#artem fics

[laciefuyu]

someone in art team is personally catering to me tbh

[surely-galena]

His hands fiddle with his phone as he speaks, his words coming out disjointed and soft, so quiet that Aaron has to lean forward to hear him. “I had—have—someone like that in my life. Whoever your patient is, he’s very fortunate to have you.” Aaron’s mouth falls open. What is he supposed to say to that? He’d only thought he’d check on a stranger’s potential joint issues, and suddenly here he is, talking to a lawyer whose voice drips with a heavy coat of grief. * Or: Aaron Yishmir and Artem Wing have an oddly vulnerable conversation in a mall.

-

I think that Aaron and Artem should have the chance to meet because they would definitely get along.

Also, angst.

[thelonelyarchon]

🧶✂️ SEVERED FATES

Pairing: Artem Wing x Rosa, Artem Wing x Fem!Reader (in future chapters)

Summary: (Unofficial summary) Artem Wing is regularly praised for his ability to compose himself in any situation. Despite bombarding himself with paperwork and cases to appeal at court, he never once found himself in a situation where he was totally lost and helpless... that is until his birthday arrives. Plagued by nightmares and sudden illness this time of the year, it's a yearly tradition of the young senior attorney to pray at Cloudbreak Temple since he entered lawschool, the year it all began. It was the same thing every year. Pray and pray for answers. But what if... this year is different? And with the arrival of a mysterious but familiar heiress, he might just get his answers.

"Find what was severed and repair it," said the monk.

But... what must he repair?

Content Warning: Mentions of chest pains, unconscious Artem, overworking, description of fatigue, slightly unnerving imagery of being shot, does not follow Tears of Themis timeline religously, slightly ooc characters, angst (?), not-proof-read

Author's Note: This is an experimental post/prologue! I've had this crazy Gufeng!Artem x Fem!Reader angst fic at the back of my mind since last year and I was too scared to write it. Luckily, I found mysekf writing it earlier today after I finally got the go sign to stop my medicatiom for anxiety. What a better way to celebrate it than writing something that I was scared to bring into life beforehand! Anyway, if this gets positive feedbacks and interested readers, then I'll continue the series!

“AND THAT is why you should take this opportunity to rest, Artem. You’ll exhaust yourself this way,” Celestine pinched the bridge of her nose as she fought back another wave of nausea. The older senior attorney and co-founder of Themis Law Firm was in her first trimester of pregnancy, and her stress was getting to her.

Artem refused to look at Celestine. The pile of paperwork and casefiles sitting on top of his desk prevented him from doing so. He had been stuck in a vicious cycle of ‘work, eat, sleep, repeat’ for the last three weeks as the firm had an influx of cases to be handled at the end of March and early April. Nearly all senior attorneys in the firm were preoccupied with their cases, and Artem had the higher task of overseeing all of them.

“I know how to take care of myself, Celestine. You, on the other hand, should focus on your health and not on mine. You’ll exhaust yourself this way.” Artem lets out a small huff as he smiles to himself. Celestine’s mouth was wide agape.

Did Artem just throw her concerns back at her?

“You’re unbelievable,” she sighs. “I really can’t persuade you, no?”

Artem shakes his head without lifting his gaze from the paper he’s scanning. Using the blue silicone page-turner he has on his index finger and thumb, he smoothly flips through another page or two while scanning its contents.

She figures that she can’t persuade the young attorney no matter what she does. After all, Artem just earned another title in the industry: senior monster attorney.

“But I’m being serious now. Like for real, this time. Artem, I know you want to keep me stress-free… but I can completely manage my nausea in court. I can help you. It’s not like I’m incapacitated mentally, too!” Celestine argues.

In the two years he’s been working with Celestine, they’ve developed a sibling-like relationship. Artem understood where her concern was coming from. To be frank, he doesn’t know when was the last time he had a proper sleep. Usually, he’d go home late in the night only to eat and then do some more reading and compiling of evidence until he fell asleep. He would wake up to his alarm blaring, hastily dressing himself up for work before arriving at the firm to continue where he left off the night before. He would be lying if he didn’t admit he was overworking himself.

“I’m fine, Celestine. Reading more won’t hurt me.”

“Yeah, it won’t but I will hurt you if you don’t rest now while I’m still being kind,” Celestine turned her back to him and crossed her arms. She walks towards the door before turning her head at him again only to emphasize what she said. “That’s an order from your boss, Artem! Rest or you’re fired.”

For the first time since the moment Celestine entered his office twenty minutes ago, Artem lifted his head to look at the senior attorney. Maybe it was from the frustration she felt but Celestine wasn’t smiling. He gently dropped his pen on his table and closed the folder with the casefiles he was supposed to finish reading by lunchtime.

He rests his elbows on his desk and uses the back of his entwined fingers as support for his chin. He learned it is best not to provoke a pregnant woman or he might just have to deal with her tears. He is efficient at dealing with court trials, but he’s aware he’s useless when it comes to stopping women’s tears.

“Fine, Celestine. You won,” he leans back on his chair and loosens his necktie. Now that he took the time to relieve himself of his duties, he could feel the fatigue consuming him.

His eyes feel itchy and dry from all that reading, and he knows he may just need a pair of glasses if he continues to abuse his eyesight like this.

When was the last time he slept well again? Yesterday? Two days ago? Maybe.

“Mr. Wing, I have here last month’s pending civil cases! These haven’t been looked at yet so Kiki was hoping if you could-”

“Ah! Rosa, there you are! You’re just in time!” Celestine exclaims as she claps.

Rosa jolts back in surprise as Celestine bombards her with a hug. She laughs nervously and looks at Artem. Her smile drops upon seeing his face. He looked… like a homeless man. He looks horrible!

“I’m on time for what…?”

“I have an important favor to ask of you and it’s more of a personal favor, but I’m willing to give you a bonus for it!” Celestine said.

Rosa’s eyes widened as she stepped back and raised her hand. Just what happened here? A bonus sounded tempting, but Rosa knew that when Celestine asks for personal favors these days, it usually involved three things: pregnancy cravings, dealing with impertinent clients, or Mr. Wing.

And with the sight of Artem casually sprawled over his office chair nearly passed out from fatigue, she knew she should be nervous.

“Ah… hahahaha… uhm. Ahem! C-celestine?”

Celestine grinned and moved behind her. She pushed Rosa inside the room towards Artem and stood by the door. She reaches for the handle.

“Rosa, make sure Artem doesn’t step foot inside the law firm for the next week or so nor have him hold anything related to work! That’s an order. Don’t worry, I'll count both of your absences as a paid one-week leave,” she slyly smiles. Rosa was horrified.

She will… babysit Artem for a week!? She should feel happy that despite chilling around for the next week or so, she was still being paid. But… she’s spending her week with Mr. Wing!? Now, now! That’s uncalled for!

“N-now h-hold on for a second, Celestine–!”

Celestine laughs as she pulls the door close. Before she could close it, she left her with one more instruction, “Oh. One more thing. Artem’s relieved from the cases he has right now except for next month’s trial. And by the way, it’s nearly the 26th. Keep an eye on Artem, will you?”

Rosa’s eyes softened when she saw the genuine concern on Celestine’s face. She knows Celestine and Artem’s mother are close, and she treats him like a brother. It was also Mr. Wing’s birthday week. But for some reason, there was something deeper behind the meaning of her instruction.

Keep an eye on him… for what? Or… from what?

As soon as the door clicked shut, Artem let out a sigh. Rosa turned to his way.

“That Celestine… really,” he sits up from his chair. “I’m sorry you had to do this. You may refuse to do so if you like.”

Rosa shook her head and offered him a smile. “It’s alright, Mr. Wing. At least it’s me you’re with. That way, I can still bend the rules and allow you to sneak a peek at your work from time to time,” she winks and gives him two thumbs up.

Artem chuckles as he smiles warmly. “Right. Well, help me arrange these files. I’ll leave the other cases to Celestine and I’ll bring the ones for next month.”

“Copy that, Mr. Wing!” Rosa said enthusiastically.

As Artem stood to fix his things, he noticed the calendar sitting on top of his desk where the keys to his car were placed in a bowl. The date April 26th was encircled in red marker ink ominously. Artem holds his chest as the familiar sense of foreboding creeps up to him. He sighs and shakes his head.

Rosa notices the sudden change in his demeanor. “Are you alright?”

Artem looks at her and smiles. “Yes. Also… would you like to come with me to Cloud Break Temple?”

Rosa’s eyes sparkled at his offer.

Cloud Break Temple… their spot. It’s been a while since they’ve been there.

“Of course… Artem.” She said softly.

_____________________________

“WHAT are you going to pray for, Mr. Wing?” Artem looks at Rosa as she speaks. Currently, they stood at the arch at the entrance of the temple. Many tourists and locals were climbing the long stairs up to the temple. Some were students, some were elderly, and some were even pregnant.

The bustling sound of the temple and the bells and windchimes comforted Artem. He never really admitted it, but for some reason, the temple was a safe refuge for him. Although, during the week before his birthday, he would feel an ominous shadow looming behind him.

“Hmm, nothing. I was just going to pray for well-being.” He said.

“Ah! If I remember correctly, last year you went here for your birthday, too. Is this a yearly tradition?” She asks.

“You could say that. It only started when I pursued law school.”

“Huh?” Rosa asked, confused.

Naturally, Rosa didn’t know everything about Artem despite the blooming affection between the two of them. Artem has yet to pursue her officially. However, in the short time she was able to work with Artem, she could somehow get a gist of who he was and how his mind worked.

It’s only been a year since she met Artem and worked for him at the law firm and NXX so this came as a surprise.

Artem looked at her and smiled. He reached for the top of her head and gently caressed it. Rosa’s cheeks were flushed. Artem could feel his burning too. He clears his throat and retracts his hand away before walking deeper into the temple.

The temple was still the same, although a few areas had been closed off for construction. When they got to the area to get their tickets, he found a familiar face. It was the old monk that had entertained them last year.

“Oh! It’s you two darlings again.” He started. Rosa and Artem laughed at his words. They greeted the monk together.

“How have you been? Are you here to pray for safety? What about the exam? Or, is it marriage again young man?”

Artem blushed as he shook his head and laughed nervously. “How I wished to, but it is not my purpose for coming today. I am here to pray for–” At the corner of his eye, he caught a shadow walking past him, stopping him in his tracks. The words remained at the tip of his tongue as he trailed off.

It was a shadow… no, it’s a silhouette. No… it was a woman who walked past him.

Before Artem could turn around to see who it was, he found himself clutching his chest as a searing pain radiated throughout his body. He falls to his knees.

In his mind, he thought his fatigue was finally catching up to him. Was it a heart attack?

“I can’t… I can’t breathe.” Artem muttered.

“What is wrong with me?”, Artem thought as he felt his consciousness slipping away.

“Artem! Mr. Wing! Are you alright? Can you hear me?” He could hear Rosa’s distant, frantic cries for help as people surrounded them. His eyelids fluttered open as he fought back to keep himself conscious. But it was so… heavy. It was just like the last time last year. It was as if his chest was just shot.

HIs head lolled back and his eyes rolled back as he struggled to fight back. He was sure he would lose consciousness now. His hand clutched his chest even harder. It was even more difficult to breathe. He could see the face of the old monk looming over his figure.

"Am I��� on the ground? Why is the sky the only thing I can see?"

The monk's face was void of emotion as if studying the strange thing that he had just seen. But what is it? Why is he staring at him as if he knew this would happen and he knew why it happened? Artem couldn’t bear to look at the disappointment on his face. What did he do wrong?

He turns to his side as the last bits of his consciousness leave him. His eyes landed on the wishing tree, the same one on which he and Rosa had hanged their tablets. Visions began to form as he hallucinated.

Blink.

“Oh… what a lovely tree. It’s more luscious now this time of the year.”, Artem thought as the tree became much more younger-looking. It lacks the wooden tablets that were hung on its branches.

Blink.

“Who… who are they?”

A man and a young noble lady met under a younger-looking wishing tree. This time, the first tablets were hanged by the two. Two entwined fates, one lucky and one unlucky…tightly tied together to make a fortunate one.

“Why… am I seeing this?”

Blink.

It was only a split second before the scene changed again. Artem found himself screaming for help when an arrow was shot towards someone. Before he could see who shot the arrow, the searing pain in his chest became unbearable and the last bits of his consciousness finally slipped away as the arrow pierced his heart.

On the other end of the temple's grounds, you, the woman who happened to pass by the area, stopped to look at the commotion behind you. You tilt your head off to the side as you eye the young man who's sprawled unconscious on the floor.

"Who is he?" You asked the man in black beside you.

"A young man has fainted, Madam. It was the one you happened to pass by just now. It's not of your concern. The staff has called for help. We must leave now if we are to catch the plane by tonight." He said.

The urgency in his voice was unmistakable, but you chose to ignore him. You took of your sunglasses to take a better look at the man. Your brows twitched at the familiar face. Who would've thought the one lying on the ground and causing a commotion would be the youngest senior attorney in Stellis City? Artem Wing.

A slight smirk played on your lips as you thought of the Gods giving you a favor. Perfect timing. He's the right man you need for tue job you have in mind.

"Hugo," you gently eyed your bodyguard to signal hik to come closer to you. He quickly moves beside you to hear your request.

"Yea, Madam?"

"Get the car. I would like to personally bring the man to the hospital." You wore your sunglasses and turned around to exit the temple grounds. Younhear your bodyguard choke on air at your order.

"P-pardon, Madam!?"

"You heard me once. No need to make me say it twice."

"U-understood." He jogs back to the scene where a staff was frantically attempting to awaken Artem. You on the other hand, refused to look back. Once your guard was out of sight, you couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

"I hope I'm doing the right thing by helping you, Attorney Wing. Don't make me regret this." You mutter.

You though you should have a little more faith in him. After all, you just hit the jackpot. Maybe the gods really did hear your prayers today. With the case you were entangled with, sure enough Stellis's top senior attorney can help you win this and clear your name. 99.9% win rate? Yes, helping him is worth it. You just hoped he would think that way, too.

[otomiyaa]

do you have any ToT fics?

Mr. Mouse

Lee!Marius & NXX Squad ft. Reader

[Fic Reupload] - Haha I thought you were crying but then thought oh right I've been sharing Tears of Themis posts lately. Well I've got one, only one, apart from some drabbles scattered around. I'll reupload the fic ^^ It's not lee Luke though, but Marius. (Also on AO3)

Word Count: 3.1K

The mood was dark and heavy. Though it had been your intention to shift the team’s focus off the complex investigation case just for a little, you did not expect it would arise new complications.

All you had done was suggest a funny game for some team bonding, fun, and to have a laugh, since there was just too much tension in this team and definitely not enough laughter. Alas, there was little to no laughter at all as the men glared at each other, even while playing the game. 

"Guys...” you whispered, watching them nervously. 

Even with those stupid cards sticking to their foreheads it didn’t look at all like the lighthearted situation it should be. Marius and Artem were exchanging death stares as if they could fly over the table any second and clash. Vyn appeared to be judging their behavior quietly, a little pile of successfully guessed cards of his own proudly placed before him as he stared at the duo with piercing eyes. And Luke...

“Luke,” Marius suddenly called out, glancing sideways at Luke who was, just like you were, observing the two nervously. “I’ll ask again, Luke. Am I Mr. Artem Wing?” Marius asked. Luke was stuttering, but couldn’t get in between them again with a firm ‘no’ or anything else, given the tense atmosphere.

Marius already continued to speak: “Summarizing all of your answers, I am a male, I am old, I am not big, but I do have big earsー”

“Mr. Wing does not have big ears though,” you whispered, but Marius didn’t hear and continued.

“You are also an animal, Marius. You are forgetting a key part of the interrogation,” Vyn said in all seriousness. You should have known. There was no such thing as playing a fun and simple game of Who Am I? with the NXX gang. 

“Ah, an animal. Right. I stick to my guess. Mr. Wing is also kind of an animal,” Marius said, shrugging. Artem glared.

“Your insults are getting less and less creative. I suggest you proceed with more clever guesses, or you should just give up and admit you cannot guess the character,” he said. Ah, these two really weren’t getting along! Still, it was hard to fight back your giggles as you felt your lips twitch unwillingly. 

On Marius’ forehead was the card that said ‘Mickey Mouse’ and for the past ten minutes it had been him trying to guess the name which was not that difficult. From Elvis to Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter, Leonardo da Vinci, Darius Morgan, Phoenix Wright and Mark Zuckerberg, everyone else including yourself had already finished some interrogation rounds successfully and guessed the right names. 

It was just Marius who was still Mickey Mouse for such a long while since the start of the game that all of you had decided to focus your attention on him alone until he would guess it right. Though usually enjoying to be in the spotlight, Marius did seem to get annoyed and had been trying to wriggle his way out of it by provoking Artem.

“Ask more about the animal’s nature,” Vyn suggested. 

“Or his career,” Luke said.

Marius rolled his eyes, a confused look on his face that said ‘an animal’s career?’ but he sighed and growled, “Fine. Am I a monkey?” 

“No,” chirped Luke.

“Am I a cat? Or a dog?”

“No and no,” Vyn said. 

“A fish?” You shook your head at him. Marius made a wild gesture with his hands.

“A bear?” 

“Nope,” Artem said. There was definitely something smug about Artem’s attitude, and unfortunately Marius did not miss this. He lunged towards him and sneered, “Ah I see. You thought of a difficult name for me, just to finally have something I am not better at. Hm?” 

“Just keep guessing, Marius,” you tried gently, but Marius was fixated on Artem again and you were kind of relieved that he didn’t catch Luke’s very soft “It’s not that difficult though...” because if he did, Luke would be enjoying all of that attention that was going to Artem now.

“Looks like we’ll still be here tomorrow,” was Artem’s calm remark, sparking Marius’ irritation again. There had been something mischievous about the usual serious Artem all day, something childish yet not more childish than Marius himself, and you were torn between amusement and fear of this all escalating into something bad. 

“Rosa~ Help me out here? They are bullying me,” Marius whined like a child, pouting at you. It was hilarious how he really did seem at loss with this game, and it didn’t even seem to cross his mind that you were the one who came up with the idea to play this in the first place. Or better, that it was your very own hand that wrote the name 'Mickey Mouse' for Marius to guess.

“Just keep on guessing. You are really close,” you encouraged him. He wasn’t close though. You could tell Marius had still no idea.

“Perhaps he will need a hand,” Vyn said. Marius let out a sudden guffaw. 

“Oh you guys are loving this aren’t you? The only way you guys can beat me is with silly games, or maybe even a prank. I’m not gonna be surprised if I take this off and there’s no name on it. It’s getting shady, why am I the only one who’s an animal?” Marius said, grabbing at the card on his forehead, but Luke reached out swiftly and caught his arm.

“Hey, don’t take it off now!” the brunet warned. Marius was sort of right. The guys were enjoying the hilarity of Marius failing at something as simple as a guessing game, but there was no prank going on here. Marius really failed gloriously and you couldn’t blame them - especially Artem - for rubbing salt into the wound.

“See? You don’t want me to see you’re fooling me huh?” Marius said, trying to pull his arm free from Luke who held him with both hands, but Marius reached for the card again with his other hand. This time Vyn got up fast and stood behind Marius, where he grabbed both his arms and moved them behind the seat. 

“You are going to play fairly, Marius. This’ll be a temporary measure to make sure you do,” he said, taking off his own tie and using it to bind his hands behind the chair. Marius laughed out loud again.

“Come on now! As if you guys are playing fairly! This is so childish!” 

“Or you are the childish one. Just because you are finally bad at something doesn’t mean it isn’t fair. You’ll have to accept you can’t be good at everything,” Artem lectured. 

“Oh yeah? Well, it’s not that I don’t want to play a game, I just don’t want to cooperate with your pranks! I’m going home,” Marius said, but Vyn tightened the light bondage on Marius’ hands and said: “Oh but you’re not going anywhere. And it’s not a prank, Marius. It is a fair game.”

“Rosa, help!” Marius made a scene on purpose, still smug and at the same time dramatic about the whole situation, and you shook your head at him.

Vyn sat down again, but Luke leaned towards Marius and poked him teasingly between the ribs.

“I’ll give you a hint. The sort of animal you are tends to get stuck by human traps as well,” he said, but the poke caused a different reaction than everyone expected. Marius literally squeaked. 

Your eyes widened. Marius von Hagen.... Could he be.... Ticklish? Judging from the look on Artem’s face, he seemed to notice too.

“The animal makes a similar sound too,” he said, poking Marius as well from the other side, making him squeak again.

“EEP!”

“The animal does, but the character does not make such a sound,” Luke said, watching how Artem’s single finger poked Marius not one, not two, but three more times.

“Haha-hands off, Artem, you don’t want to face the consequences once I get out of this,” Marius argued, dancing uncomfortably. 

“Hm.  That’s… quite an attitude for someone in your position,” Artem retorted, and this time he made a claw of his hand, digging his fingers into Marius’ torso and getting him to let out another lovely squeak. Luke snickered.

“Shall we tickle him?  he suggested, wiggling his fingers. 

“We could. Until he guesses it right.” 

It was hard to believe what was happening here. You saw how both Artem and Luke surrounded Marius who sat tied to his chair thanks to Vyn’s bondage skills, and their fingers started to poke and prod his sides. Marius threw his head back, the card sticking to his forehead like magic while he let out the loudest most hysterical giggles.

“GAhaha-guhuhuys! Y-you ahahar the wohohorst!” 

You gaped at them and exchanged looks with Vyn. He was smirking. “Amused aren’t you?” he murmured while in the background, Marius continued to laugh because of Artem and Luke tickling him. Artem was calm and collected, tickling Marius with this concentrated look as if he was some kind of work project. Luke was much more playful and smug about it.

“Heehee, take that! Well, aren’t you gonna guess?” he sang.

You chuckled at Vyn. “Yeah. Amused, and confused. What is even happening?” you giggled, amazed that even Artem would do something of such a childish nature. Perhaps everyone would act a little different if a bratty person like Marius was involved.

“Well, I can tell you what’s happening. They are tickling him. What do you say, shall we help out?” Vyn asked you, leaning close as if the two of you were having an intimate and personal moment in the middle of the tickle fest. 

“Should we?” you asked, smirking. Vyn shrugged.

“I think we should.” And so you two rolled your chairs towards where Marius was laughing for his dear life.

“I refuhuhuse to plahahay your stuhuhupid gahahames!” he laughed, and he shrieked even louder when you joined in, clawing at his tummy while Artem continued to tickle his ribs and sides, and Luke was playfully wriggling his fingers under his arms, tickling his armpits.

“You’ll have to, Marius. Continue playing, I will be the one to answer your questions,” Vyn said, sitting right before him with his hands on his knees. He squeezed, and Marius let out a loud gasp.

“AHAHah!” His eyes widened, and you could see the realization on his face. He was stuck. He struggled with his bound arms, but even if he were to shake the tie off, you were certain these guys would not let him go easily. Heh. Neither would you. This was actually fun. 

“Ahaham I a rahahabit?!” Marius finally laughed, and you couldn’t help but giggle along. He was both cute and hilarious right now, and you continued to dance your fingers all over his belly. Vyn snickered and shook his head.

“No, you are not.”

“S-sehehehe, squirrel! A squirrehehel!”

“No,” Artem said firmly.

“A rahhaahat?!” Marius roared. 

Luke giggled. “Close, but no!” 

“AHAHAH! A MOUSEehehee! A stuhuhupid mouse!” 

Vyn smiled. “Correct.” To help ‘celebrate’, Luke switched to tickling Marius’ neck with scribbly finges as he taunted, “Bingo, finally you guessed something right! You are a mouse!” and meanwhile Artem continued to squeeze and pinch at different spots on Marius’ torso, from his upper sides to lower sides, his hips and back up towards his ribs, causing him to bounce hysterically.

“Thehehen stahahhap!” he laughed. 

“You are not there yet, Marius. You are a mouse, continue guessing.” 

“WHahahaht!” 

“Like I said, ask about his career!” Luke said, going back to tickling Marius’ underarms. Marius was giggling and snorting adorably, the grin on his face bigger than ever and a huge blush spreading on his cheeks.

“GAahahah-- a cohohop!?” he asked. Vyn shook his head.

“Can you name any mouse cop? You’ll have to do better than that, Marius,” he said, and he spidered his fingers all over Marius knees and thighs, making the poor ticklish heir bark out some more hysterical cackles.

“GAAGAHha! Not thehehere!” he roared. You were still tickling Marius’ tummy, gently and not too harshly, but you couldn’t help but move up his shirt a little and scribbled circles around on his stomach, fluttering all over the soft bare skin. Marius seemed to get even more flustered at this, and he shook his head. The card threatened to fall off, but Artem slapped it firmly back on Marius’ head, making the guy yelp out loud.

“HAHAHA! Artehehem you ahahaass-ahaha!” 

“Marius, remember the questions I asked when I was Harry Potter,” you tried to help him fondly even though you couldn’t stop your fingers from tickling Marius’ sensitive tummy without mercy. 

“HEYAhah!” Marius squealed and shook his head again, but this time the card was glued firmly to his forehead, and he continued his hysterical laughing fit.

“Hahahha! Ahaham I on T-Teehehee-TV?!” Marius laughed, indeed succeeding to copy your questions from earlier.

“Correct.” 

“OHOhoh! Ahaham I Jeheherry?!” Marius really appeared like he thought he finally guessed correct, but Vyn’s answer was a teasy “No~” and he punished the wrong guess with fierce squeezes right above Marius’ knees, making him howl for his ticklish life.

“AHhahahah! Nohhoho thihis ihiihisn’t fahahahair!” he laughed. You smiled, wonderstruck by how attractive the young heir looked laughing his head off like this.

“It’s a little fair, Marius. Continue guessing, you’re so close,” you encouraged.

“Come on man, can’t you really think of any other famous mouse on TV?” Luke asked - his tickles were the most energetic, switching from rapid pokes and finger wiggles and switching spots even when it would cause his hands to bump against yours or Artem's.

“PIHIHIKACHU!” Marius roared. Luke frowned.

“That’s a mouse?” he asked, to which you nodded.

“Actually it is. But wrong guess, Marius!” 

By now Marius was really turning beet red as he continued to laugh and struggle. Artem had been quiet for a while, tickling Marius with concentration and focus of a typical lawyer, and he smirked as he drilled his fingers between Marius’ ribs.

“I think it is a talent in itself that you give so many wrong guesses, Von Hagen,” he said, triggering Marius but all the graduate student could do was laugh and giggle more as he was attacked from all sides. You only noticed now that his arms were already free again after so much struggling, but both Artem and Luke were holding an arm each, and Marius could do very little with the strength he had left. 

Using their free hands, both men continued to tickle him, making him giggle and squeal even when he was nearly out of breath.

“Guess it right, or give up,” Artem said. Vyn made a face at that.

“Mr. Wing is right,” he said teasingly. “If you would like, you can give up. It means you lose the game.” 

Marius made a face that expressed his surprise and confusion that giving up was still a possibility. But then he shouted “Nahaha-neheheever!” while continuing to squirm in between them.

“Then have it your way~!” Luke said, getting up from where he was sitting so he could tickle his armpits more comfortably. 

“Heeehehehehe! Nahahaha!” You were getting the impression that stubborn Marius was going to laugh himself to death here if he couldn’t still guess the character that wasn’t even so hard. 

Maybe you were enjoying yourself a little too much by bullying your ticklish partner like this, and not just for evil reasons. But when you looked at Artem, Luke and Vyn, you recognized expressions that matched your mood as well. They all looked fond to have the usually arrogant heir laughing like this and refusing to give in.

“Ahahaahahlright I gihihive! Guhuhhuys, enahahaa-enough! I gihiive uuhup!” he finally wheezed. Surprised he still didn’t guess it, you were the first to stop tickling his stomach, and you sat back. Luke also stopped tickling, so did Artem, and finally Vyn stopped the squeezing and digging movements his hands were making on Marius’ legs.  

Leaning forward and bending his head, Marius panted and wheezed, catching his breath tiredly. And as he did, the card finally let go of his sweaty forehead and twirled down onto his lap. It fell with the text upwards, and you could see the realization on Marius’ face as he read it:

Mickey Mouse.

“N-no way,” he panted.

“Not so hard, huh? Can’t believe you didn’t think of the most famous mouse in the world,” Luke said smugly, patting Marius’ shoulder.

“Like I said, you can’t be good at everything,” Artem said, patting his other shoulder. 

“Unbelievable... Mi-Mickey Mouseー” Marius panted, and he raised his head suddenly and glared at everyone.

“You wrote my card, didn’t you-- R-Rosa?” he panted, smirking at you despite his exhausted state. You blinked your eyes.

“King,” you said, using his codename like he kept using yours, and you smiled nervously. 

“She did,” Vyn said, standing behind you with both hands on your shoulders.

“Anything you want to tell her, Mr. Mouse?” he asked. You giggled at the new nickname for Marius, but noticed this certain teasy remark wasn’t necessarily directed at Marius. Gulp. You looked up at Vyn. Why was this situation suddenly getting suspicious? 

“It was also not our idea to play this game. You can’t blame us,” Luke suddenly said. You gasped, turning your head towards him. Wha--?! Yes, it was your idea, so...? You finally looked at Artem, your eyes begging for his help, but you blushed to see the smirk on his face.

“Clever. You perhaps knew that such classic pop culture is Marius’ weakness? Are you the mastermind behind all this?” he said. You started to stutter, blushing like crazy. They were placing the blame for their stupid quarrels and the tickle incident ー which you joined but that wasn’t the point ー on you! 

“N-no of course nohot! Marius I thought it wahahasn’t difficult, ahaahah M-Mariuhuuus!” you whined when Marius lunged at you and started to avenge whatever was left of his dignity by tickling you, the one most responsible for his predicament just now.

“Guys, I might just forgive you for what you did to me if you help me out right now,” Marius purred, smirking at the others. It was no surprise after what all of them said, but still to suddenly have the tables turned with you ending up in Marius’ position of the one tickled by all of the NXX squad, well, that was something you could never ever be properly prepared for.

“HAHahaha- guuuuys!” you howled, but these four had the time of their lives wrecking you, and you were surprised at their well-played teamwork. 

Well all in all, you had achieved your goal though: team bonding, check. Having fun, check. Having a laugh? Thanks to Mr. Mouse, double check! 

[strawbbfluff]

tears of themis boys find out you’re ticklish!

(implied fem!reader)

artem wing . . .

you were currently immersed in work. you had just taken on a new case, and as a themis attorney, you had a reputation to uphold. however, it was already past 11pm. you were working way past your time, as most of the employees at themis law firm had already left hours ago. regardless, you were truly stumped on this one. finding evidence for your defendant was going to be near impossible at this rate!

“y/n?”

you jumped, startled out of your slight trance. you hadn’t even heard the knock at your office door, or the slow creak as it opened. you turned around in your chair to see none other than artem wing.

“mr. wing! i… w-what are you doing here?” you stammered, organizing your thoughts and nervously stacking your papers. well, this was embarrassing! he had probably called your name multiple times already! way to go, y/n, ignoring your boss like that! you internally kicked yourself.

“i could ask you the same. everyone else left hours ago,” artem replied, walking over to your desk. he glanced at your papers and sighed. “you’re overworking yourself.”

“oh- i’m fine, really! i just really don’t want to mess this one up. i’m not used to doing criminal cases,” you explained sheepishly, fidgeting with your thumbs. double embarrassing!

artem smiled a little. “don’t be so nervous, y/n. we’ve been colleagues for how long now?”

you were about to formulate an apologetic response before you felt a hand on your shoulder. out of all the things you could’ve done, you squeaked.

“erm- did i hurt you? i was simply trying to be comforting,” the lawyer asked, raising an eyebrow.

“no! nothing like that! i’m just… um… pretty sensitive. sorry!” you babbled, cheeks glowing as bright as a tomato at this point. you very much wanted to fall into a hole and never come out.

“…what did i say about the nervousness?” artem mused, smirking a little as a finger discreetly found its way under your arm. “hm?”

you didn’t particularly like the look in his eyes.

vyn richter . . .

“y/n, i can guarantee you this is a game i’ll win,” vyn said, looking at your face with a slightly amused smirk.

“so cocky! we haven’t even started yet!” you whined, rolling your eyes. you and vyn were hanging out at your place, and after chatting about psychology things for a bit, you grew quite bored. an idea had suddenly popped into your head that had you practically bubbling with excitement. how fun would it be to see the calm, composed dr. vyn richter engage with you in a tickle fight? this idea was pure gold!

“no, but a childish game like that is partly a mind game, and i think we both know who always wins those,” vyn answered smoothly, closing his eyes in satisfaction. you pouted.

“oh yeah? then take this!”

suddenly, you were on him, legs wrapped around him as you sat in his lap and dug your fingers into his ribcage. he spluttered, not expecting the game to start so soon and for you to be in such a… position on him.

“y/n, w-wahahait! you never said we were starting, brahahat!” he laughed, trying to pry hands off of him. you smirked.

“all’s fair in love and war~,” you mused, moving your fingers down to his sides. you relished in his unrestrained giggles; you never got to see this side of him!

“a-ahahalright- that’s it for you-!” the psychiatrist announced, and in an instant he had grabbed your wrists, holding them above your head as he caught his breath.

you blinked, not having thought this far ahead. shit, he never knew you were tick-

“you know i am going to make you regret that, correct?” vyn inquired, his composure regained just as quickly as it left as he stared you right in the eyes. you gulped, starting to squirm desperately in his lap as he formed his other hand into a claw.

“i-i’m not ticklish! it won’t work!” you exclaimed, squealing already as he slowly, carefully brought his hand closer to your tummy.

“you think i don’t know when you’re lying to me~?”

marius von hagen . . .

you loved cuddling with marius. he was so warm, so gentle, so perfect. especially after a long day at work, you adored nothing more than allowing him to wrap his arms around you, engulfing you in his comfort.

“i love you…” you mumbled, too sleepy to filter your thoughts right now.

“you… what?”

you hummed, before realization hit you and you snapped awake. why the hell did you just say that?!

“i-i didn’t…! oh my gosh, i am so sorry!” you stuttered, quickly moving to get yourself out of his embrace. however, marius’s grip only tightened around your waist as you tried to run away.

“no, no, what did you say? go on, i don’t think i heard you right the first time,” marius spoke, and you could just tell by the tone of his voice he had that annoying, shit-eating grin on his face. the nerve!

“nothing! it’s nothing! h-hehehey, watch your hahahahands!” you giggled.

without realizing it, his fingers had started to squeeze your waist gently. nevertheless, upon realizing this, his grin only widened, his violet eyes searing into yours.

“oho! don’t tell me… my pretty little attorney is ticklish?” marius sang, his fingers deliberately moving now as you squawked and wriggled in his grasp.

somehow, you knew this was going to be a long night.

luke pearce . . .

“luke! come on, get up and help me cook dinner!” you exclaimed, starting to dice some peppers on the cutting board. it was saturday night, which meant you finally had some time to hang out with luke.

“yes ma’am~!” luke responded, getting up from his spot on the couch and walking over to the kitchen. his tall figure soon loomed over you.

“there’s no way i’m making dinner in your own apartment,” you joked, sticking your tongue out at him as you poured the diced vegetables into a bowl and started to wash your hands. you really didn’t mind; you were just grateful to spend time with him. it was surreal to see your childhood best friend again after all these years.

“cmon now, i just said i’d help! you should’ve told me you were going to start cooking,” he pouted, jabbing your side playfully. you almost fell over.

“…”

“…”

“y/n, there’s no way! still? after so long?!” luke chirped excitedly, reaching for you with grabby hands as you quickly dried yours off and started backing away.

“d-don’t! i’m not ticklish anymore, i swehehear!” you snickered, squeaking as your back suddenly bumped into a wall. damn it, his kitchen is so tiny!

“y’know, for an attorney, you sure don’t make a good case for yourself~,” luke teased, grinning as he brought his fingers to your hips and started scribbling.

“NAHAHA! but whahahat about dihihihihinner?!”

“i think dinner can wait a while~”

[kiskyz]

“Peaceful Rest”

was artems birthday yesterday? yes. yes it was. is this something for his birthday? yes. yes it is.

TW: general yandere stuff, mentions of drugging

Artem ran his fingers through your hair gently. 

“Your hair’s soft.” He hummed.

A mix of reds, oranges, and yellows shined through the window onto you from the setting sun

Artem found the scene ethereal. 

He felt safe with you in his touch. 

With every stroke of his fingers through your hair, his worries were erased.

He liked what you got him for his birthday, but he liked you being with him even more. 

Just you and him.

Artem froze as you rolled over to your other side.

He watched your chest rise and fall for a few minutes, still unmoving. His eyes moved, searching for any sign of consciousness.

He slowly resumed his touch.

He didn’t want to wake you up from your “rest.”

Artem was very good about not making too much noise or movement that may wake you up. He had carried you gently to the couch and quietly cleaned the table, you had accidentally knocked over your cup, spilling its contents.

“Dinner was nice,” He smiled at you, “even if it had been cut short by your sudden ‘sleepiness.”

He went back to watching the sun finally go below the horizon.

“You were just tired.” He said quietly.

Artem had already gotten rid of the evidence, yet he couldn’t help but still worry.

Would you connect the dots?

He looked down at you, “Sorry…”

In the trash, buried deep, sat a bottle of Rohypnol.

[chuluoyi]

OH BOY... first of all, i just wanted to say--CHU, THAT WAS THE BEST CHAPTER OF A FIC THAT I HAVE EVER READ? THE ANGST WAS HEARTWRENCHING AND DEPRESSING (in the best way possible) AND THE TENSION?? OOOOOO 2nd of all.. the whole chapter had my jaw dropped to the floor. Y/N is probably dead.. (rip) and naoya sending a cursed item?? also why the hell is he suddenly on this "omg.. I CANT BELIEVE I LOST HER" type shit BOY YOUR THE ONE YOU PUT THRU HELL !!!!! and gojo? oh ho ho.. THAT MAN HAS ME RUNNING CARTWHEELS WITH THE WAY YOU WRITE HIM?? overall, i love the way its going so far, literally makes me want to sob my eyes out deliciously !! I COULD JS EAT UR WRITING THANK YOU FOR THE MEAL MA'AM - 🪽

wing nonnie !! 🥹🩵 ooh thank you so much🤧 really, i’m not really confident with the crown of diamonds at all bc it’s chaotic towards the end :’)

“y/n is probably dead rip” HAHAHHAHAH🥹 omg that got me to laugh why do you say it so lightly🥹🥹🥹🥹

about naoya, it might be not clear bc there are so many events and drama in part 2 (and i can’t feature it either sobs) but it’s actually bc he’s becoming erratic day by day🥹 that’s why he is throwing the empress away in part 1, but seemingly regretting it in part 2—actually, even he isn’t sure what he actually wants. but no matter what, he shares a lot of fond memories with the empress even when he doesn’t “love” her in any way that matters, hence with the nostalgic dream he has🥹

RUNNING CARTWHEELS AHAHHA🥹 i’m happy you love him here🥹 and thank youuuu for reading too!🩵

[etheries1015]

TEARS OF THEMIS MASTERLIST

Characters' who the fanfiction revolves around will be highlighted in RED

NSFW list will be placed beneath the SFW list

Link back to OG masterlist

SFW

His type- Vyn Richter

Their opinion on tattoos- All suitors

Studying and affections- Artem X reader

NSFW

Nothing here yet~

[rexonalapis]

not related to canon dragon artem but still about dragon artem from different media

[oxygenbefore1775]

im deeply 17th century so mae honor us with any 16C tidbit you please, venetian or otherwise 🎤

oh Kat why must you pull me into the spotlight like this?

Aight, a hot take about the 16th century — it forever changed the culture around dueling by removing the skill element out of it

[kissofthemis]

Ace in the Hole

“Can I push my luck a little further this time?”

The words were heavy on his flushed lips and still hovered in the air long after he’d spoken them. Perhaps the heat emanating from his body and hers alike had created a dense atmosphere, thickly laden with the warmth of their bodies, their breaths, and their hearts.

This heat did not dissipate after she had thrown her arms around his neck, and following her touch as a guide, his lips found their way to her neck. This was the logical next step, was it not? Although logic was not at the forefront of Artem’s brain right now, as he tried to follow instinct instead to determine his next course of action. Every step, every touch, every word… they were all supposed to flow naturally from his gut feelings, were they not?

“Are you… still feeling uneasy?”

Her gentle question caught him off guard–the last thing he needed in this moment.

But perhaps… it was also exactly what he needed.

He was silent for a moment as he pondered how to respond. 

“Can I push my luck a little further this time?”

The words were heavy on his flushed lips and still hovered in the air long after he’d spoken them. Perhaps the heat emanating from his body and hers alike had created a dense atmosphere, thickly laden with the warmth of their bodies, their breaths, and their hearts.

This heat did not dissipate after she had thrown her arms around his neck, and following her touch as a guide, his lips found their way to her neck. This was the logical next step, was it not? Although logic was not at the forefront of Artem’s brain right now, as he tried to follow instinct instead to determine his next course of action. Every step, every touch, every word… they were all supposed to flow naturally from his gut feelings, were they not?

“Are you… still feeling uneasy?”

Her gentle question caught him off guard–the last thing he needed in this moment. But perhaps… it was also exactly what he needed.

He was silent for a moment as he pondered how to respond. 

Don’t think too much , he had been told over and over again in his life. You overthink everything. You overanalyze. You worry too much. You’re wasting your life away by thinking.

A trait which had served him well in his academics, his career, and even his hobbies: Mockingjay would not be such a well-renowned film reviewer without the effortful analysis and pensive perspective that Artem used when watching various films.

But this attribute of his, to think before acting, to always be thinking, planning, strategizing, analyzing, had rendered his social life and romantic life to be… virtually nonexistent.

Until now.

Read the remainder on ao3, here!

[laciefuyu]

Happy Birthday Artem Wing! (One shot set after the bouquet of yellow roses) (Pic is Art for his 4th Bday Illust from CN: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5027197720732279)

[surely-galena]

Marius crosses his arms. “If I didn’t know any better, I would assume that you’re here because you’re…” Vyn sends him a sharp look, hoping to stop him in his tracks. Marius hesitates, but he finishes anyway. “...Hiding.” Behind him, Artem nods, so they are both clearly in agreement. Vyn glares at them. Since when have Artem and Marius ever agreed on anything? * Vyn, Artem, and Marius have an afternoon meeting they will never speak about ever again.

-

Behold... a ToT one-shot. I have been thinking about the two versions of pre-canon NXX all week (Neil, Giann, Vyn and then Vyn, Artem, Marius) :'D

[grapenamjams]

He is NOT beating the puppy allegations!!! Sweet boy

Teasing brat! Ughhh I think I really need to start playing his personal route

HELLO SAILOR bigger chest size than meee

[my-soul-sings]

shaking my fists screaming crying @ luke's fire fighter card

i love the story to pieces. Esp the spiderman pose???? (will ignore the fact that he decided to save MC while suspended upside down in mid-air, physics doesn't apply to good looking ppl)

consider me a luke stan now

[moonstruck-writing]

Title: Soaring Pairing: Artem Wing x Rosa | Tears of Themis Rating: T C/Ws: Pre-relationship, canon-compliant, fluff, teasing, slight dom/sub undertones (Dom!Rosa&Sub!Artem) Requested by anon: Hello! This will be my first time reading your work, so if it’s alright, may I request Artem x Dom!Rosa for the prompt “putting your hand on your S/O’s thigh to see their reaction”? But it’s Rosa touching Artem’s thigh during a meeting or something hehe. (He must be so red 😆)Feel free to ignore! Thank you :) Word count: 2k A/N: first of all, I am sorry for taking so long to complete this request!! I was really happy to receive it, and then life happened :/ I hope it can still reach you somehow and that you enjoy it, anon <3 I did it pre-relationship, because I think it suits this prompt more (and they weren’t in a relationship in the Global server yet when you requested this).

It was a cold and quiet evening at the NXX headquarters. The artificial lights felt slightly brighter than usual, now that the days were beginning to be shorter.

“Here, drink it while it’s still hot.” The fog emanating from the hot beverage preceded Artem’s figure. Rosa took the mug from him, and he sat down next to her on the sofa.

They both allowed the warmth to spread from their palms to their bodies. They were taking a break from going over a recent case the NXX had uncovered. Artem had been the first to know, so he and Rosa were doing the initial contact and preliminary investigation. The small coffee table was completely covered with a laptop, a tablet, their phones, and the information that Artem had printed at Themis before they left the office and came here.

There was no space to put the mugs on without putting everything in danger. So they both blew on the contents of their respective mugs, sipping carefully to not burn their tongues.

“I can’t believe you don’t need to drink coffee,” Rosa said looking over at Artem.

“You’re not drinking coffee either.”

“Yeah, but I’m drinking tea!” Rosa looked down at her mug as if to prove her point. “How can you still have so much energy after a long day?”

Artem wanted to say that wasn’t true, but he simply chuckled lightly. Yes, he had built on his stamina over the years, and his capacity to spend long periods of time focused on cases was better than when he had started working at Themis. However, that wasn’t the reason he didn’t need to drink coffee in situations like that.

The reason was her.

Being alone, without any of the other members of the NXX wasn’t something so uncommon, but Artem still wasn’t used to it. Being with her here was so much different than being in the office. The atmosphere was more intimate, and that made him nervous, shooting incredible amounts of adrenaline into his blood. Honestly, the number of hormones his body produced whenever he was around Rosa was enough to supply an entire coffee factory, so of course he didn’t need to drink coffee.

But that was something he wasn’t going to tell her. He didn’t think he was good enough at concealing his emotions so that Rosa would be surprised when she heard the truth, but he still had his pride. And it wasn’t like he meant to conceal what he felt. He simply wished to impress her.

“How have you been sleeping lately?”

Rosa made a surprised sound while she sipped on the tea. He didn’t mean to ask something so personal and… motherly? But he had few ideas about what topics to bring up to get to know her more.

“I don’t want to answer that,” she replied smiling. “The exhaustion seems to find me all the time except when I’m about to sleep.” She sounded nonchalant, almost as if she was saying the opposite of what came out of her mouth. Artem couldn’t help worrying.

“There are relaxing teas you can try before going to bed.” He looked at her attentively.

“Oh, believe me, if I was more relaxed, I’d be falling asleep right now.” Rosa joked, slipping down on the sofa now that her mug was only half full. “Not that you’re boring or anything like that though!” She quickly rushed to explain. “But I’m so comfortable with you, and we’re sitting down on a sofa, and I had so many deadlines this week…”

Artem looked warmly over her, laughing softly. He wanted to tuck the stray hairs that were falling over her eyes and cheeks, but he wasn’t sure about breaking the distance.

“And now I’ve dragged you here,” Artem said, half-jokingly, half-worried. He reprimanded himself internally for not noticing her struggles sooner. It seemed that as much as he paid attention to her, he still had a long way to go.

“And I thank you for that,” she replied with conviction in her eyes. The sudden change in her features to a more serious gesture caught Artem off guard, and he looked away, pretending to have remembered the table full of papers.

He tried focusing on something, anything but the speed at which his heart was beating and the warmth that wasn’t being caused by the hot chocolate but by the fresh image of Rosa’s look on his mind. However, it didn’t work. He didn’t understand why any change in her behaviour that he didn’t expect was able to throw him off in such a way, and he wanted to get over this as fast as possible. But that wasn’t fast enough.

Rosa stared at him, wondering what was so interesting that had him suddenly lost in thought. She felt a tinge of jealousy covering her curiosity, and it annoyed her. It annoyed her that she didn’t know what or who was in Artem’s mind even when he was next to her. So she had to act.

With a new resolution distracting her from the tiredness, she sat up straight on the sofa and finished the contents of her mug. Then, without warning, she leaned over Artem with the excuse of peering at his mug.

“You’re almost done, want me to bring our mugs to the kitchenette?” Her face was really close to his when she raised her head from the mug. Artem started and froze in place for a couple of seconds. Then, when his brain began working again, he nodded.

Satisfied, Rosa backed down enough to let Artem finish his drink. Once Rosa got up and walked away, he inadvertently touched his face. Once he felt the heat from his cheeks, sighed. He was older than Rosa and more experienced in Law, but in moments like that, he felt she was the more mature one out of them.

He couldn’t help but wonder if his suspicions were true – if she had had other experiences that he didn’t – and he immediately regretted it. There was nothing he could do, and there was no way he was going to ask her. At least, not now. Maybe in the future.

When Rosa came back, they agreed to resume their investigation. That put Artem in a better mind space, but it didn’t last long.

As he was using his tablet to try and collect leads and important pieces of information they might have missed, Rosa started part two of her plan to be present in Artem’s mind.

It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy work-mode Artem. She admired him and even aspired to be more like him, she had a lot to learn, but right now she didn’t want someone who inspired her from a podium, she wanted someone who was there with her, who noticed her. And she needed more than to be noticed as a coworker, a partner in crime – or in justice, rather. She wanted to be noticed as another human being, all flesh and bone and blood and feeling. Not information, but feeling.

But as Artem noted down things as he scrolled over documents on his tablet, Rosa felt he was far away from her, in the land of reason and Law. And she was going to take him back from there. (She would always have time to review her actions later and regret it or not).

She uncrossed her legs and sat closer to the edge of the sofa, where Artem seemed to be perched, ready to take flight would he need to. But Rosa was going to jump and soar before him. As she put back in order the printed documents she had been reviewing – she was still a professional even with not-so-professional intentions – she used that chance to peer into the tablet and scan the screen in search of any relevant words. And when she found them, she almost forgot what her ulterior motive was.

“Crimson Biotech,” she muttered, half-whisper, half-surprised shout.

Before Artem could turn to look at her or even smile at her reaction – for as much as he was able to focus on work, he was never so engrossed that he couldn’t perceive the outside world – she had already moved. It was only a second, her hand on his leg as she moved closer to take a better look at the screen.

It was only a small contact, a small portion of their bodies connected, and it was a natural reaction. Both of them were thinking that, but their hearts were far away from feeling only that.

Artem almost forgot to breathe as his heart started beating so fast it threatened to take all the space that belong to his lungs. Such rapid circulation of the blood in his body couldn’t have any other consequence than making him red. It took Rosa a couple of seconds to notice the furious blush spreading over his entire face, and it made her want to take away that hand by reflex, but she forced herself not to.

It wasn’t the first time she had seen Artem blushing in her presence, but it was the first time she saw so much of his skin turn red. She hadn’t thought anything she did could have so much power over him, but she loved it. It had taken so little, and yet… it made her feel special and seen and felt. Like his skin had turned to crystal and she could peek inside his brain to see that she was there. She existed.

Artem felt frozen in place, like her hand was a spell and he had nothing to protect himself against. He didn’t dare to say anything, didn’t dare to look at her, didn’t dare to move. He felt embarrassed and vulnerable – she had gone into his space, had penetrated the barrier that always seemed to separate him from everyone. But he didn’t want her to take that hand away. That would mean she was backing away. Instead, he wanted her to stay. Wanted her to keep moving forward, wanted her heart to mirror his.

It was that desire that finally triggered him into action, and he dared to look at her. But his lips remained sealed, for he wasn’t sure his voice wouldn’t tremble if he spoke to her. There was only his intense gaze meeting hers, and she felt her heart flutter. Her hand felt so hot, she wasn’t sure if it was her or Artem’s body temperature that was rising. The answer was both, but she couldn’t know. All she could worry about was the fact that if she sweated, it could leave a mark on Artem’s suit trousers.

“Do we have another lead connecting to Crimson?” She asked, looking away from him, backing away into known territory.

And for the first time, Artem didn’t hear a question. He knew she had spoken, that some words had left her mouth, and that it was probably important, that she wanted an answer. But his brain was filled with her: her beautiful eyes that were looking curiously at something, her hair that glowed brightly under the artificial light, her scent, gentle but incredibly captivating, and her warmth – that hand that still hadn’t left his thigh. And it was too much, and Artem couldn’t think, Artem was only a bubble on the verge of bursting.

When everything had ended, and he was turning off the lights before he sent Rosa off, Artem couldn’t remember how they had finished their work. He was only vaguely conscious that at some point, Rosa had raised her hand from his thigh and in the process had accidentally touched the side of his torso.

Even if his whole body seemed to be vibrating, so alive as it felt, he could feel the distinct places where Rosa had touched him.

That was the first time Artem thought he had driven carelessly. He hadn’t dared to look too much in the side mirror next to her, for fear their eyes would lock in the process. But when Rosa closed the car door and bent down to smile at him from the window, he felt it had all been worth it.

It was okay. He could drive less than perfectly and he could survive being bright red. Not only that, but Rosa had touched him, and hadn’t backed away after his reaction. He wasn’t sure what it all meant. The only thing he knew was that he didn’t need to keep reading and highlighting Introduction to the Psychology of Love.

.

.

.

.

A/N: It’s been so long since I last played Tears of Themis T-T I hope this felt natural!

I hope you enjoyed this, interactions and constructive feedback are appreciated <3

Masterlist | AO3

Please do NOT repost. Reblogging is okay! Characters belong to their rightful owners, the plot and content here belongs to @moonstruck-writing