#and she can and will fly away from me if she’s bored or hungry

[void-tiger]

Merlin: screams!!

Merlin: screams!!

Merlin: screa—!!

Me: ohmyGOD just fly around or come see me already!

Merlin: screams!!

[1 hour later]

Merlin: screams!!

Merlin: [clucks]

Merlin:

Merlin: [flutters a tight lap away and back to her cage]

Me: THERE ya go. Good bird. Better now?!

Merlin: [ruffles. clucks]

[starshideurfics]

Little Steve who gets lost on a shopping trip in Chicago once. He’s bored and wanders towards a window display while his mommy is at the perfume counter, everything is so neat and perfectly in place. By the time he turns around, he can’t see his mommy anywhere.

Steve takes a deep breath and starts walking, ready to go looking for her, only to realize just how big the department store is. He’s overwhelmed and ducks into the middle of a clothing rack, curling up into a little ball, his lip wobbling as he makes peace with the fact he will have to live at the department store. He knows there’s food there because they already had lunch, and they walked past a whole department full of candy. There are little beds in the home department that will be just the right size for him, even if Mommy always says he shouldn’t climb on them and not to embarrass her. There’s even a giant teddy bear in the toy department, so really, living here won’t be so bad!

“Steve! Stevie! Oh my god! Steven!”

Steve perks up. That’s his mommy. He crawls out from under the rack, through a curtain of suit coats.

“Mommy!” He runs to her and she crouches down to pull him into her arms.

She cries as she holds him and apologizes, words more for herself than for Steve. “I’m sorry, Stevie. I thought you were right next to me. Oh god! What if something had happened to you?”

He gets a new toy truck, a nice one with working doors, and Mommy holds his hand the rest of the trip. They get ice cream. It’s the best day ever, and Steve was only scared for a minute.

A month later, Steve is bored at home. Daddy is in his office and Mommy is on the phone.

Every time he tries to talk to Mommy she says, “Not now, Steve. Mommy’s busy.” Daddy’s office door is locked.

So, Steve decides to run away. If he’s missing, Mommy will want to find him and hold him close. He puts on his shoes, carefully tying the bows on his laces, and leaves.

The sliding door into the backyard is quiet as he closes it behind himself, and he sets off with a determined gait.

Steve makes it far enough into the woods that he can’t see his house anymore. Then far enough that he comes out on a field that he doesn’t recognize. Another little boy is in the field, very focused as he stares at a patch of clover. “What are you doing?” Steve asks as he approaches.

“Catching moths!” The boy points to an open mason jar with leaves and twigs inside, then to the clover, a handful of white and yellow moths among the plants. He smiles at Steve, a gap where one of his baby teeth has already fallen out, then turns back to the clover, taking slow steps and crouching, trapping a moth between his cupped hands. “Can you grab the jar?”

Steve does, holding it carefully as the older boy places the moth inside, holding a hand over the jar’s mouth. “Thanks! My name’s Eddie, what’s yours?”

“Steve.”

“Wanna help me catch some more?”

“Yeah!”

Together, the boys catch a few more moths (Eddie catches all of them, Steve keeps scaring them by moving too fast). Eddie puts them in the jar, closing the lid, holes already punched in the metal, and they watch the little insects walk along the twigs and languidly flap their wings. Then Eddie unscrews the lid, giggling as the moths fly away.

“Why’d you do that? We worked so hard!”

“Moths can’t live in jars. Mama always says I can look but I can’t keep ‘em,” Eddie answers with a smile. Then Steve’s stomach growls loudly, and Eddie looks up to see how low the sun already is in the sky. “I’m hungry too. It’s almost dinner time, so we should head home.”

“I don’t know how to get home,” Steve says softly, suddenly realizing he got pretty turned around in the woods and home could be anywhere.

Eddie takes Steve’s hand. “That’s okay, you can come with me!” Eddie knows exactly what to do, leading Steve with all the confidence of a six-year-old, ready to start 1st grade next month. They quickly arrive at the trailer park, Eddie knocking at a door before walking straight inside, tugging Steve after him. “Uncle Wayne!”

“Hey there, Bug, who’s your friend?” Eddie’s uncle is tall, with kind eyes. Even if Eddie hadn’t brought him there, Steve’s pretty sure he would like Uncle Wayne.

“This is Steve.”

“Steve’s folks know where he is?”

“He doesn’t know how to get home.”

“Ah, shhh—” Wayne winces, cuts himself short, and Steve’s pretty sure he was gonna say a bad word. “Steve, do ya know your phone number?” Wayne asks, crouching down to be eye-level with the boys.

“No…” That’s a lie. But he needs to make sure Mommy and Daddy are worried about him. If he gets sent home too soon, they’ll just be mad.

“Your address?”

“No.”

“How about your last name?”

Steve just shakes his head, tears welling in his eyes. He had so much fun with Eddie, and now everything is falling apart. He should have stayed home…

Wayne ruffles his hair. “It’ll be okay, kiddo. We’ll get you home.” Steve’s stomach growls again. “How about we have a snack? Everything looks better on a full stomach.”

Eddie is still holding Steve’s hand, and brings him over to the little table, letting go so they can climb onto chairs. Wayne gives them chocolate-covered mini donuts and orange soda, asking them about their afternoon, Eddie doing most of the talking.

Then the phone rings, and Wayne answers. “No, he’s here, Bets, Eddie’s with me. — What?” He turns to look at the boys, staring at Steve, before continuing, “Nope, you saved me some trouble. You know Eddie, he picked up a stray. — Pretty sure it is. Yep, I’ll drop Eddie off after.” He hangs up, smiling again. “Hey, Steve, I think I know how to get you home now, so don’t you worry.”

Wayne loads the boys into his truck. He drives the backroads, quickly arriving outside Steve’s house, his mommy throwing open the door when she notices their arrival. “Thank you,” Steve says quickly, scrambling out of the truck and running to his mother.

She holds him close and cries, yells her thanks. Steve waves goodbye to Eddie as he is carried inside. Mommy kisses his hair and tells him he isn’t allowed to go outside without telling her, that he scared her half to death.

Steve just hides his face against her shoulder, snuggling close.

When Daddy gets home he yells, scolds Steve for causing so much trouble, for scaring Mommy and making them call the police. He gets a spanking before be sent to his room for the night.

Steve never runs away again.

[mattsmommy69]

My sweet girl

Summary: Y/n was a virgin and had not been in a rush to lose her virginity that is until she met Matt sturniolo. They have been dating for about 2 months and y/n is getting very sexually frustrated and Matt has to figure out why she’s been acting so weird.

Warnings: fluff, smut, riding, make out, fingering, p in v, virgin!reader, dom!matt, praise kink

It was a boring Saturday to say the least. Nick and Chris were out doing god knows what while you and Matt sat at home rotting away. You hate to say it but you had grown frustrated with Matt throughout the day. You and Matt have been dating for about two months now and still hadn’t had sex, you were a virgin and Matt knew that but that didn’t mean you didn’t want to never lose your virginity, you just hadn’t trusted anyone enough yet. But you trusted Matt and he trusted you, so why had it not happened yet? You kept trying to drop hints by wearing more revealing clothes and having spicier make out sessions but they all seemed to fly over Matt’s head. You had began to believe that he didn’t want you for some reason and it was really starting to get to you.

“Hey babe what you up to?” Matt says looking at his phone walking into his room getting closer to the bed you lay on. Matt looks up from his phone when he finally makes it to the bed to see your face in the pillow and he can hear faint sniffing. “Baby are you crying? What’s going on my love?” Matt says as he puts a gentle hand on your back and rubs it soothingly. “Baby talk to me.” He says as your face is still buried in the pillow ignoring him. You finally turn to face him, face flushed and tears rolling down your cheeks. “Do you not want me?” As I ask the question my voice cracks and more tears fall down my face. “What do you mean do I not want you?” He says still rubbing your back looking at you with concern and confusion. “We’ve been together two months and you still haven’t tried to have sex with me Matt. Is there something wrong with me, is that why you don’t want to have sex with me?” I say while pushing my face back into the pillow due to being embarrassed and a mess. I try and catch my breath for a second and calm my self down, once I do this Matt finally speaks. “My sweet girl, I have never wanted anyone more in my life. I’m sorry I made you feel this way my love, I truly had no idea you were this upset and I thought I was respecting your boundaries by not pushing you to do anything.” As he talks I sit up and look at him with tears still rolling down my face. “You mean it? It was just a miscommunication?” I ask with an almost pleading look on my face. “Yes baby I mean it, I’m so sorry I got you so upset.” He says this as he wipes my tears and now a smile is plastered across my face instead of a frown.

“Glad I got you smiling again sweet girl, I never meant to hurt you.” As he’s saying this I move from my position sitting beside him to now sitting on top of his lap and grabbing his face and pushing his cheeks together “it’s okay baby.” After I say that I lean in and kiss Matt, first sweetly put as it continues it grows more passionate and hungry. I begin to rock my hips on Matt’s thigh and he notices my hint. “Are you sure baby?” He asks looking at me to see if I’m showing any hesitation. “Yes Matt I’m sure, I’ve wanted this for so long, please Matt.” I say practically begging after being so sexually frustrated. “I know angel I’ve wanted this too, just want to make sure you have a good first time okay love?” He asks me as he starts to kiss down my neck. I turn my head to give him better access. “Yes Matt please.” I’m still rocking my hips back and forth on his thigh trying to relieve some pressure from between my legs. As Matt kisses down my neck his hands that were on my waist helping me rock on his thigh move down towards the bottom of my shirt.

“Can I take this off sweet girl?” He asks as he’s pulling at the bottom of my shirt. “Yes Matt, please hurry up.” I say without a second thought. Matt pulls my shirt over my head only to realize I’m not wearing a bra. “Your so beautiful angel.” He says as he starts to plant wet kisses all over my breast making my breath hitch as I continue rocking back and forth in his thigh. “Stand up and take your bottoms off for me okay pretty girl?” He kisses my nose as I nod my head at his request and climb off of him. I slide my shorts and underwear off in one swipe, making myself be completely bare in front of Matt. “Your so beautiful angel.” Matt’s eyes roam my body as I stand there awkwardly. “Lay down for my baby, let me take care of you.” Matt says patting the bed. I climb back on the bed laying down on my back, Matt quickly gets on top of me and starts to kiss me again. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen y/n.” He says as he kisses down my neck again but this time not stopping and kissing down my whole body until he reaches my heat. I was throbbing at this point needing to be touched so badly. Matt takes two fingers and slides them up my heat, “So wet for me, huh sweet girl?” Matt asks as he plunges the same two fingers inside my hole, my breathe hitches at the unfamiliar yet amazing feeling. “Talk to me baby, you feeling good?” Matt asks with a smile of his face as he plunges his fingers in and out of me at an antagonizing pace, knowing the pleasure I’m feeling is making it hard for me to speak. “Yes Matt fuck just like that!” I say a little to loudly. “Good girl, you close angel?” My moans grow loader and loader as his fingers never stop the cruel pace inside my cunt. “Yes Matt so close, please don’t stop!” At this his fingers speed up and at this point I’m in the stars. “Matt! Im cumming, matt!” I yell as I feel my orgasm crash over me like a tidal wave. Once I come down from my high matt pulls his fingers out slowly and I wince from the pain. “You did so good for me sweet girl.” He says as he brings his face directly in front of mine, kisses me softly and smiles.

“Matt, I need you.” I say out of breath and desperate to feel Matt inside of me. At this Matt kisses me passionately, our tongues fighting for dominance and his easily winning. He slips his shirt off and begins to take his pants off. “Your sure you want this baby?” He asks pausing from taking his pants off and looking at you. “Yes! Please matt!” I grow frustrated again almost begging. “Didn’t know you wanted my cock so bad angel.” He says as he strokes his member a few times before starting to push the tip in. “Fuck baby you’re so tight.” He says in a deep voice as he slowly pushes deeper into you. “You okay baby?” He pauses as he asks. “A little uncomfortable but keep going.” I say as he stretches my walls and I feel a slight burning sensation. “Tell me if I need to stop and I will.” He says as he pushes deeper into me. “Fuck Matt you’re so big.” I say as he keeps pushing deeper into me. “I know baby you almost took all of it your doing so good for me.” Matt finally bottoms out and you both let out moans at the feeling. “Can I move sweet girl?” Matt asks wanting to give you plenty of time to adjust. “Yes, please.” At that Matt pulls almost all the way out of you and slams back into you over and over again at a slow, deep pace. “Fuck you feel so good baby.” Matt moans in your ear as he picks up the pace a little. “Faster Matt, please.” You beg feeling your second orgasm approaching. Matt goes faster as you requested and starts to rub your clit. “Matt, I’m close!” I warn, my moans becoming louder. “Shh, I know baby cum all over my cock princess.” At his words he picks up the pace and continues rubbing your clit. “Matt!” Is all you get out before your second orgasm washes over you, you squeezing Matt makes him cum right after you and he fills you up making you feel warm. “This might hurt baby.” He warns before pulling out of you slowly, you whine at the pain and he squeezes your hand for support. He finally pulls out and lays down beside you.

Matt’s a sweaty out of breath mess but somehow he’s the most beautiful you’ve ever seen him. “Thank you Matt.” Is all you say as you both lay there cuddled up into each other. “Of course my sweet girl.”

[ashwhowrites]

hi bby can u do an eddie x reader where it’s waynes birthday so they bake him a cake and buy him flannels and clothes and mugs & they all go to the diner together & everything

OH MY GOD YES

Not proofread

Wayne Munson, a man that Eddie felt deserved way more than he could offer. A man that raised him young and had his back throughout everything. Wayne hated attention on him, so Eddie never did anything big for him.

But Eddie's girlfriend, Y/N? She refused to not make a big deal about it.

"Absolutely not. He's getting a cake, gifts and dinner" and she meant it. Eddie knew that her mind was set and it wasn't going to change.

~~

"red? Yeah he can have red" She said to herself, throwing another flannel in the cart

"baby, that's four already, he doesn't need more" Eddie laughed, one foot on the bottom of the cart bent and the other one planted on the floor.

"does he have a blue one?" She asked, ignoring his comment, throwing another one in the cart

"are you sure we are getting the right size?" He questioned, holding up the flannel

"good call. Try it on" she said, taking the flannel off of the hanger

"why me?" Eddie groaned, but taking off his jacket without protesting

"you guys are basically the same. Both skinny and lanky so throw it on" she teased, passing him the flannel

"I'm telling him you said that" Eddie teased back, throwing the flannel over his shoulders. To no surprise, she was spot on. And had a hungry look in her eyes. He smirked as she checked him out...very slowly

"you look... really good. You need some too"

Even more flannels thrown in the cart

~~

"baby no shells!" She yelped, Eddie apologizing as half of the egg fell in the cake batter

She quickly picked them out, and threw them in the trash

"here you mix" she said handing him the whisk

Realizing it was a mistake when he began to whisk it out of the bowl

"SLOW BABY" she screamed, grabbing his hand to a complete stop. Holding hers over his as she gently began to mix the ingredients together.

~~

"he has that one" Eddie said bored, another round of shopping at the mall. One last stop before they meet Wayne for dinner

"I've never seen this mug before" she tested, holding the bright yellow mug

"who lives with him?" Eddie argued back

"I'm there everyday Eddie. Next argument"

~~

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" she squealed, flying out of her seat and throwing herself in Wayne's arms as he arrived at the booth. Eddie laughed as Wayne almost fell over, hugging her back tightly

"thanks kiddo" he said, kissing her head as she pulled away

He sat across from the couple, smiling at their laced hands

"we got presents!" She said excitedly, reaching for the bag by her feet

"maybe we can eat first baby" Eddie offered

"okay fine"

~~

After they finished eating, Wayne finally got to open his gifts

"another one!" Wayne laughed, taking out his fourth flannel

"yeah she's got you covered for the whole week" Eddie teased, she rolled her eyes

"a new mug!"

"do you have it?" She questioned, she needed to know who was right

"I do not" Wayne answered, a small smile on his face as she cheered

"I told you Eddie!" Now his turn to roll his eyes

~~

Once they made it back home, it was time for the cake she mostly made, with a dash of help from Eddie

She was grabbing candles to add to the cake, not aware of the conversation on the couch

"you totally had that mug don't you?" Eddie laughed, watching as his girlfriend began to light the candles

"definitely. But don't tell her" Wayne laughed. Heart warming as she excitedly began to walk over with the cake

"make a wish!" She said as she planted the cake in front of Wayne

But Wayne had everything he needed right here

Tags!

@bmunson86 @mxcheese @ladymunson @michaelfuckinglangdon @z0mbie-blah @biittersweet @mirrorsstuff @slightlyvicked @micheledawn1975 @ago-godance @magnificantmermaid @tlclick73 @hargrovesswifee @cityofidek @manyfandomsfanvergent @silky-luxe @lokiofasgard616 @loving-and-dreaming

@eddiemunsonsbitch69 @thegemaqua @ashlynnkennedy @strangerthingsstories5255

[freya-fallen]

Little Dove 5/?

You're Pro Hero Hawks' little sister. Dabi finds out and everything devolves from there.

HawksxReaderxDabi

TW: none for this chapter, but future parts may include, but are not limited to, noncon, dubcon, drugging, forced incest, yandere hawks, yandere dabi, coercion, lying, manipulation, grooming (of an 18 year old character), obsession, gaslighting...

Part 1 Part 6

Keigo is still home when you wake up, a rare occurrence given his hours. You stare down at your phone to read through a few texts from Dabi and look up when you hear an abrupt sound. Your brother is making scrambled eggs wearing your frilly apron and a pair of boxers. You can’t help but giggle at the sight of him whistling a little flourish while he flips the spatula through the air.

“‘Morning, Dove. Sleep well?”

You blush, remembering that you fell asleep while Keigo was preening your wings. You’d woken, tangled in sheets and diagonal across the mattress. “Did I steal the covers last night?”

He grins that heartbreaking grin of his that comes so naturally when he’s around you. “Only a little. I kept plenty warm, considering you were half on top of me.

“I’m sorry.”

He bats away the apology. “If it bothered me, we’d have separate beds. You’ve always been clingy in your sleep.”

To be fair, so is he. It’s a remnant of your childhood, when you were each other’s only real family. You still are, but now you have a stable life to go along with your relationship.

There was a time Keigo left. It was sometime after your father was finally arrested, when your memories become a blur for a while. You know you were hungry and cold and sad. Your mother was annoyed at your complaints, but there was nothing she could do about them. She yelled at Keigo, called him useless, and he took off.

You think you saw him once after that, then nothing. 

For a little while, you stayed alone with your mother. She rarely helped you with clothes or food or anything, really, so you quickly became a mess of a child. By the time the HPSC dropped in to pluck you from Tomie’s grasp, you were in such deplorable state that Keigo became furious when you saw him.

It was in the penthouse, your now-home. He’d fought with the commission to get a place for you, and a separate one for your mother. When you asked why, he always shrugged and muttered something about everyone being happier this way.

Keigo had run across the bare floor and dropped to his knees to look at you. “Did mom hurt you?” His hands were warm on your shoulders, his eyes boring into your own. You shook your head. “Did she feed you?” he asked next, to which you shrugged. Keigo sighed, glanced up at an adult and said, “Go get her something to eat.”

It was the first time you ever heard Keigo give a command. 

Your brother guides you to the table, snapping you from your memories. He has a full plate and orange juice all laid out. 

“Thank you, Keigo.”

 He beams. “You’re welcome.” He has made himself a plate with more food than yours. He spends all day most days out on patrol and apparently flying takes a lot of energy, so he keeps fueled. You’ve always marveled at how much he can scarf down per meal.

Your phone buzzes and he frowns at it. “Just a friend from school,” you explain, though you have the phone upside down, so it’s not like you can see the screen. He hums in response.

“Do you have the day off?” Hope lays thick in your voice. You’d promised to see Dabi later, but he’d understand that Keigo is home.

He shakes his head. “No, I just had a little time this morning. Sorry, Dove. I know I owe you some one-on-one time, but things are hectic at work right now.”

You know what that’s code for. “The commission has you on a special mission, huh?” You hate when this happens. They suck the life out of your brother, promising him the moon for one more little favor. It never ends; you know they’ve sent him to do things he shouldn’t, things he won’t talk about to anyone, but especially you. He could never ruin your image of him; it would break him.

You tell him you’ll love him anyway, but he just shakes his and smiles sadly.

“Yeah. It’s a really important one, though. It might stop a war.”

“Does it have to do with that guy who fought All Might?” you ask. He’s behind bars, but maybe he has some sort of team who can take over his evil plans. 

Keigo bites his lip. “You know I can’t tell you anything about it.”

“Yeah, yeah, secret squirrel stuff.” You raise a hand in defeat. “I know.”

“The secretest.” He puts your plates in the dishwasher after you’ve both cleared them, then pulls you into his arms for a hug. “I told them I’m taking a break after this one. I need it. We’ve all been working our asses off since All Might retired, but the flame man and I most of all.”

His heart is a steady beat against your ear. You wrap your arms around your brother and take in how much stronger he is than you. Even without him feathers, he could throw you over his shoulder. He takes his work seriously, despite his carefree appearance. You squeeze him, aware of how strong some villains are and how small your brother is compared to some. “You promise?”

Keigo rubs your back. “I promise. They won’t get anything outta me for at least a month.”

“A month?” The idea thrills you; you’ve never gotten to spend that much time free with him.

“Yep, just you and me. We can do anything, go anywhere.”

You grin up at him. “I can’t wait.”

Lemme know if you wanna be added to the taglist

@im-just-a-simp-le-whore

@kyiratodoroki

@y0urlittlebaby

@eshayteaparty

@cha0sdumpster

[simpforchuchu]

War of Hearts ⎮1

storylist

It is highly unlikely to spend a quiet day in the SWORD region. You can come across a fight in every street and every town. But it is not ordinary for several schools to unite and attack a school.

Everyone in this alliance, established under the leadership of the leader of Senomon High School, had their own reasons. Power, money, revenge…

But Shoji Sameoka wasn't interested in any of that. He didn't want to leave his childhood friends alone in any fight. But he was quite uncomfortable with this alliance.

Students were shouting and fists flying in the air. He was so bored that he didn't even bother taking his hands out of his pockets. When the boy he hit hard rolled on the ground and stood under the feet of the leader he hated, he looked at him once again. He really didn't trust him. And he wanted to punch him hard.

~*~*~*~

Oya High School was having an ordinary day that morning. Fujio, Tsukasa, Jamuo, and YasuKiyo duo were arguing over a ridiculous incident. Todoroki was reading a book on the couch a little further away and Tsuji was playing a mobile game on his phone. Nakagoshi and Nakaoka were listening to their senpais’ heated argument.

It was an ordinary morning. The whereabouts of the two people who were not in the attic were a mystery. Tsuji looked up from the phone and looked around, realizing that the sound he heard was coming from the stairs.

He hadn't heard wrong; when the young girl ran into the attic, everyone turned to her.

“Oh, Yuuka-chan!”

When Fujio excitedly called out to the young girl, Yuuka ran towards Todoroki and Tsuji before she could look at him. When Tsuji stood up in surprise, Yuuka quickly hid behind the tall boy and whispered.

“Please hide me”

It didn't take long for Tsuji to figure out who the young girl was running away from. A minute or two later, he realized what had happened when Shiba entered the attic screaming.

"Where is she ?!"

"Who ?" Tsuji asked and everyone started listening. Todoroki was still calmly reading his book, he was quite used to this scene. Shiba looked at Tsuji as if to say are you serious? There was only one female student in this school.

“Yuuka, where is that little demon?!”

Tsuji wanted to laugh but remained serious. Even though his large body covered the young girl up, Yuuka's sneezing made all his efforts go in vain.

Even though the young girl wanted to run towards Fujio in fear, Shiba stood in front of her and pulled her by holding her hood.

"You are not going anywhere."

Yuuka smiled, raised her head, and looked at Shiba. Looking at them incomprehensibly, Fujio asked:

"What's going on?"

“She stole my lunch that I put in my locker, again.”

Tsuji grinned at what Shiba said and walked towards them. 

“But I was really hungry!”

He pulled Shiba back slightly and laughed

“Okay, that's enough. You argue every day over some stupid reason. Yuuka will treat us ramen today.”

"But-"

When Shiba turned to the young girl, she nodded and acknowledged him. She smiled sweetly and Tsuji pulled Shiba outside, went to buy something instead of his lunch.

Yuuka laughed and sat next to Todoroki and watched him silently for a while. Todoroki, who felt like he was being watched from the very beginning but wanted her to talk now, turned his head towards her.

"Is there a problem ?"

Yuuka shrugged.

“Then why are you starring at me ?”

“I don't know if it's actually a problem. But I heard that Senomon students raided my old high school.”

Todoroki didn't say anything. But when he thought that Senomon was quite far from there, he realized that something was wrong and that Yuuka suspected something. He also knew that after Murayama, other schools often challenged them, and he felt that danger was near.

~*~*~*~

Shoji was quite grumpy after the morning's fight. He was generally a quiet person anyway. Now he didn't speak at all.

Fujin knew that his friend was not happy with this alliance and couldn’t stand it.

“Same, we can't leave the alliance now.”

Shoji rolled his eyes and stood up.

“I told you from the beginning that we didn't need them. I don't like that bastard.”

“But-“

“But what ?” Shoji raised his voice but then stopped. “You know he is not like us. He is using money, not his fists!”

“Does it matter ?”

Shoji looked at his best friend and couldn’t say anything.He knew he wanted to say something else but he choosed to leave.Fujin shook his head and stopped his friend who was about to leave by holding his shoulder.

“We will just fight with Todoroki and it will be over. You know."

Shoji shook his head. He didn't want to fight. Without saying anything, he headed towards the door to leave the junkyard.

Fujin silently watched his friend leave. He knew Shoji would come back for them. He would always be there for the fight. But he knew he wasn't happy about it.

Shoji couldn't understand the reason for the uneasy feeling he had as he walked through the dark streets. He was going to get into this fight for his friends, but every time he thought about this fight, he thought of the girl he met at the arcade that day.

Was fate really going to bring the two of them face to face?

~*~*~*~

Yuuka, on the other hand, was not aware that the gift she received at the arcade would change her life. She often sees the little plush toy hanging in her bag, but she doesn't know that she will hate that toy very soon.

She knew that the danger in and around the school had increased lately. Even though she was the last one to come to this school, she loved her friends very much. They were like family to her. And Yuuka was a girl who was ready to do anything for her family.

Just, she didn't know that fate would bring her and the boy she liked face to face awfully because of her family...

[pure-garbage]

Race Between Lovers! Competition And... Grapefruit?

Chapter Warnings: Smut! Minors DNI

The peace surrounding Zoro and his lover had been so picturesque that he couldn't bear to disturb their serenity. Now, that peace caught fire beneath the blazing tropical sunset as Lana matched his passion, returning the kiss she'd also spent the evening craving. One of her hands fisted in his shirt, the other dropped to grasp at his thigh, crushing their bodies even closer. Neither could fully catch their breath past the lips of the other, tongues dancing in a greedy give-and-take that was less a tango, more a mutually orchestrated raid.

Lana was the first to break away, panting as his hands slid chaotically over her body.

"Zoro... Zoro!"

"Hm?"

"It'll be dark within the hour. We really need to head back now."

"It's fine, it's not like they'd leave without us," he assured her, words muffled slightly in her bosom.

"Yeah, but Nami'll give us hell for-"

"Let her, who cares?"

His hands found their way under her clothes, his touch making her heart pound as the evidence of his own growing desire pressed hard into her hip.

"Zoro..."

"I'll be quick," he purred at her ear.

"Please, we'll be here all night if you start."

"Nuh-uh, I can be fast," he protested. He rolled onto his back, tugging her on top of him insistently. His palms slid up the outsides of her thighs, hiking her skirt with a hungry light in his eyes.

"Okay, but I can't," Lana sighed, shivering with pleasure as she ground her clothed arousal against his.

"I bet you could be."

"Huh?"

"Have you ever tried? To finish quickly."

"I... I guess not."

"Let's have a race."

"A race?" Lana's eyebrows shot up. She shifted, allowing him to pull her panties aside.

"Yup. The loser is whoever finishes last," Zoro grinned, pushing two fingers inside her as she squirmed above him, teeth dragging over her lower lip while she considered the proposal.

"Giving the competition a head start, aren't you?" she tsked, yanking his wrist sternly. She licked his fingers clean, dragging a ragged gasp from him. "Fine, you're on. What's the prize?"

"Bragging rights?"

"Lame. How about..."

She tugged his pants down impatiently to his delight.

"... loser draws up bath water for the winner for a week?"

"Hey! Not fair!" Zoro groaned, dismay undercutting the bliss of her taking him inside. Only a little, though. "You take three times as many baths as me!"

"Fine, next three baths, over any time span," Lana moaned.

"Uugghhh... fine, fair," he conceded.

Lana leaned back and braced against his thighs as she rolled her hips against his, serious right out of the gate. The sounds of her pleasure rang out through the trees as night crept closer. The angle of her thrusts was highly intentional, forcing his cock to press hard into all her sweetest spots with every shallow stroke. She held his shining eyes as she slipped her right hand into her skirt, breath coming even faster as she circled her own clit with quick, skillful fingers.

'So aggressive!' Zoro thought admiringly. He expected nothing less of the woman he called his. Her tenacity was matched only by her competitive spirit.

Still, Zoro didn't plan to go down without a fight. As heavenly as the languid rocking of her body on his felt, her rhythm wasn't affording him the intense friction he craved. He rose onto his elbows, spread his legs and surged upright, pushing Lana to the ground. She fell back with a startled yelp, arms flying around his neck to steady herself. He bore down over her, taking over the pace of their thrusts.

Zoro wasted no time, pounding into her with brutal speed and force that left her crying out with ecstasy, nails digging into his scalp and his back. Lana clung to him for dear life, tears brimming in her eyes at the intensity of the pleasure of his body slamming into hers. The sensations were as overwhelming as they were sudden.

"Almost... almost... Lana! Say my name! One more time!" Zoro grunted, teeth glinting in the rising moonlight while sweat collected on his neck.

"Cheater!" she growled instead. She locked her legs around him, waiting and using the momentum of his next wild thrust to help her flip him. She succeeded in rolling back atop him and grabbed his throat with her right hand, her left flying back into her skirt desperately. She stayed on her knees over him, forcing him to drive his hips up to chase her slick heat.

"Hey!" he protested.

"That's good, Zoro!" she panted, taunting him with a toothy smirk of her own. "Don't stop! Come on, can't you go any faster? Wanna feel you fucking me deep... hard... ohh!"

Her grip tightened on his throat, cutting his next moan off as she selfishly, relentlessly chased her own high.

'That look!'

Lana's features were alight with a manic glow that made adoration rise like the tide in Zoro's chest, lifting his pleasure with its overpowering wave. His heart pounded so hard he could hear it, fists tearing up handfuls of grass as he felt himself coming close, close, closer...

"Ah! Zoro!"

"La-Lana! Uhh!"

They both hit their limits, spasming together as their cries of bliss wove into a symphonic tapestry thick enough to block out the soft twinkling of the freshly scattered stars above them.

Lana's grip loosened on Zoro's throat as they panted and gasped out of sync. Zoro recovered first and patted Lana's thigh consolingly.

"Don't feel too bad about losing," he comforted her. "Admittedly, as a man, I had a slight edge, but... you really gave me a run for my money there."

"Excuse me?!" Lana demanded, finally catching her breath. "I definitely won!"

"You did not! Don't try to-"

"I absolutely won! I was first! You deserve some credit since you had a hand in helping get me here, but victory is mine, Zoro!"

"No way!" Zoro argued, crossing his arms obstinately. Lana crossed her arms too, glaring down at him.

"Just admit it, you came a second after I did," Lana growled.

"I won't, because I didn't!"

"Did so!"

"You stubborn- I was first!"

"You were not! Grr! This is getting us nowhere," Lana fumed.

In the distance, they could both hear the others calling their names.

"How about we settle it in a rematch?" Zoro suggested.

"No time. The whole point of the race was to get us back to the ship quickly," Lana groaned, running a hand through her hair in frustration.

"Rock Paper Scissors?"

"What are you, nuts?!"

"Well have you got any better ideas?!" Zoro demanded.

Lana rolled off him, righting her clothes while he did the same.

"We could treat it like a draw for now and have a rematch later," Lana suggested. "Even though we both know I won-"

"You lost!"

"Won! Anyway, how's this... I'll draw up your baths and you can draw up mine. Sound reasonable?"

"Hm..."

Zoro considered carefully as they started back toward the sound of the crew's urgent voices.

"I don't know," he grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "You bathe so much more than me. I feel like I'm getting the raw end of this deal."

"So bathe more," Lana suggested, rolling her eyes at his logic.

"That's not the right solution!"

"Hm... we could start bathing together and take turns drawing up the water."

"No way we both fit in that tub," Zoro scoffed.

"Don't be so sure. I'm very flexible, you know that."

"Hm, you've got a point... but would we bathe on your schedule or mine? I have a system. Any more bath time and it'll cut into training and recovery time."

"Psh, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life," Lana said derisively. At this point, she was starting to wonder if he actually had an allergy to soap. "Couldn't we split the difference?"

"No way."

"None at all?"

"Absolutely not."

"Ugh, I'll smell as bad as you if we commit to this," Lana lamented. "I'd rather forfeit my prize... even though I did win!"

"You did not... and I don't smell bad!"

"Zoro, you smell like brine, sweat and sake. And sometimes, strangely, grapefruit. Mostly sweat though. Strong sweat."

"What? I don't even like grapefruit," Zoro puzzled, focusing entirely on the wrong part of what she was trying to say.

"I know, it's actually really mysterious," Lana sighed. "My point is, I don't mind way you smell now, but it... well, it was definitely an acquired taste."

"Acquired taste, huh? I guess you'd prefer it if I was more like that damned cook, bathing every day like my life depends on it," he said disdainfully.

"Ugh, no, Sanji overdoes it. He is always monopolizing that washroom. Between him and Nami, it's a miracle the rest of us ever manage to sneak a bath in."

"Prisses."

"There's nothing wrong with being clean."

"Fine, but where's the line drawn between 'clean' and 'high maintenance'?"

"You're asking me? Two to three baths- with soap, swims don't count- per week."

"Psh. Peer pressure won't work on me."

"That's a shame. How about bribery?"

"Nope."

"Coercion?"

"No."

"Blackmail."

"You've got nothing on me."

"Begging?"

"Is it bad enough that you would beg?" Zoro asked, eyebrows raised.

"No, I'm just teasing. Just keep swimming after you work out and I won't complain."

"Fair enough. Now you have me wondering though... why grapefruit?"

"If you figure it out, let me know, okay?"

"Sure."

____________________________________________________

<== Previous Chapter

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== First Chapter ==

[androgynousblackbox]

How To Lose a Lucifer In 10 Days. 19 [Appleradio, Radioapple]

Step 19: Divorce him

"Frankly, how many of your suitors I am supposed to tolerate in this dimension?" Alastor was still huffing, even in front of the enticing smell of the freshly cooked meat nearby. "One was already pushing it, Lucifer."

"First of all, don't call them suitors. That makes it sound like I was ever available since coming here and that was literally never the case" pointed out Lucifer, turning off the fire. Despite the tentacle wrapped around his middle, he had no issue moving around the kitchen to look for another plate to serve the meat for Alastor and then some pasta for himself. Alastor, supporting his hip against the counter at his side, dismissed the correction. Suitor, potential targets, it was all the same anyway. "Second of all, I don't think you have to worry about that one at all. She had barely any light for me when she thought I was her Lucifer, as opposed to how much she had for Charlie. It was just a temporary confusion that is being solved right now. I wouldn't be shocked to know she only hugged me for the sake of Charlie more than anything else."

"I don't care for her motives" growled Alastor, glarring to the entrance of kitchen as if it could travel through the ear to shot the queen in the head. "She clearly feels entitled to your presence anyway. And why not, right? The queen and the king has a natural ring to it, doesn't it?" The snear of Alasto could be heard at a distance on his voice.

Lucifer sighed deeply in silence. He turned to his husband and took his hand, waiting for Alastor to actually look at him before opening his mouth.

"Well, she is not" said calmly. "She can be the queen of the whole universe and it won't make any difference. The only royal I care about in this dimension is already here" added, squeezing his fingers in a comforting gesture. "You have nothing to worry about, alright?"

The pupils of Alastor seemed to get bigger for a second as they regarded him. But that only lasted that moment before he looked the side, clicking his tongue.

"Tell that to that woman" spat finally.

"I will if I have to" said Lucifer, floating in the air in order to reach the cheek of Alastor with his lips. There were times in which the height of his partner was an inconvenience to say the least, but no that one. His wings worked as a barrier for Alastor to not have any other option than to see him, any part of him. "I love you, you dumbass" gently, he kissed the corner of his mouth, petting the start of his ear.

Alastor tilted his head slightly, as if making a show of avoid the caress, but his ears twitched all the same. His semi closed eye still bore into him. After a while of battling with himself, the smallest bleat in the world escaped him. The softest they sounded, the more Alastor was trying to repress them. For Lucifer, that made them all the sweeter.

"She better not try to touch you again" warned, finally reclining against Lucifer's hand. It was almost funny the contrast between his body language looking for more affection while his words still sounded completely serious. "I will kill her. Charlie will have to understand I was left with no choice."

"I won't let her. I will teleport myself away if she tries to" promised Lucifer, kissing his forehead. Only then the small crease between ALastor's eyes flattened again and he seemed to relax. "It's just a misunderstanding, babe. Nothing else" He nuzzled his head for a bit. The hands of Alastor landed on his waist, their natural place of rest, and the thumbs massaged him slowly, without rush. Lucifer separated slightly to hold his face up and smiled. "Hungry now?"

The chest of Alastor rise and fell calmly as he nodded his head. With that, Lucifer kissed his cheek again and went back to the floor

He filled two plates and send them flying to the table, taking out some wine from the fridge to serve as well in glasses he conjured himself. He frowned to Alastor until he reluctantly sat in front of the meal and started eating, his ears going down at his enjoyment despite himself. Damn it, why did it have to be so good?

Lucifer poured both their drinks and sat as well, sighning as he supported his chin on his hand.

"The other Lucifer never talked to you about his Lily?" He spoke when Alastor was on the second bite and therefore, in a more receptive mood. "I was just told that they fell together from the garden of Eden, separated and she was gone. I even thought she was dead, but didn't want to pry Charlie more if the wound was still fresh. Kind of a dick move too when she already didn't had her father with her either."

Alastor took his time chewing before saying a word. He considered correcting the name of the queen for his husband and that thought ran away as soon as it emerged. That woman should have been with her daughter from the start if she wanted something like being accurately remembered by.

"He tried to" recognized at last, his gaze fixated in the table. "In some misguided attempt to sympathize with me, I guess. I didn't want to hear your voice talking about you missing someone else, so I shut it down" Lucifer reached out his hand to let it lest on his knee, squeezing once. The king bit his lips as if he didn't know what to say to that, but Alastor didn't need anything. He put his palm on top and pat it softly. That contact was more than enough instead of words. "Outside of that one attempt, his main concern was always Charlie" finalized.

"Huh" Lucifer exhaled. His eyebrow went up for a second. "Well, that tells you something already, doesn't it? I must have exhausted everyone here talking about you before you came in."

It wasn't a surprise to hear those words. He had done the same back at home, both to annoy the other Lucifer at the start of the exchange and because it just came natural to him. But have the confirmation of that exact impulse shared between them felt good all the same.

"Indeed" agreed with a nod. "Maybe the split wasn't all that amicable."

"Charlie wasn't very keen on telling me a lot either by herself" remembered Lucifer. With a finger he controlled his fork to start reuniting the spaguetti by spinning. "It could be for any reason, though. Maybe it just never came out the topic. In any case, if she is here again, I hope that helps Charlie somewhat until her actual father is back. Regardless of the history of her parents, that is still her mom."

Alastor hummed. He could respect that, at least. As long she stayed away from what was rightfully his. For a while they only concentrated each on their meals.

"He did say something the first night he was at the hotel" commented at last. "Something about how a you without a queen to fall with would get lonely enough to get desperate. A desperation I took advantage of in order to secure our marriage."

Lucifer snorted. But at seeing Alastor drink from his glass, without any signal that it was a joke, he chuckled harder.

"Really? I mean, sure, I won't say that it was all rainbow and roses all the time, but give me some credit."

"That is what I said" Alastor was satisfied that they had agreed on that point without discussing it. His king might have allowed their marriage in the first place to placate his solitude, that much was true, but that would have never sustained them for as long as it did. Alastor could create a story about when his motivation changed for their little fawn, but in truth he could never be too sure as to in what point Lucifer became the one that made him feel less lonely instead of the other way around. It just happened, without plan, without any intention, and before he knew it was too late to even want to stop it. "Oh, also, apparently I have used our daughter to baby trap you and as leverage in our entire relationship. Oldest trick in the book, he called it."

"Oh, well, obviously. I knew that already" Lucifer smirked big, his shoulder moving with his interior laughter. "Just like our new baby is just another ruse to manipulate me into giving you… uh… something."

"The inheritance, dear. No to mention raise them to dethrone you someday and declare me the only king" provided Alastor helpfully. "Please, keep up with my evil deeds. Or don't, it makes it easier to control you."

"Right, right, of course" Lucifer nodded very serious. He reached to his side and Alastor followed the same path until their lips brushed each other. Lucifer took a hold from the back of his neck to keep him in place as he licked the mouth in front of him. "What is your excuse for being the most precious thing I have seen?" murmured, running a finger alongside the line of Alastor's jaw and pressing harder over the exact place where he could feel his pulse quickening slightly.

Alastor had been called a lot of things through the years. Nightmare, terror, monster, handsome, gorgeous, dangerous. Sometimes by the same kind of people. But only Lucifer ever used that soft kind of language to describe him. He wouldn't say that they made him melt inside, but they certainly did something that no other compliment could achieve. As if lodging themselves on a hole he didn't know existed until then, another ancor whose chain were inherently tied to one man and one man alone.

"Easy" said Alastor, smirking back. "So you would let me get away with anything I want. I planned every little detail to perfection, my love. You never stood a chance."

"Ah, shoot. Fooled again" Lucifer grinned as he deepened the kiss, his hands grabbing handful of red and black strands. The taste of the tomate sauce on his spaguetti perfectly combined with the smoky meat of Alastor. "When you kill me for the crown, make it quick, babe. You know, as a courtesy."

"Relax, my dear" Alastor sighed, a breath that Lucifer eagerly stole for his own. The king's mouth pressed against his cheek and further down. His sharp teeth nibbled at the skin of his throat, but it was the hand that caressed his spine the one that made him angle himself better, offering more for the taking. "For you, I will make it the most gentle death I can offer."

"I knew I could count on you, babe."

The warm tongue pressed against his pulse like the finger had done before and Alastor's mind quickly flashed to the events of the other night, when Lucifer had drinked out of him like a new opened up bottle. His breathy praises about how utterly delicious he was were engrained on his mind.

He couldn't remember everything, unfortunately, but that was one of the few thing that had remained with him even after coming down the high. Before him, Lucifer never once felt hungry for blood of his own heavenly kind. To know that he had managed to corrupt the king the hell to make him into another cannibal was one of the best feeling he ever had, dead or alive.

"Ah, sorry, sorry!"

Alastor cracked his neck turning to growl, fangs out, at whatever had dared to interrupt them. The fact that the interruption in question was a Charlie letting out a squeak as she covered her eyes did calm him down momentarely. Until he noticed the queen laying her weight against the frame of the door and he growled again. Lilith had her arms crossed and a perfectly composed expression, barely changed by the arc of her eyebrow.

"Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to!" Charlie went blindly to the fridge, stumbled into the counter and searched on the cupboard. Her shoulder were scrunched up as she gave her back to them. "I was just looking something to eat, sorry!"

"Sweetie, this is your kitchen" Lilith sighed indulgently. "If anything, they should apologize for disrespecting your space like that."

"Disrespecting?" The nerves of Alastor fizzled out like a cat dumped in cold water. His smile grew in his face as if it was about to split his whole head in two. "What did you think was going to happen, your Highness? I can assure you, we have our own room if it becomes necessary."

The upper lip of Lilith curled tight upward. The gesture was satisfactory while it lasted, however brief it was before she glared over at Lucifer. Lucifer returned the look with only a small aproximation of his eyebrows. He then soften up when seeing at Charlie. She already had a package of cookies in her hands, but haven't turned, as if not daring to move from there.

"Don't worry, duckling, it's fine" said to her with a kinder tone, getting his hand up to the shoulder of Alastor. "We didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Alastor threw a glance her direction and frowned slightly.

"Is that all you are going to eat?" Alastor sneared at seeing the package she was holding. An old knowing rejection grew inside of him, after years making sure that his little fawn wouldn't ruin her appetite with snacks. Adult or not, she couldn't just stuff herself with sweet for a meal of the day. That just wasn't going to cut it. "Dear, there is still spaguetti that Lucifer made in the pot. You can get that or Lucifer can make something else."

"Oh, no, that is fine, really" Charlie said to them, but Lucifer snapped his fingers already. A plate came out floating at the side of the princess as the food jump to it, a single fork standing upright from the small mountain formed. "Oh! Thank you" after a moment of hesitation, she took it on her hands.

"You can also sit with us if you want" offered Alastor, pulling out a chair with his shadow. The dark silhouette made a show the seat like a chef offering it to its favorite client. It dissolved with a grin only after he gained a chuckle from Charlie.

If it had been anyone else, Alastor would have already kicked them out to keep enjoying their meal together.

"Thank you" said Charlie, going to the empty space as Lucifer made appear a glass of juice for her. "Vaggie had some stuff to handle in the city, so I was planning to order something later on. Oh, mom, there is still some more if you want!" offered, suddenly looking up to the woman that slowly moved to grab another chair.

"It's okay, darling, I can take care of it myself" Lilith sat down and snapped her own fingers. A gourmet meal that surely would cost a fortune in any restaurant appeared in front of her, along with fine silver cutlery and her own glass with golden details alongside it already filled with dark wine.

"Neat trick" said Alastor, tilting his head. "It would have been neat to feed your own daughter with it, too."

"She already has food. Thanks to Lucifer" Lilith swayed her wine on her glass before taking a small sip, undisturbed. Alastor saw Lucifer tensing up as he got closer to him. "So!" said Lilith before anyone could add anything else, perking up. She put her elbows on the table to hold her chin between her two hands. "Charlie has told me the last news. Lots of things have changed around here. I would still like to hear from you two, if you don't mind" said with polite smile, no real warmth reaching it.

"Not a lot changing, really" commented Lucifer, hugging him side way. Alastor felt the tail wrap around his middle. At some point during their kiss he had dissolved his tentacle, but the contact was back there and that did make it a little better. "I just never had a Lily in my world. Years passed, met Alastor, got married, had Charlie. When she grew up, she made her own hotel that is almost an exact replica as this one. It's kinda amazing how little things have changed, actually."

"Amazing, yes" Alastor detected a new sort of tension on her smile that, for as brief as it was, made him smile wider. "How long have you two being together, by the way?"

"85 joyfull years" answered Alastor, smiling down to Lucifer, who smiled back. The king laid his cheek against his shoulder and he took the chance to kiss his blonde hair, because he could and that queen couldn't. He did not miss the way that Lilith's eyelashes came down halway her vision, unimpressed. "Almost a century, isn't that right, dear?"

"86 this year" nodded Lucifer against his shirt.

"Although with our new wedding, we could renew the date."

"We should, probably. Since it's going to come out sooner now."

"We want to have our wedding as soon we are back, before the pregnancy makes it more complicated to celebrate with the rest of our family" explained Alastor, his neck making an aundible crack as he looked again to the queen. "Surely you understand, your Majesty."

"I do" Lilith left her glass to a side so she could start eating, cutting dowm with graceful movement that sliced through her food easily. "How long has it been since you end up in hell, Al?" asked, the polite smile back in place.

Alastor tigthned up his jaw. He did not like feeling like there was a purpose more than mere curiosity behind that question.

"94 years."

"Ah, I see" Lilith's smiled extended over her face. "Yes, I imagine that 86 years can feel impressive for a young mortal soul. My sweet Charlie right there is 200 years old and, as you can see, still so youthful" Charlie shrinked on her chair with a little smile, not really wanting to participate of the conversation. "Now, the real trial of fire comes out around the first five hundred years, though. Once you survive that, the rest becomes so much easier to handle. You truly get to know someone in that time period. But I am sure neither of you have to worry about that, when that time comes" she ate a portion of her food, her perfectly white teeth in view for only a second. Alastor finally found the one single trait that Charlie had taken from her. Those two single pair of fangs that were more humanoid than most demons. "So, you were never married before, Luci?"

"No" Lucifer frowned at the diminutive, but a quick glance to Charlie took away his desire to protest about it. He looked over at Alastor, rubbing his side with a hand. "Nobody ever was like Al, so there was no point" The growing static that started to increase its volume lowered again, becoming a calming white noise in the background. "I was very picky" commented with a shrug.

Alastor chuckled pleasantly, brushing his fingers through Lucifer's hair.

"Not about anyone could handle my king" confirmed, caressing the red dots with his thumb. "He knows it for sure because he dated all across hell before I ever existed. Just for curiosity, your Majesty" added with a bright grin, "how long was the other Lucifer dating before chosing you, one of the two only human beings at the time? I just can't picture Heaven being too diverse of a dating pool. Aren't all of them essentially just your brothers, dear?" Alastor looked at his husband, pretending he didn't saw the way the polite smile slipped off Lilith's face to be replaced with a big pile of nothing.

A default expressionless queen regarded Lucifer.

"Oh, dating did not exist at all before humanity, babe."

"Really?" Alastor clicked his lips. "Well, that is unfortunate. Experience goes a long way for building relationships and character. But I am sure you have no reason to worry about that, your Highness" He examined his claws. "Obviously everything turn out alright in the end anyway. No doubt you had other things to take care of than to concern yourself with the fact your ex-husband wasn't in the same dimension as you anymore."

Lucifer couldn't help to let out a small snort, that he quickly covered up by clearing his throat. Charlie looked at her mom with a face that screamed she did not want any confrontation, but she wanted to know as well.

"I did, actually" Lilith remained as calm as ever, delicated cleaning up her mouth after another bite. "I was working on important matters, but I always kept an eye out for my little princess" She directed a smile to Charlie, who returned after a second, less open than the queen's.

"Huh" exhaled Lucifer, twirling his fork with one finger in the pasta. "How long were you doing that, by the way? Wasn't like five years? Nine, duckling?" asked to Charlie. "I can't remember exactly."

The princess threw a look at her mom. Only after Lilith's nod, she pressed her lips together and turned to Lucifer.

"Seven" said finally, swallowing down like it was costing a great effort to do so. "But" added with emphasis" the important thing is that she is here now! Papa…" She let her eyes find Lucifer again, as if apoligizing for her words "papa hasn't always been the most… reliable presence either."

"Still?" Lilith sighed, swinging the liquid on her cup. "Luci always had a bad habit of getting lost in his own mind. I am sorry that is still the case, sweetie" she sounded sincere as she reached out a hand covered in a black glove, over the table, until the hand of Charlie.

Alastor felt Lucifer tensing up at his side as the king adverted his eyes. That was true of him as well. He wasn't the one being called out for it, but it made little difference when he could still recognize the same trait.

"It's fine" said Charlie, to her mom and to Lucifer, as if sensing he wanted to protest. Her hands closed over the fork she was gripping with a bit too much strenght, but quickly relaxed again. "He is getting better now, mom. I know he is. He helped out to rebuild the hotel and has been a great help around. Well, for the most part at least. According to Al, he has been working nonstop to try to get back here. Right?" Her hopeful expression almost in its entirety the underlying sadness, the heaviness behind her words.

Lucifer winced, rushing to drink some more of his own drink.

"Absolutely" confirmed Alastor without wasting a second. He placed a hand on the lower end of Lucifer's back and draw with his fingers the line of his spine through the fabric. The tension of the king started to dissolve slowly. "It hasn't been easy, but every challange that man had on his way he has taken it head on. All for the sake of returning to his dear daughter" Alastor made a point to look at Lilith at the last part. "The very first day the exchange happened he was already desperate to come in. I can't imagine the torment that it would have been for him to stay away even longer than he has already. Please, don't misunderstand me" clarified, taking a relaxed sip of his own wine. He enjoyed leaving that momentarely silence hang in the air. "I am well aware that Lucifer had his flaws and I got to see a few while we were in the same space. However, lack of caring was never one of them."

The smile that Lilith gave him was short. It wasn't a smile of fondness or affection. Even without the powers of Lucifer to see it, Alastor would have it hard to believe that woman still had anything close to what he had for his Lucifer regarding her ex. It wasn't hatred either, just a resigned distance where at least some trace of contempt laid. Alastor would know a thing or two about people inspiring that into him, so that at least could recognize.

"I don't doubt that" Lilith circles her finger over the rim of her glass, sighning. "Good intentions were always there, and we know what they say about where those tend to lead us to" She chuckled softly, taking some more whine. Her lips painted in a dark purple that it was almost black shined after she licked them, eyes fixated on the table. "Unfortunately, actions didn't always follow through. That was more my part of things. Dreams are only as important as the energy put into them to make them come true. Like Charlie did" Lilith lifted her gaze for her daughter, her smile more sincere as her eyes lost all of their edges. "Your hotel has caused already quite a conmotion, hasn't it? I am proud of you, apple tree. You gave those upstairs something really worth worrying."

Charlie's pure unfiltered delight at hearing those words appeared as soon as it was gone. Her eyes turned into white cloudy storms as she settled into her chair, finishing her meal. Lilith's face fell, confused, until her attention was naturally attracted to Lucifer staring back at her.

"Did you…" spat, narrowing her eyes as long, heavy black horn sprout from her forehead. They curved around the shape of her hair as the world spilled out of her, her tone going higher at the incredulity of what happened, "did you just put a illusion spell on my daughter? What gave you the right?"

It would have been easy for Lucifer to just say that he was the king and that gave him every right. But that wouldn't have been Lucifer and Alastor knew it.

"It was that or blow every toilet in the hotel to call her attention. Her hotelier is gone for the day, though, so that just felt adding stress where it wasn't needed" Lucifer straighten up, putting both his arms now on the table. He wasn't sorry in the slightest. "She just thinks we are all having a lovely conversation here, so you don't have to worry about her. I just didn't want her to listen to us as we finally speak like actual adults."

"I thought we were doing that already" Lilith sneared at him, more openly than before.

"No, my darling is right" said Alastor. "Surely, you are not going to speak openly around her. Sometimes parents just need to protect their children or save information they don't need to know. I completely understand that, you can believe me on that, but something here smells rotten."

Lucifer nodded slightly.

"How do you know what was the reaction of Heaven about the hotel?" asked point blank. "You kept an eye on Charlie for eight…"

"Seven, dear."

"Yes, thank you. Seven years, but didn't appear to rebuild the hotel or the many months after that. We know what was Heaven's reaction because we were there with our daughter when she find out. That girl" said, pointing at an enchanted Charlie still enjoying her lunch with easy content" thought you were gone. I thought you were dead with how everyone did not speak about you. Where were you actually, Lilian?"

Alastor bite down his lips to contain his snort. Not at the slip of Lucifer, but the utter annoyance that permeated Lilith's face before she composed herself.

"Lilith" corrected.

"Wait, really?" Lucifer blinked slowly. At the irritated sigh from the queen, he shrugged, as if that didn't mattered that much anyway. "Alright, if you say so. Where were you, Lilith? Why are you appearing right now?"

"I think I was quite explicit already about it" Lilith huffed through her perky, perfect nose. "I was working for the wellbeing of my family. Lucifer did not have the will to do it, so I had to step in. Congratulations to you then" added, snapping her attention back on Alastor", if you are that confused by that notion. Maybe you were lucky to land with a different Lucifer, but that wasn't in the cards for me."

"Mine is better, I will give you that" recognized Alastor with mirth, never the one to miss an opportunity to brag about what was his. "Even then, I can't picture even a lesser version of my husband just being okay with his adoring partner staying years away from him and their daughter working on something. I guess it's better that you two split then" He directed a pointed gesture of his chin towards the golden ring that Lilith very clearly still had.

Not a round ring with engravings like his, an accesory like any other if not for the value they could put on it. A manifestation of pure solid magical energy tying two people together that could never be taken out in normal circumstances. He wasn't anywhere close to saying it out loud, but he missed feeling his when it was there.

"Lucifer knew it would take some time" Lilith examined her hand casually, a brief hand to his own making him want to close his fist. "I only did what was necessary. It may have taken a little more than expected, but it was for the sake of our family."

"Abandon your family and leave your daughter in the dark for their sake. How noble" Alastor couldn't help to chuckle. Before Lilith could reply to him, he continued: "And, if it's not too much of a bother, your Majesty, how well did that work turned out to be? For what miracle should we thank you for after disapearing from the face of hell all this time? Charlie would love to know the rewards for the sacrifice her mother made."

Lilith straighten on her seat, crossing her legs under the table.

"I don't believe any of that concern you" said slowly. "The matters of this dimension, reality, or however you want to call it, have nothing to do with any of you."

"Ah" Lucifer suddenly snapped his finger, pointing to Lilith. "You were up in Heaven, right?" The careful constructed composure of Lilith crumbled in a single blink and Lucifer started laughing, holding to the arm of Alastor, who had to start laughing too. "Seriously!? I was just trying my shot there!" He wheezed, reclining his head forward. "You have to be kidding me! Seven years trying to deal with them? Wait, wait, wait, don't tell me, I can guess this one" Lucifer managed to control his smile to put a thinking expression as his hand rubbed his own chin. "It didn't even fucking work, didn't it? Whatever you were asking of them, they didn't gave it to you or put some stupid condition in the way as if they were the ones doing the favor for you. Either way, they dumped you here when you weren't already useful for them there."

When a slight blush started to creep in through Lilith's face, extending from her neck, they both started snickering.

"All of that talk of how inefficient Lucifer is as a king" said Alastor, taking out his monocle to clean up the tears under his eyes, "and only to trust in Heaven like that?"

"They never listen!" Lucifer shook his head, his own cheek stretched out by his smile. "Ever, ever, ever. Oh, and you know what, babe?" added, patting his chest with a finger.

"What, darling?"

"I bet you anything that her Lucifer also told her that too."

"I find that very easy to believe, my love. Not really worth the bet."

"No matter where we end up, nobody fucking listens to me when I say that! I am just the bitter old little devil who made an oopsie, what do I know, right?" Lucifer rufled his hair, a tinge of frustration layering his words, but quickly he was back to laughing when Alastor snorted loudly at his side.

It was more than what the queen of hell was willing to tolerate. She slammed both her hands on the table, effectively silencing the pair of them in a second.

"It worked!" She snarled. "If you must know so badly, it did work! Thanks to me being over there, they never harmed any of the hellborn in this plane! Never, until my own daughter put herself in their line of fire, went after any of them! That was the only concession they were willing to make! I thought if I was there I could convince them directly to stop the extermination altogether!"

Lucifer and Alastor looked at each other. Then they both made a sound like a deflating balloon, laughing even worse than before.

"Oh my, you really think you did something!" Alastor was almost amazed as he stared at the queen. "That makes it even better of a joke!" finished, slapping his own knee.

"I made the exact same arrengement back at our place, without ever have to give them anything else but the promise I wouldn't intervene" said Lucifer, as soon he was able to regain some air. "As long they could come down and eliminate sinners, they did not give a solitary flying dingy fuck! I am sorry to be the one to break it to you, Lilian" Alastor covered his mouth to barely control his fits. Lucifer ignored him", but you did not need to go there for that to happen! At all! You could have stayed with your family all this time and fight with them here!"

"Get a proper divorce wouldn't have been a bad idea either" Alastor giggled when Lucifer pushed his shoulder, incredulous that he would even say that. "What? Give that poor man an actual closure would have been more merciful and smarter that just trust in Heaven's word."

Lilith glared at him.

"And I suppose you are the expert?" scoffed.

"Yes, actually!" Alastor perked up with glee, showing off his teeth. "I spend five months incarcerated by Heaven when a little slip redeemed my soul and send me there. Very much against my will, I must add! So when it comes to know how much Heaven is willing to listen any dissenting voices, I have plenty of my own experience to talk about. They offered me deals as well to come back home. I rejected all of them because I knew being owed to Heaven was never going to work in my favor."

"Oh, but that is not all!" added Lucifer, hanging from his neck. "Because not only were they keeping my husband, the King's consort and father of the princess of hell, there during all that time. They also were not planning to tell me shit about it! So my Charlie and I were left to believe that he was gone for good. Eliminated from existance forever. Now, I knew they didn't like me very much after the whole fall from grace or whatever, but I gotta admit: I didn't see that one coming. They really outdid themselves on the whole don't giving a fuck category."

"Luckily I made my own way home" Alastor hold up the chin of Lucifer to kiss his chin. The frown that was starting to form on the king's face dissolved as he looked at him. "Withouth any help from them."

"Hell yeah, he did" Lucifer started to smile as he wrapped his other arm around Alastor's neck, coming closer to him.

Alastor tilted his head to accomodate the lips of his king. Their kiss was slow and drain out a most beautiful humming out of Lucifer. When they separated, those yellow eyes stared at him with a glistening spark and Alastor wanted to go for another.

"Wh-what?" That was the first time that the queen was positively speechless. Alastor frowned when Lucifer turned his attention to her. "You… you went to heaven? What do you mean a slip?"

"I had a temporary death and was send there" Alastor shrugged, taking away any importance that could have. "The important part was my retainment."

Lilith blinked a couple of times.

"You were redeemed?" said slowly, as if making sure with herself that she was using the right words. "Everything my daughter is fighting for… you got it?"

"And then he came back, did you forget about that part?" Lucifer made a head gesture to Charlie. "She knows already, by the way."

"And judging by your reaction, you had no idea" added Alastor. Lilith's purple eyes widened for a second, all the confirmation that he needed, and he chuckled again. "Oh, but don't feel too bad about not being told that in all those years you were essentially abandoning your daughter. Heaven was just as surprised as I was when it happened. In fact, they didn't know why it happened at all, which does make it a tad more complicated to promise any soul a sure way into it. If it ever happens on this side, I wouldn't be surprised to know they were not planning to tell anyone down here, not even your royal ears, your Highness. Not unless they saw any gain from it."

A long moment of silence passed through as the queen lowered her head. Her chest barely moving with each breath was the only indication that she hasn't been frozen by a spell. Lucifer started casually playing with the hair of Alastor's nape, waiting on her to react. Alastor inclined his neck towards the touch as his hands locked around the king's waist. There was no reason to rush any of them for them.

Finally, Lilith lifted her gaze to find Lucifer's.

"Take that spell from my daughter" said firmly, straighten up. Her eyebrows were two straight lines in a expression of sternness that wasn't entirely directed at them. "I need to talk to her."

Lucifer made sure that Charlie had already eaten enough from her plate before conceding. Charlie rubbed her eyes briefly, the normal yellow tone of always and a smile back on her face that turned into confusion when Lilith stand up. For her, they were just having a polite and friendly conversation about the renovated hotel and what they could do next to it, so seeing the serious expression of her mother as she kneeled to her side and took her hand seemed to come out of nowhere.

"Sweetie, I am sorry for cutting this visit" started Lilith, brushing a tendril of Charlie's hair behind her ear and cupping her cheek. "I need to speak with a few people in the city. But as soon as I am done, I will be back here, alright? We can have your favorite dinner back at the palace and you can present to me that girlfriend you keep mentioning. I am sure she must be a charming girl."

Charlie's face light up at that.

"Really?" said, squeezing her hand back. "Oh, mom, that would be great! But uh…" she turned to see Lucifer, who had returned to his seat already, "maybe we should be looking trying to get dad back?"

"We can take care of that, duckling" Lucifer flashed a grin for her. "It has been a while since you two saw each other, right?" said, patting Charlie's shoulder and ignoring the glare from the queen. His words were for the princess anyway. "Enjoy this day with your mom, it's okay. We are going to be just talking plans the whole time."

"Indeed, and it will be extremely boring" confirmed Al. "We will inform you of anything we decide to do later on" promised, winking an eye to her and he did threw a glance to Lilith when she didn't seem to like that either. "For today you can relax."

"Alright" Charlie sighed. "I hope this one is the one."

"We will manage" said Alastor, rubbing the side of Lucifer when he felt him tense up.

Charlie nodded and turned to her mom, giving her a hug by the neck. It started soft, but then she squeezed harder and harder until Lilith laughed, patting her back.

"I know from where you are taking those bad habits, dear!" commented, standing up to leave a kiss on her forehead. Lucifer cleaned up the table with a flick of the wrist, even from the leftovers of Lilith, and stand up with Alastor's hand in his. He could continue eating in the staff room if he was still hungry, but they had intruded enough already. No matter what they though about the woman, she was Charlie's mom and Charlie did deserve a break after the dissapointment of yesterday too. "I will come back as soon I can, sweetie. That is a promise" assured the queen, brushing her hair back.

"I know a Lucifer who heard that once!" couldn't help to add Alastor into the air, snickering as Lucifer kept pushing him outside of the kitchen.

"You are the actual worst" whispered Lucifer once they were in the hallway.

Alastor noticed that, despite that, he was still fighting to contain a smirk on his face.

In a place made of darkness, Alastor opened up his eyes. This darkness wasn't the one created by his shadows or one merely created by the abscence of light. It was a weight, it was air, something real and solid that was constantly breathing. Whenever he was called to its interior, there was no doubt that the only reason that force wasn't crushing him, digesting him at his first breath, wasn't because it couldn't or didn't want to do it. Rather because the one holding the wheel had no given that order yet.

"Pet, pet, pet" a cheery voice that came out of nowhere and everywhere at the same time. A voice that made itself known in the middle of a loud party and enchanted everyone who heard it. Beautiful, charming, melodic. The perfect recipe that just needed the right words to convince anyone of shooting their own mother or voluntarely fall into the abyss. Sometimes sounded like his mother, when she wanted to laugh at him. She didn't for the moment. "Yesterday there was quite the commotion at the edge of the city, hasn't it? I haven't seen that kind of power in a very long time. With the king of hell giving him kisses and telling him what a good job he made, no less! You didn't tell me that you had acquired such interesting friends recently."

"They are both irrelevant" The reply came out easy, natural. Alastor wasn't really sure if his mouth was actually moving or his thought were being transmitted some other way. He was aware of his body like a foreign presence that was close, but not enough. "That sinner is a new temporary guest at the hotel. He will be gone shortly so I saw no point to try to bring him up. I wasn't aware that he and the king had any kind of relationship before until yesterday."

The darkness pulsated around him with a silent purr that ran through his entire body.

"Oh? But you still hang out together, don't you?" asked the voice.

"Charlie keeps telling me to keep them company" Alastor shrugged, or thought he did, which may as well be the same thing in that place. "They want to mess around and, as the kids would say, find out. Charlie is so very insistent to make them feel welcome and apparently I am the only one available to fulfill that role. The king, by himself, is not enough with how socially indept he is."

"You poor little boy" She started laughing, her voice bouncing from place to place. Alastor would try to follow her with her eyes without ever seeming to get closer. "So that is how it is? It must be so frustrating to being forced into such a position by the princess. It's not like you are actually getting anything from it."

"Indeed. It feels like I am babysitting most of the time" Alastor swallowed through a throat that felt at his left. "But at least it keeps her happy and relying on me, so that is better than nothing."

"Her trust in you is a valuable resource" she conceded. "Powerful friends are good to have, Al, I keep telling you that, but you don't listen. Are you sure that sinner can't just be disuaded to make a deal or two?"

"I guess I could try" lied Alastor with ease, because one never just said no to her directly. "I am afraid that is a long shot, though, with the king insisting to be so close at all times."

"See into it anyway. Everyone needs a favor sometimes, it wouldn't hurt" That wasn't a clear order. Alastor knew very well the difference, so he could relax a little bit. "What were you doing in that place anyway after those two broke the ground?"

"Taking a few snacks, of course! There was such a conglomeration of people and no one taking a bite. It just seemed like such a waste to not take advantage of the situation."

"That hug the king gave you was cute though" Alastor gripped to his control over his body with all his might. His hearbeat didn't raise. His breathing remained the same. Not even the best polygrapher would be able to detect the slightest change on him. They wouldn't know how much that genuinely surprised him. It was always a gamble to know how much she could see or not, which was probably exactly what she wanted him to assume about her. That way the question was always hanging over him, chasing him over anything he did. "Such cute little friends."

"The king is just way too sentimental. We both know that very well. Give him a little bit of attention and he thinks the world of that someone. I am afraid he has misinterpretated my attempts to keep his daughter pacified as sincere, which has resulted in interactions such as that one at the drop of a hat. If it were any other hellish being I would have no issue shacking him off, but considering his power I am left with little to no choice."

"Mmm, that is true! Lucifer never knew how to read a room. I can only imagine how frustrating it was for you. But luckily now that other sinner is around to hopefully make him feel less lonely!"

"One can only hope" Alastor smiled, waiting to know what actually did she need from him in the first place.

"Yes, because it would be a pity to start making friends with Lucifer when that wasn't a part of our agreement. I can't have you getting too close to one of the major players just yet, Al. Too soon for that."

Alastor already was assuming as such, but the confirmation still left a sting somewhere he couldn't pin point.

"I don't believe there is anything to worry about" assured confidently. "I haven't forgotten what we agreed" added when he could percieve something going around his back, like a breeze on a portion of skin that wasn't covered by his suit somehow.

"I know you don't, Al! If I thought that for a single moment, you wouldn't be standing where you are right now" Another chuckle, this time closer to his ear. Or inside his ear. Or inside his brain, between the grey matter and his skull. Behind his eyes. Somewhere his claws tensed up briefly with the need to dig inside to try to take her out. "But nevermind that! I didn't bring you here to tell you the obvious. More interesting things that you babysitting a lonely king are happening! Some little pawns that haven't moved in a long while are suddenly going at full speed! You haven't heard of anything important happening, did you?" As Alastor was preparing himself to deny it, she continued. "One of them was close to where you were yesterday. You didn't notice?" her voice almost sounded concerned, like she felt pity of how oblivious he was.

Alastor clenched his teeth.

"No" said finally. "Maybe if you tell me who that is, I could stop them."

"Who said I want you to stop them?" She laughed over his left shoulder, light and charming. "No, no, that is way too boring! If anything, if you see them in the future, give them a little hand! As a show of good will, of course. We have to let all the players move before knowing what we should do next, isn't that right? Where is the fun otherwise?"

There it was. The pressure on his neck that wasn't just his neck, pulling tight and quick into whatever made his soul inside his body, pending on an edge he wasn't aware of until then. The cold that washed over him and had only slightly to do with fear or dread. There was no real choice.

"Absolutely" said, widening his smile, wherever it was. "I will make sure they get everything they need."

The weight lifted off, only slightly.

"T hope so. I have no use for a pet that is broken to the point it can't do the most simple task."

He could almost see her smile in front of him before the darkness, with everything that came with it, suddenly retreated and he stumbled on an empty room as if he had just gone up an elevator. He managed to grab himself to a nearby wall before going on his knees. For a moment nothing of what made him was real, but that was something he was expecting so he didn't panic. Slowly he started moving each finger in his hands. The ears at the top of his head. His legs recuperating their firmness over the ground.

When he looked at a clock on the nighstand, he was surprised to see that already a big portion of the day had gone past him and it was the afternoon. Their damned sun had to start coming down in the horizon. Alastor checked himself on the mirror of the bathroom and didn't move from there until he managed to convince his face to smile as usual. No traces of panic or aprehension were acceptable on his eyes.

Only once he was sure nobody get a read on him, he came out the building, where someone had already cleaned up the owner's gut from the sidewalk. Apparently that was a musician that practiced at horrible hours of the night, being the annoyance of all of his neighbors. Alastor actually didn't know if that was true or just a story she told him to excuse using his place. There was a guitar upstairs, and he was dead already, so might as well could be.

When he finally reached the hotel, it was officially night. He had only give a few steps in when he heard the voice of one of his biggest source of stress calling him.

"Alastor, buddy!" Lucifer waved at him from the bar where he and Al were drinking. The dark tail of the king now around the other's leg rather than his waist like usual, but that made small of a difference. At least they weren't doing that weird eye focused thing while whispering things to each other. "There you are! I was wondering when you were going to come in."

When Alastor made his way over there, he kept his hands at his back. He did not look at the face of the monarch mora than he needed to. The stupid thing on his chest could be stupid, but he wasn't. At least Al seemed politely interested on their conversation rather than openly antagonistic.

"Any updates on our stone hunting, your Majesty?" asked before anything else, because that was the only thing that mattered.

"Yeah, actually!" Lucifer finished the long tall glass he was taking and swivel on the seat. "We went with Vassago and we have the stone recharged and a new location. The place is kind of a warehouse so we think it could black market shit moving around for some rich asshole. They could be making the exchange right there. There is going to be less people than on the auction, but also!" added, making finger guns, "Less chances of explosions trapping us underground. So that is cool, isn't it?"

At last, some actual relief. If they moved fast enough, maybe he could avoid giving a "helping hand" altogether and just let Lucifer give him a piece of the stone.

"Great. It seems that you have made some progress today. We can talk about the details tomorrow in the morning" declared, turning on his heels. "For now, this is it for me. Good night to all of you!"

"Hey, wait" called Lucifer, chuckling to himself. "Charlie and Vaggie are gone, so we were thinking of watching a movie in the lobby. Al prepared some snacks already and we are just waiting on Angel to bring the pizza. Don't you want to join?"

"No" Alastor said it more abrupt than he intended. When he turned his head again, he smiled wider even as Al's eyes now were staring into him. "I mean, for goodness sake, no, of course not! You can enjoy your greasy fun all you like for me, though! I have better things to do, like laying in bed and count slaughtered sheep."

"Are you sure? The movie we got is an old timey one. A musical! I know cannibals tend to like those" added, winking an eye to Al, who gave him a smirk in response, before his eyes returned to Alastor. "Later we can try a horror one. You can complain about the fake blood all you want!"

"Tempting. But no" said, lifting his chin. "Have a good night, your Highness."

"Ah, but…" before Lucifer could say anything, Alastor had already disappeared into his shadow. He could still hear when the king turned around on his chair and asked to his companion. "Should we have told him that Lilian is back first?"

[gamergirlbonestaskforce141riot]

Chapter 12 Nemo dat quot non habet (No one gives what they do not have) - Valencia

Sorry for the delay

Taglist: @glitterypirateduck @letsreadallday @jamesrifftapes @mmyrrhh @sofasoap @mistydeyes (she buys the dress here, the date will be in another part)

Disclaimer/warnings: None I think, this is slow and boring, sorry

Previous / Masterlist / Next

Valencia Airport

Morning

Gabriella 'Gabi' Cruz had spent the better part of Laswell's week of absence to plan and plot the 'undercover mission' and to rehearse her arguments to convince her boss about the convenience of transforming a three day operation into a week long affair.

So she was quite bummed when after her first statement Laswell just grabbed the folder and started signing the papers.

You're gonna have your hands full, Cruz.

It was supposed to be an easy operation.

Land in Valencia, drive to Benidorm, grab equipment, latest intel and weapons at the CIA safehouse, spend the rest of the day and night there, initiate things the day after. But first, some unexpected problems had to be amended.

"You can't possibly think that you look like normal people on holiday" Gabi pouted, standing at the baggage reclaim area in the airport, staring at her three companions.

Ghost plainly ignored her, grabbing his bag and quite pissed after putting his balaclava on after having had to settle for a face mask during the flight. Riot was busy checking where the car rental was on her phone and the only one paying attention to her was Soap.

It was true that the three of them looked like... what they were. Military personnel on leave, even if they weren't wearing cammo. Only one bag each. Taking turns to look around and locate the exits, keeping an eye on any group of people that got too close, moving purposefully so they were never facing the same direction and could have all sides covered.

"Aww, hen, what did ye expect?" Soap grinned, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to kiss her adorable pout. She was the only one that looked tourist enough, with one of her usual mid length dresses, denim jacket and cute sandals.

It was a very hot mid June in Spain, and them wearing their usual dark, functional clothes would not fly.

"We're going shopping" Gabi decided, and that caught Ghost and Riot's attention. Both of them turned their heads to look at her, their faces mostly unreadable under his balaclava and her mask, but Riot's eyes were narrowed.

"What?"

"You heard me, we're going shopping" Gabi nodded, and pointed with her finger at Soap. "I know for a fact you have more civilian clothes in that bag but buy something else too. You take care of Ghost and I'll take Riot shopping"

"Aren't we supposed to be two couples on holidays?" Soap tried to bargain, nuzzling with his nose the tender skin below her ear. "Why can I go with ye instead?"

"Bold of you to assume she's your partner, Johnny" Riot deadpanned, consulting her phone again. "We're in 2023"

"Yeah, what the hell, Johnny" Gabi had to laugh at Soap's face.

The Scot looked at Ghost, seeking help, and the Lieutenant shrugged, starting to walk towards the exit, with his bag slung over his shoulder.

"You walked right into it, darling"

"Away an bile yer heid!"

"There aren't many shops in the airport, it'd be better if we went into the city or directly to Benidorm and go shopping in there" Riot commented, still checking her phone as they walked. "Depends on how hungry we are. We could go to Valencia after renting the car and eat something before going shopping and leaving, it's early enough"

"Breakfast first!" Soap nudged Ghost with his elbow, smiling again. "Say breakfast, say breakfast"

Ghost grunted non-commitally, and Gabi was about to protest when Riot briefly raised her head from her phone.

"I haven’t been in Spain in ages and I want Cola Cao y tostadas (Cocoa and toast) so we’re having breakfast" She handed her bag to Soap once they were out of the baggage reclaim area. "I'm going to the rental car counter, you wait in the parking lot. Ghost, come with me, I want them to see why we need a big SUV"

In the end it only took almost twenty minutes of very irate arguing in Spanish for Riot to finally have the car keys in hand, with an amused Ghost watching in silence, arms crossed right behind her.

"Did it feel good?" He asked her as they walked to the parking lot, following a very nervous employee.

She looked up at him, and although she was wearing her mask again, he could tell she was smiling widely.

"To argue with someone in my own language without having to worry about my accent or if I'm using the proper vocabulary, and having them answer back? Oh, yes"

Ghost chuckled under his breath, waving at Soap and Gabi so they would follow them to the big, dark grey SUV that they had rented. The employee disappeared right after pointing at the car, intimidated by the towering giant with the balaclava and the blonde spitfire with the sharp tongue and black mask.

"Well, looks big enough" Soap grinned while placing the bags in the trunk. "Who's driving?"

"I planned the trip so we wouldn't have to drive for long" Gabi commented, climbing into the backseat. "But taking turns would be nice"

"I drive" Ghost simply opened the passenger's door, looking at Riot and pointing inside, then walked around the SUV to get into the driver's seat. Soap shrugged and got into the backseat next to Gabi, still grinning.

"Please, Lt, remember you have to drive on the right here..."

"You can walk if you want, MacTavish"

"I'm just saying.."

"Do you want me to drive then?" Riot looked back between the front seats, taking her mask off. "You know it gives me anxiety, but if you're going to whine..."

"Absolutely not, last time I was in something ye drove, ye rammed the truck into an armored vehicle"

"Crybaby" She rolled her eyes, facing the front again while waiting for Ghost to adjust the seat and mirrors. "It was a good idea in that moment"

The journey to Valencia from the airport didn't take long, and soon they parked the van in an underground car park to look for a place to eat.

After a bit of aimless wandering, Riot made a beeline towards a particular cafe and chose a table in the outdoor terrace, looking pleased.

"Why this one?" Gabi sat down in front of her, looking around with a curious smile. Riot shrugged, studying the breakfast menu.

"Lots of old people that look local here. Usually means it's a good place" She looked at Ghost when he sat down between her and Gabi, leaving the remaining chair for Soap. "Do you have any preference?"

He shook his head, trying to get comfortable in the chair, and looked around to mentally locate the best exits. Gabi chose a couple of things after studying the menu, and when the waiter came, Riot made a long order in Spanish. The more things she asked for, the more the man smiled.

"We're going to be fatter by the end of the trip, aren't we?" Gabi giggled when the waiter rushed inside.

"I'm afraid so" Riot smiled, leaning back in her chair.

The waiter appeared with the drinks, placing four glasses with orange juice, a black coffee, a macchiatto, an English Breakfast tea and a glass with milk with a red and yellow bag next to it on the table before leaving.

"Ah have a couple of ideas to lose all that weight" Soap grinned, wiggling his eyebrows at Gabi, who blushed and ignored him with a smile, stirring her macchiatto after adding sugar.

‘‘What kind of ideas are those, you cheeky bastard?’’

"Exercise" Riot murmured, tearing the corner of the red and yellow bag to pour its content, a chocolate colored powder, into the glass of milk, and then started to stir it. Ghost was sipping his tea, pleasantly surprised by the taste.

‘‘Aye, exercise…’’ Soap let out a snort, dragging Gabi’s chair closer so he could wrap an arm around her waist, nuzzling her neck. ‘‘Like the sound of that’’

‘‘Johnny…!’’ She gasped when he bit her neck, and slapped his arm, laughing. ‘‘Stop it!’’

The waiter returned with a tray full of serving plates that he placed one by one on the table, while they moved the glasses and cups around to make space for the copious amount of food that Riot had ordered. Churros, toasted bread, a small basket with butter and different jam packages, jamón serrano, and a small jar of olive oil.

Soap and Gabi started attacking the food right away, but Ghost took his time to look and decide on what to try first, pleased with the smell, before settling on a piece of toast and riffling through the selection of jam. Riot grabbed the bill and after briefly checking the amount, took a note from her wallet and handed it to the waiter with a smile.

‘‘Gracias, quédese el cambio (Thank you, keep the change)’’

‘‘Muchas gracias señorita, que aproveche (Thank you very much, miss, bon profit)’’ The man left, and she grabbed a piece of toast to start spreading butter on it,  humming quietly.

‘‘We could have pooled money to pay, or use the credit cards that we were given’’ Gabi commented, and Soap nodded, with his mouh full of jamón, trying to swallow it to be able to contribute.

‘‘I doubt any of you have changed your pounds into euros. I always carry some. I don’t like paying by card’’ Riot shrugged, choosing another piece of toast to pour a thin trickle of olive on it before adding a bit of jamón.

‘‘She’s loaded anyway’’ Soap laughed, grabbing a churro, and both Gabi and Ghost looked at him and then at Riot, who rolled her eyes while taking a bite of the buttered toast.

‘‘I’m certainly not. I rent out my house in Spain on AirBnB, that’s all’’

‘‘Yer my sugar sister, ye always want to pay’’ He tried to tickle her, laughing, and Riot yelped and moved away from his grasp, dragging her chair closer to Ghost’s.

‘‘That sounds disgusting, Johnny’’

Ghost was half listening indulgently, focused on the toast he was eating, but when she dragged her chair closer he automatically raised his arm to rest it on the back of her seat.

‘‘Well, now after we finish here, we’re going shopping and then we’re driving to Benidorm’’ Gabi checked the itinerary on her phone. ‘‘It’s about an hour and a half. We’ll settle in the hotel and then we’ll go to get the supplies’’

It still took almost half an hour to pry Ghost and Soap away from the food, but when there was nothing left but crumbs, and the table was being invaded by pidgeons and seagulls alike, the four of them finally set off.

Begrudgingly, Riot and Ghost followed Gabi and Soap down the nearest shopping street, watching them chat animatedly to each other while window shopping and pointing at the mannequins.

‘‘Think we’ll survive them?’’ Christine sighed softly, the mask again on her face, looking around while they walked and moving out of the way of people that crossed their path.

Ghost looked down at her, medidating his answer. He was used to prowl down a street and not care about the people going opposite ways, they either moved away or he just brushed past, eyes on the front. For a second he almost reached out to grab her arm and pull her closer, so she wouldn’t have to dodge people.

‘‘I think the better question is if they’re gonna survive us’’ He finally grunted. ‘‘You and I, we’ll be fine’’

She looked up at him, her eyes narrowed in the way he already recognized instantly as one of her smiles, and seemed about to say something when Gabi excitedly yanked her arm to drag her into a shop. He stood there, staring, with the ringing of the Spanish swear word that she had uttered in his ears, and only reacted when Soap nudged him towards the neighbouring shop.

Fuckin’ hell

*

‘‘Absolutely not’’

‘‘Awww, come on!’’

Christine huffed, staring at the garment Gabi was trying to get her to try on. A scarlet red sundress. She had to admit she loved the colour. If it had been a t-shirt or a sweater, or even a blouse, she would have tried it on in an instant.

But it was a nice dress. A pretty one.

‘‘It’s too pretty’’ She muttered, feeling stupid for even letting that out. Thankfully they were alone in the changing room. Gabi looked concerned by the statement though.

‘‘Why do you mean it’s too pretty? You deserve nice things too’’

They had spent the better part of an hour bargaining and trying on clothes, and Gabi had masterfully chosen clothes that were in line with what Riot would usually wear, clothes that were close to the ones she already owned. Graphic t-shirts in strong colours, red, black, blue. Skinny or straight jeans, she had even managed Christine to agree on a pair of capri ones.

As the minutes went by, Christine had relaxed more and more, seemingly more agreeable and sometimes even downright delighted with the clothes. She had even taken her mask off twenty minutes in, and her smile had been more obvious. So Gabi thought that to end on a good note, she could try offering the red dress that caught her eye on the mannequin outside.

‘‘It’s too pretty’’ Riot insisted stubbornly, and Gabi couldn’t help but laugh, pushing the dress into her hands.

‘‘Please, please, just humor me, try it on, just that, pleeeease!’’

Christine grunted and pushed the younger woman out of the dressing room before closing the door. She could still hear Gabi chatting with the two shop assistants in her heavily accented Spanish, and sighed to herself while looking at her reflection on the mirror, the dress in her hands.

It was too pretty. The linen was so soft and delicate, the colour so rich and beautiful, and… it was too pretty. There was no way she could wear something so pretty and not look ridiculous.

‘‘Do you have it on?’’ Gabi’s voice came from the other side of the door, and Christine shook off her dread and sighed.

‘‘Have a little patience’’ She growled, hearing the giggles from outside, and left the dress on the chair to take the clothes she had been trying on previously. Now in her underwear, dark, simple as herself, she observed her reflection again, frowning.

But tried the dress on.

‘‘Come on, let me see… oh’’ Gabi smiled, almost clapping when Christine opened the door, allowing her to see inside. ‘‘Oh, you look beautiful’’

‘‘Don’t be ridiculous’’ Riot scoffed, looking at her reflection only with the corner of her eyes.

‘‘We’re buying it’’ Gabi decided with a big grin, ignoring the glare she was being given. ‘‘Oh, these nice girls have told me there’s a Victoria’s Secret down the street, we’re stopping there once we finish here’’

‘‘Absolutely not’’

*

Soap was having a worse time dealing with Ghost. Almost every suggestion was met with either a curt no or with a glare, or just plainly ignored. Slowly, Johnny started to focus on the things Simon didn’t outright refuse.

T-shirts in darker colors, either plain, band t-shirts or with some graphic design that for some reason appealed to the stern Mancunian but refused to elaborate. Two pairs of jeans, one of them tighter than the other, which Johnny had had to argue in favour for almost fifteen minutes until Simon was fed up enough to just try them on, and for some reason tossed them on the pile of ‘accepted’ clothes.

And then, out of the blue, Simon decided it was enough and just strolled out of the changing room, with a handful of discarded clothes that he threw on Johnny’s arms, and walked to the counter with the ones that he had chosen. When Soap tried to pay for his own shopping, the Lieutenant simply swatted his hand away and handed the credit card they had been given to the shop assistant, obviously wanting to leave the shop as soon as possible.

But if he had to be honest, and he would be caught dead before admitting it… he had enjoyed the time alone with Johnny. Listening to him ramble about clothes and fittings and colours, and whatnot, reminded him of the days when Tommy and him used to go to the shopping centre to try clothes on, imagining another life where they could afford them. He thought of the young Sergeant as a brother of sorts, the closest thing he had now to a best friend along with Gaz.

So he indulgently listened and nodded and tried not to growl too much, feeling stupidly thankful for Johnny’s presence. For his friendship. It was difficult for him to show it, but he hoped that by paying, and bumping his elbow against the younger man’s, would be enough to let him know.

As the two of them stepped out of the shop they found Gabi and Christine arriving from another, further down the street, carrying several shopping bags.

‘‘Ready to go, hen?’’ Soap dragged his girlfriend close to kiss her, unable to hide his good mood, and smile openly at Christine, admiring her new clothes. ‘‘Lookin’ good, sis… oooh, is that a Victoria’s Secret bag?’’

‘‘Shut up’’ She smiled back, a bit flustered. The black cargo trousers had disappeared in favour of a pair of light blue skinny capri jeans, and the plain sweater was now a cute red t-shirt with a floral design on the front. ‘‘You look good too’’

‘‘Ah make anything look good, bonnie’’ Johnny laughed, showing off his new jeans and green t-shirt to Gabi, who was inspecting his bags with an approving smile.

Ghost rolled his eyes, waiting patiently for their nonsense to end as they walked back to where they had parked the SUV, but he slowed his pace to match Riot’s, allowing the other two to walk infront, chatting about their purchases. Christine sighed, shaking her head and shrugging while looking at him, trying to not let her eyes wander too much.

Because Simon looked good too. Now instead of the bulky hoodie he had been wearing, he was wearing a black t-shirt under a biker jacket. And jeans. And for some reason everything looked tighter than what she was used to see him wearing, and she couldn’t help but look at him for too long and too much.

At first he didn’t catch on, because he was looking at her just as indiscreetely, and for a second, their eyes met. She quickly looked away, unable to hide a small smile and the faint colour on her cheeks. Under his balaclava, Simon felt his face burning as well.

Maybe Johnny had been right when he had insisted on making him buy jeans.

Trust me, Simon, you’ll thank me later.

[pareidoliaonthemove]

Lee Taylor's First Time Babysitting

Lucille Tracy was still not convinced. “Jeff, are you sure about this?”

Jeff smiled reassuringly. “Very. We’ve got to leave town for the day – a very long, very boring day – so you can get the next lot of scans for the baby. Mom has her hands full looking after Pa, and your parents couldn’t get away from the Ranch. We can’t take Scott, he’s too young, and, um …”

“Hyperactive?” Lucy raised an eyebrow.

“Excitable,” Jeff decided, “to be spend the day in the hospital with us. Lee was visiting anyway, and he is Scott’s godfather …”

“Who requires every bit as much adult supervision as the two year old we’re asking him to supervise.”

Jeff frowned. “That’s not fair, Luce. Lee …”

She sighed. “I know.” She met his gaze. “It’s only one day, right? And as he keeps reminding us, the Space Agency trusts him with their multi-billion dollar equipment, so we can trust him with Scott?”

Jeff kissed her on the forehead. “Exactly right, on both counts.”

Lee Taylor was miffed.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to look after his two-year-old godson, and it wasn’t that he wanted to look after his two-year-old godson – kids had never been his thing; but his best friend’s wife was giving the impression that she didn’t trust Lee with the boy.

For goodness sakes, the Space Agency trusted him with multi-billion dollar it, didn’t they? (Not on your own, they don’t, a traitorous little voice whispered. Lee resolutely ignored it.)

Jeff trusted him with his life, surely his wife could trust him with their son?

Captain Lee Taylor was a fully trained astronaut, with five moon missions, and one Mars landing under his belt. Captain Lee Taylor could handle a two-year-old boy. No problems. Easy peasy, light and breezy!

Captain Lee Taylor was a fully trained astronaut, with five moon missions and one Mars landing under his belt. Captain Lee Taylor was not qualified to deal with a two-year-old boy. I’m an astronaut, get me out of here!

It had started off well enough, wave bye-bye to Jeff and Lucy, watch as the boy climbed the tree in the backyard – “Are you allowed to climb that tree?” “I am if you say I am, Uncle Lee.” (He wasn’t too sure about that decision, he had a feeling Lucy wouldn’t allow it, but the kid was fine.)

A snack, reading a book about airplanes, that morphed into a storytelling session about Jeff flying in his plane, bright blue eyes stared up adoringly as he listened to stories of his Daddy’s adventures. (And, maybe, he shouldn’t have been quite so honest about Jeff’s time in combat? But the kid loved it.)

But it had fallen apart after that. Inspired by the stories, Lee had been roped into an energetic game of ‘fighter pilot’, where Lee was the “boogie” to the boy’s Jeff. Lee had to ‘fly’ and try to avoid the little boy chasing him. At the shrill shriek of “Direct hit!” Lee had to fall down, before he was allowed up to play the part of another “boogie”. After three hours, Lee was exhausted.

And the kid was hungry. So Lee found the (premade? Lee could handle making sandwiches, for heavens sake!) sandwiches in the fringe, and poured juice into a large glass. The biggest he could find, don’t want the boy to get dehydrated. That the large heavy glass tumbler wasn’t suitable for little hands was a retroactive thought, after it smashed on the ground. But that was okay, just a broken glass and spilled juice. No blood, no foul. Lee found another – plastic – tumbler and replenished the boy’s drink, before cleaning up the mess.

Lee had a thought that kids should sleep after eating, need time to let the food settle, right? But he was having none of it, wanting instead to return to playing ‘fighter pilot’. Lee couldn’t face another round of that, so he compromised with some tv time. Managing to find an old kids movie he remembered that should meet the boy’s approval, they both settled on the lounge, as onscreen Dusty Crophopper chased his dream of flying around the world.

Only for Lee to wake abruptly some time later alerted by some weird sixth sense, just in time to catch the boy as he launched off the top of the bookcase – and how the sam hill had he got up there? A frantic examination proved the kid was fine, albeit disappointed by his failure to ‘fly’. So Lee took him out to the tyre swing so he could ‘fly’ there.

It was an unknowable time later, growing dark and Lee’s back and arms were burning with exertion when Jeff and Lucy arrived home, take away Chinese in hand, only to laugh at Lee’s exhaustion, and the kid’s excitement.

Dinner was a quiet affair, as Jeff and Lucy – mainly Lucy – interrogated them on their day. Jeff quietly amused and Lucy exasperated as the story of broken glass came out, and horrified at the ‘bookcase incident’. Lee had been hoping that they could keep that to themselves.

And yes, he had been conned. The tree was strictly off limits.

Lee hoped to make a quiet escape to his guest room, but the kid wasn’t having any of that. Apparently the little monster had decided that since he was spending the day with him, that was the whole day. 24 hours.

Lee wasn’t quite sure how it happened, but somehow he ended up agreeing to sleep on a camp bed in the kids room. The operative word was ‘sleep’, right? The boy would sleep. Lee sure would. Somehow exploring new worlds was less exhausting than babysitting one two-year-old.

Jeff smirked as Lee was dragged up to the kids room, for a round of bedtime stories, and “G’night, Uncle Lee.”

Lee glared as Jeff smirked at him as he checked they were both safely tucked up in bed, before turning off the light.

Lee was going to get his best friend for this.

Small sharp fingers clamped onto his eyelid and pulled, painfully, forcibly, opening his left eye, and startling Lee into wakefulness.

Bright blue eyes peered into Lee’s sole open one. “Is you awake, my Uncle Lee?”

“I am now,” he grumbled, feeling his back complain about the camp bed he had slept – too briefly – on last night.

The little boy clapped happily, before grabbing his upper arm and trying to pull him upright. “Up!”

Lee resisted. “Too early, kid. Go back to bed.”

His best friend’s son bounced – bounced! – onto the bed and then onto his chest, driving all the air from his body. “The sun’s awake, so we’re awake. It’s time to play, so let’s all go Outside today!” He sang gleefully, bouncing in time to the tune.

Lee managed to catch him in the air, and rolling half over, deposited the boy on the floor beside the bed. He stared at the little boy, who was practically vibrating in excitement.

“You like this every day?” Lee demanded.

The boy bounced on his toes. “Yep!”

Lee swore under his breath. No wonder Jeff and Lucy were so darn tired. He eyed the blue-eyed menace in front of him. “Alright,” he muttered. “But we gotta let your Mom and Dad sleep, okay?”

He bounced again. “Okay!”

Lee dragged his protesting body out of the camp bed. Every morning. Darned if he knew why Jeff and Lucy wanted another one after this.

Jeff Tracy woke when the sun managed to find the exact right spot to shine through the gap in the curtains, and hit his face.

He lay still half asleep in bed, and wrestled with the fact that something felt wrong.

Very wrong.

The house was silent, he couldn’t hear anything except Lucy snuffling – not snoring. Never snoring. His wife DID NOTsnore! (He had learned that fact the hard way.) So there was no break in, and Scott …

Scott.

Scott, who hadn’t let his parents sleep past sunrise pretty much since the day he was born. Scott, the solar-activated ball of hyper-energy that should have bounced his parents awake the second the sun’s first rays hit the horizon. Scott, who should have been nyrooom-ing his thundering way up and down the hall and stairs.

The house was silent.

The house was still.

Scott!

Jeff was awake in a flood of adrenaline, launching himself off the bed towards the door, and running towards his son’s room.

The bed was unmade, and Scott was gone.

In a blind panic, Jeff rushed toward the bed, and ended up sprawled across the floor.

He turned, and sagged with relief. He had tripped over a discarded blanket, kicked aside from the bed camp bed that had been made up for Lee after Scott had insisted that ‘Uncle Lee’ have a sleepover with him.

Jeff took a moment to calm his breathing and heartbeat. Lee. Scott waking would have woken Lee; and Lee, knowing how tired he and Lucy were, had taken the boy off to play so they could sleep.

Thank god for Lee.

He had just about regained his composure when Lucy rounded the door. “Jeff?” She was still groggy from sleep, having been woken by his mad dash for the door. “What is it?”

Jeff got up from the floor. “I woke up,” he admitted, sheepishly. “And I panicked when I realised how late it was.”

“Huh?”

Jeff huffed, “Fine. I’m not used to being able to sleep so late. I freaked when I realised Scott hadn’t woken us, and I couldn’t hear him. Scott must have woke Lee first, and Lee took him out to play so we could sleep.”

Lucy stared, still uncomprehending, then shook her head. “Coffee. I need coffee. I can’t logic without coffee.”

Jeff grinned. “I’ll put the kettle on.”

He went downstairs, as Lucy went to take care of ‘the necessities’. And glanced as he filled the kettle, looked out the window.

The backyard was deserted.

Come to that, he couldn’t hear anything from outside, either. Scott wasn’t by nature quiet, and Lee, well, his lack of volume control was yet another side effect of that disastrous training exercise.

Jeff frowned as went to check the front yard. It too was deserted, but Lee’s rental car was missing.

Okay, so Lee had taken Scott somewhere to play so he wouldn’t disturb them. Nothing to worry about. Jeff spent the next ten minutes looking for a note explaining where they had gone.

Nothing.

No note. No car. No Lee. No Scott.

Lucy wandered down the stairs, and was a little put out to find the coffee unmade. She sighed as Jeff explained the situation. “Jeff, did you think to call Lee? You know, let him know the coast is clear to come back?”

Jeff grimaced guiltily, and went to the phone. He dialled from memory, and was rewarded by the sound of an obnoxious ringtone. It was some god-awful pop song that ‘celebrated’ the first manned landing on Mars, and Jeff hated it, so naturally Lee had chosen it as the ringtone for Jeff’s numbers.

Lucy picked up Lee’s phone and rejected the call, silencing the offending ring tone. They both stared at the device. “Trust Lee to forget his phone,” Lucy said, but her voice was worried.

“Yeah, just like him.” Jeff bit his lip. “Luce, I’ll take the car, and go find them. I’ll bring breakfast home, yeah? From the bakery? You give them a call, and tell them I’ll collect it when I’ve found Lee, they might even know where they are.”

“Lee pays,” Lucy said. “Payback for scaring us silly.”

Jeff grinned. “Fine. Lee pays.”

He was halfway down the road when Lucy called. “I’ve placed the order, but they haven’t seen them.”

Jeff grinned. “That just means that Lee hasn’t spoiled Scott’s appetite.” He considered. “I’ll swing past the airfield first, maybe Lee took Scott to see the planes?”

Lucy chuckled nervously. “Sounds about right. You let me know the second you find them.”

“Of course. Though they’ll probably turn up at home before I find them, so make sure you let me know.”

Twenty minutes later Jeff did a slow patrol around the airfield, looking for Lee’s car parked outside the perimeter to watch the student pilots taking off and landing. Nothing. So he went into the complex, and parked outside the hangar where his family stored their aircraft.

Lee had flown in from Houston, where he still lived. Maybe he had taken Scott to look at his plane? Jeff tried not to think about the fact that Lee’s car wasn’t visible.

The hangar was deserted, and the three planes were all safely stowed. So Lee hadn’t taken Scott for a flight.

As Jeff exited the airfield, having carefully checked the interiors of the three planes, just in case, his phone rang, with the generic ringtone. Mouth dry, Jeff answered.

“Jeff, it’s Sheriff Reichs. I’ve just been in The BakeHouse, I understand you’ve misplaced that friend of yours, and your son?”

Jeff grimaced. He should’ve known better. That he’d ‘lost’ Scott would be all over town. He quickly explained the situation, careful to emphasise that he had no concern for Scott’s wellbeing.

Sheriff Reichs chuckled. “Well, I’ll keep an eye out for you, and you make sure you let me know when you find ‘em.” The older man was reassuring. “This’ll make one hell of a good story for the boy’s twenty-first.”

Jeff promised to call him second thing – Lucy remained firmly first in line – and thanked the sheriff for his help. A couple of the smaller playgrounds and parks were on Jeff’s way, and he slowed to drive past, carefully scanning them for signs of his son and friend.

Nothing.

It was only when he got to the large park in the centre of town that he found the first sign of his quarry. Lee’s rental car was parked, haphazardly across two spaces, by the corner that was on the direct route from their house.

Jeff parked more carefully next to his friend’s car, and as he got out the Sheriff’s cruiser pulled into the slot on the other side.

Reichs got out of his car, and eyed Lee’s rental, before turning to Jeff. “Well, I sure hope he parks a space rocket better than he parks a car.”

“There’s a reason the Space Agency insists we’re chauffeured everywhere on their watch.” Jeff almost managed to keep a straight face.

“Is that why they’re talkin’ ‘bout bringin’ back ocean landin’s?”

Jeff laughed.

Reichs chuckled. There was a delighted shriek from deeper in the park. “Higher, Uncle Lee! Higher!”

A broad grin spread across the Sheriff’s face. “Sounds like you’ve found what you’re lookin’ for, Jeff. I’ll not hold you up.”

Jeff thanked him again, backing away towards the shrieks of delight, and as soon as he was able, turned and hurried – not run, he was not running – to the source of the noise.

Just before he broke the treeline that screened the large, well-equipped playground, Jeff forced himself to stop. There, on the high swings – that Scott was most definitely not allowed on – was his son, his best friend pushing the boy ever higher.

He pulled out his phone, and took a minute’s video, before sending it to Lucy.

The response came as a text message: Thank God. Bring them home. I’m hungry.

He snorted and put the phone away, stepping out of the concealing treeline and starting towards the swingset.

“Daddy!” Scott had spotted him, and before anybody could react, the boy launched himself forward off the swing at its zenith. Lee’s strangled yell as the boy fell to the ground. Landed a good six feet from the edge of the swing’s reach…

… and immediately ran towards his father, cannonballing into Jeff with a force that knocked him over, and would have knocked the air out of him, had there been any left in his body.

Jeff grabbed him in a massive hug, as Lee sprinted up to them, spluttering what could have been words.

Scott hugged Jeff back, just as tightly, although for different reasons. “Did you see me, Daddy? I was flying!”

Jeff pulled back a little. “Yeah, I saw you buddy. And it’s a good thing your Mom didn’t. What have you been told about jumping off the swings?”

The little boy deflated. “Don’t.” Blue eyes pleaded. “But I was flying. Just like you. And Uncle Lee.”

Jeff groaned. “Scott Lee Tracy, your Uncle Lee and I have all sorts of safety gear to keep us from getting hurt.”

And just like that, Scott perked up. “Ok, Daddy. I bring my helmet. It’s keeps me from getting hurt.”

Jeff swallowed. He was in real trouble this time. “We’ll ask your Mom,” was all he could say.

Lee fidgeted, “What’re you doing here, Jeff? Luce kick you out?”

Jeff glared at him. “Would it kill you to leave a note?”

Lee winced, guiltily. “You could’a called me. Save the trip.”

Jeff reached into his pocket, and pulled out Lee’s phone. “Didn’t work so well.”

Lee deflated. “Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.”

“But you got to sleep in, right?”

Jeff sighed. “Yeah. But next time, leave a damn note. It took years off my life.”

Lee winced again. “Lucy’s mad at me, isn’t she?”

“The Sheriff was looking for you both.” Lee paled. “And you’re buying breakfast.”

“Uncle Lee and I had beek-fast!” Scott chirped. “Uncle Lee brought me don’t’s an’ a milkshake.”

Jeff stared at his friend. “Doughnuts and milkshake, for breakfast?!”

Lee went even paler. “Where’d Lucy order from, anyway? You get him home, and I’ll bring breakfast.”

Jeff glared. “You’d better. I am not explaining this to his mother on my own.”

Lee grabbed his phone and ran, yelling over his shoulder, “Message me the address!”

Jeff looked down at Scott, “Come on, kiddo.” He swung the delighted boy onto his shoulders. “We’d better go after him before he gets lost.”

Scott shrieked with delight, and pulling violently on Jeff’s hair, kicked him in the chest with his heels. “Faster, Daddy! Faster!”

Jeff broke into a trot after his best friend. Please, God, let the next one be quieter.

Notes:

Ask, and ye shall receive! (Although not always this quickly!) By popular demand, this is the story of Scott’s first adventure with ‘Uncle Lee’.

@janetm74, @onereyofstarlight, and @womble1, this one’s for you!

The standard disclaimers, I do not own Thunderbirds, either the Original Series, the Movies (both Supermarionation and Live Action), or the Thunderbirds Are Go Series. (Although I do own copies on DVD.)

I do not do this for money, but for my own (in)sanity and entertainment.

[hazza-bear-care]

Hiii. Can i have an imagine/fanfic. Where reader is Poe's sister and she have been in love with Kylo/Ben since ever, bc they know each other since they were kids. So, they have a special connection and decide to see in a secret place. maybe a little smut/romantic at the end. 🎆

this has been sitting in my inbox for YEARS and i am so sorry i haven't answered it! I hope you enjoy, my lovely!

~~~~~~~~~~

The air was filled with electricity as Kylo Ren flew his ship to a remote outpost in the Outer Rim. He had been secretly meeting with his childhood best friend and fellow Padawan, Norra Dameron, for years. His defection to the Dark Side dented their relationship, but the connection they had was still ever present. As he descended towards the outpost, an X-Wing bearing a rebellion symbol met is view, a gentle smirk gracing his lips as he landed on the opposite side of the worn down outpost.

The gravel under his boots crunched with every step he took, lightsaber at the ready for any threats he hadn't accounted for before knocking a secret pattern on the door. The Force tingled around him as the door slid open, Norra's head peeking out from around the corner, a blaster poised in her small hand.

"Commander Ren." Norra said, stepping aside to allow Kylo entry into their meeting place, holstering her blaster as she faced the towering stature of her best friend.

"Lieutenant Dameron." As soon as the door slid shut behind him, Kylo swept Norra into his arms, a heavy kiss shared between them.

"I missed you," Norra mumbled against Kylo's lips, her fingers digging into his black armor.

"I've missed you too, sweetheart. How's your training going?" Kylo pulled himself away from Norra, his gloved fingers pushing a stray curl back behind her ear.

"It's going well, thank you. I feel stronger every day." She threw her left hand out and channeled the Force, quickly crumpling a metal panel in the wall of the dilapidated outpost. She ripped it from the wall, sparks flying as the wires underneath the panel were exposed suddenly.

"You are stronger, Little One. I'm impressed." Kylo's gruff monotone voice echoed around the empty room as he wrapped his arms around her waist, planting his chin on top of her head as they swayed silently together.

"How much time do we have?" Norra questioned, wanting to absorb as much time as she could, their meetings becoming spread out the more the First Order grew.

"Two hours, give or take. General Hux and I have a meeting with Supreme Leader Snoke to discuss the girl from Jakku." Norra's lips set in a thin line, her loyalty to her best friend waning as he mentioned the newest addition to the Rebel cause. Kylo felt the air stiffen as Norra's feelings seeped out around her. "I love when you get jealous. You know you're the only one for me, right?"

"I know. Well, best not keep the good general waiting." Norra answered, spinning in Kylo's grasp, her hazel eyes boring deeply into his brown ones. Kylo scoffed and rolled his eyes, his general anything but good. He pressed a heated kiss to Norra's mouth, tapping her thighs and catching her with strong arms when she jumped into his grasp. As her thin fingers wrapped in his hair, Kylo was happy he left his mask in his ship, tracing his tongue along her bottom lip before plunging into her mouth. Norra groaned at the feeling of Kylo's tongue dancing with hers, her fingers gripping tighter in Kylo's unruly hair.

"Kylo, fuck me, please." Norra whined as Kylo's lips trailed down her neck, tearing her robes away from her body to access more of her tanned skin. While Kylo undressed her, she ripped her hair out of the bun she had tied it in, wild brown curls falling down to her shoulders. She gripped Kylo's armor, fumbling with it as she tried to remove it with trembling hands. No matter how often she and Kylo had met in secret, learning each other's bodies, her nerves always managed to burn under her skin.

Kylo dropped Norra to her feet, watching with hungry eyes as her uniform pooled around her ankles and leaving her bare. He stripped himself out of his armor and his black robes, removing his gloves so he could feel her soft flesh as she writhed under him. Kylo swept her into his arms once more, placing her on a dusty metal desk, goosebumps popping up on her thighs. Another kiss was shared, Kylo's warm hands spreading her thighs open to give him access to her most intimate part. He swiped two of his long fingers through her already soaked folds, a shiver spreading through Norra as the butterflies in her tummy began to flutter aggressively.

"I've barely touched you, Little One, and you're already soaked. Are you ready?" Kylo's voice dropped another octave, thick with arousal as Norra nodded beneath him. He plunged two fingers into her sopping wet pussy, smirking as she moaned loudly at the intrusion. He slowly pumped his fingers in and out of her, curling into her g-spot.

"Kylo, please!" Norra's fingernails dug into the bare skin of Kylo's arms as she begged once more for him to pound her into oblivion.

"Patience, my love. I promise to make you feel good, and I always keep my promises." Kylo connected his lips to Norra's collarbone, sucking a dark mark onto her skin, soothing the pain with his tongue before he switched sides. He loved marking her up, having her leave him for long periods of time with enough memories to last until they could reunite again. His fingers pumped in and out of her at a faster and more brutal pace, her moans flowing freely and bouncing around the abandoned outpost as her orgasm began building inside her. Kylo took one of her nipples into his mouth, swirling his tongue around her peak while his hand pinched the other. Norra's hand wrapped around the back of his head, pressing the tall man further into her plush chest and moaning at his ministrations. Kylo's palm brushed against her clit with every thrust of his fingers inside her, adding a third to fill her up even more. Her tight heat clenched around his fingers, signaling that her orgasm was rapidly approaching. Kylo pulled away from her breasts, trailing wet, open-mouthed kisses up her neck until his lips were by her ear. "Cum for me, my little Rebel. Let the galaxy know who makes you feel this good."

The coil in Norra's stomach snapped, her arousal gushing around Kylo's long fingers. He pulled his hand away from her core, shoving his soaking digits into her mouth and groaning when she started sucking her orgasm from his fingers. He pumped himself a few times before lining up to her entrance, his tongue replacing the fingers in her mouth as he thrusted into her. He bottomed out instantly, the tip of his cock brushing against her swollen g-spot. Kylo's hips jerked as he set an intense pace, one of his big hands wrapping around her throat.

"Fuck, Kylo, feels so good! Don't stop, please!" Norra cried, her thighs locking around Kylo's hips as he buried himself deeper inside her. He moaned loudly at the feeling of Norra's pussy clenching around his thick cock, his hand pushing harder against her throat. Norra's face turned red as she struggled to breathe, her fingers tapping the outside of Kylo's thigh to tell him to lighten his touch. He removed his hand completely as the sound of a smack echoed around the room, slapping her clit before rubbing it in fast circles.

"You're so close. Give it to me, I know you can." Kylo ordered, his hips and fingers going impossibly fast as he coaxed her approaching orgasm to the surface. He pressed another kiss to her mouth, swallowing Norra's moans and screams as she raced towards her orgasm, her thighs trembling as she began matching Kylo's aggressive and sloppy thrusts.

"More, Kylo. Please, I need more!" Norra yelled, her tummy tightening as her orgasm drew ever closer. With his fingers working her clit, his cock buried balls deep inside her, and his mouth still muffling her moans, Kylo relied on the Force, his surge of power pinching her nipples. That was all it took for Norra to scream and thrash in Kylo's grasp, his hips stuttering as his own orgasm took over, spilling his seed inside his best friend. Norra's thighs shook as Kylo stilled inside her, the feeling of her pussy more comforting than any hug he had ever gotten. He ran his fingers through her curls, her eyes still blown wide with lust.

"Come back with me, Norra." Kylo whispered earnestly, pressing more kisses to her throat, showering her with love and adoration.

"I can't. Poe would scour the entire galaxy to find me." Norra's fingers brushed over the warmth of Kylo's skin as she reveled in the affection she was being given.

"Don't you want to rule with me? Fuck in my bed and display to everyone who owns you?" He asked, brushing his lips over one of the hickeys on her collarbone.

"You know I'd love to, but my loyalty is to my brother, and his lies with the rebellion. My hands are tied, Kylo." The tall commander pushed himself away from Norra, throwing her clothes in her direction as he dressed himself quickly. Norra followed his lead, shoving her feet into her boots and trying to ignore the throbbing between her thighs. Her head hung low as she popped her knuckles, tying her hair back into a bun as she and Kylo prepared to part ways for another undefined length of time.

"She's with the rebellion, the girl from Jakku." Norra muttered as she adjusted her blaster and lightsaber against her waist.

"I'm aware. Anything else?" Kylo asked curtly, turning back towards Norra and watching as she shook her head.

"I overheard something about Maz Katana's tavern, but I'm not positive about anything else."

"I see." Norra nodded, deeming the conversation over as she walked back to the door of the outpost, stealing a peek at the surrounding area to see if anyone had found them while they were wrapped in each other's embrace just a few moments before. The coast was clear.

"I guess we'd better be going then, Commander Ren. Wouldn't want to keep the Supreme Leader waiting. I've heard he's not a patient man." Norra called over her shoulder, surveying the dusty room to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything before making her way back towards her borrowed X-Wing. As she reached for the ladder leading to the cockpit, Norra was spun around, a desperate kiss planted on her mouth.

"I love you, Lieutenant Norra Dameron. Thank you for your help, sweet girl."

"You're welcome, Commander Kylo Ren. I'd do anything for you. I love you, too." They kissed again, Kylo reaching around her waist to pinch her ass, chuckling at the squeal that she pressed against his lips.

"I'll see you soon." With that, Kylo Ren turned and stalked towards his ship, climbing into the cockpit. Ever the gentleman, Kylo stared at Norra as she also entered her ship, allowing her to take off before he followed.

[needfantasticstories]

Riding Lessons

(DAY 13: “you weren’t supposed to get hurt”)

Trigger Warnings: canon typical violence, injury, anxiety

Just outside Highland Stable’s fence, Wild held the reins for Hyrule’s borrowed horse. Stalwart nickered as Wild fed her an apple while Hyrule shifted around in the saddle. Just ahead of them, Time held Peony still for Sky to climb on. The pink and white horse nibbled the grass. Wild admired the way he settled into the role so easily.

“She’s a sweet ol’ gal,” Time murmured to Wild as they watched the Skyknight mount the pink mare with ease. “You’ve never ridden before?” Time inquired of Sky, skeptically.

“I’ve never ridden a horse before. I didn’t expect them to be so…dense, I suppose.” 

Wild smiled. Malon’s warm accent was woven into the way Time shaped any words about horses and farm work, while Sky’s crisp accent reminded him of the way people used to talk in his era, before the Calamity; lofty and light. He wondered if Zelda might one day sit on her grand throne before dignitaries and let slip “shrooms” the way people in Hateno did these days. Would Riju or Sidon hear that and laugh? 

He shook the thought away and focused as Hyrule suddenly clutched the saddle. “Woah, easy Traveler. She’s not going anywhere.” Wild reassured him.

“I thought the blanket was slipping. Sorry.” He nervously patted Stalwart’s neck. She huffed and shifted her weight, and Hyrule clutched the saddlehorn again. “They’re so tall.” 

“You’ve fought monsters bigger than this. Didn’t you jump on a hinox last week?”

“Sure, but it’s different. You always know what to expect from a hinox. They will try to catch or kill you, no matter what or when. But these… what if they decide they want to kill you after you get cozy on their back? What if they get bored or hungry and just…” Hyrue tossed his hands up, and with his eyes he tracked the invisible, hypothetical rider being bucked into the stratosphere. 

“Hyrule, I think you’re overthinking it.” Wild laughed. It was strange to see the fearless Traveler so nervous. Hyrule usually jumped into action first and asked questions later. The teen took to shield surfing like a natural, and had jumped off Hyrule Tower with Wild’s glider without even asking how to use it. The fear shining in his eyes now as he looked down at the horse was downright unsettling. Wild soothed the horse, who was indeed growing a little bored. “Look, I’ll keep the lead and walk her around the stable a few times, just so you can get used to each other, okay?”

“No, I can do this. Just give me a moment. Are you sure the straps are tight enough?”

“Tight as she can take. You won’t slip off. I promise.” Wild stroked Stalwart’s bluish-gray and white neck, and hummed the tune his horses all seemed to like, the tune Twilight and Time knew as well.

Time had given Peony’s reins to Sky, and walked close enough to intervene as horse and rider began a slow lap around the stable’s fence. Time offered only a few pointers as Sky nodded.   

“Are you ready?” Wild looked up at the Traveler’s freckled face.

Hyrule nodded, lost in thought, but did not reach for the reins. Wild shrugged, kept them, and waited for the Traveler to start.

The horse shivered, but otherwise didn’t move.

Wild looked up. “Uh, Hyrule?” 

“Hm?” Hyrule hummed, and his eyes seemed to clear from some fog.

“Are you going to, uh…”

“Oh, I did! I don’t think she wants to go.”

“Hyrule,” Wild wanted to laugh, it was so ridiculous how rigidly the young man sat in the saddle. “Can you show me how you told her to go?”

“Like you said.' Hyrule tapped the horse with his heel so lightly that a fly would have been more noticeable. 

Chuckling came from the entrance of the stable, but was quickly hushed.

“I don’t see you out there, Wind. And shut up, Wars!” Legend’s whisper wasn’t quiet enough to escape Hyrule’s notice, and the teen shrunk into himself a little, growing even more tense.  

“Right. Something to know about horses is they have really thick skin, just like lynels. If you give a small kick, it’s not going to hurt them like it would for softer creatures, like Twi’s cats. It’s more like…poking at Vet! If it’s not hard enough, he might not even feel it with all the scarring.” He looked to the gap between overlapping canvases where the other heroes clearly had gathered, and winked. Muffled laughs and ripples along the fabric told him they’d heard. “Horses need to feel your push through all the muscle and fat. Obviously, don’t slam into them, but you can push a lot harder.”

Hyrule gave a quick kick, and when Stalwart took her first step forward, he smiled. Still, he grabbed the saddle as the motion jerked him left, then right, bouncing a little at each step. 

“Okay, okay, it’s working. So what now?” He nervously patted Stalwart’s neck, his wide eyes staring at Wild. 

The Champion couldn’t hold his laughter at the sight. “Rulie, just let her walk! You’re fine.” 

“Okay. Okay. Okay,” Hyrule muttered, and slowly the horse’s rocking gait eased the tension in Hyrule’s shoulders. “Not monsters. Okay.”

“Not… Hyrule, did you think horses were monsters?”

Four’s snort was apparently too fast to muffle. 

Hyrule flushed a little, and answered quickly. “I’ve only ever seen them in dungeons! And usually only half of a horse, like lynels and horseheads. And the way their skin moves is creepy. And their eyes are…” Hyrule looked away from the horse when it turned back to look at him with one large, glimmering black eye. “Why is it so twitchy?”

Wild tried very, very hard to keep a neutral face. “Same reason you are, probably. Look, maybe they got corrupted or something in your time, but in most eras, they’re friendly if you treat them right.”

Sky finished his lap and was already approaching from behind. “You did it, Rule!” he called happily as he accepted the reins from Time. Sky’s steed turned smoothly away from the fence at the knight’s urging, and went around Hyrule to start a second lap on his own.  

Hyrule sighed, then stared at Stalwart’s neck as it twitched to shoo a pair of flies away.  

Time joined Wild’s side, seeing the young knight was clearly settled with Peony. “Now, how is our brave Traveler doing?”

Wild could see the concern bloom on Time’s face at Hyrule’s white knuckled grip and furrowed brow. 

“Here, Rulie. Take the reins.” Wild pried one clawed hand away from the saddle horn and put the smooth leather straps in it and stepped back, giving the boy some space to figure things out. 

Hyrule took the reins with such a grim frown that Time reached up and gave him a reassuring pat on the back before he hit the horse’s rump. With a wicker and swish of her ears, Stalwart began to walk along the fence. 

Time and Wild followed slowly, the elder giving Wild a questioning stare.  

“He’s doing his best, but apparently he used to think horses were monsters,” Wild laughed as quietly as he could, but Hyrule still turned to stare at them. “No wonder he was so nervous to meet Epona at your ranch.” Wild turned to Time with a smirk. “Wait, that means that before coming here, Hyrule has only ever seen your Epona, and Twilight’s Epona?”

“Oh, that’s…I suppose that might be true, yes.” 

“So outside of a dungeon, he’s seen one horse, ever, basically.” 

“They’re not the same horse, Wild.” But Time chuckled deeply, undeniably proud at the similarities between Epona and her descendent. “Good thing you’ve got a whole herd for him to meet.”

“I can’t claim all of them. Half are Zelda’s, like these two. She keeps them for the village kids.”

They had just reached the front of the stable when a woman’s high scream for help echoed over the plains.

“Totsuna!” Wild shouted, spotting the young woman on the road running for her life from a pair of blue bokos mounted on horseback. He sprinted toward Hyrule so he could take Stalwart to reach her, still quite far down the road. But Wild never got the chance. 

Hyrule kicked hard, and the horse was off, galloping away toward the commotion. Traveler leaned so far forward he was almost flat on the horse’s back, holding the front edges of the saddle desperately. 

Sky rounded the stable with Peony, a younger and faster mare than Hyrule’s, and he thundered after them. 

Wild watched, relieved that Sky had taken so well to riding. Between the two heroes, Totsuna would be okay. Time caught up quickly.

“What do we do?”

“It’s only two boko riders. Sky alone can handle it, but Traveler is… being Traveler.”

Hyrule urged Stalwart on. She was steady and slow, in Wild’s view, but the teen looked panicked, his head bouncing on his arm and, Wild feared, barely able to see.

The other heroes had disentangled themselves from the canvas and came running out, most of them stopping at the fence as they saw Sky nearly there and Traveler keeping the blue bokos as bay. Only Legend and Four continued running, their pegasus boots rushing them to the scene in a way that made Wild’s heart twinge. Someday, he’d find boots like theirs. Speedy elixirs were not pleasant beverages. 

Stalwart had passed Totsuna and reached the bokos, but didn’t stop in time. She skidded to a stop just in front of the blue riders, who raised their spears. Trapped between monsters and a screaming woman, Stalwart found some of the strength of her youth and bucked. Hyrule had drawn his legs up to crouch on the saddle just in time as she bucked him off. The teen leapt high back toward Totsuna and, to Wild’s surprise, Hyrule landed on his feet and drew his blade against the monsters in a smooth motion. 

Totsuna crouched behind Hyrule as Stalwart pranced nervously between the two mounted bokos. Hyrule held his ground, sword and shield glittering in the bright sun as he stood ready to defend the young woman. The bokos tried to close in, but Stalwart reared in terror, her front legs striking the air like weapons, and kept the other two horses back. 

“Well, that’s an odd sort of teamwork,” Warrior quipped to Twilight, both leaning on the fence casually as if watching a show. Wild wished he could feel so casual about it. But Sky was almost there. 

A spear jabbed down at Hyrule’s right, and he shoved it aside with his shield. The boko lost hold of the spear, and the butt end grazed Stalwart’s leg. The mare’s white eyes rolled and she kicked her legs straight back, directly into Hyrule’s exposed chest with an audible thump. 

Hyrule dropped like a popped octorok balloon as Totsuna screamed and ducked. 

Gathering her wits at last, the mare galloped away from the bokos and across the field. 

Sky finally arrived, having relinquished the reins in favor of the mare’s hare, and he guided Peony toward the spear-bereft boko. He removed its head in one clean, efficient swipe. The monster’s body disappeared before hitting the ground. It’s bewildered horse galloped off after Stalwart.

The Chosen hero turned his steed around to engage the second boko. As Sky charged, the blue monster yanked its red-speckled stallion back so viciously it reared up, a living shield to fend off  Sky’s wrath. 

Sky let his mare run loosely around the rearing steed. Once it dropped, he turned sharply again to attack. But the boko spurred his red stallion away from the place.  Young and quick, too soon the boko had a wide lead, and disappeared in the tall grass of the plains. Instead, Sky led her back to the two figures on the road and dismounted. 

Wild felt useless, waiting and watching it all unfold. But Time had stayed calm as it all played out, and he mimicked the man’s demeanor, trying to stop the bounce in his knee and grabbed his hands to keep them from fidgeting. But Legend and Four finally reached Totsuna and Hyrule. The young woman handed a bottle to Legend, then rose and ran for the stable with Four at her side. 

Legend knelt by Sky at Hyrule’s side. Wild wished he could see what Totsuna gave the Veteran, and what they gave to Hyrule. To Wild’d relief, Hyrule sat up a few moments later and shook his head, as if that would take away the pain and dizziness he must be feeling. 

When the group finally returned—to the dramatic applause of Wind, Twilight and Four—Wild could see the Traveler would be okay, especially after a bit of food and rest. A knott that has built in his chest was released, and he made his way to Hyrule’s side as they entered the shade of the stable. They led him to a bed and Wild sat by his side. 

“Well, you were right.” And Wild mimicked the signs Hyrule had made earlier, eyes tracking the soaring figure rising into the sky. 

Hyrule laughed, though he winced a bit. 

“So, was it worth it?” Wild searched the Traveler’s face, but found no signs of the fear that plagued him earlier. They waved to Totsuna as Four tended to her scrapes, and she waved back.

Hyrule chuckled. “It was exactly as bad as I imagined.” The traveler let himself fall backward onto the stable bed with a sigh. “But, knowing what the worst of it feels like? Yeah, it was worth it. We should try it again. Tomorrow.”  

[ohyoufool]

Writing Patterns

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there’s a pattern!

Tagged by: @doggernaut and @montrealmadison my besties!!! I am so touched!!!!! and aren't we lucky that I just hit 10 posted fics?? And because I can't stop yapping, I put a little note about each of them.

austin (check, please!, bitty/jack)

"Jack comes to Georgia like a summer thunderstorm."

(this one is alternately titled 'I went through a lot of breakups last year and got into country line dancing and it shows')

call of the champions (check, please!, lardo/camilla)

"It’s Lardo and her board."

(THE FUCKING FIC. I AM SO PROUD OF HER. and also I bought a sick salt late city 2002 olympics leather jacket because of it and it's basically my whole personality)

creation myth (check, please!, bitty/jack)

"It goes like this."

(this is me and @montrealmadison's magnum opus, and I learned how to bind books just to immortalize it)

sloshed with gold (check, please!, bitty/jack)

"Jack’s phone starts ringing halfway through his Tuesday morning jog."

(if you like nhl!bitty and photographer!jack, she's your jam. not sure if I will ever like the way I wrote this one but eyyyyyy it exists)

rocket man (voltron, keith/lance)

"The fireflies were flickering above Keith’s dark hair to light the path. He stood on the porch as Lance looked out from the doorway. There was a moment of silence. “You will help me keep him here this time, won’t you?” he asked."

(I won't apologize for voltron. I am too far past the shame. i wrote a paper on voltron queerbaiting and it got me into college. I owe her everything.)

season of the witch (check, please!, bitty/jack)

"Sometimes, Bitty gets carried away with baking."

(um fun fact there's apparently been a typo in the first line of this one for the last THREE YEARS ?????? its fixed now but dear god. I would delete this if it didn't have the second most hits of any check please fic i've written. I cant reread it it makes me want to die.)

don't waste another mile or minute (not kissing me) (voltron, keith/lance)

"Light. An unusual amount of light. Keith throws his elbow over his face as he peels his eyes open, wincing as the sun blasts through an open window."

(an OLD banger that I wrote at my first internship because it was so boring. some clever lines but my writing has improved tenfold since 2018)

and all I can taste is this moment (voltron, adam/shiro)

"There is absolutely nothing like flying, Takashi Shirogane, sixteen, almost-professional pilot, assumes. He assumes because he hasn’t been allowed to fly (yet), but if the simulator gives him any idea of what flight is like, Shiro is going to be hungry for it for the rest of his life."

(my magnum opus before creation myth, and the longest thing I've ever written (48k). yall ever yolo on a rarepair and write a biblically accurate cold war fic? no? just me? ok.)

last sunrise in the wasteland (voltron, keith/lance)

"The first time that Keith kisses Lance, the sky is the color of cotton candy. "

(this is my fic with the most hits which is great except there's a softcore porn scene in it I forgot about and subsequently subjected my grandpa to when he was reading it and making edits for me. so now it makes me want to die a little thinking about that. no he never brought it up.)

In my veins (carry on, baz/simon)

"On the worst day, Baz wakes up in Simon’s arms, the cursed tattoo glaring at him in the morning sunshine. Simon is still passed out, body curled into Baz, chestnut curls bouncing with each heady breath. The mark bitten onto his neck from the night before flashing like a highway sign on his neck."

(once someone bookmarked this with the tag 'out of character' and it has haunted me every single fucking day since I read that. WHY DID THEY BOOKMARK IT IF THEY DIDN'T LIKE IT. sorry it drives me crazy. I DONT UNDERSTAND.)

Tagging (no pressure, and anyone else can also jump in!): @justlookfrightened @bittysthesis @chaoskiro @zimbits-my-love @parseisflat @a-very-gay-disaster @dessertwaffles

[liviavanrouge]

Digi Twst: Digital World pt 3

Livia: *Flops down on the bed, sighing happily at how comfortable it felt* This might be the last time we sleep somewhere comfortable, Offmon, let's enjoy it!

Offmon: *Laughs, smiling at her* Yeah, yeah!

???: AHHHHHH! WHAT IS THAT!?

Livia: *Looks back, quickly standing up and hurrying out* Guys!! Guys, what's going on!?

Livia: *Gasps, her eyes wide at the sight of Sebek in the air, frozen in place with strings connecting to his body*

Livia: *Looks around at everyone else alarmed* Guys!!

Epel: *Sits on the couch, his eyes glowing a feint red, strings attached to his arms and legs*

Livia: Guys! This isn't funny, you're scaring me!!

???: *Laughs* Silly girl, this is all your fault~

Livia: *Whips around, gasping as she and Offmon grab each other's hands*

Puppetmon: *Chuckles smugly, making Jack move around like a puppet* Heheheh, it was so easy once you ran off~

Puppetmon: You're a sweet girl, so I'll give you the chance to decide what pose you wish to be in for the rest of your life

Livia: What are you talking about? Where's the other digimon!? I don't see them!

Puppetmon: All taken care of-

???: Livia!!! We're in the chest!

???: Don't listen to Puppetmon, run for it!!

Puppetmon: I'd advise against that, little lass, you don't want to end up like your friends so quickly do you

Offmon: *Moves forward, holding his arms out* You stay away from her! I am her digimon and I will always protect her!

Offmon: With me here, I won't let you lay a single wooden finger on my partner!

Puppetmon: How admiring but boring, just go to sleep already-

Offmon: *Closes his eyes, glowing* Switch Lazy!!

Livia: *Shields her face from the light, perking up when it died down* Offmon!

Offmon: *Falls over onto his bottom* Oh, that's all of my energy...gone..

Puppetmon: Was that supposed to be an attack, how cute-

Livia: *Bashes Puppetmon right in the head with a broom handle* GET AWAY!!!

Livia: *Grabs Offmon, running out of the building* I'll come back for you, boys!!!

Puppetmon: How rude, now I have no choice! *Lifts his hand, causing the boys to move* Find her! Lure that stupid girl in by acting as if you escaped!

~~~

Livia: *Screams in alarm, dodging attacks from enemy digimon, Offmon in her arms*

Offmon: Look out!

Livia; *Leaps into an alleyway, ducking down behind trash cans*

Offmon: So hungry and sleepy...ugh..

Livia: I have leftover crackers, here *Reaches into her pocket, pulling out a packet of crackers, passing it to him*

Offmon: *Smiles, eating the crackers quickly* Yummy and salty!

???: Livia, there you are!

Ace: *Walks towards her* We've been looking for you! We stopped Puppetmon!

Livia: *Gasps quickly standing up* You did- wait, where's Agumon?

Ace: He's sleeping...come on, let's go back! *Holds his hand out* everyone is worried about you, Liv...

Livia: *Stares at his hand, glancing at Ace silently*

Livia: Offmon!!! *Quickly grabs Offmon, taking off from Ace, her hair flying behind her*

Offmon: H-Hey, that was Ace-

Livia: That was Ace but he wasn't in control! In a serious situation like these he'd have called me silly and would've called me by my full first name!!

Livia: *Looks around, finding herself at a four way path*

Offmon: Where do we go!?

Livia: I...don't know...I think we're going to get caught, Offmon!

???: *Laughs* You already have been!

Livia: *Looks around her eyes wide*

Deuce, Epel and Jack: *Walks towards her from three of the paths, their eyes glowing bright red*

Puppetmon: *Lands on the fourth path, grinning at her* Are you scared, little lass? Well you should be and you BETTER be! Once I turn you into my puppet, we will win this war!

Offmon: Livia, I haven't digivolved yet...do you think..

Livia: I don't know!!

Epel and Deuce: *Grabs Livia, forcing her to drop Offmon*

Livia: AH! LET GO!!!

Jack: *Grabs Offmon, walking away*

Offmon: *Gasps, struggling to get away* N-NO!! Livia!!

Offmon: I'M SORRY, JACK!!! *Bites down on Jacks arm, forcing him to let go*

Offmon: *Rushes away towards Livia, leaping forward and ramming his head into Deuce's side, sending him crashing into Epel*

Livia: *Hurried over* Offmon! Are you okay!?

Offmon: Mhm! I'm fine!

Livia: *Sighs in relief then looks at Puppetmon* You jerk!!

Puppetmon: HAH, last words, little missy-

???: NOT SO FAST!!

Lucemon: *Tackles Puppetmon down, the two struggling against each other* LIVIA, OFFMON, FIND ANGEWOMON!!

Livia: Lucemon!

Lucemon: Quickly, go!!

Livia: *Turns around, screaming in alarm as she dodged Ace*

Lucemon: *Gasps, strings appearing*

Lucemon: *Looks down, his eyes glowing red*

Livia: LUCEMON!!!

Offmon: I've had enough of this, it's one thing to bully but this is taking it too far!

Offmon: *Scowls, gritting his teeth*

Livia: *Perks up, looking at her digivice* Huh?

Livia: *Quickly grabs it, crouching down beside Offmon, keeping her legs together* Offmon, you ready!?

Offmon: *Nods and rushes forward, starting to glow*

"Offmon digivolve to...!!"

Livia: *Steps back, her eyes wide* Ah...Offmon?

Logamon: *Runs from the glow, glaring at Puppetmon*

Logamon: *Spins and kicks Puppetmon right in the face, sending him crashing to the ground*

Livia: Who...

Logamon: *Looks at Livia* It's little old me, Liv! I'm Offmon but right now I'm Logamon! I'll keep you safe!

Livia: *Smiles wide, her eyes watering* Offmon...

Logamon: *Fixes his hat, glaring as Puppetmon got up* Let's finish this!! You'll pay for scaring my partner and turning our friends into puppets, you wooden jerk!!

Puppetmon and Logamon: *Glares at each other coldly*

Livia: *Stares then sighs and narrows her eyes* We can do this....we have to rely on ourselves sometime's, I won't always have someone there for me..

Livia: *Looks at Logamon* You show him what's for!!

Logamon: *Nods, turning his hat around* My pleasure!

@queen-of-twisted @yukii0nna @zexal-club

[localspacelesbian]

wrt the bedtime story; I would like something with a kitty cat please 😺

ok I've never actually written a bedtime story before, so bear with me

Once upon a time... (that's usually how these things start, right?)

There was a small kitty cat. She had white fur and blue eyes. She was wandering through the woods alone when she came across a fox.

"You're not from around here," The fox said.

"How can you tell?" She asked.

"You look like one of those city cats."

"I've never been to the city before."

"Where are you from then?"

"I was living in a cave with my grumpy old uncle, but I ran away because I wanted to see the world. I don't think he even noticed I left."

"Where are you going?"

"Wherever I want."

"Well, you should know it's dangerous to wander around these woods alone."

"You're alone," She pointed out.

"Danger doesn't bother me," The fox said.

"Well, it doesn't bother me either," The cat said. You see, the fox didn't know it, but she wasn't an ordinary cat. She was a magic cat. And though she didn't quite know how to use her magic yet, she was confident that she could defend herself if she had to.

"Maybe we should travel together," The fox suggested.

"Where are you going?" The cat asked.

"Wherever I want," The fox said with a grin.

The cat smiled back, and together they walked through the woods.

"Where are you from?" The cat asked as they walked.

"Oh, here and there," The fox said. "I never stay in one place long."

"Why not?"

"People get tired of me."

"I'm not going to get tired of you."

"You just met me."

"I'm a good judge of character."

The fox gave her a disbelieving look but didn't comment.

They fell silent for a bit, but the cat didn't like silence, so she broke it after a few minutes. "Do you know anything about humans?"

"I generally try to stay away from them," The fox said. "They usually only come into the woods to kill." He looked at her. "You'd probably be safe, though."

"What makes you say that?"

"Like I said, you look like a city cat. Some humans lose their minds over cats like you. They take them in and feed them, give them an easy life. Just because they think you're cute."

The cat thought about this for a moment. "That sounds kind of nice, but I think I would get bored."

"I think I have a human out there somewhere."

The fox didn't say anything.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't really remember him, but I can feel it. My uncle mentioned him, but he didn't say much. He never really explains anything."

"Are you going to go looking for him?"

"Maybe one day."

"You're not in any hurry?"

"I have a feeling I don't need to be."

The fox gave her a curious look, but again, didn't comment.

"Do you have a family?"

"You talk a lot, don't you?"

"It's nice to finally have someone to talk to."

"Oh."

"So do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Have a family?"

The fox sighed. "Not really, no. I've been a lone for a long time, too."

"Well now we can be alone together."

"I suppose that doesn't sound so bad."

They continued for a while longer until they decided they were hungry. The cat struggled with staying quiet while they hunted. She kept scaring away their prey, and she could tell her companion was getting increasingly annoyed with her.

"Most cats I've met are better at being sneaky than this," The fox said.

"I've never had to hunt for myself before." Her uncle had always brought home enough food for both of them.

The fox stopped, and she stopped as well, following his eyes to a bird in a nearby tree. "Just stay here," He said before quietly making his way around the tree to the other side.

The cat frowned, but did as she was asked.

She waited, but the fox must be really sneaky because she didn't see him at all.

Suddenly, the bird was startled and started to fly away.

The cat jumped up to try and catch it before it could get away, but it was just out of reach.

Of her paws anyway.

Fire came from the cat's mouth, and the bird dropped to the ground, burnt to a crisp.

The fox came back around the tree and looked at her with wide eyes. "I've never seen a cat do that before."

"Sorry?" She apologized awkwardly.

"No, that was amazing." He moved closer to the charred bird and sniffed. "I've never had my meat cooked before. Feels so... human."

"You've been eating it raw?" She asked, baffled and a little horrified by the concept.

He looked at her curiously. "Can your uncle do that too, then? With the fire?"

She just nodded. He was much better at all sorts of magic than she was.

After dinner, they began to feel sleepy, so they started looking for a place to rest for the night.

Eventually, they came upon a lake and both went to drink from it.

A face suddenly appeared in the water, startling the two companions.

"You can see that too, right?" The fox asked.

The cat nodded and then cocked her head to the side, looking down at the lady in the lake curiously. "Who are you?" She asked.

The Lady smiled. "My name is Freya. I've been hoping to meet you at some point, but I must admit, even I didn't expect you'd be so... furry. when I did."

"How do you know who I am?"

"Well, I suppose you could say we're family."

"You don't look like a cat."

"Ordinarily, neither do you."

"I think this lady's crazy," The fox whispered loudly to the cat.

Freya laughed lightly. "Perhap, friend of Aithusa."

"Who's that?" The cat asked. The name felt familiar, but she couldn't place it.

Freya suddenly looked concerned. "Oh dear, you really don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"You're Aithusa. That's your name."

"Oh." Now that she said it, it did sound right. "I didn't know I had a name."

"My husband gave it to you, the day he hatched you from your egg," Freya told her.

"Cats don't come from eggs," The fox said.

"No," Freya agreed. "But dragons do."

"I'm not a dragon," The cat said.

"You did breathe fire earlier," The fox reminded her.

"Come into the water," Freya said. "I'll show you."

The fox shook his head. "That sounds like a trick. And everyone knows cats hate water."

Aithusa wasn't so sure that it was a trick. But she also wasn't sure she wanted to see what Freya had to show her. "What will happen to me?" She asked.

"The magic of the lake will reveal your true form."

"I won't be a cat anymore?"

"You won't be a cat anymore."

Aithusa thought about this for a moment. She looked at her new friend. "I think I like being a cat," She decided.

"You don't want to be able to fly?" Freya asked.

"What's so special about flying?" She asked. "Birds can fly. It doesn't stop me from eating them."

"Very well," Freya said. "If you ever change your mind, you'll always be able to find me here. For now, you two can sleep here tonight. I'll keep you both safe. Just don't drink the water of the lake, or the enchantment that is keeping you in this form will be broken."

"Can I drink the water?" The fox asked.

"I don't sense any magic on you, so yes, it should be perfectly safe. Good night, Aithusa and friend of Aithusa."

The fox stepped forward to drink from the lake. When the ripples went through the image of Freya's face, it faded, and she was gone.

"Do you have a name?" Aithusa asked the fox as they walked along the shore to find a spot to sleep. It hadn't even occurred to her to ask before, but now that she knew her own, it felt weird to not know his.

He paused. "You can call me Franklin."

"Did you just make that up right now?" She asked.

"Yes," He admitted, looking at her. "No one's ever asked me before."

She smiled. "Well, I like it. Franklin the Fox."

He smiled back and nodded at her. "Thank you, Aithusa the Dragon-Cat."

They found a soft spot in the grass and curled up together.

And maybe it was the magic of the lake, maybe it was sheer exhaustion from the busy day, or maybe it was simply the comfort of a friend, but whatever the reason, they both fell asleep quickly as the sun set over the water.

[lilpotatjj]

A/N: that cuteness came too soon. But it fits so good into the plot. Can't wait to write more intens fluff and sweetness♡♡♡ Love in this age of history is sometimes so painfull

Uses of She/her

Wordcount: 1.1

Warnings: none, just sweet fluff and some tipical GOT/HOTD swearing, again it's a spinoff story Bella is 26

Had to use a similar moment in my story♡

Chapter 2

♧Cold Hearted...or not?♧

The next morning you go to Bella in the dungeon with a handful of food. Sitting in a corner, she looks up at you suspiciously. "You were hungry..." you push the food under the bars and just look at her silently. She pounces on the food with reluctance. "How long have you been doing this? Stealing food and taking care of these 'children'."

bella stops eating for a moment as if she wants to say something, but continues eating hastily.

"what are your motivations to help them?" You look at a silent Bella who is just sitting there after eating eveything. "I have a job for you and you're going to do it for me!"

"why should i help you...." Bella huffs.

"Because I can help you and your children a little bit."

"keep talking " Bella stands up.

"somewhere on the dock there are smugglers who sell our grain at a much higher price, leaving our traders empty handed." You continue talking and Bella joins you at the bars.

"I could just run away and you would never see me again" Bella looks at you cheekily.

"I don't think so....because they're the reason we're starving. if you want more information, you'll have to come back to me" You raise your head rather intimidatingly.

"fine but when I come back I wanna have more food!"

"We'll see about that then" You both grin playfully at each other and you free her.

Bella sets off and looks around undercover, climbs onto the roofs and after a while locates the smugglers. She waits for a good opportunity to ambush and stab them.

When the smugglers turn into a side alley, she strikes and jumps from the roof directly onto them, stabs them with her two mini daggers and quickly hides around the corner to grab the third and last one. after this one is also finished, she looks at the grain. "The grain goes under the traders! Queen's orders!" She looks intimidatingly at the merchants who have witnessed the assassination attempt and just nods fearfully.

Blood still on her arm, she comes back to you and looks at you silently. "impressive....you were very quick"

"i need more information....are there any other bastards like this!" she cleans her bloodstained daggers.

You are silent for a moment and then stand up. "no, that was actually all of them....BUT!....I am impressed about your skills. I want you to be my right hand." you circle around her and eye her.

"you're kidding me" Bella looks at you irritated and follows your eyes, you both look at each other and a certain tension is in the air which almost intimidates Bella and the reason is that she looks down at her feet shortly afterwards.

"You will be fed and housed here in my castle, and you will accompany me on all my journeys outside and make sure that everything goes as I want it to." Your gaze is arrogant and commanding and yet at the same time benevolent. Bella doesn't look quite sure but agrees.

The next morning Bella sits at the breakfast table and you watch her eat curiously. "Have you ever been to Winterfell?"

"No, it's too cold for me" Bella literally shovels the food into herself.

"Then you will need warm clothes"

You smile as she suddenly looks up at you.

"you want to sail to winterfell? that will take months" she empties her mouth.

"sailing is boring and takes too long" you grin and turn around. "come with me and pack your things"

you get ready too and both of you meet in the dragon's nest.

"you..... want to fly with the Dragon's?" Bella looks completely out of her depth.

"wrong....we will fly to Winterfell together" you smile at her and Horaxys comes out of his nest. Bella looks at him who greets her gently.

"He is beautiful" She strokes him and Horaxys nuzzles.

You gaze at them intently and look thoughtfully at both of them. "All right you two lovebirds, let's go" you say."some ships and 2 other dragonrider will be on the way to house tyrell. We start with them"

"How the hell do I ride a dragon?" Bella looks at you searching for help.

"Sit on it..." You mount up and offer her your hand, which Bella hesitantly accepts and sits behind you. "...and hold on to whatever u find" Your hands are firmly on the saddle and you grin, looking towards the exit while Bella wraps her arms around you. "ilot jagon (lets go) Horaxys!" The giant dragon begins to stomp and with a swing he glides out of the cave straight into the air.

"holy shit!" Bella literally hugs you and narrows her eyes. After only a short time the Dragon breaks through the cloud cover and pure sunshine shines in Bella's face.

"woooow......." amazed she looks at the clouds below you. "That's the only true freedom we Targaryen have" you smile and enjoy the sunlight. "How long do we actually fly until we arrive?" Bella doesn't notice that she continues to hug you. "2 weeks"

"2 weeks!?" Bella looks in shock and you just have to laugh. "of course with several breaks"

After 10 hours of flight, her eyes are getting heavier and her head sinks to your back, which is why she unconsciously snuggles up to you. You smile softly and catch yourself enjoying it.

----3 more days until arrival in winterfell----

"We're almost there, we've reached iceland. It's getting colder from now on." You pull your thick hood over your head. "Now I know why I've never been here....way too cold" Bella shakes. "I can tie a warming torch to each of us left and right" You unconsciously look at her with concern.

After a short pause you have attached the torches and this time Bella sits in front of you to be closer to the torches. "I hope you wrapped up well, it's getting dark. The nights are freezing cold out here." how encouraging" Bella jokes. finally her eyes close from the cold and darkness and she tilts back slightly towards you, the two torches shine and crackle brightly in the total darkness and you feel that Bella is trembling suddenly.

"Oh Bella....." You grab her so that she is snuggled up with her side to you so that you can wrap your big coat around her and keep each other warm. Your head rests against hers and you can smell her clearly. "You smell so good" you whisper with the certainty that she's already asleep and don't notice that her cheeks are red, which are definitely not caused by the cold.

"I can't believe I start to fall for her...." still whispering and not sure what to think about that. You know you can't do anything about your feelings....the only thing you know is that this love will never be accepted or even ever possible.

So... what to do?

Next chap will come 😘 and will also have alot more of fluff and sweeeeets >3<