#blushing expression meme

[bonsiii-art]

1A Shadow Milk pretty please?

Ah, it seems he was busy...

[mischievous-thunder]

Good to know, Wade, good to know.

[afoxintheuniverse]

Repost from my insta but I did a little challenge for Valentines Day and it includes the incredible Sparkplug cause I HAD to draw her!

@startheskelaton hope she looks ok in my style!

Other oc’s belong to me, my friend @lavenderfaerietale on insta and YouTube and @CrystalNova on instagram

[fisheito]

EIDEN FACES!!!

[hykaru-chan]

😳 Blushing faces meme : Peppino Spaghetti

I LOVE the cartoon expressions from this game ❤️

[ask-the-7t]

Six Expressions of Bazeema

Sometimes, people just call her ‘Cherry’ just because of her blushing face. So here I am, explainin’ those expressos!

Happy

She has a cat like mouth with blush stickers with two lines in each blush. Her end of her hat is curled up into a heart.

Grumpy

She has smaller iris with blush stickers with two lines in each blush. Her end of her hat sticks up on top. She also has a pouted face and a cloud of steam.

Embarrassed/Blushing Madly/Shy

She’s extremely meek and bashful. Her red face is shown under hat as she covers her face with it. Steam comes from her head.

Sad/About to spill Waterworks

She has some puppy dog eyes with tears with blush stickers with two lines in each blush. She has a curvy mouth like she’s whimpering.

Panic Attack

Without her hat, she has shrunken pupils and some eyebags.

Brave

In her personal Bizarre Bazee form, she’s confident with a fist on her chest. She also has her right eye closed.

[thedenofravenpuff]

Some doodles from a bit ago, I just love using expression memes as excuse to draw same OC over and over again for practice. 

Jens is not a popular man in the Old Western AU, yet somehow found himself quite forwardly courted by @dess1ne’s Witcher. Plenty enough excuse for me to have fun drawing him with blushy faces a bunch!

So enjoy!

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[no-144444]

too warm- f.colapinto

summary: franco finds a way to gain your favor... only it doesn't go as planned.

pairing: franco colapinto x fem! mclaren driver! reader

(i am once again running out of pictures to decorate my posts (pinterest only gives me so much inspo) so enjoy the seb vettel meme!) (also be thankful it wasn't that one photo of mark webber with his grippers out!)

୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ

Franco watched with bated breath as you spoke to Oscar. He was much more your speed, much more calm than Franco ever had been. It made him crazy, you made him crazy. He was on a stage in front of thousands of people, thousands of cameras, and he was staring at the two of you with a scowl. Oscar was your teammate, he reminded himself. You’re just friends. But he didn’t know that. You two were close, too close in his opinion. He was in love with you, and you didn’t even know. 

“Are you alright, Franco?” Alex whispered, looking at him. 

Franco just nodded, his eyes trained on the two of you. 

“How are we feeling about the race tonight?” Laila, the woman conducting the interviews, asked. 

“It is so hot, for no reason,” you joked. “I’m feeling warm.” 

Franco smiled. He had a plan. He knew what he could do to gain your favor over Oscar. 

୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ

He ran back to the Williams hospitality, grabbing a few ice packs from his cooler, then he ran to your driver’s room. 

Oscar opened the door. He scowled. 

“You alright?” Oscar yawned. 

“Where’s Y/n?” he asked. 

“Umm… I don’t know, maybe in my room? Maybe in the canteen? She said her aircon was broken so we switched rooms. I think she’s sick or something, it’s not that warm at all.”

Franco nodded, thanking him, then he turned to Oscar’s driver’s room. He knocked, but heard no reply, so he opened the door. You were sitting on the floor, vomiting into the toilet. 

“Qué quilombo, are you alright?” he asked. (What a mess.)

You groaned as you felt his hands on your back, holding your hair. He placed a cold pack on your neck and you moaned, your skin so hot that the cold felt like the best thing in the world. “Thank you Franco.”

He blushed slightly, a soft smile on his lips. “Anything I can do?”

You shook your head, standing. “I don’t want to get you sick,” you started brushing your teeth in your sink. “You shouldn’t be in here.”

He shook his head. “I’m alright. I just want you to be alright.”

You smiled, but your eyes looked sunken, you looked a little bit off, and in general, just not the person he looked forward to seeing every weekend. “Thank you Franco, but you should seriously save yourself. I doubt I’ll be able to race tonight.”

He shook his head, leading you over to your bed. “You should relax, I’ll wait with you until the race, ok?”

You nodded, mostly because you couldn’t do anything else, and you fell asleep against him, your head on his lap. 

Franco texted your reserve driver, Lando, to explain that you were sick and he’d take care of you, but that Lando would be in the car for the night. He waited with you until he was getting calls from James, then he had to leave you with your trainer. He got in the car, and somehow got into the points from his measly P19. When he got out of the car, he went straight back to you, not exactly hiding his feelings. He’d never been good at that, hiding his feelings. 

You sat in your driver’s room, a dazed expression on your face. 

“Franco!” you cheered, standing up to greet him. You were delirious. You outstretched your arms, wrapping them around him (more like falling onto him, but he caught you all the same). “My knight in shining armour!”

He chuckled. “You should sit down.”

“Don’t wanna sit down,” you mumbled against his neck. “You smell good.”

He blushed. “Let’s sit together, yeah?”

You nodded, letting him lead you back to your bed. He sat, letting you rest your head back on his lap. 

“You’re the best Franco, thank you,” you mumbled, falling asleep against him once again.  God, he was falling hard. 

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navigation for my blog :) (masterlist)

[kathaynesart]

Been seeing the Blush Meme going around so it was a great excuse to get some Omega expressions out… even if he will never use them haha.

[gliphyartfan]

Hellooo, can I apply to the Chain with a human reader that have cuteness aggression? Like get excited because they think they are so cute, it bites them, stuffs their face with kisses unexpectedly and that sort of thing. Sorry for my bad english

Oooh nice nice nice~! Let’s see~

—————

Reader is just out here loving on the Chain and expressing their adoration in the most chaotic, wholesome ways, and the guys… are definitely not prepared for it.

-Time-

Time is always a bit stoic, so when they grab his face and squish his cheeks because he’s ‘too cute for his own good~!’ he doesn’t know what hit him.

Since he’s already fond of and trusts them, he eventually relaxes in their hands.

(You know that meme of the cheetah startled before relaxing into a person’s hands? That’s exactly what he’d do!)

He’d be flustered but would try to hide it, especially when they bury their face into his chest or arms and mutter about how adorably grumpy he looks when he’s focused.

It takes him some time to understand that their cuteness aggression is how they express love, but once he gets it, he secretly loves it.

He’d definitely let out a deep chuckle eventually, he can’t resist when Reader is being so sincere and genuine and quietly say “You’re ridiculous…” while patting their head to hide his fondness.

-Twilight-

Twilight would be completely baffled the first time they tackle hugged him and started ruffling his hair because he was “too cute to handle.”

He’s used to being seen as the tough, capable one, so their sudden bursts of affection leave him utterly confused.

If he’s in wolf form? Forget it. Their squeals and petting sessions would have him rolling his eyes—but secretly wagging his tail.

Over time, he starts leaning into it. If they’re going to smother him in kisses, he might as well tease them about it, right?

Also, if they try to hug him by running and jumping at him, he’ll just pluck them out of the air like they weigh as much as a paper ball.

-Sky-

Sky would absolutely melt under their aggressive affection.

When they cup his face and pepper kisses all over, he turns into a blushing mess.

Every time they call him “too adorable for his own good,” squish his cheeks, or hug him unexpectedly, it catches him off guard.

He doesn’t really know how to react beyond stammering and smiling shyly, but deep down, he loves every second of it.

Over time, he starts looking forward to the way they tackle hug him out of nowhere, it’s become a source of comfort for him.

-Legend-

The first time they bit his arm after calling him “too cute to handle.” he gave them the most incredulous look and blurted, “Did you just bite me?!”

Legend would be absolutely mortified at first. He’d stiffen up like a board, his face completely red, when they start squeezing him or kissing him.

He’d grumble, “Stop that! I’m not a dog!” every time they squish his cheeks or call him “precious” (even though we all know he’s a sweetheart).

The faint blush on his face always betrays how much he secretly enjoys it.

Eventually, Legend starts letting his guard down, and they’ll catch him actually leaning into their hugs. (But if they point it out, he’ll huff, and they’ll risk overloading on cuteness and biting him again, thus restarting the loop.)

-Four-

Four would be thoroughly confused the first time they tackle hugged him out of nowhere, mumbling about how ‘precious’ he is.

If they ever bit his arm or squished his cheeks, he’d blink at them like ‘…Are you okay?’before blushing like crazy.

Red would adore the attention and immediately reciprocate. Blue would roll his eyes but secretly lean into it. Vio would analyze it with mild amusement, and Green would try to keep things balanced.

Over time, Four gets used to their affectionate antics and even starts initiating hugs when he needs them.

-Warriors-

Warriors is used to being admired, but their sudden, intense displays of affection still catch him off guard.

The first time they squish his face and call him ‘the cutest knight ever~’ he’s rendered speechless. He tries to act suave, but his blush gives him away.

Of course, he’d joke about them being ‘overwhelmed by his dashing good looks.’ but secretly, it melts his heart.

Actually he’d be rather blushing when they gush over him when he charms a merchant or person who’s being difficult when they are asking around for info.

‘Look at that mischievous smile! Just look at it! I bet you didn’t even TRY to charm them! You just did!’

I mean, he’s used to compliments on his face but being complimented when he chooses to be mischievous? That’s definitely gonna make him blush!

Once, they bit his arm lightly out of sheer excitement, saying, “You’re just so perfect, it’s not faaair!” He stared at them for a long moment before grinning smugly. “Guess you can’t resist me, huh?”

-Wild-

Wild doesn’t even question their sudden outbursts of affection. When they call him cute while aggressively squishing his cheeks, he just smirks and says “I know.”

If they could, fhey’d tackle him midcooking, exclaiming “Look at you, being all talented and precious!”

….. But they won’t cause, ya know…cooking safety is important but they’d be vibrating in their seat waiting for him to step away from the cooking pot. After enough times of doing this, he’ll pretend to roll his eyes, hold out his arms and let them tackle him to the ground, but he secretly loves the attention.

If they bite his arm or shoulder in excitement, he’ll bite them back, laughing when they squawk in surprise. “What? You started it.”

If they’re relentless with their affection, he’ll eventually scoop them up and smother them with kisses until they’re the one flustered and speechless.

-Hyrule-

Hyrule would be so confused and flustered by their cuteness aggression at first. They squish his cheeks and call him “the most precious little hero.” and he just stammers, “Uh… thank..you?”

He’s not used to this kind of attention, so he’s shy and unsure of how to respond initially.

Once he warms up to it, he might start seeking out their affection, ya know like sitting closer or looking at them with expectation when he does something he think would impress them.

If they ever bite his arm or ruffle his hair in excitement, he’d laugh nervously and blush, but he wouldn’t push them away.

-Wind-

Wind would act like he hates it, but it’s all a front.

The moment they call him cute or squish his face, he yells, “Quit it!” while secretly loving every second of it. He’d huff, but then get pouty if they stopped.

If they give him surprise kisses, he’ll freeze for a second before trying to fluster them instead.

If they pinch his cheeks, though, he’ll definitely pinch theirs back, leading to a chase around camp filled with laughter.

At the end of the day, Wind casually leans against them, waiting for his squishes and kisses but he’ll ask like it’s his torture and be all huff and be like. “Alright, I’m here. Do your thing.’

Like any budding teen who pretends not to enjoy when they are given affection, he’ll accept his inevitable fate.

[ghostofhyuck]

NCT Dream when they accidentally kissed their best friend.

CW: smoking in Jaemin's part.

Mark Lee

It was a very intimate moment between you and your best friend Mark. You were learning how to play a guitar, struggling to find the right chords while Mark just watch you in awe. You were always oblivious with your best friend's feelings for you even though he's very very obvious about it. Mark's stare trailed down to your lips, an absurd feeling of wanting to taste it. And as if he lets his intrusive thoughts win, he leans onto you but straightly towards the cheek. The love-struck Mark was surprised with his actions --- both of you actually. He apologizes immediately, telling you that he has no excuse to his actions while you just sat there looking like a blushing mess.

Huang Renjun

You were bored when you suggested that you and Renjun do a peppero game for the last stick. Thinking that it's just nothing, Renjun agreed. The game starts and slowly, the stick becomes short. You're getting closer to Renjun and as he bites, he can feel your lips brushed to his, making him lean back --- falling from the sofa that you two were sitting. You were surprised by the event but as soon as Renjun stands up, he apologizes quickly for kissing you! You assured him that it's nothing at all, but somehow was flustered by the thought that you two kissed. 

Lee Jeno

You and Jeno were late. So both of you are in a rush, running towards the bus station. Jeno reaches the bus station first, trying to catch his breathe when unknowingly you collided with him. He managed to catch you in his arms before you two fall on the ground. You immediately stood up, realizing that it was your fault that you tripped because your shoelaces are untied. You began apologizing, checking your dazed best friend if he had any scratches with him. But Jeno could only remember the cherry taste of your lips, wondering why you didn't noticed that you two kissed. He wonders whether he'll bring it up to you or not. 

Lee Donghyuck

You and Haechan were close. Way too close. But you two are in the club and the proximity is bound to be close. You're facing him, dancing like there's no tomorrow when someone bumped onto you, making you stumble upon your best friend. You both laugh as you stare at Haechan, and then the next thing you knew, his lips crashed onto yours. You remember how vivid the kiss was that when you brought it up to Haechan, he was clueless, too drunk to remember about it. Seeing how disappointed your expression was, your bestfriend tried his best to recall the events, especially when you two kissed. 

Na Jaemin

You and Jaemin are sitting outside the club. The dirty pavement of the street were comfortable enough for you and his drunk self, both giggling idiots trying to sober up by smoking. You leaned against him, letting the cold air freshen you up when you felt Jaemin's arms wrapping around you. The next thing you knew, his lips landed on the top of your head before leaning against it too. You broke out from his hold, seeing that both of you had a surprise on the look on their face. Jaemin began apologizing for kissing you if it bothered you and told you that he did because the moment was too intimate for him. That's when you knew that you have a lot to clarify with Jaemin once both of you are sober. 

Zhong Chenle

Chenle was yapping with something about basketball while you were just sitting there, nodding as he continues to talk. You were scrolling through your phone when you saw a funny meme that you know Chenle will laugh, so you turned your head towards him --- at the same time Chenle leans. His lips directly went to yours and to your surprise, you scrambled out of the sofa while Chenle laughs at the incident. You were blushing red due to embarrassment while Chenle's red from laughing too much, but as soon as he calms down, your best friend apologizes for the kiss even though both of you knew that it was an accident. 

Park Jisung

Jisung was staying over your place that he woke up late. So he was rushing over packing his things and putting on some clothes. It made you panic too that's why you helped him pack some of his things. And when all things are perfect, Jisung bids you goodbye but you were caught off-guard when his lips crashed onto yours. You are used to the kiss on the cheeks since it's a platonic thing for both of you. Before you could say anything, Jisung already left. You stood there frozen, but what you didn't know that the moment Jisung was just outside, he realized what he just did. He doesn't know what to do, whether to go back or catch his class. In the end, he knocks once more, telling you that he's sorry and then dashes away. 

[bonsiii-art]

May I ask for a 5D Dark Cacao? There is a need in me to see him blush like that—

Give him a second, he needs a breather- :P

[mischievous-thunder]

Wow Wade! So smooth!

[bambisnc]

     kickflip as types of kisses?!

### . STARRING ⌢ OT7 ⋆ fluff + 0.3k // no warnings! ˖ ✧

🗨️ .. ⌞ XOXO ⌝ never not gonna be on my kickflip agenda. stan kfp!!1!1! + [m.list]

౨ৎ ˖ 이계훈 — ❪ LEE GYEHOON ❫  

it’s the silly little guy in him that is very much drawn to nose kisses. loves to just surprise you with a little peck out of nowhere; like you could be mid conversation about anything – ranging from how you’re failing physics, a meme he texted you, his schedules, etc. –  solely because of how adorable your shocked expression is. 

          ⋅ ˚ ଳ ₊ ‧ others utc

౨ৎ ˖ 満行亜丸 — ❪ MITSUYUKI AMARU ❫  

he just screams childhood friends to lovers. meaning, both of you would be pretty used to physical touch with each other. so if he wants to show his non-platonic affection for you, i definitely see a gentlemanly kiss to the back of your hand, right by the knuckles. 

౨ৎ ˖ 이동화 — ❪ LEE DONGHWA ❫  

this pretty mf. he cuts straight to the important things. and to him, your lips on his is pretty much the only thing he cares about. and he’s so giggly about it too, like you could have been together for months and he would still blush like it’s no one’s business after giving you soft, little pecks.

౨ৎ ˖ 장주왕 — ❪ JANG JUWANG ❫  

he is Tall tall okay? super specific, but the height alone convinces me he’s the type to be into pressing featherlight kisses against your forehead — your temple even, — to spice things up once in a while. likes it because he thinks of it as a comforting gesture (which it so would be!)

౨ৎ ˖ 최민제 — ❪ CHOI MINJE ❫  

this is 99% my bias towards him speaking but anyways. him and neck kisses!! he’d mostly just like them because they’re a good way to get you flustered >< again, specific, but lwk he would enjoy trailing little kisses from your jaw to the base of your neck for sure.

౨ৎ ˖ 岡本圭樹 — ❪ OKAMOTO KEIJU ❫  

peppering kisses across your features is so, so keiju coded. blame it on his playful nature, definitely. i see him doing it specially when he wants to distract you. like, say, you're on a date and he wants you to spend more time with him, but what's that? you have to leave soon? cue heavy onslaught of kisses no you don't actually. trust him, really.

౨ৎ ˖ 이동현 — ❪ LEE DONGHYEON ❫  

cheek kisses. i will die on this hill. would be cute in either a platonic or a romantic honestly, but just the idea of the innocence and fluffiness that comes with these are so shjsjhdhj. ><

𐙚 . regulars : none yet! ⋆

[@bambisnc] 2k25

[nocyunis]

LOVE IS A GENTLE THING . ۫ ꣑ৎ . things they love about you.

(˶ ˘ ³˘)ˆᵕ ˆ˶) warnings. fluff、angst、hurt/comfort、gn!reader、overthinking、insecurities、suggestive if you squint on wukongs、mild ooc!wukong、ao lie is a bit short、established relationship、fell-hard boys ໒ ᩧ꒱characters. macaque, aolie, nezha, wukong. 1.2k wc

MACAQUE loves your loyalty.

now, Macaque genuinely loves every quality of you. There is no words nor anything to express how eternally grateful he is for you, how you gave him a try, giving the spark in his eyes back. Without a doubt his feelings run deep.

to be precise, if he has to be specific about one; LOYALTY is the first things on his mind.

Because of his rough history and past, Macaque has developed many barriers mentally. He faced a betrayal from a certain someone that still left a scar on him, It would be an understatement to say he does have trust issues and even to say he doesn’t see himself in a relationship, having something so… vulnerable, with someone.

That was before he met you, at least. he had years to build those walls up only for you to bypass them, and he allows it. he allows it.

He enjoyed it even, he felt so free and feather-light, the overthinking and doubtful thoughts all vanished. Because he trusts you. The unwavering loyalty you are giving him brings him a tingly feeling in his stomach, adoration.

The disloyalty and betrayals from the past left his heart in a racing conflict. Your determination of your character to assure him that you’ll never leave or choose anyone over him, and it never faltering brings him to believe he thinks he’s dreaming. That you’re dreamy.

at first, it took awhile to have him open to you, if he catches himself doing it, he honestly feels so heavy in his chest he would probably do anything to just get away from you before he thinks he’ll get more hurt than he already is. he has a feeling to just, cry. he’s just so tired.

It’s not often he would usually admit this, or ever, but there’s a glint in his eyes (if you look close enough) and blush clustered on his cheeks when you voice being faithful with him; even in small moments.

you being communicative is a plus too, he really needs communication, even if he’s shit at it himself. The relationship would really cease if you both are bad at communicating so.

by thus, you’re a really significant person in his life. he wouldn’t dare have anyone or anything take you away from him, and you reciprocated this too.

AO LIE loves your patience and energy

Ao lie is overly clumsy with things, so if your PATIENT with him, he’s relieved honestly.

not canon but i imagine him having somewhat of a harsh and bitter past so he gets pressured a lot. so, you being patient with him gets a weight lift off his chest basically.

also you being ENERGETIC kinda gives him a boost and like encouragement, you know? and then gets all motivated with you which you think is cute

also you both are literally that one meme “HE SAID NO PICKLES!” and he’s all like melting himself on the chair beside you looking down in humiliation

he gets flustered easily when around you, because he gets scared that he’s gonna embarrass himself in front of you ( Despite him already doing that in multiple occasions. ) and you really don’t care if he falls over in front of you or maybe you laugh at him idk

NEZHA loves your kindness

either you’re kind to him or others, even in small or major situations; he admires it, he admires you. something simple as that can make him have that fuzzy feeling. the way you gently tend his wounds while sweetly saying praises for his work and efforts or softly scolding him for being more careless of his safety, putting his duty above his safety.

it’s honestly the simple thing such as KINDNESS can bring nezha to be lovesick. actions or words he’s astonished how genuinely kind someone can be.

whether you can fight for yourself or not, he has a strong vow to protect you. he knows how cruel the world and how twisted people can really be, he has a fear that they’ll target you somehow.

he developed a protective nature, he’s not possessive per say, he just wants you protected. not extremely protective either, he knows limits and when to step in.

though if you can fight for yourself, surely, he lets his guard down only a little. he doesn’t want you to think he doesn’t think you can defend yourself or you’re weak.

is a little unsettled if you’re friends with wukong, it’s obvious he isn’t sure what to feel about the guy. wukong betrayed nezha before, and is cautious if he’ll do the same to you. if you’d reassure him; he’ll feel better and mentally slaps himself.

(wukong defiantly noticed and mocks nezha about this)

but he truly treasures you and your kind soul, seeing how strong-hearted you are made him impossibly more in-love with you. the little gestures you do on autopilot that others wouldn’t consider doing, or the kind words you speak thats soft-spoken and feel like they run deeper than anything.

WUKONG loves your matching energy and empathy

theres obviously a majority of people who get annoyed and agitated at wukong, he’s slightly off-put when you MATCH HIS ENERGY or surprised even, but that goes a second it comes.

before you two were even together, he may not act or look like it but he still has his guard high, despite for his attitude he keeps a lot of people at arm length. wukong seeing you match his energy and even having that same mischief in your eyes too get you both along well.

most weren’t even surprised at the outcome with your relationship, at-most it’s certainly expected to happen. maybe some even thought you were together before. even so, you two were like two peas in a pod, a match made in heaven.

you two were certainly a power couple, much to some people’s dismay and unimpressed-ness. you both were practically inseparable.

I expect you to be strong in some way, if you are, wukong lives for seeing you fight; it makes him feel a type of way, you can decipher what that would mean.

he feels blessed honestly, there’s a small chance of you not catching up with him in a relationship or getting tired or bored of him, which he’s secretly insecure of and wouldn’t admit it, soberly.

if your attentive, you catch on sooner or later about this and he hates it. wukong usually runs away from his problems than face them and if he crumbles too much in front of you, he feels like he’ll make a rash decision and he’ll make you leave like others have also.

there’s only so little people that can make out wukong and that side of him, you can may or may not EMPATHIZE with him. assuring him, that you will not leave him and no matter how tempting to leave or difficult he gets, that promise will always linger within you both.

wukong makes many mistakes, but he sure as hell wouldn’t make one that would loose you, maybe you’ve seen too much of him, but you have empathy. empathy for wukong is something he never really felt before, being understood despite his history and action, how easily you decipher because you emphasize with him. it warms him like no other fire that would keep him warm, how how he cherishes the feeling. how his heavy heart always having conflicts finally feel calm, calm even for a moment of being understood.

[fanfoolishness]

Kiss meme:

Lucanis x Rook 26

Harding x Rook 38

I did already write one for Harding x Rook for running out of time, which is here! But I hope you enjoy this extremely fluffy Lucanis x Rook for a kiss as an apology. Set directly after the dessert scene.

-

“You don’t have to walk me back to my room, you know,” Rook said, her voice rich and amused. “It isn’t far.”

“You didn’t have to say yes,” Lucanis countered, smiling as they entered the Lighthouse together. He felt as if he couldn’t stop smiling. She’d been delighted with the churros he’d made her, and even better, she’d understood what he’d really meant by them. A few crumbs of cinnamon still dusted the corners of her lips. He was seized by a sudden desire to wipe them away.

Rook makes you feel safe, Spite observed. The demon had been easier to understand since the strange trip to the shadow-Ossuary. Rook’s doing, most likely. Makes you lighter. Touch her? Keep her!

Lucanis swallowed. There was little he’d like to do more. But ah, he was being greedy… she had already told him tonight that what he did was enough. That he was enough. The memory warmed him, bolstered him in the quiet chill of the Lighthouse. It was always so still here when the others were asleep. He wondered if Rook could hear his heartbeat.

“Lucanis?” Rook asked, pausing at the foot of the stairs. She leaned against the banister, giving him a curious look, eyes narrowed in concentration. “Is Spite there?”

“You noticed,” he said, stopping one step up. “Forgive me. He chatters about you.”

“Only good things, I hope,” she chuckled.

Rook likes us! Tell her. Show her!

I did! With the churros! Lucanis thought irritably. And she likes me.

I didn’t see. Chasing wisps. Tell her again!

“Still there?” Rook asked, her expression of amusement fading to faint concern. Lucanis shook his head, coming back to himself as if coming up for air.

“He is… insistent.” And perhaps not wrong. He took a small step closer to her, narrowing the distance between them.

“About what?”

“That I be honest,” Lucanis said, and before he could back away or think better of it, he leaned forward, closed his eyes, and kissed her.

He should have closed his eyes last, he realized belatedly. His nose bumped into hers, and his attempt left his lips askew, catching just the edge of her mouth. He tasted crumbs of sweet cinnamon sugar.

Then her hand was on his cheek, and she adjusted their position until her lips moved against his, warm and soft, a hint of her open mouth and tongue leaving his legs unsteady and his chest blooming with fire. She pulled away, her eyes bright, her nose and cheeks slightly pink. Was she blushing?

He took a deep, shaky breath. ”I am sorry,” he said.

Rook raised her eyebrows so high they nearly vanished. “For what? Lucanis, that was—” She grinned, giggling. “Very enjoyable.”

“For not doing it earlier,” Lucanis said, exhaling. “I wanted to. But I hadn’t — I did not know if —“ He wasn’t sure what he was trying to say about that day in the pantry. He’d known what he wanted then, but couldn’t say it, couldn’t go through with it. But things were different now.

She did make him feel safe.

He smiled back at her. “Never mind. I hope you do not mind my clumsiness. I am new at this.”

She resumed climbing the stairs, and he walked along beside her. “Well, don’t you worry about that,” she said, leaning over and nudging his shoulder as they reached the top of the stairs. “You’ve mastered assassination and cooking. I have a feeling you can master anything you put your mind to. And if you need me to help you practice, um — I’d be happy to help.” She was definitely blushing.

He felt his own cheeks warm in response. “I am looking forward to, ah, training with you.”

“Stop it,” she chuckled. “You’re terrible.”

“I’ve been told this, yes.”

They stopped in front of the hallway to Rook’s room, and she gave him a fond look. “I suppose I’d better get some rest. I do feel sleepy after that feast you made us.” She reached out, squeezing his arm gently, her touch electric in the best way. “See you tomorrow, Lucanis. Get some rest, will you? Both of you. For me?”

Lucanis laughed. A direct request from Rook? That would be enough for Spite. He could sense Spite’s glee in the back of his mind. Or was it his own? It was hard to tell right now.

“I will do my best,” he promised. He tipped his head to her in a small nod and headed back down the stairs, his hand jittery on the banister, the taste of cinnamon on his tongue.

He would certainly try to get some rest. No more coffee tonight, which would help. But this new joy flaring within him, bright and fierce and soaring, might make sleep elusive for a little while longer.

He didn’t mind a bit.