto Tatsumi’s finger as they both teared up. Mayoi grabbed their joined hands to share in the crying fest. 

Tatsumi tried his best to shakily get back on track. “Now, with God as our witness, I pronounce all of us spouses. You may now kiss!”

It was as if all of them had not seen the other in decades as they rushed to kiss and banged their heads together in the process. Tatsumi laughed as Kaname and Mayoi rubbed their heads before using the opportunity to kiss each of them on the cheek.

“Unfair! Sneaking in like that while we were recovering,” protested Kaname, “Mayoi, let’s show him what we think about that…”

Mayoi gave a slender smile and a nod before both of them attacked Tatsumi from either side with a kiss. “Don’t think we’ll let you get away that easily, Tatsumi,” he said.

“Oh, I think I can handle this punishment,” said Tatsumi with a grin, “Don’t feel any need to show mercy on my account.”

“Oh, you can bet there won’t be any mercy here,” said Kaname with the face of a cat who caught the canary, “Now that we’re married, you are never getting rid of us.”

Kaname shuffled up to Tatsumi, Mayoi following suit. “Never~!” he sang.

Tatsumi simply hugged his newly-dubbed spouses and laughed. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”

[chaotictarlos]

Hot Chocolate Wishes

ship: Tarlos | fandom: 911 Lone Star | author: chaotictarlos | read on ao3

For: @tarlosweeklyprompts 12 Days of Tarlos, Day One: Enjoying Hot Chocolate Together | Warnings / Tags: Fluff, Slight Angst, Tarlos as Dad's, Snow, family, hurt and comfort, soft vibes

Authors Note: I am so excited about this event and hope to write a few fics for it! It's going to be so much fun! This fic was 100% inspired by the airplane window video that Rafa posted the other day. Rafael Silva is my forever muse and I adore him. If he ever sees this fic, I hope he doesn't because I would die but apparently he's interested in reading tarlos fan fiction, i hope he enjoys it. 🤣

--

Fat, cotton ball snowflakes fall quickly from the sky and settle into Carlos’ loose curls, peppering his hair with white dots that melt and make his hair damp. It only encourages his hair to be messy as he shoves anxious fingers through the tangled strands. 

This isn’t how his day was supposed to go. He isn’t supposed to be thousands of miles still away from his husband and daughters. He shouldn’t be standing outside of the New Jersey Airport, bags by his side and waiting for a taxi to take him to a hotel room that the airport booked for him when they told him that all flights had been canceled due to the snow storm.

He sniffles quietly, telling himself that the sniffles are just from the cold, not from the tears that were gathering at the corner of his eyes and waiting to fall. 

Soon a taxi drives up and the driver helps him put his bags in the car's trunk before he climbs into the back seat. He tells the driver where he’s going and pulls out his phone, waking the lock screen and staring at the picture that beams up at him. 

It’s a picture of TK holding their two girls, smiling brightly and happily. It makes Carlos sniffle again as a tear slips down his cheek as much as he wishes it wouldn’t. His heart aches to be beside them, listening to the girls laugh and fight over some toy that they both have but of course they want to play with the same one and to be in TK’s arms, holding him close and thinking about how lucky he was to have the life that he has now. 

He unlocks his phone and pulls up the messages that he’s been exchanging with TK over the two weeks that he had been gone. Thankfully they had made up after the little fight they had before Carlos had left - TK was unhappy with Carlos having to go on this work trip so close to the holidays and for so long - so their exchanges were happy but filled with longing. His fingers hover over the message box, hesitating to send the message that he wouldn’t be coming home tonight and that flights had been canceled.

Read more on AO3

tags: @strangefurychaos @ronensass @sapphire11 @first-kanaphan @angeltk @noxsoulmate   @beautifulhigh @welcometololaland @rangergurlgleek1211 @detective-giggles @tarlos-spain @lonestardust @bubblesandroses8 @thebumblecee

[the-fiction-witch]

Take My Hand P14

Media Irl x 1910

Character Thomas Brodie Sangster

Couple Thomas X Reader

Rating Adorable 

Concept Take My Hand Series

|Thomas|

We headed down to the third class dining room and honestly I was kinda surprised by how small it was like you could fit four of these in the restaurant upstairs we went to some seats side by side surrounded by other people but they were all so kind they didn't care who I was or where I came from just happy I was there to share the time with them. We had the dinner admittedly it wasn't much but I didn't care it was so comforting the food made me feel so warm and cozy we even managed to snag a Yorkshire between us. We had small cuts of roast meats with a choice of potatoes or mash with gravy and cabin biscuits if you wanted them along with as much bread and rolls and rolls as you could stuff. I had to admit I ate my fair chair of cabin business they were really nice like a good shortbread and knowone else at the table seemed to like them so just kept passing them down to us, And finally we had little cake each for desert but I gave mine to one of the little girls from the family across from us so she didn't have to share with her big brother, and I shared with y/n even if I let her have the bigger half and much more of the cream.

"Shall we?" She asks

I feel so happy here with y/n, often chatting with those around us about little things all the stories I leant about these people all far more interesting then any silver spoon 'self made' money I head heard in the upper decks, all the while I held her hand and this just felt like home, I couldn't help but imagine a life for us and imagine her... As my wife. Even though I'd only known her a few short days I knew I wanted to spent the rest of my life with her.

The band of guys even invited us down to another common area.

"Yeah I'd love to" I smiled so we headed down with them got a drink each and watched the madness around, smoking, drinking, dancing, arm wrestling, all the sort of pub behaviour you'd imagine. You'd think perhaps it would be frightening to be an outsider that like upstairs you'd be treated as new, different and excluded until you slowly worked your way in talking to the right people and smiling at the right times,  but they all happily welcomed me I even won an arm wrestle with a guy, it felt like forever down here and I didn't care I'd rather be down here forever then up there for even ten minutes.

"Did you want to dance?"

"Ohh uhh I'm not sure I know this dance"

"Come on it'll be fine Thomas" she giggled taking my hand so I happily followed her onto the dance floor she had to lead me a little at first but eventually we got into a rhythm of it and I couldn't stop my smiles as we danced together after a spin I pulled her into my chest and kissed her sweetly

"I love you"

"Awww Thomas I love you too" she smiled "..but your engaged" she remained sadly

"I am. To you. if you'll have me?" I told her

"You mean it?"

"Absolutely and I promise the moment we get off this ship I'll marry you, hell I'll go up and find a priest in the chapel on C deck tomorrow morning if I have to. I want to marry you"

"Truly?"

"As true as I can mean it."

"But we've only known each other a few days"

"I doesn't matter I've never felt this way about anyone, I couldn't even imagine getting married when my father told me I was engaged, now... The only girl I can ever imagine marrying is you, your my angel and I love you so much"

"Aww Thomas that's so sweet, Then of course I'll Marry you!" She smiled jumping into my arms, I held her as tight as I could trying not to cry from utter joy "come on we should get settled before it gets too late" she smiled

"Your right, do you mind I stay with you tonight?"

"Not at all"

"Okay then lead the way my angel"

[umbralsound-xiv]

They all came home. That much i know, and it was a... Comfort, to learn it.

But i know not all left the infirmary. I have my ways of finding out, of course. In my correspondence with Mist, and in between what household duties i undertake.

...I was cooking anyway. I always make more than i intend.

I did not have to bring it to him. Of course not. He came home. He is fine.

...He is fine.

...I had to be sure.

Eir Fellfrost hesitantly raises a hand to the infirmary door. A tray settles on his hip in the other hand, and it takes him a long, long moment to consider his next move. Shifting briefly from one foot to the other, and moving half a step backwards as though he were to retreat, Eir instead pushes through the infirmary door without warning. The tray held a small array of food; a colourful orange curry sat atop a bed of fluffy rice, and a small oval of bread tucked onto the edge of tray. On the corner sits a small plate, and a collection of familiar golden hued cookies. Eir's gaze slowly settles on Erjon, and though he takes an inhale to speak, his words don't come immediately. An awkward silence then... But he does eventually talk before Erjon manages to get a word in. "...I... Cooked." A pause. "...There are leftovers."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv kept himself entertained by reading a book when one of his ears flicked to the sound of the infirmary door opening. Expecting to see a healer, he raised a curious eyebrow seeing Eir standing and staring at him awkwardly holding a tray of food. The scent of a good meal seemed to catch Erjon's interest quickly and he put the book aside on the bed. "What's this, room service? This company sure knows how to spoil their employees."

Eir Fellfrost: "Hah. No such thing, no. I was just... On my way to the infirmary for an errand after dinner, and knew you were inside. I heard you were wounded, and thus, unable to get food of your own volition." A small, flat pause, as he casts his glance away to the cupboard. "...Are you hungry?"

Erjon Sjadarwesfv tilted his head, studying Eir with curious eyes. "Were you worried about me, hm? Worried enough to even bring me food, how kind you are. As a matter of fact, I am, yes. Especially now that I can smell it. Curry?"

I was not worried. Why would i be worried? I was here on an errand.

I just thought it would be... Nice to bring food which he would have otherwise had anyway. What difference would it make?

I have no reason to be worried about him.

Eir Fellfrost: "Curry." Eir replies, but gives no further word to the rest. He briefly looks over Erjon as he sets the tray on the foot of the bed, before moving back to the other end of the room, looking through the cupboards. "...How were you wounded? I thought you fought at range."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Yep, I do." He scooted closer to the tray to be able to reach it, picking up the bread to start eating it. "Keeping a distance usually is to an advantage, but apparently this beast found me so attractive he couldn't help but kiss me several times over, despite the number of people trying to hug him with axe and sword." He didn't bother swallowing before he continued. "I guess it had good eyes. Not so strange, when you think about it, it had six in total."

Eir Fellfrost's brow knits at the words. Cupboard doors open, he simply opts to... Read the interior's worth of bottles. "Usually an advantage, yes. But not faultless. Evidently." He picks up an errant bottle to more closely observe the contents. "What... Manner of beast did you fight...?" He curiously turns his gaze over his shoulder, then.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv continued to happily dig into the delicious food, dipping the bread in the curry before moving on to the rice. "A chimera, a voidsent one at that. I guess someone had a field trip when they summoned it." He paused to swallow, for once. "Leftovers, you say? Awfully nicely arranged leftovers." He observed the cookies, recognizing what kind they were.

Eir Fellfrost: "Better to eat when it is warm, yes? I do not know how long you would be here for, and when i did not hear footfalls at the rattle of a spice jar..." He trails, lofting a brow which slowly furrowed at the thought of the beast they had slain. He doesn't say anything, but his somewhat anxious expression gave weight that there was at least something unvoiced on his mind.

...It is a... Selfish thought. But i am glad Sayuri did not go. That she was safe from whatever horrors awaited her on the battlefield. A small mercy.

...

I should not get too used to it.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Alas, it will be a few days before I can come assist you in the kitchen again. Doctor's orders. I understand it must be hard to taste test everything without me." As he continued eating, his eyes kept watching Eir curiously as he wandered about in the infirmary.

Eir Fellfrost: "I have lived more than a hundred cycles without your esteemed tastebuds. I am sure i will be fine." Eir peers over his shoulder with a small frown, moving to the next cupboard along after replacing the bottle.

You seem lost in thought.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "By the sounds of it, seems I have been sorely missed. So much so that you listen for my footsteps. I take it as a compliment." He cleaned some curry sauce off of his fingers. His hands were decorated with peculiar small scar lines. "In any case, there's no need for you to worry your little heart. I am told I will make a full recovery. Thankfully the beast's attempt at freezing my balls off were unsuccessful."

Eir Fellfrost: "It has happened often enough now that they are almost expected. Not that it will stop me from cooking, these suns." He plucks up a book, beginning to read the text within; something about plants, it would seem. But Erjon's comment makes him briefly bristle, a cut glare darting to the corner of the room. "I am not here to check on you. I am running an -errand-." He reiterates.

I...

So the errand was a fabrication... In a sense. There was a book i had some interest in looking into, and being unable to find it in the house proper, i thought to search in here, and ask for permission to borrow if i could locate it.

...

...And... Yes, i would admit it, there was some... Unrest, not worry, i saught to dispel.

You hear people leave. And you dread that they they will never return, even if you are assured they will.

You hear people are wounded... And never know how badly.

Though i have little care for him, we... We endured the same Hell. If something were to happen to him, now...?

...Bah. I should not worry. But he is fine, and well, and i can put that thought to rest and think of it no longer.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Ah right, so you are. And errand that includes... Wander about the infirmary looking into books?" He did not take his eyes off of Eir as he kept eating.

Eir Fellfrost: "An errand that includes looking for something. Here. In the infirmary." The book is snapped shut, and replaced in it's rightful spot on the shelf. "You need not concern yourself with my tasks."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv tilted his head. "So... What is it that you are looking for? Maybe I could point you in the right direction."

Eir Fellfrost pauses only for a moment, eyes lofted. "Why would you want to help me?" Another hesitation, as he stalled, casting his glance about the shelves again. "It is a number of things."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv shrugged. "It's not like I'm busy. Go on, tell me."

Eir Fellfrost: "It is not as though you can get up and help me look." Eir retorts. "...Ether. Dried moon dasies. And a book detailing the medicinal uses of flowers." A pause. "Amongst other things."

...I did not need them... As such.

...I needed them as excuses.

...I wonder how well he knows the infirmary...?

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "As a matter of fact, I can. The bed is just more comfortable. Plus, not allowed to leave the infirmary, so I have little reason to wander about. In any case..." He got up on his feet, perhaps a little slower than a perfectly healthy person normally would have, and made his way over to the shelves where he started pointing in different directions. "Potions and ether there, herbs and dried plants in containers on that shelf and the books should be in alphabetical order."

Eir Fellfrost stares as Erjon rises to his feet, half backing into a corner before he catches himself and stands his ground for a moment. In that moment, Eir stares at Erjon, trying to find any signs of injury and the scale of exactly how wounded he was. "Uh... Thank you." Eir mutters, and hesitantly begins looking; though there's no real heart for doing it, fighting his gaze away from the man. "...I will not be here long, regardless. I will leave you to your peace soon enough."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "You're welcome." He watched as Eir started to go through the shelves for a while before he made his way back to his bed to sit down. "It is peaceful like a grave here. Not that I'm indending to be put in a grave, if I did I wouldn't be in an infirmary." He paused to grab some more curry, finishing his plate.

Eir Fellfrost: "...Peaceful. It is a good bit quieter than the infirmaries i have known." He briefly glances upwards towards the light, and along the walls with a quiet sigh. "I have not spent so much time here. Not even when i returned from the Locket. I plan to keep it that way... But then, i suppose, we all do. But i wager it is a little easier for me, than others on the battlefield."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Well, I am the only patient after all. I'm sure there has been everything from blood-curdling screams to limbs laying strewn across the floor here." He grabbed a cookie and took a bite out of it, eyebrows raising slightly at the taste. Pleased with it, he ate the rest of the cookie. "Can't say I would expect to find you in here often. But I wouldn't complain to be served food like this again. Thanks for the meal."

The gratitude was... Nice.

Unexpected. The food was something of an excuse, too; i did intend to cook for myself, and have gotten into the habit of making far more than would be for one person.

...At the very least, he enjoys my cooking, not that it would matter either way.

Eir Fellfrost: "...I can only imagine; and would prefer to keep such things to my imagination alone, and not the reality of it." He watches as Erjon bites into the cookie, a faint smile which he quickly dismisses. "Aside from tasks and errands, i have little need to be in here. This is... Perhaps the smallest infirmary i have known and... The most comfortable."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "It is comfortable. Kinda like a cottage. Different from the metal clad walls or makeshift hospital tents on the field I remember. Of course, those were much bigger and more busy." He ate another cookie. "Finding what you need yet?"

Eir Fellfrost: "...Suppose it only stands to reason, being in a constant warzone." A small shake of his head, then, as he idly flips through the book. "...Not quite." Still, Eir can't seem to keep his gaze in the book for long. "Did... You spent much time in the infirmary?" He asks. His words are measured, spoken with an uncertain sort of care.

...Curiosity caused me to ask. It is no secret.

We served. Perhaps not together, perhaps not on the same side, for a time, but we did.

Such things spring to mind, from time to time.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv studied Eir for a while before he answered. "I wouldn't say I spent much time there. I reckon I wouldn't be sitting here in one piece had that been the case. But I have had a few visits, yes. Most of them nothing worth mentioning, but a few bullets and sharp blades hit a little too close for comfort. Still, I yet draw breath. Either I dodged quickly enough, or their aim wasn't perfect enough."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "By the sounds of it, it sounds like you've had one or two visits to tell."

Eir Fellfrost looks over a final page in the book, closing it with a sigh to replace it back on the shelf. "...I do not make a habit of hiding my scars unless i am dancing. You have seen them, i wager." - Some few of Eir's scars were on view, now pale silvery lines that decorated his skin. "...The worst was in Werlyt."

Eir Fellfrost: "...Were you there?"

Erjon Sjadarwesfv observed the few scars visible before his focus returned to Eir's face. "I was. I assisted in its conquest. I assume you did too then?"

You nod to Erjon Sjadarwesfv.

Eir Fellfrost: "...For... What i had the capacity to do, yes. I almost lost my life there. But suppose that was not so terrible a thing. If i had not been wounded, i wager i would be long dead, now." Neglecting the book, Eir hesitantly approaches, halfway between the door and the bed.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Nearly dead is better than certainly dead. At least that's what most people would say. Myself included." He grabbed another cookie, but did not eat it - instead he tossed it to Eir. "Means you're stuck with the memory of standing at death's door and backing away rather than entering sure. But at least you got a chance to back away instead of being forcefully shoved through. Metaphorically speaking."

Eir Fellfrost snatches the cookie out of the air. "...Suppose." He sinks his teeth into the biscuit, and... Opts to slowly, somewhat hesitantly, take a seat. "I was cut down... I was infantry, back then. I remember one of our healers, Naoko, screaming for help. Everything went dark, and then i woke in an infirmary. Spent a moon there, underneath Juny's tending, and eventually returned to service with light duties. A messenger, would you believe..."

Eir Fellfrost: "...They soon noticed my aptitude for it. Hence the promotion, shortly after."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv listened as Eir told him of his memory. He seemed to have taken a break from eating, for now. "Congratulations. Just had to show you were willing to give your life for the Empire to get a promotion, you'd make a centurion proud. It was either that or cannon fodder, I'm sure. Some would consider it an ironic stroke of luck."

Eir Fellfrost: "...It was. That is... At least, what i would consider it as. Had they not given me light duties, they would have never known my talents as a messenger. Should i have never taken the hit... Something far worse would have come along and seen me to an early grave, of that i am certain. I enjoyed precious little of my time as a conscript. I was a poor combatant, bolstered only by my friends."

Eir Fellfrost: "You were a... Architectus Veteranus, yes? I... Remember you telling me. In my room." He replies a little flatly, then. "...How... Long for?"

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "I was, yes. I didn't start out as one, of course. I spent many years serving the Garlean Empire. One would think I'd have turned into a fanatic for their beliefs after so many years, but... Let's just say my first impression of them wasn't the best, and that kinda stuck." He grabbed a cookie but merely sat with it in his hand. "That said, I spent enough time there to know Garleans are not all bloodthirsty conquerers. Something I suspect is hard to convince most people to believe."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "As for your question, I had the rank Architectus Veteranus for about twenty-four cycles."

Eir Fellfrost: "A... Considerable time. I was Tesserarius for only ten cycles. And whilst i did not enjoy it... I hated it far less than i did as infantry." Eir's gaze slowly lofts to Erjon's, and for a rare moment, his ears briefly tilt back. "...How did..." Eyes drop back down to the cookie, then; half bitten in his hand. "...I will assume, like many, you did not join willingly."

...I probably should not have asked. A difficult question, but...

It is rare enough, that you meet a conscript that is willing to speak; i am not in almost every occasion, and would deny all interaction with the accursed Empire if it would keep the questions away.

But he is... He is a Viera. Perhaps not a Rava like me, but... We are not so different.

He understands in a way i do not think another could.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv had not averted his eyes from Eir up until this moment. He looked at Eir's half aten cookie, then at his own. He stared down at it with a thoughtful expression. "I did not, no." Finally he responded, looking at Eir. "I was forcefully conscripted when Garlean troops entered the territory of my old home in the forest near the mountains of the Skatay Range. That was long ago, however." He tilted his head slightly. "I would assume you did not exactly join of your own free will either."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Unless you sing 'Glory to Garlemald' in your sleep."

Eir Fellfrost: "...I think Sayuri might have smothered me with a pillow by now, should it be the case." The remark is met with a poor attempt at humour, which quickly dissolves into a more somber expression. "I... Did not. I was..." He trails, looking away. "...Conscripted at gunpoint. They thought me one of Lente's Tears. I was in Dalmasca at the time... At the same time as the Battle of Nalbina Fortress." He looks over the biscuit in hand, turning it between his fingers. "...Wrong place, wrong time."

Eir Fellfrost pauses, then, looking up. "I am... Sorry, to hear it."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv hummed in thought. "Huh. The conquering of Dalmasca. That was some time ago. I was there at the time, but I don't remember seeing you. Must've been conscripted by a different legion. Well, I don't blame you. Kinda hard to say 'no thank you' with a gun pointed at your head." He paused to finally take a bite out of his cookie.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "No need to say sorry for something you had no part in. It happened, and there's that."

Eir Fellfrost: "...More for the circumstances, than anything by my hand. There are plenty who have been consctripted... But few in our circumstance." A small nod, then, to Erjon's statement. "...I considered it." A quiet admission, then. He can't bring himself to take a bite of the biscuit, tracing the edge with his fingettips. "...Considered saying no. For all the good it would have done me."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Considered taking the easy way out, hm? You always were good at running away, after all." He paused, not seeming overly bothered by how cold he might sound. "But you didn't. How come? Too afraid to take the easy way out and cut it short, or hoping for a chance somewhere in that miserable decision to keep going?"

...I am good at running. Dancing, and reading, and running... And so precious little else. The words hurt, but... Not because they were untrue.

They were not.

...I used to wonder, often. If it would have been better, had i never given my name, and endured the consequences, for how brief they would have been.

But i wonder less these suns.

I am glad i chose the path that i did... For all the pain it has caused me.

Eir Fellfrost's eyes narrow at the accusation, clearly wounded for it... But he doesn't fight it. Some feeling of shame washes over his features, bitterly finishing the rest of the biscuit. And then, the silence lingers for a time, before Eir eventually speaks up again. "...Because i was told to live. Someone... Close to me. I wanted to see her again -- Both of them, so terribly back then... But i could not forsake the last thing she said to me."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv tilted his head, curiously watching Eir. He didn't seem to have a hint of an expression on his face, despite the sensitive topic. "Someone you loved, was it?"

Eir Fellfrost nods slowly, gaze dropping from Erjon's face as he did. "...I was married, once. She... She died peacefully. But she told me to live. I returned to Dalmasca to... Bury our daughter. It was then, that they caught me." A small roll of his shoulders, then, as any words he found strength to speak almost died in the pit of his throat. "I had... Nothing left to go back for."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Hm. By the sounds of it, there wasn't much reason for you to wish to continue. I guess your morals forced you to, for that promise. Was it guilt? Or a sense of duty, an honor of someone else's memory?" He tossed the final piece of his cookie in his mouth.

Eir Fellfrost: "I... Do not know." He shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "...I am not a brave man. You know this. Anyone who has met me... Knows this. Guilt... Duty... A promise kept, i think. But i thought often about running away. Would have, if i had not been talked down from it. By people who eventually became my friends."

Eir Fellfrost: "Did you... Ever try to escape? Or did you come to find some comfort in some facet of it, as i did?"

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Well, in any case, you're here now. You don't look like you regret it. Long road, and not a nice one. But you took it. As for me... at first, many times. Got caught, and the consequences weren't pleasant. Eventually they sort of beat obedience into me, I guess. When escaping became too dangerous, I just focused on surviving for as long as possible."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "There were other ways of 'escaping', sure. I won't go into any details with that, but if you know you know. As you can see, by the fact I'm sitting here, I never 'escaped' through such means either."

Eir Fellfrost: "...I know." He replies, almost curtly to his latter words, held by a heavy sort of quiet that lingered long after he had spoken. "...I do not regret my decision. I have lived, and... I have found happiness once again." Eir shook his head quietly, then. "I never tried to escape. I... Was not sure what would be worse. To be beaten, or to be executed. Promise and... Fear were enough to keep me in line." Eir sits quietly for a long moment, silver eyes slowly drawing up to meet Erjon's.

Eir Fellfrost: "...You are here now, too. Do -you- regret it?"

Erjon Sjadarwesfv stares back at Eir for a considerable time. He looks down at his hands for a moment before reaching for his pocket, bringing out a pair of gloves. "There is no use in feeling regret. It won't change the past. What's done is done. I accept the reality for what it is, and choose to keep moving."

...He too, bears scars. I wonder what those circumstances are, though... I do not think i would ever ask.

Eir Fellfrost's gaze drifts to Erjon's hands, observing them with some rare curiosity of his own. He makes no comment, however, returning his gaze upwards. "Whether there is a use in it or not, it is still felt. I do not regret my decision. But there are... Many, many things i regret beyond it. Regret... Teaches us not to make the same mistakes." A small frown, then. "...Perhaps why it lingers so long."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Perhaps. Regret might teach you lessons in life, but they might also hinder you in moving forward." He put on his gloves as he spoke. "As long as it does not cloud your mind completely, make you irrational. Lesson learned, and there's that. If you let it weigh you down completely, you'll end up on the ground unable to move anywhere."

Eir Fellfrost: "...Better to be hindered moving forward, rather than rush into the same mistake. So long as we keep moving. We both made it here, albiet for different reasons. I---" Eir's voice cuts out, as he does not finish his sentence, closing his mouth and breathing sharply out of his nose, leaving only silence.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv raised a curious eyebrow at Eir. He waited, patiently. "... Yes?"

You make a straight face at Erjon Sjadarwesfv.

Eir Fellfrost: "...If i wanted to continue, i would have."

...I could never tell him, and i wisely bit back the words, but...

...I was... Glad he was here.

No matter how much i might have loathed his presence, and still somewhat do... In ways.

I am glad he is here, and he... Survived.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv shrugged. "Fair point. You're full of secrets, Angreir." He rolled his shoulders, stretching. "You're right about one thing, though. We both made it here, somehow. After a lifetime serving the Garlean Empire at that." He reached over and gave Eir a single, heavy pat on his right shoulder. "Not bad for a coward, if I may say so."

Eir Fellfrost narrows his eyes at Erjon at the remark, softening somewhat as he speaks. "...We did. Suppose we both ran from our circumstances there, even if in different ways." His head lowers, watching as a gloved hand briefly meets his shoulders. "...Is... This what you had meant to do? After leaving?" Eir asks, hesitation and curiosity both. "...You trade one battleground for another. Have you not tired of it?"

Erjon Sjadarwesfv winced as he realized too late he used his wounded left arm to pat Eir on the shoulder. Wrinkling his nose and and hissing quietly, the arm retreated as he turned it to and fro to check the level of pain, rolling his shoulder as much as he dared. "I wasn't sure what to do, to be honest. I have been a soldier for most of my life, so it made most sense. The life I had before that is so long ago it almost feels alien."

Eir Fellfrost reaches towards Erjon for only a moment; a heartbeat of a moment, before his hand sharply retreats back to his side, gaze averted. A question arrives on his lips to dispell the moment. "...How... Long did you serve?"

Erjon Sjadarwesfv glanced up at the corner of his eye in thought. It didn't take him very long to respond. "Let's see... About fourty-seven years, give or take a few moons. Quite a while for most conscripts. How about you?"

Eir Fellfrost: "...Thirty seven cycles. Long enough for anyone, but... Far from being most of my life. I could not imagine such misery for so long. If i had not known joy beforehand... I would have succumbed, i think."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "So I do have more experience, hm? Guess I can brag about that." He reached to see if there were any cookies left. "I won't say it was a peaceful life, you know that much. It was rough, but I got to know people there who made life a little easier." He grabbed two cookies and held out one of them for Eir. "I know you did too."

Eir Fellfrost looks almost suprised when another cookie is offered, taking it in hand. "I... I did. It was because of them that i stayed for so long... Without them, i would never have made it so far. And now, i..." A though strays into his mind, halting his words once again. But he continues to speak. "...I thought i was the only one who survived. But i was... Wrong. I... Met one of them. In the East."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv raised his eyebrows. "Well, would you look at that. Someone else was either smart or lucky, or both." He started eating his cookie, chewing while speaking. "Scared you half to death just seeing me. How was it to suddenly come face to face with someone you actually cared about?"

Eir Fellfrost: "...I... Do not know." The memory is a little bitter, and it shows. "...We never truly saw eye to eye, but... I considered Shio a friend, all the same. But she was... Angry. Not... Not at me. Not as just me, i think. At... The circumstances?" He attempts, before frowning. "...At the world. In... Any regard. She no longer wishes to speak to me. Perhaps i remind her too much of all that has been lost. It is... Understandable." He agrees, somewhat halfhearted. "I was only alarmed for seeing you because i did not know how much you would tell people."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "It makes sense. Even if it's difficult, best not to take it too personally. Too many unpleasant memories associated with your face, given your shared background. While it might improve with time, it will never go away." At Eir's final remark, he tilted his head with a curious glint in his eyes.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Oh, afraid I might suddenly go..." He then pressed the side of his hand against his cheek and raised his voice, calling into the room. "This nervous-looking Viera is an ex-Garlean, everyone! Point your fingers!"

Eir Fellfrost: "You would -not-." Eir points the remainder of the cookie at him in a somewhat accusatory manner, before eating the rest. "But it was a legitimate concern back then. I wished to distance myself from it all... Have a fresh start. Why i changed my name."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv rested his elbows further down on his legs, leaning a bit closer to Eir. "And I guess my annoying curiosity did not help, did it?"

Eir Fellfrost: "...It did not, no. I had expected such information to stay quiet, hoping to avoid you and simply keep to myself. I am...." A sigh, then. "...Glad, i... Suppose. That you confronted me. At least i can speak with someone who understands..."

Erjon Sjadarwesfv sat up a little more, however he was still slouching like usual. "Good to hear my nosiness is appreciated. I'm curious to hear what other secrets you have that I should know of."

Eir Fellfrost: "So, so many." Eir retorted, but does not elaborate. Regardless, something else pressing seems to take his attention, rising to his feet. "You can remain curious." He replies, brow slightly lofted.

There is much i have not told him, and time will tell if i ever do. I doubt it. But then...

Why is it i feel so... Comfortable talking with him about such things?

It feels almost akin to a burden. But i know he will not tell. I... Trust him for that much.

But then, he asks questions. He listens.

He... Understands.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Oh, I will. Which means I'll keep being nosy."

Eir Fellfrost moves to the foot of the bed to collect the tray and plates atop it. "Does that mean i will be expecting a visit of some description when you are no longer confined to the infirmary?"

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Well, if you miss me so much, then who am I to turn down an invitation?"

Eir Fellfrost: "It just is not the same, cooking in the kitchen and not having to worry about someone hovering three ilms away from my shoulder." Eir retorted, amused.

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "Hm. I better make sure to breathe in your ear next time to make you extra aware of your surroundings."

You make a straight face at Erjon Sjadarwesfv.

Eir Fellfrost: "Believe me, i am aware enough." His head inclines a little, murmuring quietly. "...Should i have any further leftovers, i will ensure they make it in your direction, yes?"

Erjon Sjadarwesfv: "How generous of you, I look forward to more room service. You do care about me after all, don't you?" The corner of Erjon's mouth turned up into a small, crooked smile of amusement.

Eir Fellfrost: "No more than any other in the company. Do not get ahead of yourself." Eir quips, and to save himself from any kind of retort or the potential for bickering well into the next evening, opts to leave the room without another word.

...He is fine. He is fine, and will recover in time, and i am almost certain he will come to annoy me in the kitchen sometime after his recovery.

...I wonder what his favourite is...?

---Bah. Why should it matter?

We are not friends, and he is not a special case when it comes to the other inhabitants of this house. We simply share a history and a heritage, and very little else.

[hmrtia]

❓+ what lengths are you willing to go to to get that happily ever after you so desire? › @galeleads

( SEND ❓+ A QUESTION AND MY MUSE HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO ANSWER TRUTHFULLY / accepting! )

much of his life, atlas had not thought of what it meant to have a happily ever after. he had lived the life of a student / alchemist / soldier- and he had lived for others. selfless in the most destructive ways! atlas had been the hero of creta / hero of milos (but that was not his title to have or to keep- he had been a storm leaving destruction in his wake and he had called that the act of a savior!), and now he was ...

out of place, perhaps, except for one place / her arms were a comfort, her heartbeat a grounding force. he had grown selfish, hadn't he? and it was not so awful in the end / not so monstrous as he had feared! what lengths are you willing to go to, asks the windborne alchemist, to get that happily ever after you so desire?

yes, he knows desire, now. he wants to live as any other would live. he wants to escape the war and allow his heart to settle. ❝ have i not already gone to great lengths for it? i bear my heart openly so that she will never doubt me. i have made my peace here so that i may focus on what is to come. ❞

❝ there is a house in table city- it was once the home of a doctor and his son. i have written letters already... so that when this war is over, we will be able to leave every sorrow of the past behind. but to escape the war, i know there will be much that i will have to sacrifice. ❞

he thinks of the sacred star that has kept him young and strong / a weapon of the military / an alchemic wonder. he no longer worries that she will lose interest in him even if he no longer is such a mystery- because she loves him. qistina leota loves him, and aurora hahn is no fool. she knows of his love / a secret he has no longer tried to bury. ❝ if the sacrifice allows me to simply live as any other would, then it will not be so horrid, will it? i will give up that which has made me creta's hero- i am weary of battle- i have learned that i must take time to heal. soon, this will be over. ❞