#anyone have middle ground on a word between hope and intend?

[peppermintack]

besties we're losing the word intend. stop manifesting and start intending

[landwriter]

Hi! I hope you feel better soon!

This is a great prompt by @academicblorbo about Hob Gadling being the landlord of the Dead Boys. It has a wonderful fill already by @omgcinnamoncakes but I’d love to see what you come up with for it!

Alternative prompt from me if that doesn’t work for your brain: remember the date between Jenny and Maxine? How about one between Jenny and Esther? Poor Jenny is going to really question her taste in beautiful blonde women 😭

Thank you! I saw ‘landlord’ and ‘decades’ and blacked out. I love Hob having them as tenants. Maybe even before the modern day meeting in Sandman.

The Sandman/Dead Boy Detectives, 2.4k, G Dream/Hob, pre-slash, alternating/outsider POV, found family, a reunion and revelations etc.

---

Hob did not, strictly speaking, have tenants. It was more of a minor haunting. Pun intended.

The small room above the pub and below his flat wasn’t worth charging anyone rent for; when he first bought the building he had put a handsome oak desk in there and some bookshelves before wondering who he was possibly keeping up appearances for. Who was he going to take back upstairs that would stop and say, Wait, can I see your office? So he’d left it as more or less an abandoned room.

When he realized a pair of boys were using it as their clubhouse, he didn’t do anything at first. He saw them quietly coming and going a couple times, disappearing around the corner of the first landing. Brazen things. He meant to call after them, but the shout had died in his throat. He’d been young once. He still remembered the need to get away from it all. It was only when he went to check if they’d been making a mess of the room that he discovered it was still locked.

He’d crouched down and inspected the latch and found no marks at all. Huh, he’d said, and jiggled it again, and been a little more interested in whatever clever way they were getting into it after they disappeared up his stairs. Then he didn’t see them for weeks, and assumed they had gotten bored and stopped.

Until they came back. In the middle of an argument, striding through the pub like they owned it. Hob straightened up as they passed him.

“I cannot believe you broke the mirror.”

“I was in a rush! It’s not my fault you forgot you needed Arcana Incantatum after we arrived at the church. And found the demon.”

“I hardly forgot, I only made the mistake of assuming you would know to pack it by now.”

Hob raised his eyebrows. The boys disappeared into the back hallway. He followed them as they went upstairs, too preoccupied with their drama to notice Hob. They turned onto the landing, still carrying on. Even as they walked through the door. The locked, closed door.

Hob blinked. Then he drew his keys from his pocket and opened the door. The boys were still inside. One of them was pulling a mirror out of a backpack that was several times too small for it. They didn’t even look up, and Hob wondered how he couldn’t possibly have put it together earlier. He cleared his throat.

“Hello, boys.” That caught their attention. Hob grinned. “Seems we’re neighbours.”

---

Edwin abhorred getting involved with the living. He and Charles got along perfectly well on their own. They were a duo. An intrepid pair. Best mates, like Charles often stressed whenever he was about to ask something particularly ridiculous of Edwin. They were solid together. As solid as two ghost boys could be. The living, though, were messy and unpredictable.

Perhaps the most salient fact at present: Charles invariably became attached to them.

“He’s sad, mate. I can see it in his eyes.”

“You said those exact words in ‘94 about a dog. At least ask Hob himself.”

Before you decide to adopt him too.

Hob Gadling, irritatingly, was unobjectionable on every ground Edwin could think of. He had made no imposition upon them. When he found them, he only asked them their business, and then told them he was usually downstairs, or upstairs, if they needed anything they couldn’t procure themselves. He had an interest in rare and old books, as it happened. In explaining this, he had also hinted at being far older than his looks would suggest, which vexed Edwin twice over. He knew his curiosity would not be slaked until he talked to Hob, but then he would be the one getting involved with the living, and Charles would hardly let him forget it.

“Do you think he’s really immortal? Mate’s far too calm. Last week I saw him stop a fight downstairs by stepping right between these huge blokes. He just said something and smiled and they backed right off.” Charles lit up. “Do you reckon he’d teach me how to do that? Conflict de-escalation, innit? I could show him some moves with the cricket bat, I bet. Oh, do you think he’s a cricket fan?”

It was obviously a hopeless case, and since the Dead Boy Detectives never took on hopeless cases, there was only one course of action that remained. Edwin had long since disabused himself of the notion he needed to breathe. He had no beating heart, yet when he was startled, he would find himself clutching his chest. Now, he exhaled slowly through his nose in an entirely superfluous sigh of resignation. “Well, Charles, shall we go talk to him?”

---

When the millennium came around, Hob found himself celebrating it with his accidental tenants. There was something gloriously satisfying about being able to make a toast to the next one and have it taken seriously. He’d asked them if they had something better to do - spectral trouble to get into et cetera - and they both looked at him with almost identical put-upon and incredulous expressions.

Hob had a terrible suspicion they thought they were taking care of him as much as he thought he was taking care of them.

Edwin, with his insatiable curiosity and, deep underneath it, something Hob thought he recognized from himself: a sharp animal ferocity and a refusal to go until he’s good and done, natural laws be damned. Charles, still brightly, painfully alive for a ghost - who should be alive still, by all rights, but nothing of this life was fair - who joked to cover up hurt in a way Hob knew too, and glowed any time Hob turned so much as a kind word to him.

He wondered what they saw when they looked at him.

The year ticked over, and technology kept working. Charles grinned innocently and said he could probably possess the telly and break it that way if Hob wanted?

Hob’s heart twinged. He knew they weren’t his, not to keep, but it seemed that teenagers didn’t change at all over the centuries, even if the boys were only sort of teenagers in the way Hob was only sort of in his thirties. It didn’t change that they’d been punted from the mortal coil before having a chance to grow up, and figure out the kind of men they were, and make their own choices and fuck up and try to be better than their fathers, and everything everyone deserved. Hob had made more than his share of mistakes. They hadn’t been given the chance to make nearly any at all.

So they made toasts to the new millennium, to the detective agency, to themselves, all stuck out of time in different ways and refusing to move on for different reasons, and Hob allowed himself to think of Robyn and privately pretend that they were his all the same.

---

A week later, Hob was reminded of the other universal traits of teenagers when he mentioned his stranger and both boys began to grill him with terrifying alacrity. Before turning to his dating life, like ravening bloody wolves. When Edwin had asked, in a specifically nineteenth century manner that Hob remembered all too well, if Hob had always been unmarried, he’d nearly put his head in his hands.

“It can be hard for me to associate with the living too, you know. For obvious reasons.”

Charles had turned to Edwin and hissed “See? I told you.”

Right in front of him. Nobody had taught them manners.

“Manners, Charles,” replied Edwin loftily. “We will, of course, respect your privacy. A man is entitled to his secrets.”

“You’ll go upstairs and rifle through my personal things, is what you’ll do,” said Hob.

Charles coughed to hide his laugh. Edwin flushed and looked away. Hob snorted, and told them about Eleanor and Robyn. Properly. It was a strange relief. He’d told the story wrong for plausibility’s sake so many times he had been worried he’d forget the truth of it one day.

They had listened, and been remarkably quiet until Charles piped up and offered to set him up with a ‘really fit’ ghost. Hob had roundly shut that down. Woefully, not all explanations were satisfying enough. Charles cornered him again the next morning while he was cleaning the bar.

“No, mate, I still don’t get it.” Hob was about to say he no more wanted to be with someone who couldn’t feel pleasure from his touch than someone who would grow old and be taken from him while he stayed the same, when Charles went on, bafflingly, to ask, “Why don’t you meet your mysterious friend more often than once a century?”

Hob sighed. “Adults are often busy, Charles.” Nevermind that he had begun to wonder the same since the eighteenth century. He’d always just assumed time passed differently for his stranger.

Charles just laughed and perched himself on the bar top. “Ooh, low blow. We’re busy too, you know. Plenty of cases to solve.”

“Really,” said Hob. “You’re busy. Right now.”

Charles waggled his eyebrows.

“Charles, I am not a case,” said Hob, sternly as possible. “I’m not even a ghost. He’s not a ghost. No ghosts.”

“We could investigate. Maybe ghosts are involved. What even is he? Why every hundred years? Is it some sort of Persephone situation?”

Hob bit his lip against shouting I don’t know! I don’t know anything about him! Instead, he tried to smile, and felt it come out as a wince instead. “He’s very private.”

Charles scowled. “Yeah, obviously. You don’t even know his name. He can’t be that good of a friend if he’s too busy to see you more than once a century.”

Hob couldn’t see the expression on his own face, but he saw Charles’ shocked reaction well enough. It was so long ago for him, and still Hob knew at once what Charles saw now: that first time you manage to visibly hurt a grown-up’s feelings, people who seemed too old and too stern to actually feel pain, when you’d been going around kicking at them like a new foal, just to stretch your legs.

“Sorry,” said Charles, instant regret chasing his surprise. He was a good kid.

“It’s alright,” said Hob. He meant it. He looked down at the shining bartop. His hands were restless with the urge to light a cigarette. He gave in. It wasn’t like Charles would be dying of lung cancer any time soon if he decided to follow Hob’s example. “I don’t think he would say he’s very good at being a friend either. Truth is, I’d love to see him more often. But we had an awful fight the last time we met. If he forgives me, I’ll have to ask.”

“Mates always make up,” said Charles earnestly. He was such a good kid.

“I suppose they do.” Charles still looked sorry, and Hob clapped him on the shoulder. “Hey. Thanks for looking out for me, Charles.”

Charles beamed at him. “Always. We’ve got your back, me and Edwin.”

---

Charles couldn’t bloody believe it. Hob’s friend was here. There was nobody else it could be. He and Edwin were watching from a nearby table, pretending to be absorbed in their own conversation. Neither man noticed them. They were too busy looking at each other.

He couldn’t imagine spending more than a century apart from Edwin. The way Hob had talked about him and his stranger over the years, it sometimes seemed like they were best mates too, no matter how little they saw each other. He was dead sure that’s what had Hob looking so gutted when he thought nobody was looking. He had known they would make up, though. Maybe now Hob would be happier.

“Charles, we really ought not eavesdrop,” hissed Edwin. Right as he scooted his chair closer, the cheeky hypocrite. Hob and his friend were talking too quietly to properly hear, their heads bent together. Lots to catch up on, Charles reckoned. A hundred years. He couldn’t stop thinking about the number. It seemed impossible. Funny, he couldn’t imagine that long away from Edwin, but he could imagine spending that long being best mates. There was nobody he’d rather hide from Death with.

Hob’s face was doing something strange as his long-lost friend talked. Then Hob moved and grasped him by the shoulders, so tight that his knuckles stood out in relief. The man said something in low tones and Hob shook his head, and then pulled him in for a hug. The man stiffened and then relaxed, and his arms came up around Hob’s.

Their cheeks both looked wet.

Charles swallowed and it felt suddenly a little like he was choking. He should look away, only he couldn’t.

“They must be great friends,” said Edwin softly.

“Yeah,” he managed to croak. We won’t ever need to have a reunion like this because I’m never going to lose you, mate. I won’t let them take you. It was stuck behind the phantom lump in his phantom throat. His hand, without him telling it to, reached out and grabbed hold of Edwin’s. Edwin squeezed it hard, and Charles knew he didn’t have to make his voice work after all.

Then the man pushed Hob away, but only far enough to grab his face and pull him back again, thumbing over Hob’s cheeks, and beside him, Edwin honest-to-god gasped, and then Charles momentarily forgot how thoughts worked too.

---

It happens thus: in the New Inn, just next door to the White Horse, some 639 years after they first met, Hob Gadling and Dream of the Endless share their first kiss. Neither, if they had bothered to think about it, would have intended to have an audience, but it’s a well-known fact that some kisses cannot wait, and theirs was chief among them, being that it had so much to say, and was so very long overdue.

I missed you, it said, and I came back, it said, and Please don’t go away from me again, and I could not.

And atop them, like blankets, were laid invisible the daydreams of those who saw them, including two long-dead boys, whose dreams were woven from the fresh and unaccounted-for possibilities of Hob kissing his mysterious stranger. Another man, thought Edwin. His best friend, thought Charles. Dream was the only one who could have heeded this, but he did not, because Hob Gadling was holding him tight and daydreaming loudly of this kiss and more, of this today and tonight and tomorrow, ever greedy and ever easily pleased, and Dream could hear nothing at all over their clamouring and comingled joy; the bright gold daydream between the scant space of their bodies that sounded so much like at last.

[astrophileous]

fem!reader x derek morgan, where they're like really flirty and i mean like kissing, holding hands, reader sits on his lap.

and after a case hotch is like yelling at derek because they had a disagreement, and reader comes in and was like "stop yelling at my best friend!" and he freezes because he genuinely thought that they were dating.

and they get teased n shit, and later reader cant sleep so derek is playing with her hair and he mumbles "i love you." and she says it back, and her words are slurred because shes so tired.

ty for the request honey!! I changed a few details abt it, I hope that's okay?? The main gist is still the same tho so I hope you like this ❤️

Warning(s): fem!reader, profanities, angst a lil bit bcs Derek is having inner turmoil, mutual pining (they're both idiots)

This blurb was written as a part of the "Zara's Birthday Bash and Road to 1K" celebration.

Zara's Birthday Bash and Road to 1K Masterlist / Criminal Minds Masterlist

"It wasn't his fault."

Your voice cut through the silence as an unforeseen rapier. Every pair of eyes in the station fell on you in instinct. You despised the attention with every fiber of your being, but in that moment, there was nothing you wouldn't do to save Derek from being appointed as the fall guy, including offering yourself up as a temporary human spectacle as you stepped forward to where the three men were huddled up.

"Agent (Y/L/N)," Hotch warned in his familiar commanding lull.

"Sweet girl," Derek's voice came a little quieter, "what are you doing?"

You ignored your two fellow teammates as you faced the tall man between them. "I'm sorry, Sheriff. We never intended to overstep your authority. We didn't know the witness was one of our UnSubs when we visited his house. Agent Morgan was only acting in favor of my safety, so really, if there's anyone you should be mad at, it should be me."

The sheriff assessed you with rancorous eyes before turning back towards Hotch. "Get your team under control, Agent. Remember that y'all are a guest here."

With that last message, the sheriff walked away and disappeared into his office. Hotch turned to you and Derek following the sheriff's departure. "We'll talk about this later."

Once Hotch was out of earshot, Derek pulled you towards him. The rest of the station had already returned towards their previous tasks, safe for several pairs of eyes belonging to your other team members who seemed too eager to catch a snippet of your conversation with Derek. Before you could reprimand them, Derek's voice suddenly erupted, "What the hell are you doing?"

You turned your head and frowned. "What?"

"Why did you say all of that stuff to the sheriff, sweetheart?"

"Because it's the truth? You did make that call because you were protecting me, right?"

"I did, but you still didn't need to do any of that. I can take care of it myself."

"Derek—" you sighed, plopping your hand right on top of his shoulder, "—I know you can take care of pretty much everything by yourself, but I don't want you cleaning up my mess just for the sake of our relationship. Let me handle it on my own, okay?"

A hot remark was ready on the tip of Derek's tongue, but the words were soon forgotten when he heard the single word that cut off the circulation completely from his brain. Dumbfoundedly, he stared at you as he said, "Relationship?"

"Well, yeah." You smiled, dragging your hand upward from his shoulder until you were cupping his cheek. "You're my best friend, Derek."

Just as fast as you had flown him to the clouds, you sent Derek plummeting straight towards the ground where he imploded into pieces. The man could barely register the feeling of your lips on his other cheek before he watched you stride away, leaving him standing in the middle of the station like a deer caught in headlights.

"You're my best friend, Derek," Emily teased from where she was standing a few feet away. Behind her, JJ and Spencer were laughing along. "Seriously, why don't you two just make it official already?"

Derek flipped the three of them off, earning another series of laughter from his coworkers before he walked off towards the direction of the pantry. In the back of his head, Emily's question lingered like a shallow wind.

Seriously, why don't you two just make it official already?

Maybe because Derek thought you were official.

But apparently, according to you, you weren't.

So what the hell did that kiss that the two of you shared at the end of your last movie night even mean?

For the rest of the team's stay in Pasco, Florida, the ambiguous status of your relationship became a permanent fixture in Derek's mind. It haunted him even after he boarded the BAU's jet, preparing for the flight back home towards Quantico, Virginia. He was too lost in his own world that he didn't realize you had been calling out his name until your hand touched his cheek.

"Hey, you okay?" you asked worriedly.

Derek was sitting on the long sofa at the end of the cabin; and you, as always, were lying on the same sofa with your head resting on his lap. He still remembered the first time the two of you assumed this habit on the jet, receiving cheeky glances and playful jabs from the rest of the team in the aftermath. The teasing had dwindled significantly by now. Everyone was so used to the sight that it didn't warrant a surprised reaction anymore.

Derek, on the other hand, didn't think he could get accustomed to this.

As he stared down towards your inquisitive eyes, Derek realized that the sight of your face still took his breath away as much as it did the first time he laid eyes upon you. He brought down a finger and ran them up and down your cheek, his heart inflating when you rewarded him with a gleaming smile.

"Wanna come over tonight? We didn't finish that movie last week," you offered.

At the mention of your last movie night, Derek's mind traveled back to the memory of your kiss. It was nothing grand, just a five-seconds heaven where Derek's tongue had tasted remnants of the wine you shared and a little something else that he was sure had uniquely belonged to you. He sealed it with another peck on your forehead after that, wishing you a good night rest and a fantastic dream as he left the comfort of your apartment.

Derek couldn't sleep that night. After all, that was the best kiss the man had ever had in his entire life; but it looked like you hadn't felt the same way as him about it at all.

This knowledge was a stake right through Derek's heart. Everything tasted bitter as he swallowed, and perhaps that was reason enough to why the next words tumbled out of his lips in a reply, "Sorry, sweet girl. I've got errands to run. Next time?"

Derek pretended not to see the way your face collapsed in disappointment at his answer.

Back at his own apartment, Derek proceeded to spend a whole hour flipping through TV channels until his hand was numb. Many of his nights lately were spent in your company, and as the surrounding solitude closed in on him, Derek realized that he didn't remember how to spend nights by himself anymore. He was absentmindedly changing the channel yet again when his finger suddenly stopped frozen on the remote.

Your favorite movie was showing on the TV screen.

Perhaps it was ludicrous to claim that seeing the movie he had always associated with you appear on his TV was a celestial omen, but Derek deemed it an enough sign for him to get his ass off the couch and drove all the way down to your apartment. He stood in front of your door not even twenty minutes later, having sped through traffic as if he were invincible to every threat on the roads. You opened the door for him on the third knock, your eyes blown so widely out of proportion when you spotted him standing on your doorway.

"Derek? What are you doing here?"

"Sweet girl, are you... have you been crying?"

"No."

"Don't lie to me." Derek took two steps forward, closing the front door behind him as he was finally standing inside your apartment. "What's going on, sweetheart?"

His question managed to break the last dam in your ribcage, sending you straight into another flood of uncontrollable tears. You leaped into Derek's arms out of the blue, cramming your face into his chest as your tears soaked the front part of his shirt.

"I'm sorry, Derek. I'm so sorry."

"Sorry? What are you sorry for, sweet girl?"

"T-The kiss. We shouldn't have done that. We shouldn't have k-kissed. It was a mistake."

Derek's stomach crashed squarely towards the ground. "A mistake?"

You nodded against his chest, pulling away to stare directly at Derek's face. Your eyes were red and puffy from hours of crying, and yet, Derek still thought you were the most heavenly creature he had ever seen in his entire life.

"That's w-why you've been acting strange, right? The kiss? Y-You're mad at me because of the kiss?"

"Wait. What—"

"I-I didn't... fuck—I didn't mean for everything to come to this. I never meant t-to make you run from me like this. I'm so, so sorry."

"Sweetheart—"

"I can pretend! Please, I can pretend like it never happened. T-That's what you want, r-right? I can forget about the kiss as long as—"

You didn't have the chance to finish your sentence.

Not when Derek suddenly pressed his lips against yours, seizing the words and the breath thoroughly out of your throat.

Butterflies erupted in the pit of your stomach. Nothing else mattered in the world except for Derek's hands on your skin and the way his tongue danced with yours as he deepened the kiss even further. You could've spent the rest of eternity kissing him like this if it weren't for the need to come up for air. That was the singular reason why you even agreed to pull away at last, albeit reluctantly.

"Derek?" Your voice was thin and fragile amidst the quietude of your home. "I don't understand... I thought—"

"No, sweetheart," Derek cut you off, leaving a quick peck on your lips because he couldn't help himself. "Remember in Florida when you called me your best friend? I thought that was your way of telling me you regretted the kiss."

"What? So... you weren't mad at me?"

"No, of course not." He scoffed incredulously. "How could I ever be mad at you?"

"I just thought—"

"Hey, look at me." Derek tilted your face by the chin until you were looking directly into his eyes. "I'm yours, (Y/N). Do you understand?"

"Yes," you whispered. "I'm yours, too, Derek. Forever."

Derek spent the night at your home afterward. Although it wasn't the first time he stayed over, something about it felt fresh and brand new as he lay on your bed as officially yours while you lay next to him as officially his. He nuzzled your body flush against him, entangling every inch of your limbs with his own as he listened to the steady intakes and outtakes of your breathing.

"I love you, sweetheart," Derek murmured against your hair, playing with the end of the strands as he heard you let out another tired sigh. "You know that, right?"

"Hmm? I love you, too," you mumbled blearily, burrowing yourself deeper into his warmth before sleep finally took over your whole being.

Safe to say, you had the best sleep that night than you ever did in your entire lifetime.

[ash-rigby]

Between the Flowers (Female Plantfolk) [M/F/F]

Featured characters: A male human and two plantfolk women. All are adults.

Description: A week after leaving the area inhabited by Solveig the Silent, Caelan stops to set up camp for the day and comes across two plant women fucking in the woods. His intention is a quick peek, but he is caught and these women have a unique method of punishment. Contains: Femdom, Heavy Degradation, Light Vine Bondage, Aphrodisiacs, Fellatio, Anal Play (on a male character), Nipple Play, Edging, Overstimulation, Brief Creampie Eating, Plant Genitals.

Completion Date: December 27th, 2023

Word Count: 5508

Note: This story is technically a continuation of Solveig’s Lair, but it’s not essential to read it before this one. Its events are briefly referenced and it otherwise has nothing to do with this one besides featuring the same human. Caelan just keeps running into monster ladies that want to bully and fuck him.

-

Caelan stopped and set up camp much earlier than usual that day. Sometimes the days-long treks between towns wore on him; plodding down the path on his horse, becoming accustomed to having a sore ass, and only rarely seeing another person. There were times when it was nicer to pick out a quiet spot and disregard any responsibility for the day.

It was around an hour after midday when he dismounted Bandit and led her off the road and into the woods. There was a flat, relatively clear space a little way in where he chose to settle. He relieved Bandit of her saddle and his gear, letting her roam untied; even when spooked, he could always trust her to return to him. She set about feeding on the grass, her dark brown coat dappled by the sun streaking through the leaves above.

Caelan set up his tent and readied a small fire pit for when the night’s chill arrived. He relaxed at the base of an old oak, heaving a contented sigh before lighting his pipe. An aromatic scent surrounded him as he indulged. He sent a few smoke rings up into the canopy, watching them lazily waver and dissipate as his thoughts wandered.

They landed on Solveig of all things; that beguiling, insatiable beast. It had been a little over a week since Caelan left the area she inhabited. Mainly because of her, he spent more time there than he originally intended. She made for more than interesting company. He visited her many times after that first sensual encounter, sometimes winning her lewd game and other times losing. But he had departed on an intensely satisfying victory.

He reached into his pocket to retrieve his prize. The polished coin glinted in his hand. It was of an ancient, outdated currency and he probably could have sold it for a hefty sum. But he elected to keep it as a memento. Solveig had taken exceptional care of it for so long and part of him detested the thought of it gathering dust in someone’s collection. As he danced it across his fingers, nature called.

Caelan snuffed his pipe and stood, dusting the dirt from his backside. He turned to his horse before stepping out into the woods.

“If anyone tries to make off with my shit, you kick their knees backwards, alright?” he told her.

Bandit snorted loudly against the ground. He imitated the sound back to her and chuckled.

“Good girl.”

Caelan walked a long way out, not wanting to piss anywhere near his campsite, and did his business against a tree. He was set to return when he began to hear noises. They were strange in this setting, but not unfamiliar in the slightest; distinct moans of pleasure. The realization rooted him to the spot. Who would be out here fucking in the middle of nowhere?

He knew he should ignore them. Leave whoever was to their private passions. But he ultimately followed his curiosity—and his dick—in their direction.

Mentally cursing himself the entire way, Caelan stepped lightly through the grass. Just for a little bit, he thought. Enough to make some memories to use later. The voice grew louder as he approached. He hoped that those amorous sounds and the distraction of the acts causing them would make certain he wasn’t found out. He kept his ears strained but still startled a bit when there was movement in his peripheral.

Caelan ducked behind a tree, heart pounding with equal parts shame and excitement. He poked out his head and sucked in a breath at what he saw. About thirty feet away, standing at the foot of a wide trunk, was a young woman; not human.

She had rich, green skin and white hair that had a tinge of yellow and fell about her shoulders. On either side of her head were two large, golden flowers. From their centers grew long tendrils that cascaded down her back, their ends reaching her mid-calf.

Kneeling in front of her was another plant-like woman. It was harder to make out her features, but she was pear-coloured. Large, wide leaves made up her shorter hair; slightly darker than her skin and fading to reddish-pink towards the tips. She was licking at her partner’s pussy and doing a good job of it if the moans she was garnering said anything.

“Mmm! Fuck, Priscilla!”

Caelan watched on, transfixed. He could see Priscilla’s arm moving, certainly touching herself. She had a plump, round ass and his mind was swiftly filled with images of the way it might bounce with a rough pounding. Heat began to pool in his groin.

They were both so damn gorgeous.

The first woman’s moans and whimpers had raised to a higher pitch. Her hips rocked against Priscilla’s face, one hand buried in her partner’s leafy hair while the other teased her own breast. She fondled the whole of it, trapping her nipple between two fingers so she could simultaneously roll and tug at it.

The quick look Caelan intended turned to minutes. His cock had started twitching insistently. No, I can’t go that far, he told his wavering resolve. He wasn’t some dirty voyeur lurking in the shadows. But then why couldn’t he tear his eyes away? Why couldn’t he move? The impatient throbbing was getting harder to ignore.

Breath and pulse quickening, Caelan gripped himself over his pants. I’m fucking disgusting, he thought. He sucked in his lower lip against a hiss, gently stroking the shaft with his thumb. It took the edge off but he ached to bury himself in someone. To sink into the warmth of a lust-swollen cunt. He was holding back a moan when he became aware of something wrapping around his ankles.

Before he could properly process it, his feet were yanked out from under him. He was sent crashing to the forest floor. A breath left him in a pained yelp before he was dragged a long distance across the grass and dirt. He cried out as his world shifted jarringly and he was hoisted into the air, all too suddenly hanging upside down between the two women.

“Caught you!” came a sing-song voice.

It had come from the darker-skinned figure in front of him—whose face he was level with. Her eyes were strange; a vibrant, otherworldly green with three dark pupils in each iris laid out in a petal-like array at the center. There was no anger in her tone. More like Caelan had been found out in a game of Cheat.

“Shit, I am so sorry, ladies. I—,” he began.

“Ladies, he says,” scoffed Priscilla from his side. “If you’re looking for prim and proper, you’re sure as Hell not gonna find it here.”

The other woman giggled. “You found Polly and Priscilla instead.”

“And we’re far from the road, so let’s not bother with the ‘just passing by’ excuse, okay?” Priscilla said.

Caelan’s face was hot. And not just from his hanging position. He was wracking his mind for any sort of explanation, but he really had none. Polly’s hands cupped his cheeks, turning his head this way and that as she grinned.

“Aw, he’s cute though. Look at him blushing!” she said. Caelan felt another of whatever was holding his feet snaking down his leg. He gasped as a light, exploratory touch found his clothed erection, teasing up and down the length. “Mmm, and he’s hard.”

“He would be,” Priscilla said. “Didn’t even take it out. You into cumming in your pants, pretty boy?”

Caelan tried to speak, stuttering over every syllable that tried to exit his lips. Arousal and mortification warred in him; though he found they were one and the same. He couldn’t help feeling like their toy as they likely saw him. He shut his mouth and said nothing, deciding to act like it and see where it got him.

Priscilla chuckled. “Flip him around, Polly. His dick will make better use of that blood than his head.”

The change was a relief. A rush came over Caelan as he was situated upright. The tendrils held him, their movements elaborate as they managed to also get him out of his shirt without losing their grip on him. He looked up at them. They were thick, green vines with faintly glowing markings. He had seen similar marks on Polly’s shoulders glowing before he had felt the vines move; she was the one controlling them.

Caelan felt more than a little stupid, thinking that he had been well hidden. And then he was so preoccupied by his dick that he hadn’t heard the vines slithering at him through the bush. Now he was left standing, arms and hands tied above his head, awaiting—eagerly—to be put in his place.

He got a better look at Priscilla, mouth going dry at the revelation of how much taller she was than him; he was head-height to her substantial chest. The leaves on her head obscured her eyes. Her mouth seemed just slightly too wide for her face and as she laughed once more, laving a long over her bottom lip, he could see it was filled with deadly fangs. She moved behind him as Polly pressed up against his front, hands resting on his chest.

A scent came to him then, thick and sweet. Its effect was pleasant; warmth swimming in his head and travelling down his body. Something about it had his cock straining against his pants and throbbing madly. The flowers on Polly’s head, which upon closer inspection seemed alive beyond what was usual for flora, had parted further and begun twitching. The likely culprits.

Polly looked up at Caelan with those wide, odd eyes of hers. The tendrils originating from her golden petals moved. They tickled his ribcage before finding his belt buckle. His pants loosened and fell about his ankles, leaving his nearly-full cock to bob up into the air. It was quickly wrapped up in thin bindings that stroked his length.

Caelan panted, a pathetic whine escaping him as the tendrils teased the sensitive head and slit. He swayed a bit where he stood, but then Priscilla came up to his back, her breasts against his neck. Tied and sandwiched, he was completely at their mercy.

The tendrils upped their pace and Polly mouthed at his neck. He thought for a moment that this might be his punishment; cumming without the privilege of ever getting to be inside either of them. Maybe made to lick up his cum from the dirt like a dog. It’s what he deserved. But the tendrils released him.

Polly slowly kneeled, palms dragging down Caelan’s heaving chest and stomach as she went. Her eyes, sparkling above a devious grin, never left his.

“Please…more,” he begged.

A hand reached under his raised arm and found his throat; not squeezing enough to cut off his air but his chin tilted upwards instinctively as he sharply gasped.

“And where was that ‘pretty please’ earlier, hm?” Priscilla said, voice low and falsely saccharine. “That’s all you needed to come and say instead of spying.”

“Maybe he likes being a pervert, Scissy,” Polly said. Her breath ghosted over Caelan’s dick as she spoke. Warm and delicate like gossamer threads. He shivered.

“N-no,” he tried to refute, cut off by a moan as he felt the head of his cock being enveloped by Polly’s mouth.

“You really want her to stop?” Priscilla asked.

Caelan had been sorely misunderstood. “Fu-fuck, no.”

Polly teased, only sucking onto the tip while her hand slowly pumped the rest of his length. He wanted to go deeper; she seemed the type to be able to take it all. But a single, shallow thrust of his hips had them suddenly bound with vines. Everything stopped, the soft lips around his cock pulling off. He whimpered mournfully.

“Nuh-uh,” Polly chided with a quick slap to his thigh. “Who said you could do that? Be good.”

“I will,” Caelan said, hyper-aware of every heavy throb of his dick in this pause. “Sor—sorry.”

Polly continued pumping him, her tongue gently licking the underside of his head. Her tendrils caressed his thighs and balls. Slow strokes, light touches; still enough to have him seeing stars. He moaned, eyes fixed on the tree branches above and swallowing against the hand on his neck. It gave his throat a brief squeeze before joining the other in finding his pecs.

“Nice tits,” Priscilla said, derisive as she fondled and squeezed; long, dexterous fingers going for his nipples.

She lightly thumbed at them. Then rolled them between the soft, warm pads of her fingertips. Caelan hissed when she would surprise him by flicking or tugging at one of them, pleasure jolting from his chest to the end of his cock. He was sweating, finding himself unconsciously arching into Priscilla’s touch. She stopped, leaving his hard nipples feeling used as she dragged her nails over his abdomen.

Caelan felt her move, not sure what she was doing until her hands were on his backside. She gripped the meat of his ass and spread him open. A shiver ran up his spine as he was exposed. He gasped at the feeling of a puff of warm air against his hole, followed by impish laughter.

“We’ve got him twitching back here, Polly,” Priscilla said, fingers digging into his flesh. “Think he’s the type who likes it in the ass.”

Polly retracted her tongue for only as long as it took her to speak. “Ooo, lucky! It’d be so rude not to indulge him.”

“I want to hear it from our little pervert first.”

Caelan’s heart pounded, his face and ears burning hot as his head spun. “Wha—? Ahhh.”

“Should I give this nasty hole what it wants?”

“Yes.”

“Details, boy,” Priscilla ordered sharply. “Spare. None.”

“P-play with my ass,” Caelan said. He groaned as Polly took the leaking head of his cock back into her mouth. “Fingers…t-tongue…god, whatever you want. I’ll take anything—mmm, fuck! I love it. I love it so much. Please!”

Priscilla gave an appreciative growl. “There’s a good boy.”

Caelan felt her tongue on his hole moments later. She licked at him, making him drip with her saliva. The tip ran around his quivering rim and dipped shallowly inside. It was a nearly unbearable tease. His mind fixated on the memory of how long that tongue was and he caught his lower lip between his teeth, holding back his begging to be fully filled.

Instead, he moaned, feeling incapable of coherent speech even if he wanted to give in. They were keeping him on the edge, just enough pleasure to have him raging and wanting but far from release; wet clay in their hands. He looked down at Polly, her gaze locked onto him. Her petals twitched, almost erotically, sending that pleasing scent dancing around them.

Priscilla gave a slurred, muffled chuckle against his ass and pushed in deeper. He thought she might torture him with small increments but she kept going—long past a regular tongue’s length. His legs shook as it squirmed its way against the tight walls of his hole. It felt filthier than a finger or cock would ever come close to but he reveled in the unique way it twisted and writhed, trailing slick saliva to his deepest parts.

The tongue reached that sweet spot inside him and his vision briefly whited. He let out a loud yelp of a moan as he squeezed onto it. A triumphant hum vibrated the muscle and Priscilla began to thrust it into him, aiming for his prostate. His insides grew hot and accommodating the more they were prodded, ecstasy sending his toes curling in his boots.

Polly’s hand slipped away from his dick and, apparently not to be outdone, she started to take the whole of him into her mouth. It was heaven. The softness of her tongue as it glided over the underside of his shaft. His voice wavered as he felt himself penetrate her throat; no gag reflex, no resistance. Her nose met coarse hair where she stayed for a moment before bobbing her head in long, slow strokes.

“Fuck��shit,” he hissed.

Receiving pleasure at both ends was driving Caelan wild. He could feel his cock leak into Polly’s throat with every nudge against that bundle of nerves in his ass. His shaft, full and straining, throbbed with desire; the need to burst. Breathing hard, he tried to focus. This would not so quickly be his undoing. He was already humiliated enough. But even without communicating, these women knew to begin upping their pace in tandem.

Priscilla was no longer giving his prostate a break, barely off it for a second at a time. His ass quivered and clenched but it didn’t deter her. She kept up a mercilessly quick thrust, her tongue shifting with lewd, wet noises. Copious spit dribbled from his hole and down the backs of his thighs.

Polly practically swallowed his cock. She slammed it into her throat over and over. His tip would be squeezed by the tighter space, released, and forced back in again.

Caelan’s head lolled against his bicep. His mouth was dry, open on moans that rode on panting breaths. Something about this was destroying the stamina he had built to best Solveig. Perhaps it was the flower’s scent hanging in the air. His dizzy mind couldn’t place it. All he knew was the pleasure surging in him beyond his control.

“Ah, fuck!” he cried. “I’m close, I’m close! I’ll cu—I’m gonna cum!”

Priscilla and Polly stopped, pulling off his cock and out of his ass. Caelan couldn’t stop the loud, pitiful keen that quavered from his lips. He breathed hard; his torso swaying, boots kicking at the dirt, his dick twitching and weeping in the open air. His eyes burned but he blinked defiantly; he couldn’t believe they almost had him crying.

“Oops, we can’t have that just yet,” Polly teased, standing and brushing a feather-light touch across his stomach. Even that was enough to make him throb in this state.

“P-please,” Caelan begged. “Please let me—I can’t take—I need—.”

Priscilla gripped his jaw from behind. “Quiet, boy. You’ll get what you fucking want.”

He pressed his lips together, feeling their traitorous trembling.

“But,” Priscilla continued as she released him, her breath hot on his ear. Sweetness clung to her tone like syrup. “Like before, you’ll have to ask nicely. We’re going to let you spill that dirty, peeping tom seed of yours inside us. Be grateful and beg for it.”

Caelan swallowed, heart racing.

“I…I want—ahh!”

He was interrupted as Priscilla reached around and began swiftly stroking his cock. As he nearly came again, she stopped.

“Didn’t catch that, sweetheart,” she said.

Caelan caught his breath. “Please—I want t—oooh, gods!”

He was teased to the edge and then pulled back.

“Speak up.”

It went on for an agonizingly long time. Caelan tried to voice his desire. Priscila’s request of him. But he would get a varying number of shaky, desperate words in before he was stroked mute beyond pleasured cries and had to start over. He lost count. His cock raged in her hand; flushed dark, veins popping. Finally, he spoke quickly enough, frustrated and tearful.

“I want to cum inside you! I need your pussy. Let me cum! Please, please, please, let me cum inside!”

“There…not so hard, was it?” Priscilla asked, cloying.

Polly giggled. “He makes such stupid faces when he’s all blissed. I can’t wait to see more!”

Caelan tried to glare but he doubted it came across. The vines manhandled him once more, ridding him fully of his pants and laying him out beneath the tree. As before, they kept his hands above his head. They also wove about his ankles to tie them down. His hips were once again immobilized. He looked down at his body, seeing his cock straining away from his body, eager for the hole he had earned.

A shadow fell over him and he looked up to see Polly standing above, hands on her hips and smirking down at him. His eyes roamed down her body. It was the first real look he had gotten between her legs. He blinked at the sight, though he should have expected it. White petals flared out and pressed into her thighs. At the center of them, which faded to a delicate pink, was some mid-point between floral and what he was used to; he could see folds and a clit amid the shapes.

Priscilla stepped up beside her, giving a similar reveal.

“Talk about stopping to smell the roses, eh?” she said.

Caelan could see fluid dripping off both their petals. For all the—albeit sexy—shit they had put him through, it had clearly excited them more than they would verbally admit to him.

Polly lowered herself, straddling Caelan’s thighs. She took his cock in her hand and thumbed the leaking tip. He shivered. Hold it together, he told himself, distantly mortified at the thought of cumming all over her when his prize was so close.

“Excitable thing,” she said. “So twitchy and wet. Adorably pathetic.”

Caelan throbbed at the word and she laughed, situating herself so she could line his dick up to her hole. He expected more teasing but within seconds his tip was breaching her. Inch by inch, she sank down until she was sitting snugly on his hips.

His breath caught. She felt incredible inside; the walls of her cunt felt like they were covered in thousands of small, independently moving cilia that were already caressing his shaft.

He was dying for her to move. The words got stuck in his throat. He wasn’t sure if he was allowed to beg for that.

Polly started to grind down. Her movements were short, keeping him nestled deep inside her. She was only a few thrusts in when a hairline crack showed in that smug exterior she had been keeping up.

The smirk quivered. “You’re…big. I knew you were from how far I got you in my throat, but…wow.”

Priscilla knelt down, reaching out and gripping Polly’s hair by the base of her skull and making her whimper.

“No way was I letting him get those first pretty little noises out of you,” she said.

“Mmm…Scissy.”

They kissed as Polly rode him, deep and messy. Priscilla busied her hands; one arm wrapped around Polly’s back to tease her nipple and the other in front at her clit. It made her twitch around him even more, moans muffled in Priscilla’s mouth.

Caelan lay there, staring at the arousing display as his buried, aching cock furiously pulsated. Everything had slowed down and he found himself panting and loudly groaning after being denied for so long. All he could think about was the satisfaction of feeling thick cum pumping out of him; exploding, filling. He wanted to flood her.

Any part of him that wasn’t tied down quivered and shifted, his head lolling between his shoulders. He grunted like a beast and if he started drooling, he didn’t admit it later. Priscilla pulled away from Polly’s lips to give him a sideways glance and a sly look.

She scoffed. “Noisy bastard.”

Caelan whined as she returned to Polly, less from the insult and more from his burning need to thrust. To take control, fuck her hard, and not care if he came when they didn’t want him to anymore. He would accept the ridicule—any punishment. They could parade him naked on a leash through the nearest village for all he cared.

He needed to cum or something might have just broken in him.

Polly began to bob on him a little harder, the breast not caught by Priscilla’s hand bouncing with her. The walls of her hot, sopping cunt squeezed his cock. He could feel her dripping down his balls. The cilia upped their pace as well and squirmed fiercely like tiny tongues, tasting every inch of him.

Caelan didn’t bother giving them a warning at the risk of being refused again; damn the consequences. He tossed his head back and moaned, feeling the first of those deep, rhythmic throbs overtaking him. Warmth rose through his shaft and burst from his tip. That building, roiling pressure released. All he knew was relief and intense pleasure; pump after copious pump.

Polly moaned. “Ohhh, he’s cumming. He’s—ahh, there’s so much. He won’t stop. It feels—it feel—Scissy, I’m gonna cum. He’s making me cum—ahh!”

She paused on top of him, coming apart and held up only by Priscilla. The rich green of her sweat-glistening skin looked all the more vibrant somehow. Even the flowers upon her head had taken up an orgasmic throb. She quivered and came apart, Caelan’s cock pressed deep inside of her spasming pussy. It clenched around him, milking out his last few spurts with its wild twitching as the cilia seemed to clamp onto him.

“Good girl,” Priscilla praised, running her hand down Polly’s trembling side. “You might have gotten a punishment if you came before this little rat.”

“Aww,” Polly whined. Her words were laced with erotic breathing. “Can I have it anyway?”

“Maybe.” Priscilla paused, looking down at Caelan. “When we’re done here.”

Caelan swallowed. “Wh-?”

Polly pulled off of him. He gasped at the sudden sensation of sliding out of her coupled with that of his cock flopping down onto his stomach. It pulsed lightly, softening and pulling back towards his body. He watched, head spinning, as Priscilla took it into her hand.

“Thought you were getting off easy?” she asked, grinning as Caelan jolted at her touch. “There are two of us, boy.”

She started stroking and Caelan cried out, squirming under his bindings.

“P-Prisci—ahh! I’m s-s-sensitive. I just c-came—I—.”

Any further words were stolen from having those ignited nerves teased again. It was veering dangerously towards being too much. His legs were practically numb. But despite that, he felt his cock making weak attempts to harden again; when did he become this insatiable? Did Solveig make that much of a whore out of him? He could almost hear her harsh barks of laughter as his shaft twitched to no avail.

Priscilla smirked. “How about giving him a stronger hit, Polly? Poor thing can’t get it up.”

Polly laid out beside him, pressing in close.

“Oh, now he can’t,” she teased.

She ran her hand over his chest, settling over his pounding heart. He could see those telltale movements in her flowers again and it clicked what was about to happen. In an instant, that floral scent intensified. It flooded his senses and he moaned, eyes rolling as the resulting rush slammed down to his groin.

His cock sprang back to life, throbbing with an unnatural vigour as it rapidly filled once more. It felt overly swollen; thick and radiating heat. Excess cum squeezed from the quivering slit and ran down his shaft over Priscilla’s fingers. She took her hand off of him to lick up the mess from her knuckles. His engorged dick stood freely, veins pulsing.

“That’s better,” Priscilla said.

She licked her lips and extended her tongue, coiling it around the first couple of inches of his cock. Saliva dripped as she moved it up and down. Rivers of precum streamed from him to add to the slick mess. Caelan shook, the wet sounds barely perceptible over his whimpering.

A second tongue joined in; Polly lapping at one of his nipples. Even that seemed to be throbbing under the influence of her scent. So much power from an unassuming plant; something so pretty bringing out an utter, desperate filth in him.

Priscilla released him, panting heavily.

“Fuck, Polly,” she gasped, her voice rough. “That’s even getting to me a bit.”

She moved and positioned herself over Caelan’s dick. She was soaked; clear, warm fluid dropping onto him. Her petal-like folds seemed to quiver in excitement as she lowered them and lightly thrust her hips to tease the head. Caelan whined alongside Polly’s playful hum.

“Don’t break him, Scissy,” she said. An indirect hint for him to fucking brace himself. “He’s already pretty dumb. Don’t want to make him all cock-brained.”

Priscilla chuckled. “It’d be an improvement.”

She ended her sentence by roughly slamming herself down onto Caelan’s cock. He yelped at suddenly being enveloped in pulsating heat and squirming cilia again. The pleasure stole his breath.

“Isn’t that right, boy?” Priscilla inquired, slowly rising until only his tip breached her.

Caelan inhaled shakily. “Y-yes.”

“Your dick’s the only useful part of you. This is what you’re for.”

She dropped again. Hard.

“Ahh! Yes!” Caelan cried.

“Now, go on,” Priscilla said, rolling her hips to give the barest amount of friction to his raging cock. “What do we say?”

“Please, Priscilla! Fuck me. Let me be your toy! Please! Fuck me!” Caelan begged without a second’s hesitation, any pride left in him laying shattered at the feet of his desire to please her.

“Good boy.”

Priscilla began to ride him and she was nothing like Polly. Her pace built within moments until the quick, slapping sound of their slick flesh seemed to resound through the area. She grunted around her lolling tongue from the force of it, drooling as her pussy swallowed him up. The bounce of her large breasts sent her sweat flicking outwards.

Caelan could barely breathe as he lay there taking it. The ache in his ankles, wrists, and hips from being bound was forgotten. All he could feel was his dick—hot, wet, throbbing—and the kiss of Priscilla’s folds when she bottomed out. He was distantly aware of Polly licking and sucking his nipples, marking him up with her lips and teeth. But it was a little thing amid the shocks of pleasure that came with every rapid drop of Priscilla’s hips.

He moaned, loud and ceaseless. If there were words, they were nonsense. His vision blurred as he peaked again. It was dry. He knew it was dry. But everything throbbed wildly; his cock, his balls, even that spot deep in his ass. He came down from it. Still hard. Still being fucked.

Priscilla had clearly felt it.

“Not a drop left in you, huh? You gave it all to Polly, you stingy little shit,” she said. “But that’s okay. You’re gonna make me cum even if you can’t. That’s what perverts get. Fucking. Used.”

She interrupted her brutal rhythm to punctuate her final two words before resuming. Tears sprung to Caelan’s eyes, his moans becoming littered with sobs. His voice kept cracking to a higher register as overwhelming pleasure engulfed his body. His cock continued to pulse in Priscilla’s swollen, clinging walls. It couldn’t even muster a simple weep of precum anymore; just stay hard for her like a good toy should.

It was euphoric; this loss of control. To feel like an object made for another’s pleasure. No thoughts, no words; just a cock attached to a whimpering, whining, disgusting mess of a thing. Compliant to any erotic whims one wished to exact upon him. All that mattered was serving his purpose and making her cum.

Priscilla was throbbing inside and her pace became erratic. She had ceased her degrading words in favour of a stream of moans and grunts. Her fluids flowed in excess, every plunge into her cunt made audibly sloppy.

With a teeth-baring grin, she thrust down upon him a few final, quick times before dropping to bury him deep as she came. She was loud in her satisfaction; mouth open, tongue sticking out and dripping with saliva. Her orgasm was just as intense as everything else about her; walls squeezing down tightly, pulsing with fervour, a sweltering heat clamping down on his every over-sensitive inch.

Caelan’s heart knocked against his ribs so hard it ached. For a moment, he thought it might give out. His eyes rolled back. Priscilla wouldn’t stop cumming. Her pussy had him locked, endlessly twitching around him. A last orgasm was wrenched from him and darkness edged his vision, ears only privy to a high-pitched whine and his own rapid heartbeat but he knew he was crying out in mindless ecstasy. His throat was raw.

In a haze, he saw more than felt Priscilla lift off of him. His cock was still lewdly straining from him, throbbing and slick. It couldn’t want more. It couldn't possibly be ready for more.

Priscilla’s face dropped into his line of sight.

“You’ll stay and play for a while, won’t you?” she asked sweetly. “We’ve got some friends who would love to meet you.”

He nodded weakly, need twitching between his legs. “Please.”

Polly rose from his side, moving to straddle his head. He looked up into her wet, still-quivering floral folds and his mouth watered.

“I almost forgot,” she said. “Don’t good boys clean up their mess?”

She came down on Caelan and he readily lapped at her pussy; tonguing the hole, tasting his own cum flooding his mouth, and feeding that depraved part of him that loved getting into these situations.

End

Masterlist

[slutforalastor]

Say It With A Smile, Part 4

(I have been hesitant to preface the actual text of these posts in order to let them speak for themselves, but I have to be clear, this is the point where this fic really enters territory not suitable for minors. There's only so much I can do to prevent that from happening, and it's not as though we're jumping straight into the kama sutra, but I refuse to let it go unsaid that this is not intended for minors. From here onward, it's also fair to say this will have nsft and nsfw stuff going on. With that warning, here's what you've come here for)

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You don't know much about him, but given the prolonged silence between you two, you're getting the impression that Alastor loves to savor all things. After thanking Niffty for fetching tea for the two of you, he'd taken his time letting it cool, then taken measured sips from his "Oh Deer" mug while surveying the skyline of the Pride Ring from his bird's-eye view. You're holding a mug of tea no fuller than when you'd been handed it, the warmth on your hands helping to ground you after your near-death experience. Maybe "near-second-death experience" was more accurate. And you're frightened, but that's not the only emotion; there's a very present, yet repressed, writhing feeling squirming out from under the stifling weight of self-preservation. The sort of feeling that had an entirely separate section of Hell to help put it into practice.

You wouldn't dream of initiating the conversation. You can only wait for him to collect his thoughts, or become bored of teasing you, or whatever is making him drag out the stifling silence.

"So, little fawn. My sincerest apologies for losing my temper. I can't expect you to just forget what you saw back there. Normally, when I feel that someone could be a problem, I just kill them, but killing you hardly seems appropriate. For both of our sakes, I'd hope that you'll put that exchange out of your mind. I try very, very hard to only kill when someone's really done something to deserve it, and luckily, I don't know you well enough to judge your morality. And you may be in Hell, but that doesn't make you a bad person, does it?"

You hope not.

"Wonderful! You have my word that I will exercise the utmost restraint around you from now on. You have nothing to fear if you simply stay on my good side." He pauses, the area around his eyes darkening, like they've lost some of their luminescence. His voice, however, drips with knowing sultriness. "But you want to be on my good side, don't you?"

You do, yes. Although not only to avoid being killed.

"That goes nicely into the next point of discussion." He turns in his chair so that he's looking directly at you, his eyes finding yours no matter where they may drift. Using his cane as a visual aid, he continues. "These ears aren't the only thing that are perfectly tuned. I also have an excellent nose, much more sensitive than your average sinner's. And dear, you reek of pheromones. Just the sort that I'd normally change the station on, but these times are hardly normal. My body, powerful as it is, needs to repair itself, and it's putting a strain on the rest of me. The kind of strain that makes it... difficult, to control oneself. There's nothing worse than not being in control, wouldn't you agree?"

It might depend, honestly. Controlling one's destiny, or living space, or boundaries, those are good. But sometimes, it can be nice for someone else to take the lead.

He chuckles, but his jovial cadence loses a bit of its luster. "An area where we differ, then. I prefer to never give anyone the upper hand against me. This will not be the exception." He stands from his chair, one hand on the middle of his cane and both arms behind his back as he paces the floor, his back to you, his voice back to its usual springiness. "You're in a very unique position, little fawn. I can tell without even hearing you say it that you're interested in me, and I just so happen to be in need of a plaything, and a way to make sure that you keep my secret. Why don't you and I make a deal?"

You're not sure how interested you are in a Faustian bargain.

"Come now, this isn't a handshake, or a paper to sign. It's a promise; I'll give you the attention you're clearly craving, and in return, you never breathe a word to Charlie or Vaggie, or anyone else, about what you saw. Oh, and there'll be no touching me. But we're both adults here, so you're free to stop me at any time, and I'll be frequent with my asking permission. Seem fair?"

You can feel the heat rising in your cheeks, your heart accelerating all over again. He's not wrong; there's an animal magnetism that keeps you from thinking straight around him. As dangerous as he is, there's an intoxicating idea of him bringing you right to the edge, and then pulling you back. The relinquishing of power, giving yourself over to something that could easily kill you, but caresses you instead. But this feels so sudden.

"Well, I'm not going to lay claim to you tonight, my dear. Where's the fun in dessert before dinner? This is an arrangement we're making that you'll honor when the mood is right. I'll have a special phone placed in your room, and should I have need of your company, I'll send for you. As long as you honor the agreement that we've made, you will have a wonderful time, and that's a guarantee."

And this is something he'll enjoy, as well?

"You must understand, the act in most of its forms does nothing at all for me. Even in the Living World I had no use for it. But this isn't about that; it's about the control. Any fool can grab whatever piece of control they can dig their claws into, but when someone gives it you willingly?" He turns, his smile curled sadistically. "Now that's entertainment."

You feel a shiver run through your body, a nervous excitement gathering in you that you're sure he can sense somehow. He crosses the distance between himself and you, with methodical steps that you know he's enjoying. Inches away from you, he takes your chin in his clawed fingers, the points settling on your skin so gently you can only feel their very edge, an eyelash away from cutting your flesh, perfectly restrained. He forces your face up, making you keep your eyes on him. In his eyes, you see the gaze of someone who's just found a new favorite toy. "We're going to have such fun together, you and I."

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Also on AO3! | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

[siberian-khatru]

Hiii it's Violet misses her friend again hours!!! I hope you don't mind this little story I'm going to share, because it's something I think of every time I find myself in this state lol. So, back in January, around the New Year, I was hanging out in my sister's room after my friend had logged off for the night. It was only about seven or eight o'clock here, but he's 5 hours ahead of me, so it was around midnight to one in the morning there. This is important.

One thing you should know about me, for context, is that I've moved and changed school districts twice in my life. I moved in fifth grade from one school district to another, and then again between eighth and ninth grade. It's been hard to keep in contact with people from either district throughout high school.

So, my sister is scrolling on social media, and she finds the account of my elementary school classmate's sister, who announced my old classmate's death. Now, I wasn't particularly close with this kid; I spoke with him a couple times in elementary school, being in the same fourth grade class, but his mother was my fifth grade teacher (until I moved). What I do remember is that he was always nice to me, and his mother was a nice woman as well.

To be honest, it took me a moment to set in that this person from my childhood was now dead. In fact, it's been a few months and I'm not entirely sure if it has set in yet. It was a strange feeling. It is a strange feeling. Even though I hadn't seen him in six or seven years, and wasn't even that close in the first place, I knew that we were supposed to be starting our lives, not ending them in car wrecks.

So, in my shock, I messaged my friend on discord because I didn't really know how to react, or what else to do. I knew that we had said our goodnights about an hour before, and wasn't really expecting a response, but to my surprise, he got back to me within ten minutes.

Another thing you should know about me is that my standards for relationships (platonic in this case) are in turbo hell. I never really had a solid group of friends growing up, due to being neurodivergent and moving around a lot, and I certainly never got to the point where I would tell one of my friends about this.

And he got back to me within ten minutes. Not only that, even though he said he wouldn't be able to talk to me that night, he said that was because he wanted to help me in the way I deserved, and that he was thinking of me and that he loved me. What the fuck??? Like I said, my standards are in literal hell. This guy, that I met on this fucking hellsite that I've never met in person is a better friend to me than anyone I've known irl. Which is... sort of pathetic on my part, I suppose? But I guess it's also beautiful in a way; how two people can connect across oceans.

The story doesn't end there, however. The next day, true to his word, he sends me a "care package" (his words, not mine) of concert videos of all my favorite bands. I was in the middle of class when he sent it over, and I was, honestly, completely shocked. I don't think I'll ever forget that kindness. We had a long conversation that night over lots of things, partially about my classmate, partially about whatever we were talking about, but I think that's when I knew I finally had something real.

One last thing you should about me, and it's sort of a combination of moving a lot, never really forming solid friendships, and some issues with my mother (that is a whole 'nother can of worms) is that I have some anxiety around abandonment. I recognize it for what it is now, and do my best to not let it interfere with my relationships, but sometimes I do get anxious, and start trying to mentally prepare myself for the end of a relationship (romantic or platonic). So, I have to recognize I'm spiraling and I have to fight it off. Rereading those messages always grounds me and reminds me that it's all in my head.

I really didn't intend to write this much, but whatever! I feel it's got a good message, I think.

[copperdaisy]

Yu-Gi-Oh! OC Week Day 1: Introductions

Fifteen hours later I'm back to post the actual prompt fill for day one. I actually sat down and completely scrapped all but the first line of this ficlet because I realized that I didn't like the original 1.2k words I had written for it. Whoops.

Anyway, here we go!

(@ygoc-week)

Day One - Introductions Word Count: 1, 716 Characters: Sanura, Mana, Mahaad Rating: G

When Sanura was a child her father often said that she possessed a nation's worth of curiosity. There was rarely a week where the hired help did not have to collect her from a tree or off a roof or out of a neighbor's field. The adults would scold her and she would vow to be more careful next time. She never promised not to do it again. The world was too full of amazing things waiting to be discovered for such binding words. Things like what the scuttling bugs were doing and where the pretty birds landed and what was buried by the soil and sand. Were the answers worth the risks undertaken to learn them? Sometimes. Were there easier ways to learn? Yes. Were those other methods half as satisfying? No. Knowledge was sweeter when she earned it the hard way. It was an opinion that shaped her life even as a wiser adult.

Not that she looked particularly wise at the moment. Standing at the intersection of three hallways, a frown on her lips and her hands planted on her hips, she studied each corridor in turn. Her amber eyes narrowed. All of them looked the same. Wide open spaces with high ceilings supported by giant pillars, lit by squares of sunlight streaming in from the gated windows set near the top of the walls. The only differences she could see were small variations in the reliefs painted on the columns. None of them were directions on where to go. Scrunching her nose Sanura clucked her tongue in frustration. What a predicament.

It was her own fault. A week was hardly enough time to memorize the sprawling complex that was the palace. The layout was designed to confound would-be troublemakers with its maze of near identical pathways. Honest souls getting lost was a necessary evil to preserve the security of the royal family. To her credit Sanura had not meant to wander into an unfamiliar sector. She had blundered into it while attempting to return to her own room using a shortcut one of the local girls had mentioned. Looking back on their conversation she was half convinced the girl had intended for her to get turned around. There was still friction between the new arrivals and the long established servants so it was not outside the realm of possibility.

Brooding over it was not helping her either way. Nor was standing there hoping for rescue for that matter. She had not crossed paths with anyone for a while. Strange; one would think that there would be a guard roaming on patrol. Maybe there was and she had just missed them? Then again, perhaps it was a good thing she had not been found. What if she was in one of the sections that was off limits to the rank and file servants? The guards would probably not be happy to find her if that was the case. She cringed at the thought of what might happen and gave her head a little shake, her long hair tickling the middle of her back. There was no good choice to be made but she had to make one.

Right; when in doubt she always turned to the right. Doing so had saved her from winding up in the jaws of an angry dog when she was seven and had become a habit in the years since. As she walked she began to craft an excuse to use if she were found. It never hurt to practice the explanation a few dozen times, just to be safe. While she had a genuine reason to be lost she knew that nothing sounded like guilt quite like tripping on one's words. The amount of times she had been grounded when she was younger had taught her that lesson. By the time she saw the next intersection she had found an excuse she liked. She just hoped that her phrasing would be good enough to get her out of potential trouble.

Sanura was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she failed to hear a pair of voices drawing closer. Upon reaching the intersection she turned right again and –

– immediately plowed into something solid and sharp. Her own momentum caused her to bounce back. Winded and startled she missed how she ended up on the floor, but end up there she did. It took a few seconds for her wits to return. When they did she found herself staring at the equally shocked faces of a man and girl. No one moved a muscle. Then, finally, the girl clamped both of her hands over her mouth to physically stifle an eruption of giggles, green eyes sparkling with mirth. The man beside her breathed a quiet admonishment before he knelt and offered a hand to Sanura. Sunlight glinted off the golden bands on his arm and she squinted against the glare as she accepted the help.

“My deepest apologies. Are you hurt?” The genuine concern in the stranger's voice somehow made the situation worse. He pulled her up without much effort and waited until she was steady on her feet then put a more polite distance between them. A groan caught in her throat as she got a better look at him. A man wearing that much gold had to be someone important. The large circular pendant he wore around his neck certainly implied as much. The long tines hanging from it must have been the something sharp she had run into.

“Only my pride,” Sanura assured him with a forced chuckle. Gods, how embarrassing. She watched his brows knit together as he looked her over and opened his mouth as if to say something before thinking better of it. He turned his attention to his companion instead to scold her for laughing. The girl straightened and lowered her hands to her sides, doing her best to rein in her amusement.

“Sorry, Master. Are you sure you're okay?”

“I'm fine. I should be the one apologizing.” Try as she might Sanura couldn't remember the eloquent excuse she had decided on. It had been knocked clear out of her head. Fingers tangling in the charmed belts looped around her waist she went with what she had. “I, uh. I got lost and it has been a while since I… ran into anyone else...”

She grimaced at her choice of words even as she said them.

“Oh! Are you new here? I've lived here almost all of my life and I still get lost!” That time the girl's laughter was directed at herself. Clasping her hands together she leaned forward and cocked her head to one side with an easy smile. “My name's Mana.”

“Sanura, and yes, I only arrived a few days ago. I was trying to return to my room using a shortcut someone told me about and ended up here, wherever here is.” The tension in her shoulders slowly eased, enough for her to shrug. A self deprecating smile twitched at the corners of her lips. “I must have taken a wrong turn.”

“Let me guess: someone told you to cut through the kitchen stores and take a left at the statue of Bastet, right?” Mana deadpanned, her expression falling into one of exasperation. “It was probably Kemat. She does that to all the new girls. She's so –“

“Mana!” The man interrupted her and Mana quieted with a squeak. Frowning at his – student? – he sighed and shifted his focus to Sanura again. “Arrived a few days ago… Are you part of the entourage the Prince's betrothed brought with her?”

“I am. I was supposed to be meeting with her after I retrieved something from my room but, well, I got sidetracked.”

“I see...”

“We can take you to her! She's with Teana right now,” Mana chirped, sounding excited by the prospect. Before Sanura had the chance to take her up on the offer it was shot down by her teacher, who shook his head and folded his arms across his chest.

“You have studying to do. I will take her.”

“Aww. Okay.” Mana's pout lasted for all of two seconds before she was grinning again. “See you later, Sanura! Don't take any more advice from Kemat!”

With that the brunnette waved and carried on in the direction she and her teacher had been traveling, humming a little tune to herself as she went. Sanura blinked and gave a half hearted wave in return, not sure what to make of her. The ensuing silence of her absence hung in the air before the other broke it by awkwardly clearing his throat.

“Shall we?”

The walk back to the kitchens was relatively uneventful and at first silent. It did not take long for curiosity to get the better of her. Thankfully the man was tolerant of her carefully asked questions. She learned that his name was Mahaad and that he was a magician. Mana was his apprentice; they had been on their way to the library when they met her. She also learned that he was one of Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen's advisers. He must have seen the apprehension on her face for he rushed to assure her that she was not in trouble, either for running into him or for getting lost. It was the earnestness in his tone more than his words that convinced her that she was not going to be tossed to the streets, or worse.

“Do you know the way from here?”

Sanura was almost disappointed to realize that they had reached the kitchens. There were easily a dozen more questions she wanted to ask him. She resisted the impulse to ask them all in a single rush. She had already taken up enough of his valuable time.

“Yes. No more shortcuts,” she answered. “Thank you. I'll be more careful next time.”

“It was my pleasure.”

Sanura bowed her head and let him take his leave, sneaking a glance at him as he walked past. All in all he seemed rather nice, if a bit awkward around the edges. Definitely one of the more interesting people she had met so far. Maybe she could convince him to answer the rest of her questions sometime.

After all, she hadn't promised not to get lost again...

[keicordelle]

A Test of Endurance

Fandom: FFXIV Rating: E Pairing: Estimeric Word Count: 6.5k Tags: Established Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, Explicit Consent, Semi-Public Sex, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Teasing, Overstimulation, POV First Person, POV Estinien Wyrmblood

Summary: Estinien wasn't entirely sure at first if Aymeric's display was meant to leave him flushed with desire in the middle of the Temple Knights training grounds, but the longer it goes on, the more clear it is that a game is afoot. Fortunately for Estinien, Aymeric has a plan, and it certainly doesn't involve leaving his flustered lover suffering from his teasing torment for long.

-

The training grounds were far more public than the Lord Commander's office, under the clear blue sky and with Temple Knights working themselves into a sweaty lather on training dummies and in dueling pairs. So I really wasn't sure if Aymeric's display was intended to make me so stiff I butted painfully against my armor, or if it was actually an innocent coincidence. Had it been anyone else, I would have been fairly certain of the former, watching out of the corner of my eye as yet another piece of his armor was cast aside, his chest bared to the world and glistening with sweat. I had never known him to strip down during training - he'd always been the first to argue that you're not going to be able to remove for armor in combat, so it was best to get used to fighting in it - but perhaps he was simply hot today. Never mind the arctic chill that swirled through the air, promising a blizzard later even if there was hardly a cloud in the sky at the moment.

Quickly enough that I would have missed it had I not been staring like a fool, Aymeric's eyes darted over to where I was standing as he mopped sweat from his brow. Ah, so it was a game then. My how he had changed in my absence. A small smile played over his lips as his attention returned back to the knight he was speaking with. My gaze followed Aymeric's hand as he lowered it, trailing a sensual path down his chest under the auspices of wiping away a drip that rolled just past his nipple. I licked my lips, shifting my stance to try to make some space for the aching erection now straining to burst free from my breeches, but short of doffing far more of my armor than was reasonable, there was little I could do to adjust. Confining as it was, at least the metal meant my condition was not glaringly obvious.

"Estinien!" someone snapped for what I gathered was not the first time.

Tearing my attention away from the flushed skin of my lover, so similar to the shade it got when he was spread beneath me - and dear gods that was not a safe train of thought - I focussed on dragoon facing me. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

He sighed in exasperation. "I said, if you're not going to use the dummy, could you please move."

I considered protesting, but in truth he was right: I was taking up space and not doing much in the way of actual training. Lifting my lance from its aggressive position, I backed away, gesturing for him to take my place. That at least earned me a nod of acknowledgement, if not gratitude, as the man assumed his own fighting stance.

I contemplated correcting his form, but as I was not fully sure I could jump properly with a steel bar jammed between by legs, I instead circled to the pitchers of water in their frosted vessels. My eyes drifted back to Aymeric as I poured myself a glass, half hoping the chill would shock me back into fighting form. The larger half, the one that had stolen all the blood my brain needed to make sane decisions and concentrated it into the throbbing between my legs, watched the play of the sunlight over the muscles of my lover's back as he swung his sword, blunted edge striking home against his opponent. Did he plan to make good on this show he was putting on for me, or was tormenting me his only goal? If it is, he's achieving it in spades, I thought, shifting again in discomfort.

Muscles rippled as he moved, a red welt blossoming where he let a strike through his defenses, and sweat dripped from his skin. The desire to lick it off him swelled, and I kept my feet firmly rooted in place, hand clenching around my lance until the joints of my gauntlets dug painfully into my fingers. I had no doubt the others on the grounds had noticed my staring and that by dinner tonight the rumor mill would be churning with stories of how the Azure Dragoon had the hots for the Lord Commander. That didn't bother me overmuch, but the part of my brain still capable of intelligent thought wondered if Aymeric had thought this game through all the way.

-

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[mysticdeath]

it seems autumn isn't the only thing lizzie was not made for. the way her heart thrashed inside her ribcage like a caged bird desperate for release is soon added to the list. followed only by the way hope mikaelson's fingers, cool and featherlight, grazed the line of her jaw as if tracing a constellation across her skin. it was a ridiculous thing, the touch — a touch so brief, so insignificant to anyone else, yet powerful enough to leave her breathless. packing all the subtly of a strike of lightning. it was soft, delicate even, yet it scorched her, leaving a trail of burning embers beneath her skin. lizzie could still feel the ghost of it lingering long after hope's hand had retreated, like smoke curling in the wake of a fire, and her throat tightened in protest against words. her thoughts tangled up in the leaves still woven through her hair, the press of hope's body still holding her in place like the weight of a thousand spells. how did she always manage to do this? to paralyze her with the simplest gestures. it was maddening.

always there, always teasing, always unraveling her in ways lizzie could neither control nor understand. hope, still perched atop her like some mischievous queen, the weight of her presence both oppressive and comforting all at once; a contradiction that makes the heretic's head spin. god, just let me breath, she wants to scream, but the air is thick and sweet with the scent of damp earth and fallen leaves, and she can't seem to draw enough of it into her lungs. and then came the shift — the touch vanishes as quickly as it had come, only to return in the form of a burgundy leaf plucked from her tangled hair like a trophy. it twirls lazily between the tribrid's fingers before landing softly on her cheek. for a brief second, just a second, lizzie swears her skin crackled beneath the touch, igniting in little sparks of color she couldn't surprise. she had felt the blush rising, blooming like a sunset— rosy and warm —and she hated it. hated how transparent it was. hated how hope's smile was a wicked, teasing thing that left her in disarray, her eyes glinting with insufferable confidence as lizzie's breath hitched, her body betraying her with every flush of her pulse.

for a moment, the blonde can only stare, heart racing faster than her thoughts could catch up. the cool air bit at her exposed skin, but it couldn't compare to the inferno that hope kindled within her, as if hope could summon heat with just a look, a brush of fingers. but lizzie saltzman was not going to let herself be undone by a smirk and a leaf. she was stronger than that — she prayed, scoffing, loud and dismissive, as if the sound could banish the burning warmth. “please,” alabaster fingers swipe the leaf away, the gesture a hasty defense. “it's the cold, okay? not me. not this. just this godforsaken weather.” lizzie's voice was sharper than she intended, but the words fell into the air like stones into a deep well, sinking fast into the space between them as she straightened, or rather tried to. hope's presence kept her half - pinned to the ground, much to her eternal annoyance. “some of us don't run at a gazillion degrees, you know? we're not all part werewolf and get to skip the 'i'm freezing my ass off' phase of autumn.”

words come out clipped, intended to sound biting, but they tripped over themselves in her efforts to downplay the obvious effect. visible as it was. a fighting effort, lizzie sat up further, an elbow sinking into the cold ground as she gathered what little dignity she had left. “seriously, mikaelson, i don’t have time to sit here blushing like a middle - schooler over some … stupid leaf.” but hope doesn't move. she never did. instead, blue gaze remains fixed, body at ease : the stark contrast to the withering soul beneath her. it, too, is maddening, how still she is. how effortless she appears. how completely and utterly unbothered she seemed by it all as lizzie herself felt like she was coming undone at the seams as the older girl sat, posed like a predatory creature waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. and some part of lizzie wished she would. “really, this has been a lovely bonding moment,” she couldn't look at hope, not directly, not with the memory of those hands still lingering on her skin like ghostly impressions. “but i need to get back. it's going to take me hours and an entire bottle of my special shampoo to return my hair back to its pre - hopecalypse level of perfection.”

immortality has made her playful. it has less to do with her nigh - invulnerability ( she was used to that, really ) and more so . . . well, what else does she have to fear? the worst thing she could've imagined has already happened to her. and here she is still, not quite the villain the witches of new orleans had prophesized she'd be. when the fear had finally slipped to the background, a mere white noise she heard from time to time, she recognized that some things about vampirism could be beautiful. not all things, and not always, but ―― god, the colors. to think that she had an artist's craving before. there is another thing. an aspect of it so sickeningly selfish that hope struggles to swallow it sometimes, but can't help indulging in the moment: she loves watching lizzie squirm under her own feelings. to push just a little further every time, see how long the heretic could take it before she caved or more likely, removed herself from the situation. it's a little cruel. but can it be so bad when the tribrid's own affections have bloomed like a patch of hibiscus flowers, bright and soothing?

in many ways, hope is acting the child she missed out on being years ago. the girl with a crush who won't break if she snaps back just a little too hard. her lungs flood with air once her chuckling has softly died off, tasting soil and moss on the chilly breeze alongside something so distinctly lizzie it causes her heart to hitch briefly. she acts as though she doesn't hear the other's own heartbeat racing like a horse against her sternum, like feeling the other beneath her doesn't elicit a horrible yearning from somewhere in the chasm of her chest, skin speckled with goosebumps. ( she doesn't wear a jacket, wolf's blood always has her running warm. ) she is still as her gaze roves over the blonde, from the halo of white - blonde hair bled with autumn leaves to the crystalline shine of her eyes, the blush of blood in porcelain cheeks that she can almost taste. her fingers twitch, skim line of lizzie's jaw with a featherlight touch; she wants to paint her. or, she could . . .

hope swallows, coming back to herself with a forced exhalation of a snort. covers the spasm of her hand by plucking a burgundy leaf from silvery tresses, one corner of her mouth quirking a little higher than the other in a relatively softer smile than the wild grin from before -- though the rogue delight remains. ❝ oh no, how terrible. how will you ever live? ❞ lips purse, pouting. leaf twiddles between her fingers before she touches it to lizzie's cheek, canines bared gleefully. she has yet to move. ❝ but look -- you match! ❞

[tokoyamisstuff]

"Are you happy, Strange?" - Chapter 1

!Multiverse of Madness Spoilers ahead!

Stephen never opened up to anyone. Neither about his regrets of the past, nor his reoccuring nightmares of the future. But when a certain universe-traveling girl revealed that the woman in his few pleasant dreams is meant to be his Soulmate, he is determined to meet her.

Sadly, when he finally finds you, the Sorcerer has already been possessed by the Darkhold...

"Dreams are messages from the deep." - Dune (2021)

Warnings: Mental Illness, Unhealthy Coping Mechanism

It was raining on the day he first met you.

Dark clouds that resembled Wanda's vengeful approach were cut by a sole ray of sunlight, before heavy waters drummed on the sideways of New York.

Every drop felt like a needle on Stephen's skin, his face just as greyish pale as the rest of the otherwise unusually quiet city. People would not even bother looking each other in the eyes anymore, instead roughly shoved each other aside as they went along with their own business.

The sound of dripping water on every imagineable surface was pestering him like a nail on a chalkboard, only now realizing that the whole town seemed to be drowning in garbage.

Seeing it like this made the mage wonder how he could have ever seen beauty in this ugly, corrupt place that was worth protecting.

The rain soaked through his clothes, freezing his nerve endings painfully. A welcomned distraction from his looping thoughts, admittedly.

Strange was wearing an oversized sweater for a change, the wetted hood sticking to his forehead and doing exactly what was it's intended purpose: Hiding this disgusting third eye of his.

A disgrace, like a branding was to a criminal back in earlier times. Proof that he wasn't the sacred hero the public had made him out to be.

Before, he could at least call himself a tragic hero.

One that sacrificed his own happiness, who was denied the bliss of a normal live with his loved ones. Destined to continue fighting otherworldly threats until even the last bit of his strenght and will to live had died out.

But now, he was nothing more than an unloveable monster, punished for breaking laws essential for the preservance of the multiverse.

Dark thoughts were spiraling endlessly, vivid evidence of the Darkhold spreading venom into his soul. It was poisoning his mind, making his head spin as he stumbled across the road.

And there, he saw you.

Sticking out from the crowd like a sole flower blossoming in between a crack in the asphalt, you approached him from the other side of the road.

Strange was frozen in the middle of the crosswalk, heavy pants visible as light mist in the air. He had completely lost focus on his surroundings, a tunnel vision on the face he didn't even know he could miss so painfully much.

This was the first time he's met you - at least the you from this universe, that is.

And you were just like he remembers you from those few, way too short dream sequences. No, memories, to be precize. Of a Dr. Strange that was more lucky than him, having found the love of his life way earlier than he had the chance to.

In some universes you might have different eye or hair color, other versions of you might not even have been human. Your voice, so alluring, whispering sweet affirmations in languages he wasn't capable to understand.

However, it had always been only you - taking over his heart and mind before you even met.

In an instant, Stephen's gloomy thoughts were blown away by the stormy wind as you passed by him, replacing it with an emotion that felt an awful lot like hope.

You on the other hand wouldn't notice his piercing, almost obsessive glare on you, facing the ground as you hastily crossed roads. The only thought present on your mind was the wish to go home and dry up as quickly as possible, unaware of the impact this single moment would make on simply everything.

So you passed each other without a single word or eye contact - insignificant, you might even say.

"Y/N Y/L/N" Strange's mind repeatedly hammered inside of his skull, bouncing against his temples just to resonance with thoughts he couldn't even call his own anymore. It was the voice of his instincts, a darker side every single one of us has locked up in the back of our heads, unsure if we ever succeed to actually control it.

Y/N - that was the name Chavez had told him, the name that would change everything. Connected to a love story so deep, so real that it would persist across the ineffable borders of the Multiverse.

And now that he finally knew the meaning of this sweet torture that were his dreams, there was no way he'd ignore this chance fate had prepared for him.

The fact that you existed in the same universe as his was proof enough. You were his soulmate, in every known world - this one included.

None of you had a say in this - you were destined to fall in love, for better or worse.

And this was what scared Stephen the most. Because in the unsteady calculus that is the Multiverse, and the role he had to play in it, his lover would have to face more dangers than one could possibly count.

Pain, violence and death followed him everywhere, making him unfit to offer you the live you most likely deserved. Yet he couldn't run from it, couldn't distance himself the way he usually dealt with things like this.

One day or another, the two of you would have to face this connection - for not even the Sorcerer Supreme was able to change the outcome of an inevitable fate.

And ultimatively, as the days turned into weeks and months, the Darkhold's influence grew stronger on the lonely mage, turning the old yearning Stephen had always suppressed into a twisted desire instead.

To never be alone again. Being loved and appreciated, looked up to and cared for. All this without the doubts of being worth it, without functioning, exceling at everything, playing the part he was expected to.

Fear crept into his heart, the most dangerous feeling of them all. It feeds on you, on one's doubts and worries and the general uncertainty of the future.

About how you might be better off without him, after all, even though he could never help this unwritten natural law that was your soon-to-be love. The possibility of failure, not being able to protect you from whatever it meant to be a Sorcerer's spouse.

Eventually, as his other side grew stronger, Stephen gave in to the temptation of taking what was rightfully his.

Wherever could you be more safe than right next to the most powerful mage in the known universe, right?!

It was winter this time, the cold wind biting hard on everyone bold enough to go outside. This would be the evening he'd take you with him.

[Chapter 2]

[yandere-daydreams]

Title: Desperate Measures.

Pairing: Yandere!Kaeya/Reader (Genshin Impact).

Word Count: 2.2k.

TW: Kidnapping, Emotional Manipulation, Implied Stalking, and Delusional Mindsets.

Kaeya was a man, distracted.

Distracted. Divided. Not inattentive, but pulled away from his responsibilities by a force he couldn’t name and couldn’t say he cared for, either. He wasn’t a stranger to romantic inclinations — fantasies, sudden flings, slow-burning inclinations that died the moment his attention was called elsewhere. Predictably, the few relationships he allowed himself were short-lived, at best distasterous at worst, but he didn’t have a problem with that. If anything, Kaeya appreciated it. He’d always thought of company as optional, and what little loneliness he was still capable of feeling could be drowned with a generous glass of wine. He wasn’t one to linger. He tried not to overstay his welcome. He’d been sentimental, once, too emotional for his own good, and he’d learned his lesson. He didn’t intend to change.

He didn’t want to change.

And yet, here he was.

Distracted.

He couldn’t think. He couldn’t focus. It was all he could do to look like he might’ve been trying to read the most recent document left on his desk – this one from Jean, a directive for the younger knights or legislation she needed him to review or another vague, important report that he probably would’ve dealt with weeks ago, if he’d been able to concentrate.

He made a half-hearted effort to straighten his back as the door to his office began to open, but Kaeya dropped the act quickly, abandoning it completely by the time he heard the sound of heeled boots against hollow tile, caught a glimpse of a familiar (albeit, rarely used) catalyst, searched for eyes and found the cover of a thin book, instead, your face still buried in your newest novel as you stepped through the threshold, not bothering to knock. It was you. He should’ve known it would be. Who else did he deserve?

You, Lisa’s new assistant. You, the latest addition to the Knights of Favonius. You, his current, infuriating, unshakable fixation.

You, the new recruit who hadn’t paid him so much as a passing glance since your arrival, much to Kaeya’s frustration.

You didn’t look at him. You rarely ever did, but it hurt more than it usually did, today, as you dropped another form onto his desk, letting it replace the greeting you’d forgotten to offer. “Lisa needs you to sign this,” You started, laying out your priorities clearly, a skill Kaeya was beginning to resent. “It’s just next year’s budget. If you don’t want to read it, I think I’ll be able to look the other way.”

He glanced over the rows of numbers, the messy hand-writing, the columns of meaningless gibberish that blended together into a mess of ink and digits, and took your suggestion, scrawling his name across the only blank line. It was a lost cause, especially with you in the room. Especially with your unoccupied hand resting on his desk, your fingertips idly tapping an unsteady rhythm into the wood, and all he could think about was who he’d be willing to kill to feel that hand pressed against his cheek.

He considered asking you, for a moment, giving you an order and hoping you'd absent-mindedly obey. He thought about touching you, or running his fingers through your hair, or pulling you into his lap and mumbling sweet-nothings into your ear until someone else dragged you away.

He thought about a lot of things. Then, he said, “I take it your silence comes at a price?”

“Do I seem that selfish to you?” You were selfish. You had to be selfish. If you weren’t, then surely you would’ve been kind enough to put him out of his misery months ago. “I like helping people. Just remember this when I need a favor from you.”

“I’m sure we could work something more immediate out,” He went on, but you were already starting towards the door, calling the conversation to a close before Kaeya could begin to finish. In the back of his mind, something flared, the urge to catch your wrist, to go after you, to put himself between you and the only exit and refuse to move until you looked at him, but he forced it down, swallowing the temptation before it could eclipse his common sense. He couldn’t be impulsive. He couldn’t make rash decisions. He wasn’t prepared to deal with how difficult that would make things, not now.

Not yet.

“Join me for a drink?” He tried, again, attempting to sound unbothered. Nonchalant, casual, normal. Like he wasn’t itching to burn every book you’d touched. “I know you don’t have anything better to--”

“Another night, Captain.”

And just like that, you were gone, leaving Kaeya’s muttered response to echo through his empty office.

“Of course.”

~

Kaeya was a man, desperate.

Like a starving dog. Like a traveler who hadn’t seen water in thirty days. Like a distraught, distressed, disturbed knight, wandering through a maze of a library, cursing the existence of every shelf that separated him from you. He knew where you'd be. You were a creature of habit, and he’d already had more than enough time to memorize your routine. He’d had enough time to memorize everything about you, as ashamed as he was to admit it. It was a testament to his devotion, to how much time he’d spent trying and failing to win your favor.

It was evidence of how pathetic he’d gotten, over the course of his one-sided pursuit.

You were in your usual spot – tucked into the far corner of the library, perched on the edge of a windowsill, your attention monopolized by the tattered scroll spread across your lap. You were still pouring over it by the time he reached you, slumping against the nearest wall, taking in how brilliantly the muted sunlight looked as it danced across your skin. He didn’t try to hide the way he stared, anymore. He was long past worrying that you’d care enough to notice. Your hair was unkempt, proof that’d you slept in the archives again, if you’d slept at all. Your lips were bleeding, too, the lower one chewed raw and split down the middle, but it might’ve been stranger if they weren’t. It must’ve been a nervous tick, but Kaeya found it cute. Kaeya found it endearing. Kaeya found everything about you endearing, and to the archons, he wanted to see those lips wrapped around his co--

And he hated it. He found everything about you endearing, and he hated it. That was all.

He sighed, the sound airy, exhausted. You didn’t look up, but that was fine. It would’ve only hurt him further if someone as simple as that drew out your concern. “I’m in love with you.”

There was a hum, soft and contemplative. A rather generous response, by your standards. “I’ve noticed.”

“You’re all I think about.” It was an awkward confession, one he’d already used a hundred different times. He didn’t care. He’d use it a hundred more, if he had to. “I’m a wreck. I can barely remember my own name, and some days I can’t even do that. I can’t fight, I can’t eat, I can hardly breathe. Every morning, I wonder what it would be like to wake up to your smile, and every night, I stare at my ceiling and loath myself because I’m not holding you in my arms. For fuck’s sake, just yesterday, I almost kissed Albedo because the chemicals he was working with reminded me of the way your favorite kind of flower smells, and I’m just so fucking desperate, I convinced myself that was the closest I’d ever come to kissing you.”

He was rambling, by the end, panting, yelling, but you only blinked when he was done, once, then twice. Your dull nails bit into the edges of your scroll, but you didn’t seem to mind, nor did you move to roll it up as you finally turned to face him, the confusion written clearly across your expression. “You kissed Albedo?”

“You don’t get it,” He said, and you nodded in agreement. “You don’t fucking get it.”

“I think I do,” You admitted, more earnestly. Your gaze dropped back to the ground, and instantly, Kaeya deflated. “I just… I just don’t think it’d work out, if I’m being honest. I’m still new. I still have to give everyone else a reason to trust me, and I don’t think it’s in my best interest to start a relationship with one of my superiors so early on.” You paused, laughing to yourself, and something in Kaeya’s chest tightened. It was the happiest he’d been since he met you, and he still felt like you’d pushed a sword through his heart and twisted. “But, you don’t really want a relationship, do you? You’re just bored, and you need something to fixate on. I’m the most available option, so...” You trailed off, finishing your sentence with a vague, stilted sweeping gesture. “It’ll be easier for both of us, this way. I like you, Captain, but I don’t like you enough to put myself through that.”

It was all he could do to remember how to open his mouth. Once he did, the words came stumbling out on their own.

“Of course.”

~

Kaeya was a man, determined.

Determined might’ve been the wrong word for it. Too soft, too suggestive, the impression too positive and the meaning too vague. ‘Depraved’ might’ve suited him better, but that was too harsh, too primitive, and he’d like to think he’d been as gentle as anyone could expect him to be, given your stubbornness. He’d tried to be gentle. He’d wanted to be gentle. If he was going to do this to you, he could at least do it gently. You deserved that much, at least.

Or, maybe you didn’t. Maybe you didn’t deserve any of this.

He couldn’t really make up his mind, about that.

“Lisa?”

And he was gentle, more so than he had to be. Sure, you were on the floor, bare stone already beginning to chafe at your skin, but the shackles around your wrists were padded, and he’d given you enough slack to sit down, to ball yourself up, to act like it’d never crossed your mind that he’d resort to something so… easily misinterpreted. The blindfold was, similarly, an act of mercy. You’d panic if you woke up like this, chained to a wall in someone else’s cellar, and Kaeya didn’t want that. You needed time, and he could give you that. He would give you that. Even if it pained him to stay at arm’s length.

“Amber?”

He wanted to touch you. It’d be easy, now, easier than it’d ever been before. You wouldn’t be able to push him away, and even if you tried to, he could always overpower you. Take you by the neck, pin you against the floor, leave you shaking and trembling and begging, pleading with a captor you couldn’t see. He’d find a way to make it up to you, later on. He’d find a way to lie, to smile, to make it better, even if he’d failed to time and time again, out there. But, this would be different. You wouldn’t be able to cling to your excuses, and he’d be able to show you how much he cared, how much he wanted this, how much he loved you. This would be better.

“Kaeya?”

See? You were already coming around.

Your voice was already soft, hesitant, a sliver of a whisper that was constantly on the verge of dying out completely. You were trying not to make noise, trying not to seem as terrified as you really were, but he could hear the way your breath hitched as he took a step forward, your restraints rattling as you curled into yourself. You couldn’t hide from him, but you wanted to. That much was obvious. You didn’t want this.

But, he did. More than you could ever want to run away from it.

He wanted to touch you, but he held himself back. Instead, he only kneeled in front of you, letting himself linger for a moment before he spoke. “I’m here, love.”

“Where are we?” You were afraid, too scared to put the pieces together. Not while you could still hope there was another explanation. Not while you could still deny the apparent. “My head hurts, and I can’t--”

“I know, and I’ll make it up to you.” This time, he let himself reach out, cupping your cheek and chuckling as you tried to shy away. The two of you could work on that, later on. He could live with the guilt if he let himself enjoy it, now. “Just give me a moment, alright? Just a second, then I’ll take care of you.”

You opened your mouth, then you closed it again. Kaeya wondered if you’d be bold enough to refuse if he did try to kiss you, or hold you, or go further than the fleeting touches he’d swore would keep him satisfied, at first, at least. He wondered if he’d care, when you did. “Are… are you going to hurt me?”

He wanted to reassure you. He wanted to promise he’d be patient, that he’d understand if you lashed out, that violence wasn’t an option he was willing to consider, but he couldn’t, like this, could he? He didn’t want to hurt you, but he’d never wanted to kidnap you, either, not until you made it obvious he didn’t have another choice. He didn’t want to stoop so low, he didn’t want you to hate him, but…

But, he was lying again, wasn’t he?

To tell the truth, he couldn’t remember the last time he genuinely cared whether or not you loved him back.

You stifled a scream as his hand dropped to your jaw, his grip tightening as he jerked you forward, just close enough to wrap his arm around your waist, to bury his face in the side of your neck, to get a taste of what you’d deprived him of. It wasn’t enough, he doubted it’d ever be enough, but he had you. He had you, he was close to you, and he had you. That had to be enough, for now.

“We’ll see.”

[hawks-supremacy]

Pushed Away

summary: Kyotani Kentaro had a hard time letting people into his life, but you somehow managed to worm your way into his heart.

warnings: Swearing, fighting, super cheesy at some parts, angst

genre: fluff, angst

word count: 6.5k

a/n: This ended up being way longer than I intended it to be...oops.

You were in your second year of middle school when you met Kyotani Kentaro. You noticed he didn’t really hang out with anyone, often opting to stick to himself and not bothering to make any friends. You weren’t exactly extremely outgoing seeing as how you only had one or two people you would consider your friends, but you still wanted to befriend the guy who sat alone at lunch and seemed to have a constant scowl on his face. What’s the worst that could happen anyway?

So here you were with your neatly packed bento boxes, having packed an extra one in hopes your befriending attempt was successful. You explained to your two friends why you wouldn’t be sitting with them at lunch and they called you insane, you even invited them to come with confident in your endeavours and they quickly declined the offer. So with a smile on your face and peace offering in hand you made your way outside to where Kyotani usually sat by his lonesome.

As you sat down next to Kyotani he slowly turned his head to look at you, his signature scowl left on his face as he greeted you with a hostile, “What are you doing?” You looked up with a soft smile on your face, wordlessly offering him one of the bento boxes in your hand. His scowl turned to a look of confusion as you set the gift on the ground next to him when he refused to take it, “Are you deaf or something? What are you doing?” He asked with a little more edge to his voice than before.

You unwrapped and opened your lunch as you responded, “You’re on the volleyball team right? I’ve noticed you never eat lunch, you should eat lunch everyday so you have more energy for practice. So I packed you a bento box, I wasn’t sure what you would like so there’s a little bit of everything I usually eat.” You began to eat and his frown deepened as he still refused to pick up the bento box that sat to his left.

You stopped eating as he asked a simple, “Why?” You thought for a moment as you stared at each other. After a minute you shrugged and continued eating, “I want to be your friend.” You said in between bites of food. “Are you going to stare at me the whole hour or are you going to eat?” You asked, setting down your chopsticks and looking at him with raised eyebrows. You continued to stare at him until he silently picked up the bento box and opened it. He examined the food for a bit, looking up at you and back down at the food before he picked up the chopsticks and began eating.

You both ate in silence for the rest of the lunch period occasionally looking at each other like a silent conversation. Even though you hadn’t previously spoken to each other prior to today it was still a comfortable silence. You didn’t feel like you needed to talk to fill the void like you did with your other friends. As the bell rang indicating the end of lunch and beginning of the next period you packed up the empty boxes and stood up. As you went to walk away you heard Kyotani mumble a “thanks” as he walked in the opposite direction and you smiled as you went to your next class.

The next day you walked over to the same place as yesterday but Kyotani wasn’t there. You were a little disappointed but you figured he didn’t want to be bothered. You set down the bento box you once again made for him in hopes he’d come back later and turned around to go back to your usual seat. You didn’t make it far as you turned around and immediately ran into the boy you were searching for. You mumbled an apology that fell on deaf ears as he spoke over you, “What are you doing back?” He questioned as he walked around you to sit down in his usual spot.

“I came to eat with you again, but you weren’t here. I was just going to leave the bento in case you came back.” He was already opening the lunch as you explained and sat down by him. He mumbled something about his class getting out late as he stuffed his mouth full of the tempura your dad helped you cook.

You ate in silence for a few minutes before Kyotani cleared his throat, “So uh, do you like your classes?” He asked awkwardly. You laughed at his attempt to make small talk, coughing as you almost choked on the food you were in the process of chewing. You took a deep breath after calming down and looked up at Kyotani whose ears were slightly pink and looked less than impressed.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to laugh at you Kyotani, it’s just, you don’t have to make small talk if you don’t want to. I’m more than fine eating in silence until you feel comfortable enough to talk without sounding forced.” You gently closed your bento box as you explained your laughing fit. He nodded and went back to eating as you began some homework that was assigned in one of your earlier classes. You looked up as he softly asked what you were working on.

“Something for math, I’m not the best at math but I’m not the worst either. I just figured I’d get a headstart on the assignment so I don’t have to worry about it later.” You continued working on your assignment as you talked, Kyotani nodding as he finished up his food. You didn’t talk much after that, staying quiet as you worked on the problems presented to you on the paper. As the bell rang you packed up your bag and looked over and saw Kyotani with his eyes closed. You gently shook him as you tried to wake him up, “Kyotani, lunch is over we need to go back to class.” He hummed and swatted your hand away, “Yeah yeah, I’m getting up calm down. See ya later Y/n.”

It became routine for you and Kyotani to eat lunch together for the remainder of the school year. By the end of the school year what was once a comfortable silence was now a nonstop conversation. You both grew quite close but your interactions were limited to lunch. You didn’t have classes together and you weren’t sure if he’d be comfortable with you asking to hangout outside of school. So you left your interactions to lunch, which you were fine with. Until the school year was almost over.

It was the last day of school and you were thinking about how you wouldn’t see Kyotani until next year. He could tell you were a little upset and decided to ask what was wrong. “It’s the last day of school, so we won’t see each other until next year.” You were looking down at your food as you responded but you could’ve sworn you heard him let out a small chuckle before flicking you in the forehead. “Ow! What was that for?!” You exclaimed while rubbing the spot he flicked.

“You’re being dramatic for nothing. You have my phone number and I have yours, we can hang out any time either of us want.” He scoffed as he finished his sentence. Maybe you were being a bit dramatic, but you couldn’t help it. It was hard to tell what Kyotani was thinking or what he wanted to do. You weren’t scared of him, you were probably one of the only people who weren’t, but you made so much progress in being his friend and you didn’t want it to end just because you wanted to hang out outside of school and he didn’t.

“Kyotani, are you glad I became your friend?” You asked, scared to know the answer. He thought for a moment before nodding and asking why. “Well the first day I ate lunch with you two of my friends told me I was stupid and you’d never want to be my friend. I’ve been wondering if you’ve just been tolerating me all this time.”

He furrowed his eyebrows at your statement, “Did you believe them?” You shrugged in response because you honestly thought it was a fifty fifty shot when you first approached him. “That’s stupid, I wouldn’t let you sit by me everyday at lunch if I didn’t want you to. The only people I tolerate are people I have to tolerate, like my teammates. Your friends were idiots and so were you if you believed them.” You nodded as the bell rang signaling that your daily dose of Kyotani was over. You said goodbye to each other and went in opposite directions to your classes.

You were leaving the classroom when Kyotani decided to scare you, not intentionally, you just weren’t paying attention when he walked up behind you. “Should put a bell on you, I swear you came out of nowhere. What are you even doing here?” You said with your hand on your chest trying to calm down. He shrugged in response as you two exited the school, “Walking you home so I know where to go when I’m hungry.”

You gasped in mock hurt, “You’ve been using me for my cooking haven’t you! I can’t believe this, I’m honestly heartbroken at the notion. You should just turn away and leave now.” You said trying to push him in the opposite direction of your house. He planted his feet on the ground, effectively stopping you from pushing him any further. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you didn’t want me at your house.” You stopped trying to push him and he turned around to look at you, “Do you not want me over to your house? Weren’t you the one who was all disappointed we wouldn’t be able to hang out anymore”

You opened your mouth to respond and closed it, not quite knowing how to phrase what you wanted to say. You thought for a moment, going back and forth in your head before deciding on a response, “It’s not that I don’t want you over to my house. It’s that my dad is embarrassing and I don’t know what he’ll say to you to be quite honest.”

He raised his eyebrows at your answer, “It can’t be that bad. Come on let’s get going, I’m sure your dad is waiting for you at home. You can come over to my house later and you can meet my embarrassing parents in exchange.”

You sighed and started to lead the way to your house when you realized he wasn’t following you. You turned around and saw him standing there with his hands in his pockets. “Are you coming with or not?” He started walking towards you after you asked. “Don’t blame me when my dad says something stupid though.” You said as he rested an arm on your shoulder as you walked.

“Dad, I'm home! I brought a friend with me!” You yelled into the house as you walked in and took off your shoes. You knew he was home because you saw his car outside. You heard footsteps round the corner from the kitchen as your dad came to greet you with a mixing bowl in hand.

“Hey, how was your last day of school?” He asked as he gave you a side hug. “Who’s this?” He said, eyeing Kyotani, trying to form a first impression of the boy in question as he stood there. You hugged him back as you responded, “It was fine, uninteresting. This is Kyotani Kentaro, is it okay if he stays for dinner tonight?” He agreed but only if Kyotani helped cook.

“ So this is the boy you’ve been cooking everyday for? They talk about you a lot.” Your dad said as you all entered the kitchen. You groaned at his statement, “Dad, can you not say embarrassing things like that? See this is why I didn’t want you over here.” You said turning to Kyotani who was chuckling at the interaction.

He shrugged, walking over to the sink to wash his hands as you finished, “I think it’s endearing that you talk about me to your dad.” You shook your head as you started to cut up vegetables, choosing to ignore the conversation your dad and Kyotani were currently having. You didn’t notice as Kyotani walked up next to you with a mixing bowl in hand, “How’s it going over here?” He asked, startling you.

“Don’t scare people in the kitchen, that’s how accidents happen Kyotani.” You scolded as he laughed at your response. He put his hands up in surrender and went back to mixing the contents in the bowl. Your dad smiled as he watched you guys interact, leaving you both to do your own thing instead of joining the conversation and ruining the dynamic you both had. He eventually told you both to go do something else and he’d come get you when dinner was done.

“Your dad seems cool. Also seems like a good cook.” Kyotani said as you guys entered your room. You nodded as you set your bag down next to your desk before sitting on your bed. “Yeah he’s pretty laid back with everything. It’s just me and him so he tries his best to be the strict parent every now and then. He’s also a professional chef, so I’d hope he was a good cook. You can set your stuff anywhere you want.” He nodded, setting his stuff by the door and sitting on your desk chair.

You talked about your family life a bit more, you found out he had an older sister who he didn’t really talk to and that his parents were separated but he lived with his dad. You explained how it was just you and your dad. Your mom got sick when you were younger and couldn’t understand what was happening or why your mom didn’t come home from the hospital. By the time you were done sharing tragic backstories your dad was calling you both for dinner.

Your dad quizzed Kyotani about his life and interests throughout dinner and you tried your best to interject when you felt things were going to be awkward but sometimes you were just a tad bit too late. Kyotani answered each question honestly and without hesitation, refusing to back down. You sat there the whole time thinking it was a mistake having him stay for dinner and how you should’ve just stuck with your answer of refusing him coming over.

At the end of dinner Kyotani had to go home and you said your goodbyes. Your dad said he was welcome over anytime and you were just glad they didn’t end up fist fighting over some of the questions that were thrown out. You were glad you pursued your attempts at becoming Kyotani’s friend. You could tell you were going to be friends for a while.

Two years later you found yourself and Kyotani watching a movie while you studied in your living room. It had been a month since you both started your first year at Aoba Johsai and you two happened to be in the same class. You got out of volleyball practice a few hours early and came home to study. You joined the volleyball team as their new manager to hopefully spend more time with Kyotani and make sure he wasn’t getting into too much trouble. You finally finished the homework you were working on for the past hour and sighed looking over at your best friend who was laying down on your couch, having finished his work fifteen minutes ago. You went over to where he was and sat on the floor in front of him poking his face until he woke up. “What do you want?” He asked before closing his eyes again.

You sighed, folding your arms on the couch cushion and laying your head on top, “Why’d you almost get in a fight today?” Earlier today you left Kyotani at lunch to go get a drink from the vending machine down around the corner and when you came back he was in a yelling match with some random kid you didn’t know. You stopped him before he could actually start throwing punches and pulled him away. He shrugged at the question saying it wasn’t important. “Seriously Kentaro, I don’t understand why you’re so angry all the time. You’re actually really nice and chill if you just let people get to know you.”

He sighed as he sat up, “Because it’s easier to have everyone hate you than trying to get everyone to like you. Why bother trying to please people when you can just worry about yourself.” You frowned at the response, you sure didn’t hate him. He didn’t really try to make you hate him either. Sure he wasn’t the nicest when you first met but he also didn’t yell at you or anything drastic like that.

“I don’t hate you. I don’t think you hate me either, you didn’t try to get me to hate you from what I can remember either.” You said as you got up from the floor and sat next to Kyotani on the couch.

He yawned as he stretched before turning to you, “You were different. I don’t know how to explain it but you are. I didn’t mind letting you into my small bubble, you know?” You were shocked that he was opening up like this, usually your conversations just consisted of him telling you about everyone that got on his nerves that day and you talking about the new people you met.

Of course whenever you met new people you knew they weren’t going to stick around long. Often they would talk bad about your best friend without knowing that you were friends, so you didn’t stick around them much. Not that you minded, you were perfectly content with your one good friend, not feeling the need to be friends with every single person you met in your life like some people did.

The only problem was that within the past year you began to develop feelings for your best friend. You started to fall in love with the guy who pushed everyone away but you. The guy who never showed any other emotions than annoyed or angry. The guy who you couldn’t quite figure out, and now? Now you were trying to figure out a way to tell him. “Y/n? Are you there? You’ve been spacing out for like three minutes.” He said waving his hand in front of your face.

You turned your head to look at Kyotani who was smirking, trying not to laugh at the fact that you had zoned out. “Were you talking that whole time?” You asked tilting your head slightly to the side.

He raised his eyebrows for a bit before speaking, “Yeah I was just saying how I’m in love with you and how I think you’re the one for me.” You gasped and looked at him with wide eyes about to confess before he started speaking again, “I’m kidding I was asking how you think you’re going to do on the test.”

You closed your mouth and furrowed your eyebrows. “That’s not very nice, you know. You shouldn’t play with other people’s emotions like that, Kyotani.” He was about to speak before you interrupted him this time, “I mean what if I believed that you liked me like that. Of course you don’t it was stupid to think you could, but for you to joke about it? That’s a new level of low.”

You continued to ramble until he eventually cut you off, “Y/n! Would you shut up for one second so I can talk?” You stopped talking and folded your arms, refusing to look at him. “I do like you, that’s just not how I wanted to tell you. I wasn’t sure if you’d like me back so I played it off before you could respond. Sorry if I hurt your feelings, you’re the last person I want to hurt. You’re probably the only person I care about.” You started tearing up at his confession, feeling stupid about the current situation. “Are you crying? Shit I’m sorry.”

You shook your head trying to blink away the tears that were threatening to fall. “No it’s a stupid thing to cry over, sorry. I like you too Kentaro. I just thought you didn’t so it was overwhelming when you said that. Again stupid, sorry.”

He pulled you into a hug that basically ended with you sitting on his lap, “Don’t apologize for your emotions, Y/n. I’m glad you like me back, this means I have a reason to yell at the guys who ask me if you’re single.” You laughed as you hugged him back.

“You know Kentaro, this is the most emotion you’ve ever shown.” He shoved you off of the couch telling you to shut up. You continued your laughing fit before you paused realizing something. “Wait, is that why you almost got into a fight today? Because that guy asked if I was single?” When he didn’t say anything and refused to look you in the eyes you started laughing. “Seriously Kentaro? You were mad because someone asked if I was single? I’m flattered that you felt like you needed to fight the poor boy but holy shit, you probably traumatized him.”

He just shrugged in response as he mumbled, “It was the way he asked, he was all cocky about it. Was hitting on you too saying you had a nice ass.” You opened your mouth in mock hurt, “Are you saying I don’t have a nice ass?” You watched as he stumbled over his words, trying to back track over his previous statement.

You continued the back and forth teasing and laughing for the next hour and a half until your Dad got home. “Hey Dad! How was the restaurant?” You asked leaning over the front of the couch to watch as he walked in. Kyotani hooked an arm over the back of the couch and turned his head to briefly greet your dad.

“It was okay, pretty busy. Is Kyotani staying for dinner? I brought plenty of leftovers from the restaurant.” He said, taking off his coat and walking towards the kitchen. You jumped up from the couch and followed him into the kitchen sitting down at the table as Kyotani followed closely behind. “Yes he is, unless he’s going home right now?” You asked Kyotani who shook his head as he sat next to you. “Well I hope you like nigiri, we had a party of 10 who preordered it and never showed up.” Your Dad explained as he sat down with the to-go containers of food. You high fived your dad, “I love when that happens.”

You spent 10 minutes discussing how school was and any upcoming assignments that were due or tests that were coming up. You were about to talk about the upcoming practice match that Aoba Johsai had against Nekoma when Kyotani spoke up, “I’d like to date Y/n, if you’d let me.” You whipped your head towards your Kyotani who was having a stare down with your Dad.

You looked at your dad who looked at you and then Kyotani confused, “You mean you haven’t been dating this whole time?” He asked innocently. “I seriously just assumed you were dating this entire time, I’m sorry.” He continued when no one said anything.

A week later a Kyotani was taking you on your first date. You weren’t doing much, he just took you to get some ice cream and now you were sitting on a swing set just talking about nothing as you stared at the sky. It may not have been much but you wouldn’t have traded it for the world, in your eyes this was the perfect first date.

At the end of the date he was walking you home and he mentioned that he was nervous that the date wouldn’t be enough and you’d hate it. After all, you didn’t really have jobs so it was all he could afford at the time. You told him it was perfect as he dropped you off at your house. You were about to kiss him when your dad opened the door, “Oh did I interrupt, my apologies. I thought you forgot your house key and that’s why you were standing here. I’ll just uh, let you continue.” He slowly backed away and closed that door.

“Oh my god that was so embarrassing. I’m so sorry.” You said while running your hands down your face in both frustration and embarrassment. Kyotani chuckled as he removed your hands from your face and placed a gentle kiss on your lips. “It’s fine. Goodnight Y/n.” He said and walked away. You yelled a goodbye and walked inside to see your dad smirking at you. You felt your face heat up and quickly walked to your room wanting to avoid an awkward conversation.

A month later you were walking out of your classroom when one of the second years from the volleyball team stopped you and made you follow them. When you rounded the corner you saw Kyotani pinning some poor boy against the lockers all but screaming in his face. Your eyes widened as you scurried over to where they were, pulling Kyotani away from the traumatized boy. “Kentaro you gotta stop getting in fights before you get suspended or expelled.” You said softly as you intertwined your fingers with his and walked out of the school.

“I don’t care, you didn’t hear what he was saying about us.” He huffed and turned his head away from you. You asked what he said and felt his grip on your hand tighten. “He said you’d get tired of me and my attitude and leave, and when you did you had plenty of people waiting to sweep you off of your feet. I think what made me so mad is that he’s right. When you get tired of me you have all these people waiting to take you away from me.”

“Kyotani Kentaro, you stop it right now.” You said coming to a full stop making him face you. “I will never get tired of you, okay? If other people wanna talk about us then let them. They don’t know you like I do. I know you’ll never treat me like shit because you never have and you never will. I have full trust in you and I hope you trust me too. Understand?” You cupped his face as he nodded, “Good.” You said as you quickly pecked his lips and kept walking home.

It’s been nearly a year since you started dating Kyontani and you were panicking because you weren’t sure if you were doing anything for your one year anniversary. Sure you wanted to celebrate but you didn’t know if Kyotani wanted to do anything. You weren’t sure if he was going to get you anything and you weren’t sure if he was going to be mad or happy at the fact that you were getting him a gift. It’s all been so nerve wracking.

The past month or so you felt bad because you’d been picking up extra shifts at your dad’s restaurant to get more money to help pay for his gift, which meant that you were unintentionally avoiding Kyotani. He’d been questioning why you were taking extra shifts suddenly and you always just said that you just wanted to help your dad because he was short staffed.

You weren’t even sure what you were going to get him, you had an idea but you weren’t sure if you wanted to follow through with it or go with something different. You had a week before your one year was coming up and you decided to just follow through with it. You were on the phone with the people who would be preparing your gift when Kyotani rounded the corner and waved at you. In a state of panic that he would find out you turned around and quickly walked in the opposite direction.

You finished up your call and went to find Kyotani, kinda feeling bad that you just avoided him like that. You walked over to your guys’ usual spot, sulking, not that he would ever admit it. “Hey sorry about that, it was an important call.” You said sitting down next to your boyfriend, who moved his hand away when you tried to hold it.

“Who was it?” He grumbled still refusing to look at you. “It was just my dad, he was letting me know that he probably wouldn’t be home for dinner tonight.” What you said wasn’t necessarily a lie, your dad did text you earlier to let you know that he had to cater a party tonight so he wouldn’t be home until later. You were a terrible liar and you figured it’d be easier to lie if it was only a half lie.

Two days later and the company called you back confirming your order and what you wanted. They called while you were hanging out with Kyotani at your house, you quickly excused yourself and went outside to the back to take the call. Kyotani looked at your dad who just shrugged in response. When you came back Kyotani asked who called, you said no one important and he left it at that.

It was two days before your anniversary and you were telling Kyotani that you had to pick something up after school. “I can come with you, I don’t mind.” He offered. Sometimes you really hated that he was sweet and considerate sometimes.

“You can’t come with, sorry ‘Taro.” You watched as he sighed and looked annoyed before asking why not. “You just can't, okay, I can’t explain it right now but you can’t come with.” You couldn’t find an excuse as to why he couldn’t come with you so you just tried to deny him gently. You could tell he was getting frustrated and upset with you and you were glad that you’d be able to give him his gift soon so you could stop being secretive. You knew you could’ve just told him now but you really wanted it to be a surprise.

“You’ve been so secretive lately and it’s getting really fucking annoying and frustrating.” He said as he shook his head. “I know and I’m really sorry, but can you just trust me?” You asked and he sighed deeply before agreeing. You gave him a peck on the cheek before telling him thank you and that you’d text him later when you were home.

It was the day before you’d give Kyotani his gift and you texted him saying that you were going to school early and that you’d just meet him there when you both usually got there. You knew the third years on the team practiced in the gym before school started and you wanted to get their opinions on the gift. You were talking about it with them before you decided on it so you wanted their final approval. Sure they weren’t friends with Kyotani but they spent the most time with him other than yourself of course. Besides who better to get advice on a custom volleyball than some volleyball players themselves?

You were in the middle of talking about the price, because Oikawa was considering getting one, when the door to the gym opened with a slam. You spun around quickly hiding the volleyball behind your back when you saw it was Kyotani. You were about to greet him when he started talking and angrily marching towards where you guys stood.

“I fuckin knew you were doing some shit behind my back.” He nearly screamed at you. You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion as you tried to talk but was immediately cut off before you could even start. “I mean how long did you think this whole secretive “trust me” bullshit would last? Someone told me you were cheating on me with one of the third years and I didn’t believe them because you were always spouting off with that “Do you trust me?” shit. I should’ve known better than to trust you, or anyone for that matter.”

You looked down at your feet as your eyes started to water, not wanting Kyotani to see you cry. Iwaizumi tried talking to him but was quickly yelled at, accused of being the one you were cheating on him with. Iwaizumi and Kyotani were in the middle of a yelling match when you interrupted them, shoving the ball into Kyotani’s chest who caught it before it fell to the ground.

“I was trying to get you a gift you asshole!” You screamed back at him. He examined the gift before looking back at you and opening his mouth before closing it again, trying to find something to say. “Save it you dick, I don’t wanna hear it. It’s easier to have people hate you than to try and get everyone to like you right? Mission accomplished, everyone officially hates you now.” You said with tears streaming down your face. You exited the gym before he could say anything and went home for the day. You texted your dad and asked if he would call the school and let them know you were sick, he agreed and asked what was wrong but you just said you’d explain when you got home.

Kyotani was staring at your gift after you left with furrowed eyebrows, and it was like it was staring back, mocking him. He looked up when Oikawa started to speak, “You know Y/n-chan worked very hard to get that for you.” He said with his arms crossed. “Yeah they worked hard at their dad’s restaurant to be able to get the money to buy that. It wasn’t cheap, they said it was about 14 thousand yen?” Matsukawa asked Hanamaki who nodded. “Yeah and they asked us for advice on what kind of volleyballs we use and what brand we think are the best. They really put a lot of thought into this gift.” Hanamaki continued to lecture Kyotani before Iwaizumi spoke up about the situation.

“Seriously you fucked up. They told you to trust them and you said you did. Then the first person that comes along and says “oh hey y/n’s cheating on you” you choose to believe that person instead of your partner who’s been by your side since what? Second year of middle school? You’re an idiot and you need to fix this because they may have said they hate you but I know that’s not true. So go fix it before they actually hate you.” When Iwaizumi was done scolding Kyotani he took off running to your house, not caring if he missed school.

He got to your house and knocked on the door, he was surprised when your dad answered the door and immediately closed it. He knocked again hoping your dad would open the door for him and he does, only to tell him to go away and close the door again. He desperately knocked again and when your dad opened the door this time he just sighed and said “What do you want?”

“Can I please talk to Y/n? I really messed up and I realize that now, it’s just everyone’s constantly telling me they’re going to leave me one day and I got scared that it was happening. I just want to make this right.” Kyotani practically begged and your dad just stared at him before saying “no” and closing the door again.

You looked at your dad from the couch after he closed the door and he sighed as he turned to you, “He sounds like he’s sorry and he means it, but I’d make him sweat it out before you talk to him. It’s up to you though kid.” With that he walked away to the kitchen to make you guys lunch. You thought about it for a second before deciding you’d do what your dad said and let him “sweat it out” as he said.

You and your dad spent the day watching movies and baking treats to take your mind off of things. It was after supper and you were helping your dad with the dishes when you glanced out of the window and saw Kyotani still sitting outside your door. You gasped which caused your dad to look outside as well. When your dad saw what you gasped at he chuckled at the sight, “Well he’s dedicated that’s for sure. I say go talk to him, I can handle the dishes by myself.”

You sighed as you mentally prepared yourself to talk to Kyotani and walked outside. He looked surprised as you sat down next to him but didn’t say anything. “I’m sorry.” He said after a minute passed. You scoffed in response, folding your arms over your knees and resting your head on your arms, facing away from him. “I was an idiot, I know. I feel really really bad, believe me I do. Everyone’s telling me that you’re too good for me and you’re going to leave me-”

“I know.” You said cutting him off, “I heard you tell it to my dad. I just wanna know why you didn’t trust me enough to not believe them. I don’t care about what other people think, Kyotani.” He winced as you called him by his last name rather than his given name. “I really care about you Kyotani, but you really hurt my feelings. I tell you constantly that I’m not just going to up and leave you because I know you’re different from what everyone else sees. Then you went and treated me like I was everyone else. You pushed me away.”

“I won’t do it again Y/n, I promise.” He pleaded. “Yeah but I don’t know that Kentaro.” You already made up your mind to give him one last chance, you just wanted to hear what he had to say. “But I do, I swear I won’t. Please, I don’t want to lose you. You’re the best thing that’s happened to me and I really don’t want to lose you.”

“Fine, I’ll give you one last chance. If something like this happens again I’m not giving you a third chance. You have to fully trust me and communicate with me. Don’t just assume because the first person you saw told you something that’s not true. Okay?” You finally turned your head to look at Kyotani and it looked like he was about to cry.

He nodded in agreement, “I promise I’ll trust you and talk to you if I have any doubts, which I won’t.” You gave him a soft smile and pulled him into a hug. “I love you Y/n.” He said as he nuzzled his head into your neck. “I love you too ‘Taro.”

[shoutaaizawas]

↳ keigo takami x fem!reader → ❝shiny things❞

summary: hawks has more bird-like tendencies than you initially thought. he likes to present you with odd items as gifts and finally you figure out why word count: 2,406 tags/warnings: fluff, hawks being a bird a/n: uhh i don’t know i love the bird man

sequel “preening”

masterlist

Dating Hawks was unusual for a list of reasons. He was a pro hero so that meant he was very busy, in the public eye, and couldn’t tell you everything. Then there was the way Hawks had been raised. After a while of dating, he trusted you enough to open up and tell you about his childhood. It shed a lot of light on the things he did in your relationship. But perhaps the least expected thing was his bird-like habits.

It wasn’t unusual for people with animal-like quirks the show similar traits to said animal. Selkie and Gang Orca came to mind although they looked more like their animal counterparts than Hawks did. Perhaps that was why you didn’t expect it from him.

At first, you thought he was joking. You had been dating for a while enough to know each other well enough to start to develop feelings. Hawks flew in to meet you for a coffee date in between work. The wind-blown hair and charming smile always made your heart skip a beat.

“Look what I found.” He said, his tone of voice sounded like an excited kid. He held out his hand present the shiny blue marble. You glanced up at him wondering if he was joking but he looked happy to present this offering. The last thing you wanted to do was hurt his feelings even if you didn’t quite understand.

“Wow, where’d you find this?” You asked taking it and holding it up in the light to examine it.

“I found it on patrol.” He said. “It was shining in the light and caught my eye. Don’t worry I washed it off.” He reassured. That almost made you laugh.

“It’s pretty.” You said. That wasn’t a lie, in its own way it was pretty but you could honestly say you had never met someone over the age of ten present a marble with such excitement.

“It’s for you.” He said with a smile that melted your heart. The sentiment wasn’t lost on you even if you were trying to wrap your head around it.

“Thank you, you’re too sweet.” You told him before pressing a kiss to his cheek.

The next time that happened you were more prepared for it. It was a perfect day, the sky was clear, and the weather cool. The salty breeze from the ocean filled the air around you as you walked hand in hand with your boyfriend. The sun was sinking into the horizon leaving a beautiful sunset.

Hawks spotted something, his eyes widening as he let go of your hand and rushed forward. He leaned down picking up something from the ground. Brushing it off he stood and returned to your side.

“Look!” He said in an excited voice holding his open hand up to you. You smiled at the way his wings fluttered in excitement behind him.

“What is it?” You asked putting one hand underneath his as you looked. There was a small shiny green object, it almost looked like a rock.

“It’s a piece of sea glass! It’s normal glass that ends up in the ocean, it takes like fifty years of tumbling around in the water to look like this.” He said. Looking at it, it was pretty. The frosted texture was unique you realized as you picked it up. He closed your hand over it. “Keep it.” He smiled.

You smiled at him sliding the sea glass in your pocket for safekeeping. This wasn’t the last time that he gave you an odd gift with a genuine spirit. You always smiled when he presented the items with pride and excitement, his feathers puffed up.

It was a night that you were spending with Hawks at his fancy apartment when things started to make more sense. You had made him dinner and were enjoying a bottle of wine now.

Hawks wasn’t a drinker but since you met him you had gotten him to like wine. It wasn’t unusual for you to share a bottle. It always amused you the pink tint on his cheeks and how relaxed he got.

The view from Hawks balcony was nice, a perfect city skyline. The love seat there was comfy and so was your position resting against Hawks, one of his winds draped around you keeping you close and protecting you from the cold night. The candles lit around you gave off a dim glow.

You looked at your empty glass and his. As much as you didn’t want to get up you did want more wine so you would have to sacrifice your comfort for a moment.

“Let me get you more.” You said taking his glass in your hand before standing up. He made a noise of complaint at the loss of contact.

“I can get it.” He said. You leaned forward pressing a kiss against his lips, your free hand grazing his cheek.

“Let me, relax here. I’ll be right back.” You said before walking into the apartment. You entered his nice kitchen grabbing the bottle on the counter. There was enough for one glass. You looked at the full bottle on the counter. It wouldn’t hurt to open up another, you could always save the rest if you didn’t finish it.

Opening a drawer you looked for the wine opener. This one had normal utensils in it. The one below it had towels. It was the third drawer down that was odd.

It was full of random items, rocks, stray earrings, buttons, and other odds and ends. It wasn’t your usual junk drawer. All of the items had a certain shine to them. Your mind was immediately pulled to the random things Hawks had presented to you so happily.

You let out a small gasp as it all clicked. He was a bird. Well, not literally but it seemed he shared more traits with the animal than you had originally guessed. Looking at all the items you knew that he cared for them enough to keep them in his house.

A smile met your lips thinking about how excited he always was as he handed you the shiny thing he had found. It was so sweet that he gave them to you instead of keeping it for his own collection. Had he even been keeping anything for himself since he met you?

Your heart felt full as you closed the drawer and looked for the wine opener. Hawks was already so sweet and somehow this odd quirk of his added on to it.

Returning to the balcony you sat down next to him handing him his glass before pulling him in for a deep kiss. Your free hand tangled in his feathers and you could feel him sigh against your lips.

“What was that for?” He questioned pulling back with pink cheeks and a content smirk.

“Nothing, I just really like you.” You smiled.

“Well, I really like you too.” He said before pulling you in for another kiss.

“So I gave her this shiny rock and she was so happy, I love the way she smiles when I give her stuff.” Hawks gushed about you to Mirko often. The rabbit hero was patient in listening to him but would often roll her eyes at how head over heels he was.

“Wait, so you’re telling me the kind of gifts you’ve been giving her are shiny rocks and marbles?” She questioned. “Please don’t tell me you’ve stolen french fries from tourists to give to her.” Hawks gave her a questioning look.

“I always give her the shiny stuff I find now.” He said.

“And she hasn’t dumped you?” She questioned with a raised eyebrow. “Wow, she must really like like you.”

“What do you mean?”

“A lot of girls like shiny things but they usually prefer bracelets, necklaces, rings, or even cars if you’re really trying to spoiler her. Maybe a designer pair of shoes or a purse.” She said thoughtfully. “Most girls would have left by now if they were given shiny debris from their boyfriend.”

Hawks stood there frozen trying to process what she was saying.

“Trust me, I get it, Hawks. The animal tendencies can be strong but you have to recognize them and adjust. Find a way to fill that urge but in a way that your partner will appreciate more.”

“I didn’t even realize it.” Hawks said in a quiet voice. “Oh no she’s probably hated all the stuff I’ve been giving her and has just been nice to me.” He groaned.

Mirko patted him on the shoulder.

“Happens to the best of us. I nibbled on my first crushes sleeve. There are some things you’ll never forget how embarrassing they were.” She sighed, staring off in her memory.

“That’s rough.” Hawks said. “I’m just glad you told me before she got too weirded out. I really like her, I don’t want to ruin it with her.”

“That’s what friends are for to help you with your blind spots.” She explained. “And Hawks, if she stuck around this long I don’t think you’re scaring her off with shiny marbles.” She teased.

Hawks felt so embarrassed. He had no relationship experience. His childhood had not been a normal one, he didn’t go to middle school or high school. He didn’t go on awkward dates or take someone to prom. It was uncharted territory. He never even intended on dating anyone his life was too complicated then he met you and every excuse he had to date someone was out the window.

He had to make it up to you, he had to explain himself but he was trying to figure out the best way to do that. He recalled you telling him a story about earrings that you had really wanted to buy once at a boutique on vacation but you had ended up not buying them for one reason or another. He had made note of that hoping to look for one similar to what you described but hadn’t gotten around to it.

Now was finally his time, surprisingly it wasn’t that hard to find something that matched your description. He hoped it was close enough for you. Hawks texted you asking if he could come over tonight when you were home and you agreed.

After patrol, he picked up your favorite take out and headed over to your place. He landed on the balcony walking in as you told him he could. You sat on the couch wearing a cute pair of sweatpants and a sweater.

“Hey, babe.” You said standing up and walking over to him, greeting him with a kiss.

“Hey, little bird.” He said returning the kiss.

“Is that what I think it is?” You questioned.

“Your favorite.” He smiled. The two of you sat down at the couch opening up the bag of food and digging in.

“What’s the special occasion?” You asked as you finished up your food.

“I wanted to talk.” He answered, immediately he saw you face drop. “Nothing bad, I promise.”

“Oh.” You sighed in relief.

“Actually I wanted to apologize.” He started, his wings looked tense.

“For what?” You asked with a raised eyebrow.

“The gifts I’ve given you, my friend pointed out that they’re weird and not something you should give your girlfriend.

“Hawks-” You tried to interrupt but he continued.

“I’m sorry, it’s just something I’ve done since I was a kid. I see something shiny and I take it, I’ve had a collection forever and I don’t know I never questioned it until Mirko pointed it out. I just would always get so excited when I saw stuff I kept it. When I started dating you I’d see something and I would think this is so pretty I have to share it with her, I don’t want to keep it to myself-”

“Hawks.” You said taking his hand in yours. “Don’t apologize. Look.”

He watched as you leaned to your coffee table grabbing the small box on it and setting it in between the two of you. Opening it he realized it was full of all the things he had given you.

“I’ll admit I was a little confused at first but even then I saw how happy you were and it was so cute. How could I deny or be upset about you giving me something that made you so happy.” You explained, brushing your hand over the piece of sea glass he gave you. “Eventually I figured it out, I saw the drawer at your place and I put it together. Honestly, the fact that you gave me these means far more than expensive jewelry would mean to me.”

Hawks stared at you in disbelief. How had he ever found someone as amazing as you? He fought the tears that threatened to well up in his eyes. You had understood him without him ever having to explain.

“Actually, I just remembered.” You said standing up and moving to your purse by the door. You looked through it for a moment before finding what you were looking for. Sitting down you held your hand out presenting a shiny vintage key. “I saw this today at a little store I stopped at on my break. I don’t know if it will fit into your collection but-”

Before you could even finish your sentence Hawks had nearly tackled you into a kiss. His arms wrapped around you pulling you close as his wings fluttered. He pulled back looking into your eyes.

“I love you.” The words came out before he could stop them. He already felt so much for you but this had pushed it over the edge.

“Keigo, I-I love you too.” You returned not expecting anything that had just happened.

“I got you a gift, a proper gift this time.” He said reaching into his pocket. “The earrings you talked about, I hope they are close enough to the ones you wanted.”

“Keigo, they’re perfect.” You said pulling him in for another kiss. “Thank you.”

Hawks was more than just a pretty face and you had seen through that. Getting to know him, the real him, not the person the media presented or the child that had been raised into a weapon, was something you had enjoyed. Not only did you get to know the real Hawks but you had fallen deeply in love with him, bird traits, and all.

taglist:  @sugarmaplewings-fics @lilkiwisfinest @ewwis @kandy1410 @moonlightaangel @winnies-headcannons @bakugousidehoe @paintedr0ses1 @toobsessedsstuff @spellboundxizi @ourladyofseijoh  @x0doodlebug0x @katsushimaa @mooncademia

[anonymousfiction211]

Steamy reunion

Summary: You are an undercover S.H.I.E.L.D.-agent, when Loki (your boyfriend) is caught and brought into the hellcarrier. It is your job to interrogate the God of Mischief, but he has other plans for you reunion. 

Word count: 2.135 words

Warnings: Smut!

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Hope you like it :). If you have any other ideas for me to write, don’t be afraid to contact me. 

Steamy reunion Loki smiled at you when he walked by. There were two guards on either side of him, who were escorting him back to his cell. They failed to notice the little wave Loki made with his cuffed hands. In your head you scolded Loki for being so careless if anyone saw here or later on the security tape your cover would be blown. After all, everyone just thought you were a Midgardian agent of their organisation, S.H.I.E.L.D. it was called. It stood for Supreme Homeland International Espionage Law-Enforcement Division. A ridiculous name for an organisation. You always expected that they chose the acronym first and made up some words to make it sound like they thought it through. You tried to hide a smile as your boyfriend was escorted back. You knew he was thinking about killing the two guards with just a flick of his hand, trying to impress you. He always liked it when you were impressed by him, and Loki is a very impressive being.

When he was out of your sightline you focused your attention back to the file before you. You were the one that was going to interrogate Loki. He had planned it all out. After your ‘interrogation’ you would leave the cell open for him. At that moment, some archer was going to stir up the hellcarrier, he would meet you outside on the landing strip. He hadn’t told you anything else, he told you it was in case you were discovered. But you knew, he liked the be the only one who knew what was going on. He only told people what they needed to follow his instruction, but his plan was always a secret. Agent Hill approached you ‘Are you ready?’ she asked. You nodded and followed her through the hallway to Loki’s cell. It was a round glass cell, with only a small bench in the back. Loki was sitting on the bench, with an amused smile on his face as you and agent Hill entered the room. In front of the cell stood a control panel, you glanced at it. On to of the buttons was a description about what the button does, which was going to your next instruction very easy to complete.

Agent Hill gave you a few rules to follow. Like, staying away from the glass and not entering Loki’s cell. After she made sure you got it she left. There were no guards present, meaning they clearly had faith in the cell they build. When agent Hill left you turned around and saw Loki already advancing at you. He stopped right before you, the thick glass separating the two of you. His stance was dominant and he had a certain hunger in his eyes. ‘Open the door, love’ he said in a low voice. There weren’t many situations where you had the upper hand. Loki was stronger, faster, and used his powers to stay one step ahead of everyone. So, right now you couldn’t resist your chance to tease him a little bit. ‘I’m afraid that I’m under clear instructions from agent Hill not to open the door’ you said as seriously as you could. Loki looked confused for a second, but then you saw the playful twinkle in his eyes. ‘I’m going to get out either way. You can be on my good side or on my bad side. And you know what happens to bad girls, don’t you?’ he said with his velvet voice.

You couldn’t help but shiver at his words. Your head filled with images of what Loki had done with you over the last year. The God of Mischief, the silvertongue, certainly lived up to his name in the bedroom. ‘I need to figure out the systems first’ you whispered to him. ‘You insult me, darling. I already took care of that’ he faked an insulting expression. ‘Now open the door and come in here, I won’t ask again’ he said sternly. You went to the control room and pushed the button marked ‘open door’ and the door of Loki’s cell slid open. Loki watched every step you took towards the open door. The moment you stepped inside his cell he stalked towards you. It only took him a few steps. He stood very close in front of you. You looked up at him and he down at you. He grabbed one of your cheeks and closed the distance to your lips. You felt his breath on your skin as he ghosted over your lips with his. ‘Well done, love’ he said before kissing you deeply. When he broke the kiss, he chuckled when he heard you whine slightly.

‘Did you miss me?’ he asked you. ‘With everything I’m. It took a lot of self-control when they first brought you in to not come looking for you’ you told him. ‘Had fun here on Midgard?’ he purred. He knew that you hadn’t. As him, you also thought Midgardians were weak creatures. He just laughed at your scolded expression. He grabbed both your cheeks and pulled you in for a deep kiss again. You felt his tongue slip out and you immediately opened your mouth to give him access. Your tongues danced around each other and you couldn’t help but moan a little into the kiss. Loki broke the kiss when both of you needed air. ‘I missed you’ he said while putting his forehead against yours. ‘I missed you too’ you said back. His hands grabbed your and he pulled them to his chest. ‘I have to go now, I see you outside in about half an hour’ you whispered. You took a step back, intending on leaving, but Loki pulled you close against him. ‘Change of plans’ he grinned at you.

Before you could register what was happening his tongue was in your mouth. Eagerly, you widened your mouth to give him better access. You moaned into the kiss, it had been so long that you were able to touch each other. Your hands started to roam his body. You were starting to get frustrated by the many layers of clothing he had on. Loki chuckled he broke the kiss and took the hem of your t-shirt to put it over your head. He threw the shirt on the ground behind him and stopped to stare at your breasts. His pupils were so wide you almost couldn’t see his eye colour. His hands slowly started to caress your breasts at the edge of your dark green bra. You began to blush under his gaze. His hands went to the middle of your bra and he pulled at the little golden snake which hang there. He turned his gaze back to you and you had never seen him look so feral.

He unclipped your bra and immediately unbuttoned your pants. Within seconds you were naked and he pushed you against the glass. He started to devour your mouth, leaving you breathless. You started to unclip his leather tunic and he started to help you to make it go faster. His lips never left yours. When he was naked you pushed him back slightly. ‘Do we have time for this?’ you asked him. Loki was quite insatiable and sex with him always included lots of foreplay, multiple rounds and he could last a very long time. ‘There is always time for this’ Loki said. His hands found your waist and he lifted you up against the glass. Your legs wrapped around his waist and you felt his erection against your clit. He slowly started to grind into you, making you wetter by the second. ‘Loki’ you whined, needing him inside of you. ‘Patience, love. After a few days everything will change for us’ he whispered in your ear. He nipped at your earlobe, making you moan loudly.

Loki was leaving hickeys and marks all over your neck and chest. After you regained your senses you asked him ‘What do you mean?’. Loki laughed darkly. ‘That means…when I have this world… I can do whatever I want’ he whispered between his groans. ‘And what I want… more than anything… is you’ he said. ‘So, that’s your plan?’ you asked slightly out of breath. The tip of his erect cock was teasing your entrance. He slowly brought you down on his cock, impaling you against the glass. ‘Oh my god’ you gasped when you felt him entering you. Loki just grinned smuggle and started a very slowly thrusting in and almost out of you. ‘The plan is a bit more complicated than that’ he said. Your hands went to his hair and you tugged slightly on them, earning you a small moan from Loki. His picked up the pace slightly, your walls were slowly getting sensitive. But it would never be enough to send you over the edge, he was going to slow for that. ‘First, we escape this plane’ he started to explain. His mouth found one of our nipples and he started to circle it with his tongue. When you were panting enough to his liking he released your breast and started to leave open mouth kisses on your throat.

‘Then, we will go to Stark tower’. He picked up the pace of his thrusting again and you were starting to moan louder. ‘I will open a worm hole and my army will come out and defeat these so-called heroes’ he sneered. One of his hands found your clit and he started to draw circles on it fast. ‘Loki, oh my god, don’t stop’ you begged him. Loki just grinned wickedly ‘Normally, I would love to play with you more. But since we are on bit of a deadline…’ He pulled out of you and sat you down. You whined at the loss of feeling inside of you. Loki winked and got down on his knees. Before you could ask what he was doing his tongue was on your clit and two fingers slid inside of you. He was working you into a frenzy. ‘Come for me’ he growled. The vibration of his voice that shot through your clit sends you over the edge. You came loudly screaming his name and your knees started to buck. Loki grabbed your hips and pulled you down towards him. ‘On all fours’ he commanded you sternly. You quickly obeyed him.

You felt him shuffle behind you and he grabbed your hips so hard, you knew there would be bruises tomorrow. But you didn’t care about that, you were too excited for what was to come. This time he didn’t take it slow, he quickly entered you and was fucking you like an animal. You stretched your arms out and lowered your upper body. Loki didn’t relent and started to leave bite marks against your shoulder blades. The only thing you could do was moan and let Loki fuck you, like he wanted. Not that you were complaining. ‘You know what I’m going to do after that?’ he asked. You didn’t answer him, but just moaned loudly instead. You were slightly sliding back and forth, because of his hard thrusting. ‘I’m going to rule… this planet with their… pathetic mortals’ he spat. His fingers dugged deeper into your hips, which made you cry out in pain and pleasure simultaneously. ‘You shall be my queen’ he grunted. ‘And every morning and every night I will fuck you senseless’ he went on. ‘We will get everything we deserve’. Loki’s hand snaked around your stomach and found one of your breasts. He started to massage it. The pleasure became to overwhelming and you were clenching his cock slightly, trying to hold off your orgasm as best as you could. ‘Loki, please’ you begged him. His upper body was on yours, he slowed his pace a bit and started to whisper in your ear. ‘You will rule by my side, together we will make something of this planet. And you will obey my every command, won’t you?’ he asked you. ‘God, yes, Loki, yes’ you screamed out. ‘Then come for you King’ he commanded. Your orgasm shot through you and your vision blurred a little. After a few thrusts you felt Loki groan loudly and his seed spilled inside of you.

He slowly pulled out of you and sat down against the glass wall. You turned around and saw his hands open for you. You sat down on his lap and curled yourself against him, nuzzling your face in the crook of his neck. He gave you a soft kiss on the top of your head. ‘I can’t wait to rule by your side’ you whispered to him. He held you tightly against him ‘You will be an amazing queen’ he whispered back. Loki just caressed you for a few moments until you heard him sigh. ‘I’m afraid you really should get going now’. You got up from his lap and started to search for your clothes. You put on your underwear and pants. Before you could grab your bra from the ground Loki beat you to it. ‘I don’t think I’ve seen this one before’ he smirked at you. He stood up and you rolled your eyes when you saw he had dressed himself with his seidr. ‘That’s not fair’ you said while trying to get the bra back. ‘Tsk, no, darling. I’m keeping this one’ he said while winking at you. You felt a blush starting to form on your cheeks. His smile widened when he saw it, he loved to make you blush. You put on your shirt and walked out of the cell. Loki walked besides you and grabbed you for a deep kiss. He let go of you and opened the doors for you. Right before you walked through he slapped your ass ‘See you in five minutes, my queen’ he purred while you walked outside of the room.

Tags: @delightfulheartdream​

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[heliads]

Hostage Situation

When Y/N L/N is kidnapped by Peter Pan to serve as a hostage and coerce her kingdom into leaving Neverland alone, she can only laugh. The mutual hatred between her and Pan, however, may lose its fire after a while.

masterlist

Your feet tread methodically around the grounds. You loop around the castle, walking past scraggly bushes and dying trees, eyes occasionally flickering to the large mountains in the distance. Your mother and father keep an impressive castle, but their focus rarely extends to the upkeep of the grounds themselves. Kings and Queens don’t exactly bother themselves with gardening- that will fall to the servants or, when you’ve managed to bore yourself enough, you.

Technically, you should be back in the castle. You are a princess, after all, and princesses rarely roam about the grounds in dirty, faded boots that have walked more miles than the most experienced of messengers. This being said, you’re not sure anyone will spare you enough thought to care. You may be a princess, but only in blood and title. Anything else must be fought for, and you’ve given up such pastimes long ago.

You suppose you’re still musing over this, which is why you don’t see the shadow swooping down over you until it’s too late. By the time you feel the uncanny stillness, or notice that an unusual darkness has swarmed around you, the shadow’s eerily human arms have wrapped around you, and your feet are already lifting from the ground. You struggle, but it is in vain, and soon you’re watching trees and rivers pass miles below you. You lock eyes with the shadow being, but its glowing white gaze betrays nothing but an emotionless urge to complete orders. Wherever you’re going, someone is waiting for you, someone who is controlling this shadow.

This realization troubles you more than you like. You don’t much like the idea of being taken somewhere, and you’re not about to just sit around and let it happen. You wait until the shadow swoops low over a rolling set of hills, and begin to fight back with renewed vigor. Although your blows tend to sink through the only somewhat corporeal shadow, you manage to stun it enough that it drops you. You fall through the air, catching yourself in the boughs of trees and scrambling down. 

Your feet pound on the dirt as you sprint away from the shadow, but even this effort is useless. It appears out of nowhere in front of you, and as you skid to a stop it raises its hands and a wave of shadow rushes from it. The darkness pools around you like ink, rising to swallow you whole. You can only see one last thing before the darkness engulfs you completely: the white beacons of light that are the shadow’s eyes. Then there is nothing to see at all, and you can feel yourself falling to the ground.

When you wake up again, you find yourself lying down. You’ve been propped up against a tree, and when you open your eyes, you realize you’re in the middle of a forest. It’s a different forest than the one you were just in, and at a different time of day. The shadow must have continued the journey while you were still unconscious. You shiver slightly at the thought- wherever you are, it won’t be good. You move to sit up, but a wave of dizziness yawns open in your stomach and you lean back once more. You go to steady yourself, but your hands don’t move- they’ve been tied together with rough rope.

You had done your best to stay silent, but it’s not like you’re alone. Across the clearing, about a dozen or more boys dressed in robes of faded brown dance around a campfire. An almost maniacal glee spreads across each of their faces as they whirl and jump around, dancing to the haunting sound of a flute. The music stops after a second, but the boys continue dancing. You shiver slightly, then straighten up as a new boy approaches you. This one is dressed not in the russet tones of the others, but instead a dark, forest green. He must be their leader.

He crouches down in front of you, eyes gleaming with triumph. “Welcome, princess.” You raise an eyebrow at his tone. “An interesting welcome, sure. Nothing says fun like ropes and a kidnapping.” The boy just chuckles. “It wasn’t like you made it easy for us.” You shrug, eyes wandering away from the boy to skim the trees surrounding you. An idea is starting to click into place in your head. There’s a story you heard once, from a traveling merchant. There was an island deep in the ocean, full of boys who never seemed to grow old. They were led by one in particular, one boy who could make grown men shiver in their boots.

Your attention snaps back to the boy. Now you really look at him, at his knife-sharp grin and the cool confidence he wears like a glove. His smirk widens as if he can read your mind. “Do you know where you are, love?” You sigh, leaning your head back against the tree in exasperation. “Let me guess, I’m on Neverland.” The boy spread his hands as if in pride, and you resist the urge to groan.

If this is Neverland, then the boy in front of you must be Peter Pan. And you have heard enough about Peter Pan to know that any hour spent with this devil of a boy will be absolute hell.

Pan notices the realization sink into the girl’s eyes. She must have heard of him, he assumes, or she wouldn’t be looking at him like that. However, unlike the other visitors, there isn’t a shred of fear in her gaze. No, she just looks like she’s been dealt an unfortunate round of cards, rather annoyed instead of outright afraid. Pan’s not sure how he feels about that.

Y/N considers the rope tying her wrists. “Well, Peter, are you going to untie me or just let me stew here for a while?” Pan frowns. “It’s Pan. And no, you may be a princess but that doesn’t mean we’re all going to bow to you whenever you ask. There’s only one monarch in Neverland, and I’m afraid that title belongs to me. You’ll have to sit tight until they find out you’re missing.” Y/N scoffs, and then her eyes grow alight with suppressed laughter. “Wait- I think I know why I’m here. You’re trying to use me as a hostage.”

Y/N laughs even harder now, and Pan frowns. “I’m not sure why that’s funny. Your kingdom has been infringing upon my waters for a long time now. I intend to stop them.” Y/N shakes her head, doing her best to bite back a grin. “No, I get it. Great motive, but I’m afraid you chose the wrong hostage.” She fixes him with a cool look, finally keeping her laughter in check. “I’ve been kidnapped a couple of times before. Trust me, they won’t come for me. Not the guards, not my parents. I’m not useful to them.”

Pan frowns, curious despite himself. “What do you mean, you’re not useful to them?” Y/N shrugs. “The reason my parents became the King and Queen is because they were able to channel the power of my ancestors. Every monarch in my kingdom uses some magical artifact to gain increased strength, life, wisdom, you name it. The only problem is that it doesn’t work with me, so I’ve ceased to be a worry to them. I can’t use magic at all- not for them, not for you. You can hold me on this island for as long as you want, but it won’t work. They’re not coming after me.”

The words are light, spoken with the last traces of a laugh, but Pan still feels his stomach clench with some unnameable emotion. Maybe Y/N is meant to be a Lost Girl, maybe she’s more lost than any of them. This though alone fills him with loathing. If she’s a Lost Girl, then she’s supposed to stay on the island, even beyond her sentence as a hostage. Pan, however, is fairly sure that he doesn’t want to see this girl longer than a second. She had better be wrong about her parents, because Pan is certain that he’s going to end up killing her before the guards arrive on the shores of Neverland to rescue her.

You wake early, just before dawn begins to stain the tops of the trees with the light of morning. You stand up, stretching, and glance around the clearing. The Lost Boys appear to have gone to sleep, Pan included. They’ve left you alone for now, but you have no doubt that they’re still watching. Besides, it’s not like it would matter anyway- there’s nowhere for you to go. You’re on an island, after all, and there’s no way you could swim far enough to reach another nation’s shores.

Careful not to make a sound, you meander over to the campfire. Your hopes are proven correct when you spy a knife lying abandoned in the dirt. You pick it up, beginning to saw away at your ropes as you walk out of the clearing. You toss the cut ropes behind you, tucking the knife into your boot just in case. On an island like this, you never know when you might need a weapon.

You end up walking for about ten minutes before you get the feeling that you’re being watched. You roll your eyes. “I know you’re there, you can come out now.” One second you’re alone, and the next you’re being shoved up against a tree, an arm against your throat to stop you from moving. “You know, I’m fairly sure escaping prisoners aren’t supposed to call out to their jailers.” You scoff, pushing Pan’s arm away from you. “I appreciate the concern, Peter, but I’m not trying to escape. I’m just having a good time exploring the forest.”

You can see Pan’s eyes darken when you use his first name, but he ignores the jibe. “Who said I care about your wellbeing? I’m just making sure that you aren’t getting any ideas about an escape.” You give him a look, continuing on along the trails of the forest. “Anyone stuck on an island with you would think about escape.” He just chuckles, walking alongside you. “Tell that to my Lost Boys. They’ve chosen to leave the world behind to live on Neverland.” You smirk at him. “And what a sorry, sorry choice they’ve made.” He glares at you, but you just grin.

If you’re going to have to stay on this accursed island, you at least intend to enjoy yourself. 

Y/N wakes up every morning to walk the island. Pan’s not sure why she bothers- there’s nowhere for her to go. Yet every dawn she wakes like clockwork, opening her eyes and beginning her wanderings. Pan has wondered if she’s awoken by nightmares, and that’s why she gets up so early, but if she’s plagued by night terrors Y/N is very good at hiding it. She doesn’t seem concerned at all, just keen to see the forest. Pan’s long since given up on the binding ropes- she just finds some way to remove them. 

Pan’s watching his Lost Boys practice fighting when he senses another pair of eyes watching the sparring boys. He glances up to see Y/N, half hidden among the trees. Her gaze is glued to the boys, and he can almost picture her dissecting every move. There was an opening, when John stumbled, there was an opportunity, when Devin swung too low. Pan’s never heard of a princess that could fight, but if there ever was one, he’s sure that it would be her. Y/N lacks many of the key characteristics of a princess- charm being one of them. He wouldn’t be surprised if she could hold her own in a fight.

After the match ends with a triumphant Devin raising his fists to the sky, Pan steps forward. Instantly, the eyes of the Lost Boys all flash to him, including Y/N’s. He doesn’t speak that often, usually allowing Felix to lead classes. When he does have something to say, the Lost Boys tend to listen. Pan gestures for Y/N to step out of the grove of trees. “Well, princess, care to join the ring? Or are you all talk as we thought?”

She laughs, but Pan can see the glint of a challenge rising in her eyes. Y/N steps forward, and Pan points out a Lost Boy to act as her opponent. “Nick, I’d usually tell you to not rough her up too bad, but to be honest, I think we all want to see her get punched.” Y/N smirks. “If that’s true, why don’t you come down here and fight me yourself?” It’s a challenge, certainly, but Pan speaks before it can gain traction with the Lost Boys. “I’d never dirty my hands fighting someone like you.” Y/N, wisely, says no more, and shifts into a fighting stance opposite Nick.

To be honest, Pan does have to feel bad for the guy. No matter what he tries, Y/N throws him away like he’s nothing. She blocks his attacks, she punches and kicks and basically tears the guy to shreds. It would be humiliating were it not for the fact that Y/N is so obviously better than anyone on this island except for Pan and maybe Felix. Y/N flashes Pan a grin, extending a hand lightly coated in blood that does not belong to her. “Want to send another Lost Boy into the ring, or have you accepted the fact that I’m not going down easily?” Pan returns her smile. “I think I’m good.” And maybe, he just might be okay with all of this.

You’re relaxing by the campfire in the morning when you first hear the sounds of running footsteps. After that fight with Nick (although fight isn’t exactly the right word for it, maybe instead you could call it a bloodbath), the other Lost Boys accepted you immediately. Even Peter seems to approve of you now, and you catch him smiling softly at you across a clearing when he thinks you can’t see. You’re not sure why you notice, or why you keep thinking about it, but you’re fairly sure he shouldn’t linger behind your eyes as long as he does.

You look up at the swiftly approaching pair of Lost Boys, expecting to see them collapse in laughter, but the boys instead look worried, faces drawn with anxiety. You stand up, suddenly tense. What could make these boys look so nervous? They run over to Peter, practically tripping over themselves in an attempt to make it to their leader. Even from here, you can hear their words. “Guards- a ship full- the king and queen- they’re attacking us.”

You can see Peter’s face freeze. He speaks to them quickly. “They were flying the flags of Y/N’s kingdom? You’re sure of it?” They nod. “They’re pouring down the beaches now. They’ll be here any second.” Peter curses under his breath, calling to the rest of the boys to grab weapons and defend the camp. You race over to him. “I can fight. Give me a weapon.” Peter stares at you. “You’d fight against your parents?” You nod. “They’re not here for me, they’re here for the magic on the island. Trust me, they wouldn’t come all this way if they didn’t think they could get something out of it.”

Peter’s brow furrows as he realizes what you’re saying. “You think that’s why they’re here?” You nod. “There’s no other reason. I’ve been kidnapped before, they never came. They’re not here for me.” You repeat, and Peter’s jaw clenches. “Get a sword, you can fight with the others.” He starts to move away, then steps back to you. “And Y/N? Stay safe.” You nod, returning the assurance of safety. Then the two of you run your separate ways, each desperate to save the island that’s somehow become your home in a matter of weeks.

You pull on a hooded cloak so the guards can’t recognize you. You can’t take the chance that they’d try to bring you back to the ship, not when you’re supposed to be fighting for Neverland. Your sword moves in a never-stopping arc, cutting through armor and slicing the soldiers like the warriors of old. At last, you pause for a second, noting that the situation on the beach has cleared. Yet you don’t see your parents, even though the Lost Boys said they were here. A chill rises in your throat as you realize what must be happening, and you turn and race back to the camp. Back to Peter.

Sure enough, your parents have found him. They’re using all of their magic against him, doing their best to take him down. Peter is strong, far stronger than either of them. Yet the two of them and additional guards against one Lost Boy isn’t a fair fight, even if it’s against Peter. Your heart is pounding in your throat. You’re going to have to make a decision, one you promised yourself you’d never have to make. 

You fling your arms up, and a wall of magic slams into your parents. They crumple to the ground along with the guards and lie there, unmoving. You can tell that they’re still breathing, albeit slowly. Peter’s gaze flashes from the suddenly unconscious guards to you, who stands there still, breathing heavily. Your arms are still raised from the burst of magic, and you lower them slowly. His gaze seems to burn right through you, and you begin to speak quickly, desperate to say something, anything, to stop the cutting look in his eyes.

“They never saw me, their backs were turned. We can get them onto the ships and away. They’ll think it was you, that you were too powerful for them. They won’t return. They won’t know about me.” Peter steps forward, but your feet feel leaden in your boots. You’re not sure you could move if you tried. His voice is quiet. “You do have magic.” You nod hesitantly. “I didn’t want them to know. I knew if they found out they would use me as a weapon, and I didn’t want to live as their blade.”

Understanding begins to dawn in Peter’s eyes. “You didn’t need the artifacts because you already had power of your own. You were smart to hide it from them.” His brow furrows again, confusion sweeping over him. “Why would you show me? Why would you trust me?” You look away. “You let me into your island, into the Lost Boys, without knowing about my powers for a second. I served no use to you, not even as a hostage. You didn’t want me here because of how I could help you, you wanted me here because of who I was. That’s why.”

Peter’s quiet for a second, and you begin to think that you’ve said too much. “They’ll probably find out after a while. I can board another ship, make my way back to the Enchanted Forest. They won’t bother you if I leave.” Peter says nothing, and you almost fear that he won’t say anything at all. That he’ll let you leave without another word, too wounded over this lie. Then his hand is on your cheek, guiding your eyes back to him, and he kisses you.

He kisses you for a second, then breaks away. His face is inches from yours, his breath hot on your cheeks. “I’m not letting them take you. Not now, not ever. I don’t want you to leave, Y/N. You’ve been a Lost Girl since the day you arrived and I can’t let you go because you want to protect us.” A small smile quirks at the corners of your lips. “What happened to there only being one monarch on the island?” Peter laughs quietly. “I’ll make an exception for you.”

[violettelueur]

— JUJUTSU KAISEN EPISODE SIX || AFTER RAIN

↳ featuring : fushiguro megumi + kugisaki nobara + zenin maki + inumaki toge + panda from jujutsu kaisen

↳ warnings : mention of death + EXTREME grammar issues

↳ form : story

↳ published : 25 february

↳ pronouns : she/her

↳ word count : 2.6k

↳ synopsis : within the jujutsu world, there were three famous clans to be aware of, the Kamo clan, Zenin clan and the Gojo clan. However, unknown to many sorcerers there was one last family that was known to be apart of the three, only for them to disappear after the golden era leading some to speculate that they had died in battle after the sealing of ryomen sukuna, but....

↳ previous episode : curse womb must die II

↳ next episode : assault 

↳ barista’s notes : hey hey hey~ let me admit, i have no idea how to write the next episode since you don’t see anyone in them except for gojo and itadori (domain expansion episode) ʕ ᵒ ᴥ ᵒʔ so i might have to improvise something now...BUT there’s nothing much happening in this episode, so i hope you still enjoy it even when there is no action or anything interesting going on ʕ •ᴥ•ʔゝ☆

BEFORE READING, I NEED YOU TO BE AWARE OF THIS:

1. the whole story belongs to Gege Akutami and the credits go to them and them only

2. the spell curses used belong to Tite Kubo due to them being the ‘Kidos’ being used on the manga and anime ‘Bleach’ - but none is mentioned in this chapter

2.5 for the ‘cursed spells’/kidos (bleach) i will link this video here and tell you the time stamp to check out what i am intending to show - remember i add a few twist here and there by adding the katana to link with Y/N’s cursed technique 

no cursed spells used this episode...

3. if you are confused on anything, please don’t hesitate to message me since i know this whole thing is so confusing

“We’re in!” Fushiguro and Kugisaki simultaneously answered with determined looks on their faces before turning back to look at you, waiting for your answer.

Letting out a sigh of frustration, you knew that you had no way out of this since they looked so motivated for you to join, even if you disagreed with them.

“This is such a drag, but fine, I’ll join in too,” you replied with a small smile on your face leading them to nod at you before turning back to your seniors.

“But if I decided this training and exchange event is pointless, I’m quitting instantly,” Kugisaki mentioned.

“Same here,” Fushiguro commented, causing you to kick both of them on the back much to their surprise.

“So you drags make me do this event, only for you to dip when it’s pointless for you, besides I heard there are some interesting sorcerers in the Kyoto side, so prepare yourselves,” you stated before stepping down the few steps you were in front of before standing between them.

“Well, people this cocky are all more worthwhile to train,” Panda mentioned with his arms folded with a determined look on his face.

“Bonito flakes,” Inumaki said in a softer tone.

Looking up to the sky, you couldn’t help but brisk in the sunlight that was shining lightly down upon you, leading you to raise your hand over your face in order to not be blinded.

‘I wonder how I’m going to hide from this one now?’

                                                   ꕥ

“You’re late, Megumi,” Zenin obviously mentioned, as her head was turned with what seemed like to be a wooden combat pole in her hand as it casually leaned against her shoulder.

“Kelp,” Inumaki stated, as he was sitting on the ground, also having his head turned to look at the Shikigami user, ignoring what seemed to be a race between Kugisaki and Panda going on behind him.

“What were you doing?” Maki asked curiously, as Fushiguro made his way down the stone steps towards his upperclassman while zipping up his blue track top.

“What does it matter?” Fushiguro then questioned, not giving the weapon-wielder sorcerer a clear answer since he thought there was no need sharing the fact that he went to visit the mother of the man (that Itadori want to save) that had been killed by the special-grade curse back at Eushi Detention Centre to pay his condolences.

“Zenin-senpai...what kinds of people do you want to save as a jujutsu sorcerer?” Fushiguro queried, as he processed to stare down upon the ground trying to hide his emotions to compose his stoic nature, causing the mentioned sorcerer to turn her head once again to look at the other student.

“Huh? It’s not like I care if my actions save anyone,” Zenin answered in a matter-of-fact tone, causing Fushiguro to look to the side with an ‘I’m done’ expression.

“I shouldn’t have asked,” Fushiguro muttered in a lowered tone, leading Zenin to instantly become annoyed as she eyed at the erratic-haired boy with instant irritations in her eyes as well as expression.

Suddenly…

“FUSHIGURO! Quit asking interview prep questions! Switch with me! I’m sick of these school uniforms! Let me go buy some cute tracksuits!” Kugisaki shouted in a fit of rage, as she was strangely spun around in a dizzy circle like she was at a funfair circus as a clueless gymnast before being thrown in the air by Panda.

“What are those two doing?” Fushiguro confusingly asked as he watched the amusing sight process while his classmate landed on the floor.

“Falling practice!” Panda announced as he pointed his finger in the air like what he was doing was obviously.

“Mustard leaf,” Inumaki stated as if to confirm Panda’s answer, as he too looked at the ridiculous scene.

“You’re both weak in close quarters, after all,” Panda stated, as he informed his younger classmen on why what he was doing, made sense to the training that he had planned.

“By the way, where is Y/N? She was with you when you both left to do whatever you were doing,” Zenin questioned, as she looked around the area behind her to see if you were there since she did miss your presence the last time you both met.

“She said she needed to go somewhere important, but will be back as quick as possible,” Fushiguro recalled, as he remembers after you both met with Tadashi’s mother, you informed him that you had to go somewhere for the time being, but didn’t tell him where you were exactly heading off to.

“That’s fine, I guess,” Maki replied back as she processed to swing around the wooden pole she had in her hand with such grace and accuracy before continuing with, “if what that idiot Gojo said to us about her is true, she could beat all of us in an instant, she’ll probably be perfect in the individual’s battle,”.

“Okay, land a blow on us,” Zenin stated, with her palm out, as if inviting Fushiguro to attack her.

                                                ꕥ

“I’m here, mother”

As of right now, you were holding a small bouquet of a beautiful arrangement of blue hydrangeas paired with white roses with some incense sticks in one hand, while the other was holding a wooden tub filled with water with a wooden ladle as well as a plastic white bag with items you quickly brought from the corner store causing you to quickly place your items down before leaving the delicate bouquet in a safe area.

Digging through the white plastic bag, you pulled out a cloth before removing the stubborn tags that refused to be taken off as you processed to soak the material before beginning to wipe down the marble gravestone that towered you as your crouched down before cleaning the vase that you had also brought from the corner store - yet you were surprised at the fact there were no weeds to be pulled.

After you had quickly clean the gravestone, you picked up the incense sticks in their rightful holder before lighting them up with a match (that you also brought from the store) before carefully removing the paper that held the flowers to gently place the floral plants in the same neat arrangement in the now cleaned vase.

Making sure the china vase was placed in the middle, you grabbed the wooden ladle that was in the wooden bucket, making sure it had enough water before standing back up on your feet to pour the clear liquid over the grave as you then placed the ladle back into the bucket.

Placing your hands together in prayer, before internally thanking your mother for protecting you as well as expressing your gratitude for her.

“They’re your favourite flowers right?” you gently asked, as you stared down at the flowers that were beautifully sitting in the vase. “Those were really expensive you know, I wonder how you were able to buy them so often without any regrets,” you muttered with a small smile before crouching back down as if you were going to look eye to eye with the gravestone like your mother was going to be sitting in front of you.

“I've been found…but...I wasn’t as bad as I suspected, the people at Jujutsu Tech are such drags but they’re really nice people,” you expressed, as you continued with, “I’m sorry I took so long to visit, you know Sendai to Tyoko is a really long journey, technically that’s both our faults since we agreed that we wanted to rest in Tokyo if we did pass,”.

Looking at the marble stone in front of you, you could see the thin smoke of incense that was slowly swirling into the air, as if it was trying to hypnotise you with its graceful movements. However, even though you knew you had to get back to Jujutsu Tech as quick as you could, you couldn’t help but utter a few more words to your late mother.

“I miss you mum”

                                                ꕥ

“Ah- am I late?”

At this current moment in time, it seemed like training had taken a pause since everyone was seated somewhere close to the stone stairs that lead the way down to the track field.

“Where were you? I needed you to train Megumi more,” Zenin asked, as you carefully made your way down the stairs with another white plastic bag in hand before making your way to your upperclassmen with one hand holding each handle, leaving an opening that was large enough to let her have a view on the contents inside.

“Sorry, I was visiting someone, but I got you guys some refreshments since I know you all were going to be tired by the time I came. Oh! The orange juice is mine by the way,” you mentioned, as you swiftly grabbed the orange carton from the bag as if someone was going to steal it if you didn’t.

Smiling at you, Zenin leaned away from the tree bark to see what she could choose from the bag, before reaching in, to grab that bottle of water as her choice before you processed to hold the bag around for everyone to get a pick on what beverage they wanted before you took a seat on the steps between Fushiguro and Inuamki.

“Where’s Kugisaki?” you asked in curiosity, as you looked around the fielded area only to not find your classmate leading Fushiguro to explain to you that she went out to buy a tracksuit since she didn’t have one, causing you to realise that you probably needed to change later but for now, you didn’t find being in your school uniform since the slit on the side of your long skirt, made it easier to move as well as deal with the warm environment that was coming in for the season at the moment.

“Gojo, your katana is a cursed weapon right?” Fushiguro asked, causing you to look at him weirdly after stabbing the straw into the carton before giving him a nod as a way to reply to his question.

“I agreed with the others that supplementing my close combat with weapons is the best choice right now, but with my cursed technique, I want to be able to free both hands at any time, with katanas, you lose time sheathing them,” Fushiguro explained, as he placed the pads of his fingers together while looking down at them.

“How do you carry your weapon when your cursed technique is used by your hands as well, also how did you manage to hide the chain attached at the end?” Fushiguro asked as he looked up at you, only to be surprised when he saw you looking at him with an annoyed expression.

‘That’s one way to somewhat expose me, I guess’

“I can utilise my technique by using only one hand, although there are times when I have to use both hands like you. However, I rarely unsheathe my katana, so it usually hangs on my back,” you described, causing Fushiguro’s to concentrate on you, trying to understand your technique since it seemed more complicated then you made it look at your battle with Sukuna.

“About the chain, the red charm cancels the chain being constructed since it will use my cursed energy, not a lot for me, but it’s a drag since I need the extra bit. When the charm is off, I use my curse energy to conceal before clicking my fingers to reveal it, if I want to, and when I use two hands, I can use the chain to pull it back,” you explained, causing the second-years to be surprised at the amount of cursed energy you have to use to employ such a simple weapon - maybe it wasn’t as simple as they intentionally thought.

“How much cursed energy do you possess, Y/N?” Panda asked as he placed his paw on his chin in a thinking posture, only for Fushiguro to answer the question.

“She has a lot more than she is showing right now, I don’t know how but she can hide it,” Fushiguro stated, causing you to smack the back of his head before placing the neglected straw back to your lips since you were desperately craving the citrus content that was in the carton.

“Zenin-senpai, you often carry more than two around with you, right? How do you do that?” Fushiguro queried as he rubbed the back of his head to soothe the pain you had given him.

“I made Panda carry them,” Zenin answered, as she pointed at the classmate leading to the animal sorcerer to proudly show off his muscles as if to inform you and Fushiguro on how strong he was.

“I shouldn’t have asked, part two,” Fushiguro muttered under his breath, causing you to giggle internally at the statement as you wondered what he must have asked the first time since ‘part two’ was in the sentence.

“Some sorcerers keep cursed spirits that can store and retrieve objects,” Panda presented a well-thought idea, even though there was a disadvantage to that.

“He can’t do that. It’s a rare thing and it takes time to tame them, as well. But if you find any, let me know,” Zenin countered, before Panda replied for the payment he wanted if he ever finds a curse for her, causing you to zone out from the conversation as you processed to stare down at the step before you, that was slightly darkened by the shade of your shadow.

In curiosity, you took a side glance at your classmate only to notice that he was in deep thought, leaving you to figure something out for him while he thought of his own solution.

‘His shikigami uses shadows for a medium, then if that is the case…’

Using your hand that was occupied with your orange juice, you leaned forwards slightly, letting the tips of your fingers touch the stone step below you while making them land in the middle of your shadow.

“I think you can do that,” you stated in a quiet tone, causing Fushiguro to look in your direction only to see you staying still in the position that you had set yourself in before slowly pulling yourself back up to sit in a normal position, leading Fushiguro to go back to what he was in deep thought about.

‘I don’t get it, though. Why...did you run back then? What a waste of talent, but the girl back at that place, she knows how to use her technique extremely well’

“You possess such intellect, such skill, such power and such talent and yet you refuse to go against me with your full potential, are you mocking me?”

‘I have the potential to beat special grades? Is that what he meant by that?’ Fushiguro thought, before turning to look at you to discover you were looking into the distance while continuously sipping on your orange juice like the addict you were. 

‘What was she trying to tell me? It seemed like L/N knows something...intellect?’

Slowly but curiously, Fushiguro began to reciprocate your previous movements by letting his hand touch the step between his legs before waiting for a second to see what you were trying to inform him, only for his hand to steadily go deeper into his shadow leading him to widen his eyes at this discovery.

“Tuna, tuna,” Inumaki mentioned, as he pointed at Fushiguro since he noticed what he was doing, leading Zenin and Panda to look at their classmate wanting to know what he was trying to bring their attention to.

“Huh? What?” Zenin asked in confusion, before turning her head in the shikigami user’s direction to realise what he was doing.

“Senpai, I think I can do it,” Fushiguro stated with a rare smile, before looking in your direction once again to see you were still staring at the field in front of you.

‘Such intellect…’

© violettelueur 2021 : written and published by violettelueur - do not steal or repost