#anyway hi i've wanted to gif this fit for ages because oh my he didn't have to serve as hard as he did

[cosmicdreamgrl]

i'm the devil & i speed with the pedal on the gas

[yxstxrdrxxm-a]

SYNOPSIS: Detectives are supposed to be trusted, right? So why does it feel like the one with her felt so… Hollow?

TW/s: delusional thinking, yandere tendencies, unrequited love, toxic dynamic/s, Heizou is fucked up in the head, short term isolation, pre heikazu matchup, nsfw tws include horrific imagery, body horror, arson, mutilation(?). Please dni if you are uncomfortable.

NOTE FROM HR: Happy late Valentine’s Day, miss Phitre (@a-dose-of-phitre). It seems your date went well with Heizou, but I’m rather concerned with how you’re looking right now. Is it just me, or did you plan to go with someone else?

Heizou is regarded by a lot of people for his expertise and quick wits as a detective. That in and of itself is normal, considering how he seems to excel in those aspects. However, what they don’t seem to remember about him is that he’s a bit of a trickster to the people he found… Fun to be with.

Don’t get him wrong, he likes doing it all in harmless fun. He doesn’t enjoy taking things too far if he could really help it, and to him, he didn’t want to put his recent dates through the horrific things he can do. But for some of them, they like stepping a bit too far from those boundaries he set for their sake.

One such incident is actually days before that happened. He has always wanted to save the ones he loved the most for last, since he thought that it felt more fitting to savor the time with his beloved, Kazuha.

“Oho? It seems that my partner in crime is up bright and early! And here I thought I have to get you again,” he told the woman as they met up by the park, grinning madly upon seeing her try to catch her breath. “Oh dear, relax, breathe. I’m not going to leave you behind, Febronia.”

His date, though, huffed. Catching her breath, the woman turned her head to face the cheeky detective, hitting his arm in return.

“Yeah, but not when you decided that we’d meet this far from our usual spot!”

The latter laughed once again. Oh, he knew what he did wasn’t right, but can you blame him? He wanted to play a little joke on her, and their destination would take ages if they met up in their regular area to walk there.

He’d have to blame Sara for that. She had told him he couldn’t use his motorcycle due to too many joyrides, and to add insult to injury, she confiscated it back at the agency! He couldn’t even show his face to her when it happened, and even Kazuha has told him that it was only inevitable.

The horrors, he says! All because she didn’t know how to have a sliver of fun… What a tragedy indeed.

“Well, you’d have to thank Sara for keeping my ride from me. She’s the one who told me to quit it, saying that I was only doing it for my leisure. The audacity of her to assume that I'm not even doing my job, too!”

Febronia rolled her eyes, hitting his shoulder with a scoff. It was obvious that he was simply being a drama queen, which isn't foreign to the two of them.

… Although, maybe it should have. After all, Heizou isn't always the one to act such a way, right?

“Anyways, why don't we go and see what you want to show me? If we spend too much time here, we're bound to miss whatever appointment we have for the trip.”

“Haha, right you are, my partner. Right this way!”

Arriving to their location, Febronia could tell that he has a preference with his choice of escape rooms. As a detective, he must be so keen and excited to be able to go through them, since he solves cases faster than a person can think.

Still… she did wonder if he remembered that she couldn't solve it, or to actually inform her that their venue would be so extravagant.

“Heizou, did you forget to tell me that this place would have a theme with masquerade?”

“Ah, I didn't,” he answered truthfully, snapping his fingers with a smile on his face. “Actually, I wanted to keep this as a surprise for you! After all, I've always thought about visiting a venue such as this, and we also have the appropriate attire before we head inside.”

Really now? She found it hard to believe. After all, this is the same man that knowingly hid this information from her, deeming that it isn't important. What a bother.

Still, by the sparkle in his eye, she found it hard to tell him no. It would simply be far too rude for her to turn him down when they're already at their destination.

“Okay, okay, fair enough,” Febronia answered, sighing. “I do hope you have the right outfit for us, mister detective. If you forgot about that, I'd seriously question if you want us to be shamed in there.”

“Nonsense,” he replied, patting her head with a cheeky grin. “It won't be that bad! All you need to do is just relax and have fun. After all, the outfits we'll get won't be too restricting… or even too eye-catching. I'd rather not have people stop us.”

Stop us?

“What do you mean by—”

“Anyways, here they are! Come, Watson!”

Heading inside, the masked guards simply nodded and stared at the dumbfounded date, this time out of confusion. He just cut her off, like he didn't want to hear her ask.

… What a strange predicament. She felt like something was up with him.

“Partner! Aren't you coming?”

Her eyes flitted over to the waiting Heizou, and she ran towards the entrance, ignoring the sorry looks of the masked men that followed the detective.

“Sorry, I got distracted,” she apologized to Heizou, but he simply shook his head. Holding her hand, he smiled and spoke, “It's alright. Anyway, let me lead the way.”

Walking down the empty halls, her eyes trailed down to their hands. Although hers were warm, Heizou’s felt… cold. Like there was no semblance of body heat coming out of them, or maybe he's not as warm there than other parts of his body.

Still, it made her worried. He doesn't talk much about himself, and this set of one of the many alarm bells in her head.

However, she kept quiet. She didn't want to make this awkward as is.

Arriving at the dressing room, he let her in first before he followed inside. Closing the door behind him, they were greeted with the multiple closets and drawers of clothes of all kinds: dresses, suits, gowns, and even others that aren't tied to the masquerade theme.

She reached over to one of the clothes, eyeing it then putting it on her body. It looked a bit short, so she dropped it.

“I'll go ahead and change in the bathroom,” he told her, opening the door to her left. “Just knock if you're done, okay, Watson?”

“Alright. It'll take a while before I can get dressed, so I hope you're fine with waiting.”

“Haha, I won't!”

…

It was only when he left that she turned her attention to the dresses, eyeing each and every one of them. Some were too gaudy, too revealing, and a few were just… nonsensical.

Sifting through each and every article of cloth she was given, Febronia’s brows furrowed in confusion. There were far too few that fit her taste, and it felt like she would be stuck there forever if she couldn't find something that fits her.

Then, she stops as she stares at the dress that fits her style well.

Granted, it was a pale white dress, the beading and accessories were that of crystals and golden leaves. There were even feathers that are on it, and combined with the heels and how it was tailored, it covered her enough that she could breathe but have the right places shown.

It was also not a form fitting dress, so she was relieved. The weirdest thing, though, is the veil of the mask that came with it. It was almost as though it wanted to cover her face.

Taking the dress and its mask, she looked down at the others and shrugged, turning around to put it on. The dress smelled nice, like it was freshly doused in mild perfume and washed as well.

Come to think of it, it looked cleaner than the ones she had to check. It's almost like it had been deliberately picked and hidden so she could find it.

What a strange coincidence. She felt like something isn't going so well because of how fortunate the tides have gone in her favor. Alas, it may just be a simple fluke or something of the sort.

As she discarded her original attire and put it on, she felt the weight of heaviness prior leave as it was on her body. And she was right—it fit her like a glove, and it complimented her body well. Though, looking at the colors, she's reminded of what a dove would look with it's pearly white condition.

God, I hope I don't stain this. It probably costs a fortune to even clean the slightest bit of stain here, too.

Walking to the door with her new get up and the heels that came with it (she swore she'd fall, so she needed to take her time walking in them), she knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

“Heizou? I'm done changing! Are you done yet?”

… Nothing.

She knocked again.

Knock, knock.

“Heizou? Come on, this isn't funny.”

No response. The lights are flickering, but she paid no heed. She needed to see what was going on.

Knock, knock.

Knock, knock.

“Hey! Answer me, Heizou!”

This time, she turned the knob of the door, and was surprised that it wasn't even locked. No, she could open it.

What the hell?

Pushing the door, she rushed inside, catching a whiff of metallic and soot. Coughing, she swiped her hand so she could see and breathe clearly, and her eyes simply widened at the sight before her.

Heizou wasn't inside, but the room was up in flames. Some of the items were already burnt down, and the flames were reaching to the walls and on the door.

Stumbling out, she dashed to the exit and found that it was jammed. Febronia could only panic as the flames got out and entered the room she was inside.

“Heizou?! Heizou?!”

Slamming the door, she began to try and find something to use. Grabbing the chair, she began to slam it repeatedly, but to no avail.

Tossing it to the fire, it traveled to the clothes she discarded and it began to melt, letting the terrible stench of plastic greet her and make her wheeze. Some even traveled to where she was, touching the glass heels and plastic dress she wore.

Then, the flames got to her skin.

The pain of being burned alive was making her scream. She tried to put it down, but it went further up, making her let out cries. Some descended from below to her head, setting her hair up on fire.

The flames and plastic got to her form, to which she was only greeted with the feeling of pure and utter agony.

It hurts to be burnt alive. It was a fate she wouldn't want anyone to have, as her skin was becoming nothing but charred. And God, did it hurt. It was even worse with the plastic melting in her.

Her eyes began to bulge as she heaved, crumbling onto the ground. She needed to breathe fresh air, but all she could even get was smoke that filled her lungs.

What ripped from her throat was screams of anguish and rage, blaming the one that led her there— the damned detective, who left her for dead.

… Which was funny, for even she can't blame him. After all, had she paid attention, she would've found out the truth of the detective she's with.

Several investigators came to the scene after the locals have brought up the concern of hearing screams late at night. It had been days after the incident that led to the manor burning, and they wanted to see what was left behind.

An anonymous tipper has left them something vital to investigate, especially for the disappearance of Phitre, a lady who was last seen being with “Heizou”.

When they got to the scene of the crime, one of them leaned over to the burnt plastic that was made to be dresses and cringed at the stench. Some were not even taken care of, and it was almost like it had been taken decades ago.

However, what caught their eye was the mask laid next to a charred, disfigured and melted body. It smelled the same as it had been prior, and even when the dress melted into the skin of the victim, the mask remained pristine.

The only difference, though, are two pairs of jeweled eyes that stared right back at them, like the corpse still looked at them with disdain in their soul.

@.throw-letter-away | do not republish or repost my works anywhere | 2024

[axcel-lucci]

hello!! i love your works and i'm a huge law fan myself!!

I was wondering if you'd make a request for me (you don't have to do this if you don't want to). Law and his crew are on an island and Law meets this girl getting robbed by a few other older men. This girl is blind btw. Law saves her and almost instantly falls in love with her. Maybe she wants to repay him back for saving her and they go on a date?

Law x blind!reader (if you don't feel comfortable making the reader a female, gn reader is okay too!) fluff fluff fluff

Please and thank you!! <3 :)

I can see you now.

Trafalgar Law x fem!reader

A/N: I've been thinking of this for a while now but I don't have any prompts to plot around, and yours is really cute! Sorry if it took some time to make since I'm still arranging some things for my school this year. Also, I kinda made law a bit ooc and a few changes to fit the narrative, I hope you like it regardless...

Law had to get away from those... Idiots he calls "childhood friends" for some reason.

So walking around the island was a good idea until he passed by a what seemed to be an empty park with a pond that has a lot of ducks.

He glanced around the empty park to think of he could have some peace here as he entered the small wooden gate, watching out for splinters before deciding that yes, this is peaceful enough.

He walked over to where he assumed the benches are only to find, in his mind, the most beautiful woman he has ever seen in the world.

Her hair flowing with the wind smoothly, her skin as clear as day, her eyes... Her eyes were sparkling beautifully.

He can't help but stare but at the same time feels like a creep for doing so... And after some back and forth with himself, he scoffed to himself and slowly walked over.

He also noticed how she just looked straight ahead, as if she was just listening to her surroundings, though when he got a closer look in her eyes, he can kinda see something that he knew was probably something but shrugged it off

"Hey..." He called before sitting beside her.

"O-oh...! Uh... Hello!" She smiled, still not looking at him even though she knew he was already there.

He waved a hand on front of her and raised his brows, "you're... Blind?" He asked

"Ah... Yes... Were you... Um... Showing me something? I'm sorry... As you see, I am blind" she laughed

"A bad pun..." He smirked, "I like it" he chuckled, "what're you doing here?"

"Listening to the nature around me... It just makes me feel so peaceful... Compared to the village..." She muttered, "and uh... You?"

"Ahh... I just need to take a walk..." He shrugged only to realize she wouldn't see it, "I'm Trafalgar Law, and you're...?"

"Trafalgar... Oh! That famous pirate! I think that was..." She mumbled a bit with a hum

"Surgeon of death?" He mused making her nod

"Mhmm! I always hear about you... You're quite a star now aren't you?" She laughed, "I'm (y/n)... By the way, I hope you didn't come here to steal my eyes, they're quite useless" she smiled

It made him laugh, "I only steal the eyes of my enemies. And you're not an enemy." He hummed, amused at how light he feels around her, "anyway... I hope you don't mind me asking, how... Did you become blind? Is it some sort of tumor or were you born with it?"

"Oh, it's some tumor the doctors didn't want to risk taking out for a lawsuit, also... Too expensive for those who are risky... Haha" she laughed a bit

Law nods to himself, "do you have... Um... A boyfriend or girlfriend to help you around? Are your parents present?"

"Oh... It's just me, my parents died a year ago due to old age... And... No person would want to take care of a blind person, because apparently, blind people can't do anything because they're blind. But I get around, I'm currently living off of my inheritance from my parents but soon, I know it'll run out..."

He hummed a bit, "I see... You know... I'm a doctor myself, want me to help you?" He offered

"If you want, sure." She smiled again.

"Alright then, though it might take a while before I take you in for operation since I'll be researching a bit... Is that alright?"

"Go right ahead" she nods

"Are you always here?" He asked

She hummed, "why yes... I'm always here... I love listening to the nature in here, also, it's shady and cool, since... You know, summer?"

He smiled as well, "I understand... Well, I'll leave for now, I'll come back tomorrow? If that's okay"

"It's alright with me... Oh and uh... Thank you, for talking to me... It's not always anyone would talk to me" she smiled sadly making him nod

"No prob, I'll be back tomorrow... Okay?"

"Okay"

He ruffled her hair after getting up making her giggle

And so he did.

He came back the next day, then the day after that, and the day after that, and goes on...

It has been a week of him going out for almost hours everyday only to come back with a lighter mood.

It made the crew suspicious as to why the hell he's like this, but they will NEVER question it because with his lighter mood, they can get away with anything.

But one day, Law wanted to give the good news to (y/n) that he'd be able to operate on her only when he reached the park she was always at, he heard her scream loudly making him immediately rush inside to see two teenage boys trying to take away her walking stick and her bag

Only for one of them to kick her on her stomach causing her to let go of both items as the boys run off.

Seeing this made his blood sizzle and boil.

"Room." He casted as the blue dome covered the whole park, "shambles."

He motioned with his hand as the two boys suddenly appeared in front of him as they look at him with fear and shock knowing that an infamous pirate was going to steal their loot.

...

"(Y/n)-ya...!" He ran over after dealing with the now bruised and injured boys who ran off crying to their mommies.

"L-law...!" She gasped as she cried, "m-my things..." She cried as he held her tightly in his arms

"Don't worry... I got them right here" he smiled when she gasped.

"R-really?! Y-you have them??"

"I cought the boys who tried to steal them, here..." He handed the stick back to (y/n) and helped her up slowly before handing her the bag, "are you alright? That was a pretty solid kick."

"It was a kick...? I thought someone punched the living shit out of me..." She muttered, "b-but... Thank you for retrieving my things, Law..." She smiled at him

"You're welcome...." He smiled softly.

Meanwhile...

Shachi and penguin wanted to know so they followed him only to see two teenage boys run out of a park, crying and bruised.

Upon notice, they instantly knew who inflicted those on them so they rushed to the park only to pause when they saw Law, comforting and hugging a woman while smiling softly at her

"Okay... I guess we're late to the party and uhm... Captain's got a girlfriend, finally." Shachi whispered.

"Yeah... Let's go back before he sees us" the two nodded to themselves before rushing off, probably to tell the crew or not.

....

"Uh... Law, do you... Do you want to come with me? I can make you something back home..." She smiled, "you know... As a thanks"

"Oh... It's alright, you don't have to-"

"But I want to, Law... Please?" She may not know it but she puts on the cutest "please" expression he has ever seen on a human being.

"A-alright..." He muttered thanking whoever is in charge that she can't see him blush ever so furiously

They soon arrived at her small cottage just a few blocks away from the park.

Law observed how the front yard was well-kept and the porch having a rocking chair on it before hearing her open the door after fumbling with the keys.

"Please, come in" she smiled as she let him in and take off his shoes, "this way..." She smiled as she placed a hand on the walk before walking to probably guide him to the dining room that was attached to the kitchen.

"Nice house you have, (y/n)-ya" He smiled softly.

"Ahh... Thank you" she smiled again as she entered the kitchen

"Do you need help with that?"

"Oh uh... Can you cook the rice?" She asks, "and I hope you're alright with some curry?"

"Oh, that's alright." He smiled as he helped her in the kitchen before sitting down once he finished his job

She soon served him the most beautiful food in a plate with rice.

It also smelled nice.

He took a spoon and scooped a spoonful before eating only to melt at how delicious it is.

"Mmmhhh...!" He hummed in satisfaction, "this is so good!"

It made her smile excitedly, "really?? I'm so happy you think it's delicious...!"

Law finished his food before drinking some freshly made juice, "before I almost forget, I was going to tell you at the park something"

"Oh? What is that...?" She felt around for a chair to sit in only for law to guide her hand to a nearby chair as she sat in it

"Good news and bad news"

"And... What might that be..?"

"Bad news... We'll be leaving tomorrow, but good news, I'll be able to take you on that operation!" He said as she can hear him be excited.

"But you guys are leaving... How can that be..?"

"This part is where the decision you need to make is very important, either... You can come with us... Or not... But don't worry, we'll take you back here as soon as you recovered or drop you off at an island if you want."

"Law... I... I want to... And if you do help me regain my vision... I want to repay you as much as I can" she smiled making him smile again

"Alright... I'll pick you up first thing tomorrow morning... Then I'll introduce you to my crew" he said with slight excitement

She laughed, "okay. I'll be waiting for you..."

The next day, (y/n) had her things packed, which wasn't too much than just 2 bags of her belongings.

But it was enough to make the house empty...

Someone then rang the doorbell and she went to the door, "who's there?" She called with a smile

"It's me..." She recognised his voice and immediately opened the door.

"Law...!" She gasped with a smile before feeling arms suddenly wrapped around her tightly

"Come on, let's get going... It looks like it's about to rain" he smiled softly

"Yeah, like I can see it." She joked making him laugh as she stepped aside cautiously, letting him in

"Anyway... These are all your things? Just... 2 bags...?" Law muttered

"I don't have a lot... But... I hope it's not that heavy..." She smiled softly

Law picked them up, "not really..." He mumbled before shrugging, "well? Are you ready?"

She nodded, "though... I wish to stay with your crew when I regain my eyesight back... You know... Like me paying you back?" She smiled a bit, "and... It's nice being with you... I like your company, hehe..."

It made him blush softly before chuckling, "me too... I find your company rather... Comforting"

later...

"Here, let me carry you" he smiled before lifting her up into his arms then jumping into the sub, and as he was in the process of gently placing her down, she heard multiple gasps of surprise and shock

"What..." She muttered once he secured that she was safely

"Oh uh..."

On Law's side, he was too focused on (y/n) that he failed to notice most of the crew lounging on the deck.

So it came as a shock to them that captain, at least they think, recruited the blind girl Shachi and penguin told them he'd been visiting these past few days.

"What?" He grumpily said

"Captain...!" Bepo cooed first, "who's that?"

Law sighed before placing a bag down and holding (y/n) gently to face them making them make a sound of being in awe at how cute and beautiful they think (y/n) is.

"Everyone, meet (y/n)-ya. (Y/n)-ya, you may not see them for now but these are my crew... I hope you can familiarise them by voice?" He said as (y/n) hummed

She then nodded with a smile, "hello everyone...! Nice to meet you all, I'm (y/n)...! Lovely weather we're having, yeah? Too bad can't see them." She joked

It made them chuckle a bit before introducing themselves

Some... Sound the same to (y/n), while some are unique and easy to distinguish. But she was also glad that there's another girl in the crew, Ikkaku...

Ikkaku was more than thrilled to see and meet (y/n).

"Oh. My. Gosh... You are so CUTE!" Ikkaku gasped and held (y/n)'s hand, "I'm Ikkaku, nice to meet ya!"

It made (y/n) giggle a bit, "I'm (y/n), nice to meet you too, miss Ikkaku"

"Ah... No need for formalities, just call me by my name. And if you need me, feel free to find me" Ikkaku smiled

"Yeah, as soon as I get my eyesight back, I'll definitely find you." (Y/n) half joked making her laugh

"Captain...! You never told us your FRIEND is so funny" the crew said before earning a glare from the man.

"Come on (y/n)-ya, let's get you settled in and prepared for surgery. The rest of you, get back to work, let's leave before the marines come." Law ordered as he placed a hand on (y/n)'s shoulder and gently dragging her away

"You sounded so scary back there, haha" she laughed as they walked through the halls.

(Y/n) could hear the sub's low hum and buzz, some pipes, and metallic echoes of their footsteps and possibly others, too.

Law only huffed, "let's get you settled" he softly said, "then let me conduct a quick check up before I get you admitted and prepared for surgery" he finished, (y/n) could sense him smiling, in which he was.

Later, Law decided to settle her in the room across from his before leading her to his usual doctor's office to conduct some check up, hand in hand, they walked through the halls towards the office.

Some crew saw them and instantly knew that Law was growing close to (y/n), making them wish that (y/n) would stay forever.

Because truth be told, they've never seen him relax this much around the sub, only time he's relaxed is when he literally passed out from overworking.

So it was a great sight for them to see...

They soon arrived at the office as he placed her down on a small bed before grabbing his kit

"Just listen to me, okay?" He said before putting on his gloves and doctor's coat.

She nodded and unconsciously started kicking her legs since the bed was kinda high.

He noticed it and thought that it was cute.

The check up soon ended as he was currently writing the conclusion on the paper

"Hey... Law..." She called almost quietly as he hummed

"I'm... I want to stay with this crew... Whether the outcome of the operation succeeds or not... I... It's just been a long time since I've had people not wanting to take advantage of me being blind... And..."

"I understand" he cuts her off, "you're joining us anyway"

She could feel him smirk making her giggle before hearing him walk over, "come on, let's get you admitted for surgery."

Timeskip...

The surgery was a success, Law could feel himself brag all over that despite him doing this for the first time, he excelled in it.

So now Law was waiting for his little patient to wake up and see if it worked, hoping it did...

So that she can finally see the world again.

But while waiting, law started to reflect on those days...

Had he not taken a walk would he ever meet her, had he not talked to the woman staring into nothing, they wouldn't have known each other better.

He was proud of the choices he made, and now... The only thing to do is to confess what he feels towards her.

Though he kinda knew it's going to be for a few more months, years even, for him to do so.

While he was thinking deeply, he felt her hand twitch making him alarmed and stand up immediately.

"(Y/n)..." He softly muttered as he moved closer

(Y/n) groaned a bit before squinting her eyes to adjust to the light above her, "law...?" She called before looking to the side, her vision still hazy

She then gasped and her eyes widened, "law... Is that... You?" She muttered as she reached her hand towards law.

It filled him with so much joy that it worked, his intelligence helped him once more as he grabbed her hand

"It worked... It fucking worked!" He grinned before moving closer and kissing her hand

"Law..." She muttered, tears soon brimming her eyes as she sat up.

With his help, she sat up and immediately grabbed his face in her hands to observe his face.

"It worked... Law...!" She gasped while crying before hugging him

Law immediately hugged her back but tighter.

They pulled away a little bit after as Law wiped away her tears that kept spilling from her eyes

"Hush now... This is something to celebrate..." He smiled

(Y/n) nodded before smiling brightly.

The moment was there... Though none of them talked, it was clear.

"Thank you..." She muttered before feeling him start to lean closer, she sighed softly to calm herself before leaning back against him.

His lips pressing against hers in a soft kiss.

"Thank you, Law.." she smiled once they pulled away, "I can see you now... Thank you..."

He chuckled, "you're welcome..."

[annabawritersdream]

For the fanfic ask game (second attempt)

🌝

🧠

🌈 (for Lady of Ithilien)

🌝 Who is one character you haven't yet written for that you would like to?

Since the question does not differentiate between OCs and canon characters, I'm going to go with the latest OCs I've created aka Finduilas of Lamedon (daughter of Angbor the Fearless and Faramir's second wife) and their daughter Faelivrin also known as "my sweet angel Fae".

I'm trying to include Finduilas in the one-shots for Tolkien OC week but as of now I've written nothing about her. I do, however, have some ideas.

She was born in TA 3007-3008 (she's several years younger than Faramir. I'm not good at math, but since Faramir was born in TA 2983, I suppose she's 24-25 years his junior) and she's the youngest of five sisters that are all settled down with children. Her father is desperate because she's been consistently refusing every marriage proposal she's received since he was a teenager—she really didn't want to marry, I guess—and now she's considered way too old to be a bride of interest by the vast majority of people. Because of something that happens in chapter 4 (no spoilers), Aragorn sets them up and has them married (it's actually Enna's idea but I will say nothing more about that). It's an arranged marriage and I think it will be interesting to explore that dynamic, especially when Finduilas comes to realize that Faramir is infatuated with a certain Haradrim noblewoman who also happens to be the mother of his son's best buddy. (I also cannot wait to write about those two babies. Baby Elboron and Baby Selim are literally the cutest).

Another character I am looking forward to writing about (someone who is not a Maiarin character or included in Enna and Eönwë's family) is definitely Faelivrin. Fae is just...Enna's mini-me without Enna's mental problems. If you were looking for an unproblematic Enna...that's Fae for you. She will go through her fair share of troubles but it's mostly because:

-she adores her older sis and is constantly worried about her, especially when Enna starts getting pregnant every couple of months.

-She falls in love with either someone from Rohan or Harad (though I'm leaning more toward Harad) and has to have Enna's approval to marry.

Nevertheless, she adores both her siblings and Selim (he's technically not a brother but he's always been around so he's basically family anyway. I think Enna's growing affection toward Selim will be the key that eventually makes her approve of the marriage—Eönwë could technically step in and solve the matter but he chooses to stay out of it since it's a matter between sisters)

Faceclaim for Finduilas: Laura Berlin as Emma of Normandy (Vikings: Valhalla)

Faceclaim for Fae: Isla Merrick-Lawless (The Spanish Princess)

I'll include them in the character profile spreadsheets soon! I'm still looking for someone as adult Fae but I am mainly torn between Esmahan Sultan (Magnificent Century)

And another Esmahan Sultan (Magnificent Century)

The second Esmahan is probably more fitting. Too bad she only appears in the very last MC episode and there are no gifs of her.

🧠 What's an idea you have that you can't quite call a WIP yet?

Oh, that's basically the whole plot of Estel i Hína, the planned sequel to LOI, and it's also the plot of Nyerénya... Namárië!, which is the First Age fic I've been thinking about and the main reason why I've decided to include some Fëanorians in LOI. I have a general idea as far as Estel i Hína goes (it will be about Elenwë's remaining children—yes, I'll probably end up killing a few of them off. Mairon certainly won't spare them just because they're cute—and their children aka Elenwë's grandkids). I have only two planned at the moment: Elanna and Fionwë, Mírion's children. I don't know whether they'll return to Middle-earth. The story might be fully set in Valinor. Who knows.

As far as the First Age fic...I only know Enna is Hiril's daughter (Beren's sister that was later scrapped. She's thus related to Lúthien, Thingol and all of those people. I think Morgoth will have her captured, but I have no idea what I'll come up with. I think Eönwë will show up at the very end and I'm digging the idea of her being in love with a Fëanorian, but I really cannot tell you much about it as I don't really know what the fic will be about specifically. This will be it, I suppose. Enna existing in Beleriand and suffering at the hands of Morgoth. Seems pretty straightforward to me. 😂

🌈 What inspired you to write [The Lady of Ithilien]?

I actually have to mainly credit you @lucifers-legions & @saurongorthaur9.

Garo Estel (read it y'all) was one of the very first fics (if not the very first) that caught my attention on AO3. Before that, I didn't even know what AO3 was (I joined in March 2023). I don't exactly remember how I discovered the fic but I loved it right away and couldn't stop reading it.

The same applied and still applies to @saurongorthaur9's Gorthauro Estel, which is an absolutely amazing piece of writing. Check this one out too, people. Garo Estel and Gorthauro Estel. Trust me.

Both fics inspired me to write my own and then I had an idea for a one-shot as I was writing an original thing which is now on hiatus...the rest is history.😂

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SENDING IN THE ASK!

[donutloverxo]

Princess

Please note that my stories are not to be stolen or reposted on any other site. Reblogs and welcome and much appreciated. This blog and this story is 18+. Do not read, follow or interact if you are not 18+. Please🙏🙏

Based on a request. Dividers by @whimsicalrogers.

Summary - Your pussy is sore so Curtis uses your mouth.

Warnings - explicit sexual content (m/f) , age gap (reader is in her early twenties, Curtis is 34), innocent/naive reader, dub con, oral (m receiving), soft dark!Curtis, au, porn without plot.

Pairing - Curtis Everett x reader

Word count - 2k

You were jerked away when you heard the knob to your room on the snowpiercer rattling, and then being closed as his footsteps followed.

You didn't remember a lot before the train, you were just a kid when the old world came to an end. 

You saw glimpses of grass and sunlight in your dreams, you weren't sure if they were dreams or just fragments of your imagination. 

But even in your wildest dreams, you didn't imagine a bed this soft and a room this big. Big enough to fit the bed and two dressers and a large mirror. It was decadent and all you could wish for and more. 

So it should make you happy to be here. In a comfortable bed like a princess. Shouldn't it? 

It didn't. You wanted to enjoy this time while it lasted, but your gut told you that you were temporary. Just here to warm the leaders bed. 

"Curtis…" your face heating up as he studied you, his powder blue eyes twinkling in the dim light, getting rid of his coat and cap. Goosbumps erupted all over your body as you held your soft comforter upto your chest,to give you some sense of modesty and dignity even if Curtis had taken it all from you and made you a woman just weeks ago. 

You used fantasy to escape your grim reality quite often. It's easier to dream of a Prince Charming riding on a white horse to save you then to accept reality for what it is that you would've been stuck working in the greenhouse for the rest of your life… all alone. 

"How many times do I have to tell you?" he hissed, tearing the comforter away from you, holding onto your wrists to reveal your beautiful breasts to him. "You're mine now. You can't hide from me."

"I'm sorry…" you hung your head in shame, and so you wouldn't be caught peeking a glance at Curtis pulling his shirt over his head, followed by him unbuckling his belt. 

He was… beautiful. You never knew anyone could be so handsome. His shoulders wide, a light scattering of hair all over his torso, multiple scars on his body. But they only, strangely, made him more appealing to you. 

He climbed on top of the mattress, nudging your knees apart and situating himself between them. He growled as he looked at your bare sex, using two of his fingers to part your lips as you hissed in pain. 

"It's… I'm… sore," you explained when he looked up at you. 

He nodded back to you, pushing barely an inch of his forefinger inside you, he didn't want to hurt you. Your pussy was clearly swollen and overworked. If he gave into his urges he would be sure to cause you pain, and even worse, lose what little trust you have in him. 

He had suffered enough to last him seven lifetimes. He already knew he was going to hell for all that he had done. It wasn't like he could doom himself anymore by forcing you to be with him. And he deserved you. After all that he had gone through. You were his light at the end of one long and shitty tunnel. 

He pulled his hand away when he looked at your face, pinched in pain. Instead settling on fondling your breast as he thought about how to take care of his erection. 

He had taken your body four times the previous night, which was why you slept the day away. How he managed to go out and get stuff done, and be the leader was beyond you. 

"You like what you see, princess?" He taunted you when he caught you staring at his hard cock. 

The little pet name was initially what he used to mock you and how shy and delicate and innocent you were, but now he had come to cherish you. He wanted to protect you as if you were his sweet little scared princess and he was your brave knight. 

You immediately averted your eyes and started sputtering nonsense, your brain froze and you literally didn't know how to answer him. And Curtis had made it very clear that when he asked you a question you were to give him a proper, clear and honest answer. Or face grave consequences. 

"Um, yes?" Which was the truth. You had seen a few male genitals in your life, they were all… not very appealing. But it was different with Curtis. His was beautiful and intimidating at the same time. 

"Then how about," putting his leg over yours, he crawled to the top of the bed, kneeling before you with his hard, pulsating length was right in front of your face. "You make me happy."

"Oh…" you simply stared. Your friend had told you that you were 'one lucky bitch' to have a man like Curtis who spends hours pleasuring you with his mouth, his fingers, and his manhood, but never forced you to return the favor. You didn't even know how you would go about doing that. 

You had explored your own body before. Partly because of your curiosity and partly for some relief. But Curtis touched you in a way no one else could, he made you climax harder than you ever had before, you were pretty sure you passed out once from the sheer intensity of it. 

But… how does one go about doing the same with a man's special place? 

"Hm," you looked at his slit, it looked somewhat similar to your bud, you held onto his length, putting your thumb over his tip where the pearly liquid oozed out of--with which he often loved painting your whole body with, or pump you full of it and just watch it seep out of you. 

You realised how bold you were, that you should seek his permission before touching him there, you looked up to see him pleased with your actions so you decided to keep going.

You lightly pressed your thumb on his slit, making him hiss, you whipped your head up and pulled your hand away. 

"Sorry…" you sniffed, your vision becoming blurry as your eyes teared up, "I've never.. I don't know what to do. I'm sorry…" you sobbed. 

"Stop," he said softly, wiping your tears away with his thumb.

You really were such a scared little lamb. Years of pent up frustration, where he had to make do with just his hand, didn't help making you feel safe with him either. But what the hell was he supposed to do when he had such a beautiful woman next to him as he slept? 

"Just listen to me. Can you do that?" he asked, cupping your jaw as you meekly nodded. "Open your mouth as wide as you can," he told you, pulling on your bottom lip with his thumb. 

Oh. It made sense. He puts his mouth on you so you should be able to do so on him as well. You opened your mouth with an 'ah', panicking just a bit when he put his hand around your throat, but he hushed you and asked you to relax. Since your body, mind and soul really did belong to him now, you immediately calmed down, knowing that he won't hurt you. Not too much anyway. 

He pushed his length in your mouth. The taste wasn't at all what you expected. Not that you were sure what it would be like anyway. It tasted creamy and salty at the same time. You coughed and sputtered around him, your spit trailing down your chin. You thought that the mess would make him angry but then you recalled how much he enjoys the mess he makes of you. 

He stopped when he felt his tip hit the back of your throat on his palm, "Good girl," he cooed, stroking your need. "Look up here," he ordered as you looked at him through your big doe eyes, "Keep looking at me okay?"

You didn't know if you were expected to give a verbal answer, because you couldn't… Not with a mouthful of Curtis. So you nodded the best you could. 

"Hands on your thighs," he said as you put your hands on your bare thighs with the palms up. "Right now just sit there… just like that," he rasped as he pulled his hips back before bucking them forward, "And look pretty. Fuck… that mouth of yours… and it's all mine to do whatever I want with…"

He was making love to your mouth, just as he did between your legs. 

You did as you were told, sitting and taking his assault on your mouth and throat. His ejaculate, your tears and your saliva drooling all over your lap. He was making love to your mouth, just as he did between your legs. 

You could feel slick running down the side of your leg, not wanting to ruin the pristine white sheets and to create some much needed friction you closed your legs together. 

He stopped his hips, the tip of his cock still in your mouth as he saw you squirming. "Touch yourself." He said. 

Your eyes widened as you realised what he meant. You couldn't risk pulling him out of your mouth to protest. You were too embarrassed to do that in front of him as well. 

"That's an order," he growled as he fucked in to your warm mouth, making you choke around him, pushing him closer to his release. 

A shaky hand made its way to your core, past your pubic hair and between your thighs. You tried to emulate how Curtis touched you. 

First he touched your thighs and kissed them all over. Then your ass and then he'd tease around your lips, torturing you for what would feel like forever before touching you where you most needed him. 

You gathered your intimate juices, spreading them around your vulva before rolling your pearl between your fingers, moaning around his length. 

"That's it, princess… come on, come with me," he groaned, slowly fucking into your mouth, holding off his release so he could watch you fall apart as he came in your mouth, one hand tangled up in your hair and another pinching and twisting your nipples. 

Soon you were whimpering, you tried to tell him that you were close. Thankfully he seemed to understand as he picked up the pace. Fucking into your mouth till you could feel streaks of his release on the back of your throat. 

You held onto his thigh so you could sit upright as your orgasm washed over you. Your nails digging into his skin as you screamed around his length. 

"Swallow it all," he commanded as you gulped down all that you could. 

You took in some much needed oxygen as he pulled his softening cock out of your mouth, your chest heaving as he laid down beside you and pulled you into his body.

He thought you'd want to sleep after. Since you were so swollen and tired. He'd have to take it easy on you from now on. Maybe use your mouth every now and then to give your pussy a rest. 

But then… 

Were you grinding against his cock? 

He propped your chin up so he could look at your face, the most innocent look on it. 

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Um… are you done?" you asked, tracing a scar on his chest. 

"You want something, princess?" he asked, pinching your buttock as you yelped. 

"I was thinking… we could make love? It doesn't feel right not to. You know?"

"Right, of course, princess. Since you asked so nicely." He smirked as he climbed on top of you. 

Taglist -

Permanent: @sweater-daddiesdumbdork @thehumanistsdiary @navybrat817 @la-cey @captainsdolly @bluemusickid @zaddychris @the-wayward-robot @aikeia @kidney9-9 @notyourtypicalrose @selfcarecap @miraclesoflove @saiyanprincessswanie @gotnofucks @efferuse @americasass91 @coffeebooksandfandom @chrissquares @drabblewithfrannybarnes @sweeterthanthis @cloudystevie @just-one-ordinary-fangirl @tenaciousperfectionunknown @labella420 @golden-ariess @whiskeytangofoxtrot555 @starbooty

Chris Evans characters: @patzammit @denisemarieangelina @angrythingstarlight @goldenfightergir @dangerouslovefanfic @melchills-j @xserenax-13

[unprofessional-bard]

Don't Push It, Pt. 1

Unprofessional Bard's Masterlist

Part 2 (1/2)

Based on this request.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female!Reader

Warnings: Age gap (the reader is 26 and Joel is 53), a lot of teasing/sexual tension, implied romantic feelings.

Summary: It's been going on for years. They both know better than to act on their feelings, but patience starts running thin when a few boundaries are crossed.

Word Count: 5.280

Author's Note: Okay y'all so I am a whore for Joel with long hair and I unintentionally made this into a fix-it au where Joel is alive. Also, the reader is going to have some OC characteristics to fit the scenario better. Finally, this fic changes POV's a lot, so I'm gonna clear that up:

• ----R and below: The reader's POV.

• ----J and below: Joel's POV.

• ----B and below: Both POV's.

The fic starts off with Joel's POV.

Enjoy!

gif credits: nikolai-stavrogin

"Hey, Joel," Dina called over to the man sipping coffee on his porch.

"Mornin' Dina," He replied as his daughter's girlfriend walked over to him. Her baby bump had grown a little more and it never failed to put a smile on Joel's face.

"There's a little trouble with the patrol today," She said. "Jesse won't be able to make it to patrol with (Y/N)."

Shit.

"And they're askin' me to fill in?" He sat up a little.

"Yup, Maria told me to ask you if-"

"No problem, sure, I'll do it." He spoke nonchalantly, then asked if Jesse was alright. Dina told him she wasn't sure, that it must be something important for him to miss patrol, which made Joel nod: "You told (Y/N) too, or...?"

"No, but she's gonna be there regardless. I doubt that she knows."

"Alright, thanks Dina," Joel got up and she smiled in return before walking over to Ellie's place.

It was wrong. By the lord it was wrong, but he couldn't help it. You were fierce, confident, determined and disciplined; qualities he came to appreciate in time, but a bit differently only when it came to you. He shouldn't want you, an unknown source in his mind kept telling himself, but he did. He didn't know why, he never found himself being attracted to a woman your age, yet you had him under your spell. Oh the things you did to him...

Worst part was, he couldn't have you, whether he liked it or not. Nevermind the fact that you were too young for him, you probably didn't want him anyways- despite the crystal clear signals he got from you. It was just how you were, though: A little physical and perhaps a little flirty, but he could just be confusing that with your confidence.

Or he could be overthinking everything.

Joel readied his backpack, but realised there was still a little more than an hour before the rendez-vous, so he decided to head over to your place to tell you about the news to kill some time. After he made it there and knocked on your door while calling your name a couple of times, which were left unanswered, your neighbour curiously looked over the fences and called over to Joel: "She left a while ago... For the gym, I think."

"Thank you," Joel smiled politely and earned a wave from the lady in return. He took his time as he walked over to the gym. After he arrived, he looked around for awhile to spot where you were, but when he found it, the sight almost made him choke.

There you were, ankles crossed as you pulled yourself up and chin over the barfix with closed eyes, a frown and a clenched jaw. Sweat laced the sides of your face and Joel's eyes wandered lower: You were wearing a sports bra and matching shorts which hugged your frame tightly and the sun was shining directly onto your muscles, which the lord himself carved out and were also sweaty, but Joel didn't care - it made you look more attractive, if anything. You let out a huff and lowered yourself down, while he tried to collect himself. He didn't want to disturb you so he decided to wait until you finished...

...but you didn't seem to be finishing any time soon. He didn't want to look like a creep as he stood there and waited, so after you did another pull up and let yourself down, he cleared his throat.

----R

"(Y/N), here you are."

Had you not been already hanging, you definitely would've fell when you heard Joel's voice reach your ears. You opened your eyes to see him slowly approach you, his stupid thumb stuck in behind his stupid belt.

You hated it: You hated finding this man attractive and you hated your guts for occasionally flirting with him - him, who probably would never look at you the way you looked at him. He liked you, of course, he enjoyed your company but not the way you wanted him to. You hated that you had a crush on this man, who became even more gorgeous as he let his hair grow over the last few years, you also hated how he neatly parted it to the left.

Patrol with him was both a treat and a curse at the same time. You got to spend time with him, which made it a treat, but when you watched him- saw him in action, how aggressive he was, heat started to pool between your thighs. He was so rough and precise as he was smart; he always knew what to do under any circumstance, so you almost never worried when you went out with him. He made you feel safe, praised you and played with your heart when he responded to your flirting and nothing came out of it.

You hated it because your little "crush" on him was pathetic, for someone as confident as you. Sure, you teased and flirted with him, but one praise as simple as you did well today and you'd be melting on spot. You even tried to get with other people to distract yourself, to no avail. They weren't Joel.

None of them could ever be Joel.

"Good morning!" You said with a high pitched voice, reflecting your struggle to keep yourself up.

"To you too," He chuckled at your state and watched as you pulled yourself up slowly. "Hey, listen. Jesse ain't gonna make it to patrol today so I'm fillin' in for him."

----B

The way you faltered a little didn't escape him: "Why? Is he okay?"

"I dunno, but I'm sure he is. Something important must've come up," Joel informed you, not wanting to worry you as you seemed to care about him. A lot. Ugh.

"Tsk," You breathed out and closed your eyes to focus on keeping your head above the metal bar.

Joel then spoke again: "Yeah, I was just here to let ya know."

"Okay, well-" You exhaled audibly and suddenly let yourself go. The force of the action sent you flying a little and it almost made you bump into him: "Woah, oh, sorry-"

"Woah there," You both chuckled at the same time. Joel held you by your elbows to help you balance yourself and your heart rate picked up pace when you realised how close your face was to his chest a moment ago - the chest you wanted to get your hands on: How muscular was he? How many scars did he have there? How would it feel to run your fingers through the hair as you ro-

"Uhm, yeah, as I was saying," You snapped yourself back to reality and took a small step back, disappointed by the way his fingers let go of your arms: "I'm done here, just need to do a couple of stretches, then head back and take shower."

"Right. Well, I'll see you at the gate, then?"

"Uh, sure, yeah."

You didn't know what else to say other than stay. You wanted him near you and around you, you wanted to show off to him and you wanted his attention, so you had to think quick.

Joel didn't want to leave either, even though you were going to spend the whole day together. He still nodded and turned around to leave. It was then, when a brilliant idea crossed your mind: "Actually, Joel?" He turned around, gave you a soft look that made you want to run up to him and kiss all over his face. "Could you help me with my stretches?"

If he'd been drinking or eating anything, he most definitely would've choked: "Help you?"

"Yeah," You flashed a smile at him. "It's simple, you just gotta press me down and keep me in place." The widening of his eyes, puzzled face and his tense posture made you shy. "Eh- Normally, Jesse helped me with them."

True. Some stretches required someone to push your body to its limits - when you worked out alone, you stuck to simpler stretches, but right now, you needed a reason to have him by your side.

Joel was torn between leaving, like a responsible person who knew when to walk away would. He was responsible, yes, but his moral compass was thrown out of the window whenever you joined the picture. So far, he wanted to think he was handling his emotions well- by not acting on them and not talking about them.

Now, however, it was as if he was facing the last straw. He had a few boundaries left to cross, and this was one of them.

"Plus, I'm a bit tired to do them. Will you help me?"

Lies. All lies.

You'd been doing these stretches for long enough, even though you'd worked hard, you weren't tired at all. Joel thought this to be the case, so he tried to go around it: "You sure? I mean, how're you tired?"

"I've been training like hell this morning," You settled on the mat. "I don't wanna do these stretches, but I have to. I'm not in the mood to pull a muscle today."

That was good enough for him really: "'Kay," He sighed. "What do you need me to do?"

Your eyes glowed in excitement before you faced forward and explained: "Im gonna lean forward, like this-" You extended your legs forward and lowered yourself down. "All you gotta do is press on my back and stop me from moving away for a few seconds."

A few seconds which felt like five minutes, truth be told.

As soon as he touched your bare back, you sighed, then forced it into a hiss. He immediately retreated his hands, thinking he hurt you, pushing the ludicrous idea that you might have moaned away immediately.

His hands were big and a little cold comparing to your skin which was on fire after the workout, but you'd be lying if you said you didn't do that on purpose. You straightened up and looked at him with an innocent smile: "Your hands are cold."

Not cold enough to make you react like that, obviously.

Joel offered an awkward chuckle from the back of his throat: "You're gonna have to deal with it, missy."

And deal with it you did- barely. Christ, that was a bad idea, your worst one yet. To have his hands on your bare skin, pressing you down made your cheeks burn and mouth hang open as he kept you in place. You almost didn't hear him when he spoke, too busy trying to comprehend the size of his hands and how they'd feel around your throa-

"How many of these do you gotta do?"

"Uh, dunno," You blurted out. "Not too many."

Joel was partly glad, it felt so wrong yet it was just a simple act of help you could've asked from anyone. After 20 seconds of staying like that, you straightened. You went into a head-to-knee position and gave him an okay to press you down again.

You switched to the other leg after half a minute, but you were running out of ideas. There weren't any positions left that you could use his help with, so you played one last card to ruin him: "More."

"W-What?"

Good riddance.

"Press a little harder," You pretended to focus and tried your best not to smirk, knowing you had him where you wanted.

"Oh- hm," He cleared his throat and pressed a little more down on your back. If your plan hadn't backfired and made you almost moan through your teeth, everything was going accordingly.

Joel went to pull back, but stopped when you added: "It's been a while since I did these..."

Christ.

"That enough?" He slowly retreated his hands and stood up, watching you lean up where you sat.

"Yup, that'll be it," You smiled and blinked a couple of times. If Joel had known better, he would've thought you were making him do that, then being all cute on purpose-

It was going to be a long day.

----R

Patrol with the older Miller went as normally as it always was. Part one usually went like this: Meet up at the gate, get your rifles and horses, ride out, reach checkpoint one and sign your names. The road to checkpoint one didn't have any trouble, it usually never did. It was more quiet between you two than usual though. Had you gone too far?

"So, uh," You said once the two of you mounted your horses again. "You coming to the dance tonight?"

"What?" He snapped his head in your direction, looking clueless. "What dance?"

"Well, not a dance exactly but- you know what I mean?" You started riding. "The adults only event?"

He looked really distracted, a bit tense even: "Oh, right. You know those ain't my thing."

"I know," You nodded with a soft smile. "But I haven't seen you in any event ever since you decked Seth."

"Decked?" Joel chuckled bitterly at the memory.

"He deserved it, and more, that prick," You rolled your eyes, making him chortle.

"And nobody managed to shut up about it for the whole month," He sighed with a gorgeous yet tired smile on his face which you managed to see just in time. "So, no thanks. I'll pass."

"Aw, come on," You whined. "You can't avoid coming to these events forever. Please?"

He gave you a confused look, his smile slowly disappearing but not in a bad way: "Why?"

A good question. Oh, no reason, just wanna try and make a move on you, quite possibly jump your bones if it all goes well.

"I wanna make sure you haven't lost your ability to socialise." You offered.

"Really? Why, you're my momma now?"

"Ew, no," You both laughed. "Can't I be sure my friend is alive and well occasionally?"

----J

Friend.

A word that made Joel stop and think.

You saw him as a friend, huh? Two people, with clear sexual tension and an obvious age gap between them- Friends was an awkward description for him, but it was better than nothing.

He opened his mouth to reply, to insist that he was indeed alive and well, but you stopped him: "You know what I mean."

The conversation was making him a little distracted, he noticed, so he decided to keep his mouth shut until you reached checkpoint two. You didn't press him on, which was also a delight. That's another thing he liked about you: You knew your bounds- in patrol anyways. Or maybe it was because you got to know him well over the time, knew what he liked or not.

Part two went quieter too- infected and conversation wise. Not even a single runner was on sight as you swept through the small cabins and houses. Except for the occasional clear's and nothing here's, you didn't say anything else. Joel itched to talk to you, about anything to break the silence, but he was too lost in thought.

When you finally made it back to Jackson, you finally spoke up: "So? You coming?" He chuckled, mostly out of relief, then you added: "I found a new outfit, I wanna know what you think."

That caught Joel's attention. With a curious smile, after handing over your horses, he asked: "What outfit?"

"You'll see... If you come." You smirked, your close proximity making Joel's heart race.

"Don't get your hopes up," He sighed with a small grin and tucked his thumb behind his belt, the other one gripping the strap of his rifle.

"You're the worst," You punched his shoulder with mock upset, making him chortle and stumble a little to the right. "Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow then."

Joel remained quiet, then you walked away with a soft smile gracing your lips. The words sunk deeper than he would've liked, a sudden wave of guilt soaking his guts with regret, even though you didn't sound disappointed or upset. Lips pursed, he watched you hand your rifle to Peter and sign off, then leave; his steps coming to a halt as you did.

He just might check out what was up at the dance tonight, if he could successfully move himself out of his comfort zone in the following few hours.

----R

"Well well, look who it is," Tommy grinned when you approached the doors of the pub. The night had settled across the sky by the time you stepped outside your place. The sound of music and chatter of the people from inside filled your ears.

"Yours truly," You smirked. "It's crowded in there huh?"

"It sure is," Tommy said as he turned around to lead you inside. "Adults only events tend to attract more people, as y'can guess. Don't you look pretty today."

"Why thank you." You smiled playfully: "For no one, but myself, at that."

You lied through your teeth. You had dressed up in the silly hope that Joel would actually show up. You had been planning on it ever since you came across the item wrapped around your hips in an abandoned clothes shop a few weeks ago, and this event was the perfect excuse for you to wear it. For him.

"I ain't sayin' nothing!" Tommy raised his hands up in defense. "Figured that much, haven't seen anyone catch your interest in a long time."

Ha. Nice.

The atmosphere was lively and the air was warm, full of energy. Chatter and dancing went about the packs of people scattered across the space, but you couldn't see Joel, much to your disappointment - you weren't surprised though. What surprised you was Jesse suddenly showing up.

"Where's Ellie and Dina?" You asked after a while of teasing him about missing patrol.

"They decided to stay behind, I guess." He shrugged.

"What can I get y'all?" Tommy smiled, suddenly appearing behind the counter. Without waiting for an answer, he filled two glasses and pushed them towards you. You and Jesse looked at each other for a brief moment, before knocking it back at one go. "Woah there..."

A round of laughter later, you felt someone's presence behind you, then they tapped you on the shoulder: "Hey, (Y/N)!"

Much to your disappointment, once more, it was a boy named Mark. He was a year older than you, had no features whatsoever matching Joel's prettier ones and he took an obvious liking to you, which in truth you didn't appreciate, even though he wasn't weird about it or anything. You faked a smile and turned to him a little: "Hi."

"Good to see you," Sure. "How, uh, how are you?"

"Busy, actually," You pointed at the glass Tommy was refilling for you.

"Mind if I join?" He made himself comfortable on the stool next to you.

"Yeah. I do." Your smile never faded but your words were laced with poison.

He looked between you, Tommy and Jesse, mortified at your answer: "W- Heh, well, would you wanna dance later, then-?"

"No, I don't." You spoke calmly and turned to face Jesse again, only for him to move to tap you on the shoulder, which Tommy stopped from happening.

"Why don't you go home, huh?" He grabbed his wrist firmly, but not hard enough to leave a bruise of course. "The lack of oxygen in your brain's clearly stoppin' you from understandin' a word as simple as no."

You looked over at the younger Miller, a stern look on his face which seemed to make Mark piss himself. Suddenly, an even deeper voice was heard behind the boy: "I advise you to listen to him, son."

You turned completely in your seat to see Joel grabbing Mark by the shoulders, making him jump, then remove him from the seat carefully. Mark's legs were quick to oblige, making him walk towards the exit, but Joel held him in place: "A-ah, what do you say to the lady?"

"I'm s-sorry, (Y/N)," He nodded quickly. "I'll never disturb you again, I promise."

"Good boy," Joel patted him on the back, which sent him running to the door. Your cheeks were suddenly burning and you couldn't help but smile shyly.

"Tsk, what a jackass," Tommy nodded disapprovingly as Joel took the now empty space next to you.

"You decided to show then, huh?" You smirked at Joel.

"Yeah, figured you'd break someone's wrists and make 'em eat it," He chuckled, tipping his head at his brother in a greeting -God he looked so handsome, was that a new shirt?- before he continued: "Decided it'd be a shame to miss it."

You giggled and lightly pushed at his arm, almost immediately feeling the muscles underneath the rolled up sleeve of his blue shirt: "I'll take that as a I came because you asked and I listened for once." The exchange, obviously, didn't go unnoticed by his brother and Jesse, which made you sit upright suddenly: "Tommy was the one who was gonna break his wrist anyways..."

"Nobody gets to disturb anyone here, especially right in front of me," He said and slid a glass to his brother.

Jesse joined in: "I doubt it, but should he ever-"

"Aw, you guys are spoiling me," You grinned and waved your hand down, pressing the other onto your chest.

----J

You looked beautiful. You were wearing a plain, dark green, mid-thigh, flare skirt; which could pass as a miniskirt, but Joel was no fashion expert. You always did come up with the rarest clothing items (like your sports set that morning), so he wasn't surprised that you happened across the skirt. You also had a simple, white, v-neck t-shirt on- which all in all was the reason you left Joel speechless: You could be wearing something as simple as these, but you'd still look so damn pretty.

A few minutes later, after Jesse and Tommy disappeared in different directions and you were finally left alone, Joel spoke up: "Is this the-"

"What made you-" You gave each other a brief look before chuckling: "You go first."

"Ah, I was gonna ask if this was the outfit you wanted me to see," He said, briefly looking down to point at your skirt.

He watched you run a hand through your hair and bite your bottom lip before answering: "Yeah..." You got up and stuffed your hands in your pockets, which made Joel's heart sizzle. "What do you think?"

He gave you a genuine smile: "I think you look beautiful."

The shock on your face made Joel panick a little, but when you offered a shy little smile, he relaxed: "You- Really?"

He gave you a single, slow nod in acknowledgement, his smile grew bigger when you beamed at him and offered him a quiet thank you, then sat back. You were staring hard at your glass, clearly avoiding his gaze and he found it rather cute, but didn't comment on it.

He was looking forward to chat with you, after all, you were the reason why he showed up, but you were unfortunately dragged away by a couple of friends, Jesse included...

To dance.

An upbeat song he didn't recognise started playing, putting you and another boy, Mick, to action. Everyone backed away to give you two space, then started off with what seemed to be something you'd been practicing for a while. You mirrored each other's moves, it was similar to some folk dance he'd watched way before the outbreak, but it most definitely wasn't a folk dance. Your arms linked occasionally, hands on your hips as you crossed each other's legs with fast movements and other types of moves Joel couldn't name if he tried, but it was organised and fun to watch. It wasn't intimate, too, just a silly little dance as you called it minutes later when you finished and walked to the bar for a drink. You didn't stay long, though, just downed your drink, winked at him and went back to the stage where you and Mick (but mostly you) stole the show.

It went on for two more rounds, to the point your t-shirts were absolutely soaked and your legs couldn't take it anymore. Joel had a particularly hard time in his seat, watching your skirt float around your thighs made him feel embarrassed with himself. Tommy even went as far as to tease him about his constant squirming, but a glare from his older brother was enough to shut him up.

The last dance finished off with you in Mick's arms, leaning back in his hold and closing your eyes with laughter. Everyone clapped you both, which earned you a kiss on the cheek from Mick- which you returned. Joel's jaw clenched unintentionally, even though you and him didn't appear to be more than friends.

Stop. Stop it, you idiot.

He couldn't care less about these types of things, drama about who's dating who and whatnot, but when it came to you he naturally grew curious.

He watched you, eyelids struggling to keep themselves open as Jesse led you and helped you onto the stool, next to Joel once more. You huffed and giggled, eyes closed with sweat droplets on your forehead. He couldn't help it when his smile grew wider at your tipsy state.

What he didn't see coming was the sudden hand on his thigh and your back against his arm, letting your head drop onto his shoulder as you let out a brief laugh: "Never let me dance and drink at the same time again."

Joel didn't know what to say, he quickly looked around for Jesse only to find him already gone and a couple of people staring at the both of you. With a rush of panic, he responded: "I don't think I'm the one you should say that to, darlin'."

Your hand and the rest of your body immediately retreated when you jumped at his voice: "Joel?!" You looked a little embarrassed and he couldn't help but smirk. "Uh, where's Jesse?"

The question almost made him scrunch up his face, but he patiently waited until the end of the conversation, which was after you've walked away to find the boy in question and he was alone with his own thoughts... Jealousies...

"He dropped you off and went over there, I think." Joel nodded to the direction he thought Jesse went off to - he didn't see though, he was too busy focusing on you when your fingertips had brushed somewhere dangerously near his crotch.

"Huh," You stared around to find him, but Joel figured you were too intoxicated to actually see that far. "You need to stop wearing the same clothes."

He raised a brow at that: "You tell him that."

"Oh I will," You grinned mischievously and suddenly grabbed Joel's glass of whiskey from his hand, then downed it at one go before he could intervene.

"Hey!" He tried to grab the glass from you but you leaned back. "I think you've had enough for the night."

"Says who-?" You pouted and at the very same time, lost your balance, realising that you leaned a little too back. However, Joel caught you; one hand on your arm, the other on your waist and he pulled you back - he didn't know if you did it purposefully, but you practically fell into his body: "Oh! I'm sorry-" You laughed, not looking sorry at all. "Thanks, Joel," You purred, extending the 's' and the 'l' at the end of each word as you grabbed onto his biceps. "You saved me."

"Pfft," Joel couldn't help but let his hand linger on your waist as he made sure you stood in place. Your eyes met when you lifted your head from his chest - the meaning behind his hazel gaze and your own was similar and it lasted for what felt like a whole minute, while in reality it was no longer than a few seconds.

You finally let his arms go and he took it as his cue to remove his hand from your waist (which, for a moment, felt like it had been glued there): "So... You enjoying yourself, old man?"

Joel sighed through his nose, amused at how the alcohol in your system was slowing your speech, then went back to how he had been sitting before you came. Just when you asked, the smooth, familiar tune of Ain't No Sunshine started playing. After all the excitement, a slower music felt nice: "Sure. You?"

"Oh I sure am," You nodded and leaned back against the counter with something of a triumphant smile.

"I can tell," Joel replied, then without turning his head, side eyed you. His stare later on moved down to your skirt. "Why'd you get all dressed up for, really?"

"Huh?" You blinked, not processing if he was asking what you thought he was.

"I, uh- just never took you for the skirt type."

"Is that so?" You asked, eyes widening. "Well, just trying on a new outfit..." You looked down and bit your lower lip, making Joel's heart skip a beat. He mentally kicked himself for not leaving right then and there and continuing to talk to you: "There's actually another reason."

"Hm?"

"There's this guy," You turned towards him, placed your arm paralleled across his on the counter and leaned forward a little, pretending to look around. His fingertips scratched against the wooden surface of the counter at the mention of this guy in question. "I don't know his name, but maybe you do?"

He just raised a brow when you looked at him innocently: "He's a bit old, around this tall," Your hand went back and forth in the air as you tried to size the man's height in your mind. "Has pretty, long, graying hair with an also graying beard... A little scar on his nose," You looked at him and leaned in a little more, invading his personal space but not touching him, then pointed at the exact spot on your nose and it was then, Joel realised, that you were indeed describing himself. "He's wearing this blue shirt and, honestly, it would look better on him if he opened another button or two."

I know, I know

Hey I oughta leave young thing alone

But ain't no sunshine when she's gone

He wanted to counter, tease you back, lean down and taste your lips, then place a kiss or two on your neck and bite it softly just to hear you moan quietly into his ear- he also needed to get his shit together, as much as he wanted to do all of that.

He couldn't quite believe his self control when he leaned away from you, especially since the tip of your noses almost touched and he felt your hot breath on his lips. He cleared his throat and quickly looked around to see if anyone was looking- no one had seen the rather intimate interaction so he spoke: "I don't know who that is."

The disappointment on your features was like a knife twisting up in his guts. You blinked a couple of times, but didn't lean back: "S- Sure you do..."

"I don't," Joel insisted, his voice stern. "Maybe you should look for someone else."

Your disappointment turned into embarrassment and anger, making you frown and lean back: "Excuse me."

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone

And this house just ain't no home

Anytime she goes away

And with that, you got up and stormed away, leaving Joel wanting, aching and ashamed.

Anytime she goes away

Anytime she goes away

Anytime she goes away

[anotherkpopvictim]

Into a New World (Through the Gate) - BTS OT7 Fantasy Story Chapter 5

(Gif source - btsville)

A/N: Dang...has it really been almost a month since I last updated? Sorry for the wait, but I hope you enjoy this. I had to spend some time figuring out where this story was going.

I decided to come up with a timeline because the next few chapters might be a bit confusing if you don't have a visual timeline with their ages and the flashbacks. Each chapter I will add a link to an updated timeline that includes new information from the previous chapter. You don't need to read the timeline, but if find yourself a bit confused about things while reading, it should help. This first one is very short, but each chapter they will get longer as more information is added.

Timeline - https://docs.google.com/document/d/19VsexNuIkbWRu6IuXSjYoRNImk7DtAc2ckW0erLUHRU/edit?usp=sharing

Relationship: BTS X BTS

Rating: T

Words: 3159

Hurt/comfort, fluff, fantasy

NOTE: I've added the present-day date (3501) to this chapter and the next few chapters as they will contain quite a few flashbacks. Flashbacks will be in italics.

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Chapter 5: The Ties

Worldbuilding Note on Packs: A pack is simply a group of any number and mix of supernatural creatures. Most commonly, say on Earth, you would find packs made mostly of vampires and werewolves with the occasional witch or another being, while packs in Aurora (the fairy kingdom) are pretty much one hundred percent comprised of fairies. Creatures tend to stick to their homeland, but Earth is a bit of an exception as it is considered the center of all the worlds - a hub of sorts. Packs are comprised of all members of a polyamorous relationship (or sometimes simply a pairing).

A pack bond is initiated by exchanging bites on the neck. Depending on the number of packmates, these bites can sometimes overlap. As packs are considered soulmates, some of the members have a tug at their heartstrings upon meeting a future packmate for the first time - only some of them, however. These people of a pack are known as the Ties and tend to take on a leadership role as a pack grows. There is usually only one Tie for small packs, but larger packs can have more than one. Once bonded, pack members have a much easier time understanding each other's feelings and simply feel closer on another level. Ties usually feel an amplified version of this from the second they meet a pack member.

Finding all members of a pack can take anywhere from years to centuries, and it isn't uncommon for some packs to never find all of their members and consequently, some creatures never have a pack. Fate works in mysterious ways. If you are lucky enough to find all of your pack members, you will know because the Ties with feel an overwhelming sense of peace and settlement once everyone is bonded.

On another note, a were-pack is different from a pack. A were-pack is simply a community of local shifters, usually separated by city or village. While some big-city were-packs live with humans, smaller towns or villages of were-packs don't have close connections with humans.

--------------------

September 8 3501, Present Day

"You really..." Hoseok trailed off, unsure of how to put into words the many things running through his mind at that moment.

"Jungkook was the last one to join our pack," Namjoon began, eyes on the fairy as he picked at the skin around his fingernails nervously. "His pack bond with us became obvious when he was turned and all of us had known him for a while and felt things for him, so it wasn't an unexpected feeling to have." The alpha took a deep breath, "But you, Hoseok-ssi, you came into our lives loudly and all at once. I was so worried about a stranger in the house that I ignored the pull inside of me that told me you were meant to be with us."

Hoseok still felt a little bit dumbfounded, so he just let an eloquent, "Wow."

"Do you think that fate has made a mistake, Hoseok-ssi?" Namjoon asked, analyzing his reaction. "Do you feel nothing for us at all?"

"Of course I feel something," the orange fairy replied genuinely. "I just haven't really had much time to think about my attraction to the six of you and what to do about it. It makes sense, though, that we're packmates." Hoseok couldn't help but smile, "I've always wanted to find my pack, you know? I just didn't have my hopes up after a hundred years."

The shapeshifter's lips spread into a beautiful, relieved grin, accented by his deep dimples that Hoseok was now just seeing for the first time. He wished he had been warned about them. "I'm glad you feel the same way."

"How old are you all, by the way?" Hoseok questioned, realizing that besides Jungkook, their ages were still unknown to him. "If we're going to be a pack, I should know who I need to call hyung."

Namjoon chuckled, "Well, Seokjin-hyung is the oldest. He's four hundred fifty-six years old." The fairy couldn't help but widen his eyes at the shapeshifter's impressive age. "He and I were together first. About a decade after we got together, we met Yoongi-hyung and Jimin, who had also been together for a few years. Yoongi-hyung is the second oldest of us at three hundred forty-two years old. I'm one hundred twenty-five years old, the next oldest."

"Not anymore," Hoseok said cheekily, despite his still tired body. "I'm one hundred thirty-eight years old. So I'm older than you."

The alpha's lips twitched, "I suppose I should call you hyung, then. If you'll allow me."

"Of course you can," the fairy replied. "Who's the next oldest?"

"Jiminie is ninety-eight," he answered.

Hoseok smiled thinking about the pink fairy. He couldn't wait to get to know the other better. "What about Taehyung-ssi?"

Namjoon continued, "The four of us were together for about sixty years before we became acquainted with Taehyung about ten years ago. He's now sixty-seven years old. Then we met Jungkookie as a human about eight years ago." The smile fell from the shapeshifter's face a little. "I would gladly tell you everyone's life stories, but I feel like that's better coming from them personally."

Hoseok hummed and dipped his head in agreement.

"Might as well start with us two," Seokjin announced as he stepped back into the guest room. He'd changed his soaking wet shirt for a comfortable and dry baby pink sweater. He smiled again softly in Hoseok's direction as he fluffed his warm brown hair. "It was quite surprising when Joon and I came to the realization that you were our packmate. Not much takes us by surprise these days."

"Are you two the Ties?" the orange fairy asked.

Seokjin nodded before dropping himself unceremoniously into the alpha shapeshifter's lap. The other instinctively moved to hold the omega by the hips, stabilizing him. The fairy both admired and envied the natural movements.

"So, how did you two meet?" Hoseok inquired.

"Well, we were born in different villages. I was from the large were-pack here in Seoul," Namjoon began.

"I lived in the were-shifter village of Rosewood, a couple of hours east of here," Seokjin explained.

---

December 3420

Kim Seokjin had lived in Rosewood for three hundred seventy-four years before he decided he needed a change of scenery. The small village was rather secluded and they barely saw humans more than a few times a month. While the omega wasn't unhappy with his home in Rosewood, he had heard many exciting tales of the big city, where the were-shifters intermingled with the humans every day. He'd felt a pull towards Seoul for many years, but ignored it in favor of his comfortable life in Rosewood. Eventually, however, as years passed by, the pull became too strong to ignore any longer.

His family had been hesitant when he'd announced his plans, but their doubts didn't deter him in the slightest. He'd made up his mind. Rosewood wasn't far from Seoul anyway, so he promised to keep in touch with them and visit often. He gave them all one last kiss on the cheeks before he left with nothing more than a single suitcase carrying his most valuable belongings.

The hustle and bustle of the city were jarring, but the immediate sense of right he felt upon arriving in Seoul quelled any anxiety he had. Seokjin approached one of the counters at the train station, where he could see a shapeshifter sitting at a computer. The information counter, known as a Connecter, helped new shifters connect with the local were-pack.

Kim Minseok was matched with him as a guide to the new city as he'd been a village boy himself. He was about a hundred years older than Seokjin, and also an omega. He was kind and had a sweet smile. The man helped set him up with an apartment and a part-time job at a cafe.

Seokjin was pretty much completely used to the presence of humans all around him by the end of the first week. The crowds and the subways and the mingling of supernatural creatures and humans - all of it turned out to be exactly what Seokjin had needed in his life.

During the third week, while Seokjin was working a late shift at the cafe, his whole world changed. It was close to dark so the tables were empty and the omega was doing his cleaning duties while pausing every once in a while to assist a customer.

The tinkle of the bell above the front door alerted him to another one. He set down the cloth he had been using to dry off a few mugs and turned to greet the customer. "Hello, welcome to T's cafe, what can I get for-"

Seokjin cut himself off with a gasp as he locked eyes with the person walking up to the register. A young alpha shapeshifter - he could tell by the aura surrounding the man - was looking back at him with wide brown eyes. He had blond hair almost long enough to fall into his eyes and was dressed casually in fitted jeans and a graphic t-shirt.

"Oh!" the alpha exclaimed, a hand shooting up to rest over his heart. "Holy shit, my heart is gonna beat out of my chest! What the fuck?"

The laugh that tore from Seokjin's throat couldn't be stopped, giddy and amused. "I think - I think we're packmates," he managed out, a little lost in the awe he was feeling.

The man's already wide eyes somehow managed to open even further and his jaw dropped. "What - really? Is that what this feeling is?"

"I've never felt it before, but I've heard many stories about Ties meeting each other for the first time and this is exactly as it was described."

"I'm Namjoon!" the alpha announced excitedly. A big smile was taking over his face and showed off a set of adorable dimples. "You think that we're Ties?"

"Seokjin," the omega replied, "And yes, I do. Only Ties would feel such an obvious, strong connection to each other upon first meeting."

"Wow," Namjoon breathed in awe. "I honestly wasn't expecting to meet any of my packmates so soon. I mean, I'm only forty-three!"

The omega playfully winced, "You make me feel so old. I've got more than three hundred years on you."

"That's not that old, hyung."

"Yah, I was joking! Of course, I'm not old!"

Namjoon let out a wheezing laugh as Jin feigned anger, hands on his hips and all. "Well, it's nice to meet you, hyung," he greeted once he had gathered himself together.

"So," Seokjin began, "You're part of the Seoul were-pack, huh?"

"Mhm," the alpha nodded in confirmation. "You must be fairly new here, I haven't seen you around before."

"I'm from the Rosewood were-pack," the older man replied. "Felt like I needed a change of scenery. Although, I suppose it could have been fate nudging us closer together."

Namjoon couldn't be more obvious with the heart-eyes he was making towards the omega. "Perhaps it was. Fate is a mysterious thing."

"Fate is a mysterious thing," Seokjin repeated in agreement. The two of them jumped when the timer on one of the coffee pots went off, signaling that the brew was hot and ready (maybe Seokjin was too as he was so caught up in the man before him). "Oh, right! What can I get for you?"

The alpha blinked and looked around like he had just remembered that they were in a cafe as well. "Um, uh...a caramel macchiato please, hyung."

And who was Seokjin to say no to those wide, heart-melting eyes? (besides the fact that it was his job and he technically couldn't even if he wanted to).

"Of course," the omega replied, punching the order on the screen in front of him. "I can't give you a packmate discount, unfortunately."

"That's okay, I don't mind paying for it."

Seokjin almost let out a gasp when Namjoon pulled a black card out of his wallet. He'd never seen a black card in his life until he came to the city, and he knew the significance of them. Namjoon was rich, and Seokjin didn't almost gasp because he was a gold digger, but rather because of all the rich people the omega had encountered over the last few weeks, both human and not, Namjoon didn't present himself as such a person at all. The others had been so...proper, but the alpha was so casual and sweet.

The omega continued on like he hadn't seen the black card at all, taking his payment and going about the familiar motions of making a caramel macchiato. "So, do you work, Namjoon-ah? Or go to school?"

Namjoon nodded, "I'm in school right now for business. My parents want me to run a branch of their company in the future, but I kind of have an idea for my own business running through my head."

"Wow," Seokjin said in awe. "In my were-pack, we didn't really have "jobs" like the city folks here do. I have no idea what I want to do for a career, so that's awesome that you have such a bright future career ahead of you."

"The Rosewood were-pack is a traditional one, right?" Namjoon asked. "So everyone just contributes what they can and no one has to pay for anything, correct?"

The omega nodded, "Yeah, we're pretty primal. We prefer to hunt but we buy human food as well. So some of us are hunters, some of us are cooks, some of us are builders. Coming to Seoul, the number of possibilities of work is kind of overwhelming."

"What did you do in your were-pack?"

Seokjin popped the lid on the paper cup and slid it across the counter to the alpha who immediately went to take a sip of the drink and promptly burnt his tongue. The omega ran to fill another cup with cold water and came out from behind the counter to shove it into Namjoon's face. "You idiot, it's still scalding hot!" he reprimanded.

The alpha half-winced, half-smiled sheepishly as he accepted the cool water, "Sorry."

"To answer your question though, I cooked and baked mostly. Sometimes I'd babysit the pups or assist the healer in the rare occurrence they were needed."

"You did a bit of everything," Namjoon noted thoughtfully. "Did you feel passionate about any of those things?"

Seokjin nodded as he smiled shyly. "Baking. I love to experiment and create different sweets. And decorate them."

"I'd love to try your baking sometime!" the alpha exclaimed. "My mom always tells me that I should stay out of the kitchen for the safety of everyone, so homemade food isn't something I have a lot."

The older man chuckled, "Well, I would very much appreciate your feedback on all my food - baking and cooking."

The two of them were so giddy, feeling high on the emotions of meeting another packmate. Their grins were wide and cheesy and their cheeks were beginning to ache, but neither of them could care less at the moment.

Namjoon hesitated for only a moment before he reached over and took Seokjin's hand into his own, reveling in the warmth and softness. "I look forward to that."

---

September 8 3501, Present Day

Hoseok smiled as he listened to the story of Namjoon and Seokjin's first meeting. Ties undoubtedly had the most overwhelming meeting of anyone in a pack, and the two shapeshifters' were a perfect example of that.

"That's so sweet," the orange fairy said. He could feel his mind and body wearing out quickly, but he did his best to keep himself together. "What came of your business career, Namjoon-ah? And your baking passion, Seokjin-hyung?"

"Oh, Namjoon has become quite the businessman since then," Seokjin replied with a fond look in the alpha's direction.

Namjoon grinned, "I own the bakery Seokjin runs, as well as the magic shop Taehyung and Jimin run right beside it. The supernatural creatures like us enjoy the bakery, and the humans appreciate the magic shop."

"Wow," Hoseok said, a little breathless as he felt his body becoming more and more exhausted. "That's perfect for you guys."

"Hoseok-ah," Seokjin began hesitantly. "Once you're healed, we would love to have you stay with us, but we don't want to assume that you will just because you're our packmate."

While the fairy was touched by their thoughtfulness, he didn't exactly have anywhere else that he was eager to go. "If I'm healed, I would love to stay here. Aurora isn't exactly welcoming to me at the moment anyway."

The omega clapped his hands together and bounced excitedly in Namjoon's lap, who held his hips tighter to keep him from falling. "That would be awesome! I'm sure Taehyung and Jimin would love your help at the shop, or if you would prefer, you could work with me!"

Namjoon pulled the other back against him and kissed his cheek with a chuckle. "Calm down, hyung. Everything is still new, so let's focus on getting him healed before we talk more about the future."

Just as the alpha finished his sentence, Taehyung appeared in the doorway to the guest room. Hoseok was relieved to see another cup of that familiar blue-green concoction in his hands.

"Sorry to interrupt," Taehyung said, eyeing the three of them with a raised brow at what he'd heard but not saying anything more.

"That's okay, Tae," Seokjin assured. "We were just talking."

Taehyung nodded and moved closer to the bed to hand the orange fairy the cup of energy elixir. "You must be needing more of this, I'm sure."

Hoseok drank the minty-tasting potion eagerly, reveling in the small but immediate boost of strength it gave him. "Thank you," he said.

Taehyung smiled back at him and took a seat in the empty chair beside the one the two shapeshifters were still sharing. "Well, I came to let you know that I have a possible lead on someone who can help you, Hoseok-ssi. Though if I'm being honest, I'm not sure if it's anything promising."

"You found a witch up for the challenge?" Namjoon inquired.

"Not exactly..." Taehyung admitted. "I found someone who might have met a witch once that might be able to help. They agreed to meet me tomorrow in the city."

"Hmm," the alpha shapeshifter hummed thoughtfully. "Sounds kind of sketchy. You should take someone with you."

"Well, Jimin's in charge of the shop tomorrow, and Seokjin's got stuff at the bakery to deal with, so it's either you or Yoongi-hyung, Namjoon-hyung."

"I'll talk to Yoongi and see what he thinks," Namjoon replied.

Taehyung turned back to Hoseok and gave him a sheepish half-smile, half-grimace. "I really hope this lead works out, Hoseok-ssi. I'm really not sure how long that energy potion is going to help you."

Hoseok nodded in understanding. "We'll keep our fingers crossed."

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A/N: Sorry again that this chapter took so long to be posted. I do hope that you enjoyed some backstory though!

And thank you to everyone who left comments on this story, it always keeps me motivated to hear your feedback <3 Let me know if there is anything you'd like to see in future chapters (like certain pairings or plot points) and I'll do my best to incorporate them in.

Ages:

Seokjin - 455

Yoongi - 342

Hoseok - 138

Namjoon - 124

Jimin - 98

Taehyung - 66

Jungkook - 30

[bubbleteaa]

I've missed you (Dabi & Rei)

Words: 1062

Characters: Dabi, Todoroki Rei, mentions of Shouto, Natsuo and Endeavor (in this fic, Dabi is Todoroki Touya)

a/n: so, first of all, this is my very first scenario(? I decided to do Dabi and Rei because I'm a sad clown, :( but hey, I think they both deserve to know how much they have missed each other. So yeah, this is actually the first thing that I ever write about Dabi and mha in general. Also, I apologize for the grammar :( I learned english by my own and also w the school, so its not pretty good. Anyway, hope you like it! I also want to dedicate this to @softforshigi because shes amazing and the idea came throught my mind while i was talking to her.

Hope you like it!

A hospital. He had her locked up in a hospital for years. Had that really helped her? Was she okay? Who assured her that her mother had not been harmed further?

Dabi clenched her hands, feeling the burned flesh of her fingers twist in the palm of her hands. He was nervous, or rather, he was afraid. And what if she didn't really remember him?

Crack .

Just thinking about it made her heart fall apart. He couldn't live with the thought that the only person who truly loved him had forgotten about him. But hey, why would anyone remember him? No one remembered Touya, they only recognized Dabi, the villain with the blue flames who killed tons of people in order to achieve the Stain's will.

To someone unrecognizable.

He looked down, he could see the balcony of his mother's room. It was obvious that he would not enter through the door, for that he would have to enter the hospital and everyone would recognize him, and, certainly, he did not feel like leaving ashes in the place where his mother lived now.

He could only really control himself if she was around.

He went down, trusting that he would not harm himself from the height. He looked at the window and opened it carefully, it was late at night, he tried not to make noise as he entered the room. If it hadn't been for her mother's presence, Dabi would say that the room caused her depression. It looked so simple, so sad.

An almost undetectable sound startled the boy. He had learned to take care of those sounds, they could cost him his life; and at that moment, it could cost his heart. Rei was sitting, looking at him beforehand with a confused frown. Dabi's breathing began to get out of control, what was he doing now? The plan was just to see her in her sleep and leave her a letter.

Nothing went right, it always ended worse than it started.

"Shouto, did you change your clothes?" The white-haired woman asked. Maybe it was the contrast of the light, maybe he wasn't seeing well. Dabi did not know what to do, could not move "Natsuo?".

"Mom" the words came out like butter on bread, soft, sliding fearfully out of her mouth.

"Tell me darling" He started to feel hot, but he didn't look like the one that burned him when he used his uniqueness. The one that hurt. It was a warmth in his chest, in his heart.

There was a heavy silence after that. Dabi began to think about what to say, how to say it, when to say it. Rei just waited patiently, with a slight smile on her face.

Would I still give him those smiles after knowing the truth?

"I have failed you mom" he said finally. Her voice started shaking "I'm not Natsuo or Shouto" Rei tilted her head a little in confusion "I'm Touya, your son. Do you remember me, mom?" Rei was speechless, but very weakly nodded her head. Dabi tried not to cry at that moment "I thought you wouldn't remember me. I'm so sorry, mom. My name is not Touya anymore, now they know me as Dabi. I am no longer your little hero, mom. I have failed you" his words fell to the ground like him, on his knees before his mother. Tears ran down her hot cheeks, turning to steam as they made contact with her boiling complexion.

He took a deep breath, breathed as if the oxygen in the room was gradually decreasing. There was no response from Rei. "I didn't know what to do. My arms ... my neck, my hair, my eyes, everything was wrong. I couldn't be a hero" he looked up in terror to meet the tear-filled eyes of the woman with white hair " How could he be a hero if I couldn't protect you from him !? " It was guilt, pain, rage. Mix of negative feelings that had taken refuge in his chest for many years. "He couldn't mom, he couldn't beat him being good, he would never be at his level ... and look now ..." he lowered his head in regret "now you're alone in a room that doesn't deserve your presence".

Oh, there were whimpers. Tears still evaporated against her face, her knees attached to the cold floor as she avoided eye contact with her mother. He looked at the ground sadly, angrily. It was all his fault. If he had been fit, his mother would not have suffered, his brothers would not have been hurt. If only he could control his power, if only it had turned out just as his father planned.

"No" those words brought him out of his thoughts. He looked up, meeting the figure of his mother in front of him, holding back the tears "Don't say those things. You are my little hero" Dabi's jaw began to tremble as the tears came out in cascades "I couldn't protect you, I was the one who made a mistake. If only it had been stronger, if only it had been better for all of you "Rei's knees hit the ground in front of the black-haired man" I was the one with the mistake. Not you "He put one of his hands against his cheek, feeling the rings that supported his skin" You did not make any mistake. I could not protect you but I did love you with all my heart "the boy's lips opened slightly" and still I love with all my heart, Touya "she hugged him immediately, while doing it, for a moment, Dabi stopped feeling how her body trembled and could only reciprocate the hug.

Oh right.

This was how it felt, this was how it felt to have someone who loved you unconditionally. They say that love is blind because it did not look at age, nor appearance, nor place. That it was just there.

Rei and Touya were there, together.

Crying. Then a stifled cry continued, asking for comfort. Rei handed it to him, stroking her back, feeling each patch above her clothing. Dabi only clung to her, to her figure, to the love she had for him.

"I've missed you, mom."

"I have missed you so much more, my little hero."

[toomanyfandoms02]

The Transporter -Part Two- // Spencer Reid x Reader

Well here is part two of this whole new thing. I hope you guys like it :)

Word count ~ 2,630

It was a weird feeling. It took mere seconds but I could feel all of it.

It was like stretching, it wasn't uncomfortable, it was just odd.

I stumbled a bit, taking in my surroundings. It was a nice little apartment, I was set in the kitchen. Ahead of me I could see what looked like two bedrooms, a bathroom and the kitchen/dining room was connected. There was an older looking laptop sitting on the dining table with a sign next to it.

*You're gonna need this at the bureau! Good luck :) I'll see you soon. (Hopefully with an update on Spencer? ;))*

I shoved the laptop in the case that was neatly set on the table, slinging it over my shoulder and staring at my new home. I couldn't believe this was happening. And I don't think it's ever going to register completely.

A loud knock brought me out of my trance, I was at the door quickly, greeted by a giddy woman.

"Hello! You must be y/n. Your sister said you would probably be here today. I'm Amanda, your landlord." She shook my hand enthusiastically. I assume that Christine introduced herself as my sister.

"Yeah, Chris said this was a nice place. I unfortunately think I need to be going. I think I'm suppose to be introducing myself at my new job."

"Ah yes! At the FBI. Good luck to you." She moved from my way and I had her point me towards the BAU.

Christine was correct, the BAU was only a 10 minute walk from my apartment. I was literally shaking with nerves and excitement. I had dreamed for *years* of meeting Spencer Reid, more realistically Matthew Gray Gubler. But now that it was happening? I was almost too scared to do it.

Almost.

I walked into the doors instantly being questioned by a young man at the front desk. "Are you looking for someone? Can I have a name?"

"Y/n y/l/n, and I'm looking for Aaron Hotchner. I believe I'm suppose to be introducing myself today, I'm a new recruit."

"Ah I see, the new profiler." He nodded, looking at the screen. He then gave me a floor number and I headed up. I was cracking my knuckles the whole way up, it was a nervous tick. As soon as the doors opened I recognized many people.

JJ was hunched over her desk obviously reviewing a case file. Hotch, Derek and Rossi were in Hotch's office discussing something. That's when I saw the reason I had even considered this completely. Reid and Emily were staring at the board in the conference room. Emily was clearly trying to point more things out so Reid could put together a proper profile.

I knew I had to keep my composure and be professional. I *also* realized I have to act like I don't know everything about these people. So I calmly walked to Hotchs office and knocked lightly on the door. Rossi opened the door with his eyebrows knit together.

"Do you need something? Have a case to propose?"

I was a little frozen. Seeing one of your idols up close was a little...*overwhelming*. How was I gonna act when I was around Spencer?

"Oh! Uh, no. I'm the new recruit?" It came out as a question, which I'm sure confused him even more. I shot my hand out to him to shake. "Y/n y/l/n. My sister said she briefed you on my experience." That was a small lie, I was just assuming and **hoping** she did. He smiled, taking my hand.

"Yes of course. Come on in." He swung the door open further so I could enter the office. Derek was leaned on a chair in front of Hotch, who was sitting at his desk. "I'm David Rossi, this is Derek Morgan and this is Aaron Hotchner, our unit chief." I shook Derek and Hotchners hands, they were just as welcoming as I had hoped. We discussed a few things before we were on out way to the conference room. I began cracking my knuckles again. Hotch looked down at me, I quickly realized he was attempting to profile me, and clearly succeeding.

"There's nothing to be nervous about Ms. Y/l/n. You will fit in perfectly here." He reassured. I nodded, shoving my hands in my pockets to only slightly prevent myself from cracking them profusely.

Then there I was, entering the heavily windowed conference room. I had recognized the photos on the board since I had watched Criminal Minds so many times.

"Oh my god Cold Comfort." I muttered to myself. That was the name of the episode. It was the case where a man had been embalming his victims while alive. I had landed myself on the exact date of a pretty important case.

"Hmm?" Derek questioned me. Hearing me whisper a bit. I just shook my head with a nervous smile.

Emily had turned around to wave but Spencer kept his face glued to the board, which I was partially grateful for.

"That is Doctor Spencer Reid and Emily Prentiss. This is our new recruit, Agent y/n y/l/n. She has a degree in Criminal Justice, she also minored in psychology and sociology. She has been profiling in a different department for four years and I've been told she is quite talented at it." At that comment Specer had whipped around. He was holding a dry erase marker in his mouth and a pen in his hand. It was taking every single cell in me to not squeal just a little bit. So I just smiled.

"Will you profile me?" He asked, pulling the marker from his mouth and setting it on some papers the were strewn across the large table. I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Well statistically speaking if you have been doing this for several years, you *should* be pretty good at it. Considering you are being complimented on it implies that you are slightly above average for the actual limited years you have been doing it. So will you profile me?"

Are you kidding? I knew him like the back of my hand, this was going to be way to easy.

"Alright." I stood up a little straighter and smoothed out the skirt I was wearing. "You didn't have a particularly nuclear family kind of childhood. You lick your lips a lot, you've done it 4 times since I've been standing in this room, this is commonly learned from anxiety at a young age. I assume you have a pretty good IQ, considering you didn't use any contractions. It shows sophistication. I'm guessing you graduated highschool *way* early, I'm thinking...twelve? You look pretty young to be doing this kind of job, kind of like me. And I've been told you have multiple PhD's, that takes a while, even if you're a genius. But I graduated when I was sixteen. Nothing too special, only 2 years early. And lastly, I would guess you have an eidetic memory, correct? Theres a notebook sitting next to you. It even has your name printed at the top. It was made for you. But you haven't touched it since I entered this floor from what I can tell. You don't need it because everything is permanently in your mind." I cracked my knuckles once more, trying to gauge him again.

He wiped his hand over his face. "Wow, uh, that is incredibly detailed and accurate. Have you read any of my articles online?" I shook my head. "You seriously have no prior knowledge of me?" I shook my head again, which is kind of a lie you know? I mean, I knew *everything* about him. I knew a lot of things about all of these people. But really I knew most about him. He was like an idol to me. "That is incredible. How long did you say you've been doing this?" He asked with a tilt of his head. I couldn't help but smile more, he was even cuter in person and it was almost hard to stand.

"Four years. I worked as an intern under my uncle. He's the one that inspires me most." I probably shouldn't be discussing my real family, saying as they definitely won't ever know of them. What are the chances they would even want to anyway?

"Well I would love to meet him one day, he clearly mentored you well." Spencer said, looking at me hopefully.

Well shit. "Uh, yeah, maybe one day." I looked over at the door, more looking away because I was totally lying and did not want to be profiled, but I then saw JJ.

"Oh, this is Jennifer Jareau. She usually goes by JJ. JJ, this is y/n y/l/n. Our new profiler." Hotch gestured to her. JJ smiled sincerely and shook my hand.

"It's great to meet you. I heard your sister talking about you, it's a pleasure to have you on the team." Clearly Christine has set me up for immense success, which I greatly appriciated. I sat at the table, ready to listen to the details of the case that I remembered a good bit about. I quickly tucked my laptop under my chair.

"So yesterday, Brooke Lombardini our victim. Had a call out from a disposable phone directed to her mother. It is kinda of suspicious and definitely statistically impossible to prove that it is even her because it's only a whisper-" Hotch cut him off with a stern look. Spencer huffed lightly, continuing. "Anyway. There is slight evidence that she is alive. We are looking for someone with medical experience, considering he has the tools to embalm. It also appears that he is doing it while they are still alive." At this point, I was pretty happy that I already knew a lot about this case. Because it was really hard to focus when he talked, I loved it. So for about half of the time I was just watching him talk.

After being briefed, JJ took me to my desk, where she began to explain who was who in the office. Of course I already knew everything about them, but I really just wanted JJ's opinion on them.

"So that hunk over there," she gestured to Derek, "He would probably take a bullet for anyone. He has a very good heart and he's very hard working."

"Is Mr. Hunk Morgan your hunk?" I already knew the answer, but I wanted to tease her.

"Oh. No no. This is my hunk." She pulled her wallet out, showing me a picture if Will. "Will is a cop in another city." She looked at the picture lovingly. "But Morgan does have a weird relationship with Garcia." She then nodded at Penelope.

"Penelope is a very sweet, and incredibly quirky woman who is a blessing to the team. She will immediately start calling you sweety when you officially meet her. I'll bet money on it." I giggled a little and pretended to take notes which got her to laugh. "Reid is a special kind of sweet. He constantly tries to keep people safe. He's obviously a genius. He will talk your ear off about anything until you tell him to stop, so don't even get him started. He doesn't read social queues very well." I shrugged, setting my head in my hand as I peered into the conference room.

"I think he's sweet." I *now* realized that I seemed like a complete creep for thinking that if I had only known him for an hour. "I mean, he seems sweet. It's always nice to have a genius around right?"

"Curse and a blessing. Anyway, Hotch is a hard-ass, but he would do anything for this team. He's a great leader. Emily can be stern sometimes. She knows how to get answers out of people and she doesn't take any shit. And I'm sure you know Rossi, from his books?"

"Yes! He's seems great to work with."

"Yes, definitely. It's a weird team, but I wouldn't trade then for the world."

"Well I'm glad that you guys are so caringly taking me into your family."

"Of course, you'll be one of us in no time."

It wasn't long before I was starting my trek home. The walk was was very peaceful. It gave me a long time to soak in this wonderful universe. I had to walk through a park to get home, and all I could think was

*Wow, I could get use to this*

Once I was home, I flopped down on the couch, thinking about netflix but guess what?

*Netflix started their streaming site only two years ago*

Well that idea is out the window. I decided I was going to turn to disney channel and bask in the best decade of disney shows. But that would have to wait until I came back, I wanted to report things to Christine.

I grabbed my 'Come Back Device' and went to press it when I was interrupted by a knock for the second time today. I dropped the device, it landing on the couch safely.

"Coming, hold on." I walked to the door opening it to the last person I expected to see.

The one and only, Spencer Reid.

"Uh hi. You kinda left this under your chair in the conference room." He presented my laptop to me. My cheeks flushed for a second, knowing it was because I was distracted in there.

"Oh, thank you! Wait how did you-"

"Don't worry, I'm not some stalker." He waved his hands in defence. "I just looked at your file so I could bring this to you. Which also sounds kind of stalkerish but that was definitely not my intention. But you should know, if I was a stalker I wouldn't have come to you directly, that would be too-" I cut him off, I couldn't let him torture himself like this.

"Hey, Dr. Reid, I don't think you're a stalker." I giggled, grabbing my laptop from his hand. "Thank you though, for bringing it to me." He looked a little past me, at the couch.

"It was my pleasure. You can also call me Spencer. What is that?" He began pointing at the device.

"Oh uh, it's for my Halloween costume this year."

"And you're starting it now? In February?"

"Yeah!" I said a little loudly and enthusiastically. I lowered my tone, trying to think of some character in this timeline it could represent.... Bingo! "It's for an Iron Man costume. Just wanted it to be accurate. I leaned against the door frame, partially blocking his view of it.

"You like Iron Man?" I nodded. "I agree. I think that Robert Downey Junior is the perfect fit for him. I think it helps that he has a sort of troubled past already to fit his character well." Before he could drag me into a conversation like this, I stopped him. I didn't want to stop him. I loved his little rants. But I knew if I was pulled into a Marvel discussion, I will talk for hours.

"Yeah! I'm so sorry. I would really, trust me, really like to keep talking, but I am so exhausted and I'm not sure I would be good company. Thank you so much again for bringing this to me Dr.- I mean Spencer." I lifted it up and smiled.

"Yes of course. Any time. See you tomorrow Agent y/l/n."

"You can call me y/n."

He smiled with a little salute, "y/n."

And then he was gone. I huffed, heading back inside incredibly flustered and down right anxious. I swiftly grabbed the device and pressed the button, opening the portal back.

I had a *lot* to tell Christine.

(Do you guys have an suggestions on how to continue? I have some ideas, but I want your guys' input :))

Tag List!!~~~

@dillxpixkles

@natibugg31

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@buck-barn

[hoopdiddies]

I'm Not Over You// Ben Hardy x Reader (10.1)

A/N: The last part! Here you go! Thanks for supporting the entire series, guys. Means a lot ♥ ♥

Summary: A wedding brought you apart and it will be a wedding that will bring you back together

Warnings: Microscopic angst and FULL ON FLUFF

WC: 3k

Tags: @haendel-me-with-care

@mrsdoradominguez-barnes

@mickmoon

@lakef

@mrsmazzello

@valeriecarolinaw

@queen-turtle-boiii

@loveandbeloved29

@hazme2

@boherahpsody

Parts: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

"What- I thought Gwil- never mind, did I hurt your shoulder?" You stumble over your words and he chuckles, the curve his red lips are sporting making your insides melt.

"No, you didn't."

"Oh thank heavens. Sure I didn't add to your injuries? " You had to say it but luckily, he shakes his head good-naturedly and seems to have shrugged off the issue. "I'm okay now. I've been for so long actually." At least you've got the conversation going, against the odds of you doubting that it might've ended up awkward with how long you haven't been in touch. You smile crookedly and rub your arm, sighing profoundly to say another word but as you open your mouth to do so, Ben beats you to it. "What about you? How've you been?"

You shrug. "Same old but tortured...and pissed...at Joe...for doing me injustice like that." He rubs the back of his hair and cocks his head to one side. "Oh? Tell me about it."

You give him a brief, speculative look– thinking that it's a miracle you're talking normally like you haven't kissed each other the day you left him lamenting on a hospital bed, been in contact for an entire year and made love with your eyes during the ceremony– in that order.

You snap out of it and look around the busy reception. "I- well-"

"To make it easier, let's head out for a walk on the beach, shall we?" Ben steps aside to let you leave before him and you tuck a tendril of your hair behind your ear, nodding as you walk ahead. He follows you out and you glance over your shoulder, looking past him and seeing Joe wiggle his brows at you from their table– to which you widen your eyes in annoyance and a little gratitude.

Your walk has been graced with the twinkle of a thousand stars and the calm splash of the evening waves against the shore. You've let your hair down from the tight bun you've put it in and taken off your sandals to traipse along the water while Ben remains along the dry sand to stay practical– not that you aren't. He just has his shoes on while you're holding onto yours.

You haven't strolled far from the party with the lamps spanning from the vicinity within the reception still present as you tread along. You've told him all about Barcelona and your studies and everything else concerning your life there; so far it's been good and jolly. He's taken a new project and is in the process of filming, something you've congratulated him on as well– the previous one being his full recovery and you didn't bother to bring up the prior events to that, it might just lead to something you'd lose your voice to talk about. It's a relief that you are able to share a few laughs in between, something you thought wouldn't be possible anymore. You haven't talked to each other like this is ages.

"I guess we're both working our fingers to the bone." He chuckles and stops in his tracks to enjoy the breeze. You involuntarily mimic his stance and stand semi-still on the water, tossing your sandals onto the driest part of the sand.  "I guess. Business before pleasure they say."

"Well my business is my pleasure so it seems like it only applies to you." The smile on his face widens thoroughly and you scoff underneath your breath, swinging your leg back and forth, creating mini splashes. "Excuse me, it applies to neither of us. I love working for something I know will finally lead to my dream."

He hums and bends down to pick up a pebble, casting it smoothly against the water and makes three skips. "It just occurred to me that you never once told me anything about your dream to become a doctor or anything." You give him a fleeting smile and shake your head, crossing your arms as you begin admiring the sky. "If I had told anyone, it wouldn't come true."

"Seriously?"

You raise your hands up briefly in defense and let out a chuckle, bending down to pick up a pebble to skip as well. "I'm living proof that it's effective, you should try it sometime." While you cast your pebble and watch it skip, he studies you intently and with great focus, drawing in a sharp breath before taking off his shoes to join your spot in the shallow water. He sets it aside and stands next to you, lifting his gaze up to the sky and then to you as you take in the cluster of stars dotting the heavens.

The gleam in your eyes as you beam at the starry view puts him under a spell and you sense his piercing stare, encouraging you to catch his fixed look. "What is it this time?"

He gulps, his mouth going dry. "I've sent you a message a couple of weeks back. Never got a response from you..."

You angle your head to one side amusingly. "I replied? Maybe you just don't check your inbox that much- and wait, I changed my number, how did you-"

"Our boy, Joe."

Of course. Joe really needs a new girl in his life, he must be exhausted from being such a mediator.

"And yes, I don't check my inbox a lot. Busy as a bee lately." He adds with a defeated smile present. You weave your fingers together, keeping your vision limited to the horizon yet sensing his eyes penetrate through you.

A little shy to let him see your blush creeping up your cheeks, you tear yourself away from his gaze and sigh inwardly. "I know that look somehow."

"For the third time asked in this lifetime, would you care to finish the dance we had at the after party? A dance to satisfy all the dances we never had the chance to finish. "

Your mouth shamelessly hangs like an attic door with loose hinges at how he was able to remember that. You recall his attending physician say that there would be no risks of amnesia or any sort of memory loss, although he shouldn't be able to recall minor details.

But then your dance wasn't a minor memory.

Ben's still waiting for your answer and you recompose yourself from the jaw drop, stuttering in the slightest as you speak up.  "Uh y-yeah. I mean, we never get to finish dances, am I right?"

Without tethering himself from taking your hand in his, he draws you close to him, the movement of your legs making small ripples and swishes in the water. You can't keep a firm eye on him and as he understands your uncertainty due to how long it's been since the pair of you have closed a distance, he manually positions your arms around his neck, putting a little forethought into snaking his hands around your waist to ease you into it again.

"Hey, like old times, right?" He cajoles softly and you look up at him.

"Like old times." You repeat after him and find it easy to stare into his eyes again, once more submitting yourself to the metronomic beat of your heart. He initiates with light sway, feeling the crashing waves beneath your feets put an effect to how you're moving. With you studying every detail of his face adoringly, you notice the small yet noticeable scar on the near left of his forehead; a small residue of his injury. You frown as you reach up to trace your finger smoothly across his scar, your heart breaking at the memory of that night.

Ben takes notice of your flitting expression and cups your cheek to alleviate the worry you've put yourself in at the sight of his scar. "Hey, hey. Don't worry about it, I'm okay now."

You hang your head apologetically, chewing on your bottom lip with the urge to bring up what you wanted to suppress out of guilt.

"I'm sorry if I left you like that. At the time you really needed me the most, I scrammed and ghosted you for an entire year. I broke my promise, your arm and a small fraction of your skull," as inappropriate as it is to laugh a little at it, you let it slip past your lips anyway to give it a stretch and lighten the weight on your shoulders, "and it's all thanks to Joe for making up that worst case scenario."

Joe did say you'd hurt him on every possible level– ranging from physical to spiritual. Though you didn't afflict him physically per se, your carelessness on the highway did. "I'm so sorry, Ben, for letting my emotions get in the way of what we had. Our friendship. You loved someone else then and being in a way cursed with unrequited feelings, I-I had to distance myself."

He assures you with a loose smile, twirling you under his arm and leisurely pulling you back to his body. "Every bit of it is alright. I had sworn on the day we met that I'd protect you with every fiber of my being and I should be the one that's sorry. All you ever did was love me," he stares down at you intimately, lifting your hand to his lips and kissing your knuckles, "though how clueless and unbearable I was," a kiss to your wrist, "through all my complaints and nasty fits," a kiss to your cheek, the sensation making you giggle slightly, "through my clumsy tendencies, " a kiss to your nose, "through all my mood swings after a bad day on set," an elongated kiss on your forehead, parting away deliberately before flicking his eyes to your lips and back to your Y/E/C orbs. He gulps audibly at how he's asking you for permission to do it. "When I couldn't return that love to you because I was blind enough to let Rosy stay. For loving me...in both my lowest and highest."

He's risking a few inches in but you can tell he's holding back. You slacken your arms from his neck, little by little dropping them to your sides as his green eyes finally overwhelm you.

The corner of his eyes crinkle as he smiles, breathing out the words you've long waited for. "You've held my heart in your hands even when you were miles away and though you won't be staying for long, I'll always be waiting." In the same way you had when you left, you tip your head back to let his lips meet yours only this time it doesn't take him by surprise. Your lips don't move against each other for a few seconds and you pull away, breathless.

His green eyes are wide yet flecked with awe, unruly brows lightly creased together with small strands of his combed back, blond hair falling into them but they soften as the smile on his face widens. "You're not with Joe, are you?"

You chuckle, shaking your head and heaving out a defining exhale. "I never was. You're not with Rosy anymore, are you?"

He shakes his head as well and it appears the blissful grin on his face won't be coming off anytime soon.

"Long done. I love you, and you alone."

You'll be blaming him later for the ear-splitting grin now etched on your face.

"I love you too, Benjamin."

He throws his head back in relief and lifts you up in his arms, tilting his head back as he savors the full feeling of your lips on his, the kiss gradually becoming open-mouthed.

As if on cue, the fireworks meant for Rami and Lucy come launching up into the sky and bursting into bright colors, the sparks raining down and vanishing into thin air shortly after. Cheers of the people emanate from the party as Lucy and Rami share the same kiss from outside at the same time you and Ben are. You pull away with unridable grins on your faces and share the magical sight of the fireworks lighting up the night sky with no other disturbances to ruin the moment.

"You think they'd start wondering where we are?" You hum with your head rested against his chest. He kisses your hair and smiles as he tightens his hold around you, revelling deep in the moment.

"They'd get the idea, babe. They'd get the idea."

Lucy was right, Ben has always been your soulmate; the three dances you've had in your lifetime somehow always brought you back to each other. Hopefully the one you just had will be the one that will never tear you both apart ever again.

You've yet to thank Joe for tricking you into thinking that it was Gwilym he wanted to spin you off to.

How magical is that tape you used to stick the polaroids together?

It somehow pieced you and Ben in the same manner and stood the test of time.

-Fin-