#artem wing fic

[otonymous]

Dearest @mrsmorgenstern,

You've just made my year 💕 Thank you for being so incredibly kind with your words, and I'm thrilled you enjoyed this Artem fic! Much love to you! 🥰

To Know Your Love: Part I (Tears of Themis: Artem - NSFW)

Description: What could the picture perfect Artem Wing have yet to master?  The top attorney reveals his secrets and more to you in To Know Your Love. Part I of a two-part mini-series.

Warnings: Please stay away if you are allergic to fluff.  Aside from that, slight spoilers for Artem's Side Story and the story from his "Sparks" SR (nothing major that would interfere with the game, but please be warned in case you don't want any spoilers at all 😊)

Word Count: 3822 words (~19 mins of that yearning, slow-burn sweetness)

Author's Notes:

To celebrate the official release of Tears Of Themis, I present to you my first ever smut written for the game - and it's for the absolutely lovely Artem Wing! I tried to make this as true to (what I currently know of) the character as possible, hence this is one long ass read 🤣. That being said, I hope y'all enjoy it! ❤️

PS. Lines marked by an asterisk were taken directly from Artem's "Sparks" SR card story or from his side story. The first section of this fic was inspired by the story associated with the "Sparks" SR.

(Originally posted on Pa*treon on July 11/21)

“Artem, you’ve been grilling for almost two hours now.  Why don’t you let me take over?  I know I’m no master chef, but it’s a great chance for me to get a few pointers from you!”

Azure eyes warmed by orange flame meet yours over a massive number of skewers, meticulously lined up on the grill as they’re cooked to perfection by an even more meticulous man.

The sharp angles of that handsome face soften as Artem shakes his head, lips pulling into a faint smile.  “Thanks for the offer, but I’m fine.  Why don’t you bring these over to the others instead?”

Placing the last of a batch of satay beef skewers onto a serving tray, he lifts its hefty weight with one hand to place it gently onto your outstretched arms, all the while continuing to cook with the other.

Glancing at your coworkers, you hesitate.  There they were, sitting in a group some distance away from where you and Artem stood at the barbecue, the sound of their raucous laughter drifting over amidst lively conversations you couldn’t quite make out.  You knew they could smell the sizzling meat though; the eager heads that popped up periodically to look in your direction provided ample confirmation.

And there, in the heart of the tranquil woods where Themis Law Firm had decided to hold their annual team building getaway, the discontent that had been simmering in your gut ever since you arrived finally boiled over.

Slam!

You set the tray down so hard onto the picnic table beside you that Artem’s head snaps up.  Blue eyes wide, his surprise lasts for all of a second before he regains composure, quickly setting aside the meat thermometer he had brought from home to wipe his hands on the front of his apron (also his own), face apologetic as he approaches.

“I’m sorry.  You must be exhausted, having helped me with the fishing and food prep earlier.  Here, give me the tray and I’ll accompany you over to the others.  You stay and have fun.  I’ll come back and take care of the rest.”

His expression — all soft consideration — is the final nail in the coffin.

“I’m not exhausted, Artem, but you must be. You’ve been doing everything for everyone this entire trip.  The whole point of going camping was for all of us to get a chance to kick back and relax, yourself included.  The least they can do is come over and get their own damn food.”

…especially after they’ve been avoiding you like the plague, you think, before good sense made you bite your tongue.  So you follow with a meek “I’m sorry” instead, cheeks warm at the vehemence of your outburst, especially when you notice the way Artem stiffens, sitting on the bench beside you.

Looking off into the treetops swaying in the distance, Artem blots perspiration from his brow with the back of his hand.  “Everyone is nervous around me.  Whether as their senior or superior, my presence means they won’t be able to relax.  The purpose of today’s team building is for everyone to relax.  This is the best way for everyone to do so.”*

His deep voice was the same as always but the words give you pause, sinking in slowly like a skipping stone descends to the bottom of a lake.  You remembered the way Celestine ripped into Artem for taking that work call on the bumpy ride up to the woods; how practically everyone had felt pressured to follow suit, pulling out laptops or cell phones and attempting to read or type until their faces turned green and the bus driver had to pull over so a puke queue could be formed by the side of the mountain.

Everything Artem said was true, of course.  Your colleagues made a habit of fawning over his abilities and good looks at the break room as if he were an idol, elevating the man to such a degree that they couldn’t even work up the courage to look in his general direction. But you knew that it was also due to Artem's staunch work ethic and attention to detail, traits practically unmatched by anyone else in the field, let alone at the firm.  To put it simply, your colleagues were afraid of messing up in front of him, preferring to shy away like one refrains from staring at the sun.

"Doesn’t it ever bother you?” you wanted to ask, the situation not sitting well with you at all.  Aside from Celestine and yourself, you could hardly recall anyone else taking the time or effort to engage Artem in conversation that didn’t involve work.  Behind his back, however, Artem was a hot topic amongst your colleagues, like how they arrived at the conclusion that there was no way the senior attorney could've had a significant other, not with evenings, weekends and even holidays he spent at the office.

So capable, so handsome and yet…so lonely.

Taking a deep breath, you derail your train of thought before it veers into pity territory.  Artem was a grown man; he didn’t need anyone to feel sorry for him.  Especially when the way you felt about him was decidedly more…

…complicated.

When you first joined the firm, you weren’t all that different from your colleagues, viewing Artem with a mixture of reverence and awe —  the seeds of which had been planted during your time at law school when talk of both his legal and scholastic feats were already circulating amongst the student body.

What set you apart however, was the staunchness of your own ambition: you aspired to learn from the best so you could stand amongst them.  So when you were given the chance to work directly under Artem, you did not shy away but jumped at it, taking the opportunity to carefully observe the wunderkind and his methods...while discovering the man behind the myth.

Because the truth was that Artem was as caring as he was strict, like a mentor who demanded excellence because he wanted to see you grow into someone capable of standing on their own two feet.  And for someone as accomplished as he was, he surprisingly had very little ego, more concerned with acting in his clients’ best interests than resting on the laurels of his 99.9% win rate.

You had even come to find his seriousness endearing, how he would apologize for the way it seeped into other areas of his life — like bringing an entire complement of his own cooking utensils for this camping trip, or admitting to not knowing enough about “trending topics” to carry on a conversation that went beyond how to properly massage a fish to enhance its flavour.

“I’m sorry, I must be boring you,” he had said, cheeks faintly pink as his gaze dropped from yours back to the fish on the cutting board.

But nothing could be further from the truth.

You weren’t bored.  You were in love.

Somewhere along the line, respect and admiration had mixed with glimpses of sweetness in a man who demonstrated sensitivity and consideration in ways you never expected, ways that gave you courage to think, to hope, that you weren’t the only one to sense the magic simmering beneath the surface of a relationship that was, to an outsider, solely professional.

Which was why you reacted the way you did, letting emotions get the best of you when you thought Artem Wing was being taken advantage of by your colleagues on this camping trip.

“Here, how about a compromise.  I’ll stay and help you finish grilling up the last batch of skewers.  But in return, we’ll go for a short hike afterwards so that everyone can have a chance to relax, yourself included.  Deal?”

Azure eyes sweep from the pinky finger you held up before settling onto your face, Artem staring so intently at you that it takes a moment before you realize you had stopped breathing.  Finally, he smiles, wrapping his finger around yours like mischievous children sharing a secret.

“Deal.”

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

A gentle breeze whistles between trees, carrying the scent of pine and cedar and accentuating that of Artem’s cologne — so faint now that had you been standing farther away, you wouldn’t have caught it.

As it was, the path of the trail was propitiously narrow and as neither of you wished to walk in single file, you found yourselves hemmed in so closely together that the backs of your hands almost touched.

“Um, it was nice of Celestine to loan us her flashlight for the hike.  It’s getting so dark I can already see the stars.”

The sound of your voice seemed almost jarring in the quiet woods, but the two of you had been walking in near silence for the past ten minutes and with dusk descending, it was getting harder and harder to see the expressions on his face.

Artem had seemed somewhat put-off by Celestine’s reaction when he went to inform her he was off to take a short walk with you.  And while you couldn’t hear the words exchanged at the distance from which you stood waiting, the giant smile on her face was obvious, as was the enthusiasm with which she shoved the flashlight into Artem’s hands, waving like a proud mother seeing her child off on the first day of school.

“Ahem, yes, it was very generous of her.  Do you—"

“Artem, do you—"

Speaking at the same time, you share a sheepish chuckle before Artem smoothly motions for you to continue.

“I was just going to ask if you ever had any interest in stargazing.  One year, when I was a child, my parents bought me a telescope for my birthday.  Back then, I would spend hours looking through it, wondering about these balls of light that shone like diamonds in the sky and thinking that if only I were patient enough, I’d catch a glimpse of a UFO.”  Turning towards him, you smile.  “Silly, right?”

Artem shakes his head, neck extending to look towards the darkening sky — the posture highlighting the masculine bulge of his Adam’s apple in the most captivating way.

“Not at all.  That sounds very sweet, like how a childhood should be.”

There is a hint of melancholy in his tone, so faint you couldn’t be sure if you had only imagined it.

“I liked it too,” he says. “Liked reading the skies and searching for different constellations, learning the stories behind them.  Do you see that one?”

With a long, tapered finger, Artem points in the direction of a broad cluster of stars, twinkling much brighter on this mountaintop than you'd ever see amongst the lights of the city.  You nod, trying and failing to focus, consumed as you were by how close Artem was standing beside you, heat seeming to roll off his body in waves despite the windbreaker he had on.

“That one’s Perseus, the hero from Greek myth.  And that one over there is Princess Andromeda.”

The forest around you falls into a hush, as if the trees themselves were just as intent on hanging onto his every word as you were.  The pleasant timbre of Artem’s low voice was rich and soft; warm breath caressing the shell of your ear as he patiently continued with his story, tracing each constellation as he does.

“Perseus was returning home after having successfully slayed the gorgon, Medusa, when he came upon Andromeda.  The princess had been chained to the face of a cliff, forced to act as a sacrifice for the sea monster, Cetus, as punishment for her queen mother’s continual boasting of her daughter’s beauty, which angered the gods.  The hero, having fallen in love with the princess at first sight, decided then and there that he would be the one to save her from her sad fate or die trying.”

He pauses then, leaving you on a cliffhanger.  Curiosity peaking, you turn towards the reticent storyteller, completely forgetting about the proximity of his body to yours.

Pulling back in shock, your lips burn from where they had accidentally brushed against the chiseled line of Artem’s jaw.  You can see it clearly now, Artem’s face — the moon having risen in full to cast an ethereal glow over his handsome features. But none could compare to his eyes, almost indigo now like the night sea, reflecting the stars above.

To say that the sight was breathtaking would be an understatement.

Especially when you had literally been holding your breath when it became clear that Artem's gaze wasn't going to drop from yours.

“What happened next?”

Your voice is little more than a whisper.

There is a rise in his chest — subtle and shaky, as if he, too, was only now just starting to breathe.  He wets his lips with a quick dart of the tongue; they glisten pink under faint moonlight, and you cannot help but wonder how your lips would’ve felt to touch his instead of merely grazing his jaw.

“It…it is at this point that inconsistencies appear in the myth.  Some accounts say that Perseus slew Cetus with a sword forged from diamonds; others say he turned the creature to stone by pulling Medusa’s decapitated head from a sack and turning its gaze upon the monster.  Sorry, I suppose that description’s a bit gruesome.  I’m not very good at telling stories.”

With a self-deprecating chuckle, Artem looks down - breaking the spell that had held the two of you in its grasp.

“I disagree; you had me hanging onto your every word.  But I have to say that I had no idea you were so well versed in Greek mythology.  It really is quite amazing, Artem, the way you seem to know about…everything, really.”

“You flatter me.  Nothing could be further from the truth.”

“Oh yeah?  Name one subject you know very little about.”

“Well, Celestine seems to think that I’m hopeless when it comes to lo—"

Catching himself, Artem purses his lips, suddenly silent again.

“When it comes to what, Artem?”

“Nothing.  It’s nothing important.”

He smiles but the tone of his voice makes it clear that this was a topic he felt uncomfortable discussing, so you let it drop despite your curiosity.  Just what was the infallible Artem Wing so terribly bad at that he would ever be referred to as a hopeless case?

The question continues to haunt you for the rest of the night, lying sleeplessly in your tent as Artem retired to the one pitched in the earth beside yours.

It didn't help that you could still feel the heat of his skin on your lips.

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

Monday morning rolled around, bringing with it a return to normalcy.

The team-building getaway seemed little more than a pleasant weekend memory, the only difference being that now, your colleagues had Artem’s culinary prowess to throw into the mix of things to fawn over.  It seems they still remembered the savoury taste of his skewers even if they had forgotten to work up the nerve to actually talk to him.

As for Artem, he was back to business as usual — serious and meticulous as always going over the details of the latest case you were working on together; so much so that he hadn’t realized you were the only ones left in the office when Celestine knocked on his door to say she was heading out.

“As much as I’d love to be married to the firm like both of you evidently are, my fiancé is waiting for me in the car.  I know it’s bad for business for me to say this, but don’t stay too late!”

For reasons you cannot fathom, she throws an exaggerated wink Artem’s way before leaving with a smirk on her face.

“Oh wow, it’s almost 9.  Where did the time go?” you remark, stretching your arms up overhead as you fight to suppress a yawn. Sneaking a peek in Artem's direction, you almost balk to see that he looked much as he did when you first saw him early that morning.  The only clue that he had worked thirteen hours lay in the fact that the tie around his collar had been loosened, and only slightly at that.

No wonder they called him a machine behind his back.

“I’m sorry I lost track of time.  It’s late, I’ll give you a lift home,” he says, and that’s all it takes for you to feel like you’ve won the lottery, breathing deeply to calm the butterflies flying en masse in your stomach.

“Are you sure it’s not too much trouble?”

“It’s no trouble at all.  Let me put away these documents and we can go.  No, it’s okay; I can handle this myself.  Perhaps you could get my car keys from the drawer in my desk instead?”

Artem’s consideration makes you smile as you watch him lift the heavy case files from the corner of your eye.  Walking to his desk, you sidestep his leather office chair, reaching to pull on the slim drawer just beneath the tabletop.

And pull and pull.

But to no avail.

Bending down, you peer into the slim space between the drawer and the underside of the desk.  It doesn’t appear to be locked, but rather jammed from something misaligned within.  So grasping the sides of the drawer, you jiggle it left and right until something gives and it finally slides open.

The offending object turned out to be the cover of a book.  A textbook, in fact, its title embossed in bold gold foil:

"Introduction to the Psychology of Love and Attraction."*

Ba-bump, ba-bump.

Everything in your training insisted that you not jump to conclusions, told you that this book could’ve simply been something Artem had on hand for professional purposes, something to refer to in an effort to help his clients.

But the intuition that lit up every corner of your trembling heart told you this wasn't so.

You had seen Artem’s reference books before - neat and tidy and practically pristine in that he barely even took a highlighter to them let alone made notes in the margin. But this...this book had the look of one that was well-worn, referred to often as indicated by the number of neon Post-its that stuck out at intervals from its borders.

“Flowers — which are her favourites?” read one sticky yellow square, the word ‘flower’ circled multiple times in black ink as if it were a matter of tremendous importance.

“Don’t be afraid to reveal your softer side.  Vulnerability builds trust — a key ingredient in any serious relationship,” read another.

And then you remember.

That night on the camping trip; the expression on Artem’s face under moonlight when he let slip, “Celestine seems to think I’m hopeless when it comes to lo—." The way he abruptly dropped the topic without even finishing his sentence.

Could it be that the one thing Artem Wing hadn’t mastered was…love?

“Are you ready to go—"

Stopping short behind you, Artem’s eyes flit to the book you had been staring at, sitting in the middle of the open drawer.  And it feels like the blood has drained from your face, from your entire body — so much so that for a moment, you actually feel lightheaded.

“I-I’m so sorry, this isn’t what it looks like.  I didn’t mean to pry.  This book was stuck in your drawer when I tried opening it to get your keys-"

“It’s fine,” Artem says, his calm reply making you feel like you had just further incriminated yourself by acting like a blubbering idiot.  “That's, um, just something Celestine gave me to read.”

Ah.  So your instincts were right after all.

“What I…what I was going to tell you before during our hike in the woods is that I’m actually pretty inexperienced when it comes to dating.  I’ve never really been in a relationship before."  He looks at you, azure eyes darkening almost imperceptibly as he holds your gaze with an insistence bordering on intense.  "There's much I still have to learn when it comes to love.  So you see, I really don't know everything at all."

You weren’t sure which you were more surprised by: that, at the age of 29, the gorgeous and brilliant Artem Wing had never before had a girlfriend, or the fact that he was readily admitting it to you.

You look at him; at the wisps of dark hair falling into wise blue eyes, at the strong brows accentuating the solemn masculinity of his features, at the tips of his ears — coloured bright pink with an innocence that seemed incongruent with the rest of the man…

…and your sanity was immediately swept away.

“I, um…I could help you, if you want.”

“I beg your pardon?”

And now, it is your turn to redden, cheeks blazing as you quickly shake your head, realizing after the fact the enormity of what you had just said and hoping he wouldn’t sue you for sexual harassment in the workplace.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry!  Please, disregard what I just said!  It’s late and I'm tired, my mind isn't working properly—"

Quickly turning away, you are about to forego your ride and would’ve headed for the door had long fingers not wrapped gently about your wrist, the sheer heat of skin on skin stopping you in your tracks long enough for you to hear Artem say:

“Could you…teach me about love?”

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

Find out what happens next in the NSFW Part II of To Know Your Love, now up on my Pa*treon (please see link on my Pinned Post)! Hope you all enjoyed the read! 🤩💕

"To Know Your Love" is copyright 2021 Otonymous, all rights reserved.

[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! 

[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

[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!

[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.

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.

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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

[svartish]

sweet afternoon tea

surely i can beat writing block by just writing more. this one is directly inspired by the sweet afternoon tea and garden home day events combined into one fic. i know there was a lounge event before the garden one, but i decided to not address that project here. the dialogue from the very end is directly from the sweet afternoon tea event!

vyn centric. vyn grappling with the impending nxx found family. long; 3.2k words.

The NXX Headquarters garden has been, to put it simply, forgotten about. Vyn, at least, never cared much for it, never sparing it even a half of the consideration and devotion he put into his own garden back home. This indifference of sorts was how he always regarded the lackluster manor, and it had never been shaken until a more recent incident involving the pesky and infuriating yet reluctantly endearing team members he shared the building with. 

The headache began about a week ago with the arrival of young Marius von Hagen barreling into the meeting room, papers nearly spilling out from his arms and a ferocious twinkle in his violet eyes. His palms made an obnoxious smack noise as he slapped everything down against the table, grinning widely from ear to ear. Vyn could feel a headache blooming already, and he hadn’t even begun talking yet. Rosa came trailing in behind the purple menace, an eager smile on her face as she joined Marius where he stood. 

“Guys, listen up,” he began, waiting for the other three members to give him their attention. “I just had the best idea. The garden out back has a lot of free space, and we could turn it into a lounge or something. I’ve got some ideas here already.” 

He slid the papers to spread out around the table enough where each member could peer down at one of them and see what he was planning. Vyn would never admit it, but even his curiosity was piqued, and he looked over the rims of his glasses and the mug in his hand at the sketch covered paper. 

Most of the drawings were simple, though not lacking in artistic flair. The main inspiration was obviously creating enough space for each of them to have room to unwind alongside something enjoyable without forsaking the beauty a plant-filled garden can offer. Most of the differences between each design consisted of the layout of where objects like a table with five little seats or a small pond with fish would go. 

“Well…” Luke started.

“It’s not a bad idea,” Artem interjected quietly, holding one of the designs while comparing it to the others.

“Marius and I thought of it the other day,” Rosa piped up with a room-warming beam on her face. “We thought it would be a good team bonding activity, and could make this place feel a little more like home.”

“Does it need to feel like home?” Vyn and Artem asked together before glancing at the other.

Rosa seemed to falter for a second, but it didn’t last long as her shoulders straightened and her conviction grew. “It doesn’t need to feel like home, but it doesn’t need to feel like just another office either! It’s not good for you to spend your time in places like that! You of all people should know that, Dr. Richter!” She wagged her finger at him admonishingly, and he felt himself wither ever so slightly under her gaze. 

“You’re… right. My apologies,” he acquiesced, backing down from his stance ever so sheepishly. She was right, technically speaking, though he was still a bit wary of creating a more personal communal space with others to begin with. 

Marius grinned proudly as he reached out to tap the paper in the middle of the table. “This one’s my most recent design. It’s got enough space for everybody while still leaving plenty of room for all kinds of plants. It even makes use of that big tree already out there too.”

“It’s certainly doable…” Artem mumbled, his finger rubbing absentmindedly along his bottom lip as he thought. The slight twitch in his brow was enough to alert the others that he was already attempting to envision the most productive way to capitalize on what Marius created. 

Luke looked over the more recent design again before looking back toward Rosa, a soft smile lighting up his cheeks. “Yeah, I’ve really got no objections either. It actually kinda sounds like a good idea to me.”

Rosa clapped her hands in glee as she surveyed over the room again and shared an excited look with Marius. Her eyes only stopped when they landed on Vyn, who was still thinking quietly to himself where he sat. 

“What about you, Dr. Richter? What do you think about the idea?”

Vyn was silent for a moment, golden eyes glancing one last time at each of the sketches critically. He paused before sighing slightly, silver lashes fluttering over his eyes for a moment. 

“I have no objections either.” 

He felt a slight joyful lurch in his heart at the way Rosa’s grin got somehow even wider as she and Marius rejoiced, turning to give the other a double high-five. Even the other members who had no real stake in the matter seemed to smile a bit, looking relieved as if they had been holding their breath while awaiting his answer.

“Great! Okay, okay,” Marius spoke, turning back to look around at each of the members. “Miss and I will finalize the layout plans. Artem can start picking out furniture. We could even try to put something up on that upper deck above the garden if you find something good. Luke, you look for the tools we need to plant things or build the furniture. And Vyn can shop for the plants. Sound like a good idea?”

Everyone seemingly content in their roles, the team burst into enthusiastic chatter, attempting to flesh out some of the design ideas they’d need. Vyn alone stayed out of this discussion, merely observing from his seat and sipping quietly on his tea. The most notable thing was the excitement each and every member seemed to have, obviously entranced by the idea of working together to create something for them all to enjoy. The notion was a little foreign to him, as he hadn’t felt the desire to build something with another for a long, long time. He closed his eyes ever so softly with the most imperceptible shake of his head, a defeated action contradicting the unfamiliar warmth pooling behind his ribs. Only the mug of tea rising toward his lips was able to hear the affectionate scoff he let out.

A part of him he didn’t care to examine found himself more eager than he ever would have expected. While he left that previous meeting unenthusiastic about the idea (or at least, as he described it to himself), barely two days had passed before he found himself standing idly in one of the many rows of his usual gardening goods store. In one hand he carefully balanced a petunia starter while the other lifted to examine the tag on an impressive bonsai. He flipped the tag around a few times between his slender fingers as if considering buying it, but the decision was already made up in his mind. He sighed in resignation as he carefully let go of the little tag and turned to eye some of the spades and watering cans on a little shelf nearby. He knew Luke was in charge of the tools… but he couldn’t help the innocently eager feeling creeping up inside him to do more to help out.

He shook his head at himself as he took note of each of the plants he wanted to purchase. All of them together would never fit in his car, so he decided instead to have them delivered to the NXX manor on the day they agreed to begin working. He checked out only armed with small bags containing transferable starters he’d take home with him now and tend to until it was time to move them to proper soil. He resisted the urge to purchase new tools to dedicate solely to the NXX manor garden, but made up for this by buying more flowers than he had initially meant to get. 

Vyn, still trying to forcibly reenter the headspace in which he totally didn’t care about the project, had exited the store and started to slowly make his way toward his car, bags in hand, when he lifted his head and fatefully came eye to eye with the store across the street. The store, charmingly quaint compared to the urban scape Stellis boasted, caught his attention with the sight of high-quality looking appliances visible through the large glass window. He looked down at the bags in his arms and looked back across the street before slumping his shoulders in defeat and turning trail to peruse what this new store had to offer as well. 

Getting lost in a moment of shockingly, uncharacteristically lacking willpower, he wandered around the store aimlessly, merely taking in everything around him. Nothing was in poor quality, though the high prices were an obvious drawback. Not like that was an issue for him anyway. Before Vyn knew what he was thinking, he found himself picturing how each appliance would look lined up in the manor’s kitchen. His traitorous thoughts delved even deeper to resurface the memory of them all crowded around the kitchen attempting to form rice balls together. 

That silly endeavor had to be about, what, two months ago now? For whatever reason, Vyn found himself struggling to recall the more minute details he would have usually been able to picture in perfect crystal quality. He couldn’t remember who formed the best rice ball or the idiosyncratic manner of each member’s hands as they lovingly shaped each ball like he normally would have. Instead, the memories he was able to brush off instead were wracked with a scarily unfamiliar sense of… warmth. He could remember the way they had all smiled and laughed together. The way Luke’s lopsided smile bore only one dimple or how Artem’s cheeks bunched up joyfully like an old grandma’s when he laughed, truly laughed, for what felt like the first time around them. He could remember how Marius loudly boasted about his being the best but suddenly grew almost endearingly sheepish when everyone agreed and complimented his work. He could remember Rosa’s cheerful laugh filling the room, not left out in the slightest despite having to stand at a different table from the rest of them. And most of all, he could remember the sinking feeling in his chest when it finally grew time for everyone to leave that night. 

Silver eyebrows rested in a deep slant as he thought. His vision slowly grew unclouded from the memory as it faded back into his mind, his eyes slowly focusing on the stand mixer resting on the shelf in front of him. His lips were pinched unreadably into something more complex than a frown. The store was filled with loud chatter, yet he never felt so alone. Was this store always so cold?

A soft click of the tongue, unheard by another, marked the making up of his mind. Vyn turned away from the shelf, a new shopping list in mind, marked by oddly domestic tools like ovens and mixing bowls. He merely needed to stop by a qualified attendant to order the items for delivery. Pale fist clenched around the handles of his bags, he grew determined to chase that warmth he felt for even a moment more. 

Even if he had been ever so slightly eager in ordering new appliances last week, there was no going back now. All of the NXX investigation team had arrived, each clad in clothes suited to set up a cozy garden furnished to their desires. In a strange way he wasn’t at all used to, he felt something he unfortunately had to describe as embarrassment when he thought of sharing the news of the now more optimized kitchen, and bit back the confession like it was bile. He couldn’t understand why he would possibly feel embarrassed, as he thought he had nothing much to lose if the project failed anyway. 

To the young doctor’s chagrin, it wasn’t like he had much time to ponder anyway. He was quickly grabbed away by the others, Luke piling tools into his arm and asking for help holding the legs of the new table steady while he screwed them together. If he lifted his head a little, he could see Artem already clearing space on the upstairs patio, and Marius could be seen moving boxes (and something Vyn suspected was an easel) onto the wooden deck. He could hear Rosa humming behind him as she arranged the plants, all still comfortably in their starters, into whatever order she found most aesthetically pleasing. The courtyard was, for the first time, rife with the energy and camaraderie of others.

Whether or not he was a fan of manual labor didn’t seem to matter today. Vyn didn’t find himself dredging through the project, nor did he find himself feeling embarrassed at any apparent lack of skill. He moved about helping arrange the garden table for a while before practically instructing all the others on the safest way to transfer plants into the soil. The garden was growing into something beautiful and personal all at once, something Vyn had to admit he never pictured happening. The worst part, which he would never speak aloud, was that he seemed to actually enjoy every minute of it. If he even noticed the dirt smeared on his khakis, he didn’t care. 

Before he knew it, he was sitting on the stone steps, chin in hand, as his eyes absentmindedly followed Rosa around. His thoughts were consumed by grappling with his devotion to never grow close to others and the enjoyment he reaped from partnering up on such a sweet passion project. Perhaps the change in this garden reflected a more personal change in him. 

“What’s got you so lost in thought?” Luke asked, peering down at him, squinting from the sunlight in his eyes.

“I did not realize that the manor's garden could be so well decorated,” he simplified. 

“Huh?” Marius half yelled from across the courtyard, marching forward with his hands extended in mock annoyance. “Did you forget who designed the layout?”

Vyn didn’t respond, merely looking over his glasses at the younger man. He didn’t feel the need to extrapolate on his deeper thoughts and personal revelations, and his silence was filled instead by the approaching Rosa’s exasperation.

“Not this again…”

“I think everyone played a part,” Artem soothed as he approached, his hair surprisingly messy for once but his expression light. His blue eyes darted over to Rosa as if expecting her to build upon what he stated.

“Right, right! We finally finished decorating the garden, so let's celebrate!”

Luke grinned widely, an eagerness radiating off of him in waves brighter than the sun that afternoon. “Awesome! We’ve been at it for a long time, so we should take a break.” 

“Miss,” Marius tilted his head toward Rosa, a hand shielding his eyes from the sun, “got any good ideas?”

“Hmm… it’s still pretty early in the day. Let’s prep afternoon tea together!”

Artem nodded, also shading his eyes. “That’s a good idea.”

Sucking an unnoticeable puff of air in between his teeth, Vyn lightly pushed up the corner of his glasses. He supposed it was now or never.

“It just so happens that after our previous rice ball experience...I ordered a set of kitchen equipment that may be of use. Everything is already in the lounge.”

“Like?” Marius drew out his vowels obnoxiously.

“Such as an oven, a mixer, a digital scale, and a blender, among others…” Vyn could feel that creeping feeling of embarrassment beginning to prickle the back of his neck, though he was determined to play it off cool. The childish grin spreading across Marius’ face was making that task no easier.

“Since when were you such a housewife?” Marius teased, lips curled up in something not made entirely of childish malice, but something deeper Vyn couldn’t decipher. Surprisingly, Vyn didn’t feel the regret and humiliation he expected to, though he wasn’t sure what he was feeling instead.

Rosa’s hands clapping together cut through the air sharply to draw their attention back to her. “Well then, let’s split up the tasks!” Luke smiled and crossed his arms, nodding his head in a confident manner.

“Since the appliances are all ready to go, I’ll blend all our cold and frozen drinks. I've worked as a bartender while doing detective work, so I'm good at that stuff.” 

“I’ll make coffee and hot drinks. I learned how to make latte art during my spare time on the weekends.” For some reason, the entire group found themselves picturing Artem working dutifully over his kitchen counter as he practiced his secret latte art. 

“I will bake the cakes,” Vyn offered kindly, his eyes filled with warmth mirrored in his smile. “Their flavor will not disappoint.” 

“Then I’ll get someone to send over the ingredients we need, and I’ll take care of plating and decorating. Let me know which fruits you like,” Marius punctuated his sentence with a little wink aimed toward Rosa. “I guarantee you a happy tea time, Miss.”

Smiling from cheek to cheek, Rosa nearly pumped her fist in the air. “Looking forward to it! I’ll bake some cookies and help you all out. There’s no time to lose. We better get started!”

If Vyn had been told about two weeks ago that he would enjoy working side by side with his work partners on something personal, he would have scoffed. He wouldn’t have believed it for a moment. Yet, he now found himself standing in the kitchen he chose to properly furnish, working hard on a cake he actually planned to share with others. The kitchen was again alight with a familial enthusiasm, conversations and laughter overlapping from all over. Even when he wasn’t the one speaking or prodding at another, he could feel a light smile dance upon his lips like a whisper. 

Tea time was something generally sacred and private for Vyn, the time where he could unwind while enjoying his dearest sweets. There are very few people in the world he would ever conceive sharing that time with, but he still found himself setting the cake he labored over onto the center of the table to share. He found himself cutting the slices carefully, evenly, and oddly holding his breath as he waited for the others to take their first bites. He knew he was a skilled baker, yet he felt the remote pang of fear that somehow, for whatever reason, they wouldn’t like it.

All he was greeted with were smiles and praise from the others, soothing his untoward anxieties in a single fell swoop. While he responded with a simple “As I expected. I am pleased that it suits your liking,” there was a giddiness bursting inside of him. He felt strangely excited to be sitting with these people, people he wouldn’t consider his friends at all, sharing something so uniquely important to him. 

He breathed in the clear afternoon air, the sunlight warming his face as he tilted his head back ever so slightly. He could hear the chirping of the birds in the trees nearby and hear the water stirring in the pond across the courtyard. He could hear his coworkers chattering, just as they had in the kitchen, mouths filled with food this time.

He took a sip of the sweetest tea he’d had in a while. 

[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

[lovestellis]

𝑀𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑀𝑦 𝐵𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑

This is part of my holiday challenge where I do prompts! Today's is: Festive Movies. To be honest, I ended up making this much more subtle hurt comfort than I intended, but Artem..he's just husband.

[[Cuddles, Fluff, Small Mentions of Aurora's Past, Established Relationship]]

Aurora and Artem had a rare holiday from work after finishing an especially tough case, which was refreshing in its own right. As much as Aurora adored her job, she was realizing that she was allowed to not think about it outside of the office. 

“You can relax, my darling,” She recalled Artem saying not long ago over a cup of coffee. “You’re allowed to take time for yourself. If it makes it easier for you, you need to be well rested in order to keep working so hard.”

And now, she would like to think she’s come very far. She let herself silence the notifications on her phone as she climbed onto Artem’s plush couch in his home theater. She sunk into the cushions contently, it was way more comfortable than her couch at home. 

“Comfy?” Artem walked up behind the couch and pressed a warm kiss to her cheek. 

“Mhm,I always forget how cozy it is in here.” Aurora grins as she sits up straight, her mismatched eyes fixed on her loving boyfriend. Her loving boyfriend, who had a basket of things in his arms. “What’s in there, Artem?”

“This?” Artem smiles gently, putting it down. “Well first, I put pajamas in the dryer so they’ll be nice and toasty, I even grabbed your favorite pair.”

“Oh my gosh, the ones with the cinnamon buns on them?” She giggles as she’s handed the soft and warm pair of fuzzy pajama pants. “Oh they are!”

“Then, I also brought some snacks, something to keep my best girl and I hydrated..”

Auroria takes the basket from Artem’s hands gently and sets it on the nearby side table, taking around the couch to meet him halfway. She grins as she stares up at him before standing on her toes and pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek. 

 When Artem’s face turned pink Aurora’s grin got bigger, he was sure to place a well intended kiss under her eye as revenge. 

“I-I’m going to change into these really quick..! Do you have a movie picked out?”

“Hurry back,” He said softly, voice laden with yearning. 

…

By the time Aurora walks back into the room, she feels a bit cozier but not quite cozy enough. One glance at her boyfriend, dressed down in his own loungewear made it abundantly clear why she wasn’t as cozy as she could be. She hops onto the couch, on the same cushion as him. Her head leans on his shoulder as he is fiddling with the different options on the projector. 

“So, you didn’t tell me what we were watching first,” Aura whispers. It was as if she was worried about shattering the soft and warm atmosphere. 

If you’d told her a few years ago she would be cozied up to Senior Attorney, Artem Wing, she wouldn’t have believed you. In fact even now, despite being not only his partner and lover, she still found herself feeling like it was all a dream she would eventually wake up from.

Hopefully, she wouldn’t.

Artem’s sigh of relief breaks her out of her thoughts. On the screen a very familiar movie title was displayed: Santa Buddies. 

“I remembered, around when we started dating, you used to watch this with your mom every year. How you didn’t have the heart to watch it alone, so I thought you might want to watch it now. Are you okay with that?”

“Artem, love, oh my god,” Aurora loops her arms around his neck and presses kisses all across his face. “I’m touched you even remembered. I-I mean I told you that once and it was three in the morning. God, I love you.”

As soon as she ceased her attack of kisses, Artem smiled sweetly at her. If everything sweet in the entire world could be wrapped up in one thing, it was definitely Artem’s smile. 

“Of course I remembered, sweetheart. Everything you tell me, every bit about you, has me enamored, I can never have enough. Even if it’s three in the morning.”

The movie on the projector started playing and the subtle holiday music started playing. 

Just now, Aurora noticed Artem had arranged some fruit and popcorn on the nearest table, along with some warm tea. It felt right, and she felt so grateful. She never imagined she could be cared for so tenderly and gently. She felt so fortunate. 

“Aurora? Did you hear me?”

“Huh? No, I’m sorry. I’m listening, I swear.”

“I asked what you were thinking about, are you okay? Your mind looks like it’s somewhere else.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Aurora laughs awkwardly. “I was just thinking, that I never imagined that I could get so lucky, with you.”

“I ask myself that sometimes too,” Artem shifts and draws Aurora in closer to him, so that she’s on his lap now, her legs dangle off the edge of the couch. “But being there for each other, it reminds me that it’s all real.”

Aurora tucks her head into his shoulder, a bit bashfully. “I’m sorry I’ve ruined movie night with my sad thoughts.”

“Not at all, you haven’t ruined anything.”

“You swear?”

“I swear.” Artem chuckles, pressing a kiss to her hair, since he can’t reach her beautiful face. “Do you want me to rewind your movie?”

“Yes, please!”

And just like when she was watching it as a child, she fell asleep in the arms of the person she loves before the ending. Artem didn’t mind, he’ll always carry her to bed.

And besides, they have twelve more holiday movies to watch this month. They have nothing but time.

[samsspambox]

He sticks to what he knows: Giann had enemies, he had fanatics, and the Pax Civil War was effectively over so the tabloids had nothing to talk about. Not that it stopped them.

He's fine, though. He doesn't have any meetings for the next couple of weeks. Well, he shouldn't have any, but the snakes inside the company wouldn't pity him for long.

Marius is Fine.

or alternatively: marius is not fine, he punches someone, and there's new information on the case. not in that order.

hi hi new fic i wanted to get out before my goblin brain starts to focus on the ficathon prompt!!! kjbsfkjsbfk