#behaving meaning locking myself in my room and all

[andrwgarfields]

i think what made me ahhhhh abt charlies portrayal on mh was how real it is…i have read the books but i’ve always felt that tv tends to dramatise these moments. i feel like i was expecting charlie to be crying breaking down heavily or whatever but its all so somber and quiet with the battle genuinely happening in charlie’s head except for small moments where he snapped which then just makes him feel even more worse abt himself

[izzyy-stuff]

AFTER CLOSING HOURS - CHOI YEONJUN

lifeguard!yeonjun x fem!reader

in which your friend and the boy she is seeing decide Choi Yeonjun needs to calm his hormones as soon as possible. And what better way is there to do it then show him a pretty girl who can satisfy all his needs?

wc 3.7k

warnings smut, public sex but no one is around, it happens in the pool, unprotected sex, Yeonjun is lowk a hoe ngl, but also a sweetheart, mention of lifeguard!Taehyun, Jay of enhypen mentioned as an ex, reader is implied to be shorter than yeonjun, oral (f. receiving), cum swallowing, brief nipple play, pet names lmk if I missed anything!

↪ izzy speaks... fun fact: lifeguard!Yeonjun was actually my first idea for a fic after I started writing on tumblr, so it has been sitting in my drafts since June. Somehow, there was just always a different fic I wanted to write at the moment, but thanks to y'all voting for it when I made the poll about what you want me to write next, it's finally seeing the day light 🙌

Yeonjun sat on his chair by the pool, just as he would any other day. With his sunglasses high on his nose and a phone in his hands, he did the same as any other lifeguard: absolutely nothing. 

Of course, some would say that he was neglecting his job, that it would be better to hire someone more responsible, someone serious. But the problem was, anyone else, no matter how accountable or not they were, would behave the same he did. Fortunately for him, the pool was sparsely occupied, leaving Yeonjun with little to do during his shifts. One could say that it was part of his job, sitting by the pool and doing nothing.

And, if, for whatever reason, there did turn out to be someone who wanted to drown in the five-foot-deep swimming pool after all, he was always ready to put his phone aside and jump into the water. 

Yeonjun liked the freedom of his job. Even though, honestly, sitting in a chair for six hours in the burning sun every day could also be tiring and boring. 

So boring he almost quit. 

Almost. 

Because as he ended his shift, switching with another lifeguard, and grabbed his resignation papers, so confident he would put them on his boss’ table, he found a reason to stop right in front of her office and turn around again. 

As his eyes landed on the girl lying on her stomach on her towel near the pool, he realized the pros of his job again. One of them being all the gorgeous girls he could sneak glances at. And sometimes, when he was bored enough, take them to his dressing room. 

 ♡⸝⸝  

“It’s basically law that you go to a pool during summer!” You scoff at your friend, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. “The law actually is that I get to relax in my cozy apartment now that I finally have time for myself,” you state, and without waiting for her answer, you look down at your book again, re-reading the first sentence on the page. 

“Oh, come on! Please! We have to go!” She pleads, making you groan as you place your bookmark between the two pages and slam it shut, before glancing over at her. “Fine, fine, I’ll go if it means you’ll stop bothering me,” you finally accept defeat with a sigh, creating a grin on her face. “I promise you won’t regret it!” 

New things never excite you as much as others. You liked sticking  to your routine and visiting places you’ve already been to. You aren’t sure why, but you’ve always preferred it that way.

But your friends always thought otherwise, bringing you to new restaurants that opened in town, going on trips to places still unfamiliar to all of you, and now, taking you to the swimming pool they opened last year when you weren’t in town. 

“I just don’t understand why we have to go to this pool. You have a pool at your house! Why couldn’t we have gone there?” You ask her for the millionth time, making her groan in annoyance. “Just wait. You’ll understand once we get there,” is all she says before locking her arm with yours, smirking as she leads you towards the swimming pool. 

 ♡⸝⸝  

“There is your reason,” she says proudly, lowering her sunglasses as she watches the lifeguards switch shifts. You glance the same way she does, raising an eyebrow at the black-haired boy before looking at your friend again. “You wanted to go here because of a boy?” 

“Not just any boy! The hottest guy you’ve ever seen!” She exclaims, watching you roll your eyes. “Don’t tell me you don’t find him attractive.” You turn your attention to the male again, examining his features. “Okay, yeah. He’s handsome,” you admit. “But still, that doesn’t mean we should–” 

“His name is Yeonjun,” she interrupts you. “Choi Yeonjun. And I swear you two would look great together.” 

“So this is what it’s about,” you scoff. “You’re unbelievable. Why are you trying to set me up with someone again?” You reach into your bag, bringing out your towel , and wrapping it around yourself  as if it could prove her anything. “I’m happy with how things are now,” you proclaim, well aware of your stubbornness. 

“Oh, come on! You’ve been sex deprived since you broke up with Jay! And trust me, he knows how to fuck,” she assures you, completely serious. “All you have to do is walk confusedly around the kiosks, and he’ll be all yours.” 

You shake your head at her, glancing toward the male again. “Well, your plan couldn’t work even if I wanted to do it, anyway” you state, nodding toward him so she would look the same way. 

He is handsome, you can’t argue with that. And you couldn’t say you would mind getting to know him either, but with his handsomeness came one con. Attractive guys were always too busy. Busy with talking to all the different girls. Busy thinking god knows what of themselves. Even now, you could see him talking to some girl in the pool, a few others surrounding him.

“Oh, hell no. We are going to swim. Right now,” she states, grabbing your hand and basically forcing you out of your chair. “You need to show off.” 

You sigh, throwing your towel back on your bag before following her to the pool, giving up on trying to talk her out of it. You knew you were stubborn, but so was she. And unlike you, she wouldn’t back down until the very end. 

 ♡⸝⸝  

You felt embarrassed. It was pathetic trying to get into his pants like this, but the most embarrassing thing about the whole situation was his stares. You could feel his eyes all over your body. On your legs when you walked out of the pool, on your ass when you walked past him, and on your breast as you put sunscreen on. 

“You have him wrapped around your finger,” your friend laughs, watching the male opposite you on the other side of the swimming pool. You feel your cheeks heating up every time you make eye contact with him, averting your gaze from him immediately. “That’s to not wanting you to set me up with anyone,” you mumble. 

“You’re welcome,” she giggles, looking at the time on her phone. “Alright, my job here is done. The pool closes in twenty minutes. Stay until the end if you want our work to be worth it. Wait until everyone is gone and then go talk to him,” she gives you instructions, and it makes you wonder how many times she has done something like this. There’s especially one question that gets stuck in your head. Was he the one that taught her all of this? 

And trust me, he knows how to fuck. You remember your friend's words, swallowing the lump in your throat as you watch her pack her things. “Wait,” you stop her, hesitating as she turns to you again with a confused look. “Did you…sleep with him before?” You watch her burst into laughter, leaving you confused this time. 

She quickly pulls out her phone, looking for something. “If you are worried about breaking the girls’ code or something like that, relax. This is my lifeguard,” she smiles, proudly showing you a picture on her phone. “Yeonjun is kind of a hoe, though, not going to lie to you. I am not sure who he did sleep with,” she adds. “It was Taehyun’s idea that I could set you two up,” she admits, pointing at the picture on her phone again so you’d know who she is talking about. “He thinks you might be what Yeonjun needs to calm his hormones and finally stick with one girl. And even if you can’t exactly change him, I thought it would be good for you to have a fun night at least.” 

You nod to her, hesitating as you glance at the male again, his eyes still glued to your body. He probably thought he was inconspicuous, too. “This is one of your worst ideas,” you sigh. “But I’ll give it a go. I can’t let your effort go in vain.” 

♡⸝⸝  

“Excuse me, the pool is closing in two minutes,” you look up upon hearing the unfamiliar voice, gulping down to swallow all the stress that brushed over you, before you look around the place, as if you don’t know it is empty by now. “Oh, I’m sorry,” you apologize awkwardly. 

You feel his eyes on your back as you get up to collect your things, biting your bottom lip. Thank god he couldn’t see your face at the moment. “You know, I think the front gate is locked already. So if you wait for me for a bit, you can leave with me through the back,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck and looking around the place, doing his best to hold back and not let his eyes fall on your lower body. 

“Sure,” you nod, the sound of the pool filtration the only thing you heard for a while. “Alright, yeah. You can come with me,” he shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts. “I’m sorry. I’m a bit all over the place today,” he apologized, leading you toward the dressing rooms. 

“More like a bit all over me,” you mumble, a chuckle leaving your lips. You freeze as you watch him stop before you, realizing he can still hear you. “I mean–” 

“If you noticed me, you must have been looking at me too, or am I wrong?” 

“You’re not wrong,” you admit when you notice the hunger in his eyes, looking up at him and trying your best to keep eye contact with him. But honestly, it was hard when his eyes looked like that. At first glance, it felt like innocent boba eyes that you could get lost in, but then you saw the lust, excitement, and arousal behind them, hesitating again. 

A chuckle slips past his lips, making your eyes widen. “You’re cute,” he comments, watching your cheeks turn pink. “What’s your name?” You answer him, doing your best to remain calm as he steps forward. He repeats your name, almost as if trying to see how it sounds on his lips. “I’m Yeonjun.” 

“I know who you are,” you assure him. “A lot of girls seem to know.” 

“I don’t know a lot of girls’ names, though.” You roll your eyes at him, scoffing at how cheesy he sounds. “Don’t you have places to be? I thought you still need to change so we can leave,” you quickly change the topic, knowing you had him where you wanted now. 

“That can wait, don’t you think?” You bite your bottom lip as you gaze him in the eyes again, instinctively nodding. “God and I promised Taehyun I wouldn’t hook up with another girl at work,” he muttered quietly, stepping forward again to get closer to you. You could hear your heart beating faster as you looked at him, regretting your decision immediately. You shouldn’t have listened to your friend. You should have left with her and stayed sex deprived. You should have– 

He interrupts your thoughts by pressing his lips on yours, making your eyes widen. “Was that…okay with you?” He stops, for the first time in a while, finding himself hesitating as he watches you freeze. He never had to question if a girl liked him or what she thought of him. Yet, here he was, rethinking his next moves as if it was the first time he was this close to a girl. 

“Fuck,” you mumble, your hand reaching to the back of his neck and pulling him closer to yourself to kiss him again. “It’s so wrong that your lips taste this good.” He smirks into the kiss, his hand roaming your back while his tongue explores your mouth. It feels weird having his hands all over you, but at the same time, it seems so right. 

“It’s wrong that you’re this gorgeous,” he comments back, his hand sliding under your bottom piece as he grasps your ass, picking you up in one swift movement. You yelp, instinctively wrapping your legs around his waist and your hands around his shoulders. Your eyes shake, mostly from excitement, as you watch him, questioning what is going on in his mind. 

He doesn’t say anything, though. His lips land on yours immediately instead as he walks forward, doing his best not to wobble and make you both fall to the ground as his eyes stay close to enjoy the kiss fully. 

When you pull away to take a moment and breathe, you’re back next to the pool, near his assigned place. “So you don’t plan on changing anymore,” you tease him, unable to hide your smile as you watch his face, scanning his features from up close. His lips are pretty, you notice. Pretty is a suitable word to describe him. “I will gladly take you to the changing room and change with you later, but for now, this will be more fun.” 

You’re not sure how it all happened, but the next thing you know, you’re sitting on the pool’s edge, your legs thrown over Yeonjun’s shoulders while his head is buried in between your thighs. You weren’t sure what to expect when he said it “would be more fun,” but after he had jumped into the water, not caring about getting his hair wet, you knew you were in for a ride. 

You pull on his hair, moaning out as his tongue plays with your clit. “Mhm?” He looks up for a second when you do so, his boba eyes making you melt. “N-nothing,” you shake, biting your bottom lip at the sight. He is no longer just pretty. With his wet hair in front of his eyes and your slick on his lips, he is beyond just that. 

He chuckles, diving between your legs again, this time sucking harder. “You’re so pretty,” he mumbles as he licks your core, looking up at you to see your reaction before his tongue makes its way into your cunt, eating you out like a starved man. 

Yeonjun lets you pull on his hair however you want, unbothered by your actions as his hands squeeze your thighs, keeping you in place as he tongue-fucks you, enjoying himself as much as you do. 

“I’m–” your voice breaks in the middle as he goes back to sucking on your clit, sending you over the edge before you can warn him. “Going to cum,” you breathe out, but by the time, his mouth is already covered with your release. “Tastes so fucking good,” he mumbles, licking his lips. He lets go of your thighs, pulling himself up to reach your lips. “So good, princess,” he praises before kissing you. 

“Alright, come in,” Yeonjun whispers softly, letting his legs hit the bottom of the pool again. His hand reaches towards you, and you gladly accept it. He helps you into the water, his hand slowly tracing from your thigh to your back, coming up until he reaches the strings of your bikini top, pulling it off in one swift motion. 

You grant him one sheepish smile full of nervousness, keeping your eyes on him. You were too scared to look away, internally terrified that if you dared to look away, he would disappear. “Is it okay so far?” He wondered, carefully caressing your waist as if he could read your mind. You nod, biting your bottom lip as your hand reaches his chest, your fingertips just so slightly brushing over his nipples. He groans, trying to keep his moans from escaping. 

His hands repeat your motion, twisting your right nipple in his two fingers while he lowers his head to your left one, leaving wet kisses all over your breast. “Jjun,” you gasp as he sucks on your nipple, throwing your head back. You open your mouth to speak again, but all that you’re able to do at the moment is moan. He makes it impossible for you to think straight, especially after you feel his knee between your legs, pressing against your naked core. 

You wrap your leg around his hips, pulling him closer. Yeonjun looks up at you for a moment, smirking when he notices the need in your eyes, caressing your thigh before he makes you wrap your other leg around him, too, pushing you onto the wall. You can feel his bulge against your cunt, and wish he would have taken down his swim trunks a long time ago. 

“You’re so impatient, sweetheart,” he teases, pressing his lips on yours again. You don’t hesitate and kiss him back, opening your mouth to give him better access. Part of you hates how easily he can get you, but you can’t help it and want all of him as soon as possible. You need him to fill you up, fuck you dumb like you haven’t been in a while. 

“It’s your ‘ngh fault,” you breathe out, grinding on his bulge. Yeonjun bites onto his bottom lip, doing his best to keep quiet. It’s safe to say you drove him crazy. “‘M wait–” his breath shakes, and his eyes shut close. He squeezes your thighs, stopping you so he can take his shorts down. 

It’s a new experience, you must admit. You never fantasized about pool sex, but now that the lifeguard was thrusting his cock into you, somehow managing to hit your g-spot on the first try and driving you crazy, you had a completely different opinion on it. You’ll have to repeat it in the future. 

Yeonjun’s hand is firmly pressed against the cold tiles next to you, his lips all over your neck and collarbone while he fucks your orgasm back into you. You tried to keep it in, wait for him to reach his climax too, and then cum together, but it was impossible to control anything when he was this good. Even though the thought of it disgusted you, you could see he had the experience as his reputation promised. 

“So perfect,” he blabs another praise, sucking onto the skin on your neck. You aren’t sure how many praises left his lips by this point, but you know he hasn’t stopped giving you compliments since he thrust into you for the first time. “Could fuck you forever.” 

You don’t answer anything. Instead, you tug on his hair, stealing a kiss from the lifeguard immediately when he looks up, whining against his lips. You feel him slowing down as his breath gets heavier, making you realize he is about to cum, too. You don’t get the chance to tell him to pull out when he pulls you in for another kiss, but you don’t even mind much, honestly. 

You let him cum inside you, thrust his cum deep into you while listening to his groans and whines, a few more praises leaving his lips before he finally pulls out of you. You whine at the sudden feeling of emptiness, your legs giving up as you fall into his arms, making him chuckle. “You were so good, princess. So good,” he coos, rubbing circles on your back. “You’d tell anyone that,” you mumble, and before you can even realize you said it out loud, he sits you on the edge again, opening your legs and placing himself between them, looking up at you. “I don’t usually talk with the girls I fuck here,” he proclaims, his eyes as sincere as they can be. “Don’t know their names either,” he says, adding your name to prove his point. 

“What are you trying to say?” You ask, your cheeks heating up. He had just fucked you, and yet, it was somehow embarrassing having him stand between your legs while you looked down at him. “I don’t tell anyone that,” he assures you. “Just like I don’t want any girl’s number.” 

Your eyes widen, and you have to avert your gaze from him. “But I am sure you make every guy feel like this,” he rests his chin on your thigh, keeping his eyes on you. “Like what?” You ask, trying not to pay much attention to the fact your cheeks are red. 

“Totally crazy,” Yeonjun proclaims, as if it was obvious. You scoff, thinking he is just making fun of you. But when you glance down at him, he seems as serious as one could be, making you gulp. “You’re the one driving me crazy,” you admit, biting your bottom lip. 

“We can drive each other crazy then,” he suggests softly, finding your hand and taking it into his. His fingers intertwine with yours, and you think you might fall for him right then and there. “I can’t possibly fuck anyone else now that I got a taste of you.” 

You don’t say anything to him, refusing to let him sway you so easily. But when you finally leave the pool and get into his dressing room, his lips are all over your body again, begging you to at least consider calling him again, preferably as soon as possible. “Fine, fine, I’ll think about it. But I probably won’t call you,” you sigh, watching him type his number into your phone. “I am not looking for sex with no attachments.” 

His ears perk up at your statement. This is his chance, he thinks. Chance to finally prove to Taehyun that he can have a serious relationship if he wants to. “Let me take you on a date then,” he offers. 

You sigh again, but the more you think about it, you don’t see a reason why you should reject him. So you nod, sharing your number with him, too, so he can text you later. Part of you knows it might be just a waste of your time. Yeonjun is kind of a hoe, you remember your friend’s words, but it doesn’t shake you. You want to give him a chance.

⋆✶ izzy's tags @beomiracles @seoulzie @adel222 @inkigayocamman @flowzel @love-be0m @virgo-and-libra @hwanghyunjinismybae ✶⋆ want to get notified? Join taglist here!

[harrysgal]

I DIG YOUR CINEMA (2)

harry styles x yn aspiring filmmaker — social media AU

I know I’m just starting and don’t actually have much experience with this, but I’m actually having a lot of fun doing it and already can’t wait to post more.

About the smau: yn starts posting videos on youtube and is trying to build a career as a filmmaker. Things are going pretty well for her and she starts getting more attention when she creates content about shows she goes to. She’s also a fan of Harry’s music and some of his fans start getting suspicious when his team starts interacting with her.

Disclaimer: The story it’s set in 2021 and it will follow their relationship through the LOT leg in the US. Since this is nothing but fiction, I will be following some of the real timeline but also adding my own stuff. On top of that, I won’t be basing myself on Harry’s actual posts.

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PART 1 — MEET YN / MASTERLIST

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I DIG YOUR CINEMA (PART 2) — LAS VEGAS

liked by bestfriend, yourmom, mollyjane_x and 22,108 others 

yourinstagram HELLOOOOOOO FABULOUS LAS VEGAS NEVADA 

view all 3,045 comments

user1 soooo… a new full time job that took you to las vegas? 👀 yourbrother Please behave  bestfriend don’t get (too) drunk without me pls harryfan STOP FIRST LOT SHOW IT’S IN VEGAS 

↳ harryfan2 She’s going to the show right???? I mean it can’t be just a coincidence anymore IT JUST CAN’T ↳ harryfan NO I KNOW THIS IS IT I CAN FEEL IT IN MY BONES

Aug 26, 2021 •

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liked by bestfriend, cuteguy, mollyjane_x and 22,451 others 

yourinstagram you’d think a lady in vegas would be out there getting wild but this one actually has been locked in her hotel room for the last 27 hours overthinking her ideas and freaking out about this new job lol if any of you could send me a pizza or something id appreciate it. thanks. 

view all 3,111 comments

user1 nooooo you’re so talented whatever it is i know you can do it!! bestfriend yn ✋🏻  cuteguy Should I give you a call? 😊 harryfan17 I would too be freaking out if I had to work for THE harry styles lol

↳ harryfan16 we still don’t know if she is tho  ↳ harryfan17 C’mon she’s in vegas and molly and jeff are following her ↳ harryfan16 still 🤷🏻‍♀️ tour doesn’t start for another few days so this could be just about something else  ↳ harryfan16 also maybe she’s there because she wants to be and not bc she’s “working” for him. she’s done videos about several artists and she isn’t working for any of them is she?  ↳ harryfan17 Well yes but she literally just said she was starting a new job so 🤷‍♀️ ↳ harryfan16 so everyone just assumed HARRY, out of all people, hired her? c’mon guys lol she could be working for just anyone and STILL go to a show. one doesn’t have to be related to the other.

Aug 28, 2021 •

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liked by anthonypham, bestfriend, lookitsnyoh and 25,103 others 

yourinstagram fun fact: if you post something on the internet people around you might see it 🫠

guess im lucky this lovely group who still don’t know me at all cared enough to drag me out of my room and show me around the city. sometimes i get so caught up inside my mind that i forget how important human connection is — which is funny if you think most of my videos are exactly about that lol. so plssssss make sure to surround yourself with (nice) people. also get some sleep, drink water and feed yourself. it’ll do wonderful things for you!!!

anyway my mom was worried about my “not leaving the room post” so this is just me saying everythings good!! (i also already called her of course <3)

view all 3,557 comments

bestfriend LOVE YOU harryfan the new followers the new likes 😭 it’s happening i knew it  user1 so true bestie!! this reminded me of your 2nd video i think

↳ yourinstagram omg yesssss!!  ↳ user1 ahh i missed your interactions <3  ↳ yourinstagram i knowww! promise i’ll try my best to keep interacting even if it’s not as much as before 💗

lookitsnyoh my belly still hurts from all the laughing 

↳ yourinstagram and my mind is still rushing from all the talking ↳ anthonypham go to sleep you two 

harryfan9 I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING BUT OMFG I’M SO HERE FOR IT

Aug 29, 2021 •

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liked by anthonypham, mollyjane_x, bestfriend and 27,257 others 

yourinstagram sightseeing left me speechless. but here’s a picture from tonight. 

view all 4,107 comments

user1 omg you’re feeding us this week! i’m so happy you’re being active again <3 harryfan78 POST A PICTURE OF YOURSELF I WANT TO MEET YOU AT THE SHOW BUT I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE 

↳ user4 calm down pls? we like to behave as respectful human beings on this profile

bestfriend ❤️❤️❤️ bestfriend i’m losing my mind but i’m also so excited and proud! user7 I miss your videos :( lookitsnyoh when was this? where was I? bummed that I missed it!

↳ yourinstagram sorryyy just a last minute decision after dinner :( ↳ lookitsnyoh ohhhh makes sense now! Glad it left you speechless ↳ yourinstagram i mean the city is beautiful  ↳ lookitsnyoh sure thing it is 👽

Sep 1, 2021 •

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liked by harryfan, harryfan2 and 15,157 others 

fanwhometharry GUYS I JUST MET HARRY I’M SHAKKNG I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MY LIFE NOW 

view all 2,107 comments

harryfan64 omg where did you meet him??

↳ fanwhometharry AT THE BELLAGIO  ↳ harryfan64 is he staying there???  ↳ fanwhometharry NO!! I MEAN IDK?? I DONT RHINK SO I JUST MET HIM OUTSIDE AT THE FOUNTAINS  ↳ harryfan74 hmm not tryin to be rude or something but that sounds like a weird place for him to be tbh ↳ fanwhometharry I FUCKKNG KNOW THAT?? I MEAN MY PARENTS WANTED TO SEE THE WATER SHOW SO I TAGGED ALONG BUT NEVER EVER THOUGHT ID BUMP INTO HIM THERE

harryfan62 you’re so lucky!! was he alone???

↳ imetharry I DONT KNOW?? I DONT REMEMBER I WAS SO NERVOUS  ↳ imetharry I KNOW THERE WAS A GIRL NEARBY BC SHE HANDED HIM A PEN WHEN I COULDNT FIND MINE BUT I DONT KNOW IF SHE WAS WITH HJIM OR NOT ↳ harryfan62 who was this girl? Anyone from the LOT crew? ↳ imetharry IDK I JUST SAID I DONT EVEN KNOW IF SHE WAS WITH HIM OR NOT 😭

harryfan15 Hi hun! Don’t listen to people, they're just jealous. It was really sweet of him to sign that for you! Hope you have a great time at the show 💕

↳ imetharry THANK YOU 😭😭 HE WAS THERE JUST WATCHING LIKE A NORMAL PERSON SO I DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE A PIC IF PEOPLE DON’T BELIEVE ME THEN I DON’T CARE I KNOW IT’S REAL 😭😭

Sep 1, 2021 •

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liked by gemmastyles, anthonypham, jefezoff and 35,109 others 

yourinstagram having to keep this secret from the world was the most cruelest thing that anyone has ever done to me. but whatever… it’s fine… i’m okay… i’m just gonna pretend this wasn’t a big deal and i didn’t just watch one of my favorite artists perform my favorite songs… and then i’ll just casually say: pls stay tuned for next wednesday when my new video will be up 😇

(i’ll be back and share more details once my serotonin levels have normalized again)

view all 7,125 comments

bestfriend i love you so much thank you for representing us so well  harryfan I KNEW IT I KNEW IT I KNEW IT OMFG I CANT WAIT I KNEW IT harryfan2 YN KASDHUHHD PLS OMFG YOU CAN’T JUST SAY THIS AND LEAVE user1 😲 i can’t wait for this one! harrystyles soz 

↳ harryfan OMFG HARRY ↳ harryfan5 ?????????????????????????? ↳ harryfan3 AUIDHIAUSHDBAJH WTF ↳ harryfan9 ARE YOU F KIDDING ME WHATS HE DOING HERE

cuteguy Nice! Glad you’re having a good time darling. 

Sep 4, 2021 •

— — — — — 

PART 3: DENVER

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If you happen to read and enjoy this, pls let me know? 🙏 thanks!! it would be nice to know if this is working, or what else would people would like to see.

[mj-iza-writer]

Whumptober Day 8

Sleep Deprivation - Isolation Chamber - Forced to Stay Awake - "leave the lights on"

"Please, I'll be good, I promise", Whumpee wept and pleaded.

"If you were telling the truth, you'd already be on the floor like I've told you to do three times now", Whumper angrily pointed out, "I'll only say it one last time.... fucking kneel."

Whumpee's knees trembled as they got down.

"Please Master, please... I'm sorry", Whumpee begged again.

"Shut up, you don't have anything to say that I need to hear right now, they pushed a heavy wooden device to the center of the room, "you know begging annoys me unless I ask you to do it. So why are you begging if I didn't tell you to?"

Whumpee sniffled.

Whumper pulled out a lock, then flipped up the metal latch. They groaned as they lifted a heavy wooden piece up.

Whumpee let out a few huffs as they looked at the device.

"Crawl over here, you know where your head and hands go... you know how the stockade works", Whumper didn't bother looking their way, "come on, don't keep me waiting."

Whumpee felt like jello as they made their way to it.

They rested their head into the grove, then slowly placed their wrist into the groves at either side of the device.

Whumper let the wooden part slam down, then latched it.

By reflex Whumpee attempted to escape. They tried to pull their arms and head away. Whumper only watched with an air of irritation.

Whumpee stopped when it started to hurt.

"You done now?", Whumper frowned.

Whumpee strained to look up.

"Please Master, you are making yourself clear. I'll do better Master", Whumpee begged.

They heard the lock click.

A new wave of escape attempts started.

Whumper only sighed and stood up.

They looked down at their slave as they shook the device.

"Good idea, let's cause a heavy wooden device to shake. Not a thought of it falling over and snapping your neck or causing other injuries", Whumper stepped around them.

"Wait, huh?", Whumpee strained to look up again.

"Yes idiot, cause that to fall over while you're trapped in it is going to hurt", Whumper sighed, "maybe even kill you."

Whumpee was suddenly terrified to move an inch.

"This device will teach you several lessons. You are trapped on your knees in a kneeling position.... perfect for a disobedient slave. A perfect slave should know better than to look up at their Master, but here you are, hurting yourself to look up at me. I'd tell you more, but I'm sure you'll forget the lessons soon enough and be back here again", Whumper sighed, "I'll leave you like this for a few hours, let's see how well behaved you are after this."

Whumper started toward the door.

"Master please don't leave me like this.... please", Whumpee pleaded.

Whumper reached over and clicked off the light.

"Master please, I don't like the dark. Please may I have the light at least", Whumpee strained watch them, "please I'm begging of you for mercy, please leave the lights on."

"I'm well aware you are afraid of the dark, but I'm not wasting electricity on you right now", Whumper opened the door, "you can learn your lesson in the dark."

With that the door was slammed shut.

Whumpee let more tears fall. Their body already ached in this hunched over position, but they were too afraid to move.

"Please", they peeped through trembling lips before all out bawling their eyes out.

They didn't want to be alone. They didn't want to be hunched over. They absolutely did not want to be in the dark.

"SHUT UP", Whumper stormed to the door and slammed their fist on it, "I'll give you something to cry about."

"Please, I-I'm sorry, just please let me out. I'll do anything.... please", Whumpee cried.

"You need to lear...."

"I did. You made yourself very clear. I've learned my lesson. I'll be good. I'll keep myself low to the ground. I'll kiss your shoes. I'll do everything you want, just please. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be bad. I don't want to be bad. I want to be obedient", Whumpee's voice went in and out with how hard they were crying, "please."

Whumper opened the door and gave it a shove.

Whumpee jumped when the door slammed against the wall.

"You know what I've said about the begging", Whumper crossed their arms.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know what else to do", Whumpee whimpered, "I want to be good for you. I want to be a... a perfect slave for you."

"You do huh?", Whumper leaned against the doorframe.

"Y-yes", Whumpee whispered hoarsely.

"Okay, but the moment you act out, you will be right back in this situation, and I will not hear you out. You will be gagged and left here, in the dark, until I am good and ready to bother with you", Whumper started to pull out the keys, "you understand."

"Y-yes master", Whumpee whispered.

Whumpee slowly pulled themself out.. being careful not to look up at Whumper.

"Go clean your face and come out to the living room", Whumper let the wooden frame slam closed on the device.

Whumpee scurried away from the loud noise.

Whumpee went to the living room and got down to a crawling position.

Whumper looked up when they saw Whumpee crawling in.

"That's more like it", Whumper grinned as they watched Whumpee stop and lower to kiss their feet, "that's a good slave."

Whumpee blinked away tears as they kept their eyes down.

"I've been thinking, perhaps some training will do you well", Whumper leaned back, "go sit in that corner. I'll let you know when I'm ready."

Whumpee quickly nodded and crawled towards the corner.

Whumper was interrupted by the sound of heavy breathing.

They looked over at Whumpee, who was leaning face first into the wall corner.

"Did you fall asleep?", Whumper mumbled with annoyance. They stood up... every intention they had was to slam Whumpee against the wall.

A loud beep happened outside of the window nearby.

Whumpee jumped and looked straight at the window. They suddenly turned and looked at Whumper.

A moment passed before Whumpee realized and looked straight down at the floor.

"Sorry Master", Whumpee whispered, "that beep happens every night, and wakes me up. It will happen every hour until morning now."

"I've never heard it", Whumper looked toward the window, "I suppose my bedroom is a bit far from this window though, and I'm asleep by this hour."

"Yes Master, you can't hear it from their", Whumpee yawned, "I tested it one night."

"Is this why you've been so bad lately. You've been very defiant", Whumper frowned.

"Yes Master.... I'm sorry. I sleep in here because it's not as dark. This is where you wanted me to be", Whumpee sighed, "it's been hard to concentrate... I'm so tired."

Whumper sighed, "I suppose that explains why you've been so bad lately. You've been kept awake."

Whumpee only nodded.

"I'll figure this out tomorrow... come on", Whumper sighed, "it's late."

Whumpee hurried to follow Whumper until they came to the room with the wooden device.

"No please", Whumpee started to cry, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to complain. I'll try hard to sleep with the sound. I can't....."

"Hush", Whumper opened the door and turned on the light, "their is a cot in here that I use to use. You can sleep on that. I'll find a nightlight to give you some light. You should be far enough away from the beeping."

Whumpee looked around the room after Whumper left. The stockade had been pushed against the wall now. The nightlight illuminated the trap hauntingly.

"Scary" was the only thing Whumpee could say before they turned to face the wall.

Whumper opened the door and checked on Whumpee.

They could hear Whumpee's heavy breathing again.

"I guess you are getting some sleep", Whumper whispered, "I wish you had told me this was going on", they sighed, "or I should have asked. Your defiance was definitely a new behavior. It was quite surprising."

The next morning, Whumper woke up to the smell of coffee and food.

They hurried to the kitchen and looked in.

"Whumpee, what are you doing?", Whumper saw Whumpee quickly cooking.

"Making breakfast master, I actually feel rested up today", Whumpee smiled but kept their eyes lowered, "may I do all of my chores today?"

"Uh, yes", Whumper was dumbfounded, "I suppose a goodnight sleep would have been a better punishment over that stockade."

"Yes Master, but I promise I've learned my lesson", Whumpee frowned, "I will be not bother you anymore. I'll have your breakfast ready momentarily."

Whumper nodded, "I ruined you didn't I?", Whumper sighed, "I didn't want to take away your personality."

Whumpee whimpered, "yes Master, but you wanted perfection. I will work hard to give it to you. Just as I promised."

"Crap", Whumper frowned.

Whumpee turned away, "tell table is set. I'll serve you your breakfast momentarily."

Whumper sat at the table sadly, "I freaken ruined my slave now."

Taglist. As always please let me know if you want to be added or taken off of the list. It's not a problem at all.

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@deafeninglittlecrown

@jumpywhumpywriter

[paulyenvol6]

At your mercy (Part 2)

Based on this request Part one

Feel free to send me your requests :)

Contains: detailed smut, fingering, oral (f & m receiving), breast play, chain play, gagging, choking, p in v, unprotected sex, slapping, biting, degrading, praising, possessiveness, dacryphilia, denied orgasm, overstimulation, sub reader, mean and dom Daemon but also kind of soft dom, slight breeding kink, aftercare

Wordcount: ~4.48k

Masterlist

"I will take your body the way I want to because it's mine, pretty girl. I will use your tight little holes the way I want to and if I feel like it I'll let you come as well."

You squeezed your eyes as Daemon took your nipple between his fingers and painfully pressed into it.

"You look so pretty with these rings. I don't think you'll walk around in this room with a gown from now on. Wanna see those tits all the time.", he growled and took your other nipple between his teeth which made tears well in the corner of your eyes. You squirmed but Daemon held you down with his weight pressing you into the bed.

Then he also started to gently bite your neck and breasts until marks were covering your skin. He took his time and tortured you until your brown skin on your neck and breasts was all red and swollen and every light touch on your nipples made you twitch. You were a mess underneath him and couldn't say anything except 'Please' and 'Daemon'. But then as he crawled up to kiss your lips again his hand simultaneously traveled down and he forcefully opened your legs wider. Quickly he adjusted his own knees so that you couldn't close your thighs and then his long finger ran over your slit.

"Gods be good.", he scoffed. "You're soaked." You could only moan in response and threw your head from left to right.

"You're a desperate little girl, aren't you? Coming back with a chain to give me control over your body. I'll use it, love. I'll use it until I have you crying for me. I just love it too much seeing your pretty tears on your skin."

His finger pressed into your pearl and you saw stars. It became too much, you were filled with desire and lust and couldn't have a single intelligent thought. His thumb circled your pearl while his left hand adjusted the chain on your mouth so the pendant was glistening at the top of your lips.

"Mhmm, you're mine, little girl." You whined and grabbed the bed sheets in pleasure. "Say it. Say who you belong to."

Your eyes threatened to close and you felt like you were floating. "I-I'm yours. Only yours.", you managed to whimper and Daemon's hand roughly dug into your cheek.

"Yeah you are. Ever since I've claimed your maidenhead. Now you're mine to fuck whenever and however I want. I'll lock you into my rooms if that's what it takes so no man can ever look at you."

His possessiveness made your heart flutter and you moved against his hand in order to get more friction. Daemon immediately stopped what he was doing and slapped your cunt.

"One more moving around and I'll tie you up and find myself a whore to plant my seed into. Perhaps I'll make you watch…"  Your eyes widened and you held on to Daemon as if you were scared he would leave you. "No…", you moaned and a smirk appeared on his face.

"Yeah, you wouldn't like that. So be my good girl and stay still. I just need you to behave, darling. Can you do that for me?"

You nodded eagerly and the next thing you felt was two of his fingers being shoved into your clenched whole and you squeezed your eyes.

"Relax.", he breathed against your cheek and moved his left hand to toy with the pendant laying on your mouth. "Then it won't hurt."

You did and stopped clenching and Daemon started to thrust his long fingers into your cunt while his thumb remained connected to your pearl. He rubbed you in intense circles and you were overwhelmed with him stimulating all of your senses. Now and then he slapped your breats which only added to these insane feelings. And the cold chain on your mouth and the pendant that he every once in a while shoved into your mouth.

"Lick it.", he growled and you drove your tongue around it while having his eyes fixed on him. Obviously it didn't take you long until you felt your high approaching and because you wanted to be good for him you told Daemon.

"I think I'm gonna come.", you breathed which to your disppointment made him stop his dance on your pearl and he also pulled his fingers out of your needy hole.

"No, not yet.", he growled. "You're a bratty little girl that needs to get punished. Stripping in front of a strange man while I'm hundreds of miles away…. I'll get it out of you though."

All of a sudden Daemon manhandled you on your stomach. He spreaded your legs and started to rub your pearl again while pressing kisses to your back. His left hand wrapped around your upper body and massaged your breasts and he took your nipples between his fingers as he had noticed how mad it drove you. Just when you were about to relax a little more and found a steady rhythm Daemon suddenly removed his fingers from your cunt and you cried out dissatisfied. You waited unpatiently as he didn't allow you to turn around and then suddenly you felt him thrust into you with his cock. It came so surprising that you clenched around him because of the sudden intrusion and he soothingly ran his hand over your ass.

"Relax. And breathe." You inhaled deeply and then Daemon started to fuck you at a steady fast pace while his hand came down to smack your ass. You whimpered and squirmed from the pain but enjoyed it just as much at the same time. He watched your cheeks with a smirk and admired his handprints on your dark skin. "Red just looks perfect on you, love.", he said. "I can't help it."

Then you felt a hand in your hair yanking you back so you had to arch your back. He used it to fuck into you faster and deeper and you moaned uncontrolled. But soon Daemon remembered the pretty chain that now hanged loosely around your neck and he grabbed it to pull you back. You hissed out feeling the air restriction but collected yourself soon. He now used the chain to fuck you faster and the combination was priceless.

"You're being such a good girl for me, my little love. Just stay there like this. Take it." Tears threatened to leave your eyes, not because you felt uncomfortable, no but you tended to feel the urge to cry whenever you felt strong emotions and right now everything was so much that you couldn't help it.

"Daemon I – Please I – I can't – ", you whined and he ran his hand over your neck where the chain pressed into your skin. "Yes, sweet girl. Cry for me. Let me see those tears." He grabbed your chin and turned you around so he could see the traces on your skin.

"Get on your hands and knees.", he then ordered all of a sudden but you needed a moment to react so Daemon lifted your hips himself until you were forced to stand on your weak knees. He had pulled out of you and adjusted you for his liking. Then he stood on his knees behind you and pushed in your needy wet hole until he hit the deepest spot in your cunt. Daemon's hands were eager and he pulled the chain until it was wrapped around your lower body and he placed it so your arms were pressed to your sides. But that made you unable to be positioned on your hands so he pushed your head down into the pillow.

"Such a good little thing.", he growled and fucked you deeper and faster. "That's where you belong. At my mercy. Down on your stomach with all of your fucking holes open for me." You muffled something in the pillow and Daemon could see how hard your legs were shaking. "You're so cute when you're struggling."

He pressed you further into the bed and didn't care how much he messed up your hair. He just forced you to arch your back while claiming and bruising your cunt. Soon his hands smacked you arse again which earned him a mumble from you. He adjusted the chain around your throat again so he could control your head movements and restrict the air entering your lungs every now and then. But then, when Daemon noticed that you started to clench around him and your moans grew louder he slowed down inside of your cunt and eventually came to stop.

"No.", you whispered on the edge of crying again. "Please let me…"

You weren't able to finish your complain because Daemon turned you on your back. Then he grabbed the chain around your neck and dragged you across the bed. He took his seat with his back against the headboard and pulled you to sit between his legs. You wanted to taste him, feel him in your mouth but he not yet allowed you to but his hand on your chain held you up. He held his other hand in front of your face and lifted his eyebrows.

"Spit.", he spoke and with widened eyes you obeyed him. Daemon smirked evily and rubbed your spit over your mouth and chin. He got off on seeing you so messy and you got off on pleasing him and being treated like dirt. So the two of you matched, one could say.

Then the Rogue Prince finally pulled you down so you were inches away from his hard cock. You croached between his legs and Daemon wrapped his hand around his cock. Slowly he ran the tip over your swollen lips and he could hear you breathing heavily as what you wanted most was so close to you and yet he didn't let you have it.

"Look at you.", he grinned with relish. "So obedient and good. Never met a girl who was so eager to have her mouth fucked."

You whimpered and Daemon took hold of your face. "Do not fight me, alright little one? I'll go hard on you so I need you to relax so you're not getting hurt too badly." You nodded shaking with excitement.

"You'll be my good girl.", he furthermore spoke while running his thumb over the area under your eye to remove the traces of the tears you had cried. "You'll keep your mouth open and do as I say. Don't squirm or resist, I don't want to further hurt you, sweet girl. Just stay still and I won't punish you. If it's too much tap my thigh."

You nodded again though you knew it didn't matter what Daemon would do to you at this point, you would take anything with a 'thank you'.

"Open your mouth.", he breathed and you obeyed him while keeping your eyes on him. Your big brown eyes drove him to madness and combined with your wet and warm mouth he knew it wouldn't take long for him to come. His hand gripped the chain around your neck tightly and he was happy to have this support. You bobbed your head down on his length and Daemon pushed you further until you had swallowed all of him. It wasn't comfortable and you gagged and squirmed trying to get away from him but as he already had announced, he was hard on you and didn't allow it.

"Don't resist, sweet girl. Take it. Take it like a good little girl." You coughed and felt tears in your eyes but you tried to get yourself together. Daemon was so big in your mouth and you felt as though you couldn't breathe and yet you didn't suffocate. You tried to breathe through your nose and soon your heartbeat slowed down.

"Good girl.", he whispered and you moaned but it was muffled. You felt his hand caress your hair and then he started to thrust up into your mouth. You felt him slide in and out, your drool coating his cock. His little sighs and the way his eyes rolled back when you additionally twirled your tongue around his tip made your cunt clench around nothing and as you still hadn't released yet you were desperately looking for some friction. Daemon noticed how you shifted on the bed and softly slapped your ass while smiling widely.

"Gods, will you look at that. The prettiest little ass." Your eyes looked up to him and you whimpered as his hand came down to your ass once more. "I know what you need, little one. Let me take care of you." Daemon's brain was filled with possessiveness over you and he just wanted to humiliate and demean you, have you obey him with your big eyes looking up to him and praising your beauty and sweetness, all at the same time. You were his', his innocent girl that wasn't so innocent between the sheets though.

"So fucking gorgeous. The fact that you're letting me ruin this body every night. Yes, that's right.", he moaned at a particular skillfull circle around his tip and his blonde hair fell into his face. Daemon clung to the chain, held you in place while moving his hips up to enter your warm mouth again and again until he felt the familiar feeling spreading in his body. And then he came with a growl and emptied himself inside of your mouth. You choked and trembled but didn't stand a chance to move away from him and neither did you actually want to. You just greedily swallowed every drop of his seed and licked his cock clean while Daemon rested against the headboard panting heavily.

Then, when he had calmed down he pulled at the chain so you lifted your head. Your face was a mess with his seed and your saliva covering your chin but Daemon smirked and ran his hand over your sweaty hair. "Good girl. Did such a good job."

His praise made you break into a smile and then you curiously watched him as he exhaled loudly and closed his eyes. You hadn't come yet after all and you feared that he would leave you feeling needy as a punishment and just fall asleep now. But Daemon opened his eyes again after a while and observed you smugly.

"You wanna climax, don't you?" You nodded nervously and he straightened up. "Do you deserve it though?", Daemon pretended to think and you didn't know if he wanted you to answer.

"You've exposed yourself to a stranger though you know how much I hate when other men look at you.", he hissed. "But on the other hand you've brought me some exquisit gifts from Essos and you were a really obedient and tame little toy for me so perhaps I'll be generous tonight." Your eyes glared at him and the heat between your legs only got worse. "Perhaps, I said."

But that was enough for you already and you shivered in anticipation as Daemon's hand once more grabbed the chain around your neck and pulled you so you were laying on your back again. This time your betrothed didn't crawl on top of you though but climbed to lay between your legs. You felt like you were in heaven because one of Daemon's favourite things to do in this world was eating your cunt and so you were quite familiar with it. To say that he was good at it was underwhelming. He was incredible. Breathtaking. And so you squeezed your eyes as he began licking from your hole up to your pearl and everything felt so intense.

He started drawing patterns over the little nub while his hands dug into your hips in an attempt to make you stay still for him. You tried your best, did everything you knew he demanded. You kept your eyes on him, didn't squirm and didn't try and press him closer to your cunt. You wanted him to praise you and with the way that he devoured your cunt you felt praised. "Daemon. Ohh please.", you begged and couldn't stop staring at him between your legs. It was always so hot to watch him while he licked you and today wasn't an exception.

But soon your happiness faded because once you felt yourself close to the edge again the Rogue Prince suddenly stopped again and you helplessly grabbed the bed sheets.

"No you said you'd let me come.", you cried out. "Please, you're being mean."

In response Daemon dug his fingers in the side of your arse. "Careful.", he purred. "Don't forget who's the one in charge here." But you remained pouty and didn't look at him anymore.

"Y/n." You didn't react. "Look at me." Still you refused him and Daemon grabbed the chain around your neck to turn your head to him. "I think you forget yourself, darling. Watch your tongue and take what I give you. If I feel the wish to make you release I'll do so, if I'm not you won't. Whatever I choose, you'll say 'yes' and 'thank you' and obey me without a complain, am I clear?"

With these words Daemon had made you stop sulking and you nodded. "Yes. Forgive me."

"Good.", he said and his expression softened. "I know you can be good for me. I'm never making you take more than I know you can take, love. Just trust me and listen to me." And with these words he dived between your legs again. He hadn't had enough yet and merely needed to taste your arousal so he made sure to lap up every droplet of your sweet juice until you saw stars. His tongue moved so skillfully and when his hands started to toy with your breats again you only needed a few more moments until you would reach your high but Daemon ruined it for you once more. You exhaled loudly and didn't know what to do at this point.

"Please.", you pleaded and just hoped that he wouldn't be mad at your begging.

"Patience, little girl.", he purred and so you shut your mouth again and only complained in your mind. When Daemon's tongue connected with your pearl again after having kissed your soft skin for a while you didn't even feel content because you had a suspicion how this would end. But this time Daemon seemingly had different plans. It had started the way it did before and his tongue stimulated you with great talent. He drove you close to releasing which by now was only a matter of few minutes. And then you almost expected him to stop and shrieked in surprise when you actually reached your high.

"Aghh.", you shouted and this climax was one of the best and most intense you had ever felt. Daemon encouragingly soothed your thighs.

"Yes, love. Let the whole castle hear how good I make you feel. Well, they're gonna see on your neck tomorrow anyway.", he smirked and then licked you through your high with his tongue always connected to your pearl. But then his touch started to feel uncomfortable and you twitched. You had thought he would stop now that you had reached your high but he didn't.

"Daemon.", you griped and he glance up to you.

"It's too much for you?", he breathed and you nodded.

"Too… intense.", you whined and your betrothed sighed. "Well… You wanted to release and I made you. Now you'll have to live with the consequences."

You were scared of what he was gonna do now and anxiously took hold of the sheets. His tongue circled and flicked the nub and after a while it became less painful for you. His tongue worked relentlessly on you and you felt overflown with pleasure and lust. Every now and then Daemon's mouth traveled to your aching hole and he greedily licked into you which tingled and made you want to close your legs around him.

But it was his dance on your pearl that soon made you release again. He felt you tremble around his tongue and then moved down the chain so it was wrapped around your upper body again. His gaze wandered up to watch the dragon glistening on your dark skin and it filled him with pride and greed for you. A chain with his pendant wrapped around your body… You were his'. The coldness of the metal gave you goosebumps but it turned out to be a wonderful contrast to your burning skin. It was almost shocking but you liked how each of the rings felt like icicles on your belly. But now that you had released again his touch really was too much for you and you once again couldn't stop your pleas.

"Daemon. I'm so sensitive, please." As a reply he shoved two fingers inside your hole and determindely let his tongue twirl around your pearl. You whimpered and shifted but you knew if Daemon wanted something he would have it. While burying himself inside of your cunt his hands reached up to cup your breasts once again and his fingers squeezed and pulled at your nipple rings. You had your mouth partly open and wondered when or if he would ever have enough. And yet you enjoyed it so much that some part of you wished he would never have enough.

"Ohh Daemon.", you sighed. "Yes." And then he suddenly pulled away from you and crawled up until your faces were at the same height. His eyes that were filled with mischief and smug found yours and then you felt him enter you once more. Your eyes rolled back but while his left hand held the chain around your waist his right grabbed your chin.

"You will look at me when you come, sweet girl. I wanna see you fall apart." So you kept his eyes on Daemon while feeling him enter your hole again and again. Sweat was dripping from your forehead and your head felt dizzy and yet you could feel everything so vigorously. His cock that stretched your walls and hit that spot so deep inside you, the coldness of the chain that was rubbed against your body every time Daemon moved on top of you, his hand that grabbed your face, his lips that came down to kiss you every once in a while and how his body touched the rings on your nipples and stimulated them in the most delicate and sensual way possible.

Your body felt numb but at the same time all of your nerves were on fire. Daemon's eyes didn't leave you for once while thrusting into you and it looked as though he wanted to memorize every part of you, every squeezing of your eyes and every wince.

"I'll fill you up so well, my sweet love. I'll take care of you, gonna make the whole castle hear your sweet voice. Just give yourself to me and let go."

And then, you had lost every sense of time, you came. You clenched around him and tensed which drove Daemon over the edge and he collapsed on top of you, his seed filling you to the brim.

"Ohh gods. Daemon, yes.", you cried out and held on to him as if your life depended on it. He lowered his head to pant into the crouch of your neck and it took the both of you some time until you were able to say something. You felt his seed dripping down your legs and were certain that the two of you had made an absolute mess on the bed.

Your betrothed had rolled off you and you laid next to him feeling your eyes close again and again. But then you heard Daemon slowly sit up and you opened your eyes to look at him.

"Daemon.", you whined as he approached you and pulled you up.

"We need to get you cleaned.", he whispered and you watched him with big eyes. "Oh sweet love.", he smirked and pulled you into a hug.

You clearly felt very needy and small right now and just wanted Daemon to hold you and tell you that he would be yours forever. The Rogue Prince sensed your state of mind and so wrapped his arms around your back to pick you up. You clung to him with your legs crossed behind his back and pressed your face into his neck.

"Shhh.", he purred. "It's alright, little one. I'll take care of you."

He carried you to the bathtub that by now was filled with fresh warm water. A part of you wondered when a servant had entered Daemon's chambers and why you hadn't noticed it but it didn't really matter though. Your betrothed's servants were used to a lot and it had happened several times that servants had seen the two of you entangled in his bed.

Daemon gently carried you into the tub and followed close behind. As you had sat earlier, he took you between his legs so you could rest your head on his chest. His arms wrapped around your waist and chest and soothingly caressed your hurt and sore skin. You twitched as he ran a finger over your nipples and Daemon worriedly lifted himself to look at your profile.

"Are you alright?" You nodded and took his hand.

"Was I too rough?", he asked while leaning back and toying with your hair but you shook your head.

"No.", you whispered. "I liked it."

Daemon smiled and stroke you shoulders. "Let me take care of your hair.", he then said quietly and could feel you nod.

So he gently took hold of your hair and made you lower your head until the water wettened your curly black hair. Daemon ran his fingers through it to comb it and you closed your eyes in enjoyment. He massaged your scalp and you felt yourself getting more tired with every second passing.

"Don't fall asleep now.", Daemon chuckled feeling your head get heavy and after a while he stopped and turned you around so you kneeled in front of him, his legs between yours. He observed your swollen lips and tired eyes and then his gaze wandered down to the bruises and bite marks on your chest and neck. Daemon sighed but it didn't sound sad and he gently ran his finger over some of the marks. You followed his eyes and watched as he caressed your skin as if you were made of glass.

"Pretty.", he merely spoke and you felt blood rushing up in your cheeks. "So pretty.", he purred and leaned towards you to kiss your forehead.

Then as he leaned back in the tub he pulled your head to his chest and ran his hands over your hair in a calming way until you just couldn't help but fall asleep.

[athanasius-symposium-of-writings]

Bark For Me

Sometimes @turbulentscrawl has to hear me be silly lol (a lot) with one brain cell active when in matches with Fool's Gold

Rated: Mature | Warnings: pet play (in horny jail again)

It was a joke! You told him that, repeatedly, what you said was a joke! You should have known he would take to the next step and further.

“Norton, I was kidding!” Nervous as the hunter removes his belt.

“And so am I. Let's play a little while longer.” Using to his advantage your inability to fight back from being downed by his attack. Even if he is your partner, both of him, he will still do his job. Norton will make sure it is quick.

You make a gagging sound as he wraps the belt around your neck and pulls before locking it in place by the buckle, a sadistic grin on his face as you grab the belt and are dragged closer to him while on your knees.

“Bark.” He says with a sudden serious face.

“What!?” Shocked yet you should not given he loves degrading you before fucking you. Hunter Norton likes to see you in tears and sucks at aftercare.

“Bark or I can chair you.”

You glare at him, “...” Going on all fours and glaring at him, “Woof.”

He laughs, long and hard, even hitting his knee as if that was the greatest joke of all time! “God, you are something else, sparky.” Oh, fuck him for taking this too far. “Now bark with some enthusiasm!”

You do it, and you do it louder too, you swear to never joke around him again! The alarm goes off singling the ciphers are done but you know Norton won't let you live just yet.

“Hmm, I can see the appeal.” Walking with you crawling on your hands and knees towards the dungeon, “Think about it, you can either behave and get rewarded. Or you can be a bitch and get muzzled.”

You say nothing nor do you move after that statement.

“Maybe this will get you to start behaving with me, sparky.”

You roll your eyes.

“Give me your paw.” Gesturing as he presents his broken hand, “Come on, come on, pup.” Talking to you as if you are a dog.

It was risky your reaction but you attacked him, pushing him forward and growling at him before hopping into the dungeon.

“Oh, come on! I was teasing!”

“No, fuck you! Fuck you my knees and palm hurt!”

“That sounds like the usual— I was kidding! Don't ignore me. Come on, sparky.” You refuse to acknowledge him as you are about to leave the room you both went to in order to meet after the match. Norton is sorry but you are not pleased nor forgiving at the moment.

“Maybe if you get on your knees and crawl around in the fucking snow, I might look at you.” Huffing, you are at the door but not opening it, he tugs on your shirt with his good hand; you move with him until he has you sitting down on the old couch. It took a lot of work to make the attic both comfortable and breathable. Both Nortons had to for once put something above themselves and worked together to make this space. Greed can be useful! Especially when that greed is towards you.

It is not a five-star luxury hotel level but you loved it, adding your touch to their work.

A pocket of peace.

“(Name).” Soft-toned, “I am very sorry.” Your foot bounces your leg. “I didn't mean it. You looked really good and you know I can't help myself around you.”

“Pft, sounds like a you problem, goldie.”

“Please forgive me.” Resting his head on your lap. His chest pressed against your legs, “So sorry.” Look up at you with a sweet smile. The height difference is humorous yet endearing given this Fool's Gold who often is an ass.

“Hmm,” Norton picks his head up to kiss where the belt left its mark, the mark is not too bad but you had removed it after coming out of the dungeon and you swore you going to burn his damn belt! “Fine. God, I hate when you use begging against me.” Because you do and are very weak to how his voice lowers, his eyes half shut, and the way he just submits. 

Awful man, terrible man, and you love him so much. Norton knows it, both of them do! 

Pushing buttons because you are their ‘spark’ and they love that fire of yours roar with life. May you never change.

The hunter laughs as you pet his hair while grumbling about him being nice or something.

[xxladyballadxx]

Open Your Heart

Joshua Rosfield x Reader

Summary: Your lover Joshua Rosfield, the dominant of Phoenix, urges you to open up to him instead of always pushing him away. 

(Note: This is quite similar to the one I wrote ages ago)

~ dividers by @/cafekitsune ~

You were never the type to talk about your feelings to anyone, even Joshua. He has been very concerned about your wellbeing. So is everyone at the hideaway. The other day, Jill knew something was wrong with you and she wanted to comfort you. You pushed her away and gave her the cold shoulder. Which made her upset and more worried. 

Next was Clive coming to try and talk to you, he even summoned you to his chambers wishing to speak to you in private. He said to you once that if you ever feel sad or angry, you can always talk to him or Jill. You did none of that. None. You continued to behave like this and not to talk to anyone about how you’re feeling. 

Clive didn’t have the urge to stop you from leaving his chambers so he just sat there, not knowing what to do. When Joshua came back from his journey, Clive had a word with him talking about you. 

Joshua told his older brother that you have been avoiding him quite a lot these past few days, he wondered why and Clive wasn’t really happy about it. He didn’t appreciate your behavior towards his own younger brother, even to Jill. Joshua promised Clive that he will talk to you. He rushed to your room and beat your door with a knock, “(Y/n)? Are you in there?” 

“Please go away…” You mumbled, urging him to leave you alone. You know Joshua, he’s not going to leave until you tell him what’s wrong. Joshua sighed, having no choice but to open the door and slammed it in anger behind him, “Do you truly mean to hurt me this way, (Y/n)? By pushing me away and not talking to me about the things that are bothering you? ” 

“Joshua, I-” Your words were cut off when Joshua marched closer to you, dropping on one knee and holding your hand, “Please do not continue to hurt me like this, (Y/n). I don’t want you to keep pushing me away…” his gaze was too sad to look at. Even though you couldn’t look away from him. By the tone of his voice, you could tell that he was hurting. Hurting for you. He sat by you on your bed, still holding your hand, “Open your heart to me, (Y/n), don’t keep it shut forever…” 

You heaved a long-short sigh of defeat, finally making eye contact with Joshua by your side. Perhaps you were too aloof towards him, to Clive and everyone. This helped you to realize that you’ve been shutting yourself away from people that care about you, even Joshua….

You buried your face sorrowfully into your hands, breaking down in tears as Joshua held you in his arms, “I’m so sorry…” you mumbled a apology in a low voice, “I’m just so fucking tired…” You looked up to Joshua in the eye with that crying face, “All this bloodshed, the war, everything. I don’t even know where to start. Ever since my family abandoned me of what I’ve become so long ago, I’ve been feeling so isolated and lost. Every night, I get nightmares of everyone I know leaving me… ”

Joshua felt a sting of pain deep in his heart, he hates to see you like this so much that it saddens him whenever you feel like the whole world is falling all around you. Tearing you apart piece by piece, bone by bone. “I wonder if I deserve to live or not. I asked myself that every day. I even wonder if people will care if I’m gone…” your words were deeper than a sword, it became a poison to Joshua. It wounded him mentally and physically, his heart shattered when you said those things. You were being very hard on yourself and Joshua is hurting because of those words that upset up entirely. 

“(Y/n), please don’t say those things like that. You know how much it hurts me!” Joshua cried with his voice breaking, his eyes were becoming watery but you couldn’t tell if he wanted to cry or not, “I would never truly be myself if you were gone.” He tightened the hold on your hand, his gaze locked on you, “I will never forgive myself if anything happens to you. Without you, (Y/n), I am empty. My life won’t be the same without you.” 

Does he actually mean that? 

Of course he does…

Your heart cried out after hearing those words from him, the little cracks on your heart were slowly beginning to fade. Your eyes created a stream of tears, sliding down to your pale-salted cheeks. 

Joshua snooped you into his arms, your head attached to his chest as he embraced you tenderly. “You are my greatest gift to me, (Y/n) and I am truly blessed to have you in my life. Never forget you will always have me…and the others too.” 

“I’m so sorry, Joshua…” you whimpered, your crying face still buried on his chest. 

“It’s alright, my love.” 

“I need to go and apologize to Clive and Jill for my unacceptable behavior….” 

“I will come with you, love.” 

~~~~~~~~

You gave a few knocks on Clive’s door, you have this feeling that he’s going to open with that scowling look on his face. Once the door was opened by him, no sense of anger came from him “(Y/n)..” Clive looked at you with worry, he didn’t seem angry. 

“Clive I’m-” you were interrupted when Jill rushed past Clive to hug you in comfort, “(Y/n)! We were so worried about you!” you returned the hug as you apologized, “I’m sorry for the other day, I didn’t mean to upset you both. Same with Joshua and everyone else here. It was never intentional…”

Clive smiled serenely, “What matters now is that you're feeling better, (Y/n). Remember that you are never alone.” 

“All is forgiven, (Y/n).” Says Jill with a reassuring soft smile, “We will always look out for you. Just know that we support you all the way. If you ever need someone to talk to, me and Clive will be here to listen.” 

You hugged Jill once again and then next was Clive, “Thank you…I can’t tell how much this means to me..” 

All was sorted out to the end, you thought Clive would be mad for you hurting Jill’s feelings. He wasn’t at all. He accepted your apology as he and Jill comforted you. It seemed that Clive didn’t want to upset you more by being angry with you, that could be the reason why. 

Joshua dragged you to the balcony to watch the horizon with him. You motioned your body to cuddle up next to his, holding his arm with such tenderness. He smiled gracefully down to you, pecking a kiss on your forehead and looked back to the scenery with the sun’s bliss of radiant glow flowing across the horizon. 

“It’s beautiful…” 

“Yes but…” Joshua turned to you as he pressed down his hands softly onto your shoulders, leaning to collide his lips towards yours, “Not as beautiful as you are, my love.”

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

a/n - Is it just me or are there not enough fanfics of Joshua Rosfield fanfics on here? (ㅠ﹏ㅠ)

Anyways, hope you all liked this!

UNTIL NEXT TIME 𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

[britany1997]

Fate Yields For No One

Chapter Two

It’s here y’all! The next chapter of Fate Yields For No One! I’m so excited for y’all to read it! Hope y’all love it🥰 let me know in the comments if you’d like to be added to the FYFNO Taglist, or to my main list:)

Poly! Lost Boys x Max’s Daughter Reader

Please reblog to support my work!

Prologue, Chapter One

California, 1986

“I know you resent me now, but I’m only doing what’s best for you. I take care of my children, and I hope that in time you can learn to see me as your father.”

Fuck Max. Fuck California. Fuck everything.

The second you’d carved even a sliver of a life for yourself, it’d been forcefully ripped from you. You weren’t allowed to be free. You had been “gifted” with eternal life, but you couldn’t truly live.

Max saw himself as a savior. According to him, he’d rescued you from the gutter, from an impending death. But you’d died everyday since his fangs had sunken into your skin.

A stake through the heart was a kindness you would never be afforded. Your future had never been yours to control.

The room you’d been banished to at the top of Max’s house felt more like a gilded tower as the nights wore on.

You were semi-imprisoned by your self-proclaimed father, and semi-imprisoned by your own will. Max didn’t trust you enough to allow you out alone at night, but you’d be damned if you ever went out with him.

So you stayed, confined to your prison and guarded by Thorn. You seethed in malice, all alone.

Or sort of alone, as you’d done in life, you allowed yourself to escape to worlds within literature. Your bedside table was stacked with Mrs. Dalloway, The Bell Jar, and of course, Jane Eyre. What were you if not a mad woman locked inside a room. All you needed was a match.

You were skimming the pages of The Feminine Mystique when you heard a firm knocking on your bedroom door. Shortly after, Max entered, his tall, broad frame filling the doorway. “I want you to come to the video store tonight, in fact, I’d like you to start working there for me.”

You continued to read, refusing to so much as look at him as he spoke to you, “why’d you knock if you were just going to come in anyway?”

Max frowned, “you’ve been here for almost a month now and you’ve done nothing but refuse to acknowledge me and behave terribly.”

“Not true,” you said nonchalantly, holding up your book and finally meeting his eyes, “I’ve also been reading.”

Max’s head fell into his hands in frustration. “I’ve tried so hard with you but-”

“Tried what?” you interrupted, “thrusting the curse of immortality onto me without explaining what you were doing? Without telling me what it meant? Without giving me a choice?!”

Max crossed his arms, preparing himself for another of your monologues.

“Or maybe you mean ripping me from my home, from the life I’d made for myself. Because God forbid I do anything on my own, God forbid I allow myself to be happy for once in my unlife. No, you’d rather keep me under your thumb, calling yourself my father just to spite me.”

“Are you done?” Max asked, eyebrow raised.

“Might as well be,” you spit, “you can hear me but you never listen.”

“You mock me for calling myself your father, when all you ever do is act like a rebellious child.”

You grimaced and turned your eyes to the ground.

He stepped forward, “I don’t want to use it, but I will.”

You sucked in a breath at his words. He was referring of course, to his thrall.

As your sire, Max had completely power over you. If he chose to, he could utter the words and force you to do whatever he wanted.

Max had assured you that he wouldn’t use this power unless he deemed it absolutely necessary. Yet this didn’t set you at ease. The threat of your agency being stripped from you was constantly present in the back of your mind.

It was better for you to choose to do what he wanted, if it could be called a choice.

You sighed, dog earring your book and throwing it into your tote as you slipped it over your shoulder. You moved to walk out the door but paused in front of Max, “I hope you know how much I hate you.”

He sighed, a sad smile stretching across his face, “I do.”

You arrived at the video store to find that an application had already been filled out for you, and your employment had been approved.

You glared at Max as he pulled out your name tag, “this is demeaning,” you told him.

He rolled his eyes, “having a summer job you were given because of nepotism? Yes, no one has suffered as you have suffered.”

He clipped the name tag to your shirt, “enough with this attitude,” he whispered.

He turned to a pretty, curly haired girl working the counter, “Maria, this is my daughter,” you waved awkwardly, “she’ll be working here this summer, show her what to do.”

He turned back to you, “I’ve got to do inventory, listen to Maria she’s a nice girl.”

With that he patted your arm and headed to the back of the store.

Maria came out from behind the counter and offered you her hand, which you gladly took. “I’m Maria,” she smiled the most genuine smile you’d seen in a long time as she shook your hand, “I’ve been working the night shift alone for forever! I’m really glad to have you here.”

Your cheeks flushed at her words, “well, I’m glad to be here,” you said genuinely. It’d been awhile since you’d had anyone you’d been able to truly connect with.

In her smile you saw the potential for a confidant, something you desperately needed. Maybe you couldn’t tell her about the monstrous side of you, but you wanted her to know everything else. You wanted someone who truly knew you.

The night passed quickly as Maria taught you how to work the register, stock movies, and use the stores check out system. With the rest of your time you were content to listen as she rambled about her life.

You smiled softly as she told you about her friends, her classes, and her family. Maria was the oldest daughter of a huge, tight knit family. Five siblings meant she spent a lot of her weekends babysitting, but she didn’t seem to mind.

She gushed to you about each sibling, their personalities, their quirks, their likes and dislikes, by the end of the night you felt like you knew each of them. You were touched by her obvious care for them.

When the end of her shift came, you were holding back tears. She loved her family just as you’d loved yours. For the first time in a long time, you’d met a kindred spirit, for the first time in a long time, you had a friend.

When she’d finished packing up her things, Maria pulled you in for a hug. “It was so nice to meet you! I can’t wait to see you again for our shift tomorrow.”

Your heart swelled, “I can’t wait either!”

She shot you another one of her bright smiles before turning to head out the door. You beamed to yourself as you fiddled with the register.

“Hey babe, heading out already?” your ears perked up at the sound of someone speaking to Maria.

She giggled, “Paul, you know you’re not supposed to be in here anymore,” she sing-songed.

Paul sighed dramatically, “oh babe I’d stay away, but I’d miss seeing ya every night!”

Maria laughed once more, “we couldn’t have that now could we.”

You rolled your eyes at this Paul guy’s cheesy flirting, wondering why he wasn’t allowed in the store.

“Who’s the new chick,” Paul whispered.

You tried to ignore him as you counted the cash.

“Why don’t you see for yourself Paulie,” Maria teased, “I’ve gotta get going.”

“Sure baby, let me just turn on my charm.”

You could hear his voice dripping with fuckboy confidence. This would be good.

You were jolted from your thoughts by the repeated ringing of the bell on the counter. You sighed, turning around slowly, an annoyed expression on your face.

Your eyes met the blond man’s piercing blue ones, as you stared into them your frustration melted into shock.

Paul’s eyes widened as he realized who you were to him. You wished you could have stopped the word that fell from his lips.

“Mine.”

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[funniestbitchinfaerun]

BG3 Kinktober Day 16: Formal Wear

aka: "Kestrel Ruins a Perfectly Good Suit"

look i said i was going to do this and i am a woman of my word. prompt list from here.

length: 1500 words. no idea how that happened.

pairing: halsin X my tav Kestrel MacDuff, Selune's okayest soldier (you can find+replace her name with "the girl reading this" if you like)

warnings: wanton destruction of expensive trousers. having sex in a backroom at a fancy party. wild speculation about Councilor Florrick's post-game career trajectory.

---

“I suppose it’s too late now to back out of this.”

“Well, considering the party starts in twenty minutes, I would have to agree,” said Kestrel, attempting to slick down a misbehaving lock of auburn hair. “But look, it won’t be so bad. Three hours, tops, and I’m sure we’ll know at least half the other guests. Besides, I’d feel horrible if we weren’t there to support Councilor Florrick–well, Duke Florrick, now.”

“You know how I feel about stiff, formal clothes–but you do look ravishing.” He looked over her pale blue suit appreciatively, gaze lingering on her hips. “I look forward to unwrapping you like a gift at the end of the night.”

“She’s a decent sort,” Halsin agreed. He looked uncomfortable, though ridiculously attractive, in a chestnut brocade jacket that made the blue of his eyes stand out, and Kestrel once again congratulated herself for convincing him to accompany her. “Though I will admit, part of me wishes it was our own Wyll receiving this honor.”

Kestrel sighed. “I know. And maybe if–when–he and Karlach find a way out of Avernus, we’ll be going to another one of these parties. But for now, we may as well support an old friend.” She set down the hair pomade and turned away from the mirror. “How do I look?”

“For someone who’s nearly four centuries old, you are awfully like a randy youth at times.” Kestrel shot him a wink. “Contain yourself, dear…for now.”

—

Florrick was a popular figure, and her ballroom was crowded, but not so much that Kestrel couldn’t still spot her lover from halfway across the room. He’d had a drink or two, she could tell as she drew nearer–his cheeks were flushed, and he was grinning from ear to ear like a schoolboy.

“Kestrel!” he exclaimed, causing half the room to look in her direction. “You utter beauty, how I’ve missed you.”

They’d only been separated for about half an hour, but Kestrel didn’t point this out. After all, she’d missed him too.

She tapped the half-empty glass in his hand with a grin. “Someone’s been indulging a bit, I see.”

“Well, it is a celebration. And we so rarely have a night away from the children, we might as well indulge.” Halsin raked his fingers through her hair, undoing all her hard work from earlier, not that she minded.

“I love watching you charm all these people,” he whispered. “I suspect half of them are already dreaming of having you in their bed.”

“And I suspect you’re exaggerating. Have you seen how gorgeous Florrick looks? I don’t hold a candle to her. Besides,” Kestrel said quickly, before he could argue, “even if some of these good folks are attracted to me, I’m afraid they’ll be disappointed. There’s only one person here who’s tempting me to behave badly.”

“Is that so? I hope you mean that, my dearest love, because I am finding it very difficult to keep control of myself.” He pulled her into his arms, close enough that she could feel the huge, hard bulge in his trousers pressing against her belly. “If we don’t find somewhere private soon, I may end up mounting you on the banquet table.”

“I’m sure some of the guests would enjoy the show…but if you’d rather sneak off somewhere, I certainly wouldn’t object.” That was an understatement. She’d only had half a glass of wine, but desire and excitement had her completely intoxicated. Waiting until after the party suddenly seemed unthinkable.

The first door across the hall opened into a small, tidy office, with an intricately carved rosewood desk and several tall shelves stuffed with ledgers.

“Is this Florrick’s office?” Kestrel wondered. “Actually, you know what, I’d rather not know. Ignorance is bliss.”

“I can think of better forms of bliss.” He pulled her into his arms for a fiery kiss that left her gasping for air. “Turn around and put your hands on the desk.”

Kestrel obeyed enthusiastically. There was something so utterly thrilling about being bent over like this, practically helpless, unable to tell what he might do next. Not a situation she’d relish being in normally, but here–here she was safe, and loved, and she could take anything. She wriggled a hand under her abdomen to unbutton her breeches, but apparently Halsin was too impatient even for that. From behind her came a sharp ripping sound, and a rush of cool air hit her suddenly exposed sex.

“You know, I paid good money for this suit,” she said in mock annoyance. “Haven’t you ripped enough of my clothes?”

“Clothes can be mended. And at least,” he remarked, “ you are not wearing underwear.”

“Well, you know me. Always prepared–in this case, prepared for whatever debauchery I knew we’d get up to.”

“When we first met, I remember you turned bright red when I so much as touched you. And look at you now.” He slid one thick finger into her channel, testing her readiness and making her squirm. “Usually I would take hours to prepare you, but I’m afraid we’ll have to be quick this time. For propriety’s sake, and because I would rather finish inside you, rather than on your lovely suit.”

“Then hurry,” Kestrel gasped. Hours of preparation would have been superfluous anyway; she was already so wet it felt like a flood. “Take me, I need you.”

“I live to serve, my beautiful bird.” Warm, firm hands slid up the backs of her thighs, pushing her legs further apart, before withdrawing for an agonizing moment. She heard the rustle of fabric and, finally, felt the thick head of his cock pressing against her entrance. There he lingered, for far too long, teasing her cruelly.

It wasn’t until she let out a pleading wail, loud enough that she was certain one of the other guests would hear, that he finally relented and pushed into her. There was a not-unpleasant burn as he entered, followed by a rush of pure bliss.

Halsin swore under his breath and dug his fingers into her hair as he began to move steadily inside her. “By all the gods, you’re perfect.” The slight tremble in his voice was delicious. “I swear, I could fuck you ten times a night for a thousand years and never tire of you.”

“Then I’ll have to live a long time, just so we can test that theory.” Kestrel allowed herself a moment of self-satisfaction. She might be the shorter, younger, considerably sillier person in their partnership, but she had power over this beautiful, brilliant man, and it was thrilling to remember.

“Don’t hold back,” she panted, when he still hesitated. “We need to be efficient, remember?”

He growled in response and gripped her hips so tightly she’d probably have bruises in the morning, picking up the pace and pounding into her mercilessly, at the most perfect angle. At first Kestrel tried to keep pace with him, but it was easier to simply relax and let him use her as he pleased; after all, it pleased her just as much.

She came with a shriek of delight, hips bucking and legs trembling. If anyone in the ballroom heard, well, good for them. Halsin followed her a moment later with a deep, desperate groan of her name.

At last he withdrew, sending a gush of fluids down her thighs–as if her clothes weren’t ruined enough. At least the suit had sacrificed itself for a noble cause.

Halsin pressed a soothing kiss to the top of her head. “That was wonderful. Are you all right, my love? I didn’t hurt you?”

“Not a bit,” she replied, shakily standing, “but I don’t think I’m in any state to walk back through a crowded ballroom. You did a number on these trousers, and I’d rather not have any patriars seeing my bare nethers.”

Halsin didn’t look embarrassed, which was unsurprising, since he didn’t seem capable of the emotion. “That is a predicament. What do you suggest we do?”

Kestrel shrugged. “Sneak out the back? I think I’ve got an extra invisibility potion in my inside pocket. You know me…”

“Always prepared,” he finished with a gentle chuckle. “One of the things I love most about you.”

She looped an arm around his waist. “Let’s get back to the inn,” she said, “and you can list off all the things you love about me. But first, I think we’d better leave our poor host a note.”

Dear Florrick,

Awfully sorry we made a mess in your office and left the party without saying good night. We are terrible people. Congratulations on your new title!

Lots of love, 

K&H

[nyrasbloodyclover]

speak now (daemon targaryen x reader)

cw: ?

a/n: HORRIFIED LOOKS FROM EVERYONE IN THE ROOM BUT I'M ONLY LOOKING AT YOU!!

I hated the man I was supposed to marry. Despised him. The way he spoke, the way he used his hands while explaining something he thought I didn't understand, the way he behaved around other Lords and Knights. Disgusting.

Thank Gods for The Rogue Prince. When I first saw him, it was during a tournament King Viserys organized. Daemon's armor was the only thing that occupied me during the whole tournament. Specifically, how he looked underneath all that metal. And besides that, he saw me, and something in his gaze was telling me that he wanted to do many things with me. To me.

I found out not long after that, in one of the rooms, somewhere in the labyrinth of the castle's hallways. He pinned me against the wall and I spread my legs for him like a common whore. His fingers felt like magic against my swollen cunt as I tried to keep quiet. He was rough and fast and I was clenching around his hand soon enough, while gripping his shoulder for support. Both of us almost ran away from that place, not looking at each other, but unspoken words were still there.

This was not the last time.

Days after that, my family made me marry some lesser known Lord and I was furious. But that was the natural order of things. Anyway, people I knew and the people I didn't all gathered to witness my death as I looked at that ugly imbecile I will soon call husband.

Daemon was watching too. He had a smug expression on his face, standing like the true Prince he was. Dear Gods, why couldn't I be someone important so they could marry me off to that deranged bastard. We locked eyes and his violet ones seemed to be hiding something.

Of course, my husband said he didn't like Prince Daemon because he had to be the center of attention wherever he was, even if he went to someone's wedding. Which was the case right now. But, fortunately for me, Princes are always invited.

Vows were exchanged and my husband smiled like he won a prize. What a man.

Food was tasteless, I was tired and my head hurt. Where was Daemon now?

Then I saw him in the crowd again and smiled for myself. If I could just get to him...We would need minutes and nobody would even suspect that we were gone. He probably read my thoughts when met his gaze over the crowded room and just shook his head, as if saying Not yet.

The wedding was over, Daemon left and I felt like someone beat me up. It was time for a beddibg ceremony and it wasn't that bad, since I imagined it was Daemon inside of me the whole time, touching and biting me. That made my husband think he was doing a good job.

Days after that were monotone and I drank moon tea that Daemon regularly sent without my husband knowing. If I got pregnant with that mans baby, I might just kill myself.

So, not a word from Daemon—Until one night.

I found a note on my side of the bed. It was from him. He gave me no information about where he was or what his next move might be. Just to get off of my husband's property.

So I did. I went to my aunt for a couple of days, I was meaning to visit her anyway, so this was a perfect opportunity.

But when I got back, my husband was nowhere to be found. I searched everywhere, but it was pointless. Not even the guards or the servants knew where he was. I was called to court the next day. Not even the king knew where my husband was.

Then Daemon Targaryen slipped a note in my palm and brushed past me like nothing happened.

It was a map. A map leading to the place where we were the last time together, alone. I waited in the small room and when he finally opened the doors I started asking him questions.

"What is the meaning of this, Daemon?"

"I thought I maybe deserve one 'Thank you' for everything that led to this moment? No?"

Then it went to my head. I whispered hysterically, "What did you do to him?"

"Me? Nothing. But two very loyal spies were quite useful."

"My gods, you killed him!"

His face transformed once a smug smile spread across his face. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "You look absolutely ravishing when you're excited."

"I'm not excited," she lied, "What is going be with me now?"

"Well, you're going to spend some time with us, meaning me,of course, and when you find a proper suitor, you'll marry him and I'll pay him a visit. And when I do that, you're going to return to the court and so on." He looked very proud of his plan. Daemon was insane.

Whatever, she had a couple of months with him and they aren't going to go to waste.

She kissed the prince, pulling his head down so she could reach his lips, and his mouth immediately opened, pushing his tongue inside of hers. He gripped her waist and slammed her against the wall, making something fall down and break. She flinched, but they never separated.

Then there was a knock. "My prince, is everything all right?" A loud voice. Probably a maid. "Prince Daemon?" She knocked again. He smiled, but said nothing.

"Make her leave!" I whispered to him.

He just kept smiling like a fool. "You are unbelievable! You have to say something! Daemon, speak. Now." If he doesn't say something, she's going to open the door and see them, see her, a lady whose husband went missing, doing gods know what with the prince.

I am going to regret this. I started faking my moans and whimpers, making Daemon's eyes grow wide in shock, then his lips curved in a daring smile. She smiled back at him as she continued to fake her moaning.

The maid was traumatized. "I am so sorry, my prince!" And she left running, probably embarrassed.

I started laughing, my head falling back as Daemon's hand gripped my jaw and pulled me in for another kiss that led to him taking off my dress and pulling my hair. He covered my mouth with his palm as he thrusted mercilessly inside me.

That is also how the couple of next moths looked for me, until I got married again and he sent his spies again.

[pranklinfierce]

you're having a party, which presidents are you inviting?

Good question, very fun. I'll invite all of the ones I like, and whichever ones I'd like to see in a party setting.

James Madison is chronologically the first that I would invite. I think it'd be funny to see him at a party. I think of "nearly gets trampled on the dance floor..." I, myself, will trample him unless he brings Dolley.

Jackson is invited and I hope he leaves cheese around the house in secret spots like he did at the end of his presidency.

Van Buren is invited unless @presidenttyler continues to insist that I have to marry him or he'll summon a deadly fog (please die, Mr. Tyler.)

I would invite William Henry Harrison, but tragically, as I'm sure we've all heard, he is no longer with us </3.

John Tyler is invited unless he tries to insist I marry Martin Van Buren lest a deadly fog be summoned. Also I swear to God he's not allowed to use my bathroom. I hope he and Jackson start fighting (no weapons allowed in my house) and I get to see their skinny bones fall out.

James K Polk is invited. I want him to bring his Lady Presidentress as well. Double invited if he is the presidentress.

Zachary Taylor is invited. His daughter can come too. His daughter's husband cannot come. His daughter's husband's dog, Bonin, can come. The murderer who shares a name with Zachary Taylor's daughter's husband's dog cannot come.

Millard Fillmore is invited. He can bring the whole boiler room with him. It wouldn't be a party without him.

Franklin Pierce is invited, of course. As an old @/deadpresidents posts that I can longer find clarifies, he would indeed be a welcome party guest, even if people on Reddit don't seem to think so (I have beef with 90% of reddit tier lists, save for any of them made by @starlight-tequila.) As I've come to understand, there're no less than 4 fictional interpretations of Pierce where he's being haunted. I request he keeps the haunting at home; I don't want the watchmojo demmons to mess up the vibe.

James Buchanan is invited. I want to see him in his worst outfit, behaving as he did at Dickinson before his expulsion. He needs to bring Harriet too. WRK too, unless I decide that he's also dead.

Andrew Johnson can come because I once saw an image of him smiling.

Ulysses Grant can come. He may play with the non dog animals (unfortunately, they're all just different Martin Van Buren government assigned rodentsonas in a pen.)

As can Hayes. Hayes can bring his wife, Lucy. She actually allowed drinking in the White House on special occasions, so she would not be a party pooper.

Garfield may come, but only as Lucretia's plus one. It's what he deserves. Since Guiteau did so much for Garfield's election (and was basically the president, let's be real, guys) he can come as an honorary president. So can David Rice Atchison, even though that story is complete bs. Dr. Doctor Bliss will be shot on sight by Boston Corbett.

Arthur is invited, but Julia Sand needs to pre-approve everything that he does. Conkling may come as a plus one, but he will go in the pen with the Martin Van Buren government assigned rodentsonas (it's okay, that's where Grant is anyway.)

On no other day would I ever allow Benjamin Harrison and his shortness within my sight, but I just found a song about him and it's stuck in my head, so I think it's only right that he attends 1 single time before my kind feelings toward him dry out.

McKinley is invited. He must sing to me.

Wilson is invited. But I will lock him in a room like a creature. You-know-who gets the key. The second female president, Edith Wilson, may attend.

Warren Harding gets to come. Gaston Means may, as well. Also Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover. That's about it. If Nixon were to show up I wouldn't turn him away.

I'd like the party to end by sending an anonymous tip to Carrie A. Nation, telling her there is alcohol. She can come in, destroy everything, and all's well because if everything is destroyed, there's nothing to clean. She and Guiteau can ride into the sunset, combining to be a person of a normal height. I hope they invite me to the wedding.

[wenclairfamily]

"The Passion of a Moment" - A Wenclair Family Digital Novel - Now Available!

Click HERE to get a FREE copy of my Wenclair Novel!

Wednesday Addams and Enid Sinclair. They were a duo that shouldn't have worked, but they did… and one night after Wednesday let go of years of discipline and logic that had kept her heart hardened, and finally gave into passion with Enid… it began a journey that would eventually lead to marriage, two twin children, and many incredibly unexpected adventures for their new family.

You can also click "KEEP READING" below to read Chapter 1 now!

Main Artwork by: @annietheartsyartist

From the Diary of Wednesday Addams:

"I was never really insane except upon occasions when my heart was touched". It is a quote by Edgar Allan Poe that I have never forgotten. While the specifics of his death have been shrouded in mystery for lifetimes now, it takes only a focused mind to realize it was love that drove him to take his own life. For a mind can no longer remain sane when it opens itself to the maddening desires of the flesh. For logic, rational thinking, tactical planning, and unclouded judgment have no place in the presence of romantic entanglement. I have seen how it clouds my parents' judgment at all times, and makes them behave like fools. Unlike them however, I have learned to keep my mind far more disciplined; always able to be far more prepared and focused on any task at hand. However one night... years of discipline and logic had been forgot... in the passion of a moment..."

Wednesday Addams was walking down the hallway of her dormitory at Nevermore Academy wearing a black bath robe. As Wednesday was headed towards the communal showers, suddenly her room-mate Enid appeared wearing a pink robe, and ran over to Wednesday as she said, "Oh, hey roomie. You taking a shower too? Mind if I join you? We have so much to catch up on." Wednesday barely made eye contact with Enid as she said, "Then you may save my time by writing it down and allowing me to look upon it later. I can read over 200 words a minute, and am experienced at knowing how to skim past trivial information." Enid giggled and said, "Girl, you actually are funny. But come on. We have so many details to spill." Wednesday sighed as she looked at Enid and said, "Enid... your constant need to act like a loyal puppy that shoots out streams of nonsensical words of affection maddened me upon first arrival here at Nevermore Academy. However..." Enid with optimism in her voice, interrupted Wednesday as she said, "However now we're total besties. I know. I mean the other day when I complained about those crows being too noisy, you shot them down with that rifle you stole. I mean you almost got expelled for bringing a firearm into school, but it was knowing you were just trying to help that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside." Wednesday looked slightly nervous for a second, and then said, "The ravens weren't native to this area. They would've disrupted the fragile ecosystem. But with all that being said, my daily half hour of taking a shower is one I prefer to do in peace." Enid smiled as she said, "Got it... So I'll make sure to lock the door after we both go in there so no one will bother us." Wednesday had a look of anger on her face as she continued to walk forward.

Soon Wednesday and Enid walked into the communal bathroom and shower room still wearing their bath robes. As they approached the sink, the two girls got out their toothbrushes and bottles of toothpaste they had in their pockets while Enid said, "So me and him decided to just be friends, and well... now I'm single again. I'm okay with it, but... it is kind of sad." As Wednesday put toothpaste on her toothbrush, she said, "It is sad... considering whenever you went out on dates, it allowed me to have more time to myself in the dorm." Then as Enid put toothpaste on her toothbrush she said, "Oh yeah. You're single too. Sorry things didn't work out for you recently. Still, I'm sure you'll find happiness one day Wednesday. Think you'll find that special man to settle down with one day?" After Wednesday finished brushing her teeth she said, "My mind and soul is not one to be trifled with. For my heart is filled of a darkness infected by cruelty; because it was my crime to have no man on Earth who cared for me, or loved me." As Enid finished brushing her teeth she said, "Oh, so you're not into guys then? Messaged received." An annoyed looking Wednesday then said, "No. I am what the eclectic youth of today would refer to as: asexual."

Enid chuckled and said, "Hey. We're all teenagers at this school. Each one of us is a sexual beast deep inside. I may not want to be a werewolf, but when I lost my virginity to my next door neighbor when I was 13, I was a beast in his bed." A suddenly curious Wednesday then said, "You... have consummated your affections with another individual before?" Enid then casually said, "Yeah. I mean... our relationship didn't last. We were young and didn't know what we were doing. But I can't change the past. What was meant to be is what happened. I have no regrets." A still curious Wednesday then said, "So... you opened yourself up completely to another individual... your emotions led you down a path that did not result in fulfillment... and yet you are still not disturbed by that?" Enid then casually said, "I choose instead to just focus on the future. When me and the boy I lost my virginity to broke up, I was hurt at first. But eventually I had to move on. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Then Wednesday calmly said, "Well... on that philosophy I wholeheartedly agree."

Then Enid stepped towards one of the showers as she said, "Well... time to get clean." Then Enid slowly slipped off her pink bath robe. As she did, Wednesday felt her eyes drawn to Enid's body, which she had never seen naked before. For a moment, Wednesday found her mind feeling drawn to Enid's nude form... but then snapped back to reality, and then slowly took off her bath robe and joined Enid in the shower. As Wednesday put shampoo in her hands, Enid checked out Wednesday's body and said, "Dang girl. You have like... the most perfect naked body I have ever seen." Wednesday felt a loss for words for a moment, and then said, "And you as well... considering you are the first naked underage female I have seen in my entire life." A curious Enid then said, "Wait. You mean you've never looked at porn or like Playboy magazines before?" As Wednesday began to wash her hair, she said, "I choose to use my time more productively. However I can understand why men in many cultures of our world have grown obsessed with the image that is of a beautiful and objectified naked woman, and the fantasy of being their lover. For man always values that which is fleeting, and what is more fleeting than a woman's beauty and her life. The death then of a beautiful woman is unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world, and equally is it beyond doubt that the lips best suited for such topic are those of a bereaved lover."

Then a slightly confused Enid said, "So... you're saying if I died, there would be a bunch of guys out there that would be totally depressed?" As Wednesday glanced at Enid's naked body again she said, "Undoubtedly some men would mourn the loss of their fantasy involving you never coming to pass." Then a sympathetic sounding Enid said, "Well... if you were ever gone Wednesday... I'd feel really bad. Because you never got a chance to open yourself up to love, along with... making love." Wednesday began to wash her naked body under the shower as she turned away and said, "I'd prefer not cloud my judgment with emotional entanglements." Enid then stepped towards Wednesday and said, "But Wednesday, you're so super smart and skilled. Also, you're like one of the strongest girls I know. Stronger beyond measure. If things didn't work out with someone you slept with... I know you would be okay and come out still the strong independent women you are. I mean... come on. You're still a teenager. There's gotta be someone you're attracted to here at this school."

Wednesday then looked down with a troubled look on her face. Enid for a moment thought Wednesday was looking away from her. Then Enid noticed Wednesday's eyes were checking out her wet naked body, and then Enid's eyes widened as she said, "Oh... oh my. You... Wednesday... I'm flattered. But... how long have you had a crush on me?" Wednesday keeping her usual serious tone said, "I... have never experienced a crush on anyone. When I first moved into our dorm, your personality and life preferences made me want to consider actions of homicide. However as I stood over your defenseless sleeping body the first night I moved in, I... found myself feeling... pity for you... and eventually... a form of... special respect. However... I do not wish to go steady or put a ring on it as you may say." Enid then waved her hands briefly and said, "No, no. That's okay. Look Wednesday... we don't have to put on a label on what you are or how you feel. I mean... I've felt something for you since you moved in. But it's hard for me to put it into words too. So... how about we just explore how we feel tonight. And when morning comes, if you want to keep exploring our feelings, we will. And if you don't want to keep exploring it, that's fine. We can act like it never happened. No strings attached with me. You can do whatever you want with me. Is that okay?" Wednesday was still for a moment, and then she silently nodded her head.

Both Wednesday and Enid stood still in the showers for a moment as they starred at each other's naked bodies, while also waiting for the other to make the first move. Then Enid noticed despite the room being warm, Wednesday's hands were slightly shaking. Enid then made a little smile, and decided to make the first move. She moved towards Wednesday and then kissed her on the lips. It was a three second short kiss, as Wednesday remained completely still, while only Enid leaned her upper body and head forward. Wednesday and Enid looked into each other's eyes again, waiting to see what would happen next. This time however Wednesday leaned her head forward slightly. Enid leaned her head forward more, and then the two teenage girls kissed again. Enid then wrapped her arms around Wednesday's back. Enid then broke her kiss with Wednesday and smiled, while Wednesday looked confused. Enid giggled and said, "It's okay. Just go at your own pace, and explore how you feel. Whatever you wanna do, we'll do."

Then Wednesday suddenly and quickly shoved Enid hard into the shower wall with her shoulders pinned. Wednesday immediately kissed Enid more aggressively now as Enid looked shocked at first, but soon began to look pleased and responded by moving her fingers through Wednesday's long hair. Wednesday meanwhile ran her hands down Enid's wet backside, and soon found herself grabbing her roommate's firm smooth buttocks. Wednesday squeezed Enid's butt cheeks, causing Enid to moan. Suddenly though the two girls found themselves almost slipping on the wet shower floor. Enid caught Wednesday from falling down, and then said, "Umm... maybe we should switch this to another location?" Wednesday then to Enid's surprise: made a grin.

In less than a minute, Wednesday and Enid were on Enid's bed in their dorm room completely naked while kissing. However soon the kissing moved from each other's lips to all over their bodies. Then in a private moment only the two young women would ever remember... they made love. For hours, Enid and Wednesday pleasured the other in the most intimate way possible; causing the other to moan in pleasure and even call out the others' name. After hours passed though, soon the love making between the two young women ended. Exhausted, both Enid and Wednesday began to fall asleep. The last thing Wednesday saw before she drifted to sleep was Enid smiling at her, and the last thing Enid saw before she drifted to sleep was Wednesday's face full of many mixed emotions...

The next morning Enid slowly woke up, and saw a blanket was covering most of her naked body. Enid then turned her head and saw a fully dressed Wednesday was sitting in a chair nearby finishing her breakfast. Enid smiled and said, "Hey beautiful. So... did you have as good time as I did last night?" As Wednesday began to prepare to clean the breakfast table, she said, "It was... very pleasurable." Then a curious Enid said, "But... how do you feel? I mean... emotionally and mentally? I mean for me... I feel so alive and happy right now. I mean... you literally made me hit my climax six times in one night, and I made you hit your climax seven times. I mean... you were doing some crazy stuff I never know you were capable of. I mean... that whole experience had to have affected you in some way, or caused something to change in your mind." As Wednesday cleaned the table, she said, "Well... the experience did cause me to think about us... in another life." A confused Enid then said, "You mean... you think we could only be together in a different life?"

Wednesday turned her head and said, "No. I mean in a past one. You see, I have visions of the past sometimes, and... as I experienced my orgasm last night, I saw a vision of us in a past life. The two of us were lovers. In my vision, we were two women that looked just like us in the 1800's in a small English village. We had deep romantic feelings for one another, but upon our sexual activities being discovered by the terrible village elders, we were sentenced to a private execution. And that execution as it happened, felt as real as I've felt anything. Bullets after bullets penetrated my flesh, my muscles, my face, my heart. In my vision I felt the cold release of death take over me... and the feeling came to me just as I felt myself hit my final climax. It truly was the most wonderful sensation I've ever felt in my life."

A confused Enid then said, "Wait. What was the most wonderful sensation? The sex or the shooting in your... You know what, it's all good. So do you like... wanna do that again some time? Or we could dial things back, and just take a walk in the woods together and talk some more." Wednesday made a little smile and said, "A nice idea... but your chains do not extend as far as the woods. I shall see you later." Wednesday then left the room and closed the door behind her. A confused Enid then tried to get up, but felt something strange. Enid then took the blanket off her naked body, and saw she was chained to the bed by her ankles. Enid looked very freaked out for a moment... but then calmed down... smiled... and said, "I think we're definitely gonna do it again."

THE END

LINKS BELOW TO READ ENTIRE SERIES:

-Download Link to Read All my Past Wenclair Stories in One PDF

-https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14168842/1/The-Passion-of-a-Moment-Enid-and-Wednesday-s-Family-and-Legacy (Web Link for M-rated version of my stories)

-https://archiveofourown.org/works/43420609 (alternate Web Link for M-rated version of my stories)

-https://www.wattpad.com/user/WenclairFamily (Web link for T-rated version of my stories)

[doingitforbokuto]

The White Knight - Chapter Four

-> KNIGHT!KITA SHINSUKE X PRINCESS!READER

-> Previous Chapter

-> Series Masterlist

Summary: A relationship between a knight and a princess is impossible, so it is best to just keep the emotions hidden.. but what happens if you can't?

Words: 3,262

Warnings: none

Kita's Point Of View

His breathing was hard as he walked to the edge of the training area. Putting his practice sword down, he tried to catch his breath.

“That was really good, Sir Kita,” the knight he had been training with said. He was his second training partner that day, the first one had already exhausted himself more than an hour ago. He should be tired too, but Kita could not feel the exhaustion in his bones. All he could feel was his heart beating against his ribcage, where he could still feel your hands pushing his armor against him, making his heart beat even faster. Even after hours and hours of training, the only thing on his mind was you - the one thing he was trying to stop thinking about.

“I think that's enough for today,” the other knight said as he gathered his things.

“Really?” Kita looked up at him. He had hoped for another round or two of sparring.

The other knight laughed. “Everyone else has already left for dinner and I'm not gonna miss it.” He shouldered his bag as he left. “You should pack up, too!”

Sighing, Kita looked up at the sky. It was getting dark and if he didn't hurry up, there would probably not be any food left in the knights’ dining hall. Of course, he could go into town and buy some food by himself, but he really did not feel like having to deal with all of the lowlifes that came out at night, streaming into taverns all over town.

“So, what's going on with you, hm?”

Osric's figure appeared out of nowhere, his hand suddenly on Shinsuke's shoulder. The fact that he hadn't even noticed him coming along was a tell-tale sign that he was much more exhausted than he knew or wanted to admit to himself. He wanted to keep going. To try and distract himself, stop himself from going down the road he was currently on.

“Nothing's wrong.” He shrugged Osric's hand off and started to gather his things into his bag as well. They knew each other for long enough that Kita was certain that there was no way in hell his friend would leave him alone now. Better to pack up and leave then.

"Oh, really? Is that why I hear you've been training for four hours without a break?”

Kita huffed in response. He really was not in the mood to talk.

“Hey!” Osric's hand grabbed his arm with more force than Kita expected. “This isn't like you.” His eyes bore into Kita’s. “Remember when we first met and I was overworking myself? You almost locked me into my room to make sure I wasn't doing anything stupid. And now you're doing it yourself! What the hell is going on with you? I've never seen you like this!”

Osric was right and Kita knew it. They had met years ago, when they had both just been knighted. Osric was working tirelessly to improve his skills and become a better knight. But as he was training and training, he was overworking himself. Kita was the one who had forced him to realize that there had to be a balance between working and relaxing, that breaks were just as important in becoming a better fighter as the training was. Ever since then, the two of them had gotten closer and every time they met, Osric was happy to catch up with his old friend, telling him all kinds of stories that made Kita laugh. So Osric knew what Kita was like. And that he would never behave like this if something wasn't seriously wrong.

“It's the princess, isn't it?” Osric's grip on his upper arm softened and so did his eyes.

“What do you mean?” Kita crossed his arms, forcing the other man to let go completely.

“Look, Shinsuke,” he started. There were few people who addressed him like this. Unlike Osric, Kita preferred to be referred to by his last name. The other knight wasn't so “uptight” (in his own words) and had soon after meeting Kita decided that addressing him so informally was appropriate, without even asking. Weirdly enough, Shinsuke could not find himself to care. He actually enjoyed it and found himself wanting to befriend the young knight.

Talking to Osric was refreshing. His other friends were scattered all over the country and none of them were knights, so having one who understood what he was going through was nice. Now it seemed that he understood what was happening in his life more than he would like.

Osric looked around the empty courtyard before he kept talking quietly. “Look, I know what it's like to have feelings for someone you shouldn't.. but there is nothing you can do about it. Trust me. It's not going anywhere, no matter how much you want it to, no matter how much you train and exhaust yourself. The only thing that you're going to do is hurt yourself and if you're not in good shape you won't be able to protect her the way that you're supposed to. Is that truly what you want?”

No. Actually, that was the last thing he wanted. But what other choice did he have? How else could he possibly live through his days, by your side, in agony because he could never truly be the man by your side? Soon, you would get married. Your husband was the man by your side, Kita was just your knight, someone who was supposed to stay in the background and support you silently.

“How do you do it?” Kita’s voice was just a whisper and he couldn't even bear to look Osric in the eyes. No one was supposed to know about this. But if Osric knew, did someone else? What was he supposed to do? How could he stop this dangerous behavior?

“I just.. think about her. And what is best for her. That's what loving someone is all about, isn't it? It gives me the strength to do what is right.” His friend paused for a moment. “It gets better.”

Kita raised his head to look at him. “So these feelings do go away?”

Osric shook his head. “No. But they get easier to hide. You'll get through this. I know you will. There is no one more loyal or disciplined than you.”

His words haunted Kita even as he laid his head to rest on his pillow that night. His discipline was in fact something that he had always prided himself on. Never had he been the best at swordsmanship, never been the one with the longest endurance or the fastest runner. But he had always been someone who pushed himself to never give up. Even if he failed, he kept working on his skills.

He got up every day and made his bed. He kept his body clean, polished his armor. He attended his regular training sessions and endured pain during battle without losing his head. Yes, he was a very disciplined young man. Or at least he had been up until very recently.

But how could he call himself disciplined when he couldn't stop staring at you when you weren't looking? Whenever he was around you these days, his eyes wandered on their own from your hair to your beautiful face, over the only pair of lips that could speak the words that would relieve him from his suffering. His eyes wandered down over your neck, your shoulders and arms to the hands whose touch felt almost healing when they had pushed against his chest. Hands that had ignited a deep, hidden desire inside of him.

He felt ashamed to even admit that he was having these feelings but he did, there was no way around it. Of course he had been interested in other women before he had met you but they hadn't been his princess. To him, you were larger than life, you were the person that he had pledged himself to and in turn, every action of his was supposed to benefit you. The thoughts in his head were anything but.

Now, he was laying in his bed, thinking back to your hands on his chest. In his head, he imagined them sliding over his shoulders and onto his back. Nuzzling his face into his pillow, he imagined how it would feel to be held by you, to lean his face onto your neck, your cheek, as your hands caress his back, fingers running through his hair. To be granted such a soft, tender touch by your hand must be what heaven feels like. Any touch that you were willing to grant him, he would take gratefully. You could slap him across the face and all that he would want to do would be to kiss the hand that touched him. Even if he could never be loved by you, he could be by your side. Every day, he had the opportunity to see your face, smell your scent, hear your voice. That was more than he had ever deserved and he would work hard to protect you, until the end of his days.

In the beginning, he wanted to serve you for a different reason. A heavy weight was on his shoulders and it hadn't lifted yet, a heavy guilt that he tried to erase by helping you. He still felt as guilty about his past as he did back then but now, that didn't matter anymore. He did not protect you for his own consciousness anymore, he did it because he wanted you to live on. Safe and happy. Even if he wasn't the one to make you happy he could be the one to make sure you would live to meet that person.

—

Your Point Of View

Another night was passing in which you were unable to find any sleep. For the past ten days, you had been nothing but exhausted. You barely left your room except for the occasional stroll through the gardens and the meals with your family. You barely spoke to anyone, didn't even meet up with Alysane like you used to.

After what had happened at the garden party, all you wanted to do was go to your room and rest. But when your back hit the mattress, peace was as far away from you as it ever had been. The thoughts running through your head were all over the place - from fear to bad memories of death to anger towards your father to confusion and hurt when it came to Kita's actions.

You could not comprehend what happened in the hallway that day, even after pondering it for hours and hours on end. Why did he leave you alone so suddenly? Well, he did not actually leave you alone but he did back off, stopped supporting you like you wanted, needed him to. His touch had been the one thing keeping you grounded and gave you a sense of security you had almost forgotten even existed. Why would he take that away from you? Had he not told you that it was his duty to take care of you, to protect you from whatever harm may come your way? Still, he left you! Could he not see how much this fear was crippling you? Perhaps he was afraid that you might think that he was feeling something for you that he wasn't. Or was he scared that you might reciprocate the feelings that he did have for you?

Well, that thought was ridiculous. Never would you think of him, your knight, like that. It wasn't appropriate of you to think of him romantically, so you didn't - and he should know that. He was simply a protector to you. You only thought of him as someone who was loyal. Strong. Kind. Caring.

You did not think of how his broad chest felt underneath your palms or how it moved with every breath that he took. You did not think of that one time you saw him train. How the very same chest that you touched heaved as he was catching his breath, his hair a gorgeous mess that was sticking to his sweaty forehead. You did not think about that, at all, no. Only sometimes did you think of how his golden eyes looked in the sunlight. Almost never did you think about his hands. How they had grabbed you when you were about to fall. How they supported your waist and held you upright with a strength unknown to you until then. It felt almost sinful to think of how rough his palm felt pressed against your cheek and how gentle his touch still was despite the callouses adorning his skin. How he cradled your head so carefully, like you were the most precious thing in the world. And you certainly never thought about how close his thumb had been to your mouth. How easy it would have been for you to turn your head.. just a little bit.. until his fingertip touched your lips..

You groaned into your pillow. Hopefully that would muffle it enough for no one else to hear it. What were you getting yourself into? Grabbing your pillow, you pressed it harder into your face. Just then, your hand brushed against something laying underneath your pillow: a handkerchief. The one Shinsuke - Kita - had given to you in the garden. The one that still smelled like him, even after you had cleaned it. You had wanted to give it back, you really did. But somehow, you found yourself holding it up to your nose when you could not find any rest. Late at night, when you were scared and tired, you just let yourself be surrounded by his smell as it lulled you into a few short hours of sleep.

Slowly, you pulled out the cloth and turned onto your side as you brought it up to your face. Tonight, it would not be helping to fall asleep, you could already tell. The thought of him only made your heart beat faster and your mind race. It only made you think more of his hand when it held out the handkerchief to you. And thinking of his hand made you think of his grip on your waist and your arm. It made you think of how it would feel to have his hands move across your skin, your body.. mapping out the curves of your figure.. cradling your face gently while he -

“Argh!” You crumpled up the handkerchief and threw it as far across the room as you could. This was bad. Very bad. You had to do something about this - before it got too bad.

—

The next day you felt the rare urge to leave your room. After a quick breakfast, you took the opportunity to leave with a knight other than Kita. Since it was still early in the morning, the night guard was still on duty and Kita wasn't supposed to be here for another hour, giving you enough time to enjoy a few breaths of fresh air without feeling his presence around you all the time. Especially after the road your thoughts had taken last night you did not feel like you could face him. Just the thought of his eyes looking at you made your cheeks heat up and the butterflies in your belly started stirring. It would be best to get out of here and distract yourself as quickly as possible. Hurriedly, you threw your coat on and left your room.

The crisp air felt refreshing as you stepped out into the sunlight and reveled in the peaceful atmosphere around you. Everyone else was either still asleep or getting ready for the day so you had the outside all to yourself. This really was a good idea, you thought to yourself as you let the few rays of sunshine that came through the trees warm your face. Though you were enjoying these few moments, you did not have a lot of time left. You wanted to avoid Kita, so you had to be back in your room before he came around.

When you reached your room a bit later, you told the other knight to go and find your maid for you. Later today, you wanted to take a bath and knew that it would take more than one maid to heat up the water and fill up the tub so it was best to let them know ahead of time so that they could prepare and gather everyone needed.

The knight did not want to leave you, even though you urged him that you would be safe and sound in your room. Thankfully, just a moment later he spotted your maid at the end of the hallway.

“I'll go tell her,” he finally agreed since he would just be down the hallway. No one could get into your room without him noticing.

Relieved, you reached for your pocket where you always kept the key to your room so you could unlock it. It was a motion you had made a million times already since you had made it a habit to lock your room after an incident a few years ago where a few men snuck into your room and stole your jewelry. But this time around, your pocket was empty. Did you lose the key? You patted down all of your pockets but could not feel it anywhere. Luckily, there was a backup key so it wasn't that much of an issue if you really had lost it. There was a different problem, though: This second key was safe and sound with the one person you did not wish to have to talk to today - Kita, of course. When you had decided that you could trust him, you had given him the spare key so that if he needed to, he could get into your room or if you locked yourself out, like now, the other key would be right by your side. But the embarrassment of having to not only face Kita right now but also have to tell him that you had done something so stupid.. it was too much to bear.

Today, you truly were all over the place. Losing your key, rushing out like that in the morning; you hadn't even put your hair up like you usually did.. then, a thought struck you: In your rush, did you even lock the door?

Hesitantly you reached out to the door handle, praying that it was unlocked and - Thank God! - it was. You let out a sigh of relief, throwing one last look down the hallway. The knight was still chatting with the maid, probably sharing some gossip, like you knew she loved to do, and Kita was nowhere to be seen. Thank God you made it back to your room before he came along!

You slipped into your room and threw the door close, not bothering to look at the door as you took your coat off. Instead, you were already eying the table. Was that where you had left your key? Just as you reached the table and put down your coat, you heard it - the unmistakable sound of a key turning in a lock.

With one motion, you turned around and stared at the familiar face of the man in front of your door as he slid the key into his pocket with one hand and pressed his pointer finger of his other hand to his lips, warning you to stay quiet.

-> Next Chapter

[skzoologist]

Unfamiliarity [five]

word count: ~10.5k

genre: Hybrid AU, no pairings

warnings: anxiety, heavy signs of PTSD, even heavier hints of being experimented at, past abuse, occasional curse words, hurt/comfort (a LOT of it), scums trying to buy hybrids and talking about owning them

summary: With two new variables added into his life, how will Bae deal with it all? Or: Hurt/comfort, the chapter

a/n: Iiiiiiii'm back! With another chapter! More than a month late, shame on me! To be honest, besides all my medical issues, it was a bit hard to write this chapter, because there was no heavy angst in it. This is the chapter for the two newbies to fit in, for Bae to get used to them, so it is basically fluff. But very essential fluff. You'll see why : )

Please let me know if I left a warning or anything out, I will add it in! Reblogs, likes and feedback are greatly appreciated!

!This is just fiction, my interpretation of Stray Kids. By no means is this how they are and how they behave in real life!

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I hadn’t left my den in days, even though my body ached from being crammed into such a small space with little to no movement. The bed above me gave me no room to wiggle around, pulling out a heavy sigh from between my lips.

I was exhausted, mostly sleeping my time away.

Everything was wrong. The smells, the mood, the atmosphere, even the noise. Nothing was alright. The house that I felt safe in was gone, now filled with an unfamiliar presence and unease. While I was the cause of the latter mostly, no doubt about that, I wasn’t the only source either. I could smell it, feel it, even if faintly. The members were worried, guarded against the newcomer that I’d only laid eyes on once. Even their human, Jisoo, smelled wrong, the grass overgrown and dry.

I closed my aching eyes once more, my ears ringing from the silence that fell over the entire place. It was silent again, just like it was yesterday and the day before that and even before that, my mind by now muddled, gleefully playing tricks on me by presenting me with long gone memories. Their presence was weird after being locked away for so long, giving me welcomed and loathed knowledge all the same. I shuddered, nearly unable to differentiate between them and reality in my hazy vision.

As I drifted off once again, I found myself back at my workplace, in my old life, when I was young and naive. A simple suit donned my body, one that you would see on any other office worker as well. You could hear the gentle taps my shoes made on the pristine tiles and the endless clicking of buttons as the other workers typed away diligently. There were hushed whispers when I passed by, the cause no doubt the goal of my short walk. 

Yet, I paid them no mind, pushing the nervousness down as much as I could, my jittery hand reaching for the door of my boss’ office. The hinges creaked slightly, robbing my attention away for a single second before my eyes were looking forward again. My boss was an average man, slightly on the chubby side with black hair and eyes. Nothing was eye-catching about him, neither his appearance, nor his personality.

Maybe that was why I’d trusted him so foolishly.

Of course, I hadn’t known what awaited me at that time, so I nervously sat in the chair in front of his dark oak desk, hoping I wasn’t in trouble for anything. The man smiled, slightly wider than usual, his eyes dancing in the shadows. His lips moved, yet no sound left them. I squinted, feeling as if the air was getting hotter around me, my clothes now too tight on my skin. 

But no, the harder I focused, the brighter everything became. 

I could hardly make out anything around me, only feeling the inescapable hold on my form as I was dragged away. No matter how hard I tried to escape it, my limbs felt numb, heavy, as if they themselves were asleep. I struggled and struggled fruitlessly, until I eventually gave up, my surroundings much darker now. 

A soft touch registered in my brain, soon followed by a calming coolness spreading from my forehead, easing my aching body and allowing me to close my eyes for a few seconds. Soon my eyebrows furrowed, because that didn’t sound right at all, yet I couldn’t tell exactly why.

Forcing my eyes open once again, I was met with the blurry sight of someone’s back. Murmuring could be heard around me, but none of the gibberish sounds made sense to me. The person in front of me turned back, gently caressing a hand over my feverish skin and tucking a few strands of hair away. His lips were moving, but I only caught a few words, like ‘awake’ and ‘alright’. The surrounding noise immediately quieted, other bodies shifting closer to me. One held my hands, stroking a thumb over my knuckles gently, while the other played with my hair, scratching at the base of my ears every so often. I let out a sigh I didn’t know I held, the actions soothing me as faint traces of sweet flowers and fruits and pines hit my nose.

Ah, I was with them now. 

I was safe.

No other thought crossed my mind as I closed my eyes for a final time, drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

-.-.-

The next time I awoke I felt much better, my senses sharper and mind clearer. A simple glance was all it took for me to realise I wasn’t in my den anymore, instead resting in a different room, on a different bed. The air was filled with everyone’s scents, an obvious telltale that I was still in the house. Jisoo’s huddled form was next to me, his head resting on his folded arms as little snores left him occasionally. He looked tired, the skin under his eyes darker than usual and his hands rough, too cold to the touch. I placed one of my hands on his, slightly warming it up, even if for only a few minutes.

Letting out a silent sigh, I cautiously got out of the bed, careful not to wake the sleeping person in the room. A wet rag fell into my hands, letting my hair fall onto my damp forehead and slightly stick there. I placed it next to the bowl of water as I passed it by, my steps careful in approaching the door. I still felt weak, yet it was incomparably better than last time.

The hallway was bright, forcing me to squint my eyes as it flooded my senses, blinding me for a good few seconds. Blinking the bright spots in my vision away, I slightly stumbled towards the living room, knowing who I would find there even in this weakened state. Once I reached the stairs, I leaned against the rail and simply watched them, drinking the sight in. 

Jin was pestering Lino, until the latter had enough and took a pillow in his hand. That was all it took for Jin to bolt away, afraid of the feline that was chasing him now. Channie giggled as he watched them, shaking his head at their silliness. Jisung was leaning against the wolf, perfectly content there as he was seemingly focused on something else. Lixie and the fostered pup were pestering Binnie, who pretended to be annoyed, even though he was quick to break into a smile in the next second.

They all seemed so happy, so…content like this. My heart ached a bit, because I wasn’t there with them.

I wasn’t needed.

I couldn’t, nor did I want to force my eyes away, burning the sight into my mind, even when I heard footsteps approaching to my right. It was Jisoo, the only other occupant of the house who wasn’t part of that chaos. He leaned onto the railing next to me, amused by the events unfolding right in front of him.

“Aren’t you joining them?” - he whispered so quietly, had I not had sensitive ears, I wouldn’t have heard him.

I just shook my head, taking a last glance at the others before I straightened up and turned away. All I wanted was to go back to my den in silent peace, but the human had other intentions.

“Nah, we’re not having this useless angst in this household. You’re gonna communicate it out, like it or not!” - his voice raised in volume with every word, his arms winding around my middle as he hoisted me up.

Of course everyone’s attention was on us by the time we reached the last step on the stairs, their bodies frozen mid-action. It would have been hilarious, had I not been the centre of that attention. I couldn’t even struggle out of Jisoo’s hold, too afraid of accidentally hurting him and it was too late anyway. My cheeks reddened when I met their gazes, my own drifting to the floor in response.

I couldn’t have been prepared for what was to come.

All of them just dashed towards me, except the stranger, pushing me and Jisoo to the ground. The poor man took the brunt of the fall, making me feel sorry for him already. The hybrids on top of me didn’t care about that at that moment though, no, they were too busy rubbing their faces into my neck, my wrists, anything they could get their hands on to scent me. Purring and chirps filled the air, even Channie was being vocal about his feelings. I let them do what they wanted, battling this frenzied warmth in me that wanted to break outside. It was hard, and had Jisoo not made a sound that was closer to something that a dying dog made rather than a living human, I was sure it would have bursted out.

“Are ya okay now? How’re ya feelin’?” - Channie immediately started fretting over me, checking me over for any signs of injury or sickness once we freed the human beneath us all.

“Can ya stand? Sit down, Bae hyung, c’mon, this way.” - Lixie was the next, leading me away to the couch, even as the questions never ceased.

They left me no time to answer any of their inquiries, leaving me with no choice but to watch them fret around. Lino checked my temperature at least four times by now, his sharp eyes analysing me from head to toe. Binnie asked me if I was hungry countless times already, and after not getting any answer, he instead went to grab something from the kitchen. Jinnie was the most dramatic, saying how he thought I was dying and how glad he was that I came back from the brink of death. He also latched onto one of my arms, the other already belonging to Lixie and his deadly grip. Channie wasn’t any better than the two, since I was laying in his arms, no matter how smaller he was than me.

Only one person wasn’t latched onto me who was cuddly, my eyes easily finding the nervous form of the little squirrel. I didn’t understand why he was hesitating so much, but soon I realised he didn’t want to accidentally stress me out and cause the episode I had in the facility to reoccur. His intentions warmed my heart, adding onto the already big pile in there and causing a smile to slip onto my lips. Our eyes met and with a small nod of my head he brightened up and jumped at me, making the wolf underneath give out a little ‘oomph’ sound.

And just when I thought they were done, Binnie came back, an entire plate worthy of a warm meal in his hands. I looked at him, my arms tied down, and he looked back at me, a determined glint in his gaze. A sweatdrop rolled down the side of my head, a spoon raised in front of my lips. Everyone was expectantly watching me, but mainly the little pika, a pout settling onto his lips the longer I didn’t do anything.

He… he really wouldn’t budge, would he?

Accepting defeat, I took the offered bite. It felt as if everyone let out a silent sigh of relief, the atmosphere brightening around us. It confused me, but if it made them happy, I had no choice but to continue accepting every bite, no matter how humiliating it was.

Once we were done -because you could be sure he fed me the whole thing-, Binnie proudly stood there and nodded, taking a seat with us once he put down the empty plate on the table. I half-laid, half-sat there for a bit, just enjoying everyone’s presence and scents in peace.

But I had to address the odd one in the room soon, so I opened my eyes and looked around.

Sure enough, Jisoo was sitting next to him, quietly chatting. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, the two even let out a happy little laugh sometimes. Yet, I could catch the occasional quick glance in our direction from the pup, the slight changes in his smell. It was muted thanks to everyone else’s scents, but the boy smelled like burnt lint, as if someone used too much detergent in a failing machine. It slightly scorched my nose and throat, cutting into flesh and nerve, but it was easily bearable with us being at home.

The stranger had honey brown hair, his fur the same, blending together perfectly. His ears drooped on top of his head, gently flopping around with every head movement. His tail was fluffy and straight, making it clear what breed he was. Just a simple golden retriever, a common choice to keep at home. Not like I couldn’t tell that anyway, his smell was void of any of that disgusting clean and antiseptic. It was better this way, with only three of us having it.

Our eyes met and he smiled at me. I blinked back at him, one of my ears flicking, but he merely looked back at the human and continued talking.

This puppy was…weird. Even when we’d met at first, I’d had the same thought. He hadn’t cared about how I looked, hadn’t given me any weird looks, he just smiled at me and introduced himself. And after I’d done the same, he’d asked me if we could play. Just that. Play. I’d declined, because he had still been a stranger to me just like now, but he’d looked so sad it’d made me feel guilty.

He seemed so, so… purehearted. Something that seemed impossible in this cruel world. Something I’d only seen in Lixie so far, making me sure the snow leopard was born naturally, despite his breed.

While the pup wasn’t fully welcome here in my eyes, he wasn’t a threat either. He felt like a guest, something that fit with the fact that he was only staying with us temporarily, the facility only able to make Jisoo foster him, not adopt him.

We had two fosters with us, something that sat weirdly in my stomach.

“Whatcha wanna do today, baby?” - the wolf’s question broke me out of my headspace, making me turn towards him, even though I couldn’t see him from my position.

I remained silent for a while, quietly thinking. I didn’t really have anything in mind, I just merely wanted to spend time in the others’ presence. When I glanced at the windows displaying the green and yellow leaves dancing in the wind, Lino spoke up, surprising me.

“No, you cannot go out, the weather’s too harsh for that and you’re still sick. Do you know how worried we were? We found you in your room, burning up!” - his voice was harsh, yet I could see the hurt and pain in his eyes. “We were really worried, Hyung. We thought we’d give you some space, but after you just shut yourself in your room, we went to check up on you.” - Lixie followed up, his deep voice sad and quiet. “It was me, I found you. You didn’t answer your door, and I just had a bad feeling. When I looked under the bed and found you panting there, I…” “It’s okay Hyune, you called me and Channie hyung. Everything’s fine now.” - Binnie comforted the leopard, the latter tearing up as he recalled what had happened.

I felt the guilt slowly eating me up from inside, the weight of making them all worry to the point of tears sitting heavily on my shoulders. It was never my intention, and never would it ever be.

“I’m sorry.” “Baby, why’re ya apologising? It’s not your fault that ya got sick. Your immune system was a bit weakened from the shots, that’s not your doing.”

We sat in silence after that, their hold on me only tightening. I found no words to say, and in turn neither did they. Only the purring picked up a notch, relaxing my rigid form further. I found myself unconsciously burying my nose into the lil squirrel’s nest of hair, rubbing my face there in content. He buried his head into my neck deeper in response, my tail thumping against someone’s leg in content.

I would have happily continued, had I not remembered that we weren’t alone in the room. So with a silent sigh, I lifted my head up, making the others look back at me.

“TV?” - I suggested, answering Channie’s long ago spoken question.

This got everyone in an excited frenzy, plans already being made and bodies already moving around. I watched them with curious eyes before something finally crossed my mind, something that should have happened a long time ago. My muscles became taut once more, air refusing to escape from my frozen lungs.

“I shouldn’t be near you guys, you’ll get sick.”

Everyone looked at me as I just passed the wide-eyed squirrel into the wolf’s hold, my legs carrying me away from their frigid forms. I could definitely tell I was still not fully healed now, the ground beneath me uncertain and my mind a bit fuzzy.

Laughter caught my attention, quiet as it rang through the air. It came from one person only, a smile on his face hidden behind his hand. Our eyes met soon afterwards, mirth clearly dancing in his. I could only watch with confusion, even when he stood up -only after gently patting the puppy on the head-, long legs carrying his now quiet form towards me.

“Bae, it’s alright, they all knew it already. Do you know how hard it was to battle them, just so I could take care of you instead of them? Where do you think these scratch and bite marks came from? Had Seungmin-ssi not helped me, I probably would have lost an arm!” - an airy laugh left his lips, no anger could be seen anywhere, only gentle warmth as he gazed at his injured limb.

Amidst the protests and denial flying around from the hybrid’s lips, Jisoo’s eyes met mine again, slightly crinkled from the smile widening on his lips, expression so soft I almost couldn’t believe it. Because he was looking at me like that. Not anyone else, not any of the other hybrids or other humans he knew, no.

His eyes were looking at me alone.

“Sometimes you’re so dense, I wonder if you didn’t actually crawl out of one of those fantasy stories I have sitting on my shelves. It’s alright, you know. These stubborn idiots wouldn’t let you be alone even if you wanted to. Now go and let them pamper you, shoo.”

With that, he let my hand go and pushed my back, his touch tender, yet strong enough to move my uncertain form. I stumbled forward, right into awaiting arms. The scents I treasure enveloped me completely, robbing me of my anxieties and uncertain thoughts. Their hold on me was firm, encasing and guiding me to wherever they wanted to, my body unresponsive to my relaxed and ill mind.

I was vaguely aware of laying in a sea of pillows, surrounded by everyone, every inch of my body hogged by someone laying on it. A noise droned on in the background of my mind, soft lights accommodating it from the TV. I paid no mind to it, the sound of purring, chirping and low growling resonating in my ears pleasantly instead. The smell of lint and laundry lingered around, yet I didn’t find it completely unpleasant. 

Everything else masked it well. 

The forest was blooming, the trees were swaying happily in the salty wind that caressed their leaves and pines. The flowers were singing in delight, their sweet nectar luring in various colourful creatures of nature. The trees that bore fruit were visited by animals who happily munched away on their sweet juices, not scared away by their slightly sour taste. Even the grass was thriving, its blades shining on the sun. Soft, orange rays peeked through the canopy, warming up everything it touched, letting every creature bask in its gentle warmth. The painter took his usual seat once more as well, paintbrush gliding over his canvas in his quest to capture the moment.

And amongst that, I tiredly laid down, head resting upon my weary paws, cold fur warmed by the sun.

I was home.

-.-.-.-

The presence of the puppy was weird in the house. He wasn’t your typical dog hybrid, in the way that he didn’t rush at you and seeked your affection. He was calmer in a sense, usually not the one to approach you first. Sometimes he was in a more cuddly mood, finding a partner easily in one of the members who resided here. 

Of course, just as he had his calm moments, he also had his playful ones. The entire place became a warzone, his tricks always keeping you on your toes as you couldn’t be sure what he came up with this time. Did he temper your snack? Did he sneak into your room and play around with your chair, or maybe even your clothes? You never knew, causing everyone to grumble in annoyance once they’d found out. But even with all that, even with all their frustrations, there was always a warm shine in their eyes, something that betrayed how they truly felt. Never was any of them truly annoyed with the pup, the more playful ones even retaliated.

And yet, I was never one to experience these.

The playful puppy never played pranks on me, never approached me first. But whenever I looked at him, his eyes held no anger, hate, or anything in my direction. It was only curiosity, and something else I couldn’t quite put my hands on. I appreciated it, getting enough time to grow used to all the sudden changes amongst the pack, and yet… there was a weird feeling in my chest, a suffocating experience whenever I watched them play around. My gap-filled memory failed to recall what it was, forcing me to quietly watch on in painful silence.

Taking a deep breath in, the scent of resin and freshly washed clothes filled my lungs, the process not stuttering and unpleasant anymore. I indecisively glanced at the two, the wolf and the puppy cuddling on the couch, my legs deciding in my stead on what to do as they carried me to them. The couch dipped under me, two greetings welcoming me and a squeeze on my leg, the latter Channie’s doing.

The TV was playing another drama, as usual, one I’d already seen in the past with Jinnie on one of our long drama-watching nights. Channie’d only seen bits and pieces of it before whenever he joined us on our nightly adventure, so I wasn’t surprised why he was the one watching it with the curious puppy. Their attention was back on the bright screen, giving me a chance to lay against the wolf’s shoulder. He brought a hand around my form, not letting me escape even if I wanted to. But I didn’t want to anyway.

We sat there for a while, the serene atmosphere lulling me into a comfortable headspace. I wasn’t paying attention to the show, content with just existing in the others’ presence.

Maybe that was why I didn’t immediately realise when the puppy touched my hand, uncertain and hesitant. His fingers were slightly cold, probably due to the ever so slightly dropping temperatures that came with the changing weather. His big, dark, chocolate eyes were trained on me, pulling my gaze in and trapping it inside easily. He was right in front of me, sitting in Channie’s lap comfortably and I didn’t find the heart in me to deny him. 

So, I let him tighten his grip on my hand, so tight that he was pushing my fingers together lightly. My body didn’t move in protest even as I let him slowly drag my hand into his lap, where he started playing with my fingers, curling and uncurling them in a seeming rhythm.

I merely blinked at it all sleepily, not finding the puppy’s actions uncomfortable. I only realised this when I felt the strong scent of pine, so clearly elated that I had to lift my head and look at who it belonged to, catching such a fond expression on his face that my mind short circuited. His own dark pools were lit up, the light inside dancing around in happiness. Those dimples I loved so dearly were on display, proudly laying in their rightful place.

My ears twitched and I looked away, that expression so bright it felt like I would burn to ashes if I’d looked at it any longer. Guilt bubbled up inside me along with confusion, the little voices whispering that I didn’t deserve his gaze. Their words held truth to them, my past haunting me every night with vivid pictures, not letting me forget my sins and my scars.

The moment Felix walked in I gave him my attention, thankful for the distraction and the warmth of his chest as he pressed into my vulnerable back.

-.-.-

The whiny voice of the little squirrel woke me up, adamantly defending himself against the rumbles of the wolf, the latter sounding tired and worried. I slowly blinked my eyes open, letting out a silent sigh when the thought of starting the day and leaving my den crossed my mind.

“And now you woke him up, great.” - grumbled the wolf, sighing loudly. “What, oh, uhm, sorry Hyung. Good morning…?” - the herbivore muttered out, unsure, instantly lowering his voice and blinking up at me with doe eyes.

I rubbed at my eyes to shoo the sleep away, blinking back at him in my den. He was squeezed in beside me, laying on top of me as much as the limited space allowed to. My eyes drifted back up to Channie’s form, only seeing up to his torso as he sat there. His face popped into my vision when he leaned down, lightly waving at me with a guilty expression. I looked back at the little squirrel in my arms, wondering what was going on, something tickling the back of my brain.

Didn’t I go to sleep alone?

My eyebrows furrowed the more I looked at Jisungie, his expression morphing into a guilty one as well. He caught onto what conclusion my still waking up brain arrived to, scrambling to provide a worthy enough explanation for his actions.

“I couldn’t sleep last night, but your scent is nice so I wanted to ask if I could crash here, but you weren’t answering your door, probably because you were asleep, so I sneaked in and I’m so sorry pleasedon’thateme.” - he rushed out in one breath, scared eyes gazing into my own.

I willed my stiff form to relax at least a bit, sensing that something was amiss, something that the little squirrel in my hold didn’t want to admit just yet. My instinct-driven brain accepted his reasoning with difficulty, the notion of intruding upon my den waking up old memories. But it was alright, I kept telling myself, I wasn’t there anymore.

“It’s alright Channie, thank you.” - I muttered out, turning towards said wolf.

He looked uncertain, but he still nodded and left after ruffling my hair, careful of my ears. Having the little creature to myself, I looked back at him, watching how he let out a sigh of relief once the door closed.

“What happened?” - my question was quiet in the still air.

I got no reply, merely eyes avoiding mine.

A nudge of my nose and a squeeze of my hands on his waist was all it took, his head buried into my chest and side, his hold tightening on me.

“I wasn’t lying, your scent really does calm me. I, I dunno what happened, I guess I was just feeling anxious. I didn’t wanna wake anyone, that’s why I’m here now. ’m sorry…” - his voice was muffled, my ears picking up on certain words only thanks to their enhanced state.

I tightened my hold on him before letting go, instead rolling onto my side and taking his chubby cheeks into my gentle hold. It was over in a brief second, but my lips pressed onto his forehead, my protective side coming out full force. 

When I opened my eyes up again, I could see how much his own shined, like the moonlit surface of a lake. Something vulnerable was hiding inside, in the bottom of that lake, locked away from view and touch. It longed to be let out, to feel something besides the crushing weight of the water, endlessly waiting there. 

My chest squeezed together once more, stronger than last time, the dam threatening inside of me to break. But I couldn’t let that happen, not when his own dam broke, when those eyes glistened as tears cascaded down. I brushed the droplets away, shushing him softly.

“A-are you like-, like me?” - the broken question left his lips, words interrupted by hiccups, but I understood him nonetheless.

I knew what he was referring to, of course I knew it. How could I not? When that clean still clung to him stubbornly, when his clothes just sat on his form weirdly. Something always rubbed me the wrong way about them, just like how unique his colours were, a void opening up in the pit of my stomach and my limbs feeling out of place once more, my bones aching as if they grew too long.

Because he was so much like me, and I was so much like him.

I shushed him once more, brushing his hair away from his forehead before pressing another brief kiss there, hugging his shaking form into mine. The ocean was raging, waves and tides crashing into each other in sorrow. Plants were torn out of their places, sea creatures hiding in their coral homes. A single intake of air burned my nose and clogged up my throat, the salt sitting heavily in it, as if it was snow itself.

I simply laid there, letting the boy cry his anger and hatred and anguish out, holding him, hoping it would hold his broken apart pieces together.

His tears only dried up after an hour or so, his hold on me loosening and his breathing evening out as he drifted off to sleep. No doubt his body was exhausted, little tremors still running through him every so often. I tried to pull one of the blankets onto him as best as I could, now slightly regretting sleeping here and not on top of the bed, like the others did.

At first I’d found it strange, but nobody’d really mentioned this habit of mine after witnessing it for the first time. So I never felt pressured into following their ways, only doing so when we slept in a pile. There were days we just gathered together, sometimes because one of them felt lonely, sometimes to scent each other. On a few occasions we even let the human in, if he slept at home -his work had him busy often-.

And then, then there were the other times, when that gaping void opened up in my chest, urging me to seek someone out once again. They always teased me, but never once did they turn me down and force me to sleep in my cold den alone. No, all of them welcomed me with open arms, latching onto my form once we laid down on the bed, heads usually snug in the crook of my neck. While their beds were big, big enough to comfortably house two snuggly hybrids, it always felt a bit too crammed with me added into the formula.

I sighed, brushing my fingers through the small squirrel’s hair once more. My other arm had fallen asleep long ago, an uncomfortable knot forming in my back from the awkward pose I had taken up. I really wanted to let him sleep for just a bit more, but I was nearing my limit. The delicious scent of food drifting up from the kitchen didn’t help either, tangling up my empty stomach.

But no matter what, the boy wasn’t waking up, not to words, nor touches.

Having been left with no other choice, I slowly wiggled us out of my den, being careful to not harm the one in my hold. Once we were out -and i caught my breath-, I properly positioned him on top of me, legs on my sides and my arms on his back, secure. Standing up was another challenge, one I had to take slowly to make sure Jisungie wouldn’t just fall out of my hold, hitting his head on the floor. That would be a horrible alarm to wake up to, one I wanted to avoid at all cost.

A long sigh left my lungs once I was finally standing, the small squirrel fast asleep in my arms. His fingers were tangled into my shirt, hold so tight I was afraid he would rip the fabric apart. His tail was comfortably laying on one of my arms and his own leg, ears relaxed on top of his head.

He looked so tiny in my hold.

My stomach rumbled in protest, hurrying me out of the room and down the stairs. I mumbled a greeting out to everyone once I saw them lounging on the couch, their wide eyes burrowing into my form and a few, confused greetings answering me back. 

I all but ignored them and their hushed whispers, opting for the kitchen and the still warm food on the table instead. It was probably courtesy of Lino, knowing the cat and how he was, painting a small smile onto my lips. There were two bowls waiting for us, telling me quietly how the others had already eaten, easing some of my worries.

I sat down before one of the bowls, eating carefully with the squirrel in my lap. Soft snores left his lips, one of his cheeks squished as he laid on my chest. The skin underneath his eyes was raw and red, making my heart ache. I only looked away from him once I heard the sound of footsteps, one of the chairs next to me now occupied.

The mellow scent of flowers wafted through the air, curiously poking around. A single glance was all it took to change that, his presence now blanketing us in the silent room. His dark eyes were warm, despite the questions clearly swimming in there. No sound left his lips as he sat there, head propped up on top of his palm, almond shaped eyes trained on me. I gazed back, watching him slowly blink at me. I blinked back, his relaxed ears slightly lifting upwards before drooping back down.

I tried not to think about the immense warmth pooling in my chest, my lips pursed to hide the smile breaking out on my face. The food in front of me looked much more interesting, something my stomach agreed with hungrily.

Jisungie only woke up once I was done with eating, my gaze torn away from watching Lino washing the dirty dish left from my meal. The small boy looked around, confused, questioning gaze stopping on me.

“You were sleeping too deeply.” - was my only reply, amused eyes watching him piece everything together.

The cat nearby snorted in amusement, now on his way back to us.

“So your best solution to this was to carry him down and leave him in your lap?” - Lino asked, his famous grin already dancing on his lips.

We both flushed at hearing that, although I stayed quiet, unlike the little herbivore, who just sputtered out nonsense and broken words in self-defence. The cat found this all too entertaining, humming along with excitement clearly written on his face. I nudged the squirrel in my lap at one point, gaining his attention, watching me as I gestured at his now probably lukewarm bowl of food. The flare on his cheeks cooled down a bit, a hand coming up to his chin as he was deep in thought, although I had an inkling what it was about.

A few minutes later he hummed, shaking his head and slotting it back into the crook of my neck. I sat there, flabbergasted, aware of Lino laughing and cackling at my expense. My skin heated up, mouth opening and closing a few times, unable to decide what to say.

In the end, I decided that staying quiet would be more beneficial, along with avoiding Lino’s gaze and not reacting to his teasing, no matter what. Which was a hard task in itself.

Taking in a deep breath, I coaxed Jisungie to not hide in my neck anymore, silently turning him around so he was facing the table as well. Deja vu was hitting me full force, as I’d fed a certain leopard like this not too long ago. I pushed the memories and the heat on my cheeks away, instead silently urging the boy in my arms to take the bite. He did so reluctantly, the muscles under my touch feeling tense and rigid. Eventually they started relaxing with each bite, the small smile on his face slowly blooming the more he ate. Even his tail was relaxed, happily swishing around gently.

Once his bowl was empty as well, he let out a content sigh, leaning back into me. Lino took the bowl away, washing it and placing it next to the other one to dry. He stopped teasing us at one point - only after he took some pictures- and just watched us, that familiar warmth dancing around in his eyes that usually Channie’s held. It was strange, but in a good way. 

Not wanting to break, I ignored it once more, all my attention on the relaxed herbivore in my arms.

“Alright, let’s go to the others!” - he all but shouted, excitement rolling off of him in waves. “But you aren’t moving?” - Lino asked, a knowing lull in his voice. “Of course not, Hyung will carry me.” - he answered, causing the cat to burst out into laughter and my skin to heat up.

Maybe he was a bit too relaxed.

-.-.-

We were lounging on the sofa, Jinnie in my arms, his chest kicking up a storm with all the purring. His content couldn’t have been more obvious, his scent flourishing and coating the room in charcoal and paint, his spotted tail curling and uncurling in a slow pace pleasantly. Those wide, shining eyes were fixated on the screen in front of us, his ears twitching when something surprising happened in the show, grazing against my clothed skin.

We spent the night like that, the young leopard eventually falling victim to sleep, snoring away quietly.

He’d been glued to my side ever since I’d fallen sick that one time, keeping tabs on me and dragging me to wherever he wanted. That usually entailed having a night filled with drama episode after episode, although he also liked to quietly be near me and paint, or simply sketch something with graphite. And sometimes, sometimes I joined in, that blooming smile on his face too irresistible to deny his wishes.

Of course Jinnie wasn’t the only one who monitored me, it was every single member of this household.

Channie? He checked in on me often, ushering me to sleep eventually. Lino was my living shadow, making sure I ate enough and on time. Binnie made sure I moved around enough, playing with me in the garden regularly. Lixie liked to drag me to play games or just stick to me, as if he was my second layer of skin. Sungie was similar, although definitely more chaotic and full of teasing. He really should’ve spent less time with our resident cat, they were impossible to be near without heated skin whenever they were together.

And the puppy…

He’d engaged more with me, talking about anything that held his interest at that moment. This often boiled down to books and stories, having seen me read one before. I never minded, his view and take on the words that were inked upon the paper had been refreshing, a nice lull to listen to. I found the expression that would usually sit upon his face as he was animatedly talking endearing, much too bright compared to my muted presence.

Much like his scent that’d cleared up and now smelled purely fresh, with an underlying hint of vanilla, his presence was soothing too. There’d been times I’d caught myself with my guard completely let down, eyelids drooping as he was reading from a book, his voice quiet and sweet.

Having been laying there for a while now with Jinnie not showing any signs of waking up, I took him in my arms properly. With an arm around his back and the other under his knees, I stood up, the TV screen dark with the simple click of a button. He stirred a bit, but settled back in, deciding that the crook of my neck would be the perfect place to snuggle his nose into. A small, silent breath left me, my own nose gently burying into the crown of hair that sat graciously upon his head.

The walk to his room was brief, my long legs efficiently carrying us both to his door. I didn’t need to be cautious with opening it, since no one decided to crash in his bed for the night. A miracle in itself, considering how cuddly everyone was.

A little noise left his lips once I had put him down on the soft covers, a sigh following it soon after as he settled in. Grabbing the blanket from the side, all crumpled up at the edge of the bed, I swiftly covered him up and sweeped a stray strand of hair away from his face before leaving.

Blinded by light the moment I turned around after closing his door, I shielded my eyes and blinked a few times, annoyed at the bright spots swimming in my vision. 

Wasn’t it just night?

A brief look around helped clear my confusion slightly, the halls bathed in orange sunlight. My sense of time was probably jumbled due to not sleeping at proper times, the most realistic explanation I could come up with on the spot. A deep sigh left me, already knowing Channie would berate me for not sleeping at night, so I turned to my left and headed to my den, intending to sleep.

A stray puppy prevented that from happening.

He appeared from the stairs, probably only woken up not too long ago, if his sleepy look and the big yawn that escaped him was anything to go by. The moment he caught my standing form in the living room he smiled, a lazy wave greeting me below. I waved back, watching as he made himself a cup of coffee, my nose scrunching up in distaste.

The smell of that beverage always tingled my nose in the wrong way, utterly unpleasant for my senses, especially after they became heightened. The first time the others had found out they’d laughed at me, only Lixie saved me from a still giggling wolf’s hold and thanked me for not leaving him alone in the coffee dislikers group.

Naturally, this sly little puppy’d joined the others in teasing me the moment he’d found out, even now a content smirk danced upon his lips that he failed to hide behind his mug. Failing the urge, I rolled my eyes, yet the edges of my lips perked up slightly. This boy was a handful, but he somehow fit right in with us.

A warm touch broke me out of my train of thoughts, his fingers gently holding my hand and leading me away to the couch. His mug was replaced by a book, the hard cover familiar with its unique design. He plopped onto the plush surface, dragging me down next to him and gingerly placing the book into my hands. I confusedly looked at him, since he was the one who’d usually read either silently, or out loud to me.

“Could you… maybe you could read for me today? Please?” - his voice was uncharacteristically quiet, dark eyes wide and pleading.

Despite my previous confusion, my body didn’t hesitate to open the book on the first page, the printed words quietly leaving my lips. The puppy next to me seemed to be taken aback for a second, but he quickly shook it off and settled in. 

As pages passed and time flew by, his weight eventually sank into my side, head placed upon my shoulder to curiously glance at the pages and occasional illustrations. I turned the book slightly towards him, always giving enough time for his eyes to scan the shapes drawn by the ink. An appreciative hum left his lips, quiet, as if he was afraid of disturbing something. Even his tail was quiet as it thumped against the couch in glee, drawing a small smile onto my face.

A quiet sound could be heard from behind me, startling me out of my trance and causing me to whip my head around to it. Binnie stood there like a deer caught in headlights, form rigid and smile apologetic. I instantly relaxed, the danger alarms in my head quieting down slowly, but surely.

The puppy at my side grumbled a bit, rubbing at his eyes as if he was on the verge of sleep, lightly glaring at the little herbivore behind us. Binnie apologised out loud this time, taking the scolding of the pup full force. Sensing that no true grudge was behind it all, the sight was quite entertaining to behold, the older simply taking the words quietly. That in itself was a small miracle, showing how much of a soft spot Binnie had quickly developed for the fostered pup.

Done with their little play, the little pika went towards the front door, grabbing the light jacket he usually wore out on his morning runs. But before he could properly put his shoes on and leave, the puppy called him, grabbing his attention.

“Hyung, are you going on a run?” “Yea, why?” “Can I come with?”

The question stunned the man so much that he’d frozen for a few seconds, merely blinking back in heavy silence. Then, as if we stepped into a tropical forest itself, the room was filled with the scent of citrus and nektar. My lungs stuttered from the sudden onslaught, but soon relaxed and demanded more hungrily, already addicted.

“Sure, uh, yea, of course. Change into something, I’ll wait here with Bae hyung. Actually, Hyung, you wanna come with us too? Move around a bit, it’ll be good for you.” - his question didn’t exactly catch me by surprise, having gone with him a few times already in the mornings.

I nodded, watching the smiles break out on their faces, one more tamed than the other. The puppy nearly ran up the stairs while I calmly strode up them, watching the other in case he stumbled and fell. Thankfully, he didn’t, passing through his doorway unharmed. 

Shaking my head at the silliness of it all, I headed towards my room as well, digging out the light clothing the others’d gotten me back in the day. They’d insisted on getting this, probably already knowing they would drag me to morning runs and workout sessions. I didn’t fully mind, the fabric light and airy on my skin, much less annoying than those harsh jeans. They’d long given up on making me wear them, probably not wanting to witness me growl at an inanimate object so intensely ever again.

A quick change later I jogged back down to the living room, the puppy soon to follow. The collar lightly hit against my collarbones, its weight unwelcomed. Their own ones were tighter around their necks, although with plenty of breathing room left between skin and leather. Everyone wore them in a similar way, even Jinnie got used to them quickly.

“Alright, let’s go. Just follow my lead, we won’t go too far.”

The colourful leaves crunched underneath our feet with every step, their orange and yellow exterior bending and breaking apart. My tail swished along behind me gently, the cool temperature a pleasant sensation with all that thick fur. Brisk air entered my lungs with every inhale, refreshingly sharp on the senses. My eyes looked around ceaselessly, marvelling at every little thing I could possibly find.

I’ve never had the chance to just leisurely look around before deciding to join Binnie in the mornings, long years of my life having been spent with endless running and fighting against fate. To this day I could never truly process that I was safe, that I didn’t need to hide alone in dark alleys anymore and scramble for scraps of food at every given chance. Being out in the open again, running, brought a deep-seeded instinct out of me, one that had always been hard to fight. It’d been what had kept me alive in the past, so of course it would never be easy to ignore. My teeth itched, hands twitching with the urge to touch the rough pavement that we ran on. The warm hat on top of my hat felt unnecessary and annoying now, my ears begging to be freed and feel the wind freely.

But I couldn’t allow that.

The animal I could turn into was too recogniseable, too risky to be seen. Something that the others realised as well, them being the ones asking me to not change forms for these morning runs. I’d obliged, not even willing to entertain the thought of being found by them.

Pushing the urge to let fur swallow my weak skin, I focused back on the roads, tuning into what the two boys were chatting about in front of me. They were bickering and playing around, something that I grew used to quickly, since they never really stopped doing it. But they always did it with smiles on their faces and a light breeze to their scents, calming my senses and useless worries instantly. Most of their choice of topics flew over my head, either because I had no idea what they were talking about, or their voices turned into a big, soothing buzz in the back of my mind.

Right until I felt a gaze on the back of my head, my fur bristling in response.

“--ot true, ice cream is clearly superior!” “No, frozen yoghurt is! Tell him, Hyung!”

I all but ignored them, eyes carefully looking around for the danger.

“...Hyung?”

The feeling never stopped, urging me to continue looking, nose higher up in the air to catch its smell.

“Bae hyung?”

An unpleasant aroma picked up amongst the others, clearly on its way over to us. A deep growl ripped out of my chest as a warning, the two in front of me startling and looking a bit panicked. Not even thinking for a second I pushed them behind me, staring at the human calmly approaching us.

Its presence itself was revolting, the smell so overpowering and artificial that the urge to gag almost won over me.

“My my, what have I found? Something as rare and unique as this hybrid is just walking out in the open, and without its owner at that? Where are they, hmm, little doggy?” - the voice purred, fake and disgustingly sweet.

Another growl crawled out of my throat, a dangerous sharpness to its edges, cutting into walls of flesh, the taste of blood blooming on my tongue.

“Oh come on, don’t be like that. I just want to talk to your owner, ask if they would be willing to sell you. I’m willing to pay, quite heftily. Your burgundy fur is just splendid looking in this autumn weather, I wish I had a coat like that. Maybe I could find one, to match with yours, little pet.” - those eyes were below me, yet they looked down upon me, as if I was worth next to nothing.

They were just like that scum’s, glinting in the dark the same way, mouth morphing along the same curve.

It was revolting.

My teeth ached as my growls strengthened, begging to be sinked into flesh once more, to get rid of the danger once and for all. Every fibre of my being shouted for that same goal, forming together to see it through.

“Fuck off.”

And yet, it never came down to it.

“I wasn’t talking to you, pet, but since you started, you could lead me to your owner.” “I said fuck off. I won’t ask another time.”

The little pika’s form in front of me was firm, unbudging, voice so low and threatening I could nearly mistake him for a different person. His arms were crossed in front of his torso, muscles rippling in an intimidating way, the tiny ears that were hiding in his mop of dark curls were facing me in a harsh angle. That usually sweet citrus was sharp, acidic, yet I found myself soothed by its presence.

Without uttering another word, merely shrinking down in fear, the human left hastily, their shoes tip-tapping loudly against the cement.

“Come on Hyung, let’s go back home.” - a gentle voice asked me on my side, a similarly soft hold laying on my arm that only registered in my mind at that moment.

“It’s okay Bae, we’re fine. See?” - it was Binnie this time, gaze tender as he took hold of my other hand, thumb calmly grazing over my knuckles before he gingerly placed it on his chest.

The surface thrummed in a steady rhythm, pulse strong and unwavering. I let it flow through me, swallow me whole, the continuous beat travelling through my skin, meeting my own wild one. They danced around each other, my own one erratic, but with each step it slowly calmed down, settling back into its rightful pace.

Opening my eyes once more, I was met with the patient expression of the pika, cheeks dusted with pink from the harsh breeze. His eyes held nebulas, shining in those dark depths with countless little stars and directing their light on my muted form. A weary little giggle left his lips, and while I didn’t know the reason for it, I drank in the sound like a weary traveller.

The little puppy was on my other side, cheeks similarly bitten by the weather and dark eyes gazing up at me. A smile took its place on his face, wider the more I looked at him. His tail moved behind him left and right, the gold-woven fur swishing in the wind gently. A squeeze could be felt on the hand he held, as if he was reassuring me of his presence.

I let the two lead me back, back on the roads we just ran on, their hold on my hands never disappearing. My mind was still reeling, emotions nearly impossible to battle. The best I could do was let the two take me away into safety, blindly trusting them to do so.

My eyes were useless, vision filled with fear and anxiety. Thoughts bounced around in my brain, voices whispering into my ear. What if I failed to protect them? What if I was found and led the danger to them? I would never forgive myself for causing them harm, the mere thought pushing my stomach into knots and causing my lungs to stutter. The act itself sounded like a sin, and I was sure I would be dragged back into hell for committing it.

But through all that, another little voice kept feeding words into my mind, asking with a vicious voice: What if they actually wanted to sell you? What if they wanted to get rid of you, since you’ve always been so useless and weak, always causing them trouble? Maybe they finally got bored of you, history repeating itself.

The blood inside my mouth tasted like copper and iron, a much too familiar sensation.

The moment our feet hit wooden boards and warm air heated our skin, I twisted my hand out of theirs, bringing them into my chest and burying my head into their hair. They felt rigid, surprised by the sudden turn of events, but soon they relaxed in my hold, scents changing and betraying their worry and confusion.

“Hyung, it’s okay. We’ll usher them away for you.” - the puppy’s voice was muffled against my skin, head slightly turned towards my face. “Don’t worry Dal hyung, she won’t ever find you again, I’ll make sure of it.” - the pika’s choice of name surprised me for a second, only making me tighten my hold on the two.

“Please don’t leave me.”

My voice sounded so quiet and broken, I couldn’t have told it belonged to me. The scent of citrus and fresh vanilla strengthened, hugging my form like a warm blanket on a winter night. Hands wrapped around me, their hold firm and tight, as if they never intended to let go of me. The thought itself comforted me, and maybe, just maybe, I could let myself believe that it would become reality as well.

“Of course not. I’m never letting go of you, jagi.” - Binnie answered as if he had heard me, the dam breaking and letting the world see my vulnerable self.

The puppy didn’t say anything, but his hold impossibly tightened on me, head shaking slightly against my chest, as if he was defying the very existence of words I uttered. My form shook in their hold, their hair wet as sobs rocked through my body. I buried my nose deeper into their hair, their necks, seeking comfort from their existence itself. It never felt enough, but they let me indulge myself, not even once trying to break out of my hold and leave me.

Soon enough footsteps resounded down the corridors, scents sharpened with worry. Not having the power to speak, nor the will, I shifted, bones cracking and mending in a matter of seconds.

Yes, this form soothed something deep inside me, my mind just a tad bit calmer now.

I still continued to push into Binnie and the pup, their fingers buried deep inside my thick coat of fur. The others hurried towards us, Lixie falling to his knees and sliding the last few metres. He took my much too heavy feeling head into his hold, thumbs gently wiping the still leaking droplets away. The bright eyes that sat above those lovely constellations were glassy, slowly filling up with their own tears. He’d always been a gentle soul, emotions easily swayed from those he felt for.

“What happened?” - it was the wolf, a warm hand placed on me despite the question not being directed at me. “Some fucker walked up to us and asked for our so called owner, just to buy Bae hyung.” - Binnie’s response was basically growled out, his hold on me tightening.

But it was nowhere near tight enough compared to Channie’s hold. 

My fur was stretched, a few strands tearing out from the force. The pine trees were taller than usual and bathed in a cold palette, their roots and branches writhing and splitting in anger. Wind helped them in their wake, its form harsh and unforgiving as if a storm was brewing nearby.

A small whine left my smothered form, body leaning against his. The wind calmed down just a bit, the trees looking more vivid and less harsh. He muttered out an apology, hand smoothing down my roughed up fur. 

And yet the storm was still brewing, the sky covered by dull clouds, the earth itself trembling in silent fury.

That lovely flower field was covered in thorns, their nectar dangerously sweet and alluring. That same sweetness could be felt in the air, its presence so thick that you could choke on it alone. The easel was laying on the ground, empty, red and black splotches of paint being its only companion. The sun hid itself, covering everything in darkness and cold, only egging on the raging sea in the distance.

Moving forward, I stumbled into those in front of me, the storm slightly letting up, but never disappearing. I nudged them all with my nose, earning a few apologies and silent pats. Hating how the little snow leopard was feeling, especially because of me, I placed my head back into his hold, licking his tears away. The salt was nothing compared to the taste of the raging sea, almost non-existent to my senses. A few giggles were my reward, a bit wet and broken compared to their usual selves, but I appreciated them nonetheless, giving him another little lick on the nose. He purred back, the sound so quiet I nearly missed it.

A single glance back at the two was all it took for them to understand, a tiny pika landing on my back and a honey-dipped puppy pressing into my side. Thankful for their quick understanding, I deeply rumbled, a little chirp and a bark greeting me back. Not wanting to waste any other time, I took the puppy’s fur at his nape into my hold gently, carrying his smaller body easily between my long legs. The others gave way to me, letting me carry the two into the closest room, its door luckily left open.

The place smelled like pine and sweets, the signature scents of Lixie and Channie. Their happy, relaxed essence calmed me a bit, making my form less tense. Finding the bed thankfully empty of any unnecessary items, I jumped onto it, letting go of the pup in my hold. He sat up and looked at me as I temporarily laid down, allowing the tiny pika to jump off of my back. The two looked adorably small together, urging me to bundle them up and never let go of them.

Exhausted both emotionally and physically, I acted on that urge, dragging the blankets together in a circular shape around us. After walking around in the little makeshift nest, I looked at the two awaiting hybrids, a low sound leaving my chest to let them know they could take their place now. They happily bounced in, curling up next to each other. My much bigger form joined theirs, draping over them like a protective veil. An appreciative sigh left both their forms, bodies snuggling closer to mine and seeking my warmth silently.

With each deep breath the alarm bells in my head slowly shut off, the whispers disappearing and fading into nothingness, all those doubts and fears locked away once again. The only thought in my head was how warm it all felt, how wonderful everything smelled, as if I was in a bakery, freshly baked pastries with fruits and vanilla cooling off on the counter. 

Nothing else mattered anymore.

These two pack members were in my hold now, safe and taken care of.

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next chapter

[sleepershell]

Arranged

pairing regulus black x f!reader

wc 1592

synopsis After the arranged marriage with Sirius falls through, you have a visit with your new fiancé: Regulus

content angst, allusions to familial abuse, the Black family, fluff if you’re deprived, reader has a personality

I truly thought my father would lose his mind on the day the Blacks owled him that Sirius was no longer a candidate for marriage. He’d run away, he was disowned, and they would no longer uphold the marriage arrangement our families had made. Father immediately sent word back that he was outraged, and I hid in my room as he stormed about the house. In all honesty, I was relieved. I hadn’t liked Sirius all that much. There was nothing wrong with him outright, but he hadn’t even been willing to speak to me when we met. And the grandiosity with which he flaunted his rebellion and arrogance was enough to make me queasy. Besides, I was just as committed to the romantic notion of marrying for love as the next girl. That hope was short-lived, though, because the Blacks sent word that they could still live up to their promise. They would be happy to offer up their younger son, Regulus.

And that is how I find myself sitting in the drawing room of 12 Grimmauld Place, silent and straight, ignoring the discussion the adults are having on behalf of Regulus and I. Regulus and I. Strange. Husband and wife. As if I’m fit to marry before I can even apparate. Their home is cold, all the furniture made of near-black wood and the textiles heavy. Ornate candelabras light the room, although it still has the distinct feeling of overall darkness. The fireplace isn’t lit, though it would probably do a lot in the way of comfort. My father and I are seated on a black couch with an abstract gold print across from Orion and Walburga, seated on an identical couch. Regulus is on a bench in front of the piano. He hasn’t looked at me. Great, another Sirius, I suppose.

He’s a good-looking boy, I’ll give him that. None of that obvious, easy charm that Sirius had though they shared a certain haughty look. Regulus was just a bit thinner, just a bit shorter. Still with the dark and curly locks, but not as long as Sirius’. His eyes are dark and situated under heavy brows. I get the impression he doesn’t know how to do anything but brood, although perhaps that’s because it’s all I’ve seen him do. There’s a beautiful angularity to his face, reminiscent of a statue. I don’t like the idea of him looking at me with those eyes. There’s no way he could find me nearly as attractive as I find him. He looks beautiful end stop. I, on the other hand, am the kind of beautiful that is in spite of. In spite of the glasses. In spite of the lack of exercise. In spite of the frizziness of my hair. And, even then, it’s discounting those things, like getting a book you only might read because it’s half price. My father has made it very clear that an arrangement is my best option. I untuck my hair from behind my ear, hoping the partial cover of my face hides my anxiety.

“(Y/N)?” My head whips around at my father’s voice. He and the Blacks are looking at me. Fuck.

“Yes, father?”

“You and Regulus are excused while we continue our discussion.” His eyebrows raise in a look that means: behave so I can marry you off.

I follow Regulus out of the room, and have no idea what to say once we’ve left. At the staircase, he stops and turns to me. His face still betrays no emotion.

“Are you alright with all that?” He asks. His voice is different than I expected. Almost… friendly.

“Alright with what?”

His eyebrows crease. “Moving in and all.”

Moving in? Merlin, I wasn’t listening to the discussion at all.

“You have no idea how this works, do you?” He asks.

“No, not exactly.” I try to give a smile, but he just sighs and begins up the stairs.

“Come on, I’ll show you my room.”

His room is a whole three stories up. I try my best to keep my breathing level. I don’t want him hearing me heave on a climb typical for him. At the top of the final flight are only two doors.

“Is this other room Sirius’?”

“It was.”

As I approach Regulus’ door, I see he’s hung a sign. It says: Do Not Enter Without the Express Permission of Regulus Arcturus Black. He enters, but I hang back in the doorway.

“Um, Mr. Black?” He glances at me with more of a frown than before and I’m almost too afraid to make the joke I intended. “Do I have your express permission to enter?”

Finally, mercifully, the ice of his face cracks, and he smiles faintly, nodding. “Close the door behind you.”

He sits on the only chair in the room, leaving me to awkwardly seat myself on the edge of his bed. As I pretend to examine his room I can feel the fullness of his gaze. He looks at me and I think he is seeing too much. He can see that I am not the girl he’d marry if he could choose. He can see that I am afraid. His room is surprisingly small, and I can’t imagine we are more than three feet from one another.

“So,” I have to break the silence, “I have to live here?”

I think he would roll his eyes at me but his parents probably told him to be on his best behavior.

“My parents seem to expect you to. It’s what a wife does, I suppose”

I couldn’t mask my shock. Shock but also excitement. To get to leave my house, to escape my dad’s anger. To escape the emptiness of those halls… Regulus stops my fantasy short.

“It’s not a good idea.” He’s angry again. Or at least, he looks the way he did when I first stepped foot in this house. Maybe angry is the wrong word. He looks closed off, impenetrable. Maybe angry, too.

“What?”

“You coming to live here. Us getting married. It’s not a good idea.” Finally, he looks away from me, focusing instead on a nonexistent point to my right.

I breathe in and hold it for as long as I can. Our silence lingers like dust that’s taking too long to settle. I’m not surprised but I can feel the knot of disappointment lodged in my throat. I am only good enough for a Black boy on paper. In reality, I am lackluster. Plain.

“Alright.” I nod, to myself more than to him. “So, what then? You’ll tell them no?”

Again, he looks at me like I’m dense. “Of course not.”

“But you think it’s a bad idea.”

“Yes.” He crosses his arms like a petulant child.

I shrug. Why would he even say so if he’s unwilling to do anything about it? “Surely, you don’t expect me to-“

“I do.” His gaze strays away from me again. “You just have to find some way to change your father’s mind.”

“No.” A prickling panic sensation is setting in. “I can’t. I won’t.” Wishing more than anything for this thought to be dashed, I raise one sleeve of my blouse, showing off the damage. It’s something I never want anyone to see. But maybe if Regulus knows he’ll at least pretend I'm what he wants in a wife.

Where I expected care of some kind, I am instead met with further callousness. Regulus sighs, pulling up his own sleeve, my mirror. His skin is marked with the same pale lines as my own. I feel sick. My escape route is in fact a more permanent prison. My hand flies up to cover my mouth. No tears fall, I’m too practiced for that.

“You think you’ll be any better off here? You think I’ll be good for you?” He lets his sleeve fall, standing and turning toward the small window at my side.

It’s silly, ridiculously so, but I reach through the short distance between us. “You might.” I slip my fingers into the hand at his side. His is cool to the touch, and smooth. “In just a few years, we can leave here.”

For a moment our hands remain together before he jerks his away. “You should’ve married Sirius. You missed the chance to be happy.”

My hand still lingering in the cold air between us, it feels as though I’ve been slapped. How could he say something so awful to a stranger? I want to hate him, but he’s the only person I’ve met with scars like mine. And, at this point, he’s my fiancé. In all my frustration, I fall back onto the bed.

“Merlin, I suppose we’re both doomed.” I glare up at the ceiling, counting tiny fissures and specks of dust. They should really have their house elf clean a bit more.

I feel his weight tilt the bed slightly as he sits on the edge of the bed. And then a hand, so gentle it could be the breeze, brushes against my hair. I look at him.

“I’m sorry.” His hand retreats.

“It’s fine. I’m yours now anyway.” He winces, like I am the last thing he wants.

“I’m sorry you have to marry me.” His beautiful face is so hard to read. He looks like an actual prince. I shake my head, giving him a smile.

“I’m not.”

He frowns. Merlin, what is wrong with this boy?

And then his door flies open, clearly without regard for the sign. And there are our parents.

“Oh lovely,” Walburga begins, “They’re already getting on.”

xx

[wonderlandleighleigh]

26 pages of fic in retaliation of the spoilers. So spoiler alert for the season 5 spoilers that have come out.

September, 1989

“Mama, no.” 

Midge wrinkles her nose. “What do you mean, ‘Mama, no,’ what is that supposed to mean?” 

Esther huffs as she follows her mother around the kitchen. “You can’t cook for twenty-six people, it’s too many!” 

“Please, I’ve cooked for armies!” 

“Real armies?” Eden asks, her ears perking up as she watches her partner chase Midge around. 

“Armies of comics,” Midge shrugs at her daughter-in-law. “Armies of musicians. Hungry entertainers, mostly.” 

“So not even as well-behaved as soldiers,” Eden jokes as she lifts her son up from the floor and snuggles the toddler. 

“Not nearly,” Midge responds.

“It’s too many people,” Esther presses. “Get it catered.” 

“God, no.” 

“Mama.” 

“Esther.” 

“You shouldn’t have to bust your ass in the kitchen all day,” Esther argues. “You just got home from a tour, don’t you want to relax?” 

“How long have we known each other?” Midge asks. 

Esther blinks. “You gave birth to me.” 

“And you’re how old?” 

“Mama.” 

“You’re thirty-one,” Midge answers for her. “Which means you’ve had thirty-one years to realize that relaxing is not my thing.” 

“But-” 

“It’s very sweet of you to worry, Honey,” Midge smiles, wrapping an arm around her daughter. “Really, I love you for being concerned, but the best way to decompress from two months on tour is to make a shitload of food that will eventually kill you all, and then force-feed it to you while I criticize all your choices.” 

“Seems like she’s dead set,” Eden comments. 

“I once cooked for two hundred people at Uncle Shy’s house for an album release party,” Midge tells them as she gets to work. “Monica fired the caterers five hours before the party started and then locked herself in the master bathroom, and I get this completely panicked phone call from Shy, begging me to come and do…something with the truck-load of food the caterers left because it was already paid for. So it’s me, Jerome, Bonnie and Gordon in the kitchen, while Shy, Lenny and Carly are trying to coax Monica out of the bathroom, and the only thing that did it was some cocaine someone had brought to the party..” 

Eden blinks as silence blankets the kitchen, before she turns to Esther. “Sometimes your mother tells these stories and I don’t know if they’re true or not.” 

“Ask Lenny, all true. I was six months’ pregnant with Lily at the time.” 

“I was very tempted by that cocaine, by the way,” Lenny says as he wanders in, lifting little Joshy from Eden’s arms. “I talked myself out of it by pretending if I did cocaine, it would somehow hurt the baby Midge was pregnant with.” 

Eden blinks again. “That’s…weird.” 

“And effective.” 

“Esther thinks we should have Rosh Hashanah catered,” Midge tells her husband.

He gives his stepdaughter a confused look. “It’s too late to get it catered now.” 

Esther rolls her eyes. “You’re comedy legends, I’m pretty sure if you snapped your fingers real hard someone would come running to cater Lenny Bruce and Midge Maisel’s Rosh Hashanah dinner.” 

“Why would we do that?” Lenny asks, still confused.

“Give it up, Babe,” Eden chuckles. “They’re never gonna outsource dinner.” 

“Especially since cooking keeps me out of the same room as your father for as long as possible,” Midge adds. 

“You could have just…not invited him,” Esther points out. 

“No, I can’t.” 

“Yes, you can.” 

“Nope! He’s still family. He sucks - that’s what the kids are saying now, right? Sucks?” 

“Sucks,” Lenny agrees. 

Midge nods confidently before turning back to Esther. “He sucks, but he’s still family, so he gets the invite.” 

“He could just decline,” Lenny points out. “And he never does.” 

“Well, someone has to bring Zeyde,” Esther points out.

“Lan and Charlie are in town, Lan could bring Moishe,” Midge says. 

“This keeps getting more hopeless,” Esther comments. 

“Mama is going a little crazy, Joshy,” Lenny tells the toddler in his arms, bouncing him a little. 

Esther sighs and takes her son from his arms. “I come by it honestly.” 

***** 

Ethen steps into his mother and stepfather’s home, leading his wife and two children inside from the breezy weather. 

It’s a large brownstone in the Village, decorated with a tasteful mix of built-in wood accents and bright colors. A perfect blend of both of the people who own the house. 

These days, even though all of the kids have moved out, both Ethan’s grandmother Rose, and Zelda, the family’s former housekeeper, call this place home, though Zelda is out for the evening.

Ethan had been worried once everyone left the nest, it would just be his parents rattling around this big place, but he’s heartened, knowing that they’re able to take care of a few of the more elderly members of the family, though Susie still refuses to give up her lavish, custom interior uptown apartment. 

“I worked hard for this,” she told him when the subject came up over drinks. “I’m not ready to call quits on it. The bathtub is too fucking good and the exact height for me to get into.” 

Fair enough.

“Okay, team,” Ethan says, turning to his family. “You know the drill: If you’ve got the shpilkes, go run out in the garden, but don’t pull up Pop-pop’s flowers. Be nice to your cousins, and for the love of God, please do not kick Papa Joel this time?” 

“That was my fault,” Julia chimes in. “He insinuated your mother was a slut, so I told Noah to kick him.” 

Ethan blinks and thinks that over. “That’s fair. But no kicking tonight, okay?” 

Noah nods dutifully as Norah goes running down the hall for the kitchen. 

“Softa, Softa!” she squeaks, and Ethan hears his mother’s voice as she showers the little girl with affection. 

“Here we go,” he mutters, lifting Noah over his shoulder and heading for the kitchen. “You gotta stop telling our kids to kick people.” 

“What else are they for?” Julia jokes. “It’s not like we can cook them and eat them.” 

“Why not?” Ethan asks.

“Don’t eat me!” Noah shouts. 

“Ethan, stop threatening to cannibalize your son,” Rose’s voice admonishes from behind them.

He swings around and grins at his grandmother. It’s odd to see her at this age, in her eighties, but she’s definitely still her. Certainly she’s slowed down, but she’s still sharp. 

“Hi, Gramma,” Ethan grins, kissing her cheek. “Ready for the chaos?” 

“As I’ll ever be,” Rose responds, letting herself be kissed. “Hello, Julia. I love your hair today.” 

“Aw, thanks, Rose,” Julia beams. “You look nice, too.” 

“I,” Rose tells them, lifting her chin, “am old.” 

“And still gorgeous,” Lenny says, peeking out of the kitchen. “Everybody in to say hello.” 

Ethan grins and heads past Lenny, straight to his mother, kissing her cheek. “Hey, Ma.” 

“My boys!” Midge chirps, kissing both Ethan and then Noah. “How was the drive?” 

“Fine,” Ethan shrugs. “Nothing to write home about.” 

“Hi, Gramma,” Esther grins, hugging Rose. “How are you?” 

“Old,” she tells her a little forlornly, before lifting Joshy out of her arms. “But this makes me feel better.” 

“Hi, Rose,” Eden says, getting to her feet. 

“Eden,” Rose nods coolly. “So nice to see you.” 

Ethan watches the interaction closely without comment, knowing that Esther’s coming out had been a little fraught at first. While most of the family hadn’t batted much of an eye (Lan came out a year earlier after all), Rose had been more than a little shocked. Though Midge had been quick to point out that there were stories of Abe dating a man back in the day. 

“It was the twenties!” Rose had countered. 

“Well, now it’s the eighties and your granddaughter is dating a woman,” Midge had shot back. “Get over it.” 

Ethan’s never seen Esther cry quite that hard.

“So we’re currently missing…almost everyone,” Julia points out, looking around the room after getting a cheek kiss from Lenny. 

“My God,” Lenny marvels, turning to Midge playfully. “I wonder where all of them could have learned this horrific lack of punctuality.” 

“Keep it up, you don’t get any challah,” she shoots back, making Ethan, Esther, Julia and Eden hoot teasingly. 

“Dad’s in trouble,” Esther sing-songs. 

Midge shakes her head, amused. In the old apartment, Ethan knows she would have shooed everyone out, because it was too small, but the brownstone has an enormous kitchen, perfect for this kind of gathering, and he can’t say he minds. 

“So, Chaim and Rachela have Bram of course, and they’re bringing Astrid,” Midge tells them. “Joel is bringing Moishe. Mei and Lan and Charlie are all coming together. Ella had a piano lesson, so Kitty said they’d be running a little late…Lily is always late, but I’m hoping that the new boyfriend will be a good influence.” 

“Have you met him yet?” Esther asks, looking intrigued. 

“I haven’t,” Midge admits. “Lenny has. He surprised her with lunch at the lab a couple of weeks ago, and he was there.” 

“Tall, Jewish, named Benj,” Lenny tells them. “Seemed nice. Some kinda chemist or some such.” 

Ethan tilts his head at his stepfather. “Oh, you hate him.” 

“No.”

“A little.” 

“...Maybe a little.” 

“You’re Lily’s father,” Rose points out. “Of course you hate the man she’s seeing.” 

“Abe loved me,” Lenny points out.

“Abe was going through a midlife crisis when he met you,” Rose counters. 

“In any case,” Midge chimes in. “That leaves Susie.” She turns to Ethan. “Where is Susie?” 

“At the Gaslight to check out a new act,” Ethan tells her. 

“In the afternoon?” Midge asks, baffled. 

Ethan shrugs. “She said she’d be along.” 

“Okay! Then I’m gonna get going here. The challahs are nearly done.” She whirls around as everyone starts to lunge for the oven. “Don’t you dare.” 

They all looked chastened as they back away.

***** 

“Are you sure we shouldn’t use the front door?” Benj asks as he follows Lily through the garden gate and towards the back door.

She blinks back at him, tilting her head. “Why would we do that?” 

“Because it’s polite,” Benj points out. 

Lily thinks about that. She’s never really thought about it, having spent her life since moving with her parents to this brownstone using the garden entrance to be able to check her father’s flowers and herbs before heading inside. 

“But I lived here,” Lily tells him. 

“You don’t now,” Benj shrugs. “I mean- don’t get me wrong. This garden is amazing. Did you do this?” 

“My dad,” Lily says. “He used to work on a farm when he was young. Most people don’t know he’s got a green thumb.” 

“Cool,” Benj grins. 

“You still want to use the front door,” Lily surmises. 

“...It feels like they might like me more if I use the front door,” he admits sheepishly. “I want to make a good impression.” 

“Fastest way to the front door is going through the garden door, down the hall and out the front door,” Lily tells him. 

“Wait, what?” 

“Come on.” 

***** 

Midge frowns as she hears the garden door open and close. She leans out of the kitchen, spotting her daughter and who she assumes is the boyfriend heading for the front door. 

“Lily?” 

“We’re not here yet!” she calls back. “Benj wants to use the front door!” 

Midge’s frown deepens as Lenny joins her at the doorway.

“You know,” he muses. “When she was first born, I never could have predicted that our genetics would mix quite that way.” 

Midge giggles a little. “Fun, though.” 

They watch as the front door opens and Lily and Benj step inside.

“We’re here! And we used the front door!” Lily calls. “Please be nice to my boyfriend!” 

Midge tries hard not to laugh as she steps out and hugs her youngest child. “Hi, Sweetie.” 

“Hi, Mama. This is Benj. He’s polite.” 

Midge smiles understandingly at Benj. “Hi. Nice to meet you. Welcome. For future reference, we all expect Lily to come in through the garden. No front doors necessary when you’re with her.” 

He grins sheepishly as they shake hands. “Good to know.” 

***** 

Moishe Maisel has lived a big, long life. He has seen war and death and life and good business and bad business and very bad business, and joy and heartache, and great things and stupid things, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren and everything that comes with the highs and lows of living.

But for all of his experience, he still doesn’t really understand his only son.

“You could date, you know,” he says as they walk up the sidewalk towards the Weissman/Bruce brownstone. “Find someone.” 

“So could you,” Joel shoots back.

“What do I wanna date for?” Moishe asks. “There’s not another Shirley out there.” 

Joel huffs out a breath as he stops in front of the large house, looking up at it pensively. “You know, we could just get some deli and go home.” 

“Why would we do that?” Moishe asks. “Miriam’s cooking a feast, she always does.” 

“It’s just-” he blows out a breath. “Why do I keep doing this to myself?” 

Moishe wrinkles his nose. “Doing what? Going to family dinners? Seeing your children and grandchildren?” 

“Going to Midge’s house.” 

“Because she’s the only one with enough space to host everyone.” 

Joel shrugs helplessly. “Well, maybe next year it could just be us and Ethan and his family.” 

“Ethan hates you,” Moishe reminds him.

“Esther’s then.” 

“Eden hates you.” 

“Well, then Lan!” 

“Lan is never here, lives with your second ex-wife, and you still can’t get over your farkakte feelings about his boyfriend.” 

Joel throws up his arms in frustration. “Fine! I fucked things up thirty years ago and everybody still thinks I’m an asshole, and now every time I come here for a holiday or a family get-together, no one lets me forget it!” 

Moishe stares at his son for a long moment and he thinks about trying to be supportive. About trying to give him advice and how all of that advice has fallen on deaf ears for decades. 

Instead, he opens the gate and walks up the pathway to the porch. “Lenny’s azaleas are really poppin’ this year!”

Behind him, he knows Joel is rolling his eyes, but following him.

***** 

Esther beams as she opens the door on her grandfather. “Zeyde!” 

She hugs the older man tightly, kissing his cheek. 

“Oh, my sweet little Esther, you look good!” Moishe tells her, rubbing her arms. “Where’s my great-grandson? I have a candy for him.” 

“Zeyde…” 

Moishe wanders past her, on the lookout for said great-grandchild, as Joel steps in.

“Pop, hi,” Esther says, kissing his cheek awkwardly. 

“Hey, Sweetie. Things devolve into chaos yet?” 

“No, everything is fine,” Esther tells him, a little confused. 

“Lenny must be out of town,” Joel tries to joke.

“...No, he’s in the garden with Ethan and Julia and Lily and her new boyfriend…” 

“...Right.” 

She leads him back into the kitchen, where her mother is still cooking while Eden and Rose keep her company.

Eden lifts an unimpressed eyebrow at Esther’s father. “Joel.” 

“Hi, Eden. Doin’ good?” 

“Sure.” 

“Hi, Joel,” Midge says politely as she keeps working.

“Midge.” 

“Look who I found!” Moishe crows as he shuffles into the kitchen, carrying Joshy and flanked by Noah and Norah. 

“Hey!” Joel smiles, hugging the kids. “Look at you guys!” 

“The kinder look good,” Moishe agrees, before smiling at the assembled group. “Hello, Miriam. Rosie, Eden.” 

Eden grins at him. “Hi, Moishe. How’s the retirement community?” 

He shuffles over and takes a seat with her at the kitchen island. “You would not believe the mishegas these nuts get up to.” 

“Ooooh, geriatric gossip,” Midge teases. “Let’s hear it.” 

Esther glances back at her father as Moishe begins to regale them with his tales. “Pop, why don’t you take the twins out back to run around?” 

“I’m good,” Joel tells her. “Really, Es, it’s fine.” 

“I mean, you’re lying, but okay.” 

“Esther.” 

She shrugs, and starts to respond, when the front door opens and closes again.

“Hellooooo!” 

She’s not terribly proud of losing interest in her father’s discomfort, but the sound of her beloved older sister’s voice after not having seen her for a while tends to send her reeling back into her childhood. “Kitty!” 

She finds herself barrelling out of the kitchen and back to the front door, hugging Kitty tightly. 

Kitty giggles, hugging her back. “Oooh, there she is! Hi!”

 “Hi!” Esther responds against her shoulder. “Hi, hi, hi.” 

“Aunt Es!” Ella squeaks from behind them and Esther lets go of Kitty to hoist the five-year-old into her arms. 

“Look at this beautiful rock star,” Esther says, kissing the little girl’s cheek. “How was piano?” 

“Fun,” Ella tells her, giggling. 

“Hey, Esther,” Daniel says as he helps Kitty out of her coat.

“Hi, Daniel, good to see you,” Esther grins. “Everyone is here except Lan and Mei and Charlie, and Aunt Astrid, Chaim and Rachela and Bram.” 

“Thank god we’re not the last ones here,” Kitty huffs. “Remember the last time?” she asks her husband. “Rose stared daggers right into my soul.” 

“Your soul, what about mine?” Daniel jokes. “She cornered me in the kitchen and gave me an entire lecture on punctuality.” 

“Which is hilarious because Mama has never been on time for one thing in her whole life, including her second wedding, and Lily’s birth,” Esther adds, making them all laugh.

“Uh-oh, did I miss a joke?” Lenny asks as he steps into the foyer. 

Ella squeaks and wiggles down from Esther’s arms. “Pop-Pop!!” 

Lenny chuckles as he scoops her up, kissing her firmly on the cheek. “There she is!” 

“Pop-Pop, I have so much to tell you!” Ella says. 

“Okay, before you regale Pop-Pop with stories of piano lessons and kindergarten,” Kitty laughs, leaning forward to hug her father. “Hi, Daddy.” 

“Hey, Kit,” Lenny says, hugging her as he still holds Ella. “Hi, Daniel.” 

“Hey, Dad,” Daniel responds, grinning. “How are things looking so far?” 

“Same old. Lily brought her boyfriend.” 

Kitty gasps and turns to Esther. “How is he? Is he cute? Is he nice? Do we need to grab Ethan and talk about where to hide the body?” 

“Okay, first of all,” Esther laughs. “He’s cute, and he seems very nice, and second of all, Lily is very capable of hiding her own bodies.” 

“What? No, she’s not, she’s a little baby and we need to protect her.” 

“She’s twenty-four.”

“Exactly!”  

“You know you’re the daughter of two criminals, when…” Esther teases, making everyone laugh again.

“That funny bone is wasted in the courtroom,” Lenny tells her. “Quit and get a writing gig.” 

“Never,” Esther smirks. 

Lenny shakes his head before turning back to his granddaughter. “Tell Pop-Pop all about your adventures!” 

Kitty smiles and wraps her arms around Esther. “And you tell me about yours. How is Eden? How is Joshy?” 

Esther beams at her sister and tells her.

***** 

Eventually, the rest of the family show up, with Lan showering his nieces and nephews in hugs and praise for how grown-up they all look, and Mei latches herself onto Midge in the kitchen as she cooks. 

“So? How is LA?” 

“It’s wonderful,” Mei tells her as she sits down. “Really, Midge. The sun and the food…I keep getting asked to guest lecture and write guest articles. It’s heaven.” 

Midge beams at her. “It’s nice to see you happy.” 

"You and Lenny should move to LA."

Midge scoffs, laughing. "God, no. Lenny hates it there for a wide range of reasons. And we love New York."

Mei rolls her eyes. "Yes, but it would get you away from you-know-who."

"I'm not going to let him scare me into moving across the country, away from my children and my life," Midge says firmly. "He's the miserable one. He can move to LA."

Mei laughs. "Hell, no, you keep him."

Midge sighs heavily and turns to her, taking a seat at the island across from her. "He's been getting more unhappy by the week."

Mei shrugs. "He fucked up two marriages and alienated all three of his children. He lost the club in the seventies to a gambling addiction and he drank his way through the first five years of the eighties, until he realized he wouldn't be able to see his grandchildren if he didn't get his shit together. So color me not shocked."

"I know," Midge says quietly. "I just- feel bad, I guess. He hates that I moved on. He never lets me forget it."

"Then maybe it's time to cut it off," Mei suggests. "This is your house and your life. Ethan and Esther are grown. If they want to spend time with their father, you don't have to be a part of that…I bet Lenny would be relieved."

"I'm pretty sure Lenny stopped acknowledging Joel's existence sometime in 1976." 

"Ooh, good for Lenny."

"Good for Lenny what?" the man in question asks as he steps in with Ella on his hip. 

Midge gasps. "A grandbaby!" she chirps, lifting the little blonde into a hug. 

Mei kisses Lenny's cheek in greeting. "We were talking about how you keep forgetting Joel exists."

"Who?" Lenny jokes with a hand to his mouth. "Oh, him. Yeah he tried to start a fist fight with Ethan that one time after stowing cocaine in our closet, and I thought 'nope,' so now I just ignore him aggressively."

"God, what an awful night," Midge says, snuggling Ella. 

"It was awful," Mei agrees. "But a lot has changed for the better."

Midge smiles and kisses Ella's temple before setting her down. "Go play, sweetie."

She does, and Midge turns back to Mei and Lenny. “Mei thinks we need to stop inviting Joel to the house.” 

“She’s right,” Lenny nods firmly. “I know you feel bad for him, Midge. But he’s not your responsibility.” 

She nods slowly, thinking that over. “I guess - I guess I just never thought about not trying to help him.” 

“I know,” Lenny tells her, taking her hand. “But it might be time to finally start.” 

“No might,” Mei interjects. “Definitely.” 

****

"Ethan."

"Pop."

Susie watches the father-son interaction with its cold overtones and sighs. "You two ever gonna bury that hatchet?"

"You know?" Ethan ponders. "I'm good." 

"Fucksake," Susie grumbles. 

Noah giggles. "Fucksake!"

Susie nods. "Exactly, kid."

"Jesus, Susie!" Joel cries. 

"He's not here, we're Jewish," Ethan comments before turning to his son. "What'd we say?"

Noah pouts guiltily. "No bad f bombs."

Ethan nods, satisfied. "That's right."

"You are an excellent parent," Susie praises him. 

Ethan nods. "Damn right I am."

*****

Dinner is, of course, incredible. 

While Lily is very good with plants and even animals, the culinary arts have eluded her for most of her life. 

She’s very good at boiling rice in chicken stock and adding some cheese and a little hot sauce, but beyond that, it all feels a little nebulous. 

Her mother, however, is magical in the kitchen, and tonight’s feast is no exception. 

“Mama, everything looks amazing,” she tells her mother, smiling up at the woman. 

Midge beams at her. “Well, dig in.” 

Everyone does, and Lily smiles, turning to Benj. 

“I’m really glad you’re Jewish so I don’t have to explain all the food to you,” she tells him happily. “And you won’t get weird about it.” 

Benj smiles back at her, obviously amused and a little charmed. “Well, I’m glad to eat all of it. It looks incredible. My father isn’t much of a cook.” 

“Your mother isn’t around?” Julia asks curiously as they pass food around the table.

“Ah…no. She uh…she left us when I was little, so it was always just my father and me,” Benj explains with a sheepish grin.

Lily nudges him gently and grins at him. “You wanna share mine? She’s a little crazy, but she does make a mean brisket.” 

Benj laughs and kisses her cheek, before digging into the food. 

***** 

Ethan finds his mother prepping coffee and dessert in the kitchen and wordlessly starts to lend a hand, pouring cups before starting a fresh pot. 

“How you doing, kid?” Midge asks as she slices up the apple cake. 

“Ah, y’know. Happy to see everybody. Most everybody.”

“Your dad getting you down?” Midge frowns. 

“Same as always,” Ethan shrugs. “Shit never changes with him, even though we all keep moving on. Lily’s new boyfriend. The rest of us have kids and jobs…you and Lenny keep working and changing. Even Susie.” 

Midge grins warmly. “The Friar’s Club has been bothering Susie again. They want to roast the shit out of her.” 

“Is it my birthday already?” Ethan jokes.

“You tell me, I can’t remember what we decided your birthday actually is anymore,” Midge chuckles softly and hands him a piece of cake. “Your favorite.” 

Ethan grins and takes the plate, taking a bite. “Mmm. You still got it. You should host a cooking show, like the Frugal Gourmet or something.” 

She waves a dismissive hand. “I’d get thrown off the air for my terribly scandalous stories.” 

“We pitch it to HBO.” 

“With the porn?” Midge laughs. 

“Ah, you’ve shown your boobs to an audience before,” Ethan jokes. 

“God, I so wish I could still ground you,” Midge tells him, laughing harder. 

He nudges her and eats more cake. “Hey everybody! Coffee!! Cake!!” 

***** 

Esther lounges on a lawn chair in the garden, eating some honey cake as Lenny sits in the one next to her, sipping on a cup of coffee. 

“You know what I’ve been thinking about?” Esther asks, considering her cake. 

“Hm?” 

“The day we met,” Esther tells him. “It’s one of my first, full memories. I must have been…three? Four? And you came over for dinner - the whole family was there - and for some reason you were sitting next to me.” 

Lenny grins at her fondly. “I remember. I cut up your chicken for you.” 

“You did. And you poured me some juice.” She smiles. “And I remember you looked at me like…I mattered to you. Even though we hadn’t ever met before and you were a stranger. You cared.” 

Lenny thinks about that for a long moment, sighing softly. “You were Midge’s, and she’s always mattered to me. So you mattered, too. And I was really missing Kitty. Missing being a dad. It felt good to stretch those dad muscles, even though you weren’t technically mine.” 

Lan wanders over then, a bottle of whiskey in his hands. “I’m the fun fairy,” he announces as he dribbles a little into Lenny’s mug. 

Esther gasps and lifts her own mug from the ground. “Me, me!” 

Lan pours some into hers as well, before sitting on the grass in front of them. “Are we having serious conversations?” 

“Nah, just talking about old times,” Lenny chuckles, sipping his coffee. “Just the right amount. Good pour.” 

Esther sips her own. “How is Charlie holding up?” 

“He is hanging out with Julia, looking at old family photos,” Lan tells him, taking a sip of the whiskey. “Which he loves. And I love him for it, but also? I was not that cute of a baby.” 

“An enormous lie and we all know it,” Lenny points at him. “Astrid!” 

“Yes!” Astrid calls from across the grass, sitting with Chaim and Kitty. 

“Wasn’t Lan the cutest fucking baby!” 

“The absolute most adorable!” Astrid calls back. “He had the chubbiest little cheeks and the tiniest little tush!” 

Lan shakes his head. “Oh, my god.” 

Esther giggles and offers him some cake, which he readily takes a bite of. “Seen Dad?” 

“Sitting on the front porch alone,” Lan says. “I tried to talk to him but he got weird.” 

“I think he’s turning into a weird old man,” Esther says, fretting. 

“Well, yes,” Lan agrees. “He’s been heading that way for like a decade.” 

“Is it weird that I’m worried about it?” Esther asks. 

“No,” Lenny tells her, reaching out to pat her hand. “He’s your dad. You’re supposed to worry about him. God knows Kitty and Lily worry about me sometimes. It’s just part of the deal. But at the end of the day, he’s a grown man. He has to figure out his own shit, no matter how much you wanna help him out.” 

“Yeah, you’ve got a two-year-old already,” Lan jokes. “You don’t need another.” 

Esther nods. “I know you’re right. I guess I just wish things were less bad with him.” 

“We all wish that,” Lan commiserates. “But we have each other.” 

“Fun fairy!” Chaim calls, lifting his mug. “Refill!” 

“Oops, that’s my cue,” Lan grins, hopping to his feet. “Fun fairy is back on the clock!” 

Lenny chuckles softly and shakes his head. “You kids are a fucking delight.” 

Esther nods, lifting her mug. “Yes, we are.” 

***** 

Kitty helps Rachela, Ethan and Eden put all the kids to bed in the “kids room.” 

Midge had had it redecorated with four built-in bunk beds. It’s stylish but fun at the same time, giving the kids an entire room all their own to sleep over in. 

“Truly, this would have been Bubbe Shirley’s dream, having this kind of room,” Ethan comments with a chuckle. 

“I heard she was an incredible grandmother,” Eden comments as she settles Joshy into a bottom bunk. 

“The best,” Kitty says. “It didn’t matter to her that Lily, Chaim and I weren’t really her grandkids. She lumped us all in together with Ethan, Esther and Lan. We were a set and she refused to break it up.” 

“That’s so sweet,” Rachela says as she settles Bram into another bottom bunk. “I feel so lucky to have been taken in by this big, crazy family.” 

“It hasn’t always been easy,” Ethan tells her. “Y’know. With my parents divorcing early, and everything that happened after. Things were rough for a long time.” He shifts Norah into the top bunch and then settles Noah down underneath. 

“Every family has its problems,” Eden shrugs. 

Kitty settles Ella into the last bottom bunk, unable to really reach the top. “Ours has quite a few. The breakups, drugs, overly healthy egos, run-ins with the law, near-accidental deaths, the CIA popping up every now and then.” 

“Believe me, when Chaim’s father died, the Company came knocking on Astrid’s door multiple times,” Rachela tells them. “Looking for things they thought were there in the house.” 

“They did something similar after Papa Abe died,” Ethan comments. “He worked for Bell Labs for a second and they had to come around and make sure he hadn’t kept anything.” 

“Daddy’s been raided by the cops a few times,” Kitty comments. “It's stressful."

Eden nods. "This family is weird as hell."

They all laugh quietly before stepping out of the room. 

*****

Midge finds him on the front stoop.

"There's coffee."

"So?" Joel snaps as he takes a pull from his cigarette. 

"I was asking if you wanted any," she clarifies. "Lan is running around with a bottle of whiskey, jazzing it up for people,” she smiles, amused. "He's calling himself the fun fairy."

"Just what every father wants to hear about their son," he mutters to himself. 

Midge narrows her eyes. "I thought you were fine with Lan's sexuality."

Joel looks back at her, deeply annoyed. "Maybe I'm not. Maybe I'm tired of being fine with all the bullshit that gets thrown at me. Lan and Esther making crazy choices-"

"You think it's a ch-"

"Mei running away from me, Ethan avoiding me, you staying with your pet junkie. Maybe I don't wanna be fine anymore, Midge." 

She stares at him for a long moment, tilting her head and really, truly seeing him for the first time in a long time.

She'd always wondered, had they stayed together, if he would have been different. 

She knows the answer is no. He'd still be discontented and angry and taking it out on her. 

She doesn't think about the next words that leave her lips. 

"I am so grateful you cheated and left," Midge tells him. "Because if I had to deal with this every fucking day, I don't know what I would do."

Joel stares at her in silence for a long time. Ten years ago that would have stung him much more than it does now. 

He takes another drag. "Go fuck yourself, Midge."

She closes the door quietly, and when she turns around, Susie is standing there. 

"Lock the door," the shorter woman tells her. 

"He can just go around the garden," Midge points out. 

"Yeah, and he'll be doing the walk of shame past his ex's husband and a bunch of family members to get back in. Lock it." 

Midge does and Susie puts an arm around her. 

"Let's break out the good booze," Susie says. "That whiskey Lan has is like lighter fluid."

Midge chuckles. "He's still young, his system can take it."

*****

It somehow usually winds up being the six of them and a joint. 

"How is this so smooth?" Kitty marvels as she passes it to Ethan. 

"LA pot is the best," Lan explains. "And nobody checked my bag at the airport."

"Our gain," Lily says as Ethan passes it to her. "Dinner was nice."

Chaim nods in agreement. "Dinner was nice. Been a while. Benj seems like a good guy."

"He is," Lily nods. "He thinks I'm pretty and smart."

"You are pretty and smart," Esther tells her. "You look happy."

"You know? I am," Lily nods. "It feels nice."

Ethan kisses the top of her head and looks out the garden gate, frowning. "Is that-?" 

"Pop trudging through the gate even though he was at the front door?" Lan supplies. "Yes it is."

"Is something wrong with the front door?" Lily calls. "Benj likes the front door."

Joel stops, obviously caught out. "Your mother locked me out," he admits. 

"Because you acted like a douche canoe?" Chaim supplies. 

The rest of them giggle helplessly. 

"Oh my God, where did that even come from?" Kitty asks as she and Esther lean on each other for support as they laugh. 

"An intern at the Times," Chaim supplies. "It sounds good, right? Just rolls right off the tongue!"

Joel shakes his head, looking to the sky. "You kids. You have no respect for your elders. You just do whatever the fuck you want and fuck everyone else."

Esther takes the joint, pulling a long toke. "We learned from the best, Pop. Nobody does selfish asshole quite as expertly as you."

"God, weed makes you articulate," Lan praises her. 

"I once wrote an entire essay on the first amendment while on acid," Esther tells him. "My ass got an A plus." 

"You think you're so funny," Joel grouses. 

"We don't, actually," Ethan shrugs. "Growing up in a house with professional comedians, you learn real quick if you're funny. We just know how to banter." 

"You and I need to have a discussion," Joel tells his oldest. 

"Now? Like right now? Because I'm really stoned, and you're not going to like what I have to say," Ethan tells him. 

"He wouldn't like what you have to say sober, either," Lily points out. 

"Stay outta this, Lily," Joel snaps. 

She gasps loudly. "Good God, I exist to Joel Maisel, he knows my name and everything! It only took twenty-four years! We should celebrate, pass the pot back." 

Mei steps out of the house, wandering over and eyeing the six of them. "Having fun, I see."

"Joel knows my name!" Lily chirps as she coughs. 

The others giggle as covertly as they can. 

"We raised a passel of assholes," Joel tells his second wife. 

Mei shrugs. "An entertaining passel of assholes. Come inside. Leave them be." 

"Bye Pop, love you Pop, don't be mean to anyone inside, Pop!" Lan calls. He takes the joint as he's ignored. "That man hates that I'm gay."

"Hate is probably too strong a word," Kitty says soothingly. "I think he just doesn't get it."

Lan pouts and it earns him a hug from the oldest of his sisters. 

"He doesn't get me, either," Esther commiserates. "And my wife is Korean, so that's an extra layer of 'holy shit, Esther did what?'" 

Kitty wraps her other arm around her. "You both are living your lives and making yourselves happy. That's really important stuff. And the rest of the family gets it. Even Moishe just shrugs his shoulders and ignores that it's not what he's used to."

"Besides, Pop is sixty years old and he still has no idea what he wants," Ethan shrugs as he takes another hit. "He left his wife and kids after only four years, messed up a bunch of relationships, gambled away an entire nightclub and then hid half a brick of cocaine in the house of a recovering drug addict. You're really gonna listen to him?" 

Lan and Lily turn to Ethan, looking confused. 

"Sorry, what?" Lan asks. 

"Joel did what?" Lily says at the same time. 

"Oops," Kitty mutters. 

"I don't know this story, either," Chaim chimes in. "Joel hid drugs here?" 

Ethan sighs heavily and sits back. “It was a little over ten years ago, now. It was right before he gambled the club away. He was turning a blind eye to dealers who had started hanging out late into the night, and some big dealer tasked him with hiding half a brick…he didn’t want it at the club where Archie could find it, so he brought it to family dinner and stashed it in a closet here…Susie was staying over…she goes to get a towel…” 

“And she finds a fuck-ton of blow,” Lan surmises. “Fuck.” 

“She thought it was Daddy’s,” Kitty chimes in. “They had a huge fight about it.” 

“And when it came out that it was Pop’s,” Esther adds, “Ethan punched him in the face.” 

The group goes quiet after that. 

“How are none of us career criminals?” Chaim ponders. 

“I think we’re too dumb,” Lily tells him. “I mean, we’re all booksmart, but I don’t think we have the cold calculating brains for real crime.” 

Lan nods solemnly in agreement. “I’m a terrible mob prince.” 

They all giggle.

***** 

Eden really likes her mother-in-law.

She’d been a little worried, Midge being a big name in comedy, that she’d be kind of a dick. And sometimes she can be, but mostly, when she’s at home and not on stage, she’s just a mom, and now a grandmother.

It helps that her reaction to Esther coming out had been ‘As long as you still give me at least one grandchild, what do I care about the gender of the person you go to bed with every night? Now eat some babka.’ 

And even better, Midge genuinely likes Eden. They have real, meaningful conversations when they visit, and Eden is showered with affection every time they see each other, almost as much as Esther is. 

It’s late now, Esther is outside with her siblings (probably playing bad kid), and Eden is helping Midge with the dishes. 

“So Lenny comes over one morning,” Midge tells her, continuing a delightful story about their family. “And he’s holding an entire gift basket of muffins, sent to him by Carl Reiner as a ‘please tighten up this Dick Van Dyke Show script, I’m dying’ bribe, and a bag of freshly roasted coffee beans in a big paper bag.” 

Eden chuckles as she dries a big cast iron pan. 

“I open the door, he says ‘Good morning, Sweetheart. One of these muffins probably has a laxative in it, wanna figure out which?’” 

Eden laughs fully at that, shaking her head. “Where did the beans come from?” 

“The beans,” Midge tells her, “were from a short little Jewish man named Irving Kramer who lived in a tiny basement apartment in Harlem. He roasted his own coffee beans and sold them for a little quick cash and sometimes drugs.” Midge hands the younger woman another pot to dry. “I have been all over the world, and I tell you, it was the best coffee I’ve ever had.” 

“Maybe it was who you were sharing it with?” Eden offers with a shrug. 

Midge grins at her and nudges her gently. “Eden, turning into a softy.” 

“No.” 

“A little.” 

“Maybe motherhood has made me a little more squishy,” Eden shrugs. “And Esther. That helps.” 

Midge nods in understanding. “I know who I would be without my family. I don’t like to think about it very much, but I know exactly who that person is, and it’s- well, it’s not pretty. So I understand.” 

Eden regards her mother-in-law thoughtfully, imagining a lonely, famous old woman, wandering around a much larger home than this by herself. With only her accolades to keep her company. 

“There any more cake?” Lenny asks as he steps into the kitchen and kisses Midge’s cheek before patting Eden’s arm affectionately. 

“On the island,” Midge tells him. “Sweet tooth finally rearing its head?” 

He nods as he slices himself a piece of honey cake. “Seems so. It’s probably the whiskey and the smell of the pot smoke from the garden.” 

“I can tell them to quit it if it’s bothering you,” Eden offers. 

He waves her off good-naturedly. “I’ll live. I miss it some days, but not enough to indulge, and the occasional almost-contact high is pleasant enough.” He takes a bite and breathes out a sigh of satisfaction. “Mm. You guys see Joel come in through the garden door?” 

“I locked him out the front,” Midge explains. “Susie’s idea.” 

Lenny chuckles.

 Midge turns to him, smiling a little. “We should take a vacation soon.” 

“Yeah?” Lenny ponders, his eyebrows lifting. “Where to this time?” 

Midge shrugs thoughtfully. “Maybe back to Miami.” 

“Good memories,” he beams. “I’m in. You wanna leave tomorrow or what?” 

“You have a gig tomorrow,” Midge reminds him. 

“Rats. We’ll figure it out.” 

“What happened in Miami?” Julia asks as she wanders into the kitchen and steals a bite of Lenny’s cake. 

“Oh, this is good and romantic, you’ll like this one,” Midge tells her, gesturing for both women to have a seat. “I was on tour with Shy Baldwin.” 

“And I was living in a crummy motel by the water,” Lenny chimes in. 

“And one day, I’m sitting at the bar of the Fontainebleau, writing dick jokes…” 

**** 

Eventually, the night winds down completely and people start heading out. 

Esther, Kitty and their families are staying over, as well as Susie, but everyone else is heading home, or in Lan, Charlie and Mei’s case, their hotel. 

Lenny hugs all the kids and sleepy grandkids, saying his goodbyes. As he gets older, the end of the night feels like it gets harder every time. Maybe one day, it will be the last time he says goodbye to these people he adores so much.

“Stop looking so maudlin,” Lily chides him playfully as they hug. “Yom Kippur is in like two weeks, and we’ll all be back to eat another big, over-the-top meal.” 

“Yes, I know, but I miss you when you’re not here,” he admits. “I like when all the kinder are together.” 

“Even when we’re ready to eat each other out of hunger?” Chaim asks as he hefts Bram into his arms. 

“Especially then, it’s a free show,” Lenny jokes. 

“Time for us to go, too,” Moishe says as he shuffles to the door, hugging and kissing on his way. “I will be here with bells on for Yom Kippur.” He eyes his six grandchildren. “Can all of you behave for Yom Kippur?” 

“Yes, Zeyde,” they chorus, earning chuckles and soft laughs from their partners. 

Midge kisses all of the kids and grandkids too, waving them off, and Joel wanders out after Moishe. She stands up a little straighter and smoothes out her dress. “Goodnight, Joel.” 

He nods silently before disappearing down the front steps, and she sighs softly as Lenny settles his hands on her upper arms comfortingly.

“Maybe he doesn’t come to Yom Kippur,” Lenny offers. “Maybe Ethan goes to get Moishe and Joel just…does his own thing.” 

“Please, fuck, that sounds like a dream,” Susie groans. 

Ella giggles sleepily from Daniel’s arms. “Fuck.” 

Lenny lets out a short, sharp laugh, and closes the front door. 

END