#but it starts sad and calming then just calming then drifts into cute before it brings it all the way up to funny

[cesium-sheep]

at least my meltdown playlist still works.

[dcxdpdabbles]

de-aged Danny is one of my babies,

Shit hits the fan with the giw and Danny is super injured and Clockwork has to mess with some things so Danny doesn’t return to his core being vulnerable and sends him millions of miles away to Gotham and in the process Danny becomes 6/10 years old and is weeks healed due to being smaller and costing less ectoplasm but is still achy, Danny is steered to Jason’s apartment where he just got off his shift and then his is the twist! Jason is mute due to an accident with the joker and Batman (batman unintentionally causing his muteness) and out of reflex of a child on his counter hand first into a box of Cheerios let’s put a exasperated noise of flames and a lighter and Danny responds with his own spark of electricity and Jason is shocked (hehe) that Danny can understand and even communicate can he just lets out everything he’s been doing since “holy shit I can talk to someone normally” and then he realizes this child has the same scar as him and is pissed but Danny calms him down and calms the pits and he’s like “okay you’re mine now shit- I’m like Bruce- no. I’ll think about this later-“ Danny is super cute and Jason is having a field day with parent hood and Jason gives Danny a comm for when he goes out but he’s only allowed to speak in ghost speak and the rest are confused when Jason sprints away and they follow to see Danny in Jason’s arms being lulled to sleep with a man on the ground knocked out or dead who knows not Jason because it was shoot & punch and ask questions later and then Danny says sleepily “Oh your daddy’s brothers, hi” like it’s normal to meet family in this situation and Jason puts him to bed before signing “Say anything to Bruce and you will never be called uncle or attend his birthday in your life.”

Bruce only finds out when Jason some how ends up super injured and can’t sign and Danny translates (no editing just straight he said fucking hell) and introduces himself as Danny Todd, Bruce privately cried a little

The Waynes knew that Jason had become far more distant since his accident. Bruce blamed himself, but in the end, it was Joker all over again.

The family had been on other missions when a distress call from Bruce came in. They all raced to give aid- if it was Bruce calling, then you know it was a huge deal- only to find their father figure pressing his hands desperately to the neck of a bleeding Jason.

The Joker had sliced his neck in one of his sick games.

They were able to get him to medical aid and save his life, but the damage to his vocal cords had been too severe. Jason would never be able to speak again.

Since then, Jason has kept his distance. The whole family was fluent in sign language- one of the first of many languages Bruce had them learn for their Bat training- but it only helped them if Jason wanted to sign around them.

It felt like the second oldest was actively trying to avoid the acknowledgment of his injury. Little by little, Jason began to drift away from the family. He no longer arrived early for family dinners to help Alfred cook, he did not say for games or movies afterward, he found excuses to not hang out with the family members, and even after patrol, he left as soon as he finished.

Even texts were becoming less and less frequent. The Wayne children attempt to surprise visit him just so they can make sure he isn't alone until Jason starts jumping between safe houses.

Jason is isolating himself, and the Waynes are alarmed by the way he is retreating into himself. This continued for months, and nothing they did worked to help him.

Despite the desperate attempts to connect to him, Jason was too far gone to be reached. He did not die, but they lost him all the same.

Then, one day, out of the blue, Jason's distance changed. Yes, he was still not coming around the family much, but the sadness on his shoulders loosened.

His demeanor was still tired, but not as if his soul was exhausted. He still ran off after patrol, but instead of a shameful shuffle, his stride was more excited.

No one knew why, but Wyanes breathed a sigh of relief at the change.

They also had some theories.

"He has a lover!" Dick exclaims after watching Jason run off the second Bruce dismisses them. He had stopped to clean himself up a little before riding out as Jason, the civilian. "He's going to go get ready for a hot date."

"He found a new book series." Duke offered as Jason seemed to be writing in a little notebook. He was thoughtful and dazed as he wrote like whatever notes he took were something he would revisit again. "He is writing fanfiction again."

"His crime empire is being threatened, so he is slowly picking off traitors," Tim proposed after seeing Jason upgrade his security to his home and safe houses. He even added a new line to the cons so that he could listen to his home like a Bat version of a baby monitor. "Doing it quick and quietly to not let them escape."

"He is going back to school!" Steph announced happily when she saw him at the store buying school supplies. "He can finally get that diploma he has always wanted!"

"He has found a new passion for a hobby," Damian countered after seeing Jason look over his old art easel. Jason had asked Damian what he recommended for a beginner. "It's allowing him to have an outlet in a creative, healthy manner."

"He has fallen for a book character again and can't tell the difference between reality and Fiction." Bruce fretted after seeing Jason chuckle to himself at post-it notes that had little hearts in his lunch box. They were signed by Jason's favorite characters in a writing that was reasonably similar to Jason's.

Cass only smiled knowingly, but she always seemed to know more of what was happening than the rest, no matter the situation.

The only other person who knew more than her was Alfred, but that man would never share secrets with anyone for any reason.

Jason seemed unaware of their theories or concerns (Bruce) since he was always busy doing whatever he was doing. It got to the point they decided to follow him about, only becoming more confused when Jason visited places like pre-schools and kid-friendly parks around the city.

It didn't help that Jason caught on to the fact he was being followed, leading the Bats all over the city to random locations and had them fumbling about what was a natural destination and what was retaliation for the trailing.

Then, one night, while the Bats were meeting up on a rooftop for some briefing and a breather, the new con line sprung to life, scaring everyone connected to it out of their skins.

"There is a strange man in the house!" A voice screeched. A young voice, one that didn't even sound like it belonged to someone who had reached their double digits.

At once, Jason jumped from his slouched-over position near the building's roof door and flung himself over the edge. His grabbing hook hissed as the large man threw himself across the rooftops frantically.

Stunned, the Bats watched him go, unsure of what was happening, until the young voice spoke again, a soft whisper. "He is in the hall- he has a knife."

A strange crackle of fire and electricity was heard over the con, and it took them all a moment to realize that it had come from Jason. The child- a boy based on the voice- responded with a slight tremble. "I'm hiding in my closet. I'm scared."

The words of a distressed child kickstart their brains, and everyone snaps to attention.

"Oracle, where is the signal originating from?" Bruce snaps, throwing himself over the edge to follow Jason. The rest of the family is right behind him.

"Jason's safe house in Uptown Gotham," Babs responds instantly with the accompanying clicking of her keyboard. She sucks a breath through her teeth in a pained hiss. "B, the address for Jason's safe house... it's connected to Upper Smiles Preschool for Danny Todd. Jason is marked as his father."

There is ice in everyone's veins when she says that as Danny- Jason's son- lets out a choked sob, then a scream that horrifies everyone as they try to run faster. "He found me! Help! Help! Daddy! Help!"

A boom goes off across the communicator, and they know Jason is responsible for the nose, but there is no explosion. Not that it matters.

They, too, understand what Jason meant by the strange noise he made- it's a protective rage that someone would dare to even think of harming one of their own.

Every Wayne pushes themselves past their limits, unwilling to let themselves be too late.

"Hold on, sweetheart, help is on the way. Hit him with anything around you until it gets there." Babs tells him, her voice cracking as Danny cries, and a man yelling can be heard.

"You little shit!" An unknown roars, and everyone hates him instantly. "I'll teach you some fucking manners!"

"Let me go! Let me go!"

They are ten minutes out even when they drop into the batmobile and company bikes. Jason is only eight. But every second feels like a lifetime as they listen to what Danny is going through.

There are sounds of struggles, of a tiny voice screaming and crying, then- gunshots.

Two loud and clear gunshots. Then silence, the kind that makes even a grave loud.

Bruce's grip on the steering wheel tightens to the point of pain, and everyone is in no better state. The silence over the con is just as devastating as Jason's mournful crackle, like a dying fire.

No. No gods, no, please don't let this mean Danny is-

"Not to worry, dear child, I am here." Alfred's warm, soothing voice is heard, and everyone almost collapses in relief. Danny's cries are muffled like his face is pressed against something as Alfred coos. "It's alright. It's alright, you're safe now. Shh"

Jason makes a sound similar to thunder.

"Yes, Master Jason, I was in the neighborhood. I wanted to bring my great-grandson a little present and saw this healthen mucking about where he does not belong. I shall be moving Danny to the manor."

It's a command that does not allow any arguing, but no one dares to say anything as they collectively change direction to the manor. Patrol for the night has been canceled.

They had a new little addition to the family that needed them more than ever. Now that they knew about him, they would never allow Jason to keep Danny away from them.

Later in the night, after hugs, kisses, and greetings, Danny is painting alongside Damian. He standing on a small stool to reach the easel, wearing an apron with the Batman symbol, and is smiling like there are no troubles in the world.

Everyone's heart melts when he asks them if they can sit still for him to paint a family portrait. He isn't Jason's by blood, but that has hardly mattered to a family such as the Waynes.

All they need to know is that Danny was found wandering around Jason's old safe house, speaking in the strange sounds that Jason could make, and was the cause for the second oldest to regain his joy of life.

All that mattered was that tiny, little six-year-old Danny Todd was one of theirs, and they would love him with all their hearts.

Master Post Link

[eddiemunsons-missingnipple]

Just imagining what it would be like for you and Eddie to both drunk and looking for each other. You don't realize you've been talking to one another the whole time.

Steve's party had been going on now practically all night. You and Eddie arrived hours ago, and now you can't seem to find each other. He went off with his friends, and so did you. You mingled and stayed close together when you first got there. But soon, you unintentionally drifted away the drunker you got.

Your face was tingling, and your head felt so heavy. Your whole body just wasn't corporating. Your limbs felt like they were in a constant battle to keep you standing or even walking straight. You kept calling out for Eddie.

You wanted to go home but knew he wasn't driving. Not in the condition he was probably in. He got drunk way before you did. You saw him throwing back shot after shot. Then chasing it down with his favorite beer, a pbr. The thought of the taste is already making you gag. He was a lightweight no matter how much he tried arguing against it.

You were stumbling and kept calling for your boyfriend. "Eddie!"

You even grabbed some random dude just because he had longish hair. He was definitely not your Eddie. You made a face of diagust and mumbled "ew" under your breath when the guy turned around.

The party kept getting louder the drunker you became. Everyone kinda started looking a like. Your vision was nothing but a blur. You even confused Nancy for Steve at one point. All because she had on his jacket.

The funny thing is that she never even bothered to correct you. If it wasn't for Robin speaking up to tell you, it was actually Nancy you were talking to. You would still be calling her Steve the rest of the time.

The killer hangover you're destined to have in the morning made you wish you never started drinking tonight. Too late. You knew you were screwed by the fifth shot of tequila. You and Eddie were going to be in misery.

You stumble again and flop down on the couch next to someone. A man who you really can't even focus on any distinctive features. He's just there slumped back with his legs spread open holding a candle that he assumed was his beer can.

You may be drunk off your ass but not drunk enough to mistake a candle for a can of beer. You look over, and he's nothing but a blurry figure to you. You blink and blink, trying to figure out who he is. Your drunkened mind comes up with nothing. He is another stranger to you. Little did you know that's actually your boyfriend. Who you have been on the hunt for all night long.

You heard him mumbling something in coherent over and over again.

"What you say?" You slurred.

He burped before repeating. "I said you have seen my girlfriend? She's cute. You can't miss her."

"Oh no havent seen her...m'lookin for my boyfriend actually. He's a nerd you can't miss'em" you giggled and sat up a little.

"Haven't seen any nerds around." Eddie quipped and went to take a drink from the candle.

He made a face when nothing went into his mouth. He still has yet to notice his actual beer is on the table.

"Been lookin' for her all night. I even cried at the beer keg." He sounded like he was about to cry again. "Guys out there forced me to come sit down to calm myself."

You put your hand on his shoulder to comfort him. He sounded so sad you couldn't help but feel bad for him. "She's around here somewhere."

"My boyfriend is missing too, startin' to think he's in a bush passed out." You rubbed your eyes and laid back against the couch.

Eddie snorts and goes in his pocket to grab his pack of cigarettes.

"All I know is when I find that little shit I can pass out in peace." He slurred and practically ripped open his pack of cigarettes to get one out.

"Yeah, me too-- When I find my boyfriend, I'm passing out too." You hiccuped, and your eyes slowly got heavier. The party started to die down a lot. People were falling asleep or walking home.

"When you'd get here?" Eddie turned to face you. "Been lookin' for you all night!"

[whimsyfinny]

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: Charlie discovers the Winchester boys to be struggling with keeping the bunker tidy, looking after themselves and being able to do their job simultaneously. Luckily she has a friend who’s from a Hunter family that is in need of work and can help them with research. Or so she thought that’s what her job would be. When Dean sees your more domesticated side, his head won’t stop swimming with all the wrong ideas.

Slow burn, enemies to lovers, smut

Warnings: big smut - oral (fem receiving), rough sex, PinV, angst, Dean being cute

Chapter Word Count: 3158

—-MDNI—-

A/N: ahhhh so back to the normal shenanigans. Nil this chapter is loosely inspired by the song ‘Fuck Away The Pain’ by Divide the Day. Also I’m making some changes to how I link in my chapters, because I have quite a few now and it takes fucking ages. Also it’s 1:30AM and I’m tired so I’ve proof read as best as I can, let me know if you see any errors.

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New readers start here: Prologue

Previous: Chapter 11

I’m Not Your F*cking Maid

Chapter 12

At some point during the quiet ride home I had fallen asleep, because when I woke up I was in my bed atop the covers, still fully dressed. Not knowing what hour it was I rummaged around for my phone, finding it placed carefully next to my books on my bedside table. The brightness from the screen made me wince, my sensitive eyes finally adjusting after a few moments to read 4:17AM. I couldn’t stop the groan from slipping out and I flopped back onto my pillow. I lay there, listening to the humming vents in the bunker, taking in the deafening silence as I took long, slow breaths. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Daniel. Just not the Daniel I knew. Not the boy who lived in band t-shirts and scruffy jeans, but the strange man who wore a three piece suit and sprouted fangs from his jaw. I didn't know that person, and I'm glad I never would. My mind then drifted to Dean; seeing his confused face and shocked expression towards the revelation that I KNEW the vampire about to be killed. My face scrunched like I'd tasted something sour at the thought. I couldn't place my finger on it, but the whole situation felt wrong - uncomfortable. Like I'd been unfaithful even though I'm technically not tied to anyone. It felt like I'd been unfaithful to Dean, and we all knew the last thing he wanted was commitment. Is that what I wanted? Dean? Something more than just carnal desire? A relationship? Security? Someone to call mine? My head felt like it was starting to spin as I spiralled down a rabbit hole I had no intention of venturing down. I shook the intrusive thoughts from my head, deciding that it was the very last thing I needed to be thinking about right now. Sitting up slowly I swung my feet over the edge of the bed, my socked-feet gently connecting with the floor as I quietly left my room, heading down towards the kitchen. The grumbling of my stomach reminding me that I've not eaten for about twelve hours.

My arrival to the kitchen turned heads. More heads than I anticipated being there. In all honesty, I thought everyone would have been in bed at this hour. Apparently not. Of course there was Sam and Dean, Charlie, and that strange angel - what was his name? Castiel? But there was also a woman who I’d never seen before. She had short dark hair and a kind face, but there was something sad and sorrowful about her smile. The five pairs of eyes scorched my skin and I stopped in my tracks, taking a tentative step backwards. The only thing stopping me from turning tail and running out of there was the soothing voice calling my name that somehow instantly calmed my nerves. It was like molasses; sweet and deep and as intoxicating as aged liquor. Before I even had a chance to change my mind about sticking around, Dean had swallowed the distance between us and enveloped me in a crushing embrace. A strange instinct took over and I buried my makeup-smeared face into his chest, feeling the devastatingly familiar burn of hot tears start to well up and spill over.

“Dean-” my voice was small and hoarse as I squeaked out his name, his arms tightening around me reflexively.

“It's ok sweetheart, you don't have to say anything.

I've got you.”

*

He'd walked me slowly back to my room, like I was something so fragile and the smallest knock would cause me to shatter. In all honesty it wouldn't be an incorrect statement - It felt like the softer Dean was with me the more delicate I became. My demeanour had the density of a feather and the brittleness of tempered glass; one wrong move and I'd burst into hundreds of little pieces that would have to be glued back together.

The door clicked shut behind us and he guided me to sit on the bed. I crawled into the middle and sat with my legs crossed, uncaring of the fact my micro skirt did little to cover what dignity I had left. The thin white petticoat tickled my thighs as Dean shuffled to sit in front of me, his large hands now resting face up in my lap, beckoning my small fingers to become entwined in his. We sat knee-to-knee, Dean's eyes tracking every movement I made - every breath, every blink, every nervous bite of my lip. He took a deep inhale and a slow exhale, like he was using those seconds to decide on what to say. His rough thumbs caressed my knuckles.

“Sweetheart; it's ok to cry.”

That softness radiating from him pulled a ragged sob from my chest, my bottom lip quivering as I made the bad decision to make eye contact with him. The tears started to stream again.

“D-Daniel- he- I s-saw him- he was hit b-by a f-fucking e-eighteen wheeler, D-Dean. H-he was on his motorbike and h-e was thrown a-bout ninety feet b-before h-he hit the g-ground. I went t-to get a FUCKING s-snack and t-the moment I-I came back o-outside he was- he was-”

Before I could carry on he had pulled me into another crushing embrace, my legs slipping over his as he pulled me to sit in his lap. Rough denim rubbed on my inner thighs as his arms tightened around me, my arms moving on their own to loop around his neck.

“We don't have to talk about it anymore if you don't want to.”

I sniffled.

“I just want to f-forget about him. I-I healed f-from this already. I don't w-want to h-have to do that a-again, Dean. I can’t. That person- th-that vamp- he wasn’t him. Please- I just- I just want to forget.”

I pulled back to look at him. I saw this way his eyes darted to my lips and I knew he tried to fight it, I knew he’d scold himself internally for thinking such thoughts in a moment like this. His evergreen gaze flitted across my face before my own eyes landed on his mouth. I saw the way his lips were parted. I saw how his pupils dilated and how his fingers tightened on the small amount of fabric at my hips. How he swallowed, almost nervously, when I moved my own fingers to tug on his hair - to glide over his scalp. I couldn't help but allow myself to sit heavier in his lap.

“(Y/n), sweetheart. We shouldn’t- I shouldn't - I don't want to take advantage of you. Not like this,” his voice was an unusual mixture of pained self-restraint and compassionate sympathy.

“Dean,” my own voice came out sterner than I intended and I felt him flinch beneath my fingertips. “I want to forget. Make me forget.”

It was like a spark had hit a lake of gasoline; one small thing had ignited us, and my face was still wet with tears when Dean threw me down onto the mattress, my head at the foot of the bed. Thick, slightly trembling fingers glided up my thighs and tugged down my underwear, throwing it into the depths of my room. Rough palms suddenly gripped the back of my thighs and pushed up, my knees almost touching my ears whilst he shuffled slightly, like he was getting comfortable. Right when I opened my mouth to ask him what he was doing, I felt it: A lick. A warm wetness that wasn’t my own. Precision and practice had made this appendage a dear friend of the night, which I realised when I felt my brows scrunch together shortly followed by a breathy moan.

“Fuck-”

His tongue went around and around and around, occasionally grazing over my clit but generally taking great care to avoid it; to pump up the agonising sensitivity and make me squirm. I felt his lips move against me, his words fanning hot breaths over my most intimate area as his voice rumbled in his chest.

“Fuck, (Y/n) you're delicious.”

Dipping back down and tongue back at work, he continued his actions, starting slowly - oh so slowly - before speeding up, and up and up until he stopped. He stopped making little circles around my bundle of nerves, and before I could even whine about it he'd pressed the entirety of his tongue against my opening. I didn't think much of the hand releasing my thigh and dropping it on his shoulder until the pad of his thumb pressed on my buzzer, sending a singular shockwave through me whilst he continued to taste me. His thumb swirled again and again whilst his tongue carefully dipped in and out, seeming to know exactly where to press, when to do it and the amount of pressure needed. It had only been a few minutes but I already felt like a melting mess, my body starting to writhe as the pleasure started to build in the depths of my stomach. I felt like I was losing control of my thighs as Dean's fingers dug into the soft flesh of the one he was holding up, the side of his head leaning into the other one, stubble scratching at the soft skin on the inside of my thigh as his jaw flexed with every movement of his tongue. If he wasn't holding onto me like he was, I felt like I could crush him. Another moan passed through my lips when he sped up a little more, my fingers racing to tangle with his hair, pulling a satisfied noise from him.

“Dean- please- if you keep going like this I'm g’nna come-”

He ceased his actions and pushed up, leaning forwards so he was towering above me with my arousal practically dripping from his lips. He wiped it away with the back of his hand and there was an almost primal glint in his eye.

“Do you wanna come?”

The sound of his voice could have snapped that coil inside me there and then. Instead I groaned quietly, watching the way he slowly wrapped his fingers around my calf that rested on his shoulder, pressing a soft kiss to my inner thigh just above my knee. His dark eyes never left mine.

“I wanna come s’bad, but…” I paused and felt my face heat up.

“But…?”

“But I want to feel you inside me when I do.”

His eyes looked like they were about to roll into the back of his head before he caught himself and stared back down at me, chewing on his bottom lip slightly.

“Fuck sweetheart, those are dangerous words.”

“You're a dangerous man…”

There were a few moments of silence, racing heartbeats almost audible from the other side of the room. I hooked my other leg over his shoulder and linked my ankles behind his back, pulling him further down towards me.

“Dean- please. I need you. I need you to fuck me.”

I'd barely finished my sentence when his mouth pressed to mine, hot and panting. I could taste the bite of the whiskey he'd drunk at the club, the richness of it still on his tongue after all these hours - he must've had more when we got back to the bunker. I stretched my hands down and fumbled with the buckle on his belt, fingers frantically trying to undo everything just so I could feel him - touch him. Anything to focus on him and him alone.

“Do you still want to forget, darlin’?”

I nodded.

“And you’re sure you’re ok with this? I don’t want you to reg-“

“I won’t, I promise. I just need you to make my mind go blank; I need the… pain to go away.”

He pulled his T-shirt off in one swift movement before lowering himself to mere centimetres above me, our lips practically touching.

“Then use me however you need to.”

His words were electric. I didn’t give him a chance to pull away, my hands cupping the sides of his face and dragging his mouth down to mine in a frenzied kiss. I was starting to become familiar with how he kissed me - with how he moved his mouth; how he tasted. I was starting to get used to him. You could almost say that I was starting to crave him. With his intoxicating scent and how he tasted when we practically devoured each other. He was becoming my lifeline, somehow, and that thought alone made my heart race.

I thrust my hands down between us to finish what I started before with unbuckling his belt and jeans, eventually dipping a hand into his underwear and feeling him hot, hard, and heavy in my palm. He made a small noise in the back of his throat, unwilling to break away from my lips. I only pushed his clothing as far as I needed to before pulling him out, wiping my thumb over his tip to gather as much precum as I could before smearing it up and down his length in gentle strokes. I started to play him at his own game by starting tantalisingly slow, speeding up over time before he was grasping at my wrist and halting my actions.

“Please-” he almost begged, pulling away from me slightly, “please don’t make me come yet.”

“Then fuck me and we can come together.”

He didn’t waste another second as he lined himself up to my entrance and pushed in, getting lost in my comforting warmth as he groaned into the crook of my neck. I gasped at the stretch, a high-note moan slipping out as he barely waited two seconds before rolling his hips back and forth. Aside from heavy breathing and uncontrolled moans, the only other thing to be heard was the wetness between our bodies and the unmistakable sound of skin-on-skin.

“I wasn’t going to say anything because the timing was never right, but holy fuck (Y/n), your outfit is killing me,” he somehow managed to form a sentence between the panting, the almost crude compliment bringing a blissed out smile to my lips, my mind incapable of forming a coherrant reply.

My ankles unlocked from around his back as his thrusting became more erratic and my legs dropped from his shoulders. Dean took this as a cue to change positions as he grasped my ass and lifted it off the mattress, pulling my body on and off his cock over and over and over again, like I was his own personal toy to use. And the whore that lived deep in my soul loved every second of it. My eyes focused on Deans face, noting how his jaw clenched as his eyes constantly moved up and down my body - taking in every curve of soft skin and ruffle of my outfit. The occasional stutter of his hips was the tell that he was nearing his end, so I traced my hands up my body and pulled the front of my top down, letting my tits bounce free. I pinched and twisted my nipples between my fingers, biting my bottom lip as I felt my sex flutter at the extra stimulation. If Dean wasn’t salivating before, he certainly was now. Keeping one hand on my breast I moved the other one down. Down over the softness of my stomach and to the soaking wetness between my legs, my fingers pressing soft circles around my clit and making me clench even harder around Dean. I swirled and swirled whilst still playing with my nipples, bringing that ever-nearing storm closer to home. I know Dean could feel it too, because his grip on my ass was slipping and he didn’t seem to care; gripping me so tight I was certain I’d see bruises in the afternoon. Letting go of my tit I brought my other hand between us, feeling where Dean and I joined together; feeling how intimate it felt. I could feeling myself tipping over the edge as the noises tumbling from my lips kept coming, urging Dean to somehow fuck me harder and deeper than he already was.

“Sh-shit sweetheart, if you keep making noises like that I won’t be able to go on any longer.”

“Fuck - Dean please- please-”

It was when his eyes met mine, those mossy-green irises clouded with lust and desire, that the storm came crashing in and my euphoria struck me like white hot lightning. My own orgasm pulled Dean into his own one as a string of unintelligible curses fell from his lips before his thrusting ceased and he set me down gently on the bed. No words spoken, no movements made; just his eyes piercing mine as the sound of heavy breaths filled the room. I wasn’t sure how long we sat there for, not making a single move whilst regaining our composure. That was, until I reached out, unthinking, and traced my thumb over Deans bottom lip. My palm rested softly on his cheek and he allowed his eyes to flutter closed for a few short moments before opening them again. When I finally spoke, my voice was barely above a whisper.

“Dean I…I’m sorry.”

He looked puzzled.

“What for? I mean if anything, it should be me apologising.”

I shook my head, a few aches starting to settle over my body already.

“I feel like I’ve used you.”

He chuckled slightly, planting his hands either side of my head and leaning in slightly.

“I told you to.”

“No, like, today was rough, emotionally. It was my baggage and I feel like you’re the one I’ve forced to carry it.”

It was his turn to shake his head.

“Don’t be stupid. You think I’m here, helping you to forget two different versions of the same person against my will? Sweetheart, I want to be here, making you feel better anyway I can,” he smiled a boyish smile, “hell, I’d’ve made you hot chocolate with cream and frickin marshmallows if that would’ve helped. Or watched some dumb ass chick-flick. Maybe even both.”

I couldn’t stop the schoolgirl grin from blooming as I fought every urge to pull him down to me and kiss him. Kiss him like I fucking meant it.

“Could we still do that?”

He chuckled, the sound causing the butterflies in my chest to flutter.

“You bet you’re perfect ass we can,” he punctuated with a light slap to my rear. “What do you wanna watch?”

I pondered for a moment, wondering what DVDs the boys would have laying around in the bunker. In all honesty though, I had one box set to my name that Bobby bought me many moons ago.

“Is Lord of the Rings good with you?”

He looked up for a moment and I’m convinced I saw him mouth ‘thank you’ to the ceiling. But that would be absurd, right?

“Darlin’ it’s perfect. But first let’s get you cleaned up.”

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Up Next: Chapter 13

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[fetishfairytales2]

The Ex, Pt. 1 (Story)

Hey, my pervy ladies and pathetic losers! It's time to dish the details on the moment I introduced the new and improved Sissy Brandi to her ex-girlfriend, Rachel, just like I promised! Oh, the look on poor Rach’s face when she realized her macho ex-boyfriend had transformed into a diapered little sissy...priceless! Guess maybe someone should have warned her a little more, oopsie! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- It had been way too long since I reconnected with one of my other college BFF’s, Rachel. It had been a minute since we last talked, and let's just say Brandi played a big part in that. During a break back in school, this loser actually dated one of my friends! I should have known he was going to be all red flags, even back then. I didn’t blame her, I just figured whatever, I was still oblivious to how much of a loser Brandi would turn out to be, and I wanted him back at the time, ugh, stupid me!  But when Brandon and I got back together, things between Rachel and me just didn't feel the same. We slowly drifted apart, only keeping in touch through occasional Instagram likes and birthday texts and that was it.

However, everything changed when Brandi was “born”. I just knew I had to introduce my adorable little girl to all the important women in her life. Brandi's sisters, Sarah and Grace, absolutely loved her new look, and I was excited to show off my handiwork to Rachel. I mean, we couldn't have anyone still thinking my little cucky was a real man, could we? It was time for a reunion and a big reveal!

I decided to take a chance and slide into Rachel's DMs on Instagram. I started off casual; "hey, girl, long time no talk!" We caught up on the usual boring adult stuff: work, relationships, the works. But then, it was time for the drama. I dropped a bomb: "Yeah, Brandon and I are still kind of dating. But guess what? He cheated!" I knew that would hook her. She immediately called, all worried and supportive, like we never stopped talking.

As she was trying to be calming and sweet, she asked how I was doing. She probably expected the typical breakup story. "I’m getting over him by getting under someone new," wasn't the response she was expecting. I went in on the whole thing, making sure to really talk about Brandon's flaws. Poor, poor me, abused, cheated on, and left alone. Sure, the loser messed up by cheating, but the rest was just a little creative storytelling. I wanted my former best friend, and Brandi’s ex-girlfriend, on my side, and it worked. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, eating up my bullshit. "What are you planning to do now?" she asked, so, so very sad for me!

"No, girl," I chuckled, "it's not about what I'm doing, it's about who." She was even more interested now; the little perv. I loved my friends. "Remember Conner?" I teased. We spent a minute talking about how cute Conner always was and how Brandon was always a douchebag to him. "Well, things have taken a twist," I said, smiling, "let's just say Brandon is a changed person. He's much sweeter now, almost unrecognizable even. It's like he's a whole new person! Sort of my little revenge for his cheating bullshit." I laughed. "Why don't you come over this weekend for a girl's night and some wine? You can meet the new Brandon... or should I say, Brandi?" I teased. This was going to be fun!

Three days later, I was buzzed and giddy, I practically skipped to the door when I heard the knock. It was showtime! Rachel was about to walk on something straight out of poor Brandi’s wildest nightmares. I'd spent the evening getting cute and downing wine, so excited for when I could show Rachel what I had done to the “man” she knew. Before I opened the door, I smiled at how fucked Brandi really was. In the center of the living room, was my hunky real man, Conner, naked and looking delicious. And bent over in front of him, my sweet sissy Brandi was on display. The poor thing was dressed to impress—or should I say, dressed to embarrass? My little princess looked absolutely perfect.

Bandi’s little schoolgirl outfit was perfect - she looked like a total sissy whore.. Her so short, and so cute plaid skirt was hiked way up, showing off her tight sissy booty. I made sure to  tie up her white crop top to really go with the look, but Conner had almost ripped it totally off her already! He just couldn't keep his hands to himself. She looked so slutty in her sky-high platform Mary Jane heels too. Bent over like that, it was like those sissy legs went on forever! I was almost jealous!. Her hair was done up in pigtails with pink ribbons, matching her glossy red lips and rosy cheeks. But the best part? Of course, it was the penis pacifier gagging her, muffling her stupid little whimpers as Conner pounded her from behind!

"Hey, girl!" I called out, pulling Rachel into a hug as I guided her inside, purposely  keeping her away from the living room. I wasn’t giving away the surprise yet! “Should we have some wi…” Rachel looked shocked as she heard a faint scream. "Mmm, someone's definitely having fun," I winked, pointing toward the muffled moans coming from the next room. 

Poor Rach didn’t know what to think. "Take it, you sissy slut!" Conner's voice boomed from the living room, followed by the sound of his hips slamming against Brandi's. "Fuck yourself on my cock, bitch!" he growled, his hands probably digging into Brandi's hips. God, he always knew how to fuck like a machine. Brandi sure was a lucky little whore right now! I could picture Conner spanking her little sissy's ass, leaving it red and sore.

"Conner's really giving it to her," I smiled like this was no big deal, pouring us both some wine. "He just loves to grab those sissy hips and force Brandi to take every inch of his, well...” I paused and cupped my hand over my mouth; “his really, really massive cock! And listen to her, sobbing like the little bitch she is." I smirked, taking a sip of my drink. 

Conner grew more demanding; "stop your fucking crying, slut! Take it like a good little sissy and thank Daddy!!" The sound of his hand connecting with Brandi's ass again echoed through the house. "That's it, scream for me, princess. Let Mommy hear how much you love getting fucked like the sissy you are!"

Rachel's eyes bulged as she listened. I led her to the living room so she could see for herself; our ex-boyfriend turned into my sissy plaything, getting plowed by my new man. I couldn't not laugh at the shock on Rachel’s face. Steering her by the shoulders, I guided her closer to the action.

"Rach, allow me to introduce you to Brandi!" I giggled, pointing toward the sobbing figure of Brandon, now just a whimpering mess. "Look at my little sissy, taking it like a cheap little whore. Isn't she adorable?"

Conner showed no signs of slowing down, driving his cock into Brandi's ass over and over. Rachel couldn’t find words, which made the whole thing even funnier for me. Poor thing. "Conner?! Brandon?! How—?" she stammered, her eyes darting between the two of them.

I placed my hand on her shoulder gently and led her back into the kitchen.  "Surprise!” I laughed, handing Rachael her wine. “I told you I changed Brandi into something much more fitting. She will never hurt another woman again. That’s what happens to cheaters."

"What the actual fuck, Heather? How did you even do all of this?" Rachel asked, downing all her wine in one go.  I explained to her how I caught Brandi cheating, about the videos of her sucking Conner's dick that I recorded, the photos of her dressed in diapers that I took, the nursery filled with dildos, and the cuckysitters I hired to keep an eye on her.

"Holy shit," Rachel finally said, shaking her head in disbelief. "A whole year?! He... or should I say, she, has been living like this for an entire year?"

Conner, who had just finished emptying another load into Brandi, joined us in the kitchen. "Mmmph," he grunted, wrapping his arms around my waist. "She's been mine for at least that long. That fucking loser has been living in diapers the whole time.”

I laughed, sharing the details of Brandi's miserable life. "And let's not forget, she has to call Conner 'Daddy.' I'd guess she sucks his dick at least five times a day, and that's on top of the cum-only diet she's on. Most of the time, she's swallowing loads from his used condoms after he fucks me!" I giggled. Rachael was stunned into silence, which isn’t easy for that girl! “Want to go meet her?” I asked excitedly. 

Shh, shh, cupcake," I cooed, walking into the room to find Brandi in the fetal position in the floor., I leaned down, gently stroking Brandi's hair as she lay there, a sobbing mess with her skirt still hiked up and cum leaking out of her poor, stretched asshole. Her shirt was nowhere to be seen, probably ripped off by Conner. He can be a really dominant Daddy when he needs to! 

"It's okay, Brandi-girl," I reassured her, channeling my inner Mommy. "I’m right here to make everything better... or worse, depending on my mood." I winked at Rachel, who was just staring at me shocked, and delivered a stinging slap to both of the crying sissy’s ass cheeks. “Wow,” I giggled, tracing the bright red handprints I’d left. "At least  both cheeks match!"

"Aww, what's wrong, Brandi? Did Daddy already make your bottom hurt? Well, too fucking bad, 'cause Mommy wants to have fun too!” I noticed Rachel's eyes widen when she spotted the massive plastic cock pacifier on the floor next to the shaking sissy. "That bad boy is only, like, half the size of Conner," I pointed out, raising my eyebrows and winking. "We gotta keep Brandi's sissy holes filled, but not too filled, right?" I paused, biting my lip. "Wouldn't want her to get too comfortable sucking Conner’s cock."

Rachel's hand shook as she held up the pacifier, her eyes wide with surprise. "It... goes in her mouth?" She asked, her voice laced with curiosity as she glanced between me and Brandi, who was a sobbing mess on the floor. I leaned in close to Rachel, whispering something that made her bite her lip nervously, but shrugged; “he was a cheating prick…”

Now she was into it! I knelt down next to Brandi, who was too exhausted from crying to put up much of a fight. I gently pinched her nose shut, watching as her eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly. "Are you sure?" Rachel questioned  as she leaned in closer, I simply nodded, holding my grip on Brandi’s nose. “He was texting you while he was dating me, huh?” She asked, clearly pissed up now.

"Here comes the airplaaaane!" Rachel attempted a baby voice, It was adorable how she was getting into this now. “Open up you cheating little sissy fuck!” Brandi, on the other hand, was having none of it. She thrashed and squirmed, her eyes wild with panic. I reached under her skirt and gave her sissy marbles a firm squeeze, causing her to yelp and open her mouth wider. “You deserve it you douche!” Racheal yelled, jamming the cock into the back of Brandi’s throat and slapping her across the face. “I can’t believe you!”

I gently pushed the pacifier into her mouth, the huge plastic cock stretching her lips. "Thatagirl Sissy! You know you love your paci! It’s nice to have something other than Daddy’s cock in your mouth, huh?" Brandi and I both looked over at Rachael, surprised when she laughed. Even she was giggling at the little shithead now! "There, isn't that better, princess?" I asked, giving Brandi’s cotton balls one more squeeze, smiling down at her sweetly,

Brandi whimpered, her eyes pleading with me to stop. Before I can say anything else, Rachel noticed the tiny pink chastity cage on Brandi's cock. “Is that his…her dick?” She asked, pointing. “That’s her sissy clitty,” I giggled, bouncing her chastity cage up and down in my hand. "This little cage," I said, holding it, "makes sure Brandi doesn't get naughty. She's locked up tight, no squirties allowed."

I traced my nail through the bars of the little plastic pink cage slowly, just to tease the little cucky as much as I could; “Brandi's little clitty key is my favorite accessory, and not just because it looks cute around my neck,” I laughed, holding up the key. “It's a constant reminder that I own her and her teeny-tiny sissy stick. One tug on this little plastic prison, and she squirms like the little worm she is.” I giggled as Brandi struggled against me, trying to fight off the stiffie I was giving her; “She can’t help herself. She doesn’t want to, but it feels so good, doesn’t it, little girl? She knows I decide when she's free, and that's if I feel like it at all! Isn't that right, my pretty princess?"

Yanking on Brandi’s pigtails, I smiled listeningto Brandi moaning and whining behind her gag. "Aww, does my widdle baby want something? Is it diapee time? I think you're right, my precious sissy. We can't have you leaking Daddy's cum everywhere, now can we? That would be such a mess!"

I turned to Rachel, casually asking, "You don't mind if we take a quick break to change her, do you? It'll only take a second. Conner, honey, could you come and lend a hand? I am always such a sweetheart to my little girl of course, but Brandi might need some extra persuasion."

Rachel's eyes widened, and she hesitated for a moment before replying, "Umm, no, of course not. I mean, it's a bit... weird, but I do kinda want to see it…a little bit.”

Conner strolled into the room, his arms folded across his hulky chest and he leaned against the wall, rolling his eyes. “Why can’t this freak ever just not be a fucking weirdo?” he grumbled. He enjoyed seeing Brandi humiliated, but didn’t love it when I involved him. Whatever, if he wanted to fuck me, he had to fuck the sissy too!

I made an excited face at Brandi and put on my best mommy voice;. "Okay, baby girl, let's get you all nice and pampered. No more leaks, okay? Mommy's here to take care of you." I pulled my sissy onto the couch. “Legs up girlie!” I cooed, pulling her legs high into the air.

As I reached for the diaper bag, Rachel surprised me by joining in on her ex-boyfriend’s humiliation, practicing her own baby talk!  "Aww, good girl! let's get that diapee on you!” She kneeled down next to me and winked, continuing to humiliate Brandi. “No more leakies for our little baby girl, okay? We'll have you snug as a bug in no time!"  But just as we were about to get started, Brandi decided to put up a pathetic struggle. She writhed and kicked, trying to break free from our grasp!

"Now, now, Brandi," I chided, "that's not very ladylike. Be a good girl and lie still. You know you can't escape!" I laid the pink Pamper underneath of my little sissy, but she almost kicked me in the head! “Hey!” I yelled, her squirming and kicking were getting a bit out of hand, so I decided to take charge. "Alright, that's enough, princess. Time to get that diapee on. Be a good girl for Mommy!."

I pinned her arms above her head, staring daggers at her. "Now, be a good girl and relax. This will all be over soon…if you’re a good girl" But Brandi wasn't having any of it. She bucked her hips, trying to throw me off again. "Oh, come on, Brandi, don't be difficult. You know you’re not going anywhere.” The sweet darling huffed and puffed behind her pacifier, shaking her head.

Rachel, joining in the fun now, tried to hold Brandi’s legs up with me; "yeah, Brandi, stop squirming! We're just trying to keep you diapered and cute. It's for your own good!"

Now Rachael was holding her legs up and I was trying to pin her down on the couch and she was still freaking out. But I wasn't about to let her win, hell no! I grabbed the diaper and held it open, teasingly tapping her nose with it. "Come on, Brandi, time to cooperate. Lift that cute little bottom for Mommy. Don't make me call Daddy Conner over here. You know you don't want that, right?"

To Be Continued...

Note from Heather: I hope everyone enjoyed meeting Rachael so far, she definitely returns in some of Brandi's other misadventures!

[sungjinhos]

Retrouvaille

✦ You and Minghao have always been friends and remained friends despite of different countries, different time zones, and lives, but now, you and him are back in the same city.

✦ genre: friends to lovers, fluff, just really idiots in love ✦ word count: 3.652

✦ Thea note: hello hello hello, first this is part of @sunnylovespickles september candy land! This was a struggle tobe honest, I started writting this before my exam and this month was so hectic that I just had the time to really sit and write this one, but in the end I think she is nice, she is cute. Also, second Minghao fic in a very short time, who saw that coming? not me!

Retrouvaille; the joy of being reunited with someone again after a long time apart

It was funny how constant variables changed. 

Minghao, once upon a time, was a constant - never changing, always there. He was your everything, your friend, your first love, and again your friend. When you think about Minghao the picture that pops up in your mind is vast forests in a mountain. Always there, never changing. 

But life, you learned, had its own way of making people drift apart. To make constants turn into a very new set of variables. You and Minghao remained friends even if life tried to make it hard. Different countries, weird timezones, messages that needed a couple of business days to be answered. In reality, you thought, it was just the two of you growing up, and you couldn't be sad about it because, in the end, the physical distance was what made your dreams turn into reality. 

But for the first time after five years, you and Minghao would be in the very same city, in the very same time zone, sharing the very same air. 

And somehow that scared you because- what if?

What if Minghao grew and changed even if you two were still friends and talked weekly? What if you changed?

Oh god, that was even worse - you almost needed to park your car to try to calm yourself.  What if you changed and Minghao didn't like the person you turned into? What if the endless messages, video calls, and Zoom movie dates weren't enough? Could you - could you just hide and leave Minghao alone in a completely different city he has never been into? Did he have your address? How high was the probability of him knocking on your door because you didn't pick him up? 

Every possible result of the equation sounded pretty distressing, so you just didn't stop even though you wished to drive to another state you settled for the airport. But the feeling of uncertainty didn't leave you in the airport, and didn't leave you when you saw Minghao passing through the gates in his all-black outfit - well at least he still loved his clothes, that remained unchanged.

"Hao," you call, waving your arm and stretching your whole body to call his attention. 

And when Minghao looked at you and smiled you felt that everything would be okay. 

Even if you changed, even if his changed, even if the world around the both of you changed - the street name, the culture, the places, the smell, and the sounds, it would be okay because it would be you and Minghao, and that itself was never changing. 

Because you knew that if everything changed what you've built with him in the past couldn't - your memories would remain.

"Well," Minghao says finally in front of you, his hair is longer now, he has one more earring, but he is still Hao, your favorite human, your friend. "What a warm welcome."

"I thought about writing a poster saying welcome home cheater but I thought you would kill me for the public shame." You say looking at him, thinking if it is possible to just be a dream, if it could be just something your mind wanted so badly that you thought it was real.

"I would jump in the first plane back," Minghao says, almost eye-rolling at you. 

"Okay, this is weird isn't it?" You say, body going back and forth but not changing places, not taking the first step.

"No, it isn't. Come on," Minghao says, opening his arms, "it will only be weird if you want to." He says in his voice low, like he is sharing a secret which makes you laugh before you find comfort in his arms.

You think it will be okay, it won't be weird because you don't want it to be. You think it will be okay because the way Minghao hugs you is the very same as he did back then because even the way Minghao smells is the same. After all is Minghao and everything is okay when he is by your side.

"I really missed you," you say - because is the truth. 

"I really really missed you," you can hear Minghao's voice still soft, still telling you a secret that only you know, a tiny bit of him that is only yours. And you don't doubt it.

"Ok, ok," You say taking a step back, a physical distance to not get overwhelmed by his physical presence, "how are we feeling? good to go running around or just straight home and delivery?"

"Straight home, a good shower, and a delivery?" Minghao says putting his hand around your shoulders and walking guiding you around like he knows the airport like the back of his hand, so you do what you need - hold his hand and tuggle him in the other direction. 

"What do you want? Greasy food or?"

"Yeah," Minghao says struggling with his suitcase, but still slapping your hand away when you try to get his suitcase.  "we can have something like that if you promise we eat like human beings in the next couple of days."

"Can't promise that, still very much of a coffee addicted but now I also dabble in sugar highs," you say knowing that Minghao will lecture you at some point about how that is not healthy and how you also need to do yoga or physiotherapy for you back pains - he always did that, he always ranted about how you should take more care of yourself.

"Oh fuck, we need at least one proper meal per day, for health reasons, or else I will perish under your way of life," Minghao says stopping on his track in the middle of the airport, making you laugh, god you could feel it in your belly how happy he always made you feel. 

"Nah, you will survive Hao, I am even including salad in my diet," you say - smiling when Minghao’s reaction is just rolling his eye at you.

Yeah. Things seem pretty similar so far. 

On your drive back home you show him different places that Minghao may seem interested in; a museum, a coffee shop, a gallery that you know the owner and he always sends his client on your way for restorations, a restaurant, even a furniture studio that you know the owner - you point out that Joshua promised teaching you so maybe that would be fun.

When you finally arrive you two follow your plan - shower and delivery, but before that Minghao comments on a thing or two in your house; a pretty plant, or a painting. He also may have pointed out that you have a pile of clothes in a chair, you explain that to be fair it is clean clothes that you need to put out but the only free time you had this week was right before going to the airport - you scream in the kitchen while he heads to the bathroom like an old couple - the familiarity of the years very clear in the way that Hao’s screams in the bathroom that he wants fried chicken and something to drink, a beer or two. 

“This place is great,” Minghao says trying his best to dry his hair with the towel, leaving droplets all around the living room. 

“Hao for the love of god dry your hair in the bathroom,” you complain, “but yeah, the place is great and not that expensive and very close to the studio so jackpot really.”

"Or your studio is in the neighborhood right?" Minghao says leaving the room. 

“Yeah, it is really close. By the way, when it will be your interview?” you say turning the tv on and splaying yourself on the couch. “I can take you to the museum is not really that far if you get the job we can-”

“Don’t jinx it!” Minghao screams from the other room, probably hanging his towel. “We talked about it, we want it too much, let's just not think about it but of course, I want the ride or I can Uber it, is not really a hassle."

"Is not jinxing I was just thinking about how cool would be," you try, but Minghao knows you better than you know yourself really, he knows how you build big fantasy castles in your head, how you take a leap bigger than your legs can take, how you run way too ahead with a simple prospect, and how in the end when things don’t go your own way the downfall is way harder than it should be - not only the reality is crushed but all your dreams and fantasy too. 

"Yeah and giving both of us anxiety, let's pretend I didn't get it and we are just having a great time because I'm visiting," Minghao says sitting on your side, like he is extremely exhausted, his hair falling on his face. 

"Oh but I do have a great time when I am with you. I don't need to pretend,” you say giving Minghao your best smile because it is the truth, and because it is Minghao, and because you are indeed the happiest you have ever been.

"That's not what I meant," he says mirroring your smile, “that is a given, stop being a smartass.”

And you feel warm like it is a physical reaction to your happiness across your body. In a weird way, you know Minghao feels just the same. In a way that familiarity, that certainty, is what helps you to anchor yourself in the moment, to make you feel grounded. You wish you could stop the time - that weird image of Minghao on your sofa, in your house, in your new city, in your life. You know you will cherish that moment for a long time, the image of Minghao in clothes way too big for him, some of his nails are chapped, you are sure that he took off his earrings because of airport security and didn’t really bother to put it after it. 

That weird want, the desire to stop time remains with you every time you look at him, it happens in that coffee near your house, the very same coffee that you did online dates with Minghao, sometimes you would bring your drawing supplies and just chat the whole afternoon while Minghao did some house chores. Seeing him in that coffee makes you almost pinch yourself to see if it is real. When Minghao points that out, that he recognizes the printing on the wall, or that he remembers that you painted the view from the windows you wish you could hold that moment and put it into a bottle, maybe you could send it as a message for your future self when that moment don’t exist anymore.

You wish you could cherish every little moment. Cherish the walks in the park, and cherish the supermarket trips at the end of the day whenever Minghao was too bored. 

In a way you find new things about Minghao, the way that he is more organized even tho he sucks at drying his hair without wetting the whole floor. And the fact that he is so invested in fashion that he always finds something to try on on a random trip, or that everything turns into a reference for his work. But Minghao every now and then makes you remember that your friend was there and no matter how many months or years apart, he would still be there. Unchanged. 

It was the way that he always made sure he brought his favorite tea, or the way that he always filled you a cup as well without even asking. It was the way that he always tilts his phone so you can watch the silly video on repeat or the way that he always lends his coat to you because you always fucking forget to take one, and sometimes you also leave it in places like that time you only noticed when you arrived home and Minghao run to the restaurant to retrieve it before the restaurant closed. 

Or when Minghao remembered a silly thing that you said or did that you didn't ever recall anymore. Like when you dedicated an entire sketchbook for the butterflies collection of the museum.  

"Do you remember that?" you ask in disbelief, looking at Minghao, who still staring at the painting, his hands behind his back like an old man.

"Of course," Minghao says, finally looking at you, "I think I remember everything you ever loved. I think after you moved I kept a mental note on things that made you happy, the first few months were so hard for you that I always tried to remember everything that made you smile."

He tells you, the same way he tells you he brought fresh bread when he was out in his morning walking like his words don't make your heart beat faster or like his words don't make your knees buckle, that don't make you almost cry in the spot. But the only thing you can do is give him your best smile and keep that memory in a heart-shaped box in your brain. When Minghao gives you his best smile you know that the future doesn't scare you, because you already know one thing for certain, that you will love him no matter what. 

When Minghao`s phone rings and he excuses himself while you are fixing the lunch you know it is something important - it is the thing, it is what will dictate if you can take a leap in an unknown and different future. And the minutes that Minghao is on the phone you pace around the kitchen, almost burning the chicken. You can feel your heart beating against your chest, your hands sweating. But then Minghao pops up in the door, a shy smile on his face, and you know, you just know everything will be fine. 

"Did you get it?" You ask.

"Yeah, I got it," Minghao says giggling.

"What the fuck?" You say trying to understand what that means, how important and how everything will change from now on, but some will still be the same. "What the fuck Hao."

You say already jumping around and wrapping your arms against Minghao, and you are so happy that you are almost bursting. You can feel Minghao's arms against your body, but still, everything is so dreamlike that you ask yourself if you are real if this happened. Because if the present is so beautiful you are afraid to ever think about the future and be blinded by it. 

"We need to celebrate this oh my god," you say, trying to breathe even though Minghao's arms are holding you in place. "I have a bottle of wine or two. We are having a home party!"

When Minghao giggles and makes your heart triple the size it is you think you burn the chicken. In all fairness, you didn't, but the onions are another story, they already reached the charcoal-like look. And not even that makes you or Minghao stop smiling. While Minghao sets the table you bring out the wine - not the cheapest wine ever, but still not something utterly special. It is a market-bought wine, a mid-range price, it doesn't scream broken teenager but doesn't really scream special occasion either, but when you say that you can go buy a special and price wine bottle Minghao is against the idea. 

So you both share the bottle of cheap wine with a side dish of almost burnt chicken, and you suspect you might be the happiest person in the world. When you and Minghao sit on the sofa you can almost feel like you are floating, it is the wine - you say to yourself, but deep down you think it might be so happy you are starting to fill up like a goddamn balloon. 

"What?" you ask when you notice Minghao`s eye lingering on you.

"Nothing," he answers but his smile still plastered on his face, his lips tinted because of the wine that you shared.

"Come on, there is something, I know you, Hao," you press on, leaving your wine glass on the floor and sitting on the sofa, your back upright looking directly at him. 

"I-" he giggles, "I guess I am just happy," he says leaning his head to the side - his longer hair falling along, making you laugh and reach to tug his hair in his ear, digits softly running across his cheeks.

"Oh the cheap wine is doing its job," you tease, making your friend laugh. 

"It’s not even that bad," he whines and takes another sip of the wine trying to prove something. While Minghao is sipping on his wine you take the opportunity to lie down on the couch, your legs half off the sofa, and your chin resting on Minghao's sternum, his legs right by your side and it feels a little bit cramped in your tiny sofa but you don't mind. 

"Oh my God, you are a changed man, where is my friend?"

"Is it that weird to see me happy?" Minghao says and he is looking at you, eyes so bright you swear you can see little stars in it. 

"You know, is it not," you say, poking his ribs, even though the tiny space makes it hard to bother him like you want to, "I'm just deflecting because I don't want to talk about how happy I am and I feel silly."

"How happy are you?" He asks and you don't think you can put it into words. Sure you could try, but Minghao is wearing his biggest smile, and you know, deep down, that he is the only one who can understand you without words. You two always functioned like that, like words were not always needed. Your bond was always there, making every step of the way easier, and communication between you two didn't need a lot of words, you didn't need to explain something - Hao could read between your lines. 

��"Very very happy," you say because it is Minghao, he could understand beyond that. 

"Well, I am very glad and very happy as well," Minghao answers, kissing the top of your head.

"I missed you," you say against his clothes, face buried in his chest. 

"I know, me too."

You finally pick up your courage to look at Minghao, planting your hands on his chest and resting your chin on it. Minghao's digits are almost feather-like when he fixes your hair. 

The truth is that no place should be called home. No place comes close to Minghao's arms. No place comes close to his presence and the way that you feel engulfed in his warmth, in his smell, in the way that his low giggles hit your ear.

Minghao's fingers brush against the nape of your neck and you almost melt. If Minghao was the forest you would turn into a river that bends its way across it. 

You rub yourself against his hand, receiving a giggle again. 

"Are we doing this?" Minghao asks you.

And you know what he means.

You think you always did that, catch Minghao's thoughts when he throws it in the air.

And you want to say no. You want to say that you are afraid of change. You know that would change everything, that agreeing would mean saying yes to never going back - but in a way, you know it is already too late. 

You and Hao are already there, in that uncharted territory, in that gray zone. Things already changed, yet you are still the same way - warm in his arms, safe against all the odds, because deep down you know - the street name can change, the sound of the street can change, the smell of spring can change, the country and the continent, the words that go out of your own tongue and the words that dance in your ear can change.

And Minghao can too, he did change, he transformed, just like a forest that experiences the seasons can change, but yet, he remained the same - always there. 

When Minghao kisses you it is so tender that your heart feels full, beating against your chest. The feeling of having a new experience with something you have known for so long makes you so happy because it is Minghao and everything with him feels like home. Minghao, if you think about it, is the warmth of a cozy bed, Minghao is the safest place to fall. And even though you never kissed Minghao the feeling of knowing who he is makes everything feel very familiar - and yet it was something you never experienced before.

You never felt Minghaos’s hand cradling your face, Never once your breath was entangled with his like this. You never experienced this Minghao.

“I think it is long overdue,” you say when Minghao’s lips leave yours. “To be honest, I don’t know how we didn’t fuck it up sooner,” and that’s true because you lost count of all the times you thought about kissing Minghao.

“If we did it I don’t think it would be here,” Minghao says his fingers caressing the skin of your neck.

“Because we would hate each other,” and you know it is the truth, you and Minghao have always been tapping in that weirdly thin line, but never crossing it, always thinking about the most common outcome - fucking everything up. 

“I could never hate you,” Minghao says earnestly and you know it is true, you know because it is Minghao. 

“You know me, I am a little petty I could totally hate you,” Minghao’s laugh resonates and you are pretty sure you are the happiest person ever. 

“Can you, please, shut up for just a minute, I am trying to kiss you again,” and it is your time to laugh until Minghao’s hands hold your face and kiss you again. 

[limabean42]

Hiii! i wanted to request general dating HCs for Fear

(if you write for him) :33

𓍢Fear dating and wholesome headcanons𓍢

Thanks for requesting, hope you enjoy <3

-

• When you two first became an item Fear was surprised you liked him

• To be honest he doesn’t feel like a very likable emotion compared to the rest

• However, he reciprocates your feelings and doesn’t let his own insecurities get in the way of a successful relationship

• He’s another emotion that you would most likely have to confess to

• In the rare chance he would confess to you first he would do it by bringing you your favorite flowers in a bouquet

• Would pair the flowers with a box of chocolates and a fidget toy if you are fidgety. If you aren’t he’d get you a stuffed animal

• His confession would be awkward as he would stumble over his words a few times and his hands would be super jittery

• However, it’s very genuine and you accept, feeling the same way as him

• As a boyfriend Fear would be concerned for you at all times

• Your temperament doesn’t matter, he’s always worrying about you. Especially if you’re not standing directly beside him or in his field of view

• If you told him anything dangerous happened to you he would gasp and pass out before getting up to comfort you

• He’s a coward but if you were in danger he wouldn’t hesitate to put himself in harms way to rescue you

• He expects you to give him morning and goodnight kisses. As well as kisses before and after lunch

• If you don’t follow this schedule he starts panicking and thinking you hate him

• He kisses you throughout the day

• The first time you kissed, Fear was surprisingly calm. He felt happy and in love afterward. Like all his worry dissapated

• He’s a very gentle and wholesome lover

• If you’re ever sad he will wrap you up in a hug and squeeze you tightly

• Will lay down with you on the couch or in bed and pet your head as you drift off to sleep, hopefully easing your pain

• If you’re prone to anxious thoughts and tendencies he’s got you

• He’ll teach you how to calm down by breathing in a paper bag like he does

• You aren’t sure if it helps but it’s a sweet bonding moment nonetheless

• After that he’d hug you if you’re comfortable with it

• If you’re having a panic attack he would ask if he could touch you to hug you

• If you don’t want to be touched he’ll sit beside you and talk you through it

• If you do want him to hug you, he’ll take you to a private place and give you the biggest hug

• He’ll whisper to you gently, “It’ll be okay, I got you.”

• It makes your heart swell as you start crying to relieve pressure

• He shares his favorite snacks and drinks with you

• You guys go on mini dates around headquarters

• He panics if he spills any juice anywhere while on a date. Or in general to be honest

• Let’s you wear his bow tie and compliments you saying it looks better on you and that you should wear it all the time

• He’s a bit of a nerd and likes ranting to you about whatever he’s interested in

• You enjoy listening to him, happy that it gets his mind off of being worried about something

• Calls you nicknames sometimes like love, babe, and most of all sweetheart

• He blushes super easily if you do anything romantic like give him a surprise kiss or hug

• He says that he loves you everyday multiple times a day

• Stares at you a lot whether he’s near or far from you

• He thinks to himself “yeah they’re mine” or just admires how beautiful you look

• Subtle touches and glances drive him crazy. His heart speeds up so fast when you brush against his shoulder or accidentally touch hands on the panel

• It makes him fall in love even more with you

• He’s adores your laugh so much it makes him want to cry because he gets cuteness aggression and he’s just so happy that you’re with him

• One time he wanted to slow dance with you at night but got too scared to ask because what if you thought it was cheesy?

• Worked up the courage one day to ask and you thought it was sweet and accepted

• Held your waist gently and asked if he was doing it right

• He’s so silly and uncoordinated

• Often times you two stay up late at night and hang out around headquarters just talking

• He loves compliments from you, no matter what they are

• Like if you say his outfit looks especially neat and well ironed that day or his bow tie brings out the color of his eyes, he’ll melt

• When you compliment him he always returns the favor and compliments you back

• Not a fan of PDA but in private gives you lots off face kisses while you giggle because it tickles

• You’re his first thought when he wakes up and his last thought before he drifts off to sleep

• Overall, you two are smitten and enthusiastic about each other

-

Thanks for reading! Also, my requests are pretty full so if you request anything from here on out it probably won’t be completed until later this week, Friday or later :)

[celestiaras]

‧₊˚✧ ❛[ dragged in by the current ]❜

━━━ .°˖✧ requested by 🌼anon ˚₊ ⊹

ft. monarch x f! reader — indie vtubers

╰₊✧ a siren finds you alone at the beach┊1.5k words

kinktober 2024: oct 5. hypnotism

contains: smut!! dom monarch & sub reader┊dubcon due to hypnotism, receiving oral, beach sex, mentions of the reader suffering from depression

➤ author's note: monarch is everything to me, we need more fics of her (thank you for requesting this btw anon, i owe you my life)

you were incredibly lucky to find this little secluded spot on a public beach with no screaming children or trash littered about, just the warmth of the sun against your skin and the calming sound of the waves crashing into each other as you lay out on your striped towel in peace with the water brushing over your feet. it felt like forever since you were able to get a moment to yourself, your eyes drifted shut and your muscles relaxed with a sigh.

despite being in paradise at the moment, it was difficult to get your mind off of the inexplicable sadness lingering in the back of your mind which dug hollowness into your chest. you never liked the silence, yet you still turned your phone on ‘do not disturb’ and tried to clear your head, you spent a good amount of money to get here and you fully intended to make the most of it before returning home renewed. 

and then you heard her in the distance, as the sky dimmed to a gray hue and the ocean stilled, a soft lullaby singing words of love and tragedy. you sat up and removed your sunglasses, looking around to find the source of the mysterious song. there was no one there, so you simply sighed and shook your head. you needed this vacation more than you thought, you were really out here hearing things that weren’t there.

except once you opened your eyes again, you yelped in surprise and your entire body jolted back. there in front of you was the sudden appearance of a woman with flowing silver-blue hair and deep eyes that matched the color of the ocean, seeming to pierce through you with a strange and excited smile on her lips. shimmering scales were littered all over her pale skin, clustering together near her waist until it transitioned into a mermaid’s tail in place of legs.

“hi!” she cheerfully started casually, her voice pitched and honey-sweet as if she wasn’t a mythological creature come to life. “what’s a cute thing like you doing out here all by yourself?”

your jaw was hung agape, unsure what to say, eyes darting all over her body in pure shock. the rational part of you was trying to suggest that she was merely dressed up in a costume and was pulling a prank of sorts, but there was a twisting feeling in your gut that you weren’t talking to a human right now. “uh… you’re a mermaid?” 

“siren, actually!” she corrected, twirling a strand of her hair which was slightly brittle from prolonged exposure (probably lifelong) to saltwater. “you know, typical pretty fish lady who sings songs and stuff— you didn’t answer my question, by the way!”

it was only something she was asking to start a conversation, but she knew the answer as her kind has the innate instinct of sensing when a human was suffering from a broken heart. although she has to admit, that even before she spotted you in the distance, the current was already dragging her in your direction. perhaps this is fate? 

“i-i…” you blinked a few times and swallowed, remembering something from high school literature class when you heard sirens luring sailors to their deaths before eating them or something. “i-i should go…”

“nonsense!” something about the way she said that made you freeze in place, panicking as you realized you couldn’t move your limbs in your haste to pack up your things and get away. her hands found their way to your face, cupping your cheek and turning your head to look back at her, absolutely mesmerized by her beauty. “you’re staying here with me— i bet i could fix whatever is troubling you~.”

she licked her lips enticingly, using her thumb to part yours and dragging it on your tongue. you couldn’t protest or do anything, feeling as if you were watching this entire thing through the lens of a camera. yet there was a part of you that still desired the attention of this mythically beautiful being, feeling your heat beginning to throb under her hypnotic gaze. 

“call me monarch, sweetheart,” she purred. 

it made you wonder if she was royalty of some sort, the queen of these waters with butterfly motif jewelry dangling from gold chains and enchanted you even more. your eyes fluttered shut as you allowed her to kiss you, tasting the salt clinging to her soft lips and the rationality of your mind melting away.

you were now putty by her touch, malleable to be shaped in any way she wished— just how she liked it. 

her hands wandered over your body, being mindful of any sunburns you might have and undoing the top of your bikini until it dropped in your lap to reveal your tits. it’s not like it was covering much anyways with the way it clung to your skin and left your perk nipples poking through the thin soaked fabric. her slender fingers experimentally pinched them and hummed in thought, “hmm, not as nice as mine— obviously— but not bad for a human~”

you didn’t say anything in return, unsure if she was trying to compliment you or not. your head was swimming in some mixture of confusion and lust as you whined out her name in soft sighs, “monarch…”

“ooh, i love the way you say my name, darling~” she giggled, “it just rolls off your tongue so naturally, the sounds you make are so cute… i wanna hear more of them…” her unnaturally sharp nails trailed down to draw a line down your torso and making you shiver in fear that you would be wounded, tugging on the elastic band to pull down the bottoms and tossing them off to the side. “don’t need that…” she murmured in a sing-songy voice. 

instinctively, you tried to close your legs in embarrassment at how intently she was staring, but she wasn’t having any of it and roughly placed her hands on your thighs to push them apart. “no, no, no, no. don’t try to hide from me…”

each command she gave you was like a switch flipped in your brain as you obeyed her without question, allowing them to spread somewhat against your nervous will and letting her inspect your most intimate area. you couldn’t tell if the look in her eyes was lewd or curious, if she wanted to devour you whole or study your anatomy before that— what was siren anatomy even like? there were so many questions running through your mind, ones which you knew would never be answered.

she dipped her head down to taste you, swirling her tongue around your needy clit and smiling when you moaned in response. “are you sure you aren’t a siren yourself? could’ve had me fooled…” she’s so nonchalant like preying on young women alone on the beach was a pastime she’s done often. you wouldn’t be surprised, even without the power she has over you, it would be nearly impossible to say no to someone as beautiful as she.

you were taken by her hypnotic aura and simply under her spell, hands digging into the gritty sand because you were too afraid to tangle them in her hair. you couldn’t remember the last time you felt this good with electricity shooting through your veins and an unfamiliar buzz of pleasure spreading throughout your body like wildfire, her name being wept like prayer as she sucked on your delicate little pearl and her nails digging into the fat of your thighs. 

“‘m close…”

“already? i didn’t think such a lovely girl like you was so neglected,” she teased against your spit and slicked cunt, the vibrations sending straight to your center and making you gasp. “or maybe i’m just that good?” you couldn’t answer, as if your voice was caught in your throat, which made her giggle, “you’re so cute, come on baby, let go for me…”

the tightening knot in your abdomen finally snapped as she directed you to, gushing like a fountain all over her lower mouth and crying out her name. you shivered when she continued to eat you out through your orgasm, licking up every last drop like it was the sweetest nectar she’d ever tasted. 

monarch lifted her head to kiss you once again, full of passion and longing. this time you could taste yourself clinging to her soft lips and overpowering the salt from earlier, and you found yourself needing more of you. you weren’t sure if you wanted more of her physically or wanted to learn more about her, but it wasn’t a wish she was willing to grant you.

“such a shame that all good things must come to an end…”

when you finally came back to (you have no idea what happened, it was like you fell asleep and woke up in a split second), she was gone like a fleeting dream, leaving you alone and nude on the beach with marks in your skin and a strange sense of satisfaction as the only traces of her existence. were you just pent up all this time? you had a suspicion that this wouldn’t be your last meeting with her, so you quickly scrambled to gather your bearings with a plan forming in mind to head to the local library the next day to do some research on what you just experienced.

request [ -Being hypnotised by siren monarch and maybe getting eaten out by her ?—🌼anon�� ]

[lovelykil]

「 Nap 」

kyle x reader older ver.

cw; fluff fluff fluff

note; I've been napping my whole summer and staying up till 6 bc I'm just like that (my sleeping schedule is so fucked up and I start school in 2 days)

I laid on my arm on my side, letting my hand dangle from the bed with my phone in my left hand watching some girl eat chocolate. Wasn't sure why I always liked these types of videos watching people eat wasn't my thing but when it's chocolate.. it's just tolerable.

My eyes fixed on the screen, watching intently with slight fascination and a sudden apatite for something sweet, I sighed softly shifting off the bed for a comfortable position.

Now practically my whole arm was dangling off the bed with my leg doing the same. There was all this bed room and I only wanted a fraction of it.

Well somewhat, Kyle was leaning against the wall sitting up on his phone. My bed wasn't to big, it could fit two people at least so he was kinda close.

I turned up the volume on my phone to hear the sounds better, I then half smiled feeling calm and collected.

"What are you watching?" After some time Kyle asked, setting his phone down to look over at me.

"Eating videos."

"Why"

"Because they are good"

"It's loud."

"Alright sorry your majesty, let me turn it down for you," I snickered with sarcasm, turning down the volume. Kyle rolled his eyes, pulling up the blanket on him as he went to grab back his phone.

There was another moment of interrupted silence until it was broken.

"Why are you dangling off the bed" He asked once more. I sighed softly, shifting away from the edge.

"Because it's comfortable."

"Yeah but you're so far away from me" He mumbled in a small whiney voice. I set down my phone to rub my growing smile away, feeling my face warm up as well. I then grabbed back my phone to turn it off.

"You know what I'm tired, those videos make me sleepy." I sat up and got in my spot comfortably. Once I was comfortable I turned my back on him and closed my eyes, waiting for his reaction.

I heard him make a small offended noise, just making me start smiling.

"are you NOT going to come over here with me?" Kyle set his phone down, leaning towards me, his voice cute and sad. I slowly flipped over and looked at him.

"Do you want me to come over to you?" I questioned, reaching toward his face to caress my thumb along his cheek. He blushed faintly with a nod.

"yeah :("

"okayy" I smiled, crawling over to him as he held out his arms for me soon trapping me in a warm embrace. I laughed when he started pecking my face with small cute kisses but only to let me go for a second to hold my chin up and land his lips on mine, his hand found their way on my face as mine did the same.

My stomach felt so numb from all the butterflies that began to roam around making me nervous and start to lean away from the sweet kiss.

"Okay I think that's enough" I giggled nervously, playing with a strain of his hair as he pouted.

"awhh but you're so cute though."

"you are too but I'm sleepy, I need a nap." I lightly pressed a gentle kiss to his lips then snuggled up to his chest, wrapping my arms around him.

I felt as he brought me closer to him, giving me one more head kiss before smiling.

"Okay I guesss, sleep now love." He whispered, grabbing his phone.

I nodded slowly at his words, my eyes closed getting ready to drift off into slumber in a warm comfortable spot next to him with his hand softly caressing my back soon scratching it lightly from beneath my shirt.

My back arched slightly from the sensation, causing him to snicker from above.

"You like that, don't you?"

"shhhhush, I'm sleeping."

[aishangotome]

Alfons Sylvatica: Chapter 4

Chapter 3

♡———♡

It was all too routine, and for reasons I couldn't understand, I felt nauseous--.

Kate: ... Since you haven't been teasing me, I've had a very peaceful few days.

I gave him a pointed smile, laced with sarcasm.

Alfons: Well, well, I apologize for boring you.

Alfons: I can assure you tonight will be exciting.

Kate: How on earth did you interpret that as me being bored and wanting excitement?

Ellis: Ms. Kate, shush.

Alfons: That's right, Ms. Kate, shush.

Kate: ...

I was about to apologize to Ellis, but Alfons' unnecessary words made my nausea flare up again.

(Ugh, he's messing with me again)

(I need to focus, I'm on the job as a "Fairytale Keeper"!)

I somehow calmed myself down and switched gears to my assigned role.

Today's members were Ellis and Alfons.

The mission was to stake out the scene of a random slashing incident.

Ellis: It's about time. Let's hope the information Will got is accurate...

We hid ourselves in single file in a narrow alleyway.

Ellis stood in front of me, keeping watch on the main street from the alley's exit, and Alfons stood close behind me like a shadow.

(It's dark, so it's inevitable that we have to stay close so we don't lose sight of each other... but...)

(Isn't he too close...? Am I being too conscious of it?)

The various perfume scents wafting from Alfons behind me made my heart race again.

(Where, with whom, and what did he do... to smell like this?)

Various imaginations started to run wild in my head...

(...Focus!)

As if to shake them off, I desperately strained my eyes towards the street where the incident was supposed to have taken place.

In the dimly lit street, I could sense the presence of several people.

Small children, emaciated men... most of them were homeless, sleeping and living on the streets.

My heart ached terribly to witness these people who had fallen through the cracks of London's prosperity, unable to lead ordinary lives.

As someone who came from a humble background, their situation felt all too real to me.

(This city is overflowing with people, and the wealth to be shared is limited... life is not equal)

(Even so, they live each day desperately)

(And yet...)

I couldn't believe someone would indiscriminately kill such people.

(Why... what's the purpose?)

The disgust I felt when I saw the mountain of black corpses surged up again.

A feeling that was neither sad nor painful filled my chest.

(But...)

Suddenly, I realized something.

(After the last mission, I was so preoccupied with Alfons...)

(I hardly thought about that incident at all...)

(Thanks to that, my heart felt lighter, but)

(It seems like my thoughts were drifting towards the easy path... it's complicated--)

Alfons: Kate.

Kate: Huh!?

My body jumped in surprise when my name was called right behind my ear.

(Ah...)

Just that passionate voice easily triggered a flashback in my mind.

The "night" when Alfons called my name over and over again as my phantom lover.

Alfons: Ah, what a cute reaction.

Kate: Alfons... I was thinking about things, so please don't disturb me!

Alfons: That's why I disturbed you. So that you would think about me.

Kate: ...?

Alfons: There are many things in this world that you can't do anything about even if you face them head-on.

Alfons: Don't you think it's foolish to get hurt by facing everything head-on?

(I feel like I've heard something similar before...)

-flashback to dining room-

Alfons: Well, isn't it better not to know about such troublesome things?

Alfons: More importantly...

Alfons: Kate, is it okay? Not hiding this here?

-flashback to kitchen-

Alfons: Isn't it better to have your head full of pleasant and enjoyable things?

Alfons: Keep your mind preoccupied of me like that.

-end of flashbacks-

(He always seems to bother me when I'm worried and depressed...)

My thoughts stopped abruptly, like stumbling on a stone.

(Wait... but why does he always bother me at the same time...?)

Ellis: Al, Kate.

Ellis, who had been staring intently at the street, oblivious to the minor squabble behind him, raised his voice.

As he turned his face, which had been directed towards Alfons, back to the street...

Man on the street: Guh...

Along with a crushed sound, I hear something spilling onto the road.

(Huh...?)

Several men in black coats are on the street... and a figure collapsed on the roadside.

The men are chasing after the slum dwellers who are screaming and trying to escape, in a grotesque manner.

Like they're hunting.

(Ah... that's...)

The target of the mission - the one we're supposed to capture.

I understand that, but my body won't move, like a stone.

The black shadows attack the slum dwellers in groups, swinging their knives at the defenseless people.

It was literally hell.

Alfons: Hmm, quite a frenzy, isn't it?

Alfons: This is more of a massacre than a random attack.

--CHOICES-- We have to help him

How can you be so calm?

Is this real?

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

Kate: Is this... reality...?

Alfons: Yes, unfortunately.

Ellis: Al and I will restrain everyone, so Kate, you stay here.

Ellis' figure, leaping into the darkness, quickly disappears from sight.

(H-Here...? Alone...?)

In that world ruled by violence, there's nothing I can do.

I can't even be of help to the two of them, let alone save anyone. I'm completely useless.

I should stay here--even though I know that, the fear of being left alone makes my body tremble.

(But, yeah, that's right.)

(I can't record the sins if I don't watch properly.)

(But...)

My instincts were clearly rejecting the idea of watching this scene any longer.

Alfons: Oh dear, oh dear, how pitiful.

A hand smoothly touches the nape of my neck.

(Ah...)

At that moment, I realized that I wanted to cling to the touch of that palm, which I had been so wary of.

Alfons: "What you are seeing is a play."

--His voice spreads through my head like an erosion.

Alfons: "That bright red stuff is fake blood."

Alfons: "Tonight, Ellis and I came here to see a play."

Alfons: "Until we return... in this seat, you will enjoy the breathtaking action."

-

Suddenly, a floating sensation washed over me--and I was in a theater.

(...Wow, I've never seen acting like this before.)

I was captivated by the bloody tragedy unfolding before my eyes.

The overflowing blood, the scattered pieces of flesh, the expressions of agony on the verge of death... It didn't seem like a play at all.

Alfons: Hehe... Well then, I'll be going.

It was Alfons who spoke to me, as I was mesmerized by the stage.

Kate: Yes... Have a good time.

(But, where are you going? We came to see the play together...)

I saw my puzzled face reflected in his eyes as he peered at me.

While our eyes met, he smiled and gracefully lifted the corner of his lips.

Alfons: Please give your lover an encouraging kiss.

(...That's right. Alfons and I are lovers...)

Kate: Yes, of course.

I kissed his smiling lips, as if sending off a lover who was going out.

Kate: Mmm...

With a light "chu" sound, our lips touched, and his hand, which had been on the nape of my neck, moved away.

He headed towards the stage, which was so stained with blood that the original color of the floor was unrecognizable--

(Oh... Alfons is going on stage too. Amazing!)

(Wow... Ellis is amazing too.)

(When Ellis touches their heads, all the men's wrists stick together as if they're tied up.)

(Ah, people are falling down just by Alfons whispering...!)

Kate: Even so...

Kate: It's a very realistic play.

Even though I knew it was acting, the angry shouts of the men and the screams of the people being attacked made my heart shrink, and my heart was beating at an incredible speed with fear and anxiety.

When the knife almost grazed Alfons, I felt a chill down my spine even though it was happening on stage.

(I like watching plays, but...)

(This time, I wish it would end soon...)

My heart has been pounding since a while ago.

(It's scary... I don't want to watch it.)

(...It's the first time I've ever felt this way about a play.)

(But--why am I at a play with these two tonight...?)

A sudden sense of discomfort washed over me.

As I clutched my heart through my clothes...

Alfons: Kate.

Kate: !

I looked up to find Alfons and Ellis standing beside me.

Alfons: How did you like our play?

Ellis: Play... Oh, right.

Ellis: Yeah, how was it, Kate?

Kate: It was amazing... but,

Kate: Even though I knew it was acting, I was so anxious that my heart felt like it was going to burst...

I wanted to make sure my lover was safe, so I hugged Alfons tightly.

Alfons: .........

(Thank goodness. I can hear Alfons' heartbeat...)

I could finally breathe after confirming that his heart was beating regularly.

When I tried to let go, Alfons tightened his arms around me.

Alfons: I'm sorry to have worried you.

Alfons: ...Tonight, I'll stay by your side until you feel safe.

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Chapter 4 Premium Story

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to buy me a coffee here! :)

[thefandomwritersblog]

Ghost of the Ten

Horizon: Forbidden West

Hekarro x Fem!OldOne OC

Action/Adventure/Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Chapter 21

Part 3: Ghost of the Ten

~~

"Hope is this thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all." --Emily Dickinson

~~

Day Whatever The Fuck This Is,

I still think this whole diary thing is the stupidest thing on the planet, but….

Beta gets so proud every time she sees the charcoal stains on my hands. She says that she’s proud of me for trying, even if I do think this whole exercise is pointless. She’s a cute kid, her and her sister, though they couldn’t be anymore different than night and day. Beta’s a quiet kid, she likes to keep to herself, fiddle with little machines she tinkers with. She showed me a workshop that Petra set up for her in the Oseram Camp, she’s been helping them build the cranes the workers are gonna use to repair the crater walls.

Aloy’s the tough one, though. I can see it in her eyes; a hardness there that I know all too well. Like she had to build a wall between herself and the entire world. But when she’s with Beta I can see that wall soften, I can see the love and care they have for each other. It should make me angry; I don’t have that anymore. But all it does is just make me sad. Petra says that I’m incredible, but I just feel lost and lonely all the time despite how hard everyone is trying to keep me going. I wish they’d just stop.

It’d be so much easier to give up if they didn’t care.

~~

The room was quiet aside from Victoria’s soft humming, who sat at her desk with a piece of charcoal in hand. Her fingers glided effortlessly over the parchment, leaving behind a trail of dark dust that she skillfully shaped into precise and purposeful strokes. As she worked, her gaze would occasionally drift to the delicate orchid sitting on the edge of her desk, its dewy petals glistening in the morning sun. She took a moment to appreciate its beauty before returning to her sketch. With each movement of the charcoal, she captured the intricate details of the flower's petals, carefully blending and shading to create depth and texture. She lost herself in the calming focus of her task until she finally leaned back to admire her work, the orchid nearly mirrored on the parchment.

It felt good to have some time for this again. She struggled to recall the last time she had sat and drawn; definitely before the Swarm. Victoria furrowed her brow as her gaze drifted to the wall above her desk. She remembered arguing with Maria then, though she couldn't quite recall what started the fight. She was home for the first time in months, sitting with a canvas and some paint in her apartment while her mama fussed around in the kitchen. Maria wanted her to take a break from her humanitarian work overseas - there had been a health scare and she just wanted their family together. But Victoria was always away, hardly ever returning for holidays or even calling (a guilt that still gnawed at her).

She had been determined not to budge. She finally found a career that brought fulfillment and purpose; something that made her feel like she was really making a difference.

It wasn't until after the Faro Plague reached its peak that Victoria spoke to Maria again, but even then it didn't feel like they had reconciled.

She should have spent more time with them. She should have been there.

Why are you alive and they’re not.

Closing her eyes, Victoria tried to block out the voices in her head.

“Victoria?” Hekarro called out from the other side of the curtained door, “May I come in?”

She frowned; he sounded sterner than usual. “Yeah.” she replied, “Sure.”

He ducked through, all dressed for business today in his armor and crown. He greeted her with a polite smile, but she could tell he was here for a purpose. Victoria then noticed the extra shuffle of feet and murmurs of voices outside the door, and then was surprised to see Dekka enter soon after Hekarro.

"I apologize for interrupting your peace, Victoria," Hekarro said with a slight bow and hand over his heart, “But I fear I must ask you to leave your room for a time.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Why?"

"There is a storm approaching from the west," Hekarro explained, "and we need to prepare the Grove before it arrives. Your room needs to be secured as soon as possible."

Dekka stepped forward and offered her a smile, “I can imagine you don't want to share your space while others are working, so I thought I'd ask if you'd like to join me for breakfast until they're done."

Victoria hesitated for a moment before muttering, "Sure, why not?" She moved the journal aside and got up from her spot. Hekarro gave her another smile as she walked past him and out the door, with Dekka close behind. The Tenakth guards quickly averted their gazes when they saw Victoria, their conversation falling into an uneasy silence. Dekka motioned towards the left down the hallway leading to the crater. She looked up at the bright blue sky as they stepped onto the crater's edge, following it towards the Maw.

"Didn't Hekarro say there would be a storm?" she asked. Dekka nodded and shooed away some of the guards away from the gates.

"Don't be deceived by the clear sky. Even on the outskirts of the Lowlands, a storm can appear before you know it. But for those who are aware, there are signs that give away its approach. The winds have been picking up from the west, and it carries the scent of thunder and rain. Our luck also held with a messenger from Thornmarsh arriving to warn us beforehand."

They entered the dimly lit mess hall, which was mostly empty except for a small group of exhausted Tenakth gathered around a table in one corner. In the center of the room stood a large, well-stocked kitchen with a blazing fire and a boar roasting on a spit. The delicious aroma filled her senses as they approached the counter, where a small Tenakth woman was bustling around cleaning.

"Chaplain," the woman greeted, "I was wondering if you would come by this morning."

Dekka chuckled, "It's been quite a busy start to the day."

"I heard. Poor thing ran all the way here from Thornmarsh. I made sure to give him some food; he's sleeping now."

"Good. Two bowls for us this morning." Dekka paused, thinking for a moment. "And also the Strike board, if you don't mind."

The cook grinned, "Right away, Chaplain."

The woman set to work in an instant, bringing over an intriguing-looking board and a heavy leather bag for Dekka to take. Both were handed to Victoria and she was directed towards a table against the far wall. "Could you bring these over there?"

"Uhhhh, sure?" Victoria responded with a shrug, doing as she was told. Dekka followed closely behind, carrying two piping hot bowls of breakfast. Once they reached the table, Victoria settled into her seat while Dekka sat across from her, placing one of the bowls in front of her before turning her attention to the board. As she removed tile pieces from the bag and arranged them on the board, Victoria couldn't help but watch curiously as she ate her rice, meat, and eggs. “Am I allowed to ask what we’re doing?”

The older woman chuckled, "Of course, there are no secrets here." She pulled out what looked like game pieces from the bag. Victoria picked one up and immediately recognized it as a machine similar to the one Aloy had saved her from. "We're going to play Machine Strike, or Strike for short. It's a simple game played on this board with different landscape tiles that determine movement and defense. Since you're new to the game, we'll stick with grassland tiles which offer no penalties or advantages. Then we choose our pieces, each worth a certain number of setup points. If your opponent destroys your machine, they receive those points. Each set can only have pieces whose points add up to ten. The first player to reach seven points or eliminate all of their opponent's machines wins. Each piece also has its own attack and defense powers listed at the bottom. Any questions?"

Victoria shrugged, shifting in her seat for comfort and leaning forward. “No, but I learn better by doing anyway.”

Dekka smirked, “Then pick your pieces.”

They fell into a comfortable as Victoria carefully picked out her Strike pieces, eventually deciding on a few that caught her eye. Dekka instructed her on how to position the pieces on the board, humming softly as they set up the game. "Bristleback, Bellowback, and Scrapper. An interesting combination choice. Let's see how it plays out. You first.”

The game started slowly, with Victoria stumbling through her turns as Dekka patiently corrected and guided her. Predictably, Victoria lost the first game by a landslide. She was allowed to switch out some of her pieces for the second round, choosing a Leaplasher instead of the Bellowback and a Grazer instead of the burrower. This time, she put up more of a fight but still ended up losing. Dekka smiled at her as they both collected their pieces and returned them to their respective sides of the board, nearly forgetting about their bowls in the process.

"You catch on quickly," Dekka commented. "I'm impressed. But your tendency to rush blindly into battle won't do you any favors in a strategy game like this."

“Yeah, mi mama always used to tell me I was too hotheaded for my own good.” Victoria chuckled and began gathering up her pieces, adding the Burrower back on her side of the board.

“A trait that has its time and place,” Dekka replied, the game starting again. She hummed as Victoria moved across the board, hesitate, then looked up at her with a curious look in her eye, “How are you adjusting?”

“Fine,” Victoria shrugged, “I guess.”

“I'm glad to hear that. I'll admit I was worried about you for a while,” Dekka said, her focus back on the Strike board. “It's good to see that you've been going on more walks with Hekarro and Beta lately.”

“Well, it's not like they give me much of a choice,” Victoria grumped.

Dekka laughed heartily, “I suppose they don't. Beta can be quite stubborn in her own way. And I know the Chief well enough to know he wouldn't let you languish if he could help it.”

Victoria tried not to perk up at that and instead focused on her next move, frowning when Dekka's Plowhorn took out her Burrower. “You've known Hekarro for a long time then?”

"Since he was just a little boy. I still remember the day he was born, so small compared to his parents. Oh, how proud they would be of him now. He's become more of a legend than a mere man these days."

"Hekarro? Small?" Victoria couldn't help but smirk, and Dekka chuckled again.

"It's hard to believe, isn't it? There was a time when we were worried he wouldn't make it. Life was tough for the Clans back then. The Clan Wars claimed Hekarro's parents before he could even walk, so how could a young boy like that survive in our world? But even at such a young age, you could tell Hekarro was sharp. Much sharper than most people gave him credit for, much more adaptable. That served him well during those early years. And when he finally came into his own, after spending years at Fenrise, under the supervision of the Enduring, his cleverness only made him a force to be reckoned with.”

Victoria moved her Leaplasher closer to Dekka's Grazer, smirking as she destroyed Dekka's Scrounger. "So is that how Hekarro became chief?"

"In part," Dekka replied, retaliating by taking out the Leaplasher with her Plowhorn. "Hekarro was Commander of Thornmarsh before becoming chief. He led the Lowland Clan to numerous victories against the Desert and Sky Clans."

Victoria scowled at the game board. "You’d mentioned a Clan War."

"Exactly so," Dekka confirmed. "A war that lasted countless generations, since our tribe's founding. Differences in lifestyle and interpretations of the Visions found in the Grove led to conflicts, which only fueled more resentment and retaliation among the clans. It wasn't uncommon for Tenakth to die at a very young age back then."

"So, what? Hekarro was just a warlord then? How did he become chief if you all couldn't even get along? What changed?"

There was a long pause as Dekka strategized her next move with her Plowhorn, "Hekarro changed. Don't let his current demeanor fool you, Victoria. He is still a formidable warrior, and like all warriors, he had ambition. The Grove has always been sacred to us, even before the unification of the Tenakth. What better way for Hekarro to solidify his legacy and legend than by laying claim to something no one else ever could? And when he stood among the fallen in the aftermath of his victory, your Mother's Vision came to him alone. Anne Faraday's call for peace resonated with him, and it changed him. It changed all of us, and our lives have only been better because of it. Without her Vision, I doubt our tribe would still exist today."

Victoria moved her Grazer back and inched her Bellowback forward, “How so?”

“Not long after we united under Chief Hekarro, a tribe from the east began to lay waste to our Utaru allies across the mountains. This conflict became known as the Red Raids, and if we had been fighting amongst ourselves instead of joining the Utaru against a common enemy, it's likely we would have been wiped out. Then came the Derangement of the machines, the Blight, the Blood Choke… All of which we survived because we were stronger together as a Tribe, than apart as the Clans.”

Dekka emerged triumphant after the third round, taking the board and bowls to the counter while Victoria was lost in her own thoughts. The fact that she had slept for a thousand years hit her with full force once again. It was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the rich history of the tribe she coexisted with, and even harder to dismiss the impact her mother had on it all. She couldn't help but feel frustrated that even after a millennium and with Anne long gone, Victoria was still unable to escape her mother's shadow.

Movement caught her eye, and she looked over to see Hekarro entering the mess hall. The Tenakth in the corner immediately perked up, greeting their chief loudly as he walked past them. Hekarro stopped to chat with them, filling the room with laughter and his deep baritone voice. It was hard to reconcile this man with the image of a bloodthirsty warlord. While Hekarro could be stern when necessary, Victoria couldn't imagine him being terrifying or merciless when he had worried about her enough to force her to eat and accompany her on walks just so she wouldn't be alone. And hanging orchid vines above her bedroom tree because they made her happy? A warlord just… wouldn’t do something like that. Maybe, deep down, he had always had the capacity to care about others because people like what he was before hardly ever changed.

“Victoria?” Her heart skipped a beat as she looked up, surprised to see Hekarro's warm, honey-gold gaze. Lost in her thoughts, she hadn't even noticed him approaching her. He tilted his head and smiled softly, “Is everything alright?”

She shook her head, “Yeah, sorry. My mind was somewhere else.”

“It is of no consequence, Victoria. We’ve finished securing your room, and are free to return to it when you want. Did you enjoy your morning with Dekka?”

Victoria shrugged, “Yeah, I guess. She taught me how to play Strike? And she taught me a little of your tribe’s history.”

Hekarro chuckled, “I fear much of our history is quite tedious across the generations.” He watched her as she stood, a curious look in his eye as he fell into an easy stride next to her. Victoria nodded as they left the mess hall and veered right towards the gates to the main road.

“Yeah, Dekka said you tribe suffered from Clan Wars and… the Red Raids?”

“Yes, we did. I suppose it must be ironic for you, considering your own experiences with this place. A monument to death and loss, as you called it. Something that the Tenakth can't seem to escape.”

"You're working towards a new name for it though. A different history.” As they walked down the road, she furrowed her brow and looked out at the ruins. “Maybe… maybe losing your past isn't entirely a bad thing."

“Why do you say that?”

"Well, sometimes it's easier to let go of a curse if you don't know its origins." She hesitated before adding, "This place used to bring you comfort, but now it's tainted because I can't let go of everything it took from me. You have the opportunity to give it a new purpose."

They paused to look over the museum—The Grove— and Hekarro hummed softly at her side, offering another smile that sent her nerves fluttering in her stomach, “A purpose, I should think, that I hope you get to see, Victoria. A poetic justice to see this monument turned from death and loss to one of hope.”

“Yeah…maybe…”

~~

Day Whatever The Fuck This Is,

Note to self, learn how to play Strike better.

I challenged Petra to a match and got my ass kicked, and if I have to hear her gloat one more time over it, I’m gonna fucking lose it.

[yourssinfullyquiche]

Hi. I was wondering if you could write a mlqc fic where mc accidently tells gavin over the phone that she used to have a massive crush on him in high school. Sfw or NSFW please. Thank you

Hi anon! Thank you for your request and patience~ I made it SFW, hope you like it💖

I get a call from Gavin and the dreaded words I do not want to hear drifts over, immediately souring my mood. 

“You’re upset, I know,” Gavin says. 

“I’m not.” 

My words retain a calm, steady tone yet my feelings say otherwise. Annoyance runs through my veins, but the pain in having him away floats above all and threatens to make me cry. I miss him so much, it’s been a month. Now, he may be gone for two. He was supposed to be back last week, so I had everything planned out starting with him staying at home and catching on his sleep. 

It’s so late at night. It is perhaps why his voice sounds so hoarse, tiredness bleeding into it. A part of me feels so sad for him, and the other—the vixen can’t help but feel warm all over. My ears catch a soft chuckle and the annoyance bubbles over—this man has the audacity to find the situation funny. 

“Really?” He says. “So you’re not pouting on the bed wearing my hoodie preparing to eat Magnum Almond?” I hear the mirth clear in his tone.

“...” 

Heat floods to my cheeks. Does he have super sonic evol ears now to hear the freezer opening, I think.

“Shut up, Gavin. And fyi I wear your hoodies all the time even when you’re here, so it doesn’t make a difference”, I shoot back. 

The sweet laughter he lets out—music to my ears, makes me laugh as well and my annoyance dissipates quickly. 

“It’s 1 AM. You know how susceptible you are to colds. Be good and keep that tub of ice cream for tomorrow, alright.” 

A few moments pass before I breathe a sigh conceding to his advice. “Okay,” I mumble cutely. I’m surprisingly malleable when it comes to that silky voice which he uses to persuade me away from poor habits. The reward I get is a virtual kiss and a “good girl” which makes me bite my lips in a smile. 

The kisses he gives over the phone soothe me but it also punctuates my longing for him because all I want is to snuggle closer into the safety of his arms and feel the warmth of his kisses suffuse into my body. I’m quiet as he talks, something Tang Chao did and how Gavin had to punish the whole squad due to his cheekiness. 

To his credit, Gavin quickly notices the lack of response and calls my attention, and the thought that plagues my mind crosses my lips. “Sometimes I wonder how our lives would be if you had not joined the STF, then you wouldn’t have to leave me off somewhere dangerous.”

I continue spilling the contents that live in the deepest parts of my mind ignoring the low hum I hear on the other side of the phone, one that tells me that Gavin’s deep in thought.

“Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if we had never reunited at the police station, would I have spent my life never meeting you? Sometimes I wonder where our relationship would be now if I had only summoned the courage and confessed to you about the huge crush I had on you back in high school. There was nothing stopping me, no jobs, no responsibilities, except for my cowardice. I-I just want you here baby, I miss you so much…”

I heave a breath after spitting my innermost thoughts and am met with nothing. Silence. He says nothing to the barrage of words that tumbled out. Did I make him uncomfortable? Truly, I don’t know what I’m waiting for, maybe just a grunt for me to know that he heard it all, something to tell me that sharing my thoughts did not scare him or annoy him. 

Then I hear him draw a shaky breath, and I think he's definitely annoyed with me when I hear his sweet laugh once more. “Did you just say you had a huge crush on me since high school?” asks Gavin. It takes me a while to compute his question as my brain recovers from the silence so my first instinct is to deny, then ever so slowly it clicks. I slap both my palms to my face as everything I said comes to me, as if I’m rewinding a tape. All I want to do now is crawl into a hole and stay buried in it. 

“You know I won’t let you go until I have my answer”, Gavin says with a hint of cheeky authority. My face warms all over thinking about all the times I’ve dreamed of being Gavin Bai, the school’s infamous delinquent’s girlfriend, all the times I’ve passed by his class and saw him sleeping at his desk, just wanting to be next to him and brush the strands of chestnut hair from his eyes; all the times I’ve wished to bravely hold his hands and walk along the corridors.

Eat our lunches together, hang out in the music room as my fingers deftly glide over the keys with him gazing adoringly at me. To spend our evenings in the library as I secretly look over the cover of my Byron copy at him pretending to be interested in studying; and to look into his liquid golden eyes as I inch closer to meet his lips as the wind whips around us at the school balcony. 

I’m embarrassed with my naive misstep but I won’t deny him the truth. 

“Yes,” I say softly. 

I hear Gavin’s breathy laugh, then he says, “So we both had huge crushes on each other…”

Guilt rises up from the pit of my stomach, If only…I begin to think. 

“Stop.” Gavin’s strict tone resounds in my ear. “I know what you’re thinking. Yes we lost our time, and went our separate ways, but we’re here now, together. We are right where we need to be. Everyday I wake up grateful knowing that the woman I love now at 28 is the same kind, beautiful and hardworking woman I loved when I was sixteen. Only now I have the privilege of seeing all her sides that make her who she is, and if that meant us not having our time in high school then so be it. I would want to spend my whole life with you, than have our time end at one phase of our lives.” 

My heart flutters at his words, the guilt I feel washes away replaced with such giddiness, a big smile forms. I so want to kiss his lips. But I know I can’t, so I send my virtual kisses making sure I smack my lips so loud, he knows how much I appreciate his words—him mostly. We talk until the weight of both our jobs settles into our bodies, then we reluctantly say our goodbyes. 

Before he ends the call, he does comfort me, assuring me that he will come back as soon as he can, that he can’t stand the distance as well and that he loves me so much. I tell him to be careful, to take care of himself and that I love him so much. We’re both laughing into the receiver before I end the call and I think, as long as we have the air in our lungs, Gavin and I will always try to make up for lost time once we're together.

[gothicmama]

"A Quiet Moment In Bed" (Working Title)

This started as just me wanting to give Phrixia and Pan a nice moment in bed before they have to start the day, and as is usual for me, I couldn't just let it be fluffy and cute, I had to put some sad in there somewhere. Also some backstory for Pan, I'm taking some creative liberties with the limited mythology there is about him. I've fussed with this for a while and I'm finally just posting it as is, if I end up changing it later I'll put a note The title is a working title, also, until I think of something better.

AO3 link https://archiveofourown.org/works/54093718

The curtains by the balcony fluttered as cool, fresh morning air made its way through the large double doors, left open all night to let in the sounds and scents of the forest at night. Sunlight streamed into the room before the curtains fell still, the sheer white fabric dimming the brightness again. Pan, who had gotten a face full of sun in that brief moment, grunted sleepily and turned his head away. There were benefits to being able to change his form, and making his horns disappear so he could sleep comfortably was one he certainly enjoyed. He struggled to go back to sleep, but decades of waking up with the sun had him conditioned. After a couple minutes of trying and failing to get comfortable enough for sleep to take him again, he gave up. Sighing, he settled on his side, facing away from the open doors, opened his eyes and blinked sleep from them. Then his eyes widened, a soft gasp escaping.

Across from him, but still within arm’s reach, Phrixia lay sleeping. If the sun had hit her face, it hadn't bothered her at all apparently. On her stomach, she had her face half buried in the soft pillow she was hugging with both arms. Her hair was flowing everywhere, as if it had a mind of its own, and her pointed ear broke through the soft, messy blanket it created. The comforter, a large, thick heavy blanket made from the softest and greenest fabric he could find, had drifted down her body as they moved in the night, revealing her upper back and just a peek of her bottom. She always looked peaceful while sleeping, in a way she never looked while awake. She wore her feelings on her sleeve, her face showing every emotion she felt. Not only that, in her sleep she let go of all the magic that kept her hair straight and her makeup intact. Seeing her calm and natural was always a bit jarring in comparison to her usual appearance, but despite that he relished every chance he got to see her like that.

His gaze dropped to her lips. He knew logically that her lips were naturally black, she didn't need lipstick. But he still couldn't shake the urge to try and smear the black color, make a mess of her. As his mind wondered to thoughts of getting her to wear black lipstick just so he could kiss it off of her, he lazily lifted his hand. He brushed her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear, his touch careful and tender. She stirred and sighed at the touch but didn't wake. Unable to keep the smile from his face, he laid his hand over hers.

His gaze dropped from his face to their hands, resting on the pillow next to her head. There was such a contrast between them, even in his smaller form. His were larger than hers, though the size difference between them was nothing compared to when he was in his larger form. It wasn’t just in their sizes though. His were tanned, while hers were still unnaturally pale despite all the time she’d spent outside, before and after meeting him. His hands were rough and strong from years of wielding weapons and working outside, while hers were soft and smooth, yet deceptively strong. So different, as different as the worlds they came from.

His smile faded slowly as his thoughts changed, as he began to wonder just what they were doing together. It wasn’t the first time he’d had those thoughts, he had them more than he wanted to admit to himself or to her. Their relationship, if that’s what it could be called, was still shaky and new. They were figuring things out about each other and themselves together, yet for every two steps forward they took it sometimes felt like they took one step back. It wasn’t surprising, they came from very different worlds and had to learn how to integrate the two together into their own world. A feat which was often made difficult due to the incredible stubbornness they both shared, one of the few ways they were alike. Sometimes he wondered if it was worth trying, if all the disagreements and fighting were worth whatever good thing they were trying to build together.

As if reacting to the change in his thoughts, Phrixia let out a sleepy, humming sigh. Pan froze, held his breath, as she turned her face fully into the pillow. She awkwardly rubbed it against the soft material before resting her cheek on it again. For a brief moment, he thought she was still asleep, but then her eyes fluttered. He couldn’t look away and suddenly he found himself staring into her silvery eyes. Neither moved, neither breathed, and for those precious few seconds it felt like time was standing still. Even sleepy, her gaze was piercing, leaving him feeling as though she could see straight through him. It was so intense that he broke the stillness first. He turned his head away to look up at the flowers that created the bed’s canopy, but he could still feel her eyes on him, making him shiver.

Blinking a few times to clear her vision, Phrixia was greeted by the pensive face of her lover. She frowned. That wasn't a face anyone should have been making while in bed with her, and not a face she wanted to see on him ever. She pulled her hand out from under Pan's, dragging his gaze back to her with the move. His eyes jumped up back to hers as she raised her hand. She trailed her fingers down his cheek and whispered, "It's too early for such serious thoughts."

Pushing his thoughts away, Pan chuckled, his chest rumbling, and he gave her a small smile. "Apologies. No one should be thinking anything when they could be admiring you." Phrixia's eyes widened, and her cheeks burned. She turned and hid her face in the pillow. She dropped her hand to the bed between them, her embarrassed mumbles muffled by the green pillowcase. Laughing quietly, Pan slipped his hand under hers, so their palms were together. He entwined their fingers then pulled her hand close. He turned his head to kiss her fingertips, one by one, over and over, until she lifted her head up.

"Do you talk to all the nymphs like that, or just me?" She halfheartedly teased.

"I am a flirt, little nymph," He answered honestly. She lowered her eyes, and he knew it was to hide something, probably disappointment. It was still a sensitive subject sometimes, his past sexual history. He knew it stemmed not from jealousy, but instead from her fear of not being enough for him. A fear that wasn’t helped when some of his own people, past partners and others, seemed determined to prove her right. It was just another obstacle they faced being together, another thing they had to learn to navigate together.

He rolled on to his side, scooted closer to her, and dipped his head to hers. She responded to his kiss without hesitation, kissing him back despite the slight sadness in her eyes. When he pulled his head back a couple minutes later, he leaned his forehead against her. They breathed together, sharing the air and silence between them for a moment, before he whispered, "But you are absolutely the most beautiful being I've ever had the pleasure to see."

Panting and flushed from the kiss, the over-the-top compliment made Phrixia hide her face again. She ducked her head, her hair falling over her face. “You’re more beautiful," she murmured after a moment.

Pan was caught off guard by her words. People didn't normally compliment him, and on the few instances where they did, they never called him beautiful. Feeling awkward and uncertain, he looked away from her, back to the flowers above them. He cleared his throat to give himself time to come up with a response. "I tend not to argue with nymphs, for my own health, but I have to disagree on this one." His voice trembled slightly despite his effort at sounding confident.

His effort was futile. Phrixia could see past the words, see straight into him like she often did. She lifted her head up so she could face him properly. She held back a sigh. She didn't understand how he, someone so powerful and attractive even in his smaller form, could be so self-conscious about his appearance. It was something that happened regularly between them. She would compliment him and he would brush it off. Normally she would let it go. But this time, her curiosity got the better of her. She raised herself up on her elbows and tossed her hair out of her face. A moment of silence passed, as he continued to stare at the bed canopy, and she thought about what she wanted to say. She didn’t want to upset him, she just wanted to know more about him. Maybe help him.

"You know. I don't get it," she finally said, pulling his eyes back to her.

Confusion spreading across his face, he hesitantly asked, "Don't get what?"

"Why are you so self-conscious?" She said it bluntly as she met and held his gaze.

His eyebrows rose up in shock, both at her tone and the question itself. No one had ever asked him that before, not even his closest friends or family.

A tense minute passed, where neither looked away from the other, before he finally fought through his shock to speak. "What do you mean?" Answering her question with one of his own was a clear deflection, causing her to furrow her brow slightly. Pan looked away from her again and rolled onto his side, facing away from her. She sat up fully and scooted closer till her knees touched his back. She leaned over his body to look down at his face. She wasn't going to let the conversation go away so easily. She'd thought about this for months, every time he deflected compliments from her or anyone else her heart hurt wondering what had happened to make him not see that he was not only a good person, a good friend and partner, but he was also very pleasing to look at.

When he stoically refused to meet her gaze again, she reached over him and lowered her hand to his cheek. His face flinched, a move so slight she wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't been looking directly at him before it hardened. She stoked his skin soothingly with her thumb and he ever so slowly relaxed. His chest rose and fell with a deep sigh as his eyes slipped closed. She cupped his other cheek and leaned over him further, her naked body pressed against his, to be face to face. She waited patiently for his eyes to open.

When they did and vibrant green met shimmering silver, she reassuringly murmured, "You can talk to me, Pan." He held her gaze for a long moment, then he closed them with another, smaller sigh. He nodded, resigned, and she caressed his face once more before releasing him. Settling back behind him, she trailed her hand down his arm, slipped it into his hand and entwined their fingers. She squeezed, a silent encouragement, and after a moment of hesitation he squeezed back. Neither moved after that, the only sounds in the room the curtains as they danced in the slight breeze from outside. She didn’t want to rush him so she waited, but after two minutes passed she began to worry that he had changed his mind. She opened her mouth, either to reassure him that he didn’t have to or to again encourage him to, she didn’t know which, then he opened his mouth. Anticipation had her sucking in her breath before he spoke, voice rumbling through the air.

"Do you know why I was brought to Olympus?"

The question took her by surprise. She hadn’t expected that and didn’t immediately understand what that had to do with his self-consciousness. Curiosity growing, she tilted her head and said, "Your father, Hermes, took you there as a babe." It was more a question than a statement, but it was all she knew. It was all she'd ever heard or read, that Hermes had taken Pan with him to raise him on Olympus. The reasons why varied depending on who you asked or what book you picked up, from Hermes simply feeling parental about this particular child over the others to Zeus ordering Hermes to bring his child to Olympus because of his peculiar appearance.

"He did," Pan affirmed. He frowned up at the flower canopy, his mouth twisting one way than the other as if chewing on his words. When he continued speaking, he was clearly still struggling with them, but he forced them out anyway. "I didn't look like most babes when I was born. I was so strange, so ug-" He broke off, snapping his mouth shut. Phrixia instantly raised his hand to her chest and held it against her skin, right over her heart. She rubbed it slowly, soothingly, and waited. He swallowed hard, several times, before he could continue. "Unusual. So unusual, I was born in my true form and every day I aged years. I frightened everyone who saw me. Even my mother herself, though her love for me was stronger than her fear. But she, my mother, she couldn't handle raising me. Couldn't handle the stares and the whispers, from strangers and friends alike. So, she called on Hermes to take me to Olympus. The gods thought, think, me beautiful and unique. But the ones who serve and live alongside them did not, and still do not. I grew up surrounded by fear and unease, shunned and isolated. I ran from Olympus as soon as I could, only to find it worse here. Without the fear of the gods overhearing them, people are more open about their fear and hate. They are more confident in lashing out, the only ways they know to deal with these emotions. I ended up returning to Olympus, until enough time passed that I forgot, that I began to hope again. I returned to Earth many times, trying to find some place where I could live in peace. Only to return to Olympus, broken and bruised, physically and mentally. This was my life for decades, until I learned how to change forms." 

It was Phrixia's turn to struggle for words. Pan continued to stare determinedly at the flowers above them, his whole body hard and still as stone. The hand she held against her skin trembled from how tensed it was. He wasn't even breathing, holding his breath as the seconds passed in silence. When she still couldn't speak over a minute later, she chose action instead. She raised his hand to her lips and kissed his fingers. They twitched in response, curled into a fist as if trying to get away from her but she wouldn't be deterred that easily. She gently pried them open and entwined their fingers again.

He froze as his eyes widened slightly. The nearly imperceptible sign of shock confused her for a split second before realization hit her. He had just bared a part of himself to her, a major part of his life, that he kept hidden from everyone. And he fully expected her to pull away from him, to be afraid of him. That's what finally freed the words locked inside her and she knew what to say. She pressed his palm to her cheek, cupping her face with his roughened hand, and cupped his cheek the same way with her free hand. "They were wrong, Pan. All of them." His eyes jumped to hers, growing even wider with shock. Her eyes shined with sincerity in return. "There's nothing ugly about you, there never has been. Everyone else was wrong."

Tears filled Pan's eyes and he quickly closed them. The tears burned behind his lids, but he shut them tight to ensure not one escaped. "You don't know, you haven't seen," he mumbled but she was quick to cut him off.

"I don't have to see or know anything, I know you." She knew what he meant, knew that she hadn’t seen his true form yet. She hoped he would trust her enough to let her see it one day, but until then, she saw all that she needed to see. He could change his appearance, make himself smaller, but that didn’t change who he was. And that’s all she cared about, as much as she wanted to see his true form, as much as her curiosity raged inside her just thinking about it, if she could only have him like this then she would be happy. Because to her, that’s all that really mattered.

Raising herself up, she threw her leg over him and straddled his body. He automatically rolled onto his back so she could settle on his abdomen, desire the last thing on either of their minds despite their mutual nakedness. His eyes, pained and tearful, opened into cracks and were instantly locked in her eyes again. His free hand unconsciously rose to her waist, thumb stroking her pale skin gently. She nuzzled the hand she held and kissed his palm, then murmured, "Only those who are too stupid to see clearly would be blind to what I see."

Pan could only respond with silence, his breath and voice trapped in his throat. She broke eye contact with him then, closing hers slightly as she slowly leaned down. Her nose nudged his, her lips brushed against his, before she touched her forehead to his. As her eyes closed fully, she whispered, "I see you." The tenderness in her touch and voice broke him. Closing his eyes released the dam and his tears flowed forth freely. He wouldn't sob, refused to let her see that, but she didn't push for more. She kissed all over his face, catching his tears and sharing them with him. In between kisses she whispered more tender words, saying without saying what they weren't brave enough to acknowledge. She wrung more tears from him every time they dried up, but she was quick to sooth them away with tender fingers and lips.

Neither knew how much time had passed when he finally ran out of tears. But the sun had risen higher in the sky and sounds of life could be heard from outside as his people started their days. She kissed his lips one last time, wiped the last of the tears from his cheeks, and lifted her head. Her body ached from being the same position for so long, but she wasn’t worried about that. She cupped his face and waited for him to look up at her. When he did, she gave him a gentle smile. His eyes were red and puffy, the only evidence of the tears he’d shed, and she gently brushed her fingers over them. It only took a little magic in her fingertips to soothe the irritation, leaving his eyes bright again. He let out a surprised chuckle when the soreness and stinging disappeared.

She chuckled with him, then kissed both eyelids, one then the other. When she raised her head to look down at him again, he lifted his hands and copied her, cupping her cheeks in his hands. Even in his smaller form, her face easily into his palm. She leaned into one of them slightly and, with another smile, she softly, tenderly, said, “No matter what form you take, what face you wear, I’ll always see you.”

Impossibly, fresh tears flooded his eyes. He couldn’t stand crying in front of her a second time, the first time had been too much for him to handle already, so he clenched his eyes shut tight. Her fingers brushed over them, featherlight but warm, and he leaned his head into the touch. Desperation rose in him, a need to tell her that he felt the same, but he couldn’t find the words. So, instead, he did the only thing he knew how to do. He sat up quick, pulling a surprised gasp from her, and with his gentle grip on her face, he pulled her into a kiss. He put everything he was feeling, everything he wanted to say, into the kiss. After her initial surprise, she returned the kiss with the same passion, the same hunger. They stayed like that, letting their bodies say what their voices couldn’t, for a long time, uncaring of the world outside.

I've read over this so many times, if I've still managed to miss any typos, mistakes, or inconsistencies, please let me know! Thank you!

[theunexpectedexpectations]

They drove for hours it seemed. Freya cried and listened to music a majority of the time. She wanted to text one of her friends or something, but she can't put anyone else in danger. It all made sense though. Why her mom was always planning things and getting ready for pretty much anything. She was always several steps ahead of people.

They pulled up to this small cottage. Freya looked up and saw a table for sitting outside and a cute little garden area. It was quaint, but definitely FAR away from everything. She planned ahead and bought the abandoned store up the road, too. But it's boarded up.

They walk in and Freya immediately felt drained.

She looked around at the pictures and saw there was at least a tv and speaker. Ezequiel walked toward the kitchen.

"You want some grilled cheese, too?" he asked.

"No. I'm actually going to go settle in." she said quietly.

He nodded and walked away.

She watched him walk away with tears swelling.

"Why is this happening..?" she whispered. "I just know he has to be sad." She decided to just take a quick look around to at least see what the place has to offer.. since she also has no idea how long she'll be here may as well get comfy.

She walked into the computer room. It looked pretty normal, but something was nagging in the back of her mind about this place. It made her feel anxious. She assumed it was just nerves and shock.

"Ill be fine." she said walking to her room.

"Hey, I thought you were getting settled?" Ezequiel said behind the counter.

"I just wanted to see what all was in the house, but I'm kind of sleepy. I might lay down." she responded.

"Well, I'll be done cooking in an hour. I decided to make home made tomato soup and they have gouda stocked in this place! So I decided to whip up something better than just a standard grilled cheese." he looked happy, but he's just distracting himself from the truth.

"Boy, what a small room." she sighed. "Oh well, it'll work.

She unpacked her bags, and hung her clothes up. Her eyes were starting to burn from how tired she was feeling.

"Maybe I'll just relax, and lay down for a minute."

She pulled the blanket back laid down. She started to drift asleep pretty quickly not only was she emotionally drained, but she was physically tired she hasn't slept since yesterday.

Ezequiel opened Freya's door.

"Hey, sweetie I just fini-" he stopped realizing she was stone cold out.

He tip toed away and shut the door.

Now was his time to look into this. Freya is too tired to be worrying about his and he needed to get answers now. He quickly thought to checks all the books, rooms, and that laptop in the other room.

He ran into the kitchen and saw a plant book, but based on the cover it was just a vegan cook book. He got mad thinking to himself that Sigrid wasn't even vegan why would she have a vegan cook book. He checked the cabinets, which were just filled with honey jars, and spices.

Candles, more cook books, matches. Nothing about anything.

He walked out of the kitchen and to the sliding door to go outside. He looked around a saw meditation stool. He teared up because he actually meditates to stay calm, even though she was more calm and had so much more on her plate. He looked out and saw a garden for Freya, and an easel. She knew Freya would need a lot to do.

Walking through the other set of doors that connected to the computer room, he checked every shelf and drawer in there. Nothing. Just decorations, flowers, extra pens and paper. Nothing.

He turned around and remembered the computer.

"I wonder if maybe there is anything in the search history or any other files." he sat down and booted the laptop up.

It immediately popped up with a passcode screen. He sighed. But he thought hard, and tried a few things he remembered her using before. He sighed as it just shook and said "Wrong passcode." again. Then he remembered something she did for Freya when they had the family computer at home.

FreyaVA!

And the computer let him in. He was mad that he didn't think of that first. The only thing on there was a recycle bin, and a file named "Cottage Blueprints" he pulled it open and it was just a picture of the cottage, he looked and then just got mad and walked away.

He sat on the couch and looked around the room. He looked towards the door just waiting for Sigrid to come and tell him he's got this and that he just needs to focus. But he needs to remember that, that won't be happening anymore.

His chest just ached thinking about that. He noticed the piano in the corner and remembered Sigrid playing piano well and showing Freya how to play Mary Had a Little Lamb. He cried for a few moments. He decided to go back to the computer and try looking again.

He opened the blueprints again and looked closer at the options. There was a page 2 and he didn't even see it! He click on the arrow, and there was a basement addition added not that long ago. It's just through the garage. The only thing is that he didn't see any description. It was just an empty box. He stood up and quickly made his way to the garage.

He began to feel his heart race as he pushed the door open. Knowing he's about to get an answer to the questions he's been asking her for a long time.

He looked down to the right and there it was.

The basement addition.

He walked down the stairs, trying to mentally prepare himself for whatever it could be. He began to think if it was to the point where the blueprints were altered and hidden then it must be secret. He took one step at a time and when he got to the bottom he was left speechless.

"What.. The.. Hell?" he whispered. He walked around the caldron and peered into the cabinet.

It had all kinds of different things in there.

Eye of Newt, Tooth of Wolf, Owlets Wing, all kinds of weird things. As well as rose petals, lavender, and oils. Different bottled up concoctions on the shelves.

"This doesn't tell me anything other than.. I guess maybe I'd have to accept she was a witch and into weird things? Although, I figured she wasn't into this stuff."

He looked at the pictures and read different runes and other things he couldn't quite describe. A photo of Sigrid and her family.. "strange though" he thought, she said they all had died on a cruise when she was a baby and she was raised by her aunt. But she's clearly around 10 in this photo. Then a picture of a map of somewhere that does not exist. Baffled he walked toward the shelf and combed through the books.

"For You" by Sigrid Von Alfthan.

"Thank you, god.." he whispered. He grabbed the book and changed into his pajamas.

He opened the book and began reading.

Ezequiel, my dear, if you're reading this I'm sorry. I wish this was not how things ended up. Honestly, I thought that staying quiet would be best because people can't handle some information. Humans can't at least. I'm sure you've deciphered that I'm a witch. I come from a thousand year old blood line.. We are nobles in the Realm. My job is to keep the Mortal Realm safe. Life is not what you think it is. Just as there are witches, there are other beings as well. It's classified to speak of yet, but in time you'll learn. I left you with all the tools and the books. Eventually you will hear what others there are, but this is allowed be to explained because it pertains to information needed to know now to help further keep the Mortal Realm safe. Freya is an interesting child. My blood runs in her and she's already got power that is blipping all across Dimensions and Universes'. She's not yet aware and if she knew it would only put her in danger at such a young and influential age. She's very attuned to almost every plane of existence she can transcend, see them, and interact with them. Something like that is.. unique. She has the ability to bend the reality around her and see what she wishes to truly see. She's too young to fully understand what that kind of power could do. There are things-entities-beings that want her to help not-so-good agendas. Again it's mostly classified as I can't provoke fear it's not allowed in my department. All I can say is: Please keep our little girl safe. When the time comes you'll know.

All my love,

Sigg

[seamless-socks]

so knowing what i know about tumblr, i prolly missed an ass load of tags. if you see this and don't like… uh… sadness? death? more sadness? shitting on the old man in the sky (if he or she or whatever it could be even exists)? dying men who are a little bit irish and also texan somehow??? flee my friend!!! fleeeeee!!!

still here? too bad for you. this is unrefined, utterly. i wrote it at four am and merely reread it. once. please leave constructive criticism. i know it's not good, don't tell me for fuck's sake, not without some advice. i'll accept slander disguised as helpful tips but JUST BARELY AND YOU'RE ON THINNNNN FUCKING ICE PAL

I screamed at first. Flailed wildly, struggled to tear off my suit before Allen had stopped me. Shouted curses through my visor at the cold, unresponsive stars scattered throughout the black. Tear tracks ran down my face, little salty trails that had long dried. My strangled gasps had calmed down to even little sips of oxygen.

To be honest, I didn't much see the point. We were gonna die anyways. They'd left us behind. How the fuck could they have left us behind? How little did they care about us that the moment the first signs of danger appeared, they'd cut us off and disappeared? How were those the people I'd come to know over the past few months?

"Hey. Max." Allen. Shit, that guy couldn't let a man throw himself a pity fest in peace. Too good for this business, I always thought.

Allen and I were tied together at our waists using our severed o2 cords. It left our hands free and kept us from drifting out of range of one another. I'm pretty sure no one wants to die alone.

Don't look towards Eleanor.

I didn't look towards Eleanor.

"What," I snapped over my intercom with more bite than I'd intended. I immediately regretted it when Allen didn't reply, going silent except for the faint sounds of his breathing. Shit, shit, no, I didn't mean it--

"Got anyone special waiting for you back home?" His question was so surprising I couldn't help but let out an embarrassed laugh.

"Oh, fuck, no. Why, you interested, big boy?" I heard him inhale sharply, and I could just picture him stammering in my head. Wh-- huh, no-- I didn't-- I wasn't-- Max, now is not the time! Unfortunately for my own amusement, I didn't really feel like teasing Allen while we were waiting around for our respective imminent demises. "Aha, no, don't worry, just kidding with you." I sighed. "Tell you the truth, nah. If I had a man waiting for me, this is not the business I would have gone into. Only one waiting for me is my cute tabby cat, Arnold, but my asshole of a sister and I agree on one thing-- that girl deserves a good home. I'm not worried about her."

Allen chewed his lip. "I take it you and your sister aren't particularly close?"

I shrugged, trying to push the memories away. "Yeah, not really. Madds was… yeah, doesn't matter how we got like this, honestly, but there ain't much coming back from it." I gave a short, dry laugh. "Especially not now. What about you? Got someone I should know about so I can tease you in our last moments?"

"…" And I fucked up again. I was really good at that, it seemed, but hey, he'd asked first. Why ask if you didn't want it turned around on you?

"…Okay, promise me you won't laugh." Well, that got my eyebrows shooting skyward. Starward. What fuckin' ever.

"Not so sure how hard that'll be, but sure. I'll do my best."

He took a deep breath and then let it out explosively, causing the intercom to spaz out for a second. I winced at the white noise before it cleared up. "Alright, okay. Well, I'm not sure it counts, but… no, really, promise me you won't laugh."

"Cross my heart and hope to die." I started making an X over my heart but couldn't quite reach. Clumsy thing, spacesuits are. "…Eh, I'm with it in spirit. Seriously, though, I won't laugh. It'd be a real douche thing to do right now."

I couldn't see his face, but I swear he smiled. "Thanks. So there was this boy, right? Grade one, I walk up and ask him, do you wanna be friends? Just like that. And he just goes, sure! And that was that, we were friends. Kids are sweet like that, huh?" I grinned and nodded before remembering he couldn't see it. "So we hung out every day at school afterwards. I can't really remember what we did that first year, but it must've been fun, cuz when grade 2 rolled around, I was over the moon to see we were in the same class again. We talked at lunch breaks, and in class, when they let us. Holy shit, we talked so much. I don't think I've ever talked to anyone else in my life as much as I talked with him."

"What did you talk about?" I hummed, crossing my legs.

"Oh, things. It wasn't really important. Whatever caught our interest. What would you do if you had this power, what if you turned into a dinosaur, what's your favorite book, that sort of thing. We just went really in depth, like ridiculously in depth for a couple of… what, five year olds? But it was fun. Made me look forward to coming to school more than I already did."

"Aw, Allen, you were a teacher's pet?" I groaned mockingly. He laughed.

"Yeah, I guess that's what you'd call it. We both were. Quiet, liked to learn. Don't think the whole 'opposites attract' thing is true, to be honest. Third grade rolled around, and we both discovered that we loved to write stories. They were dumbass stories, but we were in third grade, what do you expect? We encouraged each other and I think my enthusiasm might have carried on to him, because later on, turned out he didn't really wanna write anymore. But that's not relevant right now. We made up this game where one of us would create a scenario and the other would pretend to be a character in the scenario, like writing a book in real time."

"Holy shit, Allen, you were a nerd even in third grade!? I mean, knowing you, yeah, but I thought that was more of a high schooler thing."

"Hey, I said no laughing! I know it was stupid."

"Sorry, sorry. You know I'm not serious. Just teasing and all. Sorry."

"…I don't mind, actually. Takes my mind off the… all this."

We both went quiet. I could feel the weight of the stars pressing in on me.

"…Anyways. Fourth, fifth, sixth, we got better at writing and critiqued each other's work. Made some comics together at the start of class, while the teachers were getting the other kids to calm down. Some of them I've still got at home, actually. Maybe I can show them t…."

…

"Ah. We kept playing that game, by the way. Had some real wild times, or as wild as you could get when it's all in your head. Looking back, he's the only person I really talked to those whole six years. Teachers liked me, sure, and I guess my classmates did, too, but all they remembered me for was being that slightly weird quiet kid who hung around his friend all the time. I think it fucked me up a bit when we went to different schools. I made some new friends, but it got a little exhausting keeping up those friendships, and I wasn't getting what I wanted out of them, so I just stopped talking to them. First year of high school rolled around, and when it was over, it really hit me. We hadn't talked in months. Hadn't met in a year. I didn't make any new friends. I don't see the point in talking about it now, but well. After that, I just drifted on through. Grades slipped. If I'd been better about keeping them up, maybe we'd never have met." Maybe he wouldn't be dying here with me, was what he was saying. "Ah, shit, sorry, that came out wrong--"

"Allen," I silenced him. "Don't worry. I get it. Keep going. Or don't, whatever you want."

He cleared his throat, and I couldn't help but notice his voice becoming a bit more warbley as he continued. "Shit. Well, it wasn't until grade twelve happened that I realized I wanted to die."

He stopped abruptly. Jesus fucking christ. That was… Jesus christ! I mean, now was as good a time as ever to spill your guts, but I'd never imagined Allen of all people…

"Fuuuuck, sorry. Shouldn't have told you that. That was rude."

"I don't mind. I think if it's helping you, it's good. Is it helping you?"

He sniffed. "Yeah."

"Okay. You can go on," I encouraged him softly. When did I get so calm and nurturing all of a sudden? Since your best mate admitted he wanted to kill himself, and hasn't told you it ever went away. Asshole.

"So I dropped out of school and became a cargo shipper. Kept drifting along, got caught smuggling goods with a shady crew, sentenced to shipping essential supplies through dangerous quadrants. You know how it went after. Things got better, I guess? And now… shit, now I don't wanna die, but if we get out of this mess, what the fuck am I gonna do with my life? Just keep drifting along? If my friend saw me now, he'd be a helluva lot more disappointed than I could handle. I miss him."

"What was his name?" The quiet question elicited a burst of laughter.

"And that's the real kicker-- for being the main part of my life I enjoyed the most, I can't remember. I can't remember his fucking name. It's like some huge, cosmic joke-- or maybe a twisted story with a solemn, shitty old moral at the end." Allen suddenly snarled, becoming more bitter than I'd ever heard from him. "Agh, if there is some grand old fuck up there, I'm gonna kick him in the jewels a few times. Bastard's an asshole."

That surprised a cackle out of me. "Oh, I'd drink to that. A real cunt." I raised my fist and shook it into empty space comically. "Hear that? Suck my big one, God!"

Allen was laughing with me. "Yeah, go find yourself a real hobby instead of giving kids cancer and shitting on the homeless!"

I laughed harder. Fuck, why hadn't he shown this side of himself back when we were living together on the ship? Cuz he was scared, probably. You're not the most welcoming kinda guy, if you haven't noticed. From what he's told you about his youth, are you really surprised?

We chuckled together for a good while after, a soft, tender thing between us. It was comfortable. Given more time, maybe I could've been the friend Allen needed. Given more time, this conversation never would have happened, and I wouldn't have seen this side of him in the first place. Given more time, I'd just keep on being a right old cunt like I'd always been.

The air felt thinner. The laughing had tired me out, and no matter how deeply I breathed, I couldn't get the ache out of my lungs. "Welp. I think this is it," I chirped, trying to keep the fear out of my voice. "See you on the other side, Allen."

"Same to you, Max."

"…Uh, and if you happen to hear any delirious apologies about Madeline… ignore em, please. That'd be embarrassing."

"After what I just told you? Couldn't embarrass me if you tried, whoever Madeline is."

"Oof, I wouldn't be so sure of that. You don't wanna test me."

"Haha, you're right. I don't wanna test you."

We both subsided. I had a bit of a stupid smile on my face while black crept in on the sides of my vision. My lungs constricted and my breaths turned to gasps turned to wheezes. Muffled came the sounds of Allen going through a similar crisis, but I didn't have the brains for much sympathy at the moment. Mostly just a bunch of 'oh, wahhh, I don't wanna die' nonsense. Well, not nonsense. I don't wanna die. Don't think Allen does, really, either. There's no light at the end of the tunnel. A bunch of little ones, maybe, holes poked in a big old black blanket thrown over sticks by a couple of little kids. They're laughing. They're smiling. I can see wisps of Allen's curly blond hair, and the tangled brown mat of my own.

Everything's gonna be fine, I wanna tell him. We'll meet again.

[kanene-yaaay]

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL AND THE SUN IS BRIGHT AND THE WORLD IS SINGING BECAUSE SQUEAKY BLESSED ALL OF US SIMPLE MORTALS WITH ONE OF HER MOST INCREDIBLE STORIES AGAIN LET'S FUCKING GOOOOO!!!!

All and every spoiler under the cut because I am SHAKING in excitment.

Okay I just started to read and I can not STRESS how much funny is for me to read all about Lan Zhan loving his routine and organization and order and everything when I just KNOW that Wei Wuxian - THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE TEHEEEE- will just come and like a hurricane leave any and everything out of place

AUGH THE ANGST AUGH I DIDN'T EXPECT IT

SHAKING LAN ZHAN BY THE SHOULDERS. HE DESERVES ALL THE LOVE, WEI WUXIAN COME HERE AND HUG UR HUSBAND

Bruh for a moment I just felt like Lan Zhan, all sorrowful and sad and the moment that he got into home and saw his beloved, teasing and being cute, I'm tearing up like in real life. Themmmm. They have so much love.

Me, reading the part where Lan Zhan carries Wei Wuxian in bridal style and starts carressing his back softly and full of love: <3 <3 <3 awwww <3 <3

Me, reading "'Unusually gentle.' He mused, shifting in his husband's hold in an attempt to remove his pants as they approached their bed": HEY HEY HEY CALM DOWN LET'S ALL CALM DOWN HERE

Mah bro literallly saw his husband walking to him and went like "Well, time to get back to work i guess. lemme just take out these pants-"

~~

"Shameless"

~~

[Wei Wuxian's delighted and delightful laughter rung pleasantly in his mind, the same sound he had heard since his youth transporting him back to that fateful night in the rooftops of Cloud Recesses. Loud, mischievous, carefree Wei Wuxian laughing in joy as they drew their swords. Even back then he knew that laugh, that smile, that troublemaker was his everything.]

SOBBING ON THE FLOOR AAAAA SO CUTE SO PRECIOUS SO MUCH LOVEEEEEE

You really didn't lie when you said that was the softest, fluffy thing ever like GOSH! I don't even have a comment for the entire cuddling moment because it's so soft, so sweet, domestic and cute that please just imagine me hugging my phone and occasionally tearing up and smiling and kicking my legst twirling my hair because GOOOOOSH HOW ADORABLY ADORABLE CAN THEY GEEEEET!!

Lan Zhan saying Wei Wuxian's name only to see if he is awake and Wei Wuxian answering with such energy and love aughhhhh i can'ttttt

~~

[Lan Wangji hummed in response. Wei Wuxian hated to admit it, but he was turning into an old man. There was no other reasonable explanation as to why his husband's comforting voice and touch— as wonderful as they were— were enough to almost lull him to sleep before it was even Hai Shi, when he was brimming with energy mere moments earlier. He was almost thankful for Lan Wangji's touch gradually lightening, the goosebumps-inducing drag of nails over his skin enough to keep him awake and aware, instead of drifting off when he could be spending quality time cuddling with his favorite person.]

OHOHOHOHOHOH WE'RE GETTING CLOSER!! I CAN FEEL IT!!! I CAN ALMOST HEAR THE GIGGLES AND SQUEAKS WER'RE GETTING CLOSER!!! THIS IS NOT A BAIT, I REPEAT: WE'RE GETTING CLOSER!!!

[He was perfectly happy lounging in Lan Wangji's arms and being on the receiving end of his care, until his breath hitched in his throat and the pressure of fingers exploring his back crossed the threshold of 'dangerously light' territory.]

VAMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO TEHEEEEEE CARAI GIGGLING KICKING MY LEGS TWIRLING MY HAIR EHEHEHEEEEE RIP MY BROOOO WEI WUXIAN AHAHAHA YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET! DESTROYED! WITH! LOVE!!!!

~~

THE PART ABOUT WEI WUXIAN BEING HORRIBLY TICKLISH NOW IN MO'S BODY IS ONE OF MY FAV HEADCANOS AND AAAAA HOW HAPPY I AM TO SEE IT HERE AAAA <3 <3

[But, fate, as it seemed, took it upon its own hands to uphold karmic justice. Mo Xuanyu's body, in his far from biased opinion, of course, was insanely ticklish. Everywhere. A design flaw his beloved, endlessly benevolent yet merciless and cruel husband happily, constantly took advantage of. There was no way to tell if Lan Wangji was purposefully teasing him or if he had no such intentions, at least not without catching his eyes.]

Almost got feral at this paragraph and start bitting my pillow and shaking my head oof, thank god, essa foi quase, i hope that there won't be any more sentences like this in the fanfic oof, bet i will totally be able to maintain all the ounces of control here

~~

["You know, usually by now you'd already be pounding me into the bed. Why the change?" He blurted out, preening in victory when the man grew still. Better yet, Wei Wuxian's hand playing with Lan Wangji's hair brushed against a suddenly very warm ear.]

I ALMOST CRACKLED OUT LOUD CALMA LÁ WEI WUXIAN MY BRO HOLD OUR HORSES THERE ARE STILL CHILDREN WALKING AROUND

~~

HE TRYING TO WALK AWAY UNDER THE PRETENSE OF "CHECKING UNDER THE FLOOR FOR EMPTY JARS" OHOHOHO WEI WUXIAN YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWAHERE!! Look at Lan Zhan, your love, your husband, u think after 16 years he will be letting you go? e s p e c i a l l y if he is feeling mischiveous??? good luck good luck

~~

NO WAYYYYY, I AM READING THE PART WHERE THEY HOLD HANDS AND LAN ZHAN GRABS HIS WRITS AND I THOUGHT "If he kisses wei ying's wrists our dear patriarch yilling is going to DIE omg it would be so cute" AND GUESS WHAT Literally screaming!!!!! Those two!!!! I caaaant!!!!

~~

Bruh, I was going to go thro every few paragraphs and comment but when the tickling part got in I literally couldn't reading and I think I will combust at any moment now BUT STILL YOU WILL GET YOUR COMMENTS EVEN IF I END UP MELTING AND BEING WASHED AWAY BY THE RAIN. SING BALLADS IN MY FUNERAL, WILL YOU

~~

I already told you but I am going to tell you again: HOLY FUCK UR PACING!!! The way that it starts with just the lightest graze of fingers on his back and then we have Lan Zhan realizing (because of course he knows and is going to take ALL the advantages of his poor, awfully ticklish husband) and Wei Wuxian just letting go of his control when he gets bonded by the forehead ribbon AND DIDN'T EVEN TRY TO ESCAPE IT. HE WAS SO FROZEN BY THE TENDERNESS THAT FELL RIGHT INTO HIS TRAP

The part where he says "Lan Zhan, not so light!" AND THEM LAN FREAKING TICKLE MONSTER ZHAN STARTS TO TICKLE HIM EVEN MORE LIGHT KJHGFDFGHAAAAAAAAAAAA I HAVE NO WORDS!! LITERALLY NO WORDS BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lan Zhan tickled like it was an art, with a grace that would have anyone believing he'd been trained in it his entire life. Gentle, loving touches drifted across his skin sweetly and reverently, like every inch was worth being committed to memory and doused in affection.]HOW CAN YOU BE SO POETIC WHEN TALKING ABOUT TICKLING AND GIGGLING AND SILLYNESS I AM SHAKING YOU BY YOUR SHOULDERS!

["Wei Ying should thank him for helping you laugh so freely."

["Do not hide your smile from me."]

Literally shaking in the tune of shattering glass

Also! The kisses! The nibbles! The tickles under the chin (the fact that this is such a ticklish spot for him is literally the definition of karma. Seeing him just literally lose his mind with it absolutely held my soul and gave me like 30 years more of life. Not gonna lie, this fichas a LOT of moments that are the favorite of mine but this one... B R U H. AMAZING)

AND IN THE BEGINNING I WAS DEFENDING LAN ZHAN BECAUSE HE COUD NOT HAVE DISTRACTED WEI WUXIAN W KISSES ONLY TO ABSOLUTELY DESTROY HIS BELLY WITH TICKLES LATER BUT THEN I GOT ON THE END HE DID IT AGAIN LKJHGFGHJKGBHJ Lan Zhan you sneaky sneak

CAN WE TALK ABOUT HIS NEW TICKLING TECHINIQUE BTW??? Count on our dear Lan Totally Whipped And Maddly In Love Zhan to create an ENTIRE NEW FOR OF TICKLING just to make his beloved laugh and smile!! Poor wwx went right into hysterics immediately juhygtfrgthyjh so so sooooooooooo good! I never thought in using the passing qi thing as something ticklis, your mind!!!!!

And don't even get me started about the massage + tickling. That is what I am talking about!!! Wei Wuxian being absolutely PAMPERED as he deserves!!

["Unless I'm wrong? Should I ask Zewu-Jun for some stories of giggly A-Zhan?"]

I am. so normal. about this. totally normal thoughts. no internally screaming or going into the space. yeah. normal.

Then we get the very own patriarch yilling, the master of demonic cultivation asking for the tickles? I am dead on the floor. How can they both be so utterly in love and so so sooooft omg <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 my heart is absolutely melted with the domestic cuteness of all of it

Now, I know i already mentioned how much soft and cute is the moments where both Lan ZHan and Wei Wuxian describe how much they love and care about each other, and Lan Zhan's part being followed by so much dotting and caring, soft touches is absolutely delightful, truly. Each sentence only made everything much sweeter and amazing. I truly, truly loved this fic <3 <3 <3 thank you so much for writing and sharing it <3

Tenderness.

Fandom: Mo Dao Zu Shi / Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Characters: Lee!Wei Wuxian, Ler!Lan Wangji

Warnings: Mentions of death and grief, Wei Wuxian being Wei Wuxian (some suggestive comments but nothing actually happens)

Word count: around 8.300 words

Summary: There are days where all Lan Wangji wants is to shower his husband in his affections.

A/N: This is the softest, sappiest thing I've ever written. Fluff and feelings without plot. God bless. (THANK YOU @kanene-yaaay FOR SCREAMING BACK AND FORTH WITH ME ABOUT THESE CHARACTERS FOR AN UNHOLY AMOUNT OF TIME, INSPIRING ME TO WRITE THIS. A MILLION THANKS AND HUGS TO YOU.)

Slouching was forbidden in the Cloud Recesses.

Even so, the weight on his shoulders did not lessen.

Lan Wangji had always meticulously followed his routine, unless disaster struck and he had no choice but to deviate from it. He was a man of habits. There was a proper time and place for everything, a carefully constructed schedule that should be followed. There was a proper time to rise in the morning. A proper time to tend to the affairs of his sect. A proper time to train his disciples. A proper time to retire for the day.

Such a schedule was followed rigorously and with precision so long as Lan Wangji was within the boundaries of Cloud Recesses.

Every day. For longer than Lan Wangji was willing to reflect on, lest the metaphorical weight on his shoulders only worsen. For countless days he had gone through the motions like there wasn't a gaping, bleeding gash in his heart that was the absence of Wei Wuxian.

Those days were far too painful to remember.

But they were long past. He now had his husband (his husband) safely by his side each night, teaching his own classes and running around causing mischief all throughout Cloud Recesses in the daytime when he thought Lan Wangji would be none the wiser.

Things were much, much better. Infinitely better. Perfect, he would say. Yet with Wei Wuxian not in his immediate sight as he followed the same grief-coated routine he did for years, sometimes it was easy to forget he had his fated one back in his life. That the loving moments they shared were indeed real and not dreams that taunted him with what he couldn't have. Quite a few times he felt consumed by an inexplicable wave of sorrow, only for it to be dispersed as he caught sight of his husband or heard his uncle fuming about something the man had done.

There was not a single minute of the day when Lan Wangji did not yearn for Wei Wuxian. Did not yearn to be with him. Some days, not acting on that urge bordered on painful.

Which is why returning to his bedchambers at the Jingshi at nighttime, where he would be warmly greeted by the love of his life, was undoubtedly one of his most cherished moments of the day.

"Lan Zhan!" Chirped a cheerful voice as the door shut behind him. His favorite cheerful voice. "You're early today!"

Lan Wangji stilled as his gaze fell upon Wei Wuxian. The former Yiling Laozu stood by the bathtub in the corner of the room, his frame half-obscured by the privacy screen sectioning his living space. With a mere glance his eyes were drawn to the way in which the man's damp hair stuck to his neck and cascaded down his bare back. Dressed in nothing but his pants.

Lan Wangji had discovered, recently, that he was also a man of instincts, when he allowed himself to be.

Wei Wuxian's smile grew impossibly wider as Lan Wangji strode towards him, the Second Jade of Lan's eyes dark with a longing Wei Wuxian was intimately familiar with. He schooled his features into a teasing smirk, a playfully scolding tone edge his voice. "Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, you're insatiable! I just got out of the bath- Lan Zhan!" An undignified sputter fell from his lips as Wei Wuxian felt hands pressing onto his back and slipping underneath his knees, hoisting him up into a bridal carry.

Rather than to be practically and enthusiastically tossed onto the bed as he occasionally was as they initiated their daily activities, which they had gleefully engaged in in the morning, Wei Wuxian remained cradled to Lan Wangji's chest. Nestled like a bunny, Wei Wuxian only blushed at the sensation of Lan Wangji's fingers on his back tracing small, light circles on the bare skin. 'Unusually gentle.' He mused, shifting in his husband's hold in an attempt to remove his pants as they approached their bed at a slower pace than Wei Wuxian would have liked.

"No need." Lan Wangji gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head, setting Wei Wuxian down on the mattress with such tenderness he felt as if he were made of glass.

"You're always welcome to rip them off yourself." Wei Wuxian flashed him an impish grin, innuendo dripping from his voice. To his confusion and disappointment, his husband did not rise to the bait nor get that fetching blush that he oh so loved to cause. Lan Wangji's features softened to a point even someone unfamiliar with the art of reading Lan Wangji (Wei Wuxian had long mastered such art, he did!) would have been able to tell.

With a smile almost far too fond, Lan Wangji towered over his lover, who still stared up at him with a sultry gaze. "Shameless." He took off his boots and lowered himself next to Wei Wuxian, laying on his side as to face his love. His arms sneaked around the younger man's frame and pulled him close, holding him against his chest in a protective embrace. If Lan Wangji could have his way, his wish would be to never have to let go.

The soothing, familiar scent of sandalwood washed over Wei Wuxian as Lan Wangji's face pressed against the crook of his neck. Unmoving beyond that point. He could feel Lan Wangji's eyes drifting to a close, the man's eyelashes fluttering against his skin. Wei Wuxian felt his cheeks heating up slightly at the domestic affection and surrendered himself to the comfort of the cultivator's hold, sighing contentedly as he snuggled closer.

"Aiya, who would have guessed the mighty Hanguang-Jun was this cuddly? If you hold me any tighter I might cough out cotton since you're so insistent on making a stuffed toy out of me." Said the former boogeyman of the cultivation world, pressed snugly against Lan Wangji, clinging onto him as he too laced his arms around his beloved.

Bliss. He would have died a hundred deaths if it meant he could spend eternity like this afterwards.

"Only with you." Came the muffled response, Lan Wangji's face still tucked into Wei Wuxian's neck, hiding the pink that tinged his ears.

Only with his Wei Ying, and no one else.

He had waited thirteen years for this, if only to be able to hear Wei Wuxian's voice again if he couldn't have him the way he desired. Diligently and faithfully, despite his brother's knowing and consoling looks and despite young Lan Sizhui's cries for his Xian-gege. Those had stung more than the strike of any whip, had almost made him succumb under the weight of his loss, but he persevered. He had to. If Lan Wangji couldn't have hope, then he had nothing.

He tightened his hold on Wei Wuxian, just slightly. Thankfully, he didn't seem to protest.

"Are we going to sleep already?" Wei Wuxian nudged him with his nose after what, to Wei Wuxian, felt like prolonged silence. "It's not even Hai Shi yet, and you're still dressed. And we didn't put off the lights. How are we supposed to fall asleep like this?"

He couldn't fault Wei Wuxian for the assumption, though he wished his husband would stay awake so this peaceful, quiet (or as quiet as Wei Wuxian would allow. He couldn't say he wouldn't be content with endless chatter as well, if it was Wei Wuxian filling the silence) moment could be shared between the two of them. In the last few days, between their responsibilities, Wei Wuxian's shenanigans, night-hunts and passionate sex lives, they rarely got to spend time simply existing in their home within each other's arms that didn't include drifting off to sleep or waking up in the morning. That would not do. Lan Wangji would have to remedy that.

Even so, when the man beside him let out a long, dramatic yawn, Lan Wangji caved. With a flick of his hand and a stream of spiritual energy he extinguished most of the lanterns in the room, leaving only a couple to bask them in a warm, dim lighting. "You may sleep if you wish to. I... want to hold you for a while longer."

Wei Wuxian let out a tiny, fake sleepy sound in response, which would hopefully distract Lan Wangji from the color adorning his cheeks. He willed himself to stay as still as possible, certainly because he intended on going to sleep and not because wanted to keep enjoying being held by his husband. "Goodnight, Lan Zhan." Naturally, he failed. His hand reached out to play with the man's forehead ribbon, twirling it around his finger. He would get chilly soon, laying in bed without at least an undershirt in this time of year, but he wasn't backing down now.

"Mn. Sleep well."

Only then, with Wei Wuxian laying peacefully in his arms, did Lan Wangji allow himself to fully relax. He pulled back- only slightly so, though Wei Wuxian's dramatic whine of protest seemed to imply otherwise- so he could unabashedly stare at his husband. His eyes traced the younger man's features, lingering at the curl of his lips into a delighted smile as he undoubtedly felt Lan Wangji's gaze on him.

It had been jarring at first, seeing Wei Wuxian's smile- which he treasured above all else, tucked safely in his heart amidst a field of gentian flowers- on the face of another. But even in a body not originally his, everything he did screamed Wei Wuxian, and all nagging doubts or worries in his mind were washed away the moment that smile was directed at him.

Lan Wangji would always be thankful to Mo Xuanyu, but the body nestled in his embrace was his no longer. This was entirely, wholly and completely, Wei Wuxian.

Though he did wish he could have become this well acquainted with Wei Wuxian's original body. He wished for those silver eyes on him as he was caught stealing yearning glances as a teenager. He wished he could have held the man's cheek in his hand, transfixed by that youthful smile, untouched by war and loss. He did not understand how, even now, after all he had suffered through, Wei Wuxian continued to smile so brightly.

Wei Wuxian's delighted and delightful laughter rung pleasantly in his mind, the same sound he had heard since his youth transporting him back to that fateful night in the rooftops of Cloud Recesses. Loud, mischievous, carefree Wei Wuxian laughing in joy as they drew their swords. Even back then he knew that laugh, that smile, that troublemaker was his everything.

Lan Wangji was not his brother. Though his husband would firmly object, he did not have a talent for creating amusing, easy-going atmospheres where people were prone to smile. And so, every smile from his loved ones was a blessing. A gift.

Which is why, months after vanishing without a trace during the war, Wei Wuxian crushed him the moment Lan Wangji laid eyes on him. Neither the roaring, green flames nor the haunting sounds of the dizi mattered to him in that instant. Neither did the army of fierce corpses, as much as it had shamed him to admit it to himself back then.

Wei Ying was alive. Wei Ying's smile was cold, cruel and malicious.

Relief and horror had battled within him, the latter churning heavily in his stomach unlike anything he had ever experienced.

Lan Wangji held him a little closer.

The pain of memory was not something he would associate Wei Wuxian's smile with. Not when there were far more pleasant things to associate it to.

"Wei Ying."

"Lan Zhan!" The demonic cultivator chirped a little too enthusiastically for someone who had supposedly gone to sleep.

"Wanted to know if you were still awake." He responded when Wei Wuxian eyed him questioningly. "...Are you not tired?"

"I am! Exhausted!" Wei Wuxian made a show out of stretching his limbs and yawning excessively loud. "Hanguang-Jun, what are you Lans feeding these disciples? Are you sneaking them anything other than that rabbit food you all eat when I'm not looking? I had to watch Jingyi copy rules while on a handstand today! For hours! And he didn't even fall once! I got tired just from looking! Where does that arm strength come from?"

Ah. So, not tired.

In that case, Wei Wuxian could not blame him if he kept him awake for longer.

He let his hand roam the expanse of Wei Wuxian's back, firm and warm as it made its way down. A content little noise escaped the smaller man at the skin to skin contact. He would have sunk further into Lan Wangji's embrace, if possible. "Lan Zhan, how can you ignore your dear husband?" Wei Wuxian pouted, yet ultimately succumbed to the pleasant feeling. "But this feels nice."

Lan Wangji hummed in response. Wei Wuxian hated to admit it, but he was turning into an old man. There was no other reasonable explanation as to why his husband's comforting voice and touch— as wonderful as they were— were enough to almost lull him to sleep before it was even Hai Shi, when he was brimming with energy mere moments earlier. He was almost thankful for Lan Wangji's touch gradually lightening, the goosebumps-inducing drag of nails over his skin enough to keep him awake and aware, instead of drifting off when he could be spending quality time cuddling with his favorite person.

He was perfectly happy lounging in Lan Wangji's arms and being on the receiving end of his care, until his breath hitched in his throat and the pressure of fingers exploring his back crossed the threshold of 'dangerously light' territory.

In his first life, Wei Wuxian was proud to say he was barely ticklish.

Okay, that was a lie. But he wasn't devastatingly ticklish. At least nowhere near Jiang Cheng's level, who barked with laughter as soon as he was touched and tried to disguise it as an annoyed yell. Or, gods forbid, Nie Huaisang's, who shrieked and flinched away before he was even touched. (Wei Wuxian took the blame for Huaisng's unwilling breaking of the 'Do not make loud noises' rule during their lectures at Cloud Recesses quite often. It was worth it.)

But, fate, as it seemed, took it upon its own hands to uphold karmic justice. Mo Xuanyu's body, in his far from biased opinion, of course, was insanely ticklish. Everywhere. A design flaw his beloved, endlessly benevolent yet merciless and cruel husband happily, constantly took advantage of. There was no way to tell if Lan Wangji was purposefully teasing him or if he had no such intentions, at least not without catching his eyes.

And, after happening many times, there were two things he knew by heart.

One, if he saw Lan Wangji was indeed provoking him, there would be no stifling a nervous giggle.

Two, the moment that first giggle was out, he was done for.

He needed a diversion and he needed to work fast.

"You know, usually by now you'd already be pounding me into the bed. Why the change?" He blurted out, preening in victory when the man grew still. Better yet, Wei Wuxian's hand playing with Lan Wangji's hair brushed against a suddenly very warm ear.

But his triumph was short-lived. Wei Wuxian sucked in a breath as the wandering fingers on his back curled and uncurled ever so slightly, slowly crawling up and down his spine. He forced his body to freeze, sheer will and flustered trepidation keeping him from arching away in a fit of squeals. A chorus of half-hearted protests rang in his mind, which he was pretty sure he could feel scurrying around in his skull and giggling in anticipation. He could talk his way out of this for sure, right? He's talked his way out of much worse situations before, so a potentially mischievous Lan Wangji should be no trouble, surely. All he needed to do was keep talking, even if it was to spew nonsense. "Lan Zhan! Have you been drinking? Without me? Is that why you're acting different?"

Lan Wangji, to his own credit, did nothing more than huff in that particular way Wei Wuxian knew meant he was being laughed at. "No."

"So if I peek under the floorboard, I won't find an empty bottle? Maybe I should check to make sure Hanguang-Jun wasn't parading around Cloud Recesses while drunk. How scandalous would that be, Lan Zhan?" Wei Wuxian shifted to rise out of bed and inconspicuously scamper from his husband's hold without making his intentions too obvious.

He tried, rather. He squirmed, he twisted, he shot Lan Wangji that slightly awkward smile he did after he'd been resurrected and didn't know exactly where they stood with each other. But the arms wrapped securely around him. Would. Not. Budge.

"I have not been in the Jingshi since morning, I could not have drunk. You know this." Lan Wangji noted, a sliver of amusement in his voice and ooh, Wei Wuxian knew he was screwed.

Skillful fingers between his shoulder blades drew out a gasp from him, which he promptly disguised as a forceful laugh. It was fine. No need to panic. He could hold in a few giggles, how hard could it be? "Right! Right, silly me."

Lan Wangji had to know what he was doing, that utter menace of a man. No one ever believed him when he said the Second Jade of Lan did, in fact, have a handful mischievous of bones in his body, contrary to popular belief. Apparently, not only was 'Sorry, Hanguang-Jun was feeling too affectionate and decided he had to tickle me silly' not a valid excuse for disheveled appearance, but earned him an extra glare from the Lan elders for 'lying'. Even when Hanguang-Jun himself admitted to it. Real unfair, in his opinion. Though he did always have as much fun as his husband when Lan Wangji got the best of him.

Maybe it was that thought that caused him to slack in his efforts. A single finger strayed too close to his side, and Wei Wuxian shivered. He couldn't have scooted more than an inch away, yet Lan Wangji caught onto the movement like a spiritual animal.

Lan Wangji merely stared, a ghost of a smile on his lips as his finger carried on. "Wei Ying. Stay still."

"I can't help it!" Wei Wuxian broke into a wobbly grin, his side muscles twitching. He glanced pleadingly up at the other, commanding a sultry tone into his voice even as his huffs bordered on giggling. "If you want to show love to yohour precious husband, thehehere's other ways you could use your hands."

Warm eyes took in every detail of his face, lingering on upturned lips. "Mn." Wei Wuxian heard, and yet before he could think of celebrating his victory- "No."

It happened so quickly Wei Wuxian barely processed it. With an agility rarely seen outside of battle, his upper body shot up and his hands flew to protect his side as an onslaught of touches ripped a laugh from his throat. Lan Wangji sat up and swiftly laced their fingers, just enough strength in his grip to have Wei Wuxian pause and glance at their joined hands with an honest to gods bashful expression. "Or you could- you could do that. That's fine too. Holding hands I mean."

For a lingering moment the two simply sit there, holding each other's hands and gazing into each other's eyes. Wei Wuxian would babble if his heart weren't beating so strongly in his chest he felt it in his throat. Without breaking eye contact, Lan Wangji released his hold only to instead clasp slightly below his partner's wrists.

Silently, Wei Wuxian watched his own wrist being brought closer to the man across from him. The pristine looking-cultivator, who he knew wouldn't look amiss among heavenly officials, his Lan Zhan, bent forward and pressed his lips against the skin of his inner wrist in a tender kiss. Wei Wuxian gawked. Lan Wangji repeated the motion with his other wrist. The demonic cultivator thought he might have accidentally activated a warmth talisman somehow- was the Jingshi warmer all of a sudden?

Wei Wuxian was brought back to his senses by something white and flimsy-looking moving in his field of vision. The sacred ribbon of the Gusu Lan sect slid off of Lan Wangji's forehead. Wei Wuxian hadn't even noticed the man letting go of him to untie it. Only when the white, cloud-embroidered cloth neared his wrists did Wei Wuxian's traitorous lips quirk upwards without his permission.

"Lan Zhan-" He squeaked and scooted backwards. "What are you doing-"

"You said you couldn't help it." Hanguang-Jun easily followed after him. Faster than a blink the sturdy fabric bound his wrists together, a knot- TWO knots- sealing his fate. "I am helping Wei Ying stay still."

With one light push, Wei Wuxian's back hit the mattress and blunt fingernails grazed idly along his top ribs. Any resolve he had been harboring in the past minutes abandoned ship, and it had the audacity to wave him goodbye too. "I dihihihidn't mehehehean ihihit lihihike thahahat!"

The look on Lan Wangji's face was deceptively innocuous as he happily and deliberately misinterpreted what he had heard. "Would you like them to be tied behind your back instead?"

"I thohohought yohou ohohonly dihid thahat whehehen yohohou're druhuhunk!" Wei Wuxian shot him the most betrayed look he could muster. It was promptly countered by his eyes nearly sealing shut with the force of his smile as a finger softly scratched at the skin between the bones. A faint tug on the ribbon binding his wrists had him snatching them away from Lan Wangji's reach. "Nohoho! They're fihihine lihike thihihis!"

Wei Wuxian wished he could kiss that smug microexpression off his face. Or better yet, morph it into that wide and radiant smile he ever got to see when the roles were reversed.

All thoughts of payback were pushed to the back of his mind by warm lips peppering kisses along his face. He swore up and down the only reason for his nonstop giggling was the electric sensation of his ribcage being skillfully played like a guqin and not at all because he swooned like a bashful maiden.

A musical cultivator indeed, his Lan Zhan. Long and slender fingers vibrated and practically plucked his ribs as if they were strings, the wide range of sounds being drawn out of him only adding to the comparison. The Second Jade of Lan was definitely focused as if he had his instrument lying in front of him, picking a spot and sticking to it regardless of any attempts to be pushed away. Wei Wuxian used to believe he had a thick face. That was before he knew the feeling of being under Hanguang-Jun's undivided attention and affections. He almost wished they were back in their teenage years, swordfighting on the roofs instead of this. (He did not say that part out loud. Lan "Lying is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses" Zhan could smell a lie from miles away, if it came from him.) At least that didn't have his heart doing somersaults in his chest or have his face flushing like a Lan fed peppers.

"Why tihihicklihihing?"

Lan Wangji did not answer, his mouth occupied trailing kisses on Wei Wuxian's jawline, which he deemed much more important than talking. His hands wandered up his ribcage, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake with his barely-there touch.

Wei Wuxian was raised in Lotus Pier, alongside Jiang Cheng and their martial brothers, who- in true Yunmeng Jiang spirit- were happy to roughhouse. It was the norm, actually. He was more than used to being on the receiving end of tickle fights, it was no big deal, honestly! He'd grown to expect quick, ruthless and overwhelming attacks where he felt as if his nerves were on fire- those that had him shrieking and flailing as soon as he was touched- aimed to weaken him so he couldn't turn the tables. He was limp and breathless within seconds, but it's not like it really affected him much. It was as fun as any other game he played, and that was it. No mushy-gushy feelings involved.

With Lan Zhan, it was a whole different story. Fingers prodding softly at his underarms made him all too aware of that.

Lan Zhan tickled like it was an art, with a grace that would have anyone believing he'd been trained in it his entire life. Gentle, loving touches drifted across his skin sweetly and reverently, like every inch was worth being committed to memory and doused in affection. Hands so strong they could probably punch through a tree made light and tender -doting on him, caring for him- with the sole purpose of making him let loose and giggle without a care in the world. Warm eyes tracking his every move like they've never seen anything more beautiful as he squirmed from the nuzzling behind his ear. The single-minded focus on each reaction coaxed out of him and the fondness seeping into him from every drawn-out touch until he almost forgot how to think.

Lan Zhan had him, and nothing could hurt him. Nothing bad could reach him while he laughed away under his husband's hands, while he was comfortably cocooned in their own little bubble of love, warmth and anticipation.

'Gross.' Said a mini Jiang Cheng in his head, rolling his eyes half-heartedly, before being swept away screaming alongside Wei Wuxian by a torrential wave of tingles by light nibbles on his ear paired with nails skittering underneath his arms.

"Husbahahand!" He squealed. "Nohohot so lihihihight!"

The wicked, dastardly man he married lightened his touch in response, humming in satisfaction when his squeaking grew more high-pitched and his trashing heightened. Wei Wuxian cursed the adoring, soft tactics he had no built-up resistance against. (Then turned back and apologized to it because he liked it very much.)

With the patience of a man who had all the time in the world, Lan Wangji's touch descended to the barely sensitive area between his chest and his stomach- drawing out the occasional huff but not much else- as to allow Wei Wuxian regain his breath. His intention was not to overwhelm him, there was no need to rush.

Wei Wuxian took several breaths below him, glancing up at him with a dopey smile. While Lan Wangji adored that dopey grin, as he did all others, he decided that at that moment it did not suffice when he could provoke a wide, euphoric smile whose brightness rivaled the sun.

Lan Wangji leaned down and pressed his lips to his neck in fleeting kisses, nose rubbing lovingly against the reddened area like a rabbit and Wei Wuxian broke into a stream of bubbly giggles, shoulders hunching up. Oh that was not fair. That was so not fair. He wasn't ticklish there at all in his first life, why did this body have to be ticklishness on two legs- "Dahahamn yohohou, Mo XuahahanyUHUHU-!" Steady nibbling showed Lan Wangji had strong issues with that statement.

"Wei Ying should thank him for helping you laugh so freely." Lan Wangji said into his skin, the chiding tone nullified by that slight teasing and playful edge only ever directed at him. He would have loved to shoot back a theatrical 'Lan Zhan! Are you teasing me?' if he wasn't a little busy with not melting into a giggly puddle by all the kissing and the nibbling and the nuzzling and those evil fingers caressing right above his stomach and did that spot somehow get more ticklish because oh man-

"I dohohon't neheheed any help to lahahaugh! I alreheheady laugh plehehenty!" He found it in himself to protest, battling his reflexes not to roll off the bed to escape the mischievous affection. Wei Wuxian caught a glimpse of his husband's expression shifting into something familiar and oh no- he realized with growing horror- the strength of his heart was about to get tested.

"Mn." Said the light of his life, the reason he might someday find out if a heart can burst from too much love, every inch of his normally jade-like features screaming Fond Fond Fond- "I am lucky to hear it every day. It is beautiful.

"You-!" He half-choked on air and dramatically clutched his chest, hands trembling against the bodily urge to swat Lan Wangji's away, and promptly shoved his face into the pillow to hide a flustered grin and cheeks that were definitely embarrassingly red. "Yohohou can't say suhuch thihihings wihihithout wahaharnihing! Yohour poor husbahahand's heart can ohohonly tahahake so muhuhch!"

His skin still buzzing, Wei Wuxian didn't even register his torso being left alone and a pair of hands focusing entirely on the exposed side of his neck had him arching forward in surprise. "Cheheheheater!" Stubbornly, he pressed his face further into the pillow.

"I do not recall setting any rules." With equal stubbornness he maintained his ministrations, alternating between skittering lightly and walking two fingers up and down the demonic cultivator's neck, poking slightly the way he remembered the feeling of his husband in paperman form strolling playfully on his own neck. "Do not hide your smile from me." He added his lips into the mix, ghosting over the reddened ear and nibbling softly.

Lan Wangji huffed lightly when there was no response aside from muffled tittering. "Wei Ying. You will not breathe well like this." He slid a palm between the pillow and Wei Wuxian's forehead, lifting the man's head just enough so his face wasn't so buried in, and returned to the mission of coaxing his cultivation partner out of hiding.

Wei Wuxian held his position for an impressive record of two minutes before he was forced to give in and turn his head to shield the vulnerable spot. (And seeing his husband's handsome face was always a priceless bonus.) He was rewarded with a very smug looking Lan and a chaste kiss to his lips. His whining at Lan Wangji pulling away went ignored and doubled when instead of gazing at his mouth, the white-clad man instead stared at his chin with a deeply pondering expression.

The way it was done to him so many times, Lan Wangji hooked a finger underneath his chin and scritched.

"Eeehehehehehehee nohohoho!" Understanding dawned on Wei Wuxian a second too late. All the blood rushing to his face was almost dizzying as squeal after squeal escaped from him, a sudden shyness tugging at him at having the affectionate gesture he so often dished out reflected back at him for the first time. He had half a mind to melt into the touch like a purring kitten, the foreign bashfulness it brought making him babble out mindless pleas. "Mehehercy, husbahahand! I'm mohohore tihihicklihish thahan you ahahare!"

That finger remained firmly in its place even as he twisted and turned, following behind as if on autopilot. Lan Wangji stared openly, transfixed, at the squirming man coming undone, shy-looking, with such a simple touch. His world reduced to sweet sight and sounds before him, gladly so. A flustered Wei Wuxian wasn't something often seen, and it swept him off his feet each time. If the wonder he felt upon driving the other to such state was half of what Wei Wuxian felt while pushing his buttons, Lan Wangji could understand why he was so fond of doing it.

By the point the melodic giggles had grown high-pitched and nearly frantic, he willed himself to pause- making a mental note to lavish the newly discovered spot in attention some other day.

His hands traced reverently down to the collarbones, slowly and appreciatively like one would handle fine, fragile embroidery. Like something enchanting with a magnetic pole to it. The Lan halted as he reached the spot over Wei Ying's heart. He pressed his palm to it. The warmth emanating from the skin and the quickened pulsing felt like gifts from the heavens. Not for the first time, Lan Wangji marveled.

Alive.

Wei Wuxian blinked at the change of pace and brought his bound hands to rest comfortingly over Lan Wangji's, which was still glued to his bare chest. Eyes caught his own, and any questions Wei Wuxian could have voiced were caught in his throat at the raw intensity of the look directed at him. Two decades of longing. Thirteen years of grief. A present thick with devotion and a promised eternity of love.

"Lan Zhan." His face softened, wishing he could cradle with care the emotions he was gifted with seeing, and tuck them safely away so Lan Wangji would never suffer again, least of all because of him. Gray eyes grew impossibly warm and he schooled his guise of pure adoration into one of dramatic swooning. "Lan Zhaaaaan!" He whined, falling back into the playful ambiance they had built. "You know I can't bear it when you look at me like that."

Obediently, the fervent gaze fell back to his chest, precisely at one spot which, in another lifetime, bore a mark mirrored in Lan Wangji's own chest. Lan Wangji traced a circle onto the naked skin. Followed by a smaller one inside. And an even smaller circle within it.

He bent forward and kissed the very center.

The demonic cultivator observed in awed silence as the faint touch then moved lower, tensing in anticipation as it advanced across his stomach and proceeded toward his side. But no frenzied laughter was ripped from his throat. Instead, a thumb sweetly caressed the scar his nephew had given him. The kisses came shortly after.

Then, a palm resting on his stomach. On his lower dantian.

The other surveyed the unblemished area closely, as if attempting to see something that was not there, that he had never seen and belonged on another body.

Wei Wuxian sucked in a sharp breath as he caught on. A trembling finger traced a line from below his navel up to the middle of his stomach. Then downwards, steadily, and up again. The touch so reverential it made his eyes prickle, so tremendously light it didn't even tickle. Wei Wuxian felt it all the same, oh he felt it, alright.

Lips brushed against the skin and the small golden core Mo Xuanyu had cultivated all but thrummed in response. He felt he could cultivate to immortality by simply laying there and surrendering to the moment, to the deep affection that every day he was pushed closer into believing he was worthy of. He tried to speak, but words failed him. Because Wei Wuxian understood now. He'd understood back in Guanyin Temple and it lounged happily at the back of his consciousness ever since, and now it all came spilling forth.

He understood the feeling of being completely, utterly seen in every single way. He understood being laid bare, every one of his vulnerabilities, mistakes and choices out in the open and being treated with compassion. He understood if Lan Zhan, of all people, would treat him in such a way and be thoroughly sure Wei Wuxian deserved it, maybe he wasn't so unworthy after all.

Lan Wangji's eyes were ablaze with emotions as they met his. Gah! It was official, he was only one more meaningful glance away from having his heart exploded. Or his body and mind turned to mush. Whichever came first.

That doting hand curled into a claw and that was all the warning he got before being thrown into cackles. "Hehehey!" Tips of fingernails dug lightly into his skin, barely vibrating yet still enough to get him hollering and pulling at his restraints. That right there was why the man was the most feared and favored tickle monster in his life. He lured you in with sweet, gentle touches until you were brimming with all sorts of fuzzy feelings, then he struck with even more gentle touches, but you're on the verge of losing your wits so everything feels at least three times as intense. "YOHOHOU MAHAHADE ME DROHOP MY GUAHAHARD ON PURPOHOHOSE!"

His husband, with his adorable and very kissable face, blinked owlishly down at him. There was a tiny furrow between his eyebrows and Wei Wuxian could have regretted the playful accusation if that subtle pout weren't so damn cute he wanted to scream. He got his wish when the other kneaded and squeezed all across his stomach with added speed to show his displeasure.

"Did not."

"WahAHAHAIT, I'm sohohorry! Dohohon't mIHIHInd whahahat thihis ohohone says, nohothihing good ehehever cohohomes out of his mohohouth!" Wei Wuxian giggled with reckless abandon, tipping into shrieks when Lan Wangji honed in to any spots he thought extra sensitive. He seemed to be enraptured in testing in how many ways he could make the muscles of his lower stomach jump and spasm with a measured fluttering of fingertips when he fixed Wei Wuxian with a glare.

"Not true." Lan Wangji was unrelenting, chasing his stomach no matter where he squirmed. Whenever he laid on one side, wiggling fingers readily greeted him until he turned to the other, where another hand waited patiently for its turn. Not to mention how many times the laughing bundle of joy curled in on himself, laid flat again when he realized that wouldn't protect him, only to return to the same position seconds after. The sect heir looked particularly endeared every time.

The demonic cultivator was nearly breathless when he was finally granted mercy. Or so he thought. As he pried an eye open, residual giggles still pouring out of him, a shudder ran through his body at the sight of thumbs poised over his hips and fingers hovering by his sides. Not touching, but close enough that the heat alone had him fidgeting away in bubbly snickers. His partner eyed him questioningly. "Nohoho, Lahan Zhan nohot yet! I'm gonna pahahass ohohout!"

Alright maybe that was an exaggeration, but it's not like he could be blamed! These were the only spots on his previous life that could actually send him into peals of laughter, and fate must have chosen for paying him back for all his pranks by unleashing onto him the ultimate prank of not only ensuring that ticklishness carried on to his current body, but making it even more sensitive. Wei Wuxian would not forget this betrayal.

Lan Wangji nodded, settling back onto the bare stomach. Then abruptly, the other noted in trepidation, his eyes were gleaming. "As you say." Hands latched onto each side of his navel, in precise places chosen with extreme calculation, and vibrated like it was their only purpose in life. Wei Wuxian had already thrown his head back and wheezed, sucking in his stomach to no avail, when he gasped at a foreign sensation.

The ex-Jiang disciple had both dished out and received a lot when it came to tickle fights. He was experienced and he flaunted it with pride. There was hardly anything he hadn't seen, felt or done. Hardly any dirty trick he didn't know.

Nothing could have prepared him for the feeling of spiritual energy flowing directly into his skin and below.

"WHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-" He screeched. His eyes bulged. His whole frame shook with unrestrained laughter as the qi dispersed through its immediate surroundings, searching for meridians to pass through, and dissipating when it found none. Again and again.

"I am transferring you spiritual energy. So you do not pass out."

"THAHAHAT'S NOHOT HOW YOHOHOU DO IHIHIHIT!" Wei Wuxian's voice had never gone higher in both lives. He'd pity the ears of anyone passing by if he was in any state to, which he definitely was not. The cool spiritual energy coursing through where it shouldn't be tickled more than what should even be possible, like it sunk down to his nerves to personally rub against them. Was he qi deviating? Was this what qi deviation felt like? What a way to go. Beats his first time any day.

His spiral into hysteria was met with only the teasing, miniscule raise of an eyebrow. "Wei Ying has always encouraged innovation."

"I TAHAHAKE IT BAHAHACK! I'LL BE THE MOHOHOST OHOHORTHODOX CULTIHIVAHAHATOR EVER, AND SO SHOHOHOULD YOUOHOU! NO TRYIHIHING NEW MEHEHETHODS! LAN ZHAHAHAHAN!"

Maybe the rumors were true and the virtuous Hanguang-Jun really had been corrupted by the sinful Yiling Laozu, to use his cultivation in such a way. Wei Wuxian would be seeing stars for hours. If he was lacking in incentives to work on his cultivation, he found one at the thought of his husband laughing frantically under that.

It did not end as quickly as it started. Even after Lan Wangji had stopped with a placating "No need", the remaining energy slowly trickling away into nothingness tingled like the after-effects of little shockwaves. If lightning could be baby proofed- and wasn't that a fun thought, he'd have to tinker with his talismans later- this was how he imagined it would feel like.

Gracious, kind and perfect Lan Zhan- and totally not evil whatsoever, when had Wei Wuxian said that?- dragged the hard part of his palms heavily across his stomach, massaging it back and forth until the ghost sensations simmered down. He snickered at the apologetic expression on the man's face and brought a palm to his own forehead to the best of his ability. "Hanguang-Jun has thoroughly defeated me. This Yiling Laozu surrenders. Whatever shall the illustrious Hanguang-Jun do to him, hm?"

Lan Wangji's lips twitched up, half in relief and half in fond exasperation, and soon Wei Wuxian was happy to get back to giggling. The electrifying touches had reverted to being tender and soft as they basked in the affection they spreaded through the room. The bell announcing Hai Shi had rung, and not even that was enough to stop them. Almost no ticklish area the Lan could reach was left untouched, and he had the pleasure of watching his beloved melt as he dutifully massaged each spot after it was targeted.

His not so calm reactions were equally cherished, of course. Like the way his heels dug into the mattress when Lan Wangji scribbled and traced senseless shapes on his thighs. Or when he tensed and babbled when he neared the inner thighs, collapsed in relief when he teased his knees just long enough to throw off suspicion, and bucked violently when he crept right back to the inner thighs and squeezed in rapid succession. He earned himself a glare for that as he soothed the skin. It was adorable.

Wei Wuxian had been reduced to a panting mess by the time the other massaged underneath his knees. ”You’re evil, Lan Zhan. How did you learn to be this mean? It couldn’t have been from me! I can barely tickle you for a couple minutes without you attacking me back like I kicked our bunnies!" Lan Wangji let the shameless lie slide and he gladly continued rambling. “I can’t imagine your uncle or even Zewu-Jun playing with little A-Zhan like this.”

He couldn't supress a quiver at the ghost of a touch traveling slowly up his legs, but ears reddening so swiftly they could combust seemed a lot more important. Lan Xichen's knowing smile when he once pinched Lan Zhan's ribs in his presence suddenly made a lot more sense. "Oh? Lan Zhan?" His grin widened when his husband ducked his head, and he was overtook with the need to coo. "Unless I'm wrong? Should I ask Zewu-Jun for some stories of giggly A-Zhan?"

Narrowed, flustered eyes rivaled a shit-eating grin. Lan Wangji struck.

A single, faint squeeze to his hips and down went Wei Wuxian. Any composure he still had bid him farewell as his entire body jerked. Hands jumped from his hips to his sides, then back to his hips in a dizzying loop. Whenever he thought he was getting used to the feeling of something, the other would change tactics to send him further into sweet lunacy. The Lan's body moved almost on its own as he traced swirls onto the man's sides, lightly and tenderly just the way he knew would fluster him most. Pinching, spidering and stroking his nails against the twitching skin no matter where his partner writhed. He wondered- and he had to restrain himself from standing and finding a brush- how much Wei Ying would squirm if he were to draw the swirling, elegant clouds of Gusu Lan robes on the sensitive spot. He would have to try eventually.

Lan Wangji stared fixedly, fascinated, at the enthralling sight that was his husband, at the joyous eyes curved into crescents and the beaming smile could ward off evil better than any talisman. He wouldn't dare try, yet at that moment he truly believed he was not capable of looking any other way.

'Fancy you, love you.'

Wei Wuxian was a hurricane. Chaotic energy in motion, incapable of keeping still on his own, even when he sometimes sought to. Lan Zhan's gentle, loving touches enveloped him in his entirety, slowing his mind down into a calm breeze. As paradoxical as it sounds, the buzzing, electrifying sensation coursing through him consumed him until he was completely pacified by it, despite his trashing limbs showing anything but. A state of complete bliss.

He looked up. If his laughter could have paused by itself, it would have.

Not even a thousand jars of Emperor's Smile could make Wei Wuxian crumble the way he did as he gazed into his husband's eyes. No heavenly intoxication in this world or the next could hope to compare to the warmth in his chest at the feeling of those golden eyes on him, shining with adoration. Or to the curl of his lips into a small smile, one that held so much love he could almost feel it in the air like energy. Wei Wuxian felt drunk in it.

'Want you, can't leave you.'

And after an eternity of circles being lightly stroked into his hipbones, curious pokes pressed to every possible inch of his sides, his legs kicking out for the umpteenth and a dozen cries for mercy both knew he didn't mean, Wei Wuxian's hands were freed. He hadn't even realized it, lost in his giggles and that mirthful sense of peace that encased him, until his wrists were being rubbed and he saw concern flashing on his husband's face.

His wrists weren't even red or so much as sore, and Lan Wangji still fussed over him every single time. Wei Wuxian had to huff a laugh.

'Whatever you.'

"It hurts, husband!" The demonic cultivator wailed and pouted in that way that let the other, who was very well used to his theatrics, know that it didn't hurt whatsoever. "Oh, it hurts!" He put on his best innocent, pleading look and lifted them closer to his husband. "Kiss it better?"

Lan Wangji didn't waste a second. Honestly, sometimes Wei Wuxian questioned just how much those eyes could soften after having already softened a bazillion times- a feat he was quite proud of, thank you very much.

With a gentle nudge he was encouraged to lay back comfortably. Wei Wuxian sighed contently as arms encompassed him, tugging him until their chests pressed against each other. Fingers carded through his hair, gently untangling the knots he'd gotten from his trashing as he sank into the warmth all around him. Against his better judgment, he yawned. For real this time.

A hand fell to his back, rubbing it soothingly. "Do you want to sleep now?"

Wei Wuxian felt his eyelids growing heavy, and stubbornly fought against the wave of drowsiness. He was getting the cuddling of his life and damn it all, he would be awake for it. Scooting backwards with intent into the hand sprawled on his back, he flashed Lan Wangji a toothy grin. "Tire me out a little more?"

His husband's eyes softened one more time. Score.

He was flung into airy, sleepy giggles as fingertips grazed the small of his back, fleeting and light enough he could easily relax into the touch and his mind was free to wander. Wei Wuxian grumbled, hiding his face in Lan Wangji's chest as he was stared at with open adoration, and wondered how in the world he got so lucky. What could he possibly have done so right to get to be loved with such fervor he could feel it in his bones, to be treated with such gentleness not because he required it as if he would break otherwise, but simply because to Lan Wangji, nothing less would suffice. He wasn't sure he would ever understand what his partner saw in him, but Lans only loved once. He would trust Lan Zhan's judgment.

Sleep had almost completely overtaken him, lulled by the sweet touches and the calm atmosphere of the Jingshi, when he felt the other had stopped. "Lan Zh'n?" He nodded in and out of consciousness, a sluggish whine escaping him. "Why'd you stop?"

Lan Wangji blinked, sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth and proceeded to shower Wei Wuxian's face in rapid kisses. Wei Wuxian screeched at the playful assault, scrunching his face and clutching tightly at the white robes while tickles rained down all over his back.

'Don't want anyone else but you...'

He was held as he squawked and sputtered, fingers prodding along his spine ane his head rendered still by a hand cradling his chin. Wei Wuxian blushed redder than his robes as Lan Wangji leaned in closer and he was unable to look away. "You asked why." His breath was hot on Wei Wuxian's skin as lips brushed against his forehead. "Wanted to see Wei Ying smile." A small peck to the tip of his nose. "Wanted to hear Wei Ying laugh." A lingering kiss and a nuzzle to his cheek. "Wanted Wei Ying to feel happy and loved. Wanted to cherish Wei Ying." A kiss to, well-

'...It has to be you!'

The giggly kiss was broken a while after, Wei Wuxian still squeaking into the other's mouth, foreheads leaning against each other. He had to bring a hand to his own lips to stifle yet another yawn. Traitorous body.

"Lan Zhan." He tsked with a lopsided grin before rolling and draping himself all over the cultivator much like he has the first night after he'd been resurrected. He was immediately embraced again. "Making me break the rules, laughing so loud at this hour? Such a rebel, Lan-er-gonzgi."

Lan Wangji turned to the window, as if surprised to see the darkness that had fallen over the back hills even when he deliberately ignored the ring of the bell announcing curfew. "Mn. I learned from the best." The corner of his eyes crinkled when Wei Wuxian's head was raised high in pride. "Will copy the rules in a handstand for punishment."

He would welcome more than a few exasperated pinches to his cheek if it got his husband to look at him with such tenderness for all time.