#but in that shadow lies something even darker

[librababe99]

Ashes of Desire

CW: emotional manipulation, violence, danger, angst...

Summary: On a humid New Orleans night, you’re drawn to the dangerously magnetic Remy LeBeau, despite every warning. His red eyes and easy charm pull you into a whirlwind of stolen kisses and whispered secrets. Word Count: 1548

AN: Last post for the night y'all and I swear I'll leave your timelines alone😂❤️ I feel like I've been writing a lot of angst? But I honestly love it LOL---I hope you enjoy and as always comments/feedback are appreciated! - Libra * .♡ *:･ﾟ✧ ⋆ ࣪.* ࣪.⋆

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The humid New Orleans night clung to you like a second skin, the air heavy with the scent of rain and the whispers of secrets lurking in every shadowed corner. Bourbon Street was alive, pulsing with the vibrant energy of the city—jazz music spilling from open doors, laughter mingling with the clinking of glasses, the occasional shout cutting through the noise. But none of it reached your ears. Your focus was singular, unwavering, fixed on the figure leaning casually against the brick wall just beyond the reach of the neon lights.

Remy LeBeau.

He was every bit the enigma you’d always known him to be—cool, composed, with an air of danger that clung to him like the night itself. His red eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, a predatory gleam that set your nerves on edge and made your pulse quicken. You knew better. You knew the stories, the warnings whispered by those who had crossed paths with the infamous Gambit and lived to tell the tale. He was a thief, a rogue, a man with more blood on his hands than you cared to think about. But there was something about him, something dark and magnetic that drew you in like a moth to a flame, even when you knew you were going to get burned.

He pushed off the wall with a lazy grace, his smirk deepening as he sauntered toward you, each step deliberate, measured. The slick cobblestones beneath his boots barely made a sound. The narrow alleyway you had cornered him in felt suddenly too small, too intimate, the walls pressing in on you as the space between you dwindled.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he drawled, his voice thick with that unmistakable Cajun accent that sent shivers down your spine. His gaze flickered over you, a mix of amusement and something darker, something that made your heart race in a way that had nothing to do with fear. His eyes were unreadable, a storm behind a veil of indifference, and yet, you couldn’t look away.

“I could say the same about you,” you replied, trying to keep your voice steady, trying to ignore the way his presence seemed to fill the alleyway, crowding out everything else. You had come here tonight with a purpose, but now that you were face-to-face with him, you weren’t sure what that purpose was anymore.

He chuckled, a low, dangerous sound that curled around your insides like smoke. “Always de stubborn one, ain’t ya, chère?” he said, closing the distance between you in two strides. He reached out, his fingers brushing a strand of hair away from your face, and the contact sent a shock through your system. Your skin tingled where he touched you, a stark contrast to the cold fear creeping up your spine.

“Chère, you keep playin’ dis game, but you don’t even know the rules,” he murmured, his voice low and rough, the words a warning and a promise all at once.

Your breath hitched as his hand lingered on your cheek, the warmth of his skin making you acutely aware of just how close he was. You wanted to pull away, to put some distance between you, but your body betrayed you, leaning into his touch instead, craving the warmth and the danger that came with it.

“I know enough,” you whispered, though the words felt hollow, even to your own ears. What were you doing? What did you hope to achieve? This man was danger personified, a storm wrapped in charm and lies, and yet, here you were, drawn to him like an addict to their poison.

His eyes darkened, a flicker of something you couldn’t quite place passing through them—something that made your chest tighten painfully. “Maybe,” he said softly, almost as if he were talking to himself. “But sometimes, knowin’ ain’t enough to save you.”

The words hung in the air between you, heavy and ominous, and for a moment, you thought you saw a flicker of regret in his eyes, a vulnerability so fleeting you almost doubted you’d seen it at all. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the familiar mask of nonchalance that he wore like armor.

“You think I’m gonna save you, chère?” he teased, leaning in closer, his breath hot against your ear, sending another shiver down your spine. “’Cause I ain’t no hero. Never been, never will be.”

“I don’t need saving,” you snapped, finding your voice again, even as your heart hammered in your chest. “Especially not from you.”

The smirk that curled his lips was sharp, dangerous, and it made something inside you twist painfully. “Dat’s where you’re wrong, ma belle. I’m the one you should be runnin’ from.”

But you couldn’t run. Not now. Not after you’d come this far, not after everything that had led you to this moment. And that’s how you found yourself tangled up in his arms, lips crashing together in a kiss that was more desperation than passion, a collision of need and fear and something else you couldn’t name. It was a mistake. You knew that. But in that moment, with the world spinning around you and the taste of him on your tongue, it was the only thing that felt real.

He kissed you like he was drowning, like you were the last breath of air he’d ever have, and you let him. You let him because for once, you wanted to be the one who made him feel something, anything. Even if it was just for a moment.

But it wasn’t just a moment.

It was a series of stolen kisses, whispered words in the dark, and nights spent in each other’s arms, pretending that this—whatever it was—could be something more. You told yourself it was just a fling, just a game, but deep down, you knew it was a lie.

You were falling for him. And it was going to destroy you.

Because Remy LeBeau was not a man who could be saved. He was a storm, wild and unpredictable, and you were caught in the eye of it, helpless to do anything but watch as everything you knew was torn apart.

He warned you. He told you to stay away. But you didn’t listen. You thought you could handle it, handle him, but now you were drowning in the mess you’d made, and there was no one to pull you out.

And Remy? He was still there, still holding you close, but you could see the cracks in his façade, the way he looked at you like he was waiting for the inevitable. He wasn’t going to save you. He was going to drag you down with him, and there was nothing either of you could do to stop it.

“Remy,” you whispered one night, your voice barely audible over the sound of rain pattering against the window. The city outside was alive, but in that quiet room, it felt like you were the only two people in the world. “What are we doing?”

He didn’t answer right away, just held you tighter, his fingers tracing patterns on your skin, as if he could memorize the feel of you beneath his touch. “Survivin’, chère,” he said finally, his voice rough and tired. “We’re just survivin’.”

But you both knew it was more than that. You weren’t surviving—you were burning. And sooner or later, there would be nothing left but ashes.

But even as that truth hung heavy between you, you couldn’t let go. You couldn’t walk away. Because as much as it hurt, as much as it tore you apart, you needed him. And that was the most dangerous thing of all.

So you stayed. You stayed even though you knew it was killing you, even though you knew that every kiss, every touch, was another step closer to the edge.

The nights grew longer, the days more unbearable as the weight of your choices pressed down on you. Remy was a constant presence, always there in the shadows of your mind, a reminder of everything you were trying to escape and everything you couldn’t bear to lose. The more time you spent with him, the more you felt the edges of your sanity fray, the more you felt yourself slipping further into the abyss.

You began to notice the small things, the things that only someone who was hopelessly entangled would see—the way his laughter never quite reached his eyes, the way his hands would tremble just slightly when he thought you weren’t looking. The way he would watch you when he thought you were asleep, his expression soft and almost…broken.

But those moments of vulnerability were fleeting, gone as soon as they appeared, replaced by the mask you had come to know so well. He was still Remy LeBeau, the charming, dangerous thief who could steal your breath with a smile and break your heart with a whisper. He was still the storm you had foolishly decided to weather, even as it tore your world apart.

And when the end came—because it would come, you knew that now—it would be on his terms, not yours.

Because Remy LeBeau was a thief, and he had stolen more than just your heart.

He had stolen your soul.

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Taglist: @venssu

[wholoveseggs]

Dark Star {Part One}

18+ ---- {Masterlist} {Tag-List}

Part One

{Elijah Mikaelson x f!Reader} Bound by love that defies centuries, Elijah Mikaelson will do whatever it takes to resurrect his lost wife. Even if it means forsaking everything he believes in. Once the north star guiding his family, his shattered heart now leads him down a darker path, transforming him into a version beyond redemption. A damned soul, drawing his family into an abyss they may never escape.

♡♡ Hello my lovely followers! This will be a six part series inspired by @njeancastro316 post about red door Elijah (Girl, I've been writing this non-stop since you tagged me! thank you for the inspo). I really put my whole heart into this one, {I even made a playlist to capture the vibes} exploring the depths of Elijah's character and his struggle between love and darkness. Enjoy! && expect pain... ♡♡

6.8k words - Warnings: angst, angst and more angst, grief, heartbreak, intense violence, red door Elijah, emotional turmoil, so much Mikaelson family drama {the whole gang is here && some faves from Mystic Falls will show up later}, No smut in this part, but prepare for plenty of darkness... oh! && croissants...

{Part Two}{Part Three}{Part Four}{Part Five}{Part Six}

@gorgeouslydangerous @starkleila @lydia1369sworld @notleylaaa @vampiresluv

@myanmy @xflowerbombxo @maryvibess @always-and-forever-daydreaming

@spnaquakindgdom @amournoir @meeom @damienmorton @wickedmuse

@cs-please @complicatedandconfusing-25 @youcanhavemybuckanyday @akala6670229 @yeaiamme2

@itsjulzandmydiamonds @witch-of-letters @elijahstwink @rosecentury

@amanda08319 @starshipcookie @li-da-savage @veggie-eggrolls @spideybv28

@sunkissedebony97 @idk00sblog @savannaounana @sekaishell @b1tchy

@loving-and-dreaming @fancycassie-stayfancy @hcqwxrtss123 @iamawkwardandshy @ziayamikaelson

@absolutemarveltrash @darkened-writer @nina6708 @evasmlp

@madeinmyownmind-blog @lovelyy-moonlight @blacknightrises @poppet05 @sweetieseven

@xoxo-shy @nova-j @decaffeinatedparadisepost @fandom-princess-forevermore

Prologue ~ Europe 13th Century

"This way!" A boy laughed as he darted beneath a low-hanging branch. Behind him, a small girl hurried along, lifting her skirt to keep up, her breath catching in short gasps.

"Slow down! Wait for me!" she called, tripping over roots and brambles in her haste. "I can't run as fast as you!"

The boy glanced back, grinning. "Then hurry, will you."

"We ought to be home by now." She replied, frowning.

"We are almost there," he replied, leaping over a fallen branch before turning to face her, eyes gleaming. "We can get home quicker through the woods."

"I don’t like it," she murmured, clutching her skirt tighter. Shadows crept over the path as the sun sank lower, casting an orange glow through the dense branches. "The hour grows late."

The boy shook his head, catching her hand with a reassuring squeeze. "We’ll be fine. It’s only a short way."

Reluctantly, she nodded, holding onto him. "If anything ill should happen, I’ll tell Mother."

He only laughed, tugging her down the narrow path. "If something ill happens, you may not get the chance!"

Their laughter echoed in the stillness as they raced ahead. The trees grew taller, their branches clawing toward the darkening sky, while thick underbrush crowded the trail, rustling with each step. Yet the children, lost in their game, scarcely noticed, laughing and squealing as they chased one another.

Then, a sound, a subtle, almost a whisper, seeped through the quiet. The girl stopped, clutching the boy’s arm. “Did you hear that?”

“What is it?”

“Shh,” she hissed, pulling him closer, her wide eyes searching the shadows. "Listen."

They stood in silence, the air heavy and still, broken only by their own quickening breaths.

“It’s nothing. Perhaps a deer-”

“No, it’s more than that,” she whispered. Somewhere ahead, faint and distant, came the flicker of firelight. And with it, laughter. Wild and strange.

“What is that?” the boy asked, his voice barely a breath.

“Quiet,” she said, creeping forward, pulling him toward the light.

They peered out from behind a tree, breath catching at the sight before them. A great fire blazed, roaring into the sky as shadows twisted around it. Two figures danced wildly around the flames, naked, their skin smeared with red and ash. Their laughter, sharp and otherworldly, pierced the night air.

The girl’s scream barely escaped her lips before the boy’s hand clamped over her mouth, pulling her back. They stumbled, clutching one another, then turned and fled, racing down the trail as fast as their little legs would carry them, branches clawing at their clothes.

By the time they burst into the village, their faces were pale, their breaths ragged. Villagers gathered around as the children stumbled forward, pointing frantically toward the woods.

“Demons!” the girl gasped, clutching at the skirts of the nearest woman. “They’re out there! In the forest!”

There was a hushed sadness over the compound. The lights seemed to have dimmed, and the atmosphere hung heavy, cold and suffocating. It had been that way since the night Elijah found your lifeless body on the cold pavement. The night that changed everything.

Rebekah didn’t like it here anymore. Her home felt more like a tomb than a residence. It was too quiet, too full of memories and emotions too painful to confront. Her big brother was suffering, and there was nothing she could do to help him.

She found Klaus sitting in the courtyard, staring blankly at a chessboard. The pieces were scattered, mid-game, but his focus seemed to drift in and out. Normally, this contemplative silence from him made her nervous, but today she couldn’t muster the energy to care. The weight of everything was too much.

“Any news?” Rebekah asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Klaus didn’t move, didn’t speak at first. He shifted a chess piece absentmindedly and shrugged.

The sound of Marcel’s footsteps echoed through the stillness of the courtyard. She felt one of his warm hands rest gently on the small of her back, and she leaned into him, drawing comfort from his presence.

“I’ve been asking around. Only lead I have is that he’s somewhere in Europe,” Marcel said, his voice sounding hollow.

“Well, where in Europe?” Klaus finally spoke, his gaze never leaving the board.

“Don’t know. Haven’t pinpointed his exact location yet,” Marcel sighed. “But he’s been killing low-level Strix members, leaving bodies in his wake.”

Klaus scoffed softly, moving another piece on the board. “Keep looking,”

“You almost sound like you care,” Rebekah hissed, glaring at him.

“Don’t start with me, little sister,” Klaus warned, his voice low and sharp.

“Elijah has always been there for us,” she snapped, “And when he needs our help, where are you? Sitting here, playing chess with yourself.”

Klaus’s fist slammed down on the chessboard, sending the pieces flying across the table. He stood abruptly, stalking toward her, his eyes blazing. But Rebekah didn’t flinch, didn’t step back. She held his glare with her own, unrelenting.

“What do you want me to do?” Klaus roared, his voice cracking as his anger gave way to the grief simmering beneath. “Tell me, Rebekah. How do I fix this?”

“I want you to find him!” she screamed, tears stinging her eyes. “He’s our brother, Nik!”

Klaus’s shoulders slumped. His rage deflated, leaving him hollow. “I don’t know how to fix this, little sister,” he admitted quietly.

Marcel cleared his throat, stepping forward. “Maybe we should give him some time. Let him mourn her.”

“He’s not mourning, Marcel,” Klaus growled, clenching his jaw. “He’s murdering. He hasn’t even accepted that she’s dead.”

Rebekah and Marcel exchanged worried glances.

“We can’t just let him destroy himself,” Rebekah argued, her voice breaking. “Wherever he is, whoever crosses his path... they’re doomed. He’s out of control.”

“He’s changed,” Marcel muttered, rubbing his temple. “I’ve never seen him like this. So violent, so volatile.”

“That’s why I’m worried, Nik,” Rebekah said, her tone deadly serious. “If he’s not stopped, the Elijah we know will be gone. He will become a monster.”

Klaus looked down at the shattered chess pieces scattered across the table. “We are monsters, Rebekah,” he whispered, his voice raw.

“No, Nik,” she said, her voice trembling. “Not like this.”

Klaus remained silent for a moment, then lifted his gaze to meet hers. “Suppose someone took Marcellus from you. What would you do?”

“I would raze this earth and dance on the ashes,” she answered without hesitation, the fire of her love and loyalty burning bright in her eyes.

“That’s what he’s doing,” Klaus said darkly.

“Yes,” Rebekah agreed, “but Elijah would come for me. He would find me, and help me, keep me from losing myself. Now he’s the one who needs help.”

“How do we stop him?” Marcel asked, though his voice was laden with doubt.

Klaus shook his head slowly. “We don’t.”

“Nik…” Rebekah started, her voice pleading.

“We contain the damage,” Klaus cut her off, the steely resolve returning to his voice. “I’ll go to Europe. I’ll bring him back.”

Rebekah exhaled, relief flooding through her, and she pulled Klaus into a tight hug. She didn’t say anything, just held him as though her arms alone could keep the family from falling apart. He hugged her back, and for a moment, the cracks in their family seemed to close.

Marcel stood behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently.

When she finally pulled away, Rebekah gave her brother a sad smile. “Be careful.”

Klaus nodded. “I will.”

His eyes flicked to Marcel, and the two men exchanged a knowing look. They both understood how dangerous this was. That if Elijah couldn’t be saved, they might lose him forever.

Or worse... they might have to put him down.

Two members of the Strix walked side by side, their steps echoing off the marble floors. One glanced around nervously, eyeing the high-tech security measures surrounding them, cameras in every corner, reinforced steel doors, layers of magical barriers.

"Is this really necessary? I can't stand being cooped up here. What's the point?" the taller vampire complained, his voice echoing through the empty corridor.

"Protocol," the other replied, his tone bored. "You know how paranoid Tristan can be. But I’m telling you, no one's getting in here. Not even him."

"I don’t get it. We had nothing to do with her death. Why are we hiding?"

"He doesn’t know that." The second vampire shook his head, his eyes flicking toward a monitor displaying multiple feeds from around the compound. “And he doesn’t seem to care about guilt or innocence anymore.”

They stopped at a reinforced door, pressing their palms to the scanners. As the heavy doors slid open, the two shared a final glance, the reality sinking in that even their supposed impenetrable defenses might not be enough.

They stepped into the dim room, illuminated only by the flickering light of the chandelier hanging above a long oak table. Strix members filled the chairs, their faces tense and uneasy. They had gathered in secret, far from prying eyes. Whispers of fear and uncertainty drifted across the room, but no one dared to speak above a murmur. The air was heavy with dread, and no one felt safe.

At the head of the table, Aya stood, her sharp gaze cutting through the room like a blade. She had always been the picture of composure, a pillar of strength, but now, her patience was thinning, her power waning, cracks in her armor where fear leaked through. Beside her, Tristan de Martel leaned casually in his chair, an amused smile playing on his lips, as if this was all a game to him. His eyes scanned the room, taking in the faces of his fellow Strix members, reveling in their discomfort.

“We all know why we’re here,” Aya began, her voice cold and steady, but there was an underlying tension to it, like a string about to snap. “Our ranks are thinning, and the reason is no secret.”

A murmur rippled through the room. Heads turned, glances were exchanged. They knew. Everyone knew.

“Elijah Mikaelson,” Tristan added, his voice smooth and casual, as if he were discussing the weather. His eyes gleamed with a cruel delight. “The noble brother has gone rogue. It seems the death of his beloved has… unraveled him.”

"That's an interesting way of putting it," one Strix member commented, his voice dripping with disdain. "He ripped apart fifty of my men, left a trail of bodies and witnesses, it took me days to cover it all up,"

"And how many vampires has he killed since then? Hundreds? Thousands?" another voice chimed in, sounding bitter.

"You're just scared," another vampire challenged, his tone mocking.

"Of course, we're scared. Do you know what he's capable of?" the first vampire hissed, baring his teeth.

"Silence," Aya ordered, her tone icy. The room fell quiet, the air crackling with tension. "We cannot defeat him, nor can we sit by and wait for him to tear us apart. He has lost his humanity, and it's clear that we must take action."

"We have already taken action and all it does is piss him off," the Strix member grumbled, "I have no interest in fighting a losing battle."

"You're a coward," Aya snarled, her eyes flashing with anger.

"What would you have us do?" another vampire spoke up, their voice strained, "We're no match for him."

"Perhaps we should consider a bargain," Tristan suggested, a sly smirk creeping across his lips. "Find the killer, deliver them to him, and save ourselves the trouble of being murdered."

The members murmured amongst themselves, some seeming open to the idea, while others still appeared wary.

"I cannot fathom why someone would be so foolish. Surely the person who did this knows the repercussions," a member said, a hint of fear in their voice.

Tristan's smile widened. "They were foolish indeed, and now they are the most hunted man, or woman, in the world,"

Aya's face was impassive, her mind racing. She had no doubt that Elijah would tear down the world to find his killer, and if the Strix didn't deliver them, he would do the same to their ranks. Tristan's indifference infuriated her. While he sat there with a smile, the Strix were suffering the consequences of his poor leadership.

A soft little cough pulled her from her thoughts, and she looked up to see a small girl standing at the other end of the table. She looked no older than twelve, with delicate features and wide, doe-like eyes. She looked lost, and this wasn't a place you could just wander into.

Other members noticed her presence and got to their feet, the scraping of chairs echoing off the walls. Aya narrowed her eyes, taking in the girl's appearance.

"Who are you?" Aya asked, her voice sharp.

The girl was clearly terrified, her hands shaking, and she looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Aya found it strange. She didn't sense the power of a witch coming off her, she was just a girl, and a very young one at that.

"I-I'm sorry," the girl stammered, her voice barely a whisper, "I don't know why I'm here. I just woke up here and now, I-I'm scared,"

"How did you get in here?" Aya questioned, her voice low and menacing.

"A nice man told me to come here," the girl mumbled, her eyes darting around the room, taking in the tense, hostile atmosphere. "He wanted me to talk to you."

Aya raised an eyebrow. "And why would he want that?"

The girl shrugged, her eyes brimming with tears. "I don't know, please, I just want to go home,"

"What did he look like?" Aya pressed, her voice growing louder.

"He had dark hair, and brown eyes," the girl sniffled, trying to hold back her sobs.

Tristan's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing dangerously. The room was suddenly silent, the tension now unbearable. Aya stared at the girl, her face an unreadable mask, but inside, her mind was racing.

"What did he want you to say?" Aya asked, her voice quiet, dangerous.

The girl’s breath hitched, her words barely audible. "That... he will give all of you a slow death."

The temperature in the room plummeted, and a cold shiver ran down Aya’s spine. She struggled to hide her unease, but the implication was clear: Elijah had infiltrated their sanctuary.

"A-and that... if I can get in..." The girl gulped, her small voice quaking, "He can too."

The room fell into a suffocating silence as the weight of her words settled on the group. Tristan shot up from his chair, his face dark with fury.

“Lockdown procedures. Now.” Tristan barked, his voice commanding and harsh.

"What about the girl?" Aya asked, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the trembling child. Her instincts told her something wasn’t right.

"Kill her," Tristan spat, his voice cold and merciless. "She’s served her purpose."

The room erupted into chaos. Sirens blared as the compound went into immediate lockdown. The lights flickered, dimming to an eerie glow. The Strix moved quickly, vanishing into the shadows, their bodies blurring as they scattered, heading for safe rooms or exit points.

Aya hesitated for a moment, her gaze still fixed on the girl. She started toward her, but a voice in her head warned her against it. With one last glance, she turned and hurried toward the safe room.

The little girl stood trembling in the darkness, tears streaming down her face. The once-imposing vampires had fled, leaving her all alone in the icy silence.

"It's okay, sweetheart," a voice purred from the shadows, smooth and calming. The girl gasped, her heart racing as she felt a hand on her shoulder, firm yet oddly comforting.

She turned to see a tall man standing behind her, his dark hair framing his sharp features, his kind eyes watching her closely. "Run along now," he said softly, giving her a gentle push toward the door.

The girl nodded quickly, wiping her tears before scampering away, the door sliding shut behind her with a soft hiss.

Elijah watched her go, his kind smile fading as the room returned to darkness. His eyes glinted coldly, the warmth in them vanishing like smoke. Slowly, the veins beneath his eyes darkened, spreading like cracks in the surface of his calm exterior.

He was already inside.

As the sirens echoed, he vanished into the shadows once more, his presence like a gathering storm. And what followed this storm, was pure, unrelenting destruction.

The soft drone of a news broadcast drifted through an abandoned loft, dust floating through the air. The heavy velvet curtains were drawn, the room dark and shadowy, save for the light of a flickering TV. The anchor woman's face was somber, her voice solemn.

“Une tragédie a frappé Paris la nuit dernière... un incendie dévastateur a détruit un immeuble historique, laissant peu de traces de ce qui s’y trouvait. Les autorités locales confirment que l’origine du feu demeure inconnue, mais la rapidité à laquelle il s’est propagé soulève des questions.”

Subtitles scrolled across the bottom of the screen in English: "A tragic accident struck Paris last night... a devastating fire destroyed a historic building, leaving few traces of what was inside. Local authorities confirm that the cause of the fire is unknown, but the speed at which it spread raises questions."

The camera cut to images of the smoldering wreckage. Blackened stone, twisted metal, and fire trucks still spraying water over what little remained.

Elijah wasn't paying attention to the TV anymore; he had his head in his hands, hunched over in a chair, his body wracked with sobs. Bodies were strewn about the room, blood spattered on the walls and floors. A macabre painting of violence and rage. The sight of the lifeless forms weighed heavily on him, a chilling reminder of his own actions.

He didn't know how long he had been there, but it felt like an eternity. Each day blended into the next, the hours stretching into a meaningless void. Days would go by where he felt utterly detached, lost in a sea of grief and loss, and then the anger would return, awakening him to a new trail of bodies. There were so many, too many, and yet it wasn't enough.

“Les témoins affirment avoir vu des ombres avant que l’incendie n’éclate, mais aucune preuve tangible n’a été trouvée. Des sources proches de l’enquête évoquent une possible attaque ciblée, bien que les détails restent flous.”

"Witnesses reported seeing shadows before the fire broke out, but no physical evidence has been found. Sources close to the investigation say there may have been a targeted attack, though details remain unclear."

"You used a child? My love, what has become of you?"

Elijah didn't flinch, didn't react as he felt your arms wrap around his shoulders, your lips pressing a gentle kiss on his cheek. Your voice was soft, tinged with sadness and disappointment. He hated himself for it.

"She's fine," Elijah said, his voice strained, barely able to meet your gaze.

"You don't know that," you sighed, your hands moving to his chest, trying to soothe him. "And you know this isn't the way,"

"There is no other way," he replied, his voice cracking, desperation lacing his words.

"You used an innocent child, one not much older than Hope," you said, a hint of anger breaking through your sadness.

Elijah stiffened. He knew you were right. It didn't make what he did any better, and he felt his self-loathing increase tenfold.

"They killed you; I did what I had to," Elijah defended, but the words felt hollow, a pitiful excuse.

"This isn't the way," you repeated, your voice pleading, "and you don't know who did it, or why. This is all just a guess, a hunch."

He let out another quiet sob, then grabbed his glass of blood and threw it against the wall, the shards falling like crimson rain. He stared at the stain on the wall, watching the liquid trickle down, and he couldn't help but feel a sick sense of satisfaction.

"You have to stop," you whispered, appearing in front of him, your hand cupping his cheek, trying to pull him away from the dark, destructive spiral he was on.

"I can't," he said, his voice breaking, unable to look at you, this ghost haunting him.

"Please," you begged, your hand moving to his neck, gently stroking his skin, trying to comfort him. "I know this pain. It's agony, it's consuming, but I promise you, it will fade."

He pulled you onto his lap, his arms wrapping around you, holding you close, trying to breathe in your scent, to feel your warmth. But he couldn't. You were an echo, a phantom he couldn't grasp.

"You can't bring me back. You know that," you whispered, your voice barely audible, a soft, sad reminder.

He didn't respond, just held you, his fingers digging into your skin, his eyes closed tightly, fighting back tears. He had spent so many nights like this, crying himself to sleep, waking up to nothing, just an empty bed, a cold room, and a hollow, broken heart.

He opened his eyes and let out a gasp as he realized he was clinging to one of the dead bodies on the floor, the vampire's skin gray and decaying, the body long since gone cold.

Elijah released the body and staggered to his feet, his head swimming with despair and self-loathing. His pain and sorrow gave way to anger and frustration, fueling the urge to hurt, to destroy anything and anyone.

"Par ailleurs, une jeune fille a disparu après ne pas être rentrée chez elle. La jeune fille, qui aurait douze ans, a été vue pour la dernière fois dans la zone de l'incendie,"

"In other news, a young girl has gone missing after failing to return home. The girl, who is reported to be twelve years old, was last seen in the area of the fire..."

Elijah snapped, grabbing the TV and throwing it against the wall, the sound of shattering glass echoing through the room. His rage burned bright, a hot, white flame. His heart raced, his breathing ragged, his body shaking with fury.

He wanted to scream, he wanted to kill, but more than anything, he wanted you. He wanted to hold you, to feel your warmth, to hear your voice. He couldn't take it anymore; he was falling apart.

Klaus was never a big croissant fan; he preferred something heartier for breakfast. But here, in France, the flaky pastry seemed to taste infinitely better. Maybe it was the morning sunlight filtering through the café windows or the distant sounds of bustling streets.

He took a sip of his espresso, his eyes scanning the crowded café, absorbing the lively atmosphere. Freya sat across from him, her brow furrowed as she read a spell book, her expression thoughtful.

"Anything in there about wrangling wayward siblings?" Klaus teased, a wry grin playing on his lips.

Freya glanced up, a slight frown creasing her forehead. "That's more your area of expertise."

Klaus let out a huff of laughter. "Fair enough."

Freya’s expression softened, a small smile breaking through. "It will be okay. We'll find him."

Klaus nodded, biting into his croissant, the flakes melting in his mouth. The clatter of dishes and murmurs of conversation surrounded them, along with the distant strains of a busker playing a violin.

"Then what? I’ve never known what to say to him," Klaus said, a hint of sadness in his voice. "He’s always the one with the wise words, not me."

"Honesty is all we have," Freya replied, her tone gentle. "We tell him we miss him, that he’s our brother, and we want him home."

"And that we need to have a funeral, or at least a memorial. Hope is very confused about what happened to her aunt," Klaus added, his gaze drifting to the people walking by the window.

"We'll do it together, as a family," Freya reassured, reaching across the table to squeeze his hand. Her touch was gentle, a lifeline in the turmoil. "He needs to know we’re here for him."

"And if he doesn’t want to come back? What then?" Klaus asked, his voice heavy with concern.

"We will cross that bridge when we get to it." Freya pointed at the spell book, her expression brightening. "I’m looking into ways to calm his mind. Perhaps if he can control his rage, he can start to heal."

"I don’t wish to subdue him," Klaus said, frowning. "He deserves the right to his pain, to grieve in his own way."

Freya’s eyes widened, surprised by his response. It wouldn’t be the first time Klaus had tried to force Elijah or the rest of their family into doing things his way. Yet, despite his brashness, she knew Klaus was a man of deep, powerful emotions, capable of empathy.

"What?" Klaus asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"You’ve grown," Freya smiled. "It’s good to see."

"Don’t get used to it," Klaus quipped, taking another bite of his croissant and washing it down with a sip of his espresso. "I wish for us to go back to normal, where I’m the problem."

"You’ll never not be a problem, Nik," Freya grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Rude," he scowled.

"But true," she sighed, returning to her book with a smile.

Klaus took another sip of his espresso, his gaze drifting to the TV hanging in the corner. A news broadcast caught his attention, the images of a fire flickering on the screen. He leaned forward, his expression sharpening as he listened intently.

"De nouvelles informations proviennent de l'enquête sur l'incendie du centre-ville de Paris. La police a désormais identifié plus de deux cents corps retrouvés sur les lieux, sans aucune indication pour l'instant du nombre de personnes portées disparues. Il semblerait que les victimes étaient toutes membres de une société privée de conservation d'œuvres d'art, possédant des participations dans plusieurs pays. Alors que les autorités enquêtent toujours sur la cause de l'incendie, il a été suggéré que l'incendie avait été allumé délibérément.”

"There is new information coming in from the investigation into the fire in downtown Paris. Police have now identified more than two hundred bodies recovered from the scene, with no indication yet of how many are still missing. It's believed the victims were all members of a private art curation company, with holdings in several countries. While authorities are still investigating the cause of the blaze, it's being suggested the fire was set deliberately."

Klaus’s stomach dropped, a familiar dread creeping in. The timing was too convenient, and this 'art curation company' sounded like a cover for a secret society. He gestured to the screen, espresso still in hand, splashing a few drops onto the table. "Looks like a place for us to visit, wouldn’t you say?"

Freya looked up, her brow furrowing. "Do you think Elijah has anything to do with it?"

"If this organization is the Strix -sorry, was the Strix- then absolutely," Klaus replied, a grim smile forming on his lips. "Perhaps they gave him the answers he was looking for. Answers we weren’t able to find."

"I can’t imagine it would have been a pleasant reunion," Freya sighed, shaking her head. "I can’t say I blame him."

Klaus’s smile faded. He had tried his best, searching for months through the ashes of Elijah’s rage. He had gone from city to city, country to country, even continent to continent. And now, as he stood on the brink of discovery, he couldn’t help but wonder what condition Elijah would be in when they finally found him.

"Well then, no point in wasting any more time," Klaus said, taking a final sip of his espresso.

Freya nodded, closing her book, quickly downing her coffee before stealing the last bite of Klaus’s croissant, earning a playful glare.

"Oi!" he growled, "I was going to eat that."

"Too slow, brother," she smirked.

Klaus rolled his eyes and stood, tossing a wad of cash on the table without bothering to count. The two of them hurried out, the waiter shaking his head as he picked up the money and Klaus's empty plate.

"Americans," he muttered under his breath.

The site of the fire was a blackened husk, the acrid smell of smoke still heavy in the air. Klaus and Freya walked along the sidewalk, watching the firefighters douse the smoldering remains with water. Distant sirens echoed, a haunting reminder of the chaos that had unfolded.

"Can't believe it's still burning," Klaus mused, a slight frown on his face.

"Must have been quite the inferno," Freya remarked, her expression thoughtful.

"Magic?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I don't sense any," Freya said, shaking her head. "Whoever started it didn't use magic."

Klaus glanced at her, a smirk on his lips. "I thought you didn't think Elijah had anything to do with it?"

Freya shrugged. "Maybe he did, maybe he didn't."

Klaus wrinkled his nose, his keen sense of smell picking up the lingering scent of blood beneath all the ash and smoke. Human, vampire, a mix of the two. The fire had raged through the night, burning hot and fast, devouring everything in its path.

"I do sense death, though," Freya murmured, her brow furrowing, her expression darkening. "Lots of it."

"Well, I can't imagine there'll be much left for us to find, considering how thorough my brother is," Klaus muttered, his gaze roving over the ruined buildings, his stomach sinking.

"Why are you so sure it was him?" Freya asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Because I can smell his cologne, no1 passant guardant," Klaus replied, wrinkling his nose.

"Kinda weird that you can smell that, Nik," Freya smirked, giving him a sideways glance.

"I'm a hybrid, love; it's one of my many gifts," Klaus replied, his tone matter-of-fact.

Freya shook her head, a wry grin on her lips, suppressing a giggle as she watched her brother sniff the air, his eyes closed, his expression one of intense concentration.

"Could be someone else with the same taste in cologne; you never know," she teased, nudging him with her elbow.

"It’s very difficult to come by; only a handful of stores carry it," Klaus muttered, ignoring her teasing. "And... she bought it for him just before... you know."

"Ah," Freya's expression softened, her amusement replaced by a mix of sadness and understanding.

Klaus opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the destruction once more, the weight of grief settling on his shoulders. He missed you. Your laughter, your wit, the way you could put him in his place. He admired your loyalty, your strength, and how much you loved his brother.

"What are you thinking about?" Freya asked, her voice quiet and cautious.

"Our departed sister-in-law... the cause of all of this," Klaus said, a sad smile on his lips.

"You can't blame her, you know," Freya murmured, her eyes filled with understanding and sympathy. "I miss her too."

"It's hard to be reminded, is all," Klaus replied, a hint of pain in his voice.

Freya gave him a soft, sympathetic smile, her hand gently squeezing his shoulder. "You know... I never learned how they met," she said, trying to steer the conversation toward something less melancholy.

Klaus laughed, shaking his head. "Oh, it's quite a tale, and some parts I'm not privy to. But I can tell you that she was a novice in a convent," he began, a sparkle in his eye.

"A nun?!" Freya exclaimed, her eyebrows shooting up.

"Indeed, although she hadn't taken her vows," Klaus chuckled, amused by the surprised look on her face.

"So, what happened? How did they end up together?" Freya asked, intrigued.

"For all parties involved, it was quite a dramatic affair," Klaus continued, a wistful smile forming on his lips. "But we have more important things to focus on, don't you think?"

Freya sighed, rolling her eyes. "You're no fun."

Klaus let out a huff of laughter and returned to focusing on the scents around him, trying to find a trail, something that might lead him to his brother. He caught the faintest whiff of blood, the scent leading away from the fire, and deeper into the city.

"This way," he said, striding confidently down a street, away from the site of the fire.

Freya hurried to catch up, her long legs making short work of the distance, her boots clattering on the cobblestone streets.

"How can you be so sure?" Freya asked, falling in step beside him, her voice low and cautious.

"I just am," Klaus said, his tone brooking no argument. "That bloody cologne of his is everywhere. No one else has such atrocious taste in fragrances."

"Nik..." Freya cautioned, her tone warning, her gaze flickering to the passersby, making sure no one was eavesdropping. "We don't know what's waiting for us. We can't just charge in."

"I know; that's why you are going in first, my dear sister," Klaus smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Nik," Freya protested, her expression indignant.

"Don't worry, I'll be right behind you," Klaus grinned, giving her a playful nudge as they rounded a corner.

The two of them came to a stop outside an old building, its stone façade crumbling, the windows boarded up. Klaus gestured for Freya to go in, and with a roll of her eyes, she did.

"This place is creepy," she muttered, her boots echoing on the cracked tile floor.

"There's blood, a lot of it," Klaus said, sniffing the air, his eyes closed, his body tensed. "Upstairs."

They made their way up an old spiral staircase, the steps creaking under their feet. They reached a landing; the hallway was dark and narrow.

"Down there," Klaus said, pointing at a closed door at the end of the hall.

Freya nodded and slowly approached the door, her senses alert, her magic tingling under her skin. It was eerily quiet; the silence weighed heavy in the air, pressing down on her.

She stopped at the door, her hand hovering over the handle. She looked back at Klaus, his expression calm and composed, but she could sense his nervousness, his apprehension.

"Ready?" she whispered.

Klaus gave her a curt nod. Freya took a deep breath and turned the handle, the door opening with a creak.

"Elijah?"

The two of them were met with the sight of a massacre: body parts strewn across the room, blood splattered on the walls.

Freya gasped and took a step back, Klaus's hand gripping her shoulder. His eyes roved over the carnage, landing on a lone figure in the middle of the room, standing motionless.

"Elijah," Klaus breathed.

His brother was wearing an old T-shirt and jeans, tattered and bloodstained, covered in dirt. His hair was matted and wild, his eyes haunted, the light dimmed within them.

Klaus and Freya stepped inside, careful not to slip on the blood, the floor sticky and wet. They approached Elijah slowly, his gaze fixed on the severed arm in his hand, his eyes dull and lifeless.

"Brother?" Klaus said, his voice barely above a whisper, his hand reaching out.

"You are not real," Elijah murmured, not taking his eyes off the limb, his expression vacant and distant.

"Elijah, we're here," Freya said gently. "It's time to come home."

"I won't be fooled again," Elijah hissed, his grip tightening on the severed arm.

Klaus took a tentative step forward, one arm stretched behind him to protect Freya, the other held out, placating and non-threatening. "We're not illusions, brother," he said softly, reassuringly.

"Freya," Elijah breathed, his head snapping up, his gaze finding hers.

"Yes, Elijah, it's me," she replied, giving him a gentle smile.

He blinked, his eyes flicking from her face to Klaus's, his brow furrowing. "Have you found a way to bring her back?"

Klaus and Freya exchanged glances, their expressions sad and resigned. It wasn't something Freya wanted to do... to tap into such dark magic. She had been searching for you on the other side but found no trace. She believed you had found peace, and to tear you away from that would be a cursed, evil thing, an affront to the balance between life and death.

"Elijah, there's no way, not without consequence," Klaus said, his tone firm, his eyes filled with regret. "We discussed this."

Elijah dropped the severed arm, his hands clenching into fists. "You're wrong. There is a way."

"Elijah," Freya began, but he cut her off.

"Bring her back," he demanded, his eyes burning with intensity.

"I can't," Freya said, her voice quiet and regretful. "I'm sorry, Elijah. She's gone; she's at rest."

"No, no, no," Elijah growled, his hands coming up to grip his hair, tugging at the roots, his chest heaving, eyes wild.

"Brother, she's in a better place," Klaus tried, his tone firm and reassuring. "I think it's time you come home... You need to let her go."

Elijah shook his head, his breathing ragged, his whole body trembling. "No, no, no," he chanted, his eyes darting around the room, looking for something.

"Elijah," Freya murmured, her brow furrowed, her expression concerned. "Please, come with us. She wouldn't want this for you."

"No, no, no!" he growled, his voice echoing off the blood-spattered walls, his face contorted in a mask of rage.

He grabbed a nearby table and threw it against the wall, the sound of splintering wood reverberating through the air.

"Bloody hell," Klaus growled, grabbing Freya and yanking her backward, shielding her with his body.

Elijah lunged at them, his fangs bared, a murderous look in his eyes. He tackled Klaus, sending them both crashing into the wall, the plaster cracking under the impact.

"Nik!" Freya exclaimed, her magic sparking at her fingertips.

"Elijah, you've gone mad," Klaus grunted, shoving him away, sending him careening across the room. "She's dead."

"Niklaus," Elijah growled, his body vibrating with anger, the haunted, hollow look in his eyes replaced by raw, unhinged rage. "Bring. Her. Back."

"We can't, and you know it," Klaus spat, his eyes flashing yellow, his face shifting into the hybrid’s feral features. "She's at peace, Elijah. We need to let her go."

"I won't, I can't," Elijah raged, his body trembling, his eyes filling with unshed tears that threatened to spill over. His voice broke. "How can you ask me to do that?"

Freya’s heart clenched at the sight of her brother unraveling, his usual restraint shattered. "Come home, please," Freya pleaded, her eyes welling with tears, her voice thick with desperation. "We can help you."

Elijah's chest heaved, his wild eyes shifting from Klaus to Freya, barely recognizing them. "Get out," he growled, the words vibrating through the bloodstained room. His gaze locked on Klaus, his voice turning into a vicious snarl. "GET OUT!"

Klaus stared at him for a moment, his expression conflicted. Freya watched him pull a silver dagger out of his pocket, the familiar glint of the cursed weapon that had subjugated their family time and time again. She hadn't even known he had brought one with him, and her heart clenched at the sight. She didn’t want this for either of them. But given Elijah's state, she knew it was necessary.

"I'm sorry, Elijah," Klaus said, his voice solemn. He rushed forward, his movements a blur, and before Elijah could react, he buried the blade in his brother’s chest. The gasp Elijah let out echoed in the empty, ravaged room. The look on his face was heartbreaking, a mixture of shock and pain. Klaus had to steel himself against the emotion threatening to overtake him, reminding himself it was for the best, for all of them.

"Rest now, brother," Klaus murmured, pulling him into a tight embrace, cradling his body as Elijah slumped, his strength leaving him. His big brother, the north star of the family, now lost to grief.

"I thought you didn't want to subdue him," Freya whispered, her voice shaky, her eyes wide with shock as she pressed a trembling hand against her mouth.

"It was a last resort," Klaus said, his voice thick with emotion, trying and failing to hide the crack in his composure. "I couldn't bear seeing him like this any longer. I didn't think... he would be so... unhinged."

"He's grieving," Freya said softly, her eyes filled with sympathy as she knelt beside them, brushing a hand through Elijah’s matted hair. "He loves her, Nik. Losing her... it's broken him."

"I know," Klaus muttered, his arms tightening around Elijah, holding him close as if he could protect him from the demons he was fighting inside. His voice cracked, and before he could stop it, a tear slipped down his cheek. Quickly, he wiped it away, trying to maintain his strength.

"Time to go home," Klaus said, his voice barely above a whisper, thick with sorrow. "For all of us."

Freya reached out, gently taking Elijah's limp hand in hers, squeezing it tight as they prepared to leave the nightmare behind. She hoped and prayed that Elijah could feel her love through the numbness, that somewhere, deep within the wreckage of his mind, he knew they would never give up on him.

That the battle to bring you back hadn’t been in vain. It had only just begun.

{Part Two}{Part Three}{Part Four}{Part Five}{Part Six}

[velarisdusk]

Night's Cold Embrace

Day 9: Dacryphilia | Rhysand x Reader word count: 2k author’s note: evil rhys makes me wet that is all ✦ . Kinktober Masterlist . ✦

The moon hung low in the sky, casting silver slivers of light through the thick canopy of trees. The forest was eerily quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. You had needed to get away, to breathe, to think, and the woods at night had always offered solace. But tonight, the shadows seemed deeper, and the silence unnerved you in ways it never had before.

You quickened your pace, your footsteps barely audible on the soft forest floor, but the feeling of being watched clung to you like a second skin. Your heart pounded in your chest, and just as you were about to convince yourself that it was all in your head, a voice, low and smooth as velvet, cut through the quiet.

“Out here alone, are we?”

You froze, every muscle in your body tensing at the familiar voice. Slowly, you turned, and there, leaning casually against the trunk of a tree stood Rhysand. His dark clothes melted into the night, but the gleam in his eyes was unmistakable, catching the faint moonlight as he watched you with an amused, almost predatory gaze. 

You swallowed, the air suddenly feeling too thick. “What are you doing here?” Your voice was calm, though your pulse thudded in your ears, 

He pushed off the tree, moving toward you with slow, deliberate steps, his presence overwhelming the space between you. “I might ask you the same thing,” he said, his tone lazy, but there was something in his eyes that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. “Wandering the woods at night, all alone? Dangerous, don’t you think?”

You forced yourself to hold his gaze, though every instinct screamed at you to look away, to run. But where would you go? The woods were vast, and you knew he’d follow. “I needed to clear my head,” you said simply, trying to keep your voice steady.

Rhysand’s lips curved into a smirk, and he took another step closer, the faint scent of night-blooming flowers clinging to him, mixing with something darker, more dangerous. “And instead, you found me,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble. “Unlucky for you, isn’t it?”

Your breath hitched, his words settling over you like a shadow, creeping into your chest and tightening your ribs. “I’ll leave,” you said, taking a step back, but Rhysand’s hand shot out, not to grab you, but to trail a finger down the side of your arm, just barely brushing your skin.

“You’re trembling,” he observed softly, his tone a dark purr. “Are you afraid?”

You flinched, concealing the shiver that threatened to run down your spine. “No,” you lied, though the slight tremor in your voice gave you away. 

Rhysand hummed, his fingers tracing the path of a tear that had fallen without you even realizing it. “Liar,” he whispered, his eyes darkening as he stared at the tear glistening on his fingertip. He seemed to pause, as if savoring the sight, before his gaze locked with yours again, more intense than before. “You are scared.”

Your chest tightened, the full weight of his attention suffocating. “I’m not scared of you,” you whispered, the words visible through the puff of your breath in the cool still night air.

Rhysand stepped closer, close enough that his breath fanned against your cheek. “No?” he murmured, brushing another tear from your cheek with the pad of his thumb. “Then why are you crying?” His thumb lingers there, then trails down slowly, grazing your lips. “Such a pretty little thing,” he murmured, his voice a low hum, sending an involuntary shiver through you. “It’s almost a shame to see you like this… almost.”

Your breath caught. He wasn’t just toying with you — he was feeding off this, savoring your fear like a fine wine. You tried to step back, but the tree behind you stopped you cold, your back pressed against the rough bark. “What are you–” you started, but your words faltered as Rhysand’s other hand came up to rest on the tree, caging you in.

“Shh,” he whispered, the sound almost soothing, but the heat in his gaze betrayed him. His thumb brushed across your lower lip, parting it slightly. “No need to ask, we both know you like this. I can see it all right here.” His hand cupped your cheek, his thumb dipping just inside your mouth, a gentle tease that sent heat pooling low in your stomach despite the panic tightening your chest.

You pressed your lips together, trying to suppress the trembling, but it only made his smile grow. 

“Don’t fight it,” he whispered, his voice dropping to something more intimate, his lips brushing just near your ear. “I like seeing you like this, trembling… vulnerable.” His fingers continued their slow exploration, skimming down your throat now, tracing the hollow of your collarbone. “It suits you.”

Your breath came out in shallow gasps as his touch continued to roam, gentle but purposeful. You should’ve pushed him away, should have said something — anything — but the weight of his power over you held you still, the darkness in his gaze drawing you in despite yourself. “Why are you doing this?” Your voice trembled, fear bleeding through every word.

Rhysand leaned in, his lips barely an inch from yours, teasing the air between you. “I wonder,” he started, his breath warm as it ghosted over your lips, a sharp contrast to the night’s biting chill, “just how far I can push you before you break.”

His words sent a wave of heat straight through you, the dark promise in them both terrifying and intoxicating. You hated that your body responded to him, your pulse quickening, skin tingling under his touch. It was wrong, you knew it — but with every slow brush of his fingertips, every dark murmur, the line between fear and desire blurred. 

“Where do you get off, torturing people like this?” you demanded, trying to mask the shiver in your voice. “Is this some kind of game to you?”

Rhysand chuckled softly, his eyes glinting with mischief. “A game? Perhaps. But it’s one I’m quite skilled at.” He traced a slow line down your lip with his thumb, his gaze never leaving yours. “And you’re playing so beautifully, darling.”

His thumb brushed across your lips again, this time more insistently, and before you could stop yourself, your mouth parted, the pad of his thumb slipping past your lips. The taste of salt lingered from the tear he’d wiped away earlier, and you held back a groan; whether it was from the shame curling in your chest or the undeniable need spreading through you, you couldn’t tell.

Rhysand’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he watched you, completely in control, knowing exactly how to unravel you. “Good girl,” he whispered, his voice low and mocking. His thumb withdrew from your mouth, but before you could catch your breath, his lips replaced it claiming yours in a slow, heated kiss. 

Each brush of his lips against yours made you want to recoil, to resist, but you couldn’t. The fire in your veins drowned out everything else, and the more you tried to hate it, the more your body betrayed you. Every sensation twisted, wrong yet so fucking good, and you found yourself leaning into him, kissing him back, despite everything. 

When he pulled back from the kiss, his gaze dropped to your tear-streaked face. The way his lips curled into a smirk sent another ripple of dread and heat through you. “Look at you,” he murmured, almost in awe. “Still crying.” His voice was soft, mocking, the edge of it sharp enough to cut. “You’re beautiful like this…” He leaned in, his tongue flicking out to catch another tear slipping down your cheek. His eyes fluttered closed for a moment, savoring it. Your body tensed at the feel of his tongue, so slow, so deliberate. A dark chuckle rumbled from his chest, and when his eyes opened again, they were filled with something primal. “Keep doing it,” he whispered, his lips not ghosting over your cheek, licking up the next tear that spilled free. “Cry for me, pet.”

You gasped at the sensation, at the way his lips moved over your skin, as though your fear — your misery — was the sweetest thing he’d ever tasted. “Gods, you have no idea what it does to me,” he purred, pulling back to meet your wide-eyed gaze. His fingers slipped beneath your chin, tilting your head up, forcing you to hold his gaze as another tear slipped from the corner of your eye. “You don’t have to fight it, it only makes you more enticing.”

“I will not give into you, just leave me be–”

“Is that so?” He leaned in, his breath tickling your ear. “Then why do you look like you’re about to melt under my touch? You may not want to admit it to yourself,” his fingers traced a slow path down your neck, each touch sparking an involuntary reaction in you, “but don’t you lie to me,” he growled. 

You clenched your jaw, trying to stay defiant, but the way he spoke, the way his fingers made contact with your skin…

“You’re twisted,” you manage, less conviction in your voice than moments ago. “This is… sick.”

Rhysand’s eyes softened just a fraction, though the predatory glint never left them. “Twisted? Maybe. But I find it quite fascinating how, despite your hatred for me, you fall into me so easily every time.” He tilted your head back slightly, making you look up at him. “It’s as though, no matter how much of a fight you put up, there’s a small part of you that’s curious.”

You felt a heat rise in your cheeks, a mixture of embarrassment and an unfamiliar, unsettling thrill. Rhysand’s gaze was intense, his fingers lingering near your jawline, caressing your skin with a gentleness that contrasted sharply with his demeanor. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you said, though it came out weaker than you intended. More tears slid down your face and Rhysand’s eyes followed their path with wicked delight. He kissed them all away, his tongue dragging slowly across your skin, savoring the taste of it. “Let go,” he encouraged softly, his voice coaxing. “You don’t have to fight it. I promise, it will feel even better if you just let yourself be overwhelmed.”

His lips returned to yours, this time with a gentler touch. You hesitated, battling your instinct to resist the rising warmth inside you. The kiss was different now, softer, and filled with a different kind of intensity that made it harder to pull away with every passing second. 

Rhysand’s hands roamed over your body, his fingers tracing the curves of your waist and the softness of your hips as he pressed you against the rough bark of the tree, His touch was a mix of firm control and gentle exploration, each caress sending shivers through you. His lips parted yours, deepening the kiss with a sensual, slow burn that left you breathless. His tongue danced with yours in a languid, intoxicating rhythm, pulling you closer. 

When he finally broke away, his gaze was filled with satisfaction and something more vulnerable, almost tender. “See?” He murmured, his voice low and soothing. “It’s not so bad to give in, is it?”

You could barely respond, the mix of emotions swirling inside you — fear, shame, desire. You swallowed hard, struggling to find your voice. “This… this isn’t what I wanted.”

Rhysand’s gaze remained fixed on you, unwavering as always. “Maybe not what you planned,” he said softly, “but sometimes what we need isn’t always clear until it’s right in front of us.”

He took a step back, finally giving you a moment to catch your breath. “Think about it,” he said, his tone more contemplative now, “and if you ever find yourself wanting more… you know where to find me.”

With that, he turned and melted into the shadows of the night, leaving you alone in the cold, moonlit clearing. The lingering warmth of his touch and the haunting promise of his words left you unsettled… and oddly curious.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Taglist <3

@starlightazriel @nvdax @halo-hanging @paleidiot @kismet27

@mellowmusings @gracielacie @d3ad-ins1de @loviseamms @inkedinshadows

@natasha153 @deathdoordoctor @spacebananabud @secretsicanthideanymore @edance2000

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@sizzlingstarlightsky @fourthwing4ever

[yanderecookierunkingdom]

Interlude: Six Becomes Five

Prev | Next

The gentle crackle of the fire, admist the soft crickets chirping, was all the noise coming from the camp. Gingerbrave, Strawberry Cookie, Wizard Cookie, and Carameleon Cookie were all sleeping soundly, light snores coming from them.

Nearby, you rested with White Lily Cookie nearby, soft breath coming from your mouth.

Pure Vanilla Cookie sat in front of the fire, staring at it with an unreadable expression in his face. Wind gently blowed and rustled his hair for a moment, not held down by his hat. That and his staff rested on the tree near you.

Pure Vanilla Cookie didn't know what to think now that things had truly settled down.

He still felt.. lied to, in a sense. Not by you, or White Lily Cookie, but by Shadow Milk Cookie. The taunts and lies of the Cookie still swirled in his mind like toxic waste, gripping at him and drowning him.

That.. and he couldn't get your look out of his mind. The expression on your face when Shadow Milk Cookie had slammed you against a wall. The look of horror, shock, and terror before you fell unconscious.

It made him feel sick. The healing spells he desperately tried to cast before Shadow Milk Cookie chased them off still made him feel lightheaded.

He looked at his trembling hands. He exhaled shakily, clenching them.

Are you awake still?

He jolted at the sound of the Light of Compassion. "Ah!" He then exhaled to calm himself and his trembling. "C-Compassion. You surprised me."

Don't try and lie. I'm a part of you currently, Pure Vanilla Cookie.

Pure Vanilla Cookie paused before he pulled his knees to his chest. "I can't get their face out of my mind." He swallowed thickly. "How they looked when they slammed into that wall, I.." His hands came up to run through his hair. "I thought Shadow Milk Cookie had crumbled them."

Primordials are far harder to kill than your mind allows you to realize.

Pure Vanilla Cookie gave a small nod, but he was still trembling. He was too far in his own thoughts to even notice the footsteps coming from behind him. He only noticed when the figure sat beside him - it was you.

"You're awake still?" You asked, frowning. "Did something happen?"

Pure Vanilla Cookie chuckled softly. "If something did happen, you would be the first to realize, my friend."

"Friend," you repeated. "Friend, friend, friend." Pure Vanilla Cookie blinked, confused as he watched you repeat those words. "Are we really still friends?"

His cheeks turned a shade darker. "What do you mean..?"

"I mean, I shared the Light of Compassion with you, I saved your life, you saved mine, and just.." You looked at him, frowning softly. "Does that.. seem like something just friends would do?"

Pure Vanilla Cookie glanced away, resting his hand over his mouth. He chuckled softly. "Hm.. to some, maybe." He then smiled at you. "But I'm guessing that you want to be something more?"

You grinned. "How'd you guess?"

He hummed, opening his eyes to look at you. "Just a hunch, it seems."

With a soft laugh, you gently grabbed his hand and kissed the back of it. Then you looked up at him, then his mouth. "May I?"

His blush darkened. "Of course."

You moved forward and kissed him, the both of you closing your eyes. Pure Vanilla Cookie felt his body relax, resting his hands on your shoulders. After a few more moments, you both broke apart, small breaths escaping the both of you.

You kissed his head. "I love you, Pure Vanilla Cookie."

He smiled. "I love you too, Sparkling Joy Cookie."

taglist: @snail-noodle @average-crk-enjoyer @looking4userthatworks @ori-stole-the-cheese-again @sqiddgie @justalittledumb @ax0lotly @ihatemyselffromthestart-blog @ravenkake @ohnoivefallen @craixe @xxcrispxx @hrtsy2 @imaginarydreams

[korraven]

Peek-a-Boo

Everything had gone to hell in a handbasket. The mission had been straightforward, but those never stayed simple, did they? Gambit crouched behind a stack of crates, the darkened corridor barely lit by flickering emergency lights. His breath was steady, but his mind raced. He’d been separated from the team, and worse, he had no idea where she was. Y/N.

He had been keeping tabs on everyone, but somehow, in the middle of all the chaos, she’d vanished. His heartbeat quickened at the thought of her lost, maybe hurt. The usual cool confidence he carried with him was slipping. He was tweaking bad. But Remy knew he had to stay sharp, stay focused. Losing his cool wouldn’t do Y/N or anyone any good.

The soft crackle of a radio broke through the silence, but it was faint—too faint to get anything useful. Gambit grimaced and pushed onward, moving through the shadows like a ghost. He knew how to stay invisible when he needed to, but this time, it wasn’t a game. He needed to find her.

He could feel his nerves tightening, something he wasn’t used to. They’d always had their little game—sneaking up on each other during missions. He’d lean in, whisper “Peek-a-boo” in her ear, and she’d respond with “I see you,” the two of them sharing a playful smile before moving on to whatever danger awaited. It was their thing.

But now? Now there was no playful whisper, no lighthearted moment. Just silence, and the gnawing worry that something had gone wrong. Gambit wasn’t the type to lose his edge, but right now, his usual swagger was being replaced by something darker—fear.

“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath, ducking into another hallway. His mind raced with a thousand possibilities—each one worse than the last. He shook his head trying to rid of those thoughts, not Y/N. Not his chér.

Then he heard it. A quiet shuffle behind him. He spun around, cards charged and ready, but before he could react, a pair of hands covered his eyes.

“Peek-a-boo.”

For a split second, Gambit’s heart stopped. His body froze as his mind caught up with the fact that she was there, right behind him. He let out a shaky breath, and a grin spread across his face, relief flooding his chest like cool water after a blistering heat.

He reached up, taking her hands off his eyes and spinning around. “I see you, chérie,” he breathed, his voice low and full of emotions he didn’t usually let surface.

Y/N smiled at him, though he could tell she’d been through the ringer. Her hair was a little messy, and there was dirt on her cheek, but she was very much alive.

“Aww, were you worried Remy?” she teased lightly, though her own eyes glimmered with relief.

“Worried? Nah,” he lied, the smirk returning to his lips. “Gambit don’t worry ‘bout nothin’.” But even as he said it, the way his hands lingered on her arms told the truth. He’d been scared as hell.

Y/N chuckled softly, but her hand reached up to touch his cheek for just a moment, a silent thank you for the unspoken concern. Gambit gave her a lopsided grin, his nerves finally settling, but just beneath the surface, he knew—this was no game anymore.

“Next time, don’t wander off too far from Gambit, huh?” he said, his voice more serious than usual.

“I’ll won’t go to far, promise.” she replied, her smile soft but firm.

“Cher…” Gambit spoke again, this time his voice soft.

“Yeah?” Y/N hummed looking him in his eyes.

Gambit let out a deep sigh, cupping her girls cheek with his hand.

Gambit’s thumb continued to trace soft circles on her cheek, and the air between them grew thick with unspoken feelings. His eyes, usually dancing with mischief, were serious now, searching her face like he was memorizing every detail. He leaned in, just enough that their foreheads brushed together, his breath warm against her lips.

"Good, chérie. Let’s keep it that way," he murmured again, his voice barely audible, filled with a quiet intensity.

Y/N’s heart raced, the closeness making her head spin in a way that had nothing to do with the mission. Her hand slid up to rest on his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath her fingertips, steady but strong. She didn’t say anything—she didn’t need to. The way her eyes softened and the way her lips parted slightly was enough to tell him everything.

Gambit hesitated for just a fraction of a second, like he was giving her a chance to pull away. But when she didn’t, when her eyes fluttered closed in anticipation, that was all the invitation he needed.

He closed the distance between them, his lips capturing hers in a kiss that was gentle at first, as if testing the waters. But the second he felt her respond, he deepened it, his other hand sliding around her waist, pulling her closer.

“Remy—” Y/N let out a breathy sigh, her voice trembling slightly.

Gambit held her close, his gaze pouring into hers, every second feeling like it stretched out between them. “Shh, chére… *Je veux savourer ce moment au cas où je n'aurais pas l'occasion de le faire à nouveau*,” he whispered, his accent thick, the French words slipping from his lips with an intimacy that made her pulse race.

She smiled softly and pecked his lips once more, a lingering touch before pulling back, her hand gently slipping from his chest. “We need to get back to the others,” she murmured, her breath still unsteady but her resolve strong.

Gambit sighed deeply, his arms loosening around her. He knew she was right, but he didn’t want to let her go—not yet. “D'accord, chérie,” he said reluctantly, his smirk returning as his hand brushed her cheek one last time. “But this ain’t over.”

Y/N chuckled softly, giving him one last look before turning to lead the way, her heart still pounding from the kiss, knowing they had a mission to finish but also knowing things between them would never be the same.

[novaursa]

I love your writing! Could you please do one where Targaryen reader (it can be Rhaenyra's sister) is taking Gwayne for the first time to meet her dragon and takes him for a ride. Thanks

The Wild Heart

- Summary: You introduce Gwayne to your dragon, Grey Ghost.

- Paring: targ!reader/Gwayne Hightower

- Note: The reader is the younger sister of Rhaenyra and bonded to the dragon Grey Ghost. I've broken my own rule about 1000 words here, but since you guys like Gwayne so much, I've decided to expand this a bit more. Enjoy.

- Rating: Mild 13+

- Tag(s): @sachaa-ff @deniixlovezelda @duck-duck-goose2 @aadu2173 @holdingforgeneralhugs

You stand on the edge of the ridge, the sea breeze tangling itself in your silver-blonde hair, lifting strands into the crisp, salt-filled air. Below, the waters of Blackwater Bay shimmer like molten silver, catching the light of the setting sun. Behind you, the Red Keep is barely visible, a hulking shadow against the vast sky. But it's not the castle that holds your attention today—it’s the man beside you, Gwayne Hightower, and the dragon that waits in the distance, somewhere between the clouds and the sea, hidden in the wilderness just beyond the Dragonpit.

He stands close, his expression serious, but you can feel the underlying excitement radiating from him. Gwayne has heard the tales, the whispered stories of your dragon, Grey Ghost—wild, elusive, temperamental. Unlike the dragons housed in the Dragonpit, Grey Ghost has never truly been tamed. He lingers along the coast and cliffs, only returning when he chooses. Not a single rider before you had ever claimed him, not until you.

You glance at Gwayne, studying his face as the wind picks up. His strong jaw is set in a determined line, and his eyes, a bright shade of blue, seem darker in the fading light. He’s dressed in his Hightower armor, though you both know he’s not here for battle. The armor is more a shield for his nerves, a thin veil of control in the face of what’s to come.

"Are you ready?" you ask, your voice quiet but firm, just loud enough to be heard over the gusts of wind.

Gwayne turns to you, and for a moment, a flicker of something—perhaps doubt, or wonder—passes across his face. But it’s gone in an instant, replaced by a faint, teasing smile. "As ready as a man can be to meet his future wife's dragon," he replies, the words tinged with amusement, though there’s a touch of nervousness there too.

You smile at that, a small curl of your lips. "Grey Ghost isn’t like the others in the pit. He won’t simply obey because I will it. He’s… unpredictable." You let the words hang in the air for a moment, hoping to prepare him for what’s coming. "But he’ll listen to me. Trust that."

Gwayne nods, though you can sense the weight of his uncertainty. He’s seen dragons before, of course. As a member of House Hightower, he’s familiar with their majesty and their danger. But this is different. This is your dragon, your bond. And Grey Ghost is no mere dragon of the pit. He is wild fire made flesh, with wings of smoke and ash.

You take a step forward, motioning for him to follow as you descend the rocky path that leads to the clearing below. Your boots crunch against the stones, the sea below crashing against the cliffs. Gwayne is right behind you, silent now, his presence a steady warmth at your back. Together, you approach the place where you know Grey Ghost waits.

As you round a bend in the path, the clearing opens up before you, vast and wild, with tall grasses swaying in the breeze. And there, at the far end, resting in the shadow of a massive stone outcrop, lies Grey Ghost.

Even from this distance, the size of him is breathtaking. His scales, a smoky grey that gleam faintly in the dying light, seem to blend with the rocks around him, making him appear almost ethereal, as though he’s part of the landscape itself. His wings are folded close to his body, but you know their full span would darken the sky if he chose to spread them wide.

Gwayne inhales sharply, and you feel his awe as though it were your own.

"Gods," he murmurs, almost under his breath, as he gazes upon the beast.

You step closer, your heart quickening with the familiar pull of your bond. Grey Ghost stirs, his massive head lifting as he senses your approach. His eyes, burning like molten gold, lock onto yours. There’s recognition there, an unspoken understanding, but also a warning—a reminder of his wild nature.

You stop a few feet from him and extend a hand, palm up, in a gesture of peace. "Come forth." You speak in the High Valyrian tongue, your voice steady, commanding.

Grey Ghost watches you for a moment longer, then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he rises to his feet. His wings unfurl slightly, the leather-like membranes rustling in the wind as he stretches his neck toward you. There’s a rumble deep in his throat, a sound that vibrates through the ground beneath your feet. But he does as you bid, moving forward with a grace that belies his size.

Gwayne stands frozen at your side, his breath caught in his throat, though his hand instinctively moves to the hilt of his sword—a gesture of protection more than aggression. You place a calming hand on his arm, shaking your head gently.

"He won’t harm you," you whisper, though you’re not entirely sure if you’re saying it to reassure him or yourself. "Not if I’m here."

With slow, deliberate movements, you step closer to Grey Ghost, your fingers brushing against the rough texture of his scales. He is warm beneath your touch, like the heat of a roaring fire contained within his massive frame. Grey Ghost’s eyes never leave you, and for a moment, there’s a connection, a silent exchange of trust and respect.

Turning back to Gwayne, you gesture for him to come closer. "It’s alright," you say softly. "He knows me. And now, he must know you."

Gwayne hesitates, his hand still hovering near his sword, but after a brief moment of consideration, he takes a step forward. His gaze never leaves Grey Ghost’s hulking form, his caution palpable. Slowly, almost reverently, he reaches out, his fingers brushing against the dragon’s side, just as yours had moments before.

The air between the three of you seems to still, the wind dying down as though the world itself is holding its breath. Grey Ghost rumbles again, a low, deep sound that resonates through the ground, but he doesn’t move. He allows the touch. 

Gwayne exhales, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly as he keeps his hand on the dragon’s scales. "He’s… magnificent," Gwayne says, his voice barely above a whisper. "I’ve never seen anything like him."

You smile softly, feeling a swell of pride for both your dragon and for the man standing beside you. "He is," you agree, your voice filled with warmth. "And now, he knows you. We are bonded, all three of us."

Gwayne turns to you then, his eyes meeting yours, and for a moment, the world around you seems to fade away—the cliffs, the sea, even the dragon. It’s just the two of you, standing on the precipice of something new, something shared.

"I never thought…" he begins, his voice trailing off as he searches for the right words. "I never thought I could be part of something like this. With you, and with him."

You step closer to him, your hand finding his, your fingers intertwining. "You are," you say softly, your voice full of certainty. "We’re a family now, Gwayne. You, me, and Grey Ghost. Nothing will come between us."

The wind whips around you as you stand before Grey Ghost, the great dragon looming like a mountain of muscle and smoke. His golden eyes, burning with an otherworldly light, follow your movements as you step back, placing yourself beside Gwayne. The sun has set below the horizon now, leaving the world bathed in twilight, and the only sounds are the crashing of the waves far below the cliffs and the steady, rhythmic breathing of the dragon.

Gwayne stands beside you, his hand still resting on the dragon’s rough scales. His expression, a mixture of awe and anticipation, is hard to miss. He’s faced battle, seen the dangers of war, but this—this is something entirely different. You can sense the excitement beneath his calm demeanor, the way his hand trembles ever so slightly as he brushes his fingers against Grey Ghost's side.

"You’ve never flown before," you say quietly, watching him as his eyes trace the dragon's form.

He turns his gaze to you, the corners of his mouth lifting in a faint smile. "No. Never." His tone is light, but there’s a seriousness beneath it, a readiness that makes your pulse quicken.

Grey Ghost shifts his weight, the massive bulk of his body rumbling like distant thunder as he crouches low, the leathery membranes of his wings unfolding slightly. He is waiting, waiting for your command, and though you feel his wildness, his untamed spirit, you know that in this moment, he will listen to you.

You take Gwayne’s hand, feeling the warmth of his skin against yours. "Do you trust me?" you ask, though you already know his answer.

He doesn’t hesitate. "Always," he replies, his voice steady, his eyes locked on yours.

You squeeze his hand gently, then release it as you step toward Grey Ghost. With practiced ease, you place one hand on the dragon's flank, the other gripping the harness that’s fastened around his neck and shoulders. You swing yourself up onto his back, settling into the familiar place between his powerful wings. The leather beneath you is warm, and you can feel the rise and fall of his breathing beneath your legs.

You look down at Gwayne, who is still standing at the dragon’s side, his expression now unreadable.

"Come," you say, holding out your hand to him. "You won’t fall. I promise."

For a moment, he hesitates, glancing from you to Grey Ghost’s immense, heaving body. But then, with a nod of determination, he steps forward, gripping the harness as you had shown him. With a bit of effort, he hoists himself up behind you, his arms instinctively wrapping around your waist as he settles into place.

You can feel the tension in his body, the uncertainty of being so high above the ground, but there is also trust—trust in you, trust in the dragon.

You glance back at him, offering a reassuring smile. "Hold on tightly. The first flight is always… exhilarating."

Before he can respond, you lean forward and place your hands against Grey Ghost’s neck. "Fly!" you command in High Valyrian.

With a roar that shakes the ground beneath you, Grey Ghost unfurls his wings, the massive span of them catching the wind in a sudden, powerful gust. The muscles beneath you ripple as the dragon gathers his strength, and then, with a single, mighty leap, you are airborne.

The world falls away beneath you, the cliffs and sea nothing but distant shapes as Grey Ghost ascends, his wings beating with a rhythm that you can feel deep in your chest. The wind tears at your hair and clothes, the rush of air so loud it drowns out all other sound, but you don’t mind. This—this is freedom, the sky opening up before you, endless and vast.

Behind you, Gwayne holds on tightly, his arms firm around your waist. You can feel his heart pounding against your back, the thrill of the flight coursing through him as it does through you. The dragon rises higher, soaring above the clouds, and for a moment, you are suspended in the sky, weightless and free.

Grey Ghost lets out a triumphant roar, a sound that echoes across the sky, and you laugh, the exhilaration of the moment filling you with joy. You glance back at Gwayne, his face flushed from the wind, his eyes wide with wonder.

"Are you alright?" you shout over the wind, your voice barely carrying in the rushing air.

He grins, a wide, genuine smile that lights up his entire face. "This is incredible!" he calls back, his voice filled with awe and exhilaration. "I never imagined…"

His words trail off as Grey Ghost dips suddenly, his wings folding slightly as he begins a rapid descent, plummeting toward the sea below. You feel Gwayne’s grip tighten around you, his breath catching in his throat, but you don’t panic. You know Grey Ghost, know his every move, and this—this is part of the ride.

At the last moment, just before you reach the surface of the water, Grey Ghost flares his wings, catching the air and leveling out. The sea stretches out beneath you, the waves glistening in the moonlight, so close you can almost touch them. The dragon skims the surface, his claws barely grazing the water, sending up sprays of mist as you fly.

You laugh again, the sound of it lost to the wind, and Gwayne’s laughter soon joins yours. His tension is gone now, replaced by the sheer thrill of the flight. He leans into the movement, trusting you, trusting the dragon, and for a moment, it feels like the three of you are one—a single being soaring through the sky, untethered and wild.

After what feels like an eternity—and yet, not nearly long enough—Grey Ghost begins to climb again, his powerful wings lifting you up, up, up, until you are soaring high above the sea once more. The land is a distant memory now, the world below nothing but a blur of blue and grey.

You turn your head slightly, glancing back at Gwayne, who is still grinning, his eyes alight with excitement. "This is only the beginning," you say, your voice soft, though you know he can hear you over the wind.

He meets your gaze, his expression suddenly serious, though the joy still lingers in his eyes. "I’ll follow you anywhere," he says, his voice steady, filled with quiet resolve. "Wherever you go—whether it’s the skies or the earth—I’ll be with you."

Your heart swells at his words, and for a moment, you are overwhelmed by the depth of his devotion. You reach back, placing your hand over his where it rests at your waist, your fingers intertwining with his.

"And I’ll always have you by my side," you whisper, though the wind carries your words away.

Grey Ghost lets out a soft rumble, a sound that vibrates through both of you, as though he, too, understands the significance of this moment. Together, the three of you fly on, the stars beginning to twinkle above, as the night stretches out endlessly before you.

[pretzel-box]

Hello ●♡●

Do you mind if request a pregnant!reader who gets sent down into Hadal Blacksite?

She was arrested for being associated with a famed drug dealer (you may pick) and was now sent to life in prison. But Hadal picked her up and sent her to retrieve the crystal.

Eventually she meets Sebby, from that point on you can drive the story ^^

Sorry if this sounds weird. First time requesting someone 😅

words: 1,1k

tags: pregnant! female reader, comfort

The sound of the facility’s massive gates clanging shut echoed in your ears, the final barrier between you and the world you once knew. The cold, harsh reality of the Hadal Blackside settled over you like a shroud, suffocating and oppressive. You had heard the stories about this place—the darkness, the desperation, the things that lurked in the shadows. But nothing could have prepared you for the weight of it, the feeling that you were truly, utterly alone.

Except you weren’t alone.

A hand instinctively rested on your stomach, where a life grew inside you. The life of a child whose father had betrayed you, framed you for crimes you hadn’t committed. The memories flooded back—the frantic nights, the lies, the realization that the man you had once trusted with everything had set you up to take the fall for his empire’s sins. You hooked up with a man, knowing he had money and you would be financially secure till he used you and you found out about the truth behind his business. Blinded by drugs, money and criminal motivation he blamed you and exposed you in front of the police and now, you are here, sent to this hellhole with no hope of return, carrying his child.

You wandered through the winding, decaying corridors, your mind racing with fear and uncertainty. The facility was a labyrinth of rusted metal, flickering lights, and shadows that seemed to move on their own. The air was thick with the scent of mildew and something far more sinister yet metallic, something that made your skin crawl.

It wasn’t long before you stumbled upon a small shop tucked away in one of the darker corners of the facility. The space was cluttered with all manner of items, some useful, some strange, all scavenged from the depths of this godforsaken place. Your eyes fell on the shopkeeper, a tall, serpentine figure with fluorescent blue eyes that glowed faintly in the dim light. His long, coiled tail was laying casually over the slight wet floor, and his gaze was sharp, assessing you with a mixture of curiosity, caution and unmotivation.

“You look lost,” he said, his voice smooth and surprisingly gentle, given his intimidating appearance. His large claw-like hands rubbing against each other as he kept staring at you.

You hesitated for a moment, the reality of your situation crashing down on you all over again. You didn’t know who to trust, if anyone, in this place. But you were desperate, scared, and you needed someone—anyone—to help you.

“I…I was sent down here,” you began, your voice trembling slightly as you spoke. “Framed for something I didn’t do. And now…” You paused, your hand instinctively moving to your stomach again. “Now I’m here. Alone. And I’m pregnant.”

The shopkeeper’s expression shifted, the hard edges softening as he took in your words. For a moment, he said nothing, simply watching you with those piercing blue eyes. Then, with a quiet sigh, he moved forward, his tail shifting with a sinuous grace as he approached.

“My name’s Sebastian,” he said, his tone gentle now, almost kind. “And this is my shop. My wares are on my tail, batteries on the table next to me…” He paused for a moment, his gaze softening as he took in your exhausted, tear-streaked face. “And you can rest here, free of charge.”

His words were simple, but they carried a weight of kindness that you hadn’t expected to find in a place like this. The offer of refuge, even just for a little while, was more than you could have hoped for. A small, shaky breath escaped your lips, and you nodded, the tightness in your chest loosening just a bit.

“Thank you,” you managed to say, your voice still trembling slightly.

Sebastian nodded, gesturing to a makeshift bed in the corner of the shop—a crude but inviting space with blankets neatly folded on top. “It’s not much,” he said, almost apologetically, “but it’s better than most places around here. You should get some rest.”

You glanced over at the bed, the exhaustion of the past few days weighing heavily on your shoulders. The idea of lying down, of letting your guard down for just a moment, was terrifying. But you were so tired—tired in a way that went beyond physical fatigue. Your heart ached with the burden of your situation, and the weight of your unborn child felt heavier with every passing moment.

“I don’t know what to do,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper.

Sebastian studied you for a moment longer before reaching out, his clawed hand hovering near your shoulder as if he was unsure whether to offer comfort. “This place…it’s not for people like you. It's even a surprise that they send you down here.,” he said quietly. “But you’ll find that most of us down here have our own stories. We all carry something.” His gaze flicked briefly to your stomach before meeting your eyes again. “Some more than others.”

You felt a tear slip down your cheek, quickly followed by another. The enormity of your situation, the betrayal, the fear for your unborn child—it all came crashing down on you, and you couldn’t hold it back any longer.

Sebastian moved closer, his presence unexpectedly reassuring despite his fearsome appearance. “You’re safe here, for now,” he said softly, his voice like a balm to your frayed nerves. “At least as safe as you can be in this place. I’ll help you, as much as I can.”

You didn’t know why, but something in his words, in the way he looked at you, made you believe him. Maybe it was the way he seemed to understand without needing to ask questions, or maybe it was simply the fact that he was offering help when you felt most alone. Whatever the reason, you found yourself nodding, a shaky breath escaping your lips.

“Thank you,” you whispered, the words barely audible.

Sebastian nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “You’ll be okay,” he assured you, his tone firm but comforting. “We’ll figure this out, together.”

As you stood there, the reality of your new life beginning to sink in, you realized that for the first time since you had been sent down here, you didn’t feel completely alone. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. And as you looked up at Sebastian, the man who had so unexpectedly become your lifeline, you felt a small spark of hope flicker to life within you.

Maybe, just maybe, there was a future for you and your child in this dark, twisted place.

[importantstudentbusinessspy-blog]

Dragon Blood

Chapter 3: Your newfound fear of dragons causes you to run away from Dragonstone, but you're naive to think a certain prince with an odd fondness of you would let you go so easily.

Vermithor's claiming left you with endless nightmares. The monster's fury and the screams of the unfortunate dragonseeds haunted your nights and filled your days with dread. The castle, once a place of routine and stability, now felt a platter above hungry predators.

Desperation led you to the head of staff, where you made up a story about distant family in the Reach. "They've asked me to come live with them," you lied, your voice trembling but determined. "Please, I need to leave Dragonstone."

The head of staff was a stern woman with a soft spot for you. She eyed you suspiciously but eventually nodded. "Very well then. I'll arrange for your transfer to a local inn. You may leave as soon as you are ready."

The next day, you gathered all of your belongings and set out on the path leading away from Dragonstone. Each step was heavy with the weight of leaving behind the life you knew and stepping into the unknown.

Suddenly, the sky darkened as a massive shadow passed overhead. You looked up, heart-pounding, to see a dragon descending right onto you. Vermax landed with a powerful thud, sending dust and pebbles flying. You froze, your newfound phobia of dragons paralysing you.

Prince Jace dismounted, his armor gleaming in the sun, a picture of authority and grace.

He approached you with a measured stride, his expression unreadable. "It is high treason for a servant to lie about their supposed family in the Reach."

Fear seized you, and you took a step back. "My prince—"

He cut you off, his eyes blazing with anger. "Do you have any idea how foolish you are? A pretty girl, travelling alone, unarmed and unprotected? Do you have any inkling of what could happen to you on the road? The dangers you could face? What if some slaver found you? What then?"

His words struck you like a blow, and you felt your knees weaken. "I just..."

“You think you can just walk away?” Jacaerys said, his tone low and challenging. “After everything you’ve seen, everything you know? You think that freedom is yours to take?”

“I want none of it! I just want to be safe,” you replied, your voice trembling.

“You’re a Targaryen, y/n. There’s no running from that.”

The weight of his words pressed down on you. “I’m not! Im not... like you, not like the queen,” you whispered. “I’m just a servant. I have no wish to claim a dragon, not anymore—”

You felt your lower lip trembled, your fears cutting off your speech.

Jacaerys softened slightly, though his tone remained stern and dismissive. "You're lucky. It's not every commoner who gets offered an escort from a prince."

You looked up at him in surprise. The closeness of his presence made your breath catch in your throat. His eyes were intense, studying you with a mix of frustration and something else, something darker.

You hesitated, fear and doubt swirling within you. Jacaerys stepped even closer, his presence overwhelming. “Do as I say,” he commanded, his tone brooking no argument. “You will learn how to command a dragon. Claim your birthright at least once.”

Your heart pounded in your chest, but you could see no way out. He was your prince, your sovereign, and you had to obey him. You nodded reluctantly.

He took you by the hand, leading you to Vermax. The dragon's eyes followed your every move, and you could feel its rumble shaking the ground beneath you.

Jacaerys stepped closer, his presence both intimidating and oddly reassuring. "Say 'Lykiri to command Vermax to obey."

"Lykiri," you repeated nervously, your voice barely above a whisper.

"Louder," Jacaerys insisted. "Dragons respond to strength."

You took a deep breath and tried again, louder, “Lykiri!"

Vermax's eyes flicked to you, and with a low rumble, the dragon shifted, acknowledging your command. Your eyes widened. The realization that the dragon had listened to you sent a rush of adrenaline through your veins.

Jacaerys stepped up on the dragons offered wing with practiced grace, then pulled you by the hand, his touch surprisingly gentle. "Vermax won't harm you," he assured, seating himself behind you on the saddle, his voice closer now, almost tender. "Feel the dragon's strength."

As you settle on the dragon's back, Jace's presence was solid behind you and reassuring. He guided your hands to grip the saddle, his own hands briefly covering yours.

“Say ‘soves’ to command him to fly.” He spoke in your ear. “Confidently. Command him.”

“Soves!” You spoke loudly.

“And hold on tight.” He instructed, placing his hands on the saddle In front of You.

Syrax took off, the ground falling away beneath you. The sensation of flight, the rush of wind, and the power of the dragon beneath you were overwhelming. Despite your fear, there was an exhilaration, a feeling of freedom you had never known. The world below became a blur, the wind whipping through your hair, your heart pounding with a mix of terror and joy.

The force of the takeoff pressed you back against him. Wind whipped past you. The world below became a blur, and the vast sky opened up around you.

You gasped for breath, the wind making it difficult to breathe. Sensing your struggle, Jace tightened his grip around your waist, his hand moving to your chest, guiding you. “Breathe with me,” he said, his voice steady and close. “In… and out. Slowly.”

You tried to follow his lead, inhaling deeply as he did, his presence grounding you. Gradually, your breath steadied, and you began to adjust to the sensation of flight, the terror giving way to awe.

Jace leaned closer, his voice just above the wind’s roar. “You’re doing well,” he said, his tone softer now, almost… proud.

The adrenaline coursing through you was intoxicating, and as Vermax soared through the skies, you couldn’t help but feel a rush of exhilaration unlike anything you’d ever experienced.

Tears sprang to your eyes, not from fear, but from the overwhelming beauty of it all—the vast expanse of the sky, the powerful dragon beneath you, and the realization that you were flying. Truly flying.

As tears streamed down your cheeks, Jacaerys noticed and pulled you closer. “Are you crying?” he asked, his tone somewhere between teasing and concern.

“I… I’ve never felt anything like this,” you admitted, your voice catching with emotion. “It’s… it’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen!”

You looked out over the landscape, your fear gradually giving way to amazement. The world seemed vast and beautiful from this height, and for a moment, all your worries and fears seemed small and distant.

When Vermax finally landed, your heart was still racing, but it was no longer from fear. Jace helped you dismount, his hands lingering on yours. His gloved hand wiped away your tears, your eyes shining with a newfound light.

"Thank you," you said, your voice barely a whisper.

He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Remember your place, y/n" he said, repeating the same words he once spoke to you. "Not everyone is a dragon. Don't let them think they can push you."

You nodded, feeling the weight of his words settle over you. As he mounted Vermax once more, you couldn’t shake the feeling that this moment had changed something between you, something you couldn’t quite name.

Jacaerys gave you one last look, his expression bittersweet, before Vermax took to the skies again, leaving you standing there, breathless and overwhelmed by the experience.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

In the small town where you’d settled, life had taken on a simple turn. The days were long, filled with the clatter of mugs and the hum of conversation as you served folk in the tavern. Despite the work being tiring, there was a certain peace in the predictability of it all. The days were repetitive, but you were away from the politics and dangers of Dragonstone, away from the volatile nature of the court.

Yet, despite this newfound contentment, your thoughts often strayed back to the prince. In quiet moments, when your duties were done and you were alone in your small room above the tavern, you couldn’t help but let your mind wander. It started innocently enough, a simple memory on his sharp gaze, the way his eyes seemed to pierce through you. But then, your thoughts became something more—something that made your breath hitch and your heart race.

You remembered the way he had stood so close to you, his tall frame towering over you, the heat of his body radiating against your skin. The memory of his voice, low and commanding, echoed in your ears, stirring something deep within you. There was a part of you that couldn’t forget the intensity of his touch, the way his hands guided you, strong and possessive, as if you were something that belonged to him.

Your thoughts became bolder, imagining what it would feel like if he had pulled you closer, if his lips had brushed against your skin. The idea of his power over you sent a thrill through your body, a tantalizing mixture of fear and desire. You found yourself longing for that feeling again—the rush of adrenaline, the helplessness of being under his control, the undeniable pull between you.

But with that heat came a deep sense of shame. You were low born. Nothing more than a commoner, a servant, and he was a prince of the realm. How could you, a mere tavern girl now, dare to feel this way about someone so far above your station? The very idea of it felt wrong, inappropriate, yet you couldn’t stop the thoughts from creeping in, couldn’t stop your body from reacting to the memories of him. The shame gnawed at you, making you feel small and unworthy, but it also made the desire burn hotter, a forbidden fire you didn’t know how to extinguish.

In your free time, you’d found solace in the company of a local pastor, a kind man who offered to teach you to read. You took to the lessons eagerly, and in time, he began to trust you with his collection of books. Most were on the Targaryens and their dragons.

The stories of the dragons captivated you. You learned their names, their temperaments, and the legends about them. And with each passage, your connection to the past, to the blood in your veins, grew stronger, even if you tried to suppress it.

But even more, these stories fed your thoughts of Jace. The more you read about the Targaryens, the more you understood the weight of the name he carried, the expectations, and the burden of his lineage. You wondered if he ever felt trapped by it, as you felt by your own place in society. And as you delved deeper into these histories, your fantasies of him grew more vivid, more intense, until you could almost feel him with you, his presence a ghostly weight that pressed against you in the night.

You couldn’t stop wanting him, couldn’t stop imagining what it would be like if the world were different, if you were different. You kept these feelings to yourself, unsure of what they meant or what you would even do if you were to ever see him again. For now, the tavern was your world, and Jace was a distant memory—one that haunted your nights and invaded your dreams with yearning.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Jacaerys Velaryon had little time for distractions. His days were filled with duties—securing alliances for his mother, studying the intricate web of Targaryen bloodlines, and practicing his skills in combat. Every moment was a reminder of the precarious position his family held in the realm, the constant threat of war looming on the horizon. There was no room for error, no room for weakness.

And yet, despite his best efforts, his thoughts would often stray to you.

It was infuriating how easily you crept into his mind. A mere servant, a girl of no consequence, and yet he couldn’t stop thinking about you. It started innocently enough, a fleeting memory of your purple wide-eyed expression when he had pulled you from the throne room, saving you from Vermithor. But those memories became something more.

He remembered the way you had trembled under his touch, the way your breath hitched when he had drawn close. It should have pleased him, the power he held over you, but instead, it had sparked something else—a desire that he found both confusing and inappropriate. You were beneath him, a commoner with no claim to anything, yet the memory of your body pressed against his, your soft curves against his hardened armor, lingered in his mind, refusing to be banished.

As he pored over maps and documents, his thoughts would drift to the feel of your skin under his hands, the warmth of your body against his. He wondered what it would be like to explore that warmth further, to strip away the layers of clothing that separated you and discover your body for himself. The thought alone made his blood run hot, and he cursed himself for allowing such distractions.

His days were a blur of meetings and training, his nights spent in restless sleep, plagued by dreams in which you featured prominently. He dreamed of claiming you, of possessing you in a way that no one else could, of making you his despite the vast chasm that separated your stations in life.

It was maddening. You were nothing, a nobody, and yet the thought of you with another man, of someone else touching touching whats his, filled him with a rage. How dare you make him feel this way, weak and conflicted?

The internal struggle only intensified as he learned more about the Targaryen bloodlines. It was that realization that troubled him the most. You were of Targaryen blood, however diluted, and that meant something.

His rational mind insisted that you were still nothing more than a servant, your bloodline a mere footnote in the grand history of his house. But another part of him, a darker, more primal one, demanded he claim you, possess you, and ensure that no one else could.

Even as he trained with the sword, his muscles burning from the exertion, his mind would wander to the way you had looked at him, the mixture of fear and something else in your eyes. It was intoxicating, the way you had both feared and desired him, and it made him want to see that look again, to push you further and see just how far he could go before you broke.

And then there was the shame. The shame of wanting someone so far beneath him, the shame of knowing that he was betraying everything he had been taught by even entertaining these thoughts. You were a bastard, a servant, a commoner, and he was a prince of the realm. It was absurd, scandalous even, to think that there could be anything between you. Yet, despite the shame, despite the knowledge that he was crossing a line, he couldn’t stop himself.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Tag list:

@alwaysdaydreamingoffiction

@rav9n-16

@dracaryxzs

@jacaeryvardaddy

@ericasabe

@alessiaparigim

[charliemwrites]

Since I’ve been going pretty hard on dark fics lately….

Who’s up for some childhood friend Simon?

In his worst moments, when he thinks of his inevitable premature and violent end, he hopes that he’ll be able to hold out long enough to die in your arms. Even if they have to fly him straight from the battlegrounds to you, lay him in the grass outside your flat, he wants your face and voice that puts him to his final sleep.

Most moments aren’t his worst moments. But he still thinks of you and prepares. Everything is going to you, of course. Price knows. You’ll get Simon’s tags, his mask, a flag. You’ll get a letter.

He started one night after you two reunited, a little drunk from a thank-fuck-we-survived post mission celebration. It’s a little wobbly and ramble in some places, but never threw it out - never reread it either. Finished it in one hour, three pages long.

He’s added onto it since then. On hard night, nights he misses you. When he’s nostalgic and tipsy, when he wakes up from nightmares soaked in your blood. It’s about 12 pages now. Different colors of ink, different types of pages. Even one slanted and awkward because his writing hand was broken so he had to use the other.

He doesn’t bring it home to you with him. Doesn’t want you to accidentally discover it and think it’s something else. It stays where Johnny will find it if the worst happens; Simon trusts him to give it to you.

He never really thought about it the other way round. Couldn’t stand to face the prospect again. Not when he can feel the bullet scar beneath your shirt sometimes, or sees you rubbing at it in cold weather.

(He doesn’t consider it his worst moments but he knows you would - that he’d crawl in that grave with you.)

But it’s almost happened again. You’re sitting caddy-corner to him at a briefing table, listening to Price as he explains the situation. Simon’s watching you watching Price. Your shoulders are relaxed, fingers fiddling with your temporary access card. Not nervous, just occupied while you focus.

You’re not worried at all. Simon feels like he’s falling apart right here. One shake of the stupid uneven table and all his pieces will just slide apart into a useless pile.

Without looking away, your hand slides across the table and hooks around his. He doesnt startle - he’s ghost right now, and ghost is rock solid - but his fingers twitch around yours. You shoot him a quick smile and then refocus on Price, picking at a worn patch on the skeleton design of Simon’s glove.

Duct tape for a collapsing soul.

Price concludes, “You’ll stay here, safe and sound with an escort.”

Simon speaks up for the first time in what feels like days.

“I’m not bein’ deployed, skipper. Not right now.”

Price snorts. “‘Course not. You’re on leave with little miss here in sweden.”

“Sweden,” Simon repeats, unimpressed. Not one of the Laswell’s better lies.

“Land of tall blondes,” you chime.

“No one else knows I’m a blond.”

You shrug. “Their loss.”

Simon snorts, you grin, and Price dismisses you both in short order.

You’re staying in Simon’s room; the captain didn’t even offer you temporary quarters. Not that you minded, happy to toss your things amongst his and climb into his bed.

He cleans his favorite gun impulsively at the desk while you futz around on his computer - probably investigating the latest set of unreleased movies he bribed from Laswell.

“You get ten minutes of brooding left and then we’re getting food and watching a movie.”

He scowls down at the magazine, oiled cloth in hand.

“I’m not brooding.”

“It’s like you have your own lighting. I swear those shadows are darker next to you.”

“That’s just how light works.”

“Oh it would have been so much cooler if you said, like, ‘I am the shadows’.”

He pauses, casts you a long, flat look. You beam.

“Ooh, yeah, with that face too! C’mon, say it!”

He blows out a dramatic breath, then grumpily repeats, “I am the shadows.”

You laugh, hopping up from the bed to approach. He shifts his gear out of the way, clearing a space for you to lean against his desk, your knee touching his.

“Im alright, Si. There’s nowhere safer I could be.”

He sets the pieces in his hands aside, flexes his fingers spasmodically.

“Could just not know me. Anywhere would be safer than knowing me.”

You click your tongue, purely derisive. “That’s stupid.”

“That’s just facts, babes.”

You shake your head. “No, it’s your guilt complex. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than right here.”

He arches his eyebrows - not that you’ll be able to see it past the mask. But you know him well enough to just know.

“Right here?” he challenges. “On a military base? With who fuckin’ knows out to get you? Just because you lived two doors down from me in kindergarten?”

You sigh, that one that tells him you’re employing extra patience purely out of love and experience.

“Right here, Si. Wherever you are,” you confirm.

“Should cut your losses,” he says, trying his best impression of the machine he became after he lost everyone but you. He’s never felt less protected in the mask.

As always, you see right through him.

“A bullet couldn’t take me from you, Simon Riley. The ‘Ghost’ doesn’t stand a chance.” You curl your fingers around the back of his neck, duck down until your forehead knocks against the hard mask’s. “Because it’s me n’ you ‘til the sun stops rising.”

An oath made of picked daisies and shared blood. The weight of it presses on his chest so hard he feels buried again. Layers of earth crushing him, you up above, the only heaven he knows or needs.

“Me ‘n you,” he rasps.

You let him stay like that another moment. Absorbing the warmth of your fingertips, crept beneath the edge of the balaclava. Breathing with you until he’s sure you’re synched. Heart, breath, blood, down to the firing of your neurons.

“Alright, no more brooding. You’ll feel better with some food.”

Simon exhales, sloughing off the gloom and pessimism that weighs on Ghost’s shoulders. You’re here, right here. Nothing will happen to you when he’s still breathing.

“Think I have a few more minutes.”

“Nah, it compounds when I brood with you.”

“You brood like a rainbow broods.”

You snort and flick at his mask, tugging him up with you towards the door. He lets himself settle, listening to your cheerful babble all the way to the mess.

[newlynova]

MDNI. every night you wake up in a cold sweat— arms and legs too heavy to move, tongue weighed down by blocks of cement. you can barely breathe on your own, stale air trapped in your lungs as the glowing eyes in the shadow of your bedroom watch you squirm. pinned under by the weight of darkness, it seems that the demon in the corner of your room wants to give you more of a reason to squirm. cw void!stiles stilinski, sleep paralysis, somnophilia, dubcon. 1k.

"you're finally awake, hm?" a low voice breathed into your ear, the ghost of a fingertip brushing along the thin strap of your tank top. their touch was cold, sending an uncontrollable shiver down your spine as their fingers danced along the length of your chest.

"but not truly, are you? if you were… you'd be recoiling from me in disgust, you'd be screaming," they gave a sharp tug on your spaghetti strap, pulling on the elastic band far enough that when released, it made a harsh smack against your skin, the pain from the snap would have made you wince, would have at least prompted a scared whimper from your lips. but, you could barely make a sound— your limbs betraying you, laying uselessly by your side.

the edge of the bed dipped under the weight of the demon, the shadow of the night concealing his features with a dark mask. "i can see why the boy is so fond of you," the figure murmured to himself, their voice barely above a whisper. their fingers danced up the curve of your shoulder, ghosting over your neck before settling beneath your jaw, shifting your head in their direction.

"you're a lot stronger than you seem… a lot more stubborn than i realized," the figure leaned over you, their face just mere inches from your own. "but, you're not strong enough to evade me. you're in my domain now, and i will not allow you to break free from me so easily."

underneath the pale white glow of the moon, you could finally see who the intruder was— your best friend, your childhood crush: stiles stilinski. but, it wasn't really stiles, was it? no. no, it wasn't.

his skin was too pale, and the warmth in his chocolate brown eyes had transformed into something more… predatory. the hold stiles maintained on your throat tightened, his chapped lips curling up into a wicked smile. it was as if the boy you knew had checked out, and something else, something darker had checked in instead.

"you're a beautiful girl, did you know that? with such a pretty face, i can understand why the boy has allowed you to consume his every waking thought," stiles gave your neck a gentle squeeze, your pulse growing faster beneath his grip. you could barely breathe, the cool slivers of air you were allowed in barely filling your lungs. "i think i'll keep you here… make you mine and toy with you whenever i need. how does that sound, hmm? for me to keep you around like a pet?"

stiles leaned closer, the tip of his nose mere centimeters away from yours. you could feel the coolness of his breath fanning over your lips, his hand twitching against your throat. you wanted to scream, to push him, to hit, to do something. but, your body was powerless and the weight of his control over you was suffocating.

his other hand lingered over your hip, thumb brushing along the curve of your hip bone before shifting over to the warmth between your legs. your stomach grew sour as he peeled your thighs apart, your limbs stiff as he opened your body up to him. the smile on his lips grew larger, the white pearls of his teeth exposed as a cheshire grin painted itself across his face.

"look at you," he whistled as he straightened back up, his eyes now locked on the sight of your vulnerability. a damp patch had formed at the front of your panties, the thin fabric clinging to the outline of your folds. "look at how your body betrays you, darling. i'm not even touching you yet… but, here you are… already wet and aching for me like the good little pet you're meant to be."

the hair along your arms and legs stood on end as stiles licked at his lips, a glint of hunger swirling in his eyes. you wanted to throw up, the feeling of his gaze on your body making you grow nauseous. "i can feel your mind fighting your body, darling," stiles's tone darkened, his voice dropping an octave as he shifted into a comfortable position between your legs. "you're trying to convince yourself that you don't want this… that your body doesn't want to be bent, and stretched, and spread by my hands,"

"but, guess what?" stiles tugged the silver zipper of his jeans down, the rustling of fabric making your mouth grow dry. "it's better if you don't fight it. you're mine now, after all, it'll be better in the long run if you give in now, darling."

the weight of stiles's cock slapping against your cunt almost made you jolt in surprise, the heaviness of his erection prompting your cunt to flutter around emptiness. your clit twitched beneath the weight, his hips grinding against you at a languid pace. you wanted to push him away, wanted to hate the feeling of his dominance consuming you. but, even under the spell of sleep paralysis, you couldn't quite push him away. at least, mentally.

"that's my good girl," stiles praised with a wolfish grin, his large hands cupping the back of your knees, forcing your legs up towards your chest. he had folded you into a position of his desire, pushing your panties to the side with one hand while the other squished your thighs together to keep you in place.

the head of his flushed cock glided through your messy pussy lips, collecting and smearing your arousal around before dipping slowly into your entrance. your brain couldn't fight against him anymore, the burning stretch of his cock diving deep into you almost coaxing a moan through your dry lips.

"open yourself up to me, pet," stiles grunted as his hips slowly began to rock into you, the hooked curve of his cock catching against the sensitive gooey spot along your walls with each thrust. your cunt clenched around his cock, strangling his length and drawing him in deeper and deeper. "and, let me make you mine."

[cece693]

My Wolf (Dark Jacob Black x M! Vamp Reader)

This was a request, and I would post the original, but it would reveal the plot twist.

Summary: Jacob killed the Cullens for you—being rejected by the boy he loved—what else would he do? But was he really the one who orchestrated all this?

tags: dark Jacob, death, plot twist, reader isn't what they seem, Cullens bashing

Becoming a vampire was supposed to be a new beginning—a chance to stand alongside Bella and the Cullens, to be part of something greater than yourself. At first, it was everything you imagined: strength, speed, and the comfort of a family who understood what it meant to be different. But there were darker sides to this new life that no one had warned you about—the endless thirst, the gnawing emptiness that came with immortality. Still, you tried to adapt, to embrace the life you had chosen.

But then there was Jacob.

What began as harmless infatuation soon morphed into something darker, more twisted. He followed you everywhere, his presence an unsettling shadow that grew more oppressive with time. He couldn’t accept what you had become, and his feelings turned into something far more dangerous. You found yourself trapped between his growing obsession and your own struggle to adjust to this new existence.

When Jacob finally confessed his feelings, you tried to let him down gently, explaining that there could never be anything between you. But your rejection only fueled his rage. His eyes darkened, his body trembling with barely contained fury, and in that moment, you knew you had lost him.

He was no longer the boy you once knew; he was a beast unleashed.

Emmett was the first to fall, his strength no match for the fury of a heartbroken werewolf. Rosalie followed, her beauty marred by the brutal force of his claws. Alice and Jasper were next, their bond shattered like glass beneath his relentless assault.

And then there was Bella.

You stood there, motionless, as Jacob’s fury turned on her. Your sister—your blood—reduced to nothing but a casualty of a war she never saw coming. But as she lay broken, her eyes searching yours for some comfort in her final moments, you offered none.

Because deep down, this was what you had wanted. You had orchestrated it all.

Jacob was nothing but a tool, a means to an end. You had played on his obsession, his unwavering need to protect, to love, and twisted it into something monstrous. You had whispered words of rejection, knowing it would push him over the edge, knowing he would seek revenge in the only way he knew how.

And as the Cullens fell, you felt nothing. No remorse, no regret. Only a cold satisfaction that finally, after all the lies and deception, they were paying for what they had done to you. For turning you into this…monster.

When Jacob looked at you after Bella succumbed, you let out a tiny smirk. Even in his madness, he knew you were the one who had set him free. And so, you kept him around. Not out of love, not even out of gratitude, but because he was yours now. A weapon you could wield as you saw fit. As long as he behaved.

The Cullens had tricked you, but you had outwitted them all. And now, in the ashes of their downfall, you stood as the victor.

[ataraxiaspainting]

Old Friend.

Yan Kenjaku x F Reader x Yan Geto.

Synopsis: The stranger looks all too familiar, aside from three peculiar mannerisms. How his fingers creep along the table’s edge. How his voice is too soft, too kind, and not at all cruel. How there are black stitches on his forehead.

Warnings: Yandere themes, kidnapping, misogyny, use of the word monkey, and descriptions of past physical/mental abuse.

Word Count: 900.

*~*~*~*

Flattery comes out from Suguru’s mouth one sentence at a time, the words themselves soothing but the tone not so. After being dressed in clothes you picked out, after being presented with food you loved before captivity, you feel as though you were just revived… reborn. This feeling is foreign and isn’t let into your heart all at once, but little bit by little bit, because you know that Suguru’s gifts are often never superficial, but you also know how fast Suguru’s temper can spew once he has had enough of your antics.

On your knees, that demand is always accompanied by Suguru’s pointer finger facing down to the floor, monkey.

Somehow that collar consistently finds its way into Suguru’s right hand, even without one of his servants giving it to him.

But yet, here and now, you don’t feel the same ominous aura. It’s something darker. Something that for once isn’t directed at you, but the servants Suguru always treated well. So, would that make his aura lighter? You’re not sure. Similar to when it comes to Suguru’s moods and false smiles and truthful lies, you don’t know what to think.

“Master Geto?” You ask, looking past him to the balcony exit behind him. With all the candles put on the table, his face looks nearly fully illuminated, but the shadow covering his eyes is still there regardless. 

“Yes, pet?” Suguru responds, his hands cupping his face as he looks at you. 

“I…” You start, your thumbs caressing one another underneath the long white tablecloth. “Just wanted to thank you… that’s all.”

Suguru chuckles at that. No. Not a chuckle per se. Some sound unknown to you, or perhaps the identity of such was forgotten by you after so many years of being here kneeling at his feet on the floor like a trained mutt. 

Speak.

I’m sorry, Master Geto.

Make it more desperate so I know you won’t make false vows unbefitting of my precious varmint. I’ll even help you. What happens when a dog attempts to hurt its owner?

“Don’t worry about it, [First] dear. You deserve a dinner such as this, for you deserve to celebrate too.” He has never said your name other than when he is displeased with you, so him doing such makes you wince. Suguru takes another sip of his sake, not paying much mind to your innate actions.

They get hit back, Master Geto.

Then what will happen to them next time, if they do it again?

Something will break.

“You look quite divine tonight,” He says, using his knife to split his remaining steak into quarters. He stabs one of the pieces with his fork and chews on it without making much noise.

“Uh…”

“Everything about you is quite beautiful… I can see you becoming my wife one day after all of this is over. That is, if you continue to be so cute and defenseless, it’s your place after all.”

What kind of thing? Speak up.

Anything. A bone… Something they like… Their spirit…

Correct… and what is that thing covering your hand?

“You’re not really eating, dearest… Is something the matter?” He asks. You find yourself questioning if Suguru's concern is genuine. After all, he has faked empathy towards you before, so this wouldn't be the first time.

“No, no… It’s good.” In order to avoid his anger, you proceed to fill your mouth with sake and sesame rice. This amuses him. Does he find your desperation endearing? That would be in character for him, now that you think about it.

A cast, Master Geto.

And what did you do to earn such a thing?

You… broke my hand, after I tried to use the pieces of that broken bedroom window to stab you.

“I’m happy you’re enjoying it.” He grins, leaning in closer. “I have an offer for you. How about we go outside for a walk after this? It has been quite some time since you have seen the full moon, hasn’t it?”

Finally, you can envision a vast expanse of twinkling stars right before your eyes. In the realm of dreams, they reside so near, immune to fading or descending. But you ponder if reality holds the same allure. It has been an eternity since you were last allowed to venture outdoors. Oh, how you yearn for a glimpse of the sky once more.

Tell me, do you think you earned such a thing?

…Yes.

Good. It seems you’re learning.

But the temptation stopped as fast as it came. Dread replaces it in an instant. 

This man isn’t Suguru. You know that much for certain. With every hell he has put you through, you have come to know him and his mannerisms. Those mannerisms are nothing like this man. The thought scares you. Is this man a curse, the same kind Suguru uses against you after every escape attempt? Or is he just a normal man who is acting like him as a placeholder of some sort?

Where… is Suguru?

“...Why are there stitches on your forehead?”

[bitchesuntitled]

Lies, Excuses and Bullshit

Pairing: Exboyfriend!Dave York x f!Reader

Summary: A man with a double life willing to do anything to keep his obsession around, and a woman who doesn't know what she's gotten herself into.

Warnings/Tags: 18+ MDNI, go on get! Breaking up, creepy!Dave, infidelity, stalker behavior from Dave, oral(f receiving), spanking, unprotected PIV(make smarter choices), manipulation, and if there is anything I missed please let me know!

A/N: Phew, not sure what happened here. This is a first, I don't usually write darker stuff but something about Dave made it just fly out of my finger tips. This was written for @punkshort's AU August Challenge! Thank you Shortie for letting me be part of the challenge 😊 I need to shout out @beefrobeefcal @strang3lov3 @ozarkthedog and @mothandpidgeon thank you all for the encouragement and lending your eyeballs for this story! ❤️

@jay-zzle, my love, my bestie. This one is for you! 🥰❤️🥰❤️

Masterlist||AO3

divider by @saradika-graphics

You thought things were fine. Dave is the perfect gentleman. It is a complete shock to see this text from your friend. It was a picture of Dave with another woman and two little girls at a soccer game. Maybe it’s his niece's soccer game and he’s just there being a good uncle? Until the next text comes in.

Isn’t that your boyfriend?

Another picture is attached featuring Dave, his arm around the woman. Then another and another and another. More evidence to suggest he is obviously in a relationship with the woman and you are the one left in the dark on this whole situation.

You stopped responding to your friend a while ago, staring at the pictures they sent. Back and forth, memorizing every detail. The way he’s looking at her. The way his arm is around her. The way he’s touching her. The way he kissed her -  that was the one that sealed your fate of knowing you had in fact not been seeing a recently divorced man but a married one. Your phone buzzes with another text notification.

D. York: Hey baby, still picking you up at 9 right?

You glare at your phone unsure of what the next step is. Obviously he is cheating on his wife unbeknownst to you. How does somebody even handle something like this? You really liked Dave, you saw a future with him. Your relationship has been going on for months now.

After neglecting to respond your phone buzzes again with another text from the man himself.

D. York: Been thinking about you 

You roll your eyes and text him back.

You: Not tonight. Don’t feel good.

D. York: Aw you poor thing. Do you need anything?

You didn’t even have the energy to respond with this new found information rattling around your brain, pressing the button to make your phone sleep and making your way to your bedroom. You plugged your phone in and crawled into bed, ignoring the constant buzz against your nightstand as you tried to drift off. The sun was still out but you couldn’t be awake right now. You needed to shut your brain off and this was the only way you knew how.

There was a pounding on your door when you woke with a startle. The moon casting shadows through the curtains into your room. You checked your phone, seeing the multiple notifications, some from your friends and some from Dave. He’d also tried calling several different times.

D. York: Are you okay?

Did you talk to him yet?

D. York: Do you want some company?

Want me to kick his ass?

D. York: How are you feeling?

What do you plan to say?

D. York: Baby, please answer me. Getting a little worried here.

The pounding on your door continued as you checked your phone. The doorbell camera he insisted on getting for you and installed showed Dave at your doorstep holding a plastic bag, grumbling, you got out of bed and walked towards the door.

“I’m coming. Give it a rest,” you shout, hoping Dave can hear you over his loud knocks.

Sliding the chain lock you open the door.

“Baby,” Dave sighs with relief, “What have you been doing? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for hours now!”

“I told you, I don’t feel good,” you shrug, “I’ve been sleeping.”

“I’m sorry to wake you, I started to get worried,” Dave says, looking around your living room, “I got you some stuff to hopefully help with whatever bug you’ve seemed to catch.”

You watch as he carefully steps into your space, placing the bag on the coffee table in front of your couch.

“Dave,” you sigh, “I know.”

“Know what?” Dave asks, hands on his hips and shaking his head with a smirk.

“I know you’re still married.”

You see his adam's apple bob as he swallows, flopping back onto the couch, and clasping his hands together. He stays silent for a moment, contemplating what to say next.

“How’d you find out?”

Your eyes widen, not expecting him to fold so easily. 

“A friend sent me some photos from today at the soccer field,” you murmur, trying to keep the wavering in your voice to a minimum.

“I see,” Dave says with a nod.

“You also have kids?”

Dave nods again, facing you this time.

“Why?”

“Why what?” Dave scoffs, “Sleep with you?”

“I wouldn’t just call what we’ve been doing as ‘sleeping together,’ Dave,” you say, using your fingers as air quotes when the words sleeping together leave your mouth.

“It’s really not that big of a deal,” Dave chuckles, “I get bored from time to time and like to play with someone new.”

“Your wife know that?” you ask, glaring at him. This man who you thought you knew is showing an entirely different side of himself, and you don’t like it.

“She doesn’t need to know because it’s not a big deal.” Dave sighs exasperated.

“I think it’s best if you left.”

“Alright,” Dave says standing, “If that’s what you want.”

“Yep,” you say with a sharp nod.

“Listen,” Dave says, reaching a hand towards your arm, and you slid your arm back letting him know not to touch you, and he put his hand down beside him, “Okay, well, it’s really not as big of a deal as you’re making it out to be. I like you, I like what we’ve been–”

“Dave, you’re cheating on your wife,” you grit through your teeth interrupting the spiel he was going on, and swung the door open for him, “Leave.”

—

“Fucking take it.” Dave growls in your ear, thrusting his hips harshly into you, “Just like that baby.”

Your moans fill his ears, he can tell you’re close. The way your walls flutter around his length, squeezing him tighter. He can practically taste your climax in the air around him, gripping your hips tighter and angling them so he can get deeper.

“Dave,” you sob, after a particularly harsh thrust. Fingers gripping the sheets beneath you, back arching as you continue to cry out his name.

Dave. Dave. Dave.

“David!”

Dave jumps to the sound of Carol’s voice. Looking around to see he’s in his own bed in his home, not yours.

“Honey, your alarm has been going off for 10 minutes now.”

He lets out a sigh facing his reality, adjusting the hardness in his pajama bottoms. It was just a dream. It’s been months since he’s seen you. You’ve seemed to make your way into his brain at all times of the day, conscious or not.

“I’m gonna get the girls ready but you don’t need to be late for work again,” Carol says, giving him a smile and wink. After last night, he’s not sure how much longer he can do this. He’s been trying to have sex with Carol more. Sure, she’s his wife but she doesn’t scratch the same itch you did.

He’s tried. He’s tried to be a good husband, he’s tried to be a good dad and he’s exhausted. Dave feels himself becoming more of a shell since you told him to leave.

You’ve made it abundantly clear you want nothing to do with him. He tried to reach out to you, only to have his number blocked. You disabled your doorbell camera after he left that night. You must have known he’d try and look at it on his phone, you knew he had the information for your account. Why wouldn’t he try to look?

What you don’t know is that once Carol takes the girls to school, he gets the second phone hidden in the false bottom of a shoe box in his closet that is an exact copy of your own. He can see who you’re texting, where you’re at, how things at work are going, who you’re hanging out with. It’s become an obsession to check it daily.

—

As he steps out of the shower, Carol shouts up the stairs that she’s leaving with the girls, and the front door closes shortly after. Time to start his day.

Getting dressed in his running gear and snatching his headphones from the dresser. He makes his way to the closet. Finding the shoe box with your duplicated phone.

Texts from your friends, a text from your boss and a missed call from your mom. What catches his eye the most is the notification from some jackass on Tinder. James. Scanning James’ profile he’s definitely not your type: blonde hair, green eyes, gelled back hair, and a full beard.

James, 29

Looking for a girl who just wants to have some fun, if it leads to more that’s cool too. I like hiking, graduated from Harvard, hanging with my bros, anything else hmu

Dave shakes his head as he reads the messages shared between the two of you. He scans reading hellos, good nights, sharing random facts about each other, until he stumbles upon the most recent messages

James: Hello gorgeous 😉

Hello 😊

James: So I’ve been thinking would you wanna meet up? Go get a drink or something?

Sure! 7 good?

James: Awesome! Yeah. Do you know where Sal’s is?

I do! It’s not far from my job

James: Perfect! I’ll see ya then beautiful

No. No way in hell is this James guy meeting up with you. Dave calls the office letting them know he’s taking a personal day, he has some business to take care of.

—

Sal’s is exactly what you expected it to be. Dark, dingey, and small. Not too crowded thankfully, it’s definitely got character though. The random decor on the wall is confusing. You can’t tell if this is supposed to be a sports or a punk bar with the random band posters on the wall along with sports jerseys next to them.

Making your way to the bar you sit down on a stool, flagging down the bartender.

“What’s your poison for the night?” He asks, wiping his hands on the towel he was carrying.

“Jack and Coke,” you say, slipping your hand into your bag to get your wallet out. He makes quick work of mixing the drink and placing it in front of you, handing over your card while you hear the jingle of the door.

“Starting a tab?” The bartender asks, swiping your card.

“No, thank you,” you smile as he hands your card back to you, putting it back in your wallet.

Out of the corner of your eye you can see someone standing a couple stools away. Looking down at your drink, moving the straw around before taking a drink. You take a peek at your watch to see it’s 10 minutes before you’re supposed to meet James. 

Maybe this was a bad idea, you haven’t had to do this in months. It was easier when Dave just kind of fell into your life.

“Whiskey on the rocks.”

The hairs on the back of your neck stood up when you heard the familiar timber of his voice, head snapping to look at him. Dave. His smirk as he waits on his drink says it all, he knew you would be here. Was he James?

“Are you fucking serious?” You hiss through your teeth.

Dave thanks the bartender, moving closer to you.

“I come in peace,” Dave says, sitting in the stool one away from you, “All I want to do is talk.”

“Are you James?” You ask through clenched teeth, glaring at him.

“Oh baby,” Dave tuts, “I’m not James, he’s very real.”

You continue to glare at him. Unable to force your brain to work with your limbs on moving, leaving, throwing your drink on him. Anything other than sitting here being in his presence.

“He wasn’t hard to convince to leave you alone though,” Dave looks at you with a smirk, one eyebrow raised and begins to chuckle, “One mention of snapping any finger that touches you sent him running.”

You try to swallow but your throat feels like a desert, gripping the tumbler in front of you and taking a swig. Did he… did he do something to James? Surely not, Dave wouldn’t even kill the spider that appeared in your apartment one day, scooped it up and took it outside. How could he cause harm to anything?

“Dave did you…” pausing pondering how to even ask the question.

“Did I hurt him?” Dave asks, scooting to the stool next to you and leaning in closer, invading your space and you nod your head, “No, just made it known what’s mine.”

You let out a sharp gasp at his words, arousal seeping into the gusset of your underwear, thighs clenching together at his closeness, feeling goosebumps erupt across your skin. This shouldn’t be happening but your body thinks otherwise.

“I’ve missed you baby,” Dave hums into your ear, “Don’t like how we ended things.”

The way he says it has the ice around your heart melting. You hate him but can’t help the way your heart betrays your brain at his words. Dave lets out a small growl, gripping your bare thigh beneath the bar top possessively.

“I’m staying in a hotel room tonight,” he says, the grip on your thigh becoming less and smoothing his hand against your inner thigh. Gliding his hand up, up, up. Pinky finger playing with the edge of your underwear under your skirt.

You grab his hand and pull it away from your core, bringing it to rest on your lap. Lacing your fingers with his, while his thumb rubs along your palm. You sigh, contemplating what to do. Go with him or send him packing like last time. The devil on your shoulder telling you to go with him, it’s just stress relief, it won’t- it can’t mean anything, he knows your body better than anyone else. The angel on the other side just repeating the same words, he’s still married.

In the words of your mother, if he doesn’t cheat with you then he’ll just find someone else. Might as well have fun.

“I’ve missed you too,” you confess with a soft whimper in his ear. Finally seeing him again after months of nothing has your practical sense crumbling. 

“Let’s go then,” Dave smirks, standing pulling your hand slightly to stand with him and leave.

—

Dave drove like a bat out of hell to the hotel, dragged you to the elevator and his room as if this was his last chance to have you. Clothes flying off the moment you crossed the threshold of the room.

“Dave,” you moan, his lips ghosting down your neck to your collarbone. His hands grip your ass, pulling you flush against his front, feeling his erection against your stomach.

“I’ve missed you so fucking much,” he groans, his mouth sucking the flesh of your breast, capturing your nipple in his mouth and giving it a nip. A whine escapes past your lips at the sudden pressure of his teeth, moving your body with him until you feel the back of your knees hit the bed.

Dave releases your nipple, pushing himself against you to lay back on the bed, making room for himself between your thighs. His dark eyes swimming with lust study your face. His hand comes to rest on your jaw, thumb brushing your cheek.

“Why’d you let me leave like that?” His voice barely a whisper, lying his forehead against your own.

“You’re married,” you wince hearing the words leave your throat. You shouldn’t be doing this.

“I can change that,” he smirks with a chuckle, kissing the corner of your mouth, “I’d leave if it meant you’d stay,” kissing your jaw, “I’d spend every single day of my life making you happy,” he coos, trailing his lips down to your neck, laving his tongue against your pulse point.

“Dave,” you plead, hoping to stop his words. You don’t want to hear this, it’s all lies to get you to stay. The ache between your thighs begging for more.

“Mean it baby,” Dave says with a hum, mouth traveling down the expanse of your body, “Only want you,” he breathes when his face inches away from your sex, “Looks like you want me too,” he teases.

You feel the warmth spreading through your body as he sighs using his thumbs to spread your lips apart, staring at your glistening slit.

“Oh yeah, she’s definitely missed me,” he hums, flicking his tongue against your clit.

“Dave,” you gasp, gripping the sheets between your fingers. He works his tongue along your bundle of nerves swirling and sucking.

“God I’ve missed this pussy,” Dave growls, gripping your hips tightly before fucking you with his tongue.

“Fuck,” you moan, back arching off the bed. The fire in your abdomen grows more intense. You reach for one of his hands, linking your fingers with his. His other hand moving, fingers prodding at your entrance.

“Please,” you beg, “Dave, pl- please. More, I- I need m-“, you cry out when his fingers plunge into your cunt. Swiftly curling them inside you as he moves the pads of his fingers back and forth putting delicious pressure against your g-spot.

“That’s it baby,” Dave groans, nipping your inner thigh, “Let me have it.”

Your toes curl feeling the coil in your lower belly tightening, leaning your head up to watch him. He looks as wrecked as you feel as he rapidly flits his tongue against your clit. His brows furrowed in concentration as he worked his mouth and fingers in sync for you to reach your climax, his lips shiny from your arousal. He opens his eyes to see your mouth hung open in a silent scream, brows pinched together as you pant looking into his eyes.

“Dave,” you pant, “Baby, I’m gonna come.”

Your walls clamp down on his fingers as you stare into his dark orbs. White hot heat spreads throughout your body, letting out a soft shriek.

“Flip over,” Dave instructs, moving your pliable limbs so you’re on your stomach. You cry out as he pushes his cock into you sharply.

“Fuck.”

“Shhh,” Dave tuts, “It’s okay baby, you can take it.”

You whine, it feels like he’s splitting you in two, walls gripping his length. He doesn’t give you a moment to adjust before he’s roughly snapping his hips into you.

“Make you mine again,” Dave grunts, “No one else deserves you.”

The pain quickly turns into pleasure as he works his cock in and out. The sound of your squelching pussy filling your ears as strangled noises crawl up your throat.

“God damn baby,” Dave hisses, tilting your hips up as he grinds his hips into you, hitting that spot deep inside only he’s been able to reach.

“Missed this so,” he grunts, slapping your ass, “Fucking,” another slap against your skin, “Much,” another harsh slap before soothing the marks he’s left with his palm.

“Dave,” you let out a choked sob, feeling the pleasure building, thrusting your hips back into him, “Faster.”

“Dirty girl,” Dave hums, gripping your hips again, pounding into your pussy at a frantic pace, “You gonna- oh fuck- come again?”

You can only nod your head weakly, feeling the sizzling pressure in your abdomen start to boil over. Your walls spasming and contracting around his cock. The muscles in your legs tensing before screaming out.

“Oh fuck,” Dave moans, “That’s it baby. Come on my cock. Just like that.”

Dave leans over caging you between his arms, thrusting into your wet heat a half a dozen times before his hips start to lose rhythm and going still, your name tumbling from his lips, letting your walls milk his cock feeling the warmth of his seed paint your walls.

“I really have missed you,” Dave admits slumping against you with a sigh, “So fucking much.”

He kisses your shoulder before pulling out with a hiss. You groan feeling the emptiness before he helps you up, guiding you to the bathroom.

You shower together, taking time to wash each other with delicate touches, and sharing intimate kisses before crawling back into bed with his arms wrapped around you.

You wake sometime in the middle of the night. Dave’s snoring beside you, finding your phone amongst your belongings scattered around the room, you make your way to the bathroom. Looking at Dave sleeping so peacefully from the doorway of the bathroom you can’t help feeling torn. You loved him, still do if you’re being honest with yourself, but this isn’t what you two should be doing.

You find an uber available and schedule to be picked up. Quietly making your way out of the bathroom and grabbing your things when you hear two identical dings. One from your hand and one from Dave’s bag. Slipping your clothes back on you slowly wander over to his things. Rummaging around until you find a phone, similar to yours. Pushing the button on the side you see a notification for an Uber 5 minutes away, looking at your own phone to see it displaying the same.

“What the fuck?” You whisper to yourself, head snapping to look at Dave hoping you didn’t wake him. You look around to find a pen and piece of paper.

—

Dave wakes the next morning with a smile, remembering what happened last night. Sliding his hand to where you should be, feeling the cool sheets under his palm, peeking an eye open to see the empty spot next to him.

He listens closely to his surroundings, hoping to hear the shower but is met only with silence. Frowning as he sits up, scrubbing his hands against his face trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. Looking around the room for any sign of you, taking note of your things being gone.

He sees a folded piece of paper lying on top of something on the dresser. Dave gets up to inspect what it is. His name is on the paper, sitting on top of two phones. Immediately recognizing one as yours and the other the duplicate he had made. His eyes scan the note you left, unable to believe what he was reading.

You’ll never be anything but a lying, cheating, manipulative douchebag. Figure your shit out. Don’t ever reach out to me again.

Dave’s hand curls into a fist as he reads the note over and over again. You left. You really left and this time it’s going to be even harder to find you.

He smirks, shaking his head as he collapses on the edge of the bed. You must not realize how much he loves a challenge.

[rapturously]

Grinding, biting, and a corruption kink with a sweet reader~ some nasty smut for one of the lost boys, your choice of who!

eyes on fire.

pairing. | david x fem!reader.

format. | one-shot — requested.

word count. | 4.5K.

warnings. | smut, biting, bloodplay (he’s a vampire), semi-public, risk of getting caught, little bit of corruption kink, fingering (f!receiving), handjob, breast play, making out, dirty talk, pet names (kitten, sweetheart), possessive/obsessive behavior from david, david reading your mind (reader doesn’t know), david is an asshole but he’s really sexy so it’s okay

author’s note. | remember how I said dwayne was my favorite ??? I lied, it’s actually David & I’m obsessed with him on god ,,, I have a ton of David smut sitting around in the docs that’ll get posted, but for now, have this! I’m in my Lost Boys era so I would love more requests for them (especially horny ones)

“Where are we going?”

Your voice emerged like a soft caress, barely making it to David as he coaxed you through the swarm of people. He was insistent on whisking you away to somewhere else — somewhere with less eyes. It was a labyrinth of rancor and thrill, the boardwalk strung-up with flyers for concerts amongst the many ‘missing persons’ leaflets. He was behind you, in front of you, all around — an inescapable haze.

David hadn’t intended to like you, let alone go as far as to express interest. Though, with the prospect of immortality on the line, it had become too tantalizing for him to simply abandon his fantasies. He hovered beside you, one hand firmly pressing into the small of your back as he carefully guided you throughout the pinstriped booths.

Even with the mass of fairgoers, your smell was the one that rose above it all — floral perfume intermingled with clean linens, perhaps a splash of rose-water. David continued to guide you into this maze, and at the very center, it would only be the two of you. As he came to a cluster of carnival booths lined up along a wall, he saw the gap of darkness behind one of them.

“You’ll see.” David murmured, lips ghosting around the shell of your ear. There was something unusually dark to his voice — something tantalizing and dangerous as his tone dropped to an alluring purr. The more that the both of you made your way into this unseen gap, the less noisy it became, but there were still people on the other side of the canvas.

“David?” Your voice hopped up an octave as your surroundings became darker, only to be illuminated by a few slivers of orange light that drifted through the cracks. It was almost as if he’d disappeared, causing goosebumps to coalesce along the column of your spine. It was eerily quiet, save for some distant music and the constant buzz of patrons close by.

His laughter emerged from the shadows, akin to a predator toying with their prey. He could see you, but you couldn’t see him. That little fluctuation of fear settled into your features, coupled with exhilaration as you fumbled around in an attempt to find him. You looked so perfect, wearing a softer-blue dress that made you appear angelic, compared to his black attire.

Your heart began to sing for him, beating erratically within your chest as you clasped your hands together, having another look around. He was hiding from you, but his laughter sounded so near. “David, come on.” Nervousness crept into your shrewd tone — subtle, but most certainly prevalent. “Where’d you go?”

A thump made you jump, nearly crawling from your own skin. You’d gotten used to his constant teasing, but the suspense of not seeing him became a little overwhelming. He couldn’t have been very far away considering the limited amount of space, but you relented, shifting towards the wall.

At last, hands suddenly grabbed at your hips from behind, tugging you against his musculature as you let out a loud yelp. “David!” You gasped, watching as he rounded you, appearing before you with that wolfish grin. Your back was against the wall as he caged you in, hovering above you. His hand came down to grab your chin between his thumb and forefinger.

“There she is.” He uttered, able to make out that doe-like look you often had. Your pupils were dilated, chest heaving with heavy heartbeats as you calmed down from your healthy dose of fear. David had been toying with you for several days — fortunately for you, he was prepared to end your torment.

“Don’t do that again,” You mumbled, listening to his beguiling laughter as he pressed his stubbled mouth against your shoulder. It was always everywhere but your lips, which had become somewhat infuriating. You’d been itching to kiss him. “Please.”

David enjoyed reading your mind — especially those that involved him. You were particularly upset about the lack of kissing, sexually frustrated, often fantasizing about all of the things he could do to you. He intended on honoring that — he wanted to indulge himself, too.

“Anger doesn’t suit you, sweetheart.” David sneered, and in reality, he felt the opposite. He just enjoyed seeing you get all defensive and haughty in an attempt to make yourself more intimidating. You could never be intimidating to him. You were his pet. Pets were meant to be cute and docile — loyal, above all else.

As footsteps passed by, you became nervous, having a glance around. “David, what if someone catches us back here? Maybe we should go somewhere else.” You protested, but he only pushed you back against the wall with a guttural snarl. That sound terrified you in the best way possible, causing a soft gasp to escape you.

“Are you scared?” He murmured, subtly invoking a challenge. David was testing the waters, seeing if you’d shy away from his intentions. He caressed your lower lip with his thumb, as he’d done so many times before. The way your heart raced was music to his ears.

You shook your head, gaze flickering toward his lips. His mouth was perfect — you wanted to taste him. He was snug against you, body to body, heart to heart, feeling your warmth bleed into him as it rolled from you in waves. David smelled like an amalgamation of cigarettes, cologne, and that familiar coppery twang.

David pressed closer, lips mere breaths away, and you wanted to beg him for a kiss — for anything. His chuckle was sly and deliciously seductive, gaze becoming half-lidded as those crystalline irises drank you in, over and over. “You should be.” He uttered, dragging you in as he pressed his mouth against yours.

Through the dark haze of your surroundings, those little flickers of light pierced through, providing slim illumination. You could still see David, but not nearly as well as you hoped. As one hand squeezed your chin, the other fell to cup the curve of your waist, thumb digging into the fragile flesh there.

Your hands clamored to find their purchase, grasping at the dark, textured sweater underneath his trenchcoat. David suddenly stepped forward with you in-tow, pinning you against the rickety wooden wall. A gasp escaped you in between heated kisses, feeling his teeth nick the supple skin of your lower lip.

He could smell you — that familiar, feminine aroma of arousal as it began to coagulate between your plush thighs. David licked his lips, and for a moment, he reminded himself that you weren’t a vampire. You were still fragile and breakable — if he wasn’t somewhat careful with you, he’d hurt you.

A strangled whimper tore past your parted lips as his gloved palm brazenly groped your breast, gauging your smitten reaction. “Poor, poor girl,” David purred, pressing a string of hot, greedy kisses along your jaw. “No one’s taken care of you, have they?” He murmured, nipping at your jugular.

A squeak of surprise left you as David became a little rougher, but you didn’t know what you should’ve expected. Getting involved with him meant stepping into that gritty, domineering aspect of sex, and you weren’t about to refuse him. You keened into his touch, fingers curling into his sweater.

Leather-clad fingers audaciously jerked at the fabric around your pliant chest, producing a slight tearing sound. A resonant growl rumbled throughout David’s chest as he slipped his palm around your bare breast, teasing and tugging at your nipple until you were mewling — it was fitting, given the nickname he had for you.

David trailed his mouth upward, from neck to your lips, hungrily attaching themselves to yours once more. His kiss was ravenous, passionate — it was as if he were caught in some frenzied state. A soft moan left you as he continued to knead your breast, one hand skirting to rest around your throat.

He squeezed, gloved digits tensing on either side of your slender neck as he applied pressure. There was a sudden flicker of uncertainty in your eyes, a sense of intrigue — you’d never felt something quite like this before. A sharp and sudden sensation rippled throughout your lower lip as teeth sliced flesh.

“Sorry,” David smirked, gaze glistening with sheer lust and desire. “You’ve got such pretty lips.” He uttered, and could smell the singular droplet of blood that bubbled atop the soft flesh of your lower lip. His jaw tensed, and without hesitation, he careened in for another kiss, open-mouthed as he lapped at the blood.

Arousal hit you like a heavy haze, stomach churning with anticipation as a liquid heat pooled between your thighs. Whatever David was doing, no matter how brazen and primal it was, it made you want to melt within his grasp. A moan escaped you, lost between another barrage of heated kisses.

His tongue traced across your lower lip before he not so-gently sought entry into your mouth, letting out a low, rumbling chuckle when you gasped. David could tell that you weren’t used to any of this, but that made it all the more sweeter. He relished in that starstruck look you had, eyes wide and akin to a startled doe.

With a pitiful whine, your throat bobbed beneath his palm, pulse racing at the speed of light. Your fingers began to roam and wander, wanting to feel even a mere inch of his skin. David knew how desperate you were, and normally, he’d want you to work for it — but this was your first, and he was feeling particularly merciful.

Your smell was becoming unbearable — in a good way. David could sense the way your body bent for him, turned malleable within his hands. The pad of his gloved thumb pressed just above your pulse point, listening to that erratic beating of your heart.

“David,” You gasped, letting out a soft moan when he pried his mouth away from yours, peppering a string of greedy, voracious kisses along your collarbone. Your soft, warm fingertips slid underneath his sweater, feeling along the taut plane of his musculature. He was cold, but it wasn’t unpleasant. “David, please.”

Heat coursed throughout your body, a consuming fire, burning bright within the pit of your stomach. Whatever flame of arousal David sparked within you, it demanded to be extinguished. Your cunt clenched pathetically around nothing at all as you felt one of his hands grab at your haunch.

“Please what, kitten?” David murmured, voice dark and salacious, like the lull of a siren. He could smell your desire as it pooled between your thighs. You whimpered when his teeth scraped across your collarbone, snagging a portion of your flesh. Saliva coalesced within his maw as he prepared to bite.

The hand that held your throat flew to your breast again, kneading and groping as he bit down, leaving behind a rather angry bite mark. If you were to look closely enough, the incisors seemed abnormally long — thankfully, you were masked by darkness. Rivulets of crimson trickled toward your heaving chest.

David snarled, hastily licking and kissing his way around your breasts, lapping at whatever blood trickled onto his tongue. You tasted divine — akin to the forbidden fruit. The yelp and moan that escaped you rolled into one pleasurable sound. It stung for a moment, but David was swift to kiss the pain away.

“O—Oh,” Shock fluttered across your face when you noticed David brazenly lapping at the inklings of blood. It was strange, initially — but when he lifted his head, lips stained with a light crimson, his cerulean irises were now a vibrant, burnished gold. “Your eyes.” You thought you were going crazy.

Another delicious laugh escaped him, and he quickly licked his lips as if he’d had the most delectable meal. “Just the light, sweetheart.” He murmured, and angled himself in a different direction, conveniently into the sliver of orange that trickled through the canvas. They were blue again — icy and penetrating.

Maybe you were going crazy.

“Lift your dress up.”

David’s voice was an alluring command — he wasn’t asking. His countenance was wrought with lust, gaze burning a hole right through you as he hastily scanned your thoughts. They were tantalizing and rather amusing — just a jumbled maze, thinking about him, predominantly. That familiar smirk had diminished, making the moment more intense.

You swallowed the lump within your throat, breath hitching as your hands fumbled toward the hem of your ruffled dress. Your pace was completely and utterly sluggish, as if you were moving at the speed of a snail, which amused David. He was staring at you again — you were a feast for the eyes.

“Don’t make me wait.” David uttered, nudging his knee in between your legs, forcing them to part as he rucked up your dress for you. Goosebumps erupted across your flesh, crawling over the column of your spine as he tilted inward, pressing his lips against yours. “Hm.”

A breathy whine escaped you as he dragged his hand along your stomach, lifting one hand towards his mouth. Pearlescent teeth sank into the leather as he removed one glove, flesh ice-cold as he teased the waistband of your panties. “David,” You shuddered, both excited and scared of getting caught. “Please.” You panted.

David chuckled next to your ear, forcing you to look at him with his other hand. Leather-clad digits swept across your chin. “Is this what you wanted?” He purred, lips pressing against the corner of his mouth. “Use your words, kitten.” He murmured, reveling in your mesmerized expression.

“Yes, I—I want you to touch me,” Your voice was desperate, high-pitched with a needy whine as you stared at David, whose lips curled into a salacious grin. “Please, David. I want you.” A soft whine left you as he dipped his fingers underneath the thin cotton fabric.

Desire rippled through you just as it did through him, hot and heavy as it burned between you both. “I like your manners.” He whispered into your ear, playfully biting at the sensitive shell. With that, his hand deftly traveled to that aching warmth between your legs, icy digits tracing across your slit.

Your body reacted violently, hips jolting into the sensation of his hand. You fumbled to hold onto him, fingers clamoring to grasp his chest and bicep. Those dexterous digits slipped against your cunt, savoring the heat that oozed from it. You were soaked — it was almost embarrassing how aroused you were.

David chuckled, withdrawing his fingers, much to your dismay. They glistened with your slick, and you nearly collapsed into a pile of nothingness as he placed them into his mouth, lewdly savoring your taste. “Hm,” He sneered, eyes alight with an intensity. “Is that all for me?”

“Y—Yes,” You nodded several times over, licking your lower lip. A coppery twang was still present, fainter than before. “Yes.” You said it again, watching the way he grinned like a sharp-toothed predator. You waited with bated breath as his hand went right back into your panties, thumb grinding against your clit.

He stopped toying with you so much, fingers finding a rather voracious rhythm as they slid along your cunt, thumb drawing circles around your clit. You were so sensitive, like a live wire — virgins always were. David kissed you again, tongue dragging across your lower lip as he let you lean against him.

“You’re mine,” David uttered, digits drifting toward your slick entrance. The unfamiliar sensation left you gasping, sputtering for more as he began to sink two fingers inside of you, sluggishly working you open. He chuckled when you moaned, kissing along your jugular with a frenzy. “Say it.” He growled.

A shiver of delight rolled through your spine, coupled with that continuous oozing of warmth that pooled between your legs. David began to pump two fingers in and out of your needy cunt, thumb continuing to work wonders against your clit. The sounds you made were incredible — especially those little whimpers of yours.

“M’yours,” You slurred, idly rolling your hips with those rhythmic strokes of his hand. The shrill screaming of fairgoers still echoed around you, and a ruffling of the canvas backing of a tent nearly made you squeak. David squeezed your chin, demanding that you look at him as he finger-fucked you into submission. “Yours, David.” You groaned, wanting to pull his platinum-blonde locks.

David chuckled at how quickly you said it — your body responded to his touch as if you were made for him. Your heavy scent invaded his senses, making his maw pool with saliva. He nearly considered taking another bite from you in the midst of all this, but he knew better than to get greedy. He didn’t want to kill you so soon. “Good girl.” He uttered, watching as you keened into his hand.

His fingers were divine — David had a way of subduing you through it, drawing out the most intimate parts of you. Those pale cerulean hues remained fixated upon you, lips curled into a slight sneer as he attempted to squeeze a third digit inside of you. You were tight — cunt snug around his fingers as he pistoned in and out, glistening with a sheen of your juices.

That knot of liquid heat inside of your stomach began to unravel, bringing with it a white-hot pleasure that made your knees shake. David let you lean against him, wanting to keep you aloft as he licked at your lower lip again, gathering a singular pearl of crimson that beaded from your tender flesh. “David!” You whined, chasing after that sensation.

Your cunt throbbed with excitable pangs, and you nearly cried out again when David’s thumb flicked over your clit, drawing vigorous circles around the bundle of nerves. He could tell that you were getting close — the scent was enough to drive him into a frenzy.

Heat crawled across your flesh, which felt borderline feverish as David let you ride his hand, dress rucked up around your hips. The pace in which he fucked you with his fingers was rhythmic and passionate — he wasn’t about to leave you with nothing at all. He laughed again when your hips bucked forward, clawing at his chest as you clung to him.

“Getting a little greedy, aren’t we?” David purred, noticing that glazed, lustful look in your eyes as you reached your pinnacle. Your orgasm was akin to being bathed in a pleasurable fire, everything felt good. A buzz formed within your stomach as you came, chest rising and falling with quick pants. “Hm.” One whiff of you, and David had to restrain himself.

He withdrew his fingers from you, and again, treated you to a most sinful sight as he sucked on his middle digits, face screwed into one of amusement. You looked blissed-out, lips parting as he careened forward. “That was …” You couldn’t properly describe the way he made you feel.

“Thank me for it,” David mused, trapping your chin within his gloved hand. “I’ve got something else for you, kitten.” His voice became deliciously husky as he offered you one of his fingers. You swallowed the lump within your throat, heart beating erratically as you slowly opened your mouth. “Good.” He crooned.

Embarrassment rippled through you as you gently sucked on his index finger, able to taste yourself — though, you assumed that was what David wanted. Judging from the burning stare he was giving you, he was enjoying himself. A soft whimper left you when he pressed on your tongue, and you listened to that familiar, wolfish chuckle of his.

When he made you stop with a simple squeeze of your jaw, you whimpered, flesh feeling so incredibly warm. “Thank you.” Admittedly, David had done more than you thought he would, all things considered. Though, you felt as if you needed to return the favor. “Would you want me to touch you, too?” You asked, keeping your voice hushed.

David grinned, sliding the leather glove back over his hand as he flexed it once or twice. “Would I want you to?” He asked incredulously, prepared to tease you. Instead, he found himself enticed by your innocence and demure demeanor. “What do you think, sweetheart?” His voice dropped into another low growl.

“Yes?” You asked, and David simply gestured toward his belt with a flicker of those cerulean hues, wanting to see what you’d do. You hadn’t done something like this before, but you wanted to please David more than anything else. With hesitant hands, you gently grappled the studded, black belt he wore, quietly unfastening it. You wondered if he’d instruct you further.

“Do I need to talk you through it?” David sneered, head cocked to one side as he playfully grazed his sharp teeth across your jaw. You shuddered, digits stuttering as you moved to unbutton the front of those black, ragged leather pants. You were afraid of disappointing him and making a fool of yourself.

You very nearly said yes, stomach churning with anticipation as he began to plant hungry kisses along your neck. Teeth nicked your flesh, and you could feel his predatory grin against your jugular. You were visibly flustered as you handled him as if he would break, which David found amusement in.

Freeing his cock from the confines of snug, tattered leather, you stopped, gaze fluttering toward his pale features as he let out another harsh bark of sly laughter. “Don’t be shy.” David purred, encouraging you in his own way. He had no intention of ridiculing you for your inexperience — in fact, it enticed him more than anything else.

With a soft exhale, you began to drag your soft palm across the base of his cock, stroking up toward the head in a series of sluggish, experimental motions. You watched David’s face, noticed the way his smugness was curbed just a little bit. You kept quiet, continuing to pump your hand along his length.

A series of grunts escaped him, and he became unusually devoid of words. The noises he made were tantalizing, causing you to shiver as you continued to touch him, caressing your thumb across the head of his cock. He trapped your lower lip between his teeth, giving you another hot, open-mouthed kiss.

Your ministrations became invigorated, sharp and swift as you found a heavier rhythm. David growled, grinding against your bare thigh, with your dress still pooled around your hips. With one hand, you reached for his platinum tresses, tracing your fingers through as you grabbed a fistful.

David’s wicked chuckle made you bristle, lips melding with yours in a greedy, consuming kiss. You relinquished control to your pale-headed paramour, continuing to stroke his cock with eager thrusts of your hand. He knew that he wouldn’t get off to just your hand — it was too early to put you on your knees, but the thought had crossed his mind.

His stubbled, scruffy visage scratched against your face, and the sensation was unusually pleasant. Your hand never slowed, hoping that you were pleasing him in a valiant attempt to reciprocate. You felt his cock twitch within your hand as a pearl of precum beaded from the tip, prompting you to swipe at it with your thumb.

“Good girl,” David uttered, knowing that if you continued, he’d likely lose all of his self-restraint. You enjoyed touching him, reluctantly removing your hand from his cock. You stopped, but he was staring at you expectantly. “The work isn’t completely finished.” He mused, noticing the lick of heat that saturated your skin.

With a soft ‘oh’, you made sure to fix him up, straightening his clothes and buckling his belt again. He was still painfully hard as he grinded into your thigh, pressing a sultry kiss against your jaw. David flicked the strap of your dress back over your shoulder, and happened to scan your mind.

For such an innocent creature, your thoughts were everything but — the idea of corrupting you was delicious. It was filth and sin all intertwined together, and you wanted so much more. David was prepared to provide, but he wanted to let it simmer again. It was best if he hunted and regained his own composure before attempting to corrupt you and suck the sweetness right out of your marrow.

As he squeezed your chin, David leaned off of you, steering you away from the darkness and toward the gap of light up ahead. “I have somewhere very special to show you next time.” He fully intended on taking you to the cave — he’d claim you, then.

“Where is it?” Your voice was indicative of excitement as he lingered around the fringes of the gap you’d gone in to begin with. You didn’t want to put any label on this — you weren’t certain if this was a date. At any rate, you thoroughly enjoyed whatever this was — the heat, the tension that flew between you.

“You’ll see,” David purred, pausing within the gap that led back out to the boardwalk. “It’ll be a pleasant surprise.” He assured you, stopping to trail his fingers across your cheek. Those pale, icy hues studied you for a moment, drinking in the sight of your humanity, your fragility — beating heart and saccharine blood pumping within your veins, the warmth radiating from you.

Immortality would suit you, but he’d certainly miss your many mortal qualities. Perhaps, he’d keep you like this for a while, his sweet little human. David often shared with his brothers, but you were something he coveted, longed to keep just for himself. Like so many times before, he traced his gloved thumb across your lower lip.

You wanted to kiss him again, just one more time before you’d have to leave and go home. “Thank you for tonight, David.” You whispered, hands gently curling into the woolen plane of his sweater. David’s smirk made you shiver as he cupped your jaw, eyes flickering toward your now-healing lip.

Enraptured, David decided to let you come to him, watching as you stretched up to reach his mouth. Your lips melded with his, and he took it a step further, shamelessly deepening the kiss as he held you close. A low growl reverberated throughout his chest, causing you to shiver as he pinched your chin.

“I’ll see you soon, kitten.” He smirked, sly laughter rippling through him as he stepped away, strolling into the crowd that hadn’t an inkling of what the two of you were doing in the darkness.

As you watched David walk away, your head swam with him — his voice, the sound of his devilish laughter, those piercing eyes — but you couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something else. Even after he disappeared completely, assimilating into the masses, all you could think about was a pair of golden eyes.

[siolixz]

~Veils Of Crimson~

Chapter 5: part 2

<chapter 1> <chapter 2> <chapter 3><chapter 5: part 1>

The truth is here and so is the ending of the story. I'm glad to be over with it and maybe start another project like a one-shot or something. It was so much fun to write it and if you read all of it- you have my deepest thanks and gratitude. This story takes a darker turn and you can decide to just ignore that it exists if that's not your cup of tea.

This is a work of fiction and all the characters are 18+.

I took my inspo from Driving Miss Falcone by (https://www.tumblr.com/genevievedarcygranger here on tumblr), check out the story if you can.

Enjoy, give feeback if u want ily xoxo.

Warnings: mature language, violence towards the reader, angst, smut (a bit of non-consenual too- so just be aware of that)

Your driver was still your husband's employee, so his loyalty remained with his boss- if you wanted to leave, you had to do it when Oswald wasn’t at home. But today, luck was on your side. 

Oz left promptly at noon, buried in business you hoped would keep him occupied for hours and you slipped out, a quiet rebellion that had your heart pounding in your chest.

The one thing that irked Oz the most was when he didn’t know where you were or how long you would be staying, he only allowed you to visit certain places at certain times and you usually had a bodyguard with you or two but this time you had none, just you and your driver.

If everything goes according to plan, you would be back before he knew it.

As you sat down in front of the glass window separating you and your sister, you anxiously turned the letter in your hands. What were you even going to say to her?

Sofia looked so different, her eyes were empty and her voice was almost a whisper.

“Why are you here?” she asked, her tone devoid of emotion.

“Sofia, I—” Your voice wavered as the nerves coiled tighter around your throat. “I received a letter.” You held up the envelope, fingers trembling. “It’s from a woman named Selina Kyle. She says she’s our half-sister. She could help us. Help me get you out of here.”

A moment passed in suffocating silence as she stared at you- studying your face.

“I got one too,” she said finally.

Relief surged through you, a wave so strong you nearly sighed out loud. But Sofia’s expression remained stone-cold. The relief curdled into confusion.

“I’m so glad, Sofia. I—”

“How do you sleep next to him?” she interrupted, her voice sharpening like a knife. “Knowing what he did? To me. To Alberto.”

Your breath caught. “Excuse me?”

Sofia’s eyes narrowed, the hollowness flickering into something darker. She leaned closer, the harsh overhead lights casting shadows across her face.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know?” she squinted her eyes at you. You took a deep breath- your heart was beating out of your chest- what the hell was she talking about?

“He killed him. He killed Alberto and stuffed his body in the back of a car.. like a piece of trash; he lied and manipulated us. Just so he can play king.” 

“No,” you whispered, but it came out weaker than you intended, sounding more like a plea than a denial. You shook your head- no. No. No, this can’t be. 

“You’re lying-”

“Why would I lie? I don’t have anything to lose now.” 

“What?” you were too shocked to say anything more- ask more questions

“He got what he wanted in the end. He’s got the girl and the power.” her voice was sharp- judging you “You ate right out of his hand. He spun his web of lies and you listened.” She gave a deep breath. 

You placed your elbows on the table, hands on your mouth- God, you wanted to throw up right now.

“You know—” she started, her tone taking on an almost mocking edge. “I visited his friend, Eve. She was his alibi—she told me all about him.”

You closed your eyes, trying to get yourself away from this place mentally 

“He would make her dress up like you. Y’know that?” Sofia’s voice broke, the brief flash of amusement mingling with pain. “Make her walk and talk like you—then he’d fuck her.”

“Wha-” 

“From your dresses to your purses- she had almost exact replicas. Sick fuck.”  She shook her head in denial. 

Your phone dinged in your purse but you were too caught up in what she was saying to pay attention to it. 

It must’ve been hours- Hours, since you arrived though it felt like seconds. This was the longest conversation you’d had with your sister in what felt like a lifetime, and it peeled back every lie you had clung to. 

The guards, bribed into silence, loomed in your periphery, but they were irrelevant now.

Sofia recounted everything—how Oz orchestrated the club, the arrest, every meticulously planned step. He’d severed your contact with her, veiled you in a life built on manipulation, and ensured you were too blinded by his charm to see the truth.

You felt the anxiety wash away and be replaced with something stronger, anger.

Anger at him and what a monster he was. Anger like you’d never known gripped your chest, tightening until you could barely breathe. Anger at yourself for believing him.

How could you?

As you said your goodbyes, you made sure to swear on your life you were going to get her out of there. 

You left in a hurry and as you checked your phone in the car you finally bursted out crying. He called you- multiple times but you were in no mood to talk. You knew you were going to get berated back home but that was pushed to the back of your head. You had to think- you replayed all your past memories with him in your head.

Oz called your driver too- who told him he was with you. You tuned out most of the conversation after declining to speak to him in the car. 

The ride home was a blur- you didn’t wait for the driver to open the door for you so you jumped out of the car and got in the elevator as soon as you could. 

As you climbed up the levels and it finally dinged you heard a voice that made your body feel filled with- fear?

“Fuck have you been?” he yelled.

The anger almost toppled you over as you saw him.

No, this isn’t wise you thought. If you were to tell him what you know now, it would probably end badly for you. He probably drank something as he came home and he was capable of anything. 

“I- I-” you started, averting his gaze. You weren’t that good at lying, especially not in moments like this “I visited my brother and dad.” you whispered and tried to walk by him.

He grabbed your arm and forcefully pulled your face up towards his. 

“Don’t fucking lie to me” his breath- laced with whiskey and tobacco was hot in your face “Where were you?”

The anger started bubbling up inside of you. You knew the house staff could hear you two and the Gazette would go mad with gossip if they heard of this confrontation.

“Lower your voice” you whispered back in his face

“Don’t tell me how to speak in my own fucking house!” His voice was a shout now, ricocheting off the walls. If he wanted a scene, you would give him one.

You studied his face, from the big scar on it to his furrowed eyebrows and almost black eyes in this light. 

“I went to Arkham- to speak to Sofia.” your words were precise. A glimmer of something went through your husband's eyes- was it uncertainty? 

His eyes narrowed as his voice got deeper and quieter.

“You listened to her lies- she ain’t right in the head.” He was lying.

“She told me I have the devil in my house and I believe her. You lied to me Oswald- you manipulated me and you have me right where you want me.” You looked up at him- staring in his eyes. You were afraid, yes- but you were also very angry.

His eyes darkened, the mask slipping. You saw the raw, dangerous man beneath- your husband was not the kind of man to be crossed. But you pushed on, refusing to cower.

“Watch your words-”

“Or what are you going to do Oswald?!” you screamed at him- your eyes stung with the memory of your brother and sister and of you.

How gullible you were.

No more.

You heard the sound of footsteps as one of your maids scurried off.

“Are you going to kill me?” you whispered.

His eyes grew wider, nostrils flaring and but you continued.

“Like you killed my brother?” you whispered to him. “Like you killed Vi-Victor too probably?”

The impact of the slap almost sent you toppling over if he didn’t have a close grip on you and you gasped as his heavy hand made impact with your cheek.

You blinked- trying to stop your world from spinning.

You looked at him again and he looked like a complete fucking monster. That’s who he was. A monster.

“Fuck you.” you told him. God your cheek was stinging, you felt tears in your eyes but you didn’t let them fall. 

“Everything I do, everything I did, was for you—for us!” He tightened his grip on your arm, gesturing wildly around the room. “All of this!”

“You don’t have power over me anymore- I’m not that little girl you used to lie to-”

Wrenching free from his grasp, you stumbled into the living room, heart pounding as you sought refuge in one of the spare rooms. The sting of his slap lingered on your cheek, you let your tears stream down your face hot with fury and shame.

You had to leave him.

Screw all these expensive clothes and this fucking life- you don’t want it. Not anymore. Not if it was alongside a man that did that.

He was worse than Maroni or Carmine- he didn’t feel anything as he lied to you. Did he feel love for you? Was it real? Or was it all a game he played? To have you all to himself because of his sick obsession.

You got him in all those high circles, your friends remained the same. All now women who married into power- you got them to talk to their husbands.

To meet you two at your gorgeous penthouse ‘to do business’- you helped him. Bastard. You hated him. You will get Sofia out and you will leave him. You have to.

In the back of your mind you knew it was impossible, but you had to try.

Late that night, dressed in your pajamas, while standing near the bed. The door creaked open, and your heart raced, dread pooling in your stomach.

You didn’t need to look to know it was him. 

The way he shut the door and took a deep breath told you everything- his presence filled the room.

He was dressed in the same black suit he had downstairs but his jacket was gone and his top buttons undone. Oz’s cologne filled any room he was in and you wanted to throw up just smelling it.

He stared at you, eyes unreadable, as though you were the one who had wronged him.

He said your name but you ignored him, the pain of everything almost hitting you again and you tried not to cry.

Your head was hurting from all the crying. 

He called out your name again and you ignored him, the tears were coming back and you hated it- hated to make him see you cry. 

He came closer to you, grabbed you from behind- wrapping his arms around you and shushing you.

You tried to break free from his grip, but he only pressed you harder against him. Wrapping his arms against you to the point of it being uncomfortable- his fingers dug into your skin.

“Let- let me go.” you cried

“I love you.” he whispered in your hair “I love you.” as you struggled against him again.

You cried against his chest- you wanted to hit him, slap him across his dumb face just like he did you- you wanted him to feel lost and sad as you felt.

“You can’t leave me” he whispered “i won’t let you” 

Your sobs were louder now, how could you have been so naive. You actually thought you could leave him- that you could get Sofia out of Arkham; you were a fool. 

He grabbed hold of your face with his big hand, squeezing your cheeks together and bringing them closer to his face in a painful hold. 

He kissed you, pressing his lips together and it felt like an eternity before he let you breathe.

God you wanted to bury your head in the ground with shame.

He kissed you again; harder this time and you felt him groan in your mouth. Fighting against him was useless; he was three times your size and much- much stronger.

You felt him press himself against your ass- was he? Was he hard? 

“I hate you.” you said as he let your lips go. He smiled and you saw his gold teeth. You hated him.

Sick man was getting turned on by you saying you hated him.

“There’s nothing you can do about it.” he leaned down to be at your level- stare you in the eyes as he told you that.

You narrowed your eyes at him in disgust. He was like a giddy schoolboy- knowing you were hopeless. 

“You’re sick-”

As he turned you around to face him he grabbed both of your ass cheeks in his hands.

You pressed your palms against his chest- trying to push him off.

 He chuckled as he pressed your bodies together and tried to kiss you again but you looked to the side.

You didn’t want this- you pressed again- harder this time against his broad chest until you had some distance between you two.

“No Oswald- No.” you pleaded.

You weren’t in the mood for him right now- especially right now.

He grabbed the hem of your pants and pulled them down in one swift motion. 

“Oswald!” you repeated, louder this time. You looked at his pants and his boner- this fucking bastard. 

He pushed you down the bed and you tried to sit up, really you did. 

He got on the bed and removed your pants fully. You started to go back on the bed and he only leaned down on you- palming your pussy with his hand. 

The fucking cheek on him- to try to fuck you after he slapped you and you said no. Fuck him. 

You brought your hand up- before you could think about it. Before you could think about what you were doing or the consequences of your action. 

His face barely moved when you slapped him and you shocked yourself in your boldness. 

He grabbed your throat and pushed you down the bed. Your anger came back- harder this time. 

“I hate you.” He only smiled at you. 

Your body didn’t move on the bed as he pulled your legs up on either side of you. “Stay” you weren’t sure if you felt this much embarrassment in your whole life. 

“You were always such a fucking brat” he pulled his suspenders off of him 

“I fucking hate you.” you muttered as you put your legs on his chest- pushing yourself out from beneath him.

He grabbed them and forcefully spread them to the point of pain “You’re hurting me!” you yelled out- truth is, the pain wasn’t that great and it certainly wasn’t the only time he got you in this position- you wanted to embarrass him, yell as loud as you could “Get off of me!”

 Either way no one was coming to save you.

“Shhh.” he readjusted himself between your legs as he unzipped his pants

“Always giving me orders- like I was your dog.” he shook his head as he relieved the memories. Were you always giving him orders? Well that was his fucking job!

“You were my fucking dog.” you spat at him and saw his brows furrow again- rage flashed across his eyes and you thought he was going to hit you again- let him try you said.

Your hand was itching too.

“So fucking ungrateful” he ripped open your blouse sending the buttons flying everywhere

“You would come home and drag me around with you everywhere-”

“Yeah? I dragged you around?” you asked as he pulled his cock out and palmed himself- you almost laughed before you said

“Don’t fucking kid yourself Oz- I know about your whore and I know you made her dress up as me. You fucking creep” you giggled, maybe in desperation to feel something else; anything but fear- maybe because you thought it was actually funny, you couldn’t say.

Your heart was beating out of your chest and your stomach was in knots at your predicament right now.

This really- really wasn’t the moment to laugh at him, but you just couldn’t help yourself ! 

Always so nice, always so devoted because he wanted you to be his girl- he asked about you, countless times- when he saw you his eyes went all over your body. Did he get hard then too? Did he get hard in the car as he drove you around- trying to sneak glances under your skirt? Oz was like a dog, devoted to you. Obsessed. 

He smiled back at you- the mask came off and now there were no more lies between you two.

He didn’t even try to hide the fact that he DID make her dress up as you.

In this moment of absolute terror- where you should be afraid of him, you both laughed. He grabbed on of your legs with his free hand- making sure you weren’t about to escape again.

Oz was laughing like a kid that was just found with his hands in the cookie jar and you more at the absurdity of the situation. What has your life come to?

“He saw the way you looked at me- like a prize to be won.” you sneered at him

“-Really?” his eyes widened- like he just found this out. Shocking. 

 “Bet you fucked your hand to the thought of me beneath you whenever my dad or brother yelled at you.” He pressed himself on top of you- his hand almost touching your body as he rubbed himself. 

“You’re sick- fucking disgusting. Forcing yourself on top of me- did you fantasize about this too? I hate you-

“Oh baby- the way I’m about to fuck yo-” 

“Fuck off” He chuckled as he saw you struggle. You tried to pry yourself off from under him- to no avail. But you tried; his much larger body was holding you down and the more you struggled the more he pressed himself into you.

Now it was actually becoming painful. 

He placed a pillow under your ass and grabbed both of your arms and pressed them against your chest as he positioned himself- having finally had enough and as he entered you- you almost let out a yelp of pain. 

The size of him was uncomfortable and this position only made you take him deeper- you felt your eyes get teary.

“You gonna cry, sweetheart ? Lemme see them.” He sounded like he was talking to a toddler- No. He will not see them- think about something else besides the feeling of having him shove himself inside you like you were a prostitute. 

“You’re always goi-going to be just a driver-” you muttered loud enough for him to hear 

He grabbed one of your legs from besides him- throwing it on his shoulder as he fucked you. Now you really were in pain. You removed your hand out of his grasp and slapped him again. 

“Ooo- take it easy sweetheart.” he grabbed it again and you knew he wanted to hit you too- his eyes changed

“You’re so beautiful.” He smirked before it was replaced with another expression of pleasure as he fucked you. This man- this beast, he looked like a bear on top of you. You hated him and you hated how wet you were getting- you knew he felt it too.

“I wanted you for so long” he grabbed your thigh as he held your leg on top of his body. “Fuck the real you…you’re so wet and tight doll” 

“EAT SHIT Oswald.” 

He lowered himself on you and it felt like he split you in two; combined with the weight of a 250 pound man too busy with burying himself balls deep time and time again to not press himself too hard down on top was also your poor leg up on his shoulder. 

His breath was on your face as he stared into your eyes. “You’re hurting me- you’re too heavy” you exhaled- trying to catch your breath -your voice was breaking and now you were sure you were about to cry again.

He kissed your forehead and pressed his cheek against yours.  From this position- he could easily brush against your g-spot time and time again.

You felt a familiar sensation built in your lower stomach- threatening to wash over you. No. Not like this. 

He placed his hand under your head, holding you in place- his pace became rhythmic and you began to actually moan- like really hard this time.

"You gonna cum baby? You’re gonna cum on your driver’s cock?”he chuckled mocking you- he always won in the end. You could barely talk- your chest was in pain, but it felt so good.

“S-stop…please.” You didn’t want him to stop. Your leg was almost shaking from its place near his head.

Oz kissed your neck- near your ear, softly nibbling on it. Your moans right near his ear only encouraged him to keep going, keeping the same pace and wanting you to come undone.

He looked at you again as you squeezed your free leg near his body- he knew you too well, knew you were close.

Always ever observant. 

You closed your eyes as you came- not wanting to give him the satisfaction of watching you like this. You felt yourself grip his cock time and time again until you felt spent. You stomach was aching.

You stopped feeling the pain- there was only tiredness and the same headache as before. He removed himself from on top of you and you could finally breathe.

God you were sweaty. 

He unbuttoned his shirt all the way before he manhandled you on your hands and knees.

You were too tired to fight- partly because of your orgasm and partly because you knew, you knew you had no chance against him. 

He placed another pillow beneath you- raise you up to his level so it won’t be too uncomfortable for him.

He was breathing so heavy- god this place all smells like him; a mix of cologne and tobacco. 

He brought your shirt up towards your neck- to see your back and ass better as it arched on his bed. You almost closed your eyes- maybe you could- 

The sting of the smack across your ass made you yell

“Ow!-” he smacked you again harder this time- on the other cheek. You wanted to look back at him, curse him again- but you won’t give him the satisfaction. You bundled up the comforter beneath your face- hiding your cries of pain in it. 

“I should’ve done this a long time ago-” He grabbed hold of your ass as he spread you apart- you heard him spit before he entered you again- you moaned in the comforter. 

The familiar feeling of having his penis inside you was very welcomed by your body- unfortunately. 

He gripped your waist as he fucked you, probably checking how you took him in the meantime too.

The sound that your bodies made as they colided was incredibly shameful, you felt your cheeks burn.

A few minutes ago you were cursing him out and slapping him now you were fucked like a bitch. How shameful.

“You fucking brat-” he sneered from on top of you and slapped you across your ass again “I should’ve bended you over back then too.” 

He heard your muffled “Fuck you” in the comforter set and pulled your hair back 

“Fuck did you say?” he switched the hands he was holding your hair with- conveniently smacking you again over the other ass cheek

“Look at me.” he let go of your hair and you pressed your face down again- cheek on the bed and closed your eyes. 

“Look at me I said!” 

You moved your head and looked forward again. 

“You little shit- I'm gonna take the belt and give you a real beating if you don’t- “ 

Alright, you looked at him.

Only the thought of getting your ass smacked with one of those heavy leather belts accompanied with gold buckles sent a very unpleasant shiver down your spine- you knew he wasn’t kidding either.

“There you go-” he gave you a smile- those gold teeth glinting at you

“You look so sweet- with those gorgeous eyes of yours.” His grip on your hips was becoming very forceful and his strokes erratic

“Tell me.” His mouth opened in pleasure- pleasure in anticipation of what you were going to say

“Say it.”

This was so embarrassing- you hated having to look him in the eyes and tell him this. This monster enjoyed you so much- enjoyed your pain and embarrassment. 

“SAY IT.” He bellowed out “Tell me.” You knew what he was referring to.

“I love you.” you were so exhausted- your legs and back were hurting from the position he had you in and your stomach was hurting even more from the way he pressed himself inside.

He started to fuck you even harder- the death grip on your waist almost made you cry out in pain.

He groaned as he came and pushed your smaller frame down even harder on the bed. 

Oz groaned as he removed himself from you and you could finally stretch out your poor legs- the relief you got was immeasurable.

You almost forgot what you were talking about before. 

He sat on the bed- breathing heavily. You sat up and got in his face again.

“I hate you-”

“It’s gonna pass-”

“Fuck you” you went to the bathroom.

Your legs felt like jello and you could barely walk but you didn’t let him see that.

He thinks he can take everything from you and win- you’ll show him. You will. 

He couldn’t know about Selina or Sofia. You had to wait- like he did. Wait until it was the right moment and then press on. 

He went to the bathroom too- to start the shower. 

“Got a fuckin’ headache because of you.” He looked at his cheek in the mirror and started to undress himself. “You better stay put from now on.” 

You stared at him. Your brother didn’t die for nothing, your sister wasn’t in the looney bin for nothing- you had to do something. 

You'll show him.

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

Author's note: From the moment I saw what sort of shit he did in the finale I knew it was going to end this way.

Thank you so much for reading. Have a great day.

[vir-tanadahl]

The Burden of the Dread Wolf

Summary: Solavellan ending told from Solas' POV. Obviously, Veilguard spoilers.

Solas—no, the Dread Wolf—stands battered and broken, bruises blooming like shadows on his skin, a dull ache thrumming through him with every breath. After all these years, he’s so tired. How could these last ten years weigh on him more than a millennium of existence? He, the Dread Wolf, has sacrificed so much to come this far. To claw back the power stolen from his people. To avenge the death of Mythal.

The regrets have always clawed at him. He regrets leaving the Fade. He regrets not stopping Mythal from becoming a god, from following the path that led her to death. Most of all, he regrets… not saving her. She called to him, once, asking for his aid. And he came, heart open, reverent. His love for her was beyond romance, something ancient and deep, an adoration etched into his very being. Her death was the final twist of the knife that cleaved wisdom from pride.

He regrets claiming her power, believing he could mend a shattered world, erase the pain he himself had wrought. He regrets the blood he spilled, even Mythal’s vessel, to seize the strength he thought he needed. He regrets the death of Varric, another thread severed in his relentless pursuit. And he regrets not staying by his vhenan’s side—his heart, the Inquisitor. His light.

He regrets his betrayal of Felassan. Of Rook.

Yet here he stands, the Dread Wolf, carrying the weight of those choices, haunted by the choices he has made.

"Please, Rook. I don't want to fight you." His voice trembles, a rare crack in his guarded tone, pleading and raw. There's no deception in his words this time, no clever twist or hidden intent.

Rook tries desperately to reach him, her words filled with a pleading urgency. Rook tries to reason with him, pleading with him to see the pain caused by Elgar’nan and Ghilian’nain. She tries to pull him back, to make him understand the cost of his path.

But Rook doesn’t realize he carries a burden heavier than just their sins. He believes he broke the world—because he is the one who broke it—and only he can restore it. Unbreak it. He feels that duty, thrumming in his very bones. He has to make it right. He will make it right.

Yet, he can’t see what lies just beyond his reach. His wisdom, once clear and guiding, has been twisted into something darker. Pride whispers that he can undo this mistake, that he alone can reshape what was lost. But true wisdom would show him beauty even in the scars of his unintended creation. The Dread Wolf has been trapped in his own prison of regrets long before he was accidentally trapped in the prison he created for the Gods.

“Destroying everything won’t fix your mistakes,” Rook says firmly, her gaze steady as she extends his lyrium dagger toward him. “If you want to save this world, bind yourself to the very thing you’re trying to erase.” Her voice is low but resolute, her outstretched hand unwavering. Another regret, he thinks, already settling like a weight in his chest.

The Dread Wolf takes a deep breath, turning slowly toward the place where the ritual will begin. His head falls forward, and he closes his eyes. “I… I cannot.” His voice is strained, heavy with exhaustion. “To stop now would dishonor everyone I’ve wronged to get here.” The terrible things he’s done, the lives he’s destroyed—they press down on him like shadows, demanding he see this through. If he stops now, what meaning would all that suffering hold?

“Even if…” Her voice, barely a whisper, cuts through his thoughts, and he turns, feeling his heart twist at the sound. “Even if those you’ve wronged asked you to stop?”

He knows that voice. His breath catches sharply, a tremor of recognition running through him as he meets her gaze. The dagger slips lower in his hand, almost forgotten, as he turns further to face her, his mouth parted in stunned silence. “Vhenan…” Solas breathes, the word heavy with disbelief. His voice wavers, pride crumbling as the guarded walls around his heart begin to fall, leaving him raw and exposed in her presence. His chest tightens, a tremor passing through him as he struggles to comprehend the impossible—she is here, standing before him

She is the woman he never meant to love but couldn’t help himself. The one who helped him see worth in this world he’d crafted out of his own wounded heart. She saw him—truly saw him—for who he was, asking questions that peeled back the layers he’d hidden behind for centuries, curious and kind.

“You think you’re beyond saving, but you’re wrong.” Her voice is soft, coaxing, her words weaving into his mind like a lifeline. “I’m here, walking the dinan’shiral with you.”

Pain and confusion cloud his gaze, and Solas bows his head, his voice rough. “I lied to you. I betrayed you.” Shame ripples through him, and he dares not meet her eyes.

She steps closer, her voice unwavering. “I forgive you. All you have to do… is stop.” He turns fully to her, his expression strained, the weight of regret etched across his face. “Ir abelas, vhenan,” he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper as he lowers his head again. “But… I cannot.”

Solas turns back toward the ritual site, his shoulders slumped. “Long before I met you, I failed my oldest friend. She died because of that failure. If I leave the Veil in place, I am destroying the world she wanted. And I will have…” his voice trails for a moment. “She would have died for nothing.”

He lifts the dagger, preparing to begin the ritual, when a raven’s sharp caw cuts through the silence. The bird swoops down, shifting midair into a figure cloaked in shadow and mystery.

“And whose fault is that, Dread Wolf?”

Solas whirls, momentarily stunned. “Morrigan?” Surprise flashes across his face as he tries to reconcile the sudden appearance of the Witch of the Wilds.

“One appellation among many I wear,” she replies, her voice smooth and enigmatic. “Advisor to Orlais, Witch of the Wilds, Daughter of Flemeth…” She pauses, her gaze piercing. “And once, long ago, an old friend.”

Solas’s gaze shifts, realizing he’s now surrounded by three women. Rook steps forward, her expression resolute as she lifts a small statuette of Mythal. “Mythal lives on in her,” she says quietly, “and in this.” She places the statuette in Morrigan’s outstretched hand, who, with a knowing glance, activates it.

A soft, ancient glow pulses from the statuette, filling the air with an ethereal light. Memories rush forward—fragments of Mythal, fragments of that fateful moment of betrayal when he failed her. Solas stands frozen, the weight of the past pressing down upon him, as Mythal’s essence shimmers, a reminder of the failure he made.

He gasps, his breath hitching as his gaze falls upon the form of Mythal as he once knew her, luminous and fierce, yet filled with a serenity that pierces his soul. His head lowers slightly, his mouth parted in silent reverence. “Mythal…” he manages, his voice barely a whisper, as if any louder would shatter this fragile moment.

The essence of Mythal stands before him, her form imposing yet gentle. “I pulled you from the Fade you cherished and thrust you into war. I turned your wisdom into a weapon…” She pauses, her eyes softened by an ancient sorrow. “And it broke you.”

Solas bows his head, shame tightening his posture, his voice trembling with regret. “The things I have done…” His words are heavy, laced with anguish and remorse.

But Mythal raises a hand, stopping him gently. “Are not yours to bear alone, my friend,” she says, her voice warm and kind. “The wrongs we committed, we committed together.” She reaches out, resting a hand on his shoulder, and a warmth spreads through him—her forgiveness, her absolution.

Solas’s shoulders slump, his head low, his hands trembling as he holds the dagger close to his chest. It’s the very blade that severed her life, a symbol of his failure and the pain he’s carried.

“I release you from my service,” she commands softly, her voice both gentle and resolute before disappearing. He no longer needs to be the Dread Wolf.

A shudder passes through him as the words sink in, releasing a weight he’s held for far too long. He leans forward, hands braced on his knees, head bowed, processing the unexpected mercy she has offered. Pain lingers, but beneath it… a flicker of relief, tentative and bittersweet.

The Inquisitor kneels beside him, her presence steady and warm as she places a gentle hand on his arm. “There is no fate but the love we share,” she murmurs, her voice soft and unwavering. Her words hit him like a tidal wave, and his breath falters, a tremor running through him as he clutches his chest, feeling the sharp ache of despair radiate through his being. He closes his eyes briefly, the weight of his choices pressing down on him.

Slowly, he rises, shoulders still hunched beneath the burden he carries. He turns, his gaze trailing over the tears in the Veil that continue to spread, multiplying like dark wounds in the sky—a reminder of his failures, his responsibility.

With a final look at the three women before him, he raises the lyrium dagger and, with grim resolve, slices the palm of his hand, letting his blood flow to complete the ritual. His voice is quiet but steady as he speaks, binding himself to the Veil. “My life force now sustains the Veil. With every breath I take, I will shield the innocent from the consequences of my past failures.”

He feels the connection take hold, a bond now woven between himself and the Veil, and though he stands, he feels as if a part of him has willingly surrendered to bear this eternal penance. “The Titans’ dreams are mad from their imprisonment. I cannot kill the blight, but I can help to soothe its anger.” He tells them as he hands the lyrium dagger to Rook.

“I will go and seek atonement,” he says quietly, turning back toward the gaping tears in the Veil, the rifts he has sworn to mend.

“But you don’t have to go alone.” Her voice, gentle yet resolute, pulls him back, stirring something fragile within him. His heart clenches as he twists to face her, disbelief clouding his expression. That she would even suggest such a thing… after everything he’s done, everything he’s caused. And yet, her hand slips into his, warm and grounding.

He shakes his head, his voice laced with quiet desperation. “Where I’m going is terrible,” he whispers, pleading for her to understand. But her gaze remains steady, unwavering, filled with a fierce, unyielding love.

“It won’t be terrible if I’m with you,” she replies, her voice filled with a soft strength. “We’ll make this journey together, always.”

Before he can protest, she draws him close, her arms wrapping around him as she presses her lips to his, a kiss filled with love and a vow of loyalty he can hardly believe. He’s overcome, struggling to comprehend that she would willingly join him in his path of penance—and yet, a surge of gratitude and wonder swells within him, easing the shadows of doubt and despair he has carried alone for so long.

They pull apart, his gaze lingering on her for a heartbeat longer before he turns to face Rook. “Thank you, Rook,” he says softly, his voice full of gratitude and respect. He holds her gaze a moment, then, with a final nod, turns toward the largest tear in the Veil, his path stretching out before him.

Fear gnaws at him—fear that, at the last moment, she might choose not to follow, that the enormity of what lies ahead might make her hesitate. He keeps his eyes forward, too afraid to turn back, his heart pounding with the uncertainty.

But then, he feels it: her hand resting firmly on his shoulder, the warmth of her fingers curling around his forearm, grounding him. A quiet strength flows from her touch, and he closes his eyes briefly, a wave of relief washing over him. She is here, unyielding, choosing this path with him.

Together, they step forward and vanishing into the Fade.