#but form your own opinions dammit

[hyperfi]

Just pointing out here that at the time Kikyo was resurrected, Kagome and Inuyasha were not an official "thing." Yes, they clearly care for one another, but each of them is still playing at not being interested.

Just to fuckin clarify, that's not his girlfriend and he really doesn't have an obligation to her at that point.

So shut the fuck up about two timing or whatever nonsense.

[princessoflalaland]

Doting ࿔˚⋅

synopsis: sukuna softens up once he knows he’s a father-to-be. 

࿔˚⋅content: Sukuna x pregnant!reader, fluff, some suggestive themes but hardly any

࿔˚⋅word count: 525

࿔˚⋅a/n: my baby fever has been going haywire as of late. I don’t want kids of my own right now, but I sure would love to have any of the jjk men’s kids. not really proofread

the size difference between you and lord ryomen sukuna is quite comical. you were half, to some a quarter, of his size. A petite thing beside a mountain. how he ever manages to fit inside of you and stay there long enough to impregnate you will never not baffle those around you two.

but sukuna can’t care less about the opinion of the local lackeys. all of his energy is put into doting over his pregnant spouse. once you agreed to marry him he’d become your other half. when he found out you were pregnant, he became inseparable from you. 

if you rise from the bed you two shared, he’ll mumble his disapproval while trying to keep you secured to his side. “where y’goin? come back to bed, woman…” you try to tug yourself out his grip. “need some water, sukuna,’ you rasp through sleepiness.

He climbs out of bed and lays you back down with tender assertiveness. “don’t make me repeat myself. i’ll get you the water, just stay in bed.”

 you can’t walk two steps without sukuna rushing to your side and cupping your swollen stomach in his beefy hands.

“dammit, woman, don’t exert yourself. I don’t want you putting stress on yourself or my heir.” he reprimands with a worried glare in his crimson eyes. you sigh with a slight shake of your head. 

“kuna, all I did was walk across the room.” your tone is patient and almost teasing. it softens his expression.

 “you shouldn’t have to do anything while you’re like this. here...” “i mean, it’s nothing I can’t hand- woah!” in one swift move, he’s carrying your pregnant figure in his arms, bridal style. he looks at you in that hard, loving way of that he does “you said your feet have been hurting lately, right? Well, you needn’t worry about walking any more.”

in the even that you decide to keep still and rest, you both lounge on the bed. he is be eye-level with your belly, his hand caressing it. he is almost awestruck by how someone as small as you withstood his primal lovemaking and allowed him to impregnate you. A wistful smile slowly forms on his visage as he says, “you’re coming along beautifully, my love. i’m eager to meet our heir and see who he’ll take after.” he presses a kiss to the place where your unborn baby resides before looking up at you. 

your hand rakes through his pink locks as you hum a medley. You tune back into reality at the low rumble of your husband’s voice.

“hmm, i think you mean you can’t wait to see who they take after.” your husband meets your eyes, barely masking his bewilderment. 

Them? As in, more than one? I mean, that wouldn’t be impossible, given how uncharacteristically large your belly is and especially since he pumped you full of his—

your laughter disturbs his thoughts. “i’m just kidding, though, I bet you’d like that. Twin babies…” you rub an absentminded hand over your stomach, dissolving into daydreams of your impending motherhood. He’s always adored the glimmer in your eyes when you talk about your child. 

“i don’t care how many children your body is carrying. Whether it’s one, two, or three. They are mine, ours.” He holds your gaze and the look riddled in his blood-red irises makes your heart swell with affection. “And that’s all I care about.”

[tizeline]

Ahhh waiiit!!! Is this some really fun like foreshadowing stuff (though we already know the foreshadowed stuff) where you put Leo and Raph facing away from Draxum to symbolise them turning on his ideals first????? And like Leo is in the shadows cause I guess he‘s really formed his own opinion about Donnie and destroying the humans while Raph doesn‘t share his beliefs but still follows him!! And Mikey is facing Draxum symbolising that he and Drax are still gonna pursue their dreams of getting rid of the humans?? Is that what this is?????✨

You're like the third person so far to point out the potential foreshadowing in this panel, which lemme tell ya, is very funny considering it was basically entirely unintentional on my part! XD

BUT!!! I am a firm believer that the audience can find meaning in a piece of art regardless of whether it was intended by the creator or not, and I'm honestly loving your analasys because dammit it works!

That being said, I drew Mikey looking to Draxum for reassurance, while Raph remains more internally contemplative because I thought it fit their personalities. Then again, their differing personalities obviously also effect their actions later on in the story when they're forced to confront their flawed ideology, so in that way this panel kinda naturally parallels their whole character arcs?

NGL, I very much threw Leo into the panel last minute haha. In the panel before, he was still sitting on the ground-

-and the way I drew the perspective in the following panel led to Draxum blocking the view of him. But then it felt weird that he was the only one not visible so I squeezed him into the background right at the end lol (I guess he decided to stand up or whatever). As a result, he's not as clearly visible, but it does kinda work in my opinion. Both in the way that you pointed out, him being turned away from Draxum foreshadows to him turning his back on their mission. But my own thought process when drawing him this way was less metaphorical and more focused on wanting to portray Leo's current emotional state. Leo is arguably the most upset about Donnie rejecting them, which is why he after this starts acting so hostile towards his estranged brother, and while I'm not putting a ton on focus on Leo's reaction specifically in this part of the comic, I still wanted to include it. All of this is to say, Leo is standing with his back turned towards the rest of his family and obscured in shadows because he's being angsty. Lmao.

ANYWAY, that was my actual thought process while drawing this, but I want to make it clear yet again that I absolutely love that you guys are coming up with your own interpretations because fuck yeah!!!

[ennn]

Very much enjoying your analysis. There seems to be a disconnect on whether Agatha kissed as a manipulative tactic or if there really as love there.

I’m in the middle on this. Agatha was crying when she kissed Rio. We know from interviews with Kathryn that Agatha hates herself for loving Rio. I’m just afraid that didn’t come across very strongly. However, I feel like my opinions are veering more negative because of all of the negativity 😂 your opinions are markedly more positive, so I’d like some positivity, please 😭

Thank you for enjoying! 💚💜 Always happy to throw some thoughts anyone’s way if it helps :]

So, the trick I think for Agatha in general and even for Rio – or really, any character that's complicated – is this:

A few things can be true at the same time

Let’s start from a meta (Doylist?) outside-the-text pov first:

Jac Schaeffer loves ambiguity and complex characters. She’s positioned Wanda and Agatha as both their show’s protagonist and antagonist. She doesn’t see characters as set heroes or villains. She seems to genuinely enjoy people having their own interpretations, and things not being black and white or having a single definite answer.

In interviews I think Kathryn Hahn has also been careful to talk about how Agatha and Rio have a long and complicated relationship. If she had to pick one word it would probably be that. If she had to pick three words I think it would be "love, respect, and hate" – which she used in her recent interview.

And to be honest, I think all the interviews with Schaeffer and the cast have been limited in really digging into this relationship because they've had to avoid spoilers for most of the season as Rio being Death feeds so critically into their dynamic.

I get that people tend to have confirmation bias and focus on bits that fit with their world view so while yes, Schaeffer does talk about how Agatha and Rio fall back into the muscle memory of that love and the love they have is true, there's also the other side of the coin to this complicated relationship which is the hate, resentment, anger, and manipulation (mainly from Agatha).

So back into the text: Was Agatha manipulating Rio by kissing her? Probably yes? But that's Agatha.

And importantly, Rio knows this and that's who Rio fell in love with.

You know the ol' fable about the scorpion and the frog? Rio knows she's in love with a scorpion. Rio sees through Agatha's more obvious lies. She even finds a lot of them amusing. She knows she's going get stung and it hurts like fuck but she's also Death. In one form or another, she can endure.

I'm reminded of that Doctor Who quote: Do you think I care for you so little that betraying me would make a difference?

Was there love there? I like to think yes, there was. There are enough glorious GIF sets going around for you to fully appreciate it in the performance.

Here I ask: what's Agatha manipulating Rio for, with the kiss? Is she distracting Rio so she can more easily become a ghost?

The whole ghost thing would annoy and piss Rio off yes, but if you think about it, that's actually a win for Rio because she was genuinely upset seeing Agatha dead.

Yes Rio will probably be mad – she grieved for you dammit – but I think she'd eventually find it amusing her clever witch got away again. Rio wants to keep coming after Agatha. That's their thing. That's why when Agatha sets the cost of taking Billy to be Rio not seeing her ever again, Rio is crushed.

Agatha becoming a ghost is kind of an overall win for all parties really: Agatha wins by having Rio let Billy go, and she can continue to go after power and knowledge, and Rio can continue to chase her and they can continue annoying the hell out of each other.

[astarionancuntnin]

Die For You (Chapter 5)

summary: astarion takes care of you following the events at the ball.

rating: E (smut chapter!)

word count: 4.5k

pairing: astarion x you (fem!reader)

cw: 18+. smut, hurt/comfort, soft!ascended astarion, flashbacks of traumatic events (from previous chapter), consent is hot, soft dom!reader, porn with feelings, power play (if you squint), passionate lovemaking, light teasing, p in v, blood/vampire bites, creampie, aftercare. full list on ao3

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But if I touch you, would you feel it there?

Could I trust love even if I'm scared?

Oh, I wish I could give like I'm longing to give

Oh, I wish I could live like I'm longing to live

-

The ride back to the palace is dreadfully quiet, with nothing but the sound of the wheels against the ground as the carriage is being moved around. The night is cold, but you still have Astarion’s coat covering your shivering form and his arm wrapped around you protectively, providing you with a reassuring warmth. You’re still shaken by what happened and how helpless you were in that moment. Hells, you were strong – maybe not as strong as Karlach – but you were able to hold your own on the battlefield and yet you got overpowered by this poor excuse of a man? How could this happen? How did you let yourself get in that situation? Despite not wanting to think back on it, you remember what Astarion had told you that first night spent in the cells. Was it true then, that his spying on you assured your security during all those months spent apart? Were you truly as hopeless as he envisioned you? Were you not as strong as you believed yourself to be? And gods damn, how did he manage to capture you so easily back then, and why had you not confronted him about that too?

You’re taken out of your rumination as you reach the crimson palace, and he brings you to your bathroom where he calls for Amedee to prepare a bath for you before dismissing her to take care of you himself. He opens a drawer filled with the best essential oils the market can offer, taking the time to pick the right one. He approaches you and tugs at the lace down your waist, which makes you turn abruptly, still anxious from your earlier confrontation. He softly asks, “May I?” and waits until you give him a few nods, unable yet to speak, to undress you with the utmost care. With your outfit now disposed of on the floor, he takes care of removing your jewellery, placing them aside on the nearest table, before letting your hair cascading down your back. You stand in your most vulnerable state in front of him, with your crossed arms barely covering your chest. 

He moves between you and the bath, holding out his hand to help you in, his eyes never leaving yours. “Come now, love.” You stare for a few moments at his inviting hand before taking it to help lower yourself in. The relief is almost instant; all the tension in your muscles leaves as you make contact with the warm bath water and the scent of lotus flower hits you all at once, allowing you to relax. He reaches for a sponge that he dips in the bath before pushing your hair aside and lightly scrubs your back and shoulders. With the silence shared between the two of you, your mind goes back to what happened earlier, replaying the scene in your head over and over again, wondering: what could you have done differently? In another reality, was there any way for you to avoid what had happened? Deep down, wasn’t this your own fault for voicing an opinion at the wrong time? You could’ve avoided that encounter and that dance outside altogether if you hadn’t spoken just at this moment, you could’ve avoided it if you just kept to yourself for once, Gods dammit, why did you always have to open your damned mouth?!

The emotions overflow you and soon, a sob escapes you; you hate how all of it is making you feel powerless, how this single experience is making you question your whole identity. You hate how it happened so fast, how preventable it all was, but most of all, you hate yourself–

“Shhh, it's okay, you’re alright dear.”

You had almost forgotten about Astarion up until now, his voice yet again grounding you back in the present, bringing you back to safety. You sniffle, trying to calm the tears enough to speak up. Your voice is tainted with a roughness from your previous cries, “Why didn’t you kill him?” You don’t really wanna talk about what happened, but it was unlike him to let someone like this go unharmed.

“There is a time and a place for such things; a ball with the most influential figures of Baldur’s Gate was not it.” He says, dipping the sponge back in the water and squeezing it over your shivering shoulders to bring them some warmth. “Then again, it didn’t stop him from attacking you,” he grunts, “but believe me, I won’t let this bastard get away with this. All in due time.” He takes a deep breath, bringing your hair back to soak it with the help of a small bucket. The anger in his voice created a strange contrast with the attentive care he offered you.

“How did you know I was hurt?”

“Your blood, dear. I could recognize it from miles away.” You bring your hand to your neck where the knife has been; it had completely slipped your mind that you had been cut. “The second I smelled it I… I expected the worst. I came as quickly as I could.”

A sudden guilt washes over you, thinking back to the previous month. “I don’t understand why you’re doing all of this… I’ve been horrible to you ever since you brought me here.”

“A little, but wouldn’t you say I deserve it?” You hum quietly through your tears and a smile appears on his lips for a just moment. “I wasn’t exactly… gentle, in my approach, but I stand by what I said about wanting what’s best for you. I don’t see why I would go back on my word, now of all time.” He continues, now soaping your hair.

“Even after knowing I would leave eventually?”

“My feelings for you remain the same no matter where you go, darling.”

You nod thoughtfully; he might’ve been terrible in his approach, but he’s also shown countless times how much he cared for you, even after many months apart. It makes you think back to the first discussion you had with him, in the dungeons. “I still can’t believe you had me kidnapped.”

“Can you really blame me?”

You turn around abruptly, almost offended by his question, “Yes? What prevented you from just coming up to me to talk, y’know, like a normal person?”

“Well, to be fair, you had been avoiding me like the sun at the reunion, I wasn’t expecting you to willingly talk to me. You have to understand my side darling; it felt necessary.”

You sigh heavily, leaning back against the wall of the bath, “All of this because you couldn’t move on.”

Your tenacity makes him smile again. There you were: the fighter that he loved, the woman who stood up for herself. “I did really try, if you must know. I wanted to respect your choice to part ways, move on and build my empire with someone who matched my ideals!... And never have to see you again.” His extravagant tone suddenly changes to a serious one, “But I couldn’t bring myself to commit to anyone else. Every time I tried, I would look at them and I could only see… you. You were never afraid to stand up to me, unlike the others.” He chuckles, “You still do.”

You stay silent, taking in his confession, as he washes out your hair before standing up with a clean towel.

“Let’s get you ready for bed, hm?”

You look at him with tired eyes before raising yourself from the water and linking your arms around his neck as he picks you up. You find yourself observing his face for any sign of malice, anything that would tell you that his intentions weren’t pure, and you can’t find any. You’re not sure if it reassures you or terrifies you the most; to know he has been truthful all along and that you outright refused to see it. He lays you down on your bed and moves away to search your wardrobe, looking to find you clothes for the night. As he makes his way towards you with a dark blue satin night robe, you find your voice again.

“I know you said all those things, but you could have anyone else so easily… Someone who doesn’t argue with you constantly…”

He lays the dress at your feet and sits on the edge of the bed. “My sweet, if I wanted someone who blindly agrees to everything I say, I could have anyone. Turn another spawn and choose them as my obedient little puppet. I could have a thousand like them. You, on the other hand, challenge me everyday. No one could ever come close to you, my love.” He sees your eyes looking away, and he reaches for your cheek, stroking it softly. “When I saw you at the reunion for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I wanted nothing but to have you back. I crave you like I crave the sun’s embrace, Gods, I was alive again after hundreds of years and yet, I’ve never felt more alive than by your side.” He drops his hand to take yours, holding it firmly, and you look back at him. “If I could have anyone, I would still want you and only you. If you just let me take care of you, we could be so good together.” His voice is low and deep, it resonates through you, draws you to him. “Isn’t this what you want?”

Your gaze falls down to his hand with yours, avoiding his eyes, and you groan, those conflicting feelings frustrating you. “I don’t know what I want, alright? I–” You trail off, your words escaping you. “When I left you, it’s because I felt you had changed. I thought I had lost you to that ritual, that the man I loved was gone, but now…” Your eyes find his again, and he looks at you with a kindness you missed. When you speak again, your voice is but a whisper. “I don’t know anymore… I spent so long regretting helping you through the rite of ascension, I really thought it had turned you into a monster, I–” You close your eyes and a silent tear streaks down your cheek. “I thought I had lost you.”

He reaches out to wipe it away and you open your eyes to look back at him. “Oh darling, I never left. It was always me, simply better.” His voice is the softest you've ever heard. If you weren’t looking at him when he spoke, you wouldn’t believe the words came from him. “What I did, I did for us. With my powers, I can assure both of us security, forever, and that’s all thanks to you.” He pauses, drawing you closer to him. “You gave me everything. I will spend every day of my eternal life thanking you for it, in every imaginable way. Whatever your heart desires will be yours.”

You hold his stare as much as you can through your stressful blinking. He’s gotten incredibly close to you and you feel your chest rise higher as your breathing quickens, the tension between you two becoming unbearable. 

You look into his eyes, and you see it then: there he is, your Astarion. The same vulnerable pale elf you had ventured and shared nights with all these months ago. Under these layers of newly acquired powers was hiding the man you fell in love with, and tonight you had found him, at long last. You let go of a breath you didn’t realise you were holding in and your eyes quickly dart to his mouth, lips still parted from speaking up, and in an instant, your lips meet in a passionate and rough embrace. All the tension, the longing and lusting leaves your chest, pouring into this kiss. Your hands get lost in his hair, pulling him in as he pushes you down against your bed, his hands landing next to your head. 

You’re gonna regret that.

Panic settles back into you, the memories flashing back into your mind and you push Astarion away, breaking the kiss suddenly as your breathing quickens and your eyes get lost elsewhere. You’re back in the garden, with the nobleman from the party.

“Darling?”

His weight upon you, the dagger against your throat, his hand sliding up your thighs.

“Love, look at me,” he tilts your head upwards, and you snap out of the flashback, finally back to Astarion. “Hey, it’s me. You’re here. You’re safe.”

You sigh heavily, your breathing coming back to you gradually. The emotions within you are overwhelming; you’re terrified and enraged, yet, with Astarion you’re reassured, you’re content, you’re… in love. 

Look at how much he cares for you, you think to yourself. He wishes for nothing but your wellbeing. He wants to be yours, and only wishes for you to be his. Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted?

“Do you want to stop?” he asks, worried by your lack of words. “Just say the word and we can end it there.”

You blink quickly, briefly not trusting your vision following the last seconds that happened and your hands sneak their way over his face, caressing his cheeks. The softness of his skin, the surprising warmth emanating from him…

You shake your head; you need this. You need him. “Stay with me…” you whisper, your voice trembling. “I don’t want to be alone… please.”

His hand covers yours, and when you look in his eyes, you see what he's trying to say with unspoken words: anything for you, you have nothing to fear with me, I've got you my love.

As the tears overflow you, you bring him back into you, crashing your lips together. Your kiss is messy, with your tongues dancing with each other, both of you wanting more of the other, your teeth biting and pulling, with his fangs grazing your lips everlightly, drawing out the slightest drops of blood just to have a taste. He groans in your mouth at the taste of your crimson and his hips grind against your leg, pressing his growing erection on you as his carnal lust awakens. 

“Gods, I’ve missed you,” he says, with a ragged breath.

You feel as if you were possessed, your arms flying to the helm of his shirt, pulling to free him from this cage that his clothes provided, yearning for his touch that you couldn’t wait any longer to feel. Without breaking contact, he quickly removes the rest of his own clothes and discards the wet towel you were previously wrapped in, revealing your delicate skin underneath. The second both of your clothings are off, you push Astarion down on the bed, climbing over him and pinning him down by his wrists. 

“There you are, my little spitfire,” he purrs.

When you see a grin forming over his lips, you can’t help the smile forming on your own lips. You pause to admire him, taking in the sight of his dishevelled hair, the lust in his eyes; you missed this, missed him.

You close the gap between your bodies, laying your forehead against his, and say your next words through a ragged breath, “You have no idea how much I want to ravish you.”

“Take what you need, darling. I want you to have control, to feel like you’re in charge of your own body again. I might not have been able to stop what happened tonight, but I want to be the one who empowers you once again. I want to help you like nobody could for me. Tonight, your word is my command; I am yours.”

To have him at your fingertips, following your every word… His words stir something within you, to see how utterly devoted he is to you makes you want to truly make him yours. You can barely believe the opportunity he’s giving you, given the last time you spoke about the subject was after your visit at moonrise towers. You never had the chance to have another talk about his boundaries, but that was also before he became the vampire ascendant. You take his hands to guide them over your thighs, intending on taking up on his offer, “Touch me.”

“How,” his hands remain still on your thighs. “Don’t be shy now, little love. Tell me exactly what you want.”

You lean over him again, your lips barely apart, and you whisper your next command, “I want your hands to caress my skin.”

His hands start moving over your strong thighs, touching every inch there is to discover.

“Guide me,” he whispers. “I’ll only do what you instruct me to do.”

“Move over to my waist.”

His hands travel higher, sneaking over your hips ever so slightly.

“Where to next?” He hums.

“Up and down my back…” He reaches for the highest point of your back, down to the frontier of your ass, only grazing your cheeks. 

“I want to feel your nails on my skin.”

His grip on you changes, with his nails now softly scratching over your skin, “Like this?”

You close your eyes, focusing on the sensation. “Mh, harder.” His nails sink into you and you throw your head back as your back arches. “Ah– Just like this…” 

Your breasts are now hovering near his face and with each breath you take, they draw closer to his mouth. He could easily cave into his desires and devour you right then and there, but as promised, he waits until you give him his next instruction. Luckily for him, you needed this as much as he did, and neither of you were patient people.

“Now your mouth… over my breast,” you reach out to grab onto his hand scratching your back to put it over your boob. “And squeeze this one.”

As he lifts himself up, his mouth latches on your nipple that he relentlessly sucks on, while his hand massages the one you had guided him to. His fangs lightly scrape over the soft skin of your breast and you softly cry out before giving him your next command.

“Lick your way to my neck,” your voice is but a whisper by now.

Slowly, his mouth leaves your boob and he leaves a faint trail of saliva over your chest as he makes his way to your precious neck. Your hips rock back and forth, only slightly, relishing in the delicious friction you get from his length between your wet folds. Astarion wasn’t going to complain, but he felt like you could take it further, should you desire it.

“If you want something else, you can take it,” he purrs against your neck. “What's mine is yours.”

The temptation to simply take him in was too good to resist, but it’s not something you would allow yourself just yet. The friction it provided over your clit was almost better than having him inside you, and his reaction was even better. Teasing him brought you more satisfaction than you expected and you intended on drawing it out as long as you could. He growled against your neck, only nibbling on your skin there and you could feel how his hips jerked in reaction to your teasing. With your next order on the tip of your tongue, you’re taken aback from the realisation that you wanted this from him. There’s a part of you that’s terrified of what might come out of this, but the rest of your being desires nothing more.

“Bite me.”

He leaves your neck to look into your eyes, not believing the words you had just said. He needed you to say it again, to confirm he didn’t imagine it out of pure madness. That you, the woman he desired most, desired him just as much; just like you used to. Then, when you see the way he looks at you with devilish want, you allow yourself to take what you’ve been wanting for days. You lift yourself up and you position him over your entrance before slamming your hips down, crying out as you take him fully in one thrust. He groans loudly when he enters you, throwing his head back at the feeling and you take this chance to grab his luscious hair and pull back, hard. When he looks back at you, his eyes have gone dark with lust and the thread of control holding him back has gone so thin that it threatens to break at any moment. You repeat your command between two breaths, reasserting your dominance over him.

“Bite… me.”

You guide him towards the spot in your neck where you missed him most before releasing your grip on him. He kisses the spot in the crook of your neck that he knew all too well one last time, finding your pulse and sinking his fangs into your soft skin. As he drinks you in, your mind blanks out, completely lost in the euphoria his bites provided you, and all of a sudden, you’re back at your days spent camping, when this was moreso about necessity, when you gave yourself to him, when you would’ve given him everything. He’s still drinking when the next words slip past your lips between two breaths, completely unaware of the effect they would have.

“Tell me… tell me you love me.”

His teeth leave your skin and he pulls back to look at you, as if he was looking for something you weren’t saying out loud, and if he wasn’t looking at you then, he wouldn’t believe what you had asked of him. Nevertheless, he complies; as he is yours forever more, and you were his for tonight.

“I love you.”

Your half lidded eyes are completely lost in the sight of him with your blood on his mouth, and before you can think about it, your lips are on his, tasting him, tasting yourself, taking everything he has to offer, but also offering yourself to him. You didn’t want to let go, to break the proximity you had longed to share for so long, but the lack of air forces you to pull away. When he looks at you again, you’re stained from your blood, and two fine lines drop from where he bit you. 

“I'll take down the moon and stars for you.”

He grabs onto your hips as he begins to thrust upwards, and you let him, too dizzy to think of taking back that control or giving him a new command. He could have the reigns now, you had proved to yourself that you were whole, and this experience brought you even closer to him, the closest you had ever been. 

“I'll love you until the world burns down.”

Closer than this and your bodies would fuse together, your minds would meld as one, losing yourself into the other. Ultimately, love, no matter how twisted it had become, had brought you back together against all odds.

“I would burn it down for you if you just asked.”

And you loved him, gods, you hated how much you loved him despite all he had done, despite capturing you to bring you here. You promise yourself that you will bring it up again, make him right his wrongs, force him to–

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

One of his hands finds its way to the back of your neck, cradling you closer to kiss your skin between each declaration, and it pushes aside any thoughts you previously had. He repeats himself with a ragged breath, and each time he tells you he loves you, it's with more and more conviction. His pace gets more frantic as he lets himself come undone for you.

“Love… I’m close…” He says, panting.

You pull him into another kiss, knowing you’re nearing the edge of ecstasy too and you’re reaching for any more contact you could have. You couldn’t care for words anymore, but you knew what you wanted, and you would take it, regardless of what he had done in the past. For tonight, you forgave him, and you accepted this form of apology from him.

“Fuck, ah–”

Feeling him shooting his hot seed inside of you is your unbecoming. With a few more strokes, along with his cock twitching inside of you, you finally go over the edge. As the world becomes silent, you scream in pleasure, finally letting go of all those feelings you had bottled up over the last days. The build up in your belly reaches your heart, and there’s something of an explosion in your chest, fireworks in your head, and you see stars for a mere moment. When you come down from your high, you let yourself fall over him, completely spent, with your head hiding in the crook of his neck.

You stay like this for a while, with him still inside you and you resting on top of him, allowing yourself to catch your breath, and he holds you close as if you were but a fleeting image that was going to vanish, but by now, you had no intention of leaving.

The way he strokes your hair aside so casually makes you yearn for more of it. It feels so intimate, the tenderness of it all making you feel as if you had never been apart, not for an instant. 

“So much for getting you clean earlier, mh?” You laugh quietly in the crook of his neck; had you known the night was going to take such a turn, maybe you would’ve waited before taking that bath. “Now, let me take care of you, the way you deserve it.”

You groan, too tired to care about getting clean, and when he sees that you had no intention of getting up, he lifts you up himself to carry you to your bath. He calls on Amedee once again to get new warm water, and this time he hops in the bath with you to clean you up. You hum, content with the way he cared for you so dearly, and once you’re both clean, he takes you out of your bath to dry you up. He carries you back to bed where he tucks you in and the moment he turns to leave you stop him.

“Stay with me tonight.”

“Eager for more, are we?”

“My word is your command – remember? Stay.”

Your words are direct, but your voice is soft and your eyes are almost pleading with him; he can’t find it in himself to refuse you. As he joins you in bed, you hold him close, resting your head over his chest once again, and you let yourself be lulled to sleep by the unfamiliar sound of his calm heartbeat, along with the crackling of the fireplace.

-

Can I move you? Can I soothe your fear?

Could you trust love, if I prove it's there?

Thank you for reading! Comments, reblogs, and likes are very much appreciated <3

tag list (comment or message me if you want to be added!): @grimistheangerinmystares @silverfangmarks @roguishcat @nyx-knox @anacdoce @jwera

[viburnt]

MORE BAKUGOU 🗣️🗣️🗣️

pretty pls

Wasn't sure what kind of Bakugo you wanted so...

CONTENT WARNING: Possessive and stalker behavior, bullying, rumors and gaslighting, seclusion, sexual themes, abuse. Dead dove, do not eat!

Bully! Bakugo and his outcast darling

You never quite understood why you didn't fit among your classmates, an odd look splashing their faces whenever you tried to engage with them. 'Maybe it's all my imagination,' you'd tell yourself in an effort to explain such behavior. Perhaps, you were just being dramatic.

You weren't.

People do avoid you, and not particularly because you've done something wrong. It's because of him. This bully carefully crafts an intricate web of lies and rumors, slowly but surely intoxicating people's minds; it's so easy to believe someone like him! His confidence and reputation making his word almost a truth. Doesn't take long for your classmates to form a distorted opinion of you.

Bakugo is the kind of bully that allows the roots of his obsession to go deep, his grasp creeping and filling every crack and crevice of your life. He wants to give you no option, no chances for you to escape him; Bully! Bakugo wants to be the only thing you can have, the only thing you need.

It starts with small things, whispered words into the hallways that reached the right people: slut, idiot, dumb... all kinds of names and crazy gossip stories eating your classmate's brains like worms to an apple. A new reputation for you, the sweet and stupidly unaware darling that you are.

You notice the uncomfortable ambience, the changes in the atmosphere, how people stop talking when you're around. It makes you feel scared, dreadful, and Bully! Bakugo is always there to bask on the worrisome frown your face has. He loves to play pretend, act as if your presence was bothersome and he's only pitying you, "reluctantly" giving you a shoulder to cry on.

The blond follows you around to see the results of his hard work, grinning with pride whenever you start having a mental breakdown in the bathroom or at the library. And he's always there to offer his company, in his own twisted way...

"Tch, you're so fucking annoying. Stop crying already, dammit!" "Have a fucking tissue and stop bothering me." "Fine, you can fucking cry in my shoulder..."

Bully! Bakugo loves fucking with your mind; the same hand that ruthlessly tears you bit by bit, feeds you copious amounts of sugar to keep you wrapped around his pinky finger. He enjoys making you doubt yourself, your choices, your everything... Always reminding how much of a waste of time you are, making you think you should be grarteful that he's even speaking to you.

"They don't like you," He says, "Why would they like a crybaby? I barely can stand you."

"Tch, stop crying already, I don't like that!" "S-sorry, I-I'll try to stop the tears."

Bully! Bakugo who likes pushing you around to do things you would never! If he wants you to do something (no matter the nature of the action), he'll first try to plant the idea and bother you with it over and over, and then, when you try to say no... "Tch, come on, don't be a fucking bore!" "I'm your only friend, aren't I?" "You'd be so lonely without me, can at least do this for me."

Master of guilt tripping.

Do I think he'd leave some sort of mark on you to scare others away? Yes. He already managed to wreck what little good reputation you could have, but he wants people to know that you're his property! It's very probable that he buys a piece of jewelry for your ears (earrings if you have or maybe piercings), or go for a more radical mark like a tattoo or scar. No, silly, you don't have a saying here!

He adores how desperate you look! Seriously, the fucker has a thing for making you cry, calling you the absolute worse in ways that your poor brain can't grasp. This Bakugo also enjoys baby talking to you, there's something about it that makes him feel in control (not to mention that the little leap of joy you do when he's slightly sweet to you makes his dick hard.)

Next stage for him is keeping you secluded. Trust me, he already did a fantastic murdering your social life, but now he takes it further. Oh, you wanna go to that school? Keep dreaming, you'll be by his side where he can have you at his heart's content. No, silly, you can't go anywhere without him; yes, he'll have his hand on the back of your neck everywhere. And don't think of making small talk with any friendly strangers! He'll chew you out for it.

This Bakugo doesn't normally go for his sexual desires with you, he is rather content with having a dumb little pet he can kick whenever he feels like. The topic is not exempt though, he'll have his leg between yours just to make you pathetically grind on it. If he feels particularly lustful, he'll spit on your face as he pushes you against the wall, having his way with groping and squeezing and-

"Curve your fucking back, pet! Fuck- Your stupid cunt is always ridiculously tight."

Overall a different kind of manipulator; compared to Stalker/Possessive! Izuku, this version of Bakugo has a different motto: wreck it down and build it to your fucking liking.

[t3ag3rs]

g e n s o - 1 0.

you lift your hands up to gaurd your face as you get into a fighting stance.

lets hope those years of taekwondo come in handy now.. you nod to show bakugou your ready and wait for his confirmation as well.

not soon after he gives you a curt nod, signaling the start. you pace yourself around quietly, moving side to side ocassionally. 

if im not wrong izuku always says he starts off with a right hook so i can move to the left and land a side kick at his open side... just as you had predicted, he came in with a right hook.

you duck to the left and lift your front leg up to land a quick blow as his ribs. you put your foot down repositioning yourself as he regains balance. you smile a bit at the fact you landed your kick.

okay.. now if he thinks competitively hes gonna wanna take back that point by coming in with a kick..

just as you had suspected he came in with a roundhouse kick to your ribs. you push his leg down and throw a punch at his torso quickly before snapping back into defensive position. "hm. youre quite easy to read bakugou" you grin as he seethes.

"shut it genso!" he growls before lunging at you. you quickly side step trying to avoid him, but he grabs on to your left wrist with his left arm pulling you towards him. you widen ur eyes before flipping ur wrist upward and placing ur right forearm on his now twisted arm. you push down and get him down on a knee as his arm is against your thigh. quickly you shove him off before placing his arms behind his back and placing your body weight on top of him to secure him in place. 

"got you.." you say catching your breath, "happy now that we've fought?" you say looking down at him for his response.

"get off me dammit!" he yells, "since when did you even know all of this?!" he asks agitated.

you climb off him wiping the sweat off your cheek, "we didnt see each other during junior high- theres a lot you dont know." you spit still sour on how he didnt meet with you after all those years. 

"i achieved my black belt in taekwondo and learned some other forms of martial arts to pass my test; including jiu-jitsu.." you motion to his position before lending a hand only for it to be slapped away.

"i dont need your petty help" he grunts before sitting up and looking away face slightly red.

"damn did i reslly make you that frustrated that your turning red??" you ask looking at him grinning a bit. he rolls his eyes, "dont give yourself any credit- im just hot.." he says wiping some sweat off his brow.

"yeah ill agree with you about that.." you say before grabbing your water and chugging some quickly, "i suggest you get off your tiny ass and start getting changed, lunch is about to end.." you pick up your bag and walk to the locker room waving him off.

"you little-" he starts but you slam the door behind you before he can finish, grinning to yourself.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

you sigh happily as class ends getting ready to walk out before you hear uraraka, "um.. why the heck are you all here??" she exclaims as you walk over to see what was happening. you widen your eyes at the sight of the hoard of students in front of you. "um.. can we help you..?" u ask questioningly.

"theyre scouting us you idiots.." bakugou grunts walking towards the door. "they wanna see the students who survived a real villain attack-" he pauses as he stops in front of them. "take a good look at what a future hero looks like!"

you grumble at his commentary before walking up and placing a hand on his shoulder smiling at the crowd a bit, "we're very sorry for his comments.. anything he says is his own opinion and not what the rest of class 1-a thinks.."

"so this is class 1-a.. i heard you guys were impressive but this guy is an ass.." a guy with purple walks up, "is everyone in the hero course delusional or just you?" you slap your forehead, and bakugou growls. 

"how sad to see all of you are ego-maniacs.. I wanted to be in the hero course; like many students here. i didnt cut it the first time, but now i have a second chance. if i do well in the sports festival the teachers can have the option to exchange me to a different class, maybe others are scouting you all but im here to remind you all to do your very best or ill steal your spot from under you. consider this a declaration of war.." he finishes as the rest of the students behind him agree.

bakugou just turns and walks away, "bakugou apologize to them! because of you all of them hate us!" you exclaim frustrated, "these people dont matter.. the only thing that is important is that i beat them." he states before finally walking away.

you sigh before letting out another apology and finding your way thought the crowd.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

you started your training during the several days before the sports festival. everyday was spent trying to elongate your time spent using each element without facing the drawbacks. by the end of the week you could use your water bending for almost hour, you air bending for 45 minutes, and your earth and fire bending for 30 minutes before feeling the drawbacks. 

but of course that wouldnt really matter if you used your fire or earth to an extensive amount in blasts. i just have to be wise and not impulsive when using those two elements... this is my time to show heroes that im capable of being a hero...

next thing you knew it was the day of the sports festival. 

you quickly grab your bag and start putting on your shoes, "im off..!" you exclaim to your parents. "wait!" called your mother before running over to you with your dad right behind. 

"y/n.. show em what l/n blood is made of." says your dad as he gives you a proud smile, "and whatever you do.. just know we're proud of you.." whispers your mom as she hugs you.

"i wont disappoint you two... be sure to record the festival so i can see it when im back." u add before opening the door and turning a last time to wave before walking out.

you walk to ua with only one thing in mind,

i will show these heroes who i am and what i can do- whether or not that means me or someone else has to struggle in the process..!

previous parts: pt. 0 0 / pt. 0 1 / pt. 02 / pt. 03 / pt. 04 / pt. 05 / pt. 06 / pt. 07 / pt. 08 / pt. 09 next part: pt. 11 / pt. 12 / pt. 13 / pt. 14 / pt. 15 / pt. 16

[meracyn]

Could we please get general relationship headcanons for Cana, Lisanna, and Lucy? Thank you!

relationship hc’s with lisanna, cana & lucy !

my bad for posting this late i wrote half of it last night and got busy today so i just finished it rn lmao + yakult is so yummy giys u should try it trust but the bottles r small asf :((

lisanna strauss !

she’s probs the clingy type though

ok this one was a bit hard since.. i never really paid attention to lisanna lmao

ill do my best to make it at least barely lisanna-like 💀

very protective (it runs in the family 100%)

despite not being on the same level as mira for example, lisanna will always do her best to make sure you are safe

pretty playful, might result in her shifting into her take-over forms to show you how many she can change into

training together constantly, lisanna strives to become stronger, having you training with her boosts her confidence and motivation to be as powerful as her siblings

is aware she doesn’t have the higher potential as them but still tries to be optimistic and not let that insecurity get to her

can be reckless at times/impulsive, basically thinks with her feelings and not brain; but yk if someone she cares about is in danger, which includes you

petting any animals you both see together during your missions

owning one too most definitely, if you don’t mind it

asks mirajane for relationship advice constantly, since mira and elfman approved of you two dating, lisanna doesn’t want to disappoint them and be as much of a good girlfriend she can be

always nice to you, never wants to hurt your feelings

whenever you need help, lisanna will try her best to help you out and think of a solution

really sweet gf

cana alberona !

as soon as everyone gets the news that cana has a partner they’re all most likely relieved

you automatically have the duty of handling cana whenever she gets drunk

cana is wandering off drunk in town?

“y/n cana’s drunk go get her”

cana is stirring up fights with other drunkards at the guild?

“y/n calm your girlfriend down”

cana passed out?

“y/n, cana—”

“i knOW DAMMIT”

you love cana of course but sometimes it does become too much 😭

if you drink along with her it just causes more trouble in the guild

cana would probably be fighting some random and you’d be cheering her on while being drunk too

if you don’t, cana’s influence might cause you to do so, unless you’re really firm in not drinking, it’d be a good thing since the guild wouldn’t need to worry about more chaos and destruction of objects lmao

reckless, drunk gf + levelheaded, sober s/o = good balance, everyone is happy

reckless, drunk gf + drunk as well s/o = bringers of chaos, everyones backs are breaking due to the pain

you both might have flirting competitions, whoever makes the other blush first wins

she probably wins though lmao

lucy heartfilia !

most of the time when you both want to spend time together, it ends up being interrupted by natsu and happy wanting to join in (or abruptly going along without asking lmao)

throws his arms over you both’s shoulders and asks “what are we doing today?” oblivious to the fact you and lucy were going to go out to have dinner

dw he gets scolded or even smacked and he backs off

whenever lucy gets new clothes or a cute accessory she bought, she always asks for your opinion

yk the whole twirling while asking “how do i look?” to you

will love it if you buy her dresses, skincare products, etc.

lets you read her writing drafts and appreciates it when you give her advice on any sort of improvement or anything– when levy is busy, lucy asks if you could proofread too

hmm perhaps matching bracelets ?? lucy would be so happy if you offer to match or already bought a set and tell her about it

going on walks, missions together, to a cafe or library, restaurants and parties too

lucy is just outgoing and the thought of spending more time with her partner makes it more enjoyable

that’s why she puts in extra effort in looking better for you

very happy gf moment if you compliment her on how beautiful she looks or the clothes she has on looks good on her

maybe cooking together if there’s nothing to do, doing the chores around your shared apartment together too

lucy probably buys you perfume and stuff she thinks you’d like, or books if you love them

gets her relationship tips from novels she’s read lmao as she gets too embarrassed in asking any of her friends + knows she will get teased endlessly about it

they’re all happy for her though, good for you

[jadeazora]

I feel like some of us have that region that isn't "for them", and Galar was DEFINITELY that region to me:

Like, the story was pretty boring thanks to the hyperfixation it had on Gyms. And then when something interesting would happen, Leon would show up and redirect you. I get what they're going for, he's their unbeatable Champion and it's nice he's getting involved with the affairs of his region, but it came at a downside. (I feel like Alder was better since the player still felt relevant to the plot, even tho he was pretty active and involved too.)

Most of the major characters just weren't utilized well, fell flat, or annoyed me (tho there's some I liked, like Sonia, Piers, and Raihan) Like, we FINALLY have a jerk rival after two decades, and he's forced out of the plot midway in (due to his own decisions, but still wanted more with Bede), and I think Marnie only really got as popular as she did because of her design, because she's kinda forgettable personality-wise. 🤷‍♀️ There's way more going on with Piers imo. Hop was ok, but I think they could have done a bit more with him. (Maybe if they had explored him growing up in Leon's shadow more?)

I feel like this is gonna be an unpopular opinion, but I just never vibed with Leon and the way the games and anime shilled him just always rubbed me the wrong way. He's not the worst Champion, that still goes to Diantha, but between how the games just use him to redirect the player and the character-shilling, I just kinda found him annoying. 😔 (I tend to not really like showboaty characters most of the time, tho there's a few exceptions like Alastor. I feel like if they got the charisma to back it up, I might end up liking them, but sometimes, it just comes off as kinda lame instead. Imo, the charisma is there more for anime Leon over the games version.)

The idea of minor League Gyms was neat, but we never really got anything with them until Klara and Avery. Like, we can assume Allister/Melony and Bea/Gordie were minor League depending on what game you play, but in the games they're not Gym Leaders, they don't even appear.

I also hated them forcing me into a Gym Uniform in-game for those battles/League fights. (Let me keep my drip, dammit.)

The villain plots ticked me off. I've already gone after Rose a couple times in this blog, but if the energy crisis had been a few decades away, I could understand the rush and frustration with Leon, but 1000yrs was way too big a window. The Royal Brothers are meant to be annoying and ridiculous, and they definitely hit their mark there.

The box Legendaries were the most boring duo for me (They're not Pokemon I dislike, they're fine. The other box Legends were just cooler. I like the more eldritch Mons tho, so I really loved Eternatus.)

The base game's wild area felt really limited and small once you find your way around. The Crown Tundra's was way better, not to mention Paldea's.

I didn't really care for the Dynamax gimmick. (I've always been a Mega Evolution guy tho. Gigantamax could be cool, I think I just like the alternate forms.)

I will say that the DLC improved quite a bit imo. I liked characters like Peony and Mustard, the exploration was an improvement and the quests were fun, and it was cool seeing the interactions between Gym Leaders and such in the Galarian Star tournament. They also get bonus points for bringing back two of my favorite Pokemon, Volcarona and Magnezone. (I also feel like the Galar-original Mons were pretty good overall, and same with the clothing options.)

But like, by the time we got out of Gen8 and into Paldea for everything (well, the games and the anime anyway, wasn't the biggest JN fan either, I still have to catch up on Adventures), I was so happy. Technical issues with SV aside, I've enjoyed Gen9 a lot more overall.

[cryinginmyroomsposts]

Homecoming

Yoongi x fem!Reader

A/n: Tried writing something for the first time based on this prompt. Let me know your opinions.

Warnings: Angst, non-idol au, first love, second chance trope, fluffy ending, mentions of sex, no smut

Word count: 1.5k

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The cold winter air cuts through my thoughts like a newly sharpened knife and it takes everything in me to not turn back and run to... where do I run back? I just walked away from the only home I've ever known, only to realise it was all in my head.

I walk along the brightly lit festival-ready Manhattan streets. Fairy lights turn into hazy lines across my eyes as I feel the sting from the tears forming at the back of my eyes. I will not cry, not about this... not about him. Funny how life comes full circle, almost an entire decade ago I walked back from school refusing to shed a tear about the boy who shredded my heart into a million pieces and here I am, all the way across the world and a decade's worth of pain to my name, still walking back to an empty house with tears threatening to fall... all because of him, again.

Exhaling a deep breath, as if to tell myself I have breathed out the pain, I walk with more speed. Fumbling with the keys at the door to the house I refuse to call home. My legs give out the second the door locks behind me as I drop to the floor by the foyer, head on my knees, too many thoughts and emotions floating around.

After what feels like a lifetime of staying in that state I hear the door's locks turn around, and my head drops even further into my knees as I already know who is on the other side. I stay there, crouched down with my head bent, clenching my fists, as I hear the soft thuds of his footsteps. I stay still as I feel him crouch down next to me, knees lightly brushing each other.

"Just please talk to me...please" I hear his voice cracking and once again it feels like I'm being punished for giving my heart to him.

"What do you want me to say" It comes out more bitter than my heart intended and I can feel him flinch at my tone. Do not look at him, it will make things worse. "I don't know what I did wrong... I am trying to understand but I don't know and now-" he exhales a shaky breath, out of the corner of my eyes I see him rub his palms on his knees. "Now I feel like I'm losing you." My heart gives out for a second and I look up to see his tear-stained face and bloodshot eyes, his long black hair falling on his face, he looks wan and sweating in the middle of December.

"You're not losing me, I was never yours to be lost." My voice sounds alien to me as the words come out. The look on his face, as he takes my words in, feels like a dozen swords were stabbed right through me repeatedly. He looks distraught, scared and everything I am sure is mirrored in my own face.

"What do you mean by that, of course, you are mine. You are the only thing that's ever been mine" He pleads, tears rolling down his eyes as he reaches to hold my hands.

I move slightly away, "Please... You couldn't even tell our friends we are together. But then what are we really? We met two years back after all those years, started 'afresh' and ended up best friends who accidentally slept together once... that's all right. It was purely physical... at least admit that dammit!" I know I am being brutal, but I cannot be the one falling alone anymore. He is at a loss for words and I continue with a bitter laugh, "I've been asking for your acknowledgement since we were sixteen. Last time you let me go so fast... for what? because you wanted to look 'cool'. You came back and said you wanted to be friends... that night, you made out with me and told me we'd be fine no matter what. You promised not to hurt me again... but you never told me what we are. And then we slept together and you disappeared on me for two whole weeks... do you have any idea how fucked up that is. I don't think you even thought about it. You always escape when this arrangement became slightly complicated for you because I acknowledged my feelings and you couldn't deal with that. Actually, I was so sure you'll go running away the first chance you get... I kept myself in check this whole time just to not scare you away, but when it came out in a moment of passion you left me... without a single fucking word- only to return two weeks later for the school reunion. You were so fucking busy you couldn't even call me but today I find out you helped plan a part of that shindig... the cherry on the cake was when you pretended as if we haven't practically been living together for a whole year and you just screwed me and ran away... but of course, other people always mattered more to you right- back at highschool and now...."

By now the traitorous tears are streaming so fast down my cheeks, burning my face up. I don't even have the energy to reach and wipe them away. He puts his head down in defeat, and I see more tears fall down his cheeks too. He slowly wipes them away

"I know I messed up... I'm sorry" he sounds so little I almost miss it. I cannot get in myself to accept the apology but I hold myself back because I'm done explaining myself, it is high time he does it. Taking my silence as approval, he continues "You are right you know... about me being a coward who can't accept what this is." He lets a bitter deep chuckle, his face reeking hatred for himself.

"This is so messed up because I finally found the answer..." He looks at me eyes full of hope, a bitter smile still spread along his lips and my stomach flips on itself at the first ray of hope. I need to remind myself that the answer could be the end of us too. I just gulp down the bile rising to my mouth and look at him, this time he reaches to hold my hands in his and I let him- too tired for this fight.

"I ran away the other night, I got scared... scared that I messed up the only thing that was going right in my life. I wanted to do everything right this time around. You have no clue how much I hated myself for letting you go the last time around, high school was messed up." I let out a sarcastic chuckle, my heart still beating in my ears and my stomach tumbling with anxiety. He holds my fingers delicately as if it will break if he holds on tighter.

"I actually went home the next day-" my eyebrows shoot up at the new information, "- I was there last week, to talk to my parents. That night when we... after you went to sleep, I got a call from my mom saying she wants me to get settled- in a typical arranged marriage, she was being serious enough that she had already set up a blind date with someone she knew. I freaked out... and went to have a talk with my parents."

"That still doesn't explain the radio silence I received..." I am ashamed at how little my own voice sounds, there's so much new information spinning in my head and the anxiety keeps getting worse by the minute. "Yeah that was stupid on my part, I was very confused. I left and got on the first plane home, all through the plane I wasn't even sure what I was going home to do. I spent the entire 14-hour flight trying to understand everything and it clicked only as I reached home... I don't want anyone else but you. I realised I went there in that hurry only to convince my parents about you.."

He finally releases a breath after saying all that in go, my head is still spinning but I look at him with wide eyes, more tears threatening to fall down- this time with a glimmer of happiness. I was still unsure of how this will end and I hear myself say, "Andd..?"

He holds my hands tighter, clearing his throat before continuing, "And they eventually agreed. After 3 very hard and long sleepless days. I did not want to text you until I knew what I was doing for sure. When I did try to text you the day I was leaving to come back home... you had apparently blocked me.." It's my turn to look guilty, as my stomach does happy flips and I feel my heartbeat everywhere.

"I don't really blame you, from your point of view it made sense. When I couldn't reach you even after coming back, I helped plan the reunion in hopes you will be there. I hope that I can talk to you... make you mine officially..." At this point, I am sure my heart has given out, and it is getting harder to hide the smile creeping up my face, so I bite down hard on my lower lips. Involuntarily my fingers wrap around his, holding on for dear life.

"What are you trying to say... I'm tired of all this back and forth" I say, my nerves reaching new levels of high and hopes high up to the sky.

He moves close enough that there is only an inch between our faces and I try to protest but it gets lost in my nerves when he uses one of his hands to pull me on his waist and I see how sincere and scared his eyes look. I lower my face unable to manage all the emotions raising up my gut and he uses his other hand to make me face him again.

"I am sorry for being a dick, now and then. But this time... I am not letting you go. I waited 8 years in agony to meet you again, and another year having you so close to me yet out of reach. So... this is me saying I love you, with all my heart and soul. This is it for me... you're it. I love you and I'm never letting you go again."

By now my face is entirely wet and I'm sobbing loudly as he reaches to wipe my tears away with his thumbs. I just lay my head on his shoulder and cry for what feels like a good half an hour. He keeps patting my head and lets me cry. Eventually, I gather myself and wipe my tears and look at him, he smiles at me earnestly.

"Well... are you going to say it back or ?" He asks and although his lips are in a smirk I can see the fear behind his eyes. I smile myself and reach to hold his face in my hands before leaning in and closing the distance between us.

We've shared a couple of kisses before- some passionate, mostly hesitant; but this time it is reassuring. This is the kiss of love, of comfort and it is the kind of kiss that feels like home.

"You really are not gonna say the words anytime soon are you?" he asks in between the kisses. I look at him in thought for a minute before shaking my head in negative defiantly.

"You are going to have to work hard for it lover boy."

[galaxiadreams]

Summer Love <3 (Alhaitham x reader Modern AU)

❦ Warnings: mentions of lack of self confidence(only like once)

❥ Genre: Fluff, romance <3

❥ Word Count: 2,831

❦ Synopsis: Your bestie Yoimiya begged you to go to a summer camp down in Sumeru with her. You were hesitant, at first. But who would've thought a summer camp changed your love life forever...

a/n: Hellooooo!!! This little fic is inspired by my own experience during summer camp. I had a couple "summer camp crushes" and this is kinda of what I fantasied of doing ehehehe. I apologize in advance about the possible grammar/spelling mistakes. Sorry if any sentences doesn't make sense. I'm still trying to learn more about writing! I am also trying out a new format. Please give me any suggestions!

Your best friend begged you to go to a summer camp down in Sumeru with her. You were hesitant, you wanted this summer to be relaxing for once. Go wherever you pleased, and do whatever you wanted. But her sparkling puppy eyes are working far better than you expected and you relented. 

“Pleaseeeee, y/n!!! I know you’re not that interested in ancient runes or whatever. Who knows, you might find a cute guy there! I heard Sumeru boys are a different breed! Plus, it’s at the Akademiya, THE top university in all of Teyvat. You know, your dream school. Maybe this trip there will send a message into the universe to make you get into your dream school!” Dammit Yoimiya, no wonder she’s your best friend, she sure knows the way to your heart. 

....................

After a long boat ride from Inazuma to Port Ormos, you were greeted by lush green grass, warm humid air, and the pungent smell of Padisarahs. A little melody sung by a bird attracted your attention. A Sumeru Dusk Bird. Its vibrant blue feathers gleaming in the sunlight due to the natural oil produced by the animal.The song is both simple and complex, and it stays with you long after you have heard it. Many, like your mother, may find the sound produced by the bird as a nuisance, overly screeching and loud. But you think otherwise, to you, nature is art in its most natural form. Both held complexity and simplicity in its form. Both evoke deep emotions within you.

The trip from Port Ormos to Sumer City wasn’t too long. But upon arriving, you couldn’t hold the gasp of admiration upon seeing the city before you. Sumeru, the city of wonder. Where nature and cityscapes blend seamlessly. Skyscrapers that reach the sky are embellished with green, lush plants. Trees stood tall and proud, shading the bustling citizens beneath.

You took a deep breath and smiled, this unexpected trip to Sumeru might be a good one.

....................

That’s where you meet him. The grey haired quiet dude from your Ancient runes summer camp council group. 

The first day you arrived at summer camp, you were enchanted. Sure, boys from back home were nice, but ohhhhhhh boy. Yoimiya was right, Sumeru boys are something else. You couldn’t help but feel all giddy when it was announced that he would be in your little council group with Yoymiya. Gosh, it felt embarrassing almost. You just learned the guy’s name, Alhaitham, after a little icebreaker and introduction. Hell, the two of you only have been breathing in the same room for merely 10 minutes. He was a total stranger, and you were totally crushing on him. You can’t help but feel shallow. 

Kudos to Yoimiya, she read you like an open book. The moment Alhaitham walked into the room she gave you a sultry glance. She knew your type well. When lunch time came, she made it her life mission to find a way to make you sit with Alhaitham. That “life mission” was extremely easy to accomplish. All she had to do was befriend Kaveh, who was introduced as Alhaitham’s childhood best friend, another hottie in Yoymiya’s opinion. 

♡ The Akademiya cafeteria is a large, open space with high ceilings and coloured lights shining through ancient stained glass windows. The noise level is deafening, with the sound of hundreds of students talking, laughing, and eating. The combination of strangers and loudness was making you lose your appetite.You watched Yoimiya, Kaveh, and a couple of new acquaintances chatting animatedly, and you felt a pang of jealousy. Not of Yoimiya but of the conversation they’re having; your introverted ass can’t hold a proper conversation with a stranger for 2 minutes, and here is your best buddy beaming at something stupid Kaveh said. Sometimes it makes you think you bore Yoimiya. Sighing, you sneak a glance at Alhaitham sitting across from you, he has a handsome face with a strong jawline, and high cheekbones. His porcelain skin made his turquoise eyes shimmer in the light. The deep glow of red-orange hue near his pupil creates a contrast that reminded you of the unison of the forest and desert in Sumeru. You watched his eyes move to absorb every single word in the book he was holding…you were getting butterflies, but the butterflies plummeted when those eyes flicker to yours. You quickly averted your gaze towards Yoyimya and Kaveh, the heat of embarrassment painted your cheeks a cheery red. You promised yourself that you were not shallow, and you vowed that you’re not a hopeless romantic.

The next few days were filled with teasing from Yoimiya and Kaveh (that freaking girl couldn’t keep her mouth shut). The two of them made sure you and Alhaitham sat together at all times. Yoimiya went as far as refusing to partner with you during activities in order for you and Alhaitham to work together. As you become acquainted with Alhaitham more, he becomes more comfortable with you. He’s not stupid, he notices all the shy glances and blushing cheeks when the two of you are together. Especially the obnoxious, oh-so not obvious suggestions made by Kaveh.To be honest, he’s not new to this behavior from women. The guy knows he’s attractive and he has been on various blind dates orchestrated by Kaveh himself (Alhaitham only relented on the condition Kaveh would stop pestering him about it). At first, Alhaitham wasn’t quite interested. He found your seemingly “secretive” glances rather uncomfortable, annoying even. But what piqued his interest is your love for physics and Astrophysics. Alhaitham is quite well-versed in this field, and this is the first time he has heard anyone claiming the want to pursue physics. 

♡ “Y/n. It’s your turn now, two truths and one lie.”  “Well, I had thought about this for a while now. Ahem— I choked on a peach pit as a baby and nearly died. I want to have a career in Astrophysics or a major in physics. I have a pet tarantula named Benny boy,” Yoimiya let out a loud laugh upon hearing your statement about the spider, “and Yoimiya is not allowed to answer.” The girl gave you a teasing grin and pursed her lips. After your group failed to answer correctly, you gave them the lie: You had a pet tarantula named Benny Boy. You were deathly afraid of spiders, if you had a personal hell, it would be filled with those nasty creatures.  As your council group walked towards the courtyard for recreation time, Alhaitham surprisingly struck up a conversation with you.  “You said you’re interested in studying physics?” “Oh yes, it’s rather a new interest that I’ve decided to pursue only recently. After the whole being an actress thing fell apart”  “Hmmm, and you said you want a career in Astrophysics?” You were surprised he even paid attention to what you said. You nodded in response.  “Well, I have a family member that teaches Astrophysics at the Akademiya, if you’re really interested, I could introduce you to them.” Alhaitham offered, while opening the courtyard gate for you.  “Oh heavens really? That would be great!” You smiled at him. Goddamn, that smile of yours caught him off guard. Your smile was like the sun, warm and inviting. It lit up your face and made the excitement in your eyes sparkle. After finding a seat by a marble bench under a giant Adhigama tree, the two of you converse all there is about physics and your interests, from string-theory to philosophy to art, Alhaitham never met someone so knowledgeable and opinionated about some of his favorite subjects.

After that late afternoon little discussion under the Adhigama tree, you and Alhaitham opened up to each other. Hell, you even started to make some physics jokes with him. Celestia must’ve placed a curse on him, because he started to look forward to talking to somebody, he wanted to talk to you, he wanted to be with you. Yeah shocker, the seemingly antisocial genius wanted to talk to a girl. What’s even worse for Alhaitham, is that he started to feel nervous being around you. He was never nervous around anybody, whether it’s strangers or the freaking Grand Sage, he never felt this strange fluttering in his stomach. What’s even more uncanny for him is that he found himself staring at you on multiple occasions. When a conversation ends, he would usually return to his books, but since he met you, he started to leave his books in his dorm. This way, he could listen to your voice, and see you smile. This has to be some curse, Alhaitham thought, he even tried to convince himself that you’re not all that great. But those are just futile attempts, there was something enigmatic about you. It’s hard to notice for the common eyes, some might even describe you as plain and average. But with Alhaitham’s sagacious eyes, he could see right to your soul. Alhaitham was bewitched, you’re the one that placed this curse of infatuation (perhaps even love) upon him. Through all the secret glances and “accidental” hand-touching enacted by both you and Alhaitham, the final bouquet has arrived. 

♡ You took a deep breath and tried to focus on the positive. You were feeling rather melancholic considering this will be last night you’ll be spending in Sumeru, the city of Wonder, where you met new besties for lifes and became an official ambivert (according to both Yoyiyma and Kaveh, two renowned extroverts). You couldn't help but smile as you stared at the reflection staring at you in the mirror. You wore a flattering green dress, it was made of a soft, flowing silk fabric that swayed with your movements. The colour of the dress brought out the e/c in your eyes and made your skin look even more radiant. You wore your hair down in loose waves, and your makeup was simple but elegant. White pearl earrings and necklaces completed your looks. As long as Yoimiya is here, you’ll always manage to look like a princess. Soft Sumeru music played as you and Yoimiya walked into the cafeteria. The usual loud, squalor of a cafeteria was transformed into a beautiful forest with soft fairy lights hanging from the tall stone ceiling. Plants, flowers and the soft light from candles placed upon the tables gave the most peaceful atmosphere possible. “Good evening.” Alhaitham's voice was deep and smooth. You whipped around to face the tall man behind you. He is wearing a well-tailored suit that fits him perfectly. His broad shoulders were enhanced in the black material. His hair was also styled, the usual strand of hair covering his left eye was slicked back.  As per usual, he had a confident and clamming demeanor, and he made you feel flustered immediately. You can’t deny the literal rizz radiating off of him.  “Good evening, you look really good by the way.” you complimented, why is it so hot in here?  Alhaitham smiled a little at the compliment. The reserved scholar felt his cheeks warming up a little. In return, he pulled a chair out for you, gesturing for you to sit. Shocked, you quickly sat down and thanked him. You were screaming inside, a man with manners and chivalry is making the butterflies swarmmmmmm. Alhaitam took a seat right next to you and filled up the fancy wine glasses for the both of you.

“How was your day?” He inquired, while taking a sip out of his drink. He initiated the conversation first, you noticed gleefully.  “It was alright, except for the tower building exercise. Can’t believe that Haypasia girl tripped and fell on our group’s tower! We would’ve been first place if she watched where she was walking!” You complained jokingly, Alhaitham chuckled at the disaster that occurred earlier today.  The two of you conversed throughout dinner, but you couldn’t help but notice how your elbow and his were touching the entire time. You wanted to assert dominance and didn’t move away, it seems he had the same thought. He didn’t move either, Alhaitham only leaned closer to you while talking. His eyes barely left yours while the both of you talked about life and dreams. One of the most attractive traits about him, besides literally everything, is his voice. He spoke with clarity, it's the kind of voice that makes you want to listen to him talk for hours. When he speaks, his words are carefully chosen and delivered with conviction. He has a way of making you feel like you're the only person in the room.  When the banquet ended, there was a surprise slow dance outside in the courtyard. When the organizers of the summer camp announced for everyone to find a partner, your e/c eyes immediately found his turquoise ones looking at you just the same. Alhaitham cleared his throat and held out his right hand.  “Would you like to have this dance with me?”  “Of course. I would never reject you.” You laughed and held his hands in yours. His warm calloused hands sent electric shots through your body and his. His eyes widen at the softness of your hands. Your already smiling face beamed when you saw his sudden red cheeks and bashfulness. The waltz music started, and the two of you swirled to the beat, Alhaitham taking the lead. The two of you weren’t afraid to stare into each other’s eyes. This is the first time you experienced what time stops truly meant. Alhaitham couldn’t help but sigh, it wasn’t a sigh of annoyance, but a sigh of endearment. The blue light of the full moon lit your perfect face, the gleaming of your pearl earrings made you an angel from heaven. A gift from Celestia just for him. Alhaitham was lost in a whole different dimension with you, to the young scholar, only the music, you, him, and the moon existed at the moment. Was this love? The both of you couldn’t describe this feeling that suddenly blossomed in your guy’s chest; it was this faint struggle of breath combined with a weird sense of yearning. It was truly indescribable. This continued throughout the whole waltz, the music only brought the two of you closer, closer, and closer. Both of you fell from heaven when the dance came to an end. Your heart skipped a beat when you realized how close you and Alhaitham were, both your noises were touching, you could feel his breath on your lips. “Eeeeeek! Just kiss already!” an excited screech made you pull away from Alhaitham. Yoimiya was with Kaveh and a few other campers with her phone on record in her hand.  “Oh by the way Alhaitham, me and Yoyimya recorded the whole entire dance! Ehe!” Kaveh grinned, pointing towards his own phone in his hand. The whole crowd all erupted in loud cheers and laughter. 

When it was time to say goodbye, Alhaitham didn't want to leave. Both of you guys didn’t want to leave this secret paradise. He asked for your contacts and if he could see you again, and who are you to say no. Plus, the two of you would be attending the Akademiya in a couple of months, imagine the excitement and glee in Yoimiya’s eyes and cheers when you told her you got into the number one University in Teyvat. You received the acceptance email right after the dance that night. Alhaitham walked away with a smile on his face (which is unnerving for Kaveh) knowing that he had met someone truly special. 

....................

You leaned your elbow against the window frame as you stared out at the sun setting beneath the endless ocean. The sky was ablaze with different shades of orange, pink, and purple. It was a breathtaking sight, and you felt lucky to be able to witness such beauty and art. The colours in the sky grew more and more vibrant as the sun disappeared, it was the perfect way to end a day. You turned your head to a sleeping Yoimiya hugging your arm. The sunlight brightening her features, you chuckled at your best girl and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Your head rests against the cool glass as you look up at the very first star that has appeared that night. A single white spot on a tapestry of orange and pink, you kept your focus on the sky as more stars appeared to embellish the darkening sky. The hum of the engine on the boat rocked you to sleep as you sailed home to Inazuma. The last thought you had before leaping off to dreamland was of a certain grey haired male and his luscious voice. At that moment you decided to embrace the fact that you’re a hopeless romantic, because as crazy as it may sound, you knew you just found your soulmate.

[concussed-to-pieces]

Wolves At The Door; Part Two

Fandom: Resident Evil [Village]

Pairing: Eventual Karl Heisenberg/AFAB!Reader

Rating: Holy shit M.

Summary: "You don't gotta' lie to me, you know. Books don't get like this without love."

A/N: Welcome all, welcome to our second installment! Enjoy!

Tag List: @cookiethewriter @amneris21 @topgirl17 @vodkafolie @a-smol-witch @baby-lisuga @clockworkmidnight @calwitch @silver-quinn01 @velvet-paradox @hijackser @mrs-wolfwood @nonstop-haikyuu @mic-sunderland @somethingthatsaysbubbles @fullofmoonsandstars @stargazerofgoldenwords @imthegreenfairy86 @karlskitten @nitrogennightmare @chunnies

Prelude

Part One

[!TRIGGER WARNING!: This installment contains mentions of blood, canon-typical violence, depictions of animal butchering, depictions of a burn/scalding and graphic depictions of mental and physical duress. Stay safe!]

Sleeping that night was…difficult. Heisenberg was restless and it definitely didn't help your mental state to have him skulking around the cabin in the half-light, maul in hand. You found yourself curling up on the couch, eyes unconsciously drawn to the dark windows even as you attempted to get some rest.

Karl, for his part, didn't seem better off than you. If anything he was worse, the man sweating visibly as he made his rounds. Whether from the exertion of the day or nerves you couldn't say, but you finally had enough.

"Sit down." You ordered, gesturing to the sagging chair that resided parallel to the couch. "You're making me dizzy with all your pacing."

He obeyed without a word, the maul resting across his knees after he settled into the chair. Karl's gaze landed on the floor after a moment and a deep frown etched a furrow between his brows. He seemed to be struggling with something, wrestling some deep conundrum in his mind, so you decided to simply stay quiet.

"I think I'm…like them." Heisenberg's voice grated a little when he broke the silence. "That wrongness, that…feeling, that Uncanny Valley shit, I hate it but I know it." His eyes darted to your own. "I don't think I'm a good person. Or I–dammit I don't know, I think bare minimum I've done some real bad things. Do you see it too? Or is it all in my head?"

…

You drew your knees up even tighter to your chest, resting your cheek on one of them. It was like you were studying him in the wan light of the candles on the wood stove. Those same candles threw enormous shadows on the walls, black forms twisting and writhing as the flames danced in the breeze from the open windows. 

Karl couldn't decide what he wanted you to say. Was he the man, cowering in his chair, fidgeting with a simple club, or the nightmare creature skulking in the dark, made all the more terrifying by fear and imagination?

Wolf in sheep's clothing.

Choose, damn it! he found himself thinking irritably when you continued to look at him.

"Both." 

Karl blinked, stunned at your response. "What?"

"Both." 

"The hell do you mean?"

"I mean, I guess we're all both." You shrugged. That shrug was really starting to get under his skin. You were a little too free and easy with this stuff, in Karl's humble opinion! "We're all kind of unsettling in our own ways. I wouldn't say you're like those things out in the woods, but you're probably not unlike them either. Maybe you've got something to do with them, maybe not. Obviously you're weird, you can move metal with your brain. That doesn't mean you're like-" you gestured vaguely at one of the windows. "-those critters."

"Seems more like them than a normal person." Heisenberg muttered. 

"Nobody's normal." You insisted, sounding almost annoyed. "Not even if they want to be. No matter how much you polish or clean things up, humans are weird. Sure, we can pretend for a little while, but we're all just a few wrong moves away from revealing how awkward we are." 

"Awkward?" Karl snorted in disbelief. "I should be so damn lucky to be considered awkward, sugar. Better that than the town freak." 

–pitchforks and torches, factory ablaze, iron-red scent in the air–

"What do you want me to say, huh?" was your retort, snapping Karl out of whatever memory that was. "I don't know you, but I'm trusting you on my property. The Duke vouched for you, which counts for something. Not much, but something." You leaned forward, one accusatory finger aimed at his chest. "I don't see any effing talismans around the property to ward you off. Do you?"

He couldn't meet your gaze. Heisenberg had no idea how to tell you that the mangled charm he had found tied to the fenceline made his hand feel like it was on fire when he tried to replace it on the post. I'm like them, I'm like them sat at the base of his throat, a lump of cold dread.

You sighed after a minute of his silence, apparently taking it as acceptance. "Of course you don't. So don't…don't worry about that stuff, okay? Worry about it when you have to. Don't make more trouble for yourself." One of your hands slipped along his jaw and Karl flinched before he could stop it, the instinctive motion obviously startling you because you quickly pulled away. "Oh sorry! Sorry, sorry." You apologized. "I shouldn't have…uh, that's on me."

"No it's--it's fine." Karl tried to wave you off, forcing a chuckle. "No harm done, right?"

…

His eyes had only met yours for a second, yet it felt like a lifetime. There was something there in his expression that had sent a shudder down your spine, compounded by the way he had flinched back. Karl laughed it off but his visage was guarded. Clearly whatever it was, he didn't feel like confronting it now. It may have even been something he didn't remember; some odd reaction to a thing he couldn't explain.

What is it like, you wondered with a flash of sympathy, to exist in a body that remembers what the mind doesn't? 

Heisenberg eventually stood back up, the maul hanging loosely from his fingertips while he carried on that circuitous roaming. The repetitive creaking of the floorboards slowly began to lull you into a doze, the stubby candles on the wood stove burning low as the time passed. 

The rustling of Heisenberg's tattered overcoat served to herald his rounds close to your resting place, and during your uneasy drowse you felt a hand tug up the light blanket that had slid off of your shoulder. 

The dawn came slowly. Neither of you got much rest, you were fairly sure. At some point Karl had settled down in front of the door, his coat draped over him like a makeshift quilt. The maul was tucked up alongside him, a loyal companion even in slumber. 

You had to admit, in the light of day you felt a bit foolish for being so scared the night before. But…Karl had been concerned too, right? Maybe he was just following your lead?

You scoffed at yourself, getting to your feet. You had survived the night and thus, there was the work of the day to be done. Breakfast first, then the chores you had neglected yesterday while you whipped yourself into a frenzy over (probably) nothing. 

You squinted out the window next to the sink as you quickly washed your hands, scrutinizing the edge of your property with tired eyes. Everything looked okay, but you knew you would walk the fenceline later. If only to make yourself feel better! Maybe you would find a bear trail, or something else to allay the fears that still gnawed at you.

The morning meal was simple. You were still working your way through the abundance of plums from last year's harvest so dried fruit and a piece of hard cheese from the pantry lined your stomach well enough for the moment, but you would have to add bread to your to-do list. Having Karl in your home was quickly tearing a hole in your food supply; you were so accustomed to stretching your stores that dealing with a guest was proving difficult to manage. 

Were you really so solitary that an unexpected visitor was enough to throw everything off? Granted, you did live alone in an off-the-grid cabin well past the outskirts of some old, abandoned village. You were pretty sure it was abandoned, anyway. The only map you'd ever seen it on was a moldering scrap of paper included with the equally-old deed to your current abode, and until the Duke had trundled up the rutted, overgrown road, you hadn't seen another person for quite a while. 

You were self-sufficient, that's all, and you valued your peace and quiet. Out here, nothing really bothered you. Aside from the occasional deer pilfering fallen apples during the autumn or a fat boar rooting its way through your lettuce and green beans in the summer, that is. 

You didn't mind being alone.

Karl mumbled a protest when you roused him from his spot in front of the door, and you quickly ushered him to relocate on the couch. It seemed like he was asleep before he was fully horizontal, much to your amusement. No time for that though, there was work to be done!

…

Karl groggily came to, realizing the noise he had heard in his dreams was the sound of the cabin door creaking open in the breeze. You were outside humming some tuneless, meandering thing, punctuated by occasional grunts of exertion. 

Heisenberg stared wearily up at the knotholes in the ceiling. Did you ever stop? In the brief time he had known you it seemed like you were always doing things, always occupied with some eternal, infernal task. Sisyphean, his brain reminded him helpfully. Clearly he enjoyed clinging to useless information.

He sat up with a groan, stretching his arms overhead and then rubbing absently at the scarring on his abdomen. It didn't really itch, not exactly. The Duke had left behind some sort of ointment for him that you had been dutifully applying every other day and it seemed to help expedite Karl's healing process, but the skin around the area always felt a little too tight.

At that moment you shouldered open the ajar door, your sleeves rolled up to the elbow and your hands covered in…

Karl lunged to his feet, groping for the maul and watching it come flying from beside the doorframe to his waiting grasp. "What happened?!" He all but shouted at you, bewildered when you met the inquiry with a breathless little laugh. Were you in shock? That was a lot of blood! 

Now you were waving your hands around, as if to distract him. "I'm sorry! I didn't want to wake you. Something got a deer at the back fenceline, I've been prepping it to dress." You explained, nudging open one of your cabinets with your elbow and scooping up a pile of stained towels. "Had to hoist it to drain, the usual."

"Oh." Karl wasn't sure how much of this his heart could take. The poor thing was currently hammering in his throat and he got the feeling it'd be that way for a while. "Wait, what do you mean something?" He latched onto your words, suspicion mounting as your expression shifted from puzzled to concerned.

"I thought…I thought it was wolves, maybe?" You reasoned. "They're pretty skittish, so if they'd heard something in the house moving they might have left the deer."

Karl followed you out of the cabin, still firing off questions while the two of you trekked across the yard. "How'd it die, did you see any weird marks on it?" I didn't hear shit, there's no way it was wolves.

"Usual stuff." You settled onto your haunches beside the strung-up deer, gesturing vaguely at the neck which had been ripped open. "Must have tired it out and then took it down."

Heisenberg crouched beside you, examining the primary wound and finding that his eyes seemed much too accustomed to the scene. It stirred odd half-recollections in his broken memory, ushering things to the surface that, frankly, he was getting a little nervous about.

--looking down at a body with his hands up to the forearm in the abdomen, his own cajoling, mocking voice echoing in some deep, dark hole–

The deer. The deer for fuck's sake keep it together Karl.

Karl forced himself to focus, tracing a half moon-shaped bite imprint with a sinking feeling in his stomach. "This isn't a wolf kill." He said finally. "That's from a human mouth, or at least one shaped like it, see?" 

You gave him an incredulous look but obliged, your knee knocking into his as you shuffled over. After a moment, you wrinkled your nose. "Guess I shouldn't cure this, then. Be a bit of a waste to dry what might be contaminated meat." You sounded dejected, continuing, "I was hoping it was a lucky break. You like meat and I just…storing it is always an issue for me so I usually only take down small things in snares. Rabbits, pheasants." You sat back, grimacing at your bloody hands. "Give me a minute and I'll haul this away so we don't attract anything unsavory."

"I'll do it."

"You're still recovering! Splitting wood is one thing, dragging a dead body through the forest is-"

Something I'm intimately familiar with. Karl cut you off, shaking his head. "Just let me. I already feel like all this is happening because I'm here. If it's really got nothing to do with me, this is the biggest goddamn coincidence I've ever witnessed." He swore, then growled, "where the hell is that fat bastard when we need him?"

"He is a creature of convenience." You acquiesced, your smile rueful. "His own, specifically. Wonder how much lei I'll have to scare up for some fresh talismans?"

"If he charges you I'll kill him myself." Karl stated flatly, mentally reeling from the sudden animosity that flared up. "Fuck that prick and his two-timing bullshit." Two-timing? Where did that come from? 

True to his word and despite your protests, Karl shouldered the deer carcass and lumbered off into the woods. You pointed him towards the trail you had previously marked out with small blazes on the trees so he simply followed it to what you had dubbed your 'disposal site'. 

As he trudged, Karl noted in a somewhat distant way that the body he had slung over his shoulders didn't seem…all that heavy? Granted, it had lost a bit of blood, but you hadn't even gotten to gutting it yet. He also noticed that the blazes left on the trees were somewhat softened or overgrown, as though they had been there for years. The man's brow furrowed. 

Just how long had you been out here? Wherever here was, of course.

The disposal site was a small pile of refuse from your previous endeavors. Bones were scattered around, presumably by whatever scavengers had visited the area. Karl, not really paying attention and moving on autopilot, simply threw the deer to the side. He watched the body skid for a moment, then reality caught up with him. 

That deer should be heavy. It should be pretty heavy, bare minimum. He had heard the way you had struggled to lift it, even with the pulley system you used to hoist it up on a nearby tree branch to drain. But to him, it felt like nothing. Karl flexed his fingers nervously, sure he was missing something. Moving metal with his brain was all well and good, but if he was some kind of freak why couldn't it only be in one regard? What else was wrong with him?

--the giant hammer slamming down again, the eruption of blood and the sputtering roar of a turbine–

…

You grumbled as you scrubbed at your arms, annoyed with the current turn of events. You'd really thought you had caught a break, finding that deer! Instead, all you had gotten was disappointment. You shouldn't be surprised, knowing your luck, but still. Annoying. Disheartening.

You dashed a few tears away, frustrated with yourself for getting so wound up again. Maybe you could chalk it up to the poor sleep you'd gotten the previous night. You inhaled deeply, trying to rein everything in and force yourself to be rational. You'd just have to set some snares, that wasn't any big deal! You were making a mountain out of a molehill here. 

You scrubbed a little harder, huffing out a breath. 

There was a crashing in the undergrowth that heralded the return of Karl but you didn't turn to look at him, simply raising a hand to acknowledge his presence and then going back to tediously cleaning the grime from beneath your fingernails.

You yelped, dodging the spray it kicked up which caused Karl to chuckle. "What, afraid of getting wet?" He teased, grabbing the sleeve of the shirt and preparing to reel it in. 

Karl slouched down beside you on the riverbank, the shoulder of his worn shirt smeared with blood from the carcass. You realized belatedly that maybe you should have offered him one of your rags to keep the stains to a minimum, but he didn't seem overly concerned with appearances. He was silent for a moment, staring down at the running water. Then, without preamble, he undid a few buttons on his shirt and jerked it over his head, flinging it into the water. He nearly took his undershirt off along with it, but managed to wriggle loose at the last moment.

"No, no, you'd better not!" You exclaimed, scrambling to your feet. "Don't you d-" The wet shirt smacked your leg, sending a frigid jolt up your spine and making you unleash the most embarrassing squawk of dismay.

Heisenberg's smirk was positively devious, the man slapping the shirt back down into the water once more as you raced away. "You can't escape me that easily, sugar!" 

"I can try!" You yelled back, ducking through your fence and bolting into the woods. 

You could still hear him laughing as he pursued you and weirdly you found yourself giggling too. It was as if the tension had broken, the two of you sprinting through the trees without a care in the world. Eventually, breathless, you ended up back at the edge of your property waving off Heisenberg's quickly-advancing form. 

"Time out!" You gasped, flopping against a tree trunk. "I give up, okay? You got me." 

Instead of snapping the shirt at you like you had been expecting Karl crowded you back against the tree, cupping your face with the sopping fabric. You closed your eyes, luxuriating in the sudden coolness after your mad dash, and you heard Karl swallow hard. When you opened your eyes again Karl was looking at you with that odd expression, his own gaze troubled. 

He had never been this close to you and you realized, in an absent sort of way, that his green irises had an amber-yellow ring around the pupil. In this light, you mused internally, he's almost handsome. "What? Do I have something on my face?" You finally quipped, already missing the lighthearted mood of moments before.  

Karl opened his mouth, paused, and then simply stepped back, sweeping his hat off to offer you an elaborate bow in the direction of your home. "I'll let you off easy this once." His smile was sardonic. 

A strange sense of loss came over you as he sauntered away but you hurriedly shook it off, running to catch up with him instead as he laboriously began to rebutton the damp shirt over his threadbare undershirt. "If you want meat, I expect you to lend me a hand setting up the snares."

"More shit to do!" The man half-laughed, half-groaned at your demand, settling his hat further back on the crown of his head. "Don't you ever take a break?"

"No, not really," was your blunt response. 

"Well," Karl drew the word out, giving you a haughty look. "Maybe you ought to."

"The genius on display." You replied sarcastically, flicking the brim of his hat. "If I don't do shit, who will? You're not going to be here forever y'know, and I can't exactly rely on having an extra pair of hands."

"I think you could, though." Heisenberg's eyes were pointedly fixed ahead when you glanced at him. "For a little while, at least?" The only way you could tell it was a question was the barely-there uptick in his tone of voice at the end. You, for your part, were a bit stunned. You hadn't thought…

"W-Well that's up to you!" You stuttered out, feeling strangely flustered. "I'm not kicking you out, if that's what you're asking. You leave when you want to. But," you then paused, trying to infuse some gravity into the situation, "you will have to keep pitching in if you stay, so I'm not sure if the tradeoff is worth it to you." 

It was at least half a joke. 

Well, maybe a quarter. There was always work.

"Understood." You watched him withdraw a pair of leather gloves from his back pocket, then Karl tilted his head towards you with a grin. "Snares, huh? Think the rope is strong enough to snag a boar?" 

…

It was odd, the easy way Karl slotted into your day to day. You woke before him in the mornings and he went to bed well after you, the two of you still on different sleep schedules. You partitioned off a section of the living room so that he could have a bit of privacy, shoving the repaired camping cot into the corner behind the sheet. 

That was it. Simple. Painless.

He helped around the yard, pulling weeds in the garden or watering as the summer continued to march on. He held fences so you could mend them and the two of you did your best to not talk about the withered remains of the Duke's charms, now all but crumbled to dust. He checked the snares and you could tell whether the trap had been a success by listening for his distant crowing in delight. 

Karl's presence became normal. Mundane, even. 

Many's the morning he came stumbling out of the cabin door, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he passed you a cup of something to drink. Karl often urged you to take breaks, "even for a second or two," and you would usually oblige, if grudgingly. The extra set of hands was appreciated, but you didn't want to fully rely on him. That wasn't fair to either of you! He should be free to pick up his pieces should his memory return in full, and the last thing you wanted was him sticking around out of fear that you would be ineffective on your own after all of his help. 

A day then came where you felt like another shift occurred, a gray day where you were feeding more wood into your stove, intent on making an excess of quality charcoal for the rain barrel filter you knew needed refreshing soon. It was dull, smoky work and Heisenberg for his part was content to sit, the man leafing through one of your few dog-eared books with an increasingly-sour squint.

"Not your thing?" You finally asked, a little pricked by the stiffness of his face. Karl shook his head absently and you watched his eyes dart over the pages. You tried again, "I didn't bring much with me, so that's kind of a favorite." Kind of. The poor book's tattered state heralded a lifetime of reading; shoved into bags or pockets and bookmarked over and over. 

Karl looked up, that grim squint still holding firm. "You don't gotta' lie to me, you know. Books don't get like this without love." He closed the book, fanning the air with it. "I uh, I don't think your stove is drawing right. The smoke is burning my eyes a little."

To your dismay you realized that he was, in fact, correct. The stove was currently billowing smoke from the ajar door and you scrambled to adjust the crooked old chimney, but in your haste you forgot how hot the metal would be.

Heisenberg was on his feet before the pained noise left your mouth, the man yanking you back a step and then glaring at the leaning stovepipe, which snapped itself as straight as a poker. "Sugar," he chastised, examining your palms as you hissed in pain. "C'mon, let's get you to the river before that blisters."

In an uncharacteristic moment of vulnerability, instead of protesting you simply let yourself be led to the riverbank. The chill of the water worked quickly to soothe your scalded skin, reducing the pain to a small area on the heel of one of your palms. Karl kept your hands in his own, the man not meeting your eyes the entire time he ministered to you. When you flinched he muttered an apology, his voice gruff, and something about the tone had your stomach in knots.

"I think it'll be okay." You said softly after a few minutes. Karl started, like he had forgotten you were there, like he had forgotten your hands were cupped in his. His eyes locked with yours and you smiled, wanting to express your gratitude for his presence but having difficulty coming up with the words. You simply settled on, "thank you." 

In reply, Heisenberg huffed and snorted so much you were certain he was going to choke, the man just jamming his hat down around his ears and then sauntering off. "What are you waiting for?" he yelled over his shoulder. "You keep sitting around and the house is gonna' burn down!"

More likely to get blown over by a huffing, puffing wolf, you thought with a private little snicker as you rose.

…

Indebted was the only word he could think of, but it was…wrong somehow. Every time you smiled, it let Karl convince himself to stay a little while longer. 

Besides, it wasn't…so bad being indebted. If he could even call it that.

There came the day when you ran out of the salves the Duke had given you for Karl's wounds and it was pitiful, but Heisenberg almost missed the way you would tend to his fading scars. Almost. He told himself it wasn't that he missed the actual care, but it was easier for his body to mend if his brain was receiving constant affirmation about it. Without that, well, things might slow a bit. 

He felt like he couldn't afford to slow down, for whatever reason. The feeling in his stomach continued to yawn wider, the desire to move and cause harm with every step becoming more and more prevalent.

He'd had you there, beneath that tree, and that was what had shaken him to his core. The tunnel vision that took hold of him as he chased you was…something he didn't want to examine too closely.

Like them. Whatever they were.

He had pulled away. Had deflected. A cocksure attitude did a lot to hide certain reactions, certain expressions he wasn't the master of. The reality of knowing that it was a switch, some terrible thing inside of him that bayed for violence, kept Karl's sleep even more poor than it had been previously. And when he would forget, overstep, cozy up, Heisenberg would sternly remind himself of The Facts: he was clearly Bad and you were Good and the way the world worked was not kind to people like him.

Really, it wasn't so terrible. Sometimes you even thanked him, your hands in his own after you burned yourself, your face so close to his and your smile small but no less genuine for its size.

As the first apples began to ripen on your two trees (to Karl's combined horror and relief) an unfamiliar-familiar cart made its ponderous way up the now nearly-intraversable road. 

You were still inside washing dishes from lunch, so Karl called to you through the window to alert you and then acquired the maul from the woodpile. That gargantuan bastard had some things to answer for.

"It is good to see you so hearty once more, my Lord!" The Duke called once Karl was within earshot, his broad face split with a grotesque smile. "Your recovery was no guarantee, after all."

My Lord. My Lord. Lord Karl Heisenberg. My Lord.

Karl reached up as high as he could and seized a handful of the Duke's straining shirt collar, his voice a seething whisper when he demanded, "tell me what you know or I'm feeding you to the fucking wolves."

Part Three

[inventors-fair]

First Pickable: Typal Winners ~

Our winners for this week are @helloijustreadyourpost, @reaperfromtheabyss and @tanknspank!

@helloijustreadyourpost — Score of a Lifetime

This one is absolutely sold for me. I assume that this is a Capenna-themed card? I mean, considering the scored, I'd say so, so as to avoid the batching that something like OTJ had. All the same, there are a LOT of Rogues there, and a lot of colors. Maybe this could've even been a Treasure, right? But regardless, having a little bit of every color get a little bit of roguishness is pretty much on the nose for what we're looking for mechanically. There was that one artifact from VOW that made a creature unblockable with a bonus for Vampires, but that wouldn't be as fought over. This card, though? I love the evasive theme that everyone would seek if there are indeed rogues, well, everywhere.

And the flavor text is pretty awesome too—which is what fully sells me on the card, because you're expressing a whole lot of possibilities here. The first is that a thief's life is short because of their field of work, but the other is that being "set for life" could just be a temporary measure, and that the rogue would squander it and impulsively go on to the next job—not for the money, but for the thrill. That's a way more esoteric read than I think is necessary, but dammit, it's speaking to me, so I'm going to roll with it. Nobody can stop me!

@reaperfromtheabyss — Sentry's Shortsword

My first thought was that this could be an excellent Kaldheim card, but then I remembered the Artificer example from the beginning of the week, and then yeah, okay, this could also be a more military-oriented card from Kaladesh. That was a really weird thought for me, especially because I remember Kaladesh's dwarves as being pilots and tinkerers, not as much soldiers. But my imagination is running ahead of me. In some ways...isn't that a good thing? Maybe I do like specificity and pounded-into-the-forge worldbuilding. With a set like this, there could be some story behind it to push it in either direction.

That's very cool. That's very cool indeed. As an equipment, this card's on the aggressive and defensive sides, and everyone who's ever played against Danitha in any form knows how much of a pain first strike and vigilance is. Perhaps I'm biased towards vigilance as a mechanic. It's equally possible that vigilance kicks ass and I'm correct and handsome and etc. Don't matter none when a dwarf is swinging at your face. I like the low-to-the-ground implication here, no pun intended, and how you linked the flavor of dwarves with the auto-equip. Like, to me that says something about how they're either readily weaponized or close to the forge? I like cards that make me prone to positive overthinking and this one gets the job done right.

@tanknspank — Sudden Swarming

As an annoying first critique, I will say that I wish the flavor text had been one sentence: "The two kings agreed to clash at dawn, but a neighboring queen arranged a temporary truce." That's about it. The image of these armies fleeing at the behest of a cloud of annoyed bugs is punny, hilarious, and a great use of an underused mechanical space, in my opinion. Does anyone love Fogs? Well, no, because they haven't made a good one in a kajillion years. Is this one of the best Fogs ever? I mean, I think so, but mostly because I'm a jerk.

And also, like, there could be one single Insect or Insect-themed card in this whole draft set, and it wouldn't have any payoff except for this one card, but this one card would be a single sideboard piece in most decks. Someone might want to start building Insects in standard and be disappointed, and/or add it to their Grist commander deck. That's what cards like this should be about, and this is both a hilarious use of the prompt and a great use of this kind of spot overall. Puns don't always get me in design, but this one sure does. A card that stands on its own merits is a card I can get behind.

Runners up 'n coming. @abelzumi

[deadlittledogs]

I guess I mean not do you pray but I guess where are you spiritually? I kind of think of you as a wild animal with no religion

Ya know?

I am spiritual but I don’t subscribe to anything in particular, I’ve just sort of crafted my own beliefs over the years. I do think it could be similar to a lot of things though.

I believe God is a unique form of energy (originating from space, presumably) and I believe that the earth is one of the central points of this energy, nature holding the highest concentration of it (which in a sense would make nature the purest form of ‘God’). All living things carry pockets of this energy too, and it’s what you might call the soul (though comparing the energy between a human and a shrimp for example, I would say humans carry a considerable amount).

I think that when we die, our energy might return back to the main energy source where it initially spawned, to 'God'. Maybe that’s what you would call Heaven but I think it would be a little different than the traditional one. No sense of self or a strong identity, but the feeling of being complete and having joined a united entity. No intense pleasure, but instead an overwhelming sense of belonging or comfort from no longer possessing an ego or individual status.

I do think this energy mass can be interacted with because it is made of a collective consciousness, though because it is everything and it is in everything, it is not something that is strongly opinionated or sentient per say. It just is, but, if you focus your own energy you can at times thin the veil and allow yourself to engage with it. This is what I would probably consider ‘praying’ and it's not something that needs to be done regularly; just whenever it feels right.

It's why I hold the belief that dying without preservatives is the best way to honor the vessel and properly return to God ^^ I think it's the maximum way to return your energy and be one with Nature and everything else. Not to say that I believe that those who have been preserved won't be getting to 'Heaven' but something about preventing decay feels really unsettling and off to me. Like a part of you would always be stuck. Why don't you want to return to the earth, eh? It's what birthed you in the first place dammit. Have some respect!! ( ´•̥̥̥ω•̥̥̥` )

[cariantha]

Anytime I Want

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Rafael Aveiro x F!MC; Ethan Ramsey x F!MC Rating: General Warning: None Category: Angsty Fluff, AU Word count: 1.5K Summary: A rewrite of the final scenes from the movie Sweet Home Alabama. A/N: Submitted for the @choicesprompts Rewrite Challenge. Borrowed dialogue has been bolded.

“There is something special about a wedding in a place like this. The romance is…undeniable,” Ethan observed.

Walking back to the hotel hand in hand, they passed the spot where Ines and Angie exchanged vows earlier in the day. 

“If we ever got married, I’d want something like this. Small and intimate. Just our closest friends and family,” Ethan shared.

Sawyer looked at him in shock. “Since when do you want to get married?” 

“I said ‘if,’” Ethan clarified, squeezing her hand. “Suppose I was coming around to the idea…is marriage something you see in our future? Is that something you want?”

“I know your opinions on the matter, so I would never force it…but, honestly? Yes. That would make me very happy,” she looped her arm through his and leaned into him. 

Ethan gazed contemplatively out at the ocean.

With a kiss to his arm, she continued, “You want to know why?”

"Why?" he asked, genuinely curious, as he looked into her eyes.

“So I can kiss you anytime I want. No more hiding. No more pretending. No more sneaking off.” 

One year later…

Naveen made his way to the end of the fishing dock, where Ethan was sitting in an Adirondack chair, nursing a beer and staring out at the water. Dark clouds formed on the horizon, turning the sky above them gray. 

“Are you sure you won’t change your mind, Ethan?” he asked.

“I won’t.”

Frustrated, Naveen sighed. “You know, Ethan, you’re like a son to me and I love you, but sometimes I just want to smack you upside the head.”

“She made her decision, Naveen. She’s moved on. She’s happy now. That’s all I ever wanted for her,” Ethan said in response.

Giving his shoulder a fatherly squeeze, Naveen countered, “For someone who’s been holding on so hard, you’re pretty quick to let it go.”

“Dammit, Naveen! You are the one who taught me to ‘control what I can control.’ I can’t control her any more than I can control the weather,” Ethan retorted as lightning flashed in the distance.

“You’re right, son. She controls her own destiny. But don’t you think she deserves all the facts? The truth?”

Ethan took a swig from the bottle and looked back out at the choppy lake water, having nothing more to say.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Sawyer gazed vacantly into the full-length mirror as her maid of honor fastened the last of the delicate pearl buttons on the back of her wedding dress.

“It’s just nerves, you’re doing the right thing,” Sienna spoke softly.

Sawyer swallowed hard. “Am I?”  

“Sawyer, Raf adores you. He will make you happy,” she assured her friend with a hug from behind.

A knock at the door interrupted them. Popping her head in, Jackie held out a small package. 

“Sawyer? This was just delivered for you. And Sienna? Do you know where the shoes for the bridesmaids are? We can’t find them anywhere.”

Sienna rolled her eyes. “I’ll be back in a little bit to check on you.”

Alone for the first time in hours, Sawyer carefully inspected the package, finding a small jewelry box and a handwritten note inside. Opening the velvet box revealed a pair of exquisite sapphire earrings, ones that she recognized immediately. Sawyer had stopped many times to admire the set in the window of the jewelry store next door to Derry's. The jewels were a unique shade of icy blue, the same color as Ethan's eyes.

Unfolding the note, tears welled up in her eyes when she recognized the familiar handwriting.

A short while later, Sawyer walked arm in arm with her father down the aisle. When she saw her beaming groom, her eyes began to glisten with unshed tears. The tears were not of joy or happiness, as one might expect, but rather of fear and regret.

At the altar, her father kissed her cheek and Sienna reached for her bouquet. Rafael took her hands into his and gave them a gentle squeeze. But his smile faded as he felt how badly they were trembling.

The minister started to speak, and Sawyer looked up at Rafael. Her eyes filled with sorrow as she shook her head.

“I’m sorry,” she uttered, barely above a whisper. 

He tilted his head in concern.

“Raf? You don’t want to marry me.”

“I don’t?” his face twisted in confusion as the minister paused his remarks.

“No. No, you don’t. Not really. See, the truth is, I gave my heart away a long time ago. My whole heart. And I never really got it back. I don’t even know what else to say, but I’m sorry. I can’t marry you. And you shouldn’t want to marry me,” Sawyer cried.

Rafael let go of her hands and took a step back. “Wow,” he looked at her incredulously.

“Raf, we’ve been through so much together…something life-changing that connected us forever. And I love you. I always will. But I’m still in love with someone else. I-I’m so sorry,” she confessed. 

Rafael had no words, so he just nodded his head as his grandmother hurried to his side.

“Como você ousa tirar vantagem do meu neto... você... você…” she pointed her finger and yelled.

“Vovo, stop. Let’s just go,” Rafael took her arm and escorted her through the chapel to a side door.

Casting dirty looks and whispering unkindly, Rafael’s family and neighborhood friends left through the back doors. Meanwhile, Sawyer’s family lingered and looked at each other in disbelief. 

Her friends rushed to her side, offering hugs and words of encouragement. Sienna gave Sawyer a handkerchief to wipe her tears, and as her vision cleared, Sawyer saw Naveen. She apologized as she pushed past several family members to get to him.

Naveen saw her coming, determination evident in her eyes.

“Do you know wh-?” 

Before she could finish asking her question, Naveen took her hand and folded his car keys into it. 

“The cabin.”

Sawyer pecked him on the cheek before dashing off to the parking lot.

<><><><><><><><><><>

A few more empty bottles were scattered around Ethan's chair as he sat in the same spot at the end of the old dock. The storm clouds had dispersed, and the setting sun now cast a warm orange hue across the lake.

Sawyer took off her high heels, gathered up the hem of her wedding gown, and walked barefoot towards him. A creak of aged wood beneath her feet caused him to turn and look.

He had been right. She was absolutely stunning, a vision in all white, save for the light blue gems that sparkled in the remaining light of day. 

“Nice dress. Where’s your husband?” Ethan stood to ask.

“I’m looking at him,” she said, taking a hesitant step forward, “...or my partner, boyfriend, lover…you can be whatever you want to be, as long as you’ll be mine.” 

Nearly closing the gap between them, Ethan searched her eyes. “You’d want to marry me? Even after everything I’ve put you through? Why?” 

“I’ve told you before…so I can kiss you anytime I want.” Sawyer lunged forward and grabbed the back of his head, pulling him into a deep and passionate kiss. She giggled as Ethan lifted her off the ground and spun her around, punctuating their reunion with another fervent kiss.

Two weeks later…

The sign on the front door of Donahue’s said they were closed for a special event. Close friends and family who gathered inside hung the last of the decorations. Streamers, balloons and honeycomb paper bells hung from walls and light fixtures. Bowls that were normally filled with pretzels, now filled with pastel-colored Jordan almonds. A couple fresh floral arrangements sat at either end of the bar top, and in the back corner, a 3-tiered cake sat in the middle of a pool table draped with a linen tablecloth.

The front door burst open, and the startled crowd turned to see Ethan carrying Sawyer bridal style over the threshold.

Cupping his hands around his mouth, Bryce announced the happy couple. “Ladies and gentlemen, Mrs. and Mr. Ethan Ramsey!”

Tag List: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @potionsprefect @jamespotterthefirst @annfg8 @peonierose @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @jerzwriter @quixoticdreamer16 @mysticalgalaxysstuff @inlocusmads @txemrn @trappedinfanfiction @mvalentine @takemyopenheart @openheartforeverinmyheart @doriopenheart @coffeeheartaddict2 @genevievemd @starrystarrytrouble @hopelessromantic1352 @kyra75 @lsvdw-blog @rookiemartin @headoverheelsforramsey

[ohimsummer]

JENNY ( ft. mikasa)

— crushing, mikasa x fem! reader, black! reader, modern au, fluff, inspired by this song, idk a lil sum sum for Mikaaa

Mikasa had known you for a while, just a couple months shy of a year. You two met at some college frat party, forcibly shoved into each other by drunk and rowdy partygoers. She murmured out a ‘sorry’, but her apology is completely drowned out by your loud exclamation.

"God dammit!", Your words are still hard to hear over the deafening music. "Spilled my fuckin' drink!"

The hustle and bustle of patrons does nothing to help the situation, so Mikasa ends up accompanying you off to the edges of the crowd so you can get cleaned up. And as she turns back towards you, she gets to see the face belonging to such a pretty voice. The shine of your glossy, plump lips, bottom one tucked between your teeth as you struggle to deal with the growing stain on your sweet, satin dress. Her eyes roll over rounded curves, dark skin highlighted by flashing rainbow lights, and long, sleek hair that cascades over your shoulders and down your back.

“Are you checking me out?”

Your words pull Mikasa from her thoughts, and the red blush on her face is immediate. She prays that the lights are distracting enough to not make her embarrassment noticeable.

“Uh, no.” comes the low and curt response, almost inaudible over the beating of her own heart.

Clammy hands rub at her jeans as you pause, and then release a symphony of giggles. You grab handfuls of paper towels off the roll on the table, dabbing at the stain while throwing playfully suspicious glances at Mikasa.

“O-kay...but I mean...I wouldn't have really gave a fuck." You smile up at her with a mischievous glint in your eyes.”Just, ya know, be a lil’ more subtle about it. But if you wanna look, baby, I don't mind. Tryna catch eyes tonight, anyway."

Your playful tone, the wide grin on your lips, and just the way you’re staring at her, and that’s it. Mikasa's a goner.

From that point on, you have her wrapped tight around your finger. Mikasa finds herself cancelling plans with her friends if it meant getting dragged off to watch you get your nails done, or help you pick out hair in the shop for your next hairstyle. “Braids, locs? Twists? Or should I go for another wig?”, you ask her. And Mikasa doesn’t answer because she can’t decide. Because she knows you’ll look great in all of them.

It's on a familiar Friday night that Mikasa finds herself again at your apartment, sitting on those familiar, cotton sheets and bathing in the comfort of your company. You’re in the bathroom; Mikasa spots you swaying your hips to whatever song is currently playing as you finish your nightly routine early, and occasionally peeking at her through the mirror. Mikasa can tell you’re amused at how she can’t hold your gaze.

“You okay back there, Mika?”, you ask. The smile is evident in your voice.

“Mhm.”

“My laptop’s on the nightstand, why don’t you find a movie for us to watch?”

Mikasa obeys your order without question, browsing the streaming service’s array of selections and occasionally asking your opinion to get a feel of what she could choose. You eventually finish your routine, climb onto the bed and position yourself next to her; both of you lay stomach-down on the sheets with a thick blanket to block out the cool air of your apartment. Mikasa ended up picking some old, slasher-comedy flick, but despite the bad takes and cheap jumpscares, she finds herself heavily absorbed in the movie’s terrible plot. You, on the other hand, are drifting off deeper and deeper into slumber, head lolled onto Mikasa’s shoulder but she doesn’t even take notice. 

The credits begin rolling across the screen and Mikasa finally takes note of your limp form. “Y/N?”

“...Hmm...?”, you hum at her, moving to clutch her arm and snuggle against her shoulder. 

Mikasa stiffens for a few seconds under your touch, then forces herself to relax. “Do you want to go to bed? I can leave.”

“No, ‘m not tired, baby..”, your mumbled voice is barely audible and the words are slurring together. “Stay here with me.”

She’s glad you’re too drowsy to notice the way her face is deep red, and how her breaths have become shallow like she’s afraid to breath too hard in fear of waking you up. In spite of her nervousness, Mikasa decides to test the waters, and slowly but gently lays her cheek against the crown of your head. Being this close, she can smell the light, lingering scent of shea butter and coconut from your hair conditioner; it calms her down just a little, enough to get comfortable resting her head against yours as she listens to the low sounds of your rhythmic breathing. Mikasa closes her eyes as sleep begins to overcome her, as well. You two sit like that for a while, comfortably silent and poorly fighting off the persistent urge to doze off. 

“Mikaa?”

The quiet murmur infiltrates her ears and makes Mikasa crack her eyes open.”Mm?”

You’re silent for a few seconds before speaking again.”D’ you wanna go out with me?” Another pause. “Like a date?”

Mikasa’s mind feels heavy in her head, and though the curse of sleep is muddling her thoughts, she’s well-aware enough to spout a response. ”Of course.”

She hears the content sigh blow from your lips, feels the heavy rise and fall of your side against hers. “Okay.”, is all you can say. It sounds relieved, like a huge burden has been taken off your shoulders.

You don’t say anything else, and Mikasa eventually realizes you’ve finally drifted off to sleep. She dozes off right next to you, still not fully understanding the weight of your question and her answer and what it could mean for you both. But who cares? She’d think about it in the morning. Right now, she just wanted to sleep next to you like this forever.