#but that's a whole other thing I'm not gonna get into

[devotedsweetheart]

・❥ SAY IT AGAIN

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌‌၊|• 0:10

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ rundown :: you find out caleb had been logging into your phone at random times of the day to keep track of who you were texting. frustrated, you call him to yell at him only to question what exactly he was doing on the other end.

WARNINGS :: NSFW! 18+ , phone sex , sub!caleb (per usual) , masturbation , cnc , use of y/n

a/n :: highkey got this idea from that one scene in twk when cardans kissing jude & telling her to say she hates him..🌝🌝

he had absolutely no right to be invading your personal space. absolutely none.

you were so fucking angry.

caleb was away on a trip with gran. usually, he would simply ask to check your phone, and you'd happily give it to him- knowing he means well. but with the shit he has been pulling, you're starting to question whether or not he really does trust you like he says he does.

you had found out that he was hacking into your phone because the device started acting awfully odd. opening apps you didnt click on, siri turning on without any context, letters on the keyboard being pressed when you never tapped on them in the first place. confused (and frankly a little scared), you took it to a professional to get it checked out. when he asked if anyone else had the password to your socials, thats when the realization dawned on you.

you felt so stupid. utterly dumb. but how were you supposed to know? you had told caleb about the issue multiple times and each occasion you mentioned it he would always say the same thing: "thats so weird, pips.. maybe you should go get it checked out or something." feigning complete innocence.

you had enough.

driving home as fast as you could, you barely reach the front door before you're calling him nonstop until he answers.

"hey pips! i missed yo-"

"you fucking liar."

there's a beat of silence at that. your breathing is heavy, going right into the mic- giving caleb an idea of what he's in for.

"um.. excuse me?" caleb manages, swallowing thickly. he knows exactly what you're going to yell at him for and he's praying to jesus christ himself that he can manipulate his way out of it.

"you know exactly what i'm talking about, don't try to play dumb. you've been going into my phone and looking through my shit. i thought you said you trusted me? what happened to that? i mean, seriously, caleb, i thought we had gotten over this." you say, voice pinched a bit higher than usual. you're pacing around the room in order to keep yourself calm, heart beating at a distressing rate as you don't like to argue with him.

"pips, i really don't know what you're talking about," he utters, licking his lips. "i know whats been going on with your phone has been messing you up, but you don't necessarily have to blame me for it. look, once i get back i'll help you figure out what's wrong with it just to prove that it's not me. deal?"

you can tell that he's trying his best to soften his tone to make his lie more believable, but you aren't gonna buy into it.

"no. no, caleb, just quit the act already. i'm so tired of this. i'll give you two choices," you say, sitting down on the couch; elbows on your knees. "either you stop with the whole hacking thing and we stay together, or i cut things off with you and we never talk again."

for a moment, there's nothing being said. pure silence. he's absolutely speechless on his end of the phone, mouth agape and eyes wide. every few seconds, he'd attempt to say something but nothing would come out- resulting in something that resembled a stutter.

"well? what's it gonna be?" you asked, becoming to grow impatient.

"y/n.." he whispered. "you.. you can't do that to me. i-.. i'm sorry for doing all that crap. i didn't do it because i don't trust you... it's other people that i don't trust. please believe me, baby. i can't stop doing it, it's just my way of keeping you safe."

aaaand now it's your turn to be shocked.

"are you fucking serious?" you yell, and you swear you can see the look on his face regardless if he's visible or not. eyebrows raised up, cheeks as red as roses, eyes backed up with tears. you know how much he hates being yelled at by you... but he deserves it. "you can't be serious. please tell me you're pulling some joke."

" baby, please. i-"

"enough. just quit it. i fucking hate you, caleb."

he swallows. no, practically gulps. he shouldnt be turned on by the sound of that. he really shouldnt. he knows he should be terrified by the threat of you leaving him... but the tent growing in his pants is getting undeniably uncomfortable that he just can't seem to care.

unzipping his jeans, he gently lays his back on his bed, being carefully quiet to ensure you don't hear.

"you're fucking insane and no matter how much i try to talk to you about it you never change. it is draining, caleb. you have absolutely no idea how fucked up you are."

he's nodding against his phone, murmuring small 'yeah's here and there to let you know that he's listening. what you aren't aware of is the fact that instead of really listening, he's actually moving his hand at an insane speed on his dick. it gets to the point that he can't even respond, the pleasure taking over. all he needs is for you to tell him how bad he is and how much you despise him for him to be able to go over the edge.

the fact that you don't even know whats going on keeps him going for even longer.

"...-is so frustrating, caleb! you don't even care for me and... wait, are you even listening? hellooo?" you shout, expecting an answer.

he picks up his phone from where it was sitting on his pillow and takes it off speaker phone to reply. "y-yes, baby? 'm sorry.. i'm, um, listening. keep talking." he responds, stuttering over his words.

you roll your eyes, thinking he simply just doesn't care. "my god, you're so fucking annoying. i hate you so much, y'know that?"

he nods hastily, even though you can't see it. "y-yes. say it again. please." the last word comes out broken as he was embarrassingly close to cumming.

you stop in your tracks, both eyebrows furrowed. "um..." you utter, confused at what he was playing at. "i... hate.. you..?"

"f-fuck!" he whisper-shouts, hips thrusting into his hand as he drops the device back onto where it was initially. he brings his previously free hand down to his cock to stroke the tip, twisting his wrists. biting his lip, hard enough to draw blood, he makes his best effort to keep little whimpers inside of his mouth. it works for the most part... but you already knew what was happening. he does it too many times for you to not know.

"caleb." you warn.

he doesn't answer, he can't answer, mind is too hazy from the force of his orgasm. he's practically like putty on his bed, half asleep and half awake.

"text me in the morning." you say before hanging up and throwing your phone on the bed.

he will not ever learn.

[i-messed-up-big-time]

Someone Precious I

Caleb x Non MC Reader

a/n: guys pls dkm ive never been to a party so when you read that pls give me the benefit of the doubt 😭, also i don't really want to go into too much detail about any of the explicit scenes that are implied, but there may be a possibility of one more detailed in the other parts! i'm finally free from uni guys so i have more time to do some writing! i finally got around to finishing this (i started right before my finals) hopefully you guys like this first part!

Divider creds @/cafekitsune

tags: angst, hurt/comfort, reader is female and is AFAB, mentions of pregnancy, implied intimate relations (not going into detail), pet names used, mentions of drinking/getting drunk (pls drink responsibly), reader throws up, idk what other tags to add!

word count: 2.4k

masterlist

series masterlist

taglist: @aneertawrites @eurydiceknowshesloved @angelichiaro @nommingonfood @ynovaes @animegamerfox

You had known them for years, albeit you joined the infamous duo a little later than when they had met each other, but you all were as thick as theives.

Countless days and nights spent together. More often than not if one of you guys were somewhere, the other two were not far behind.

At first you didn't notice that the way you felt about Caleb was something more than just a friend, how could you? You were just a naive child at the time.

That all changed when Caleb went to high school. You started noticing certain things about him, the way his eyes twinkled when he smiled, how good he looked when he was playing basketball.

You soon were able to put a name to those thoughts and feelings, love. It was like you were exposed to whole new world, everything he did caught your attention and pulled you deeper into that black hole called love.

If only you knew how much pain and turmoil this man would bring to your life.

●・○・●・○・●・

It was near the end of your final year in university when it all happened.

You being the ever delusional girl you were always thought that the fleeting touches and eye contact between you and Caleb were something special, something unique to just the two of you.

How could you ever know that he only ever had one person in his sights, one that wasn't you.

You and MC were getting ready to go to a party, it was meant to be the last one of the year and before graduation.

MC had to beg you to come with her this one last time.

"C'mon it'll be so much fun! It'll be our last party before we graduate! Please?"

You couldn't really say no to her when she pulled out the puppy dog eyes.

Outwardly, it looked like you were reluctant, but on the inside you were kind of happy to go. Part of it was because you heard from the grapevine that Caleb might be there since some of his friends were going.

Which leads you to your current dilemma, what outfit to wear. You opted to wear a dark blue dress that reached up to your mid thigh. It was a new dress that had been sitting in the back of your closet for some time, now it finally had the chance to see the light of day.

"Hurry up or we're gonna be late!"

You heard MC yell for you.

"I'm coming!"

You responded, hopping around on one foot trying to strap your shoe onto your foot.

Once you successfully had it strapped to your foot, you quickly made your way out the door with MC.

●・○・●・○・●・

The party was in full swing by the time you guys made it there.

You made a beeline for the drinks, wanting to get some water in your system before anything else.

You spotted MC dancing with this one guy she's been talking to recently. He was a sweet guy who was in the same program as her, infamous for being asleep more often than awake. Seeing him at a party was kind of a surprise, but he probably came here because MC said she would be there.

'Looks like I'm gonna be alone tonight.'

You let out a heavy sigh with that thought. Yeah you heard some rumours that Caleb was gonna be there, but you had yet to spot him.

As if the gods above heard your thoughts, he entered your line of vision.

It's like every time you see him he just looks better than before. He was with his friend Gideon as they chatted up the guys who were hosting this party.

It wasn't long before he made spotted you. He made his way over to you with a bright smile.

"Shouldn't you be out there on the dance floor instead of brooding next to the drinks table?"

He reaches out to ruffle your hair, which not only makes you pout but also blush at the contact.

"Hey stop messing up my hair!"

You exclaim as you pull out your phone to start fixing it, Caleb can only laugh as he reaches out again but this time to help you.

You're so glad the lights in here are dim, cause your face was as red as a tomato.

"There, better?"

You gave yourself a once over in the camera and nodded in agreement, the words not coming out.

You turned to Caleb to ask him if he wanted to dance but the words died in your throat before you could even try.

There he stood with his gaze zeroed in on something, you followed it and noticed he had his sights set on MC and Xavier. If it was anyone else they wouldn't have noticed the way his brows furrowed, but because it was you, you noticed.

You always did, you just chose to ignore it because you knew that MC didn't feel anything for him aside from a love that you feel for family.

Unbeknownst to you, she was well aware of the crush you had on Caleb, silently supporting you from the sidelines. She knew you didn't want to make things awkward by admitting it out loud, but sometimes she wishes you would tell her so she could openly support you.

●・○・●・○・●・

A couple of hours had passed and you were buzzed.

You and MC were on the dance floor having some fun, that's when you felt those hands on your hips. Turning around you saw it was Caleb, your heart was running a mile minute.

You looked over your shoulder to look for MC but she was nowhere in sight, you took this as your sign to enjoy the moment.

Your poor naive heart thought this was the moment that maybe Caleb actually would look at just you.

Little did you know that this moment would lead to a series of events that would forever change your life.

●・○・●・○・●・

Your body felt sore, and suspiciously cold. Opening your eyes you were greeted with the familiar sheets of your bed, the only thing was that you were in it bare.

Sitting up you felt the ache increase tenfold, both in your head and in your back.

You sifted through your memories to try and understand what happened when it came crashing into you all at once.

'I slept with Caleb.'

You pushed yourself of the bed only to fall to your knees, you felt weak and it was definitely due to your activities from last night.

You were all giddy inside thinking maybe you might be able to take a step in a different direction with Caleb.

That's when you noticed it, the bright sticky note on your bedside table,

I'm sorry, it was a mistake.

It was like fate was laughing in your face, your world came crashing down on you.

You weren't stupid, you know what he meant. You had just a little bit of hope, but even that proved futile.

"Am I not good enough?"

You let the tears slip, steady and silent streams. But you didn't let yourself cry for too long, you needed to get up and move on.

Easier said than done.

You pushed yourself to go clean up and change your sheets, wanting nothing more than to occupy your mind with other things, and to an extent it worked.

Until you were back in bed, that's when you started crying again. Only this time, you were sobbing loudly and it was loud enough to alert your roommate of your distress.

MC came barging in, quickly reaching your side to comfort you.

A very small part of you was jealous of her, and you hated that. She was your best friend, someone who always was there for you and wanted the best for you.

Knowing that she had the one thing you so desperately wanted hurt, but not enough to let it come between your friendship. You valued her presence too much in your life, you just hoped she would still feel the same about you with what you were about to tell her.

●・○・●・○・●・

MC had joined you under the covers after you finished laying your heart bare in front of her, she never once cut you off, said anything or made any reaction aside from a look of understanding and hurt.

She was in no way hurt by your words but rather hurt at the situation, she had totally believed that Caleb was into you, dare she say obsessed with you. She saw the looks and the lingering touches that were exchanged between you two.

She thought it would all work out with time, who knew Caleb would screw it all up. Not just that, but you were under the impression that he was in love with her.

She didn't want to downplay your feelings and thoughts, as a woman she understood. She could only be there for you and show you just how wrong you were, she was determined.

You had fallen asleep a little while ago. You were utterly heartbroken and had been non stop crying as you talked, MC's heart went out to you.

You were her sister, her twin, blood relations or not, she valued you more than anything in the world. She never felt like she was only child, you and Caleb were the siblings she always wanted, she'd be damned if she let Caleb ruin that for you guys.

Little did both of them know, they wouldn't hear from Caleb for almost a year and a half.

●・○・●・○・●・

A month later

It was graduation day.

You and MC have been closer than ever since that day. Caleb had went MIA, not replying to either of you or returning your calls.

You would be lying if you said you still weren't upset about that day and the lack of communication.

'I thought we were thick as thieves but clearly not.'

You were finally graduating, the day you worked so hard for that you made it as Valedictorian of your year.

You were just putting on the final touches of your look when MC came barrelling into your room with her hands behind her back.

She gave you a sly smile before revealing what she had behind her back, a small gift bag.

You laughed as you went to your closet and pulled out a gift bag as well.

You guys were on the same wavelength it seemed.

MC was in shock, you had gotten her that necklace that she had been eyeing a few months back, she even noticed the engraving on it.

My forever sister in every universe

If it wasn't for MC being fully ready to go she would have burst into tears right then and there. She pulled you in for a hug and whispered words of thank you.

She put it on right away, it was the perfect gift for a day like today.

MC handed you the bag she brought. It was also a necklace with an engraving on it. You guys definitely were twin flames, her gift having a similar engraving as yours.

Across galaxies, you're still my sister

Putting on the necklace you pulled MC in for another hug, your heart felt full despite the absence of one particular person, but in that moment nothing mattered but the bond between you and MC.

●・○・●・○・●・

It was nerve wracking giving a speech in front of all those people, but at the same time you had this adrenaline rush pumping through your veins.

The graduation ceremony ended with hats in the air and confetti everywhere.

This marked the end of a chapter and the beginning of a new one.

Only, it would be a chapter filled with experiences you never would have imagined.

●・○・●・○・●・

A week later

You woke up feeling uncomfortable, your throat burned and your stomach felt uneasy. Not even a second after opening your eyes you felt last night's dinner making an appearance the same way it went in.

You bolted to the bathroom and emptied the contents of your stomach into the toilet.

You probably sounded like you were dying because MC soon came bursting into your room.

She held your hair back and rubbed soothing circles on your back as you heaved, tears clouding your vision.

If there was one kind of pain you hated the most it was the pain that came with throwing up. It was agonizing, and your throat burned.

Once you were done, you moved to rinse your mouth while MC left to go get you a drink with electrolytes.

"Are you okay? I know I'm not the best at cooking but I didn't think dinner would be that bad."

MC joked as she handed you a bottle of coconut water. You let out a small chuckle before taking a sip.

"It's weird, I don't think it was your cooking. I've been feeling super nauseous lately and I can't even stand the smell of some foods."

You tell her, she smacks your arm jokingly for not denying her cooking skills, or the lack of them.

"Wait, what if you're pregnant?"

MC said, you laughed her off.

"No way, I haven't even slept..."

The words died in your throat, flashbacks from that night came crashing into your headspace. You never forgot that night, but you definitely did not remember whether you guys had used protection or not.

MC offered to stop by the pharmacy to grab you a couple of pregnancy test, saying it didn't hurt to at least try.

While you waited for her you looked through your calendar, trying to remember when you had your last period.

'Shit. I'm late.'

You paced around the room nervously fidgeting with your fingers, your thoughts were a mess.

MC came back in record breaking time with a couple of bags, one filled with different brands of tests and the other had some of your favourite snacks.

●・○・●・○・●・

You followed the directions and sat on the edge of the tub with MC, waiting for the results.

You were bouncing your knee, the nervousness kicking in ten fold. MC placed a hand on your leg in an effort to reassure you, her eyes saying that she would support you no matter what.

MC checked the results first, you didn't think you could handle looking at it.

She turned around and showed you one of the tests, and that's when you saw it.

Two red lines.

You were pregnant.

[littlelovelunette]

“My Bitch.”

Ambessa Medarda x Brat!Reader

Dirty talk, spanking, dumbification, mild degradation (soft tone), powerplay, aftercare implied

“No. I'm not some little doll you can just boss around.”

Ambessa chuckled low in her throat, her golden eyes narrowing with quiet amusement. “Oh, little one,” she said, voice velvet-wrapped steel, “You have no idea what I can do.”

You refused to back down. You hated when she used that tone, all sugar-sweet and condescending like you were some precious thing to be coddled. It lit something in you—something hot and reckless. You pushed her hand away when she reached for your cheek, daring her.

The air changed.

She didn't raise her voice.

She didn’t growl.

She simply stood, towering and graceful, and sat on the edge of the bed, spreading her thick thighs just enough. Then she patted her lap, the gesture so gentle it made your stomach twist.

“Over. Now.”

You scoffed. “You think I’m just gonna bend over like some spoiled—”

Her hand snapped out, catching your wrist like a steel trap. The next thing you knew, your world had flipped, and you were sprawled over her lap, your bare thighs brushing hers. She'd tugged your bottoms down in one smooth motion, exposing your ass to the cool air and her warmth.

“You brat,” she said softly, almost affectionately, as her large hand rested on the curve of your ass. “You act like you don’t want this. But your body tells a different story.”

You squirmed, heat crawling up your spine and cheeks, heart thumping in your ears. “Shut up—”

Smack.

Your whole body jolted.

Smack. Smack.

The strikes came hard, rhythmic, echoing in the room. Each one lit your nerves on fire, but it wasn’t just the pain—it was the way she spoke over it, calm, condescending, dripping in control.

“There we go. Such a noisy little mouth. But you’re already getting quiet for me, aren’t you?” Smack. “You like it when I take charge. You like knowing you don’t get to make the rules.”

You whimpered, fingers clutching the sheets. Her strength was unfair. Each hit made your legs twitch, made your thoughts slow down into fog and sensation.

“I don’t need to shout,” she murmured, leaning closer, her breath against your ear. “I just need to remind you what you are. My pretty little brat who melts the second I put her in her place.”

You bit your lip, trying not to moan, but she knew. Her hand slid between your thighs, ghosting over heat and slick. You were so wet.

“Oh…” she purred. “Dripping already? And you said you didn’t want to be babied.”

Your pride crumbled under the weight of her touch. Your words slurred before you could think. “M’not—ah—I’m not—”

“You’re not what?” Smack. “Not a good girl?” Smack. “Not desperate?” Smack. Smack. Smack. “Say it. Tell me what you are.”

Your legs were shaking. Your brain felt like mush. Her hand never stopped its cruel rhythm, spanking you while her other caressed and teased between your thighs like a reward for breaking. You were panting now, tears gathering at the corners of your eyes— not from the pain, but from the loss of control and humiliation.

“I—I’m yours,” you breathed, trembling. “Your dumb little brat. Please... I’ll be good…”

Ambessa smiled, dark and full of pride, as she slowed her hand to a caress, fingers tracing the red marks blooming across your skin. She leaned down, kissing the small of your back.

“There she is,” she whispered. “That’s my girl.”

[lamentationsofalonelypotato]

What Did I Say?

Pairing: Din Djarin x f!reader, Reader POV

Summary: A trip to the market takes a turn for the worst when you run into a bounty hunter that doesn't take no for an answer. Takes place after Season 3 when Din and Grogu have been living in their cabin on Nevarro. This is the fourth fic in my Sugar, Spice, and Starlight Series!

Tropes: Touch Her And Die, Protective!Din, Bakery AU, Grumpy vs. Sunshine, Mutual Pining, Shy!Din

Word Count: 9K (HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?! 😱)

Warnings: I'm gonna label this one 18+ just because this contains an UNWELCOME ADVANCE from someone on the reader (not Din) (it's creepy, And the reader does get hurt- just a little bit), Angst, Blood, Death, Super Creepy Transdoshan, Din Protecting the Reader and Being Super Hot While Doing it, Loverboy!Din But The Reader Doesn't Know It, One or two curse words?, Din taking care of the reader, The reader is really soft and likes to bake? Din being a little bit self-deprecating to himself? Din might be a little bit OOC.

Note: This is told from Reader's perspective. Any references to the reader is made using you or your. There is no use of y/n! I tried my best to proofread, but nobody's perfect. If you don’t like, don’t read, but if you do like, you’re my favorite! I'm just starting to write for Din, so please be gentle.

Internal monologue is in italics and is in first person.

Main Masterlist

Series Masterlist

A/N: Again, this does contain an unwelcome (somewhat sexual? I really don't know what to call it) advance from a creepy lizard man, please, PLEASE, do not read this if that's something that will hurt you. I really don't want anyone to be effected negatively by this. After that whole situation it does get really cute...

The sounds and smells of the market were all around you, flooding your senses as you wove through the multicolored stalls on the bright afternoon. The sun above warmed your shoulders through the soft red dress you wore that swished around your ankles with each step through the crowds.

The smell of spices, fruit, fresh baked pastry, and perfumes wafted up from the booths around you while the chittering of creatures in cages, the low hum of electricity, and the sound of vendors calling out to the other shoppers filled your ears. Families walked through the streets enjoying the fare and children giggled while they darted through the crowds playing tag while lone shoppers migrated from booth to booth, drawn in by smooth talking vendors with beconing hands.

It was one of those wonderful Saturdays. You had woken up early, made enough pastries for the morning rush, and left your assistant Jax in charge while you went grocery shopping. There was a list clutched in your hand written in your untidy scrawl, but you were only partly paying attention to it.

Shopping in the market was one of your favorite things to do.

Everyday there was a new vendor or a new product being sold, and you often didn't know where to look for fear of missing out on something strange and unusual. It always awakened a sense of excitement and joy, and of course it always made you feel more connected to the community on Nevarro.

You lean over the display of baskets filled with brightly colored and various sized fruits and vegetables that spill out in a colorful blur onto the small table.

“How about these?” The vendor asks with a wide smile, a hint of an accent on the end of his words, while he holds out a small container of bright purple fruit, each no bigger than the tip of your pinky.

You take a bite, allowing the sour and sweet taste of the fruit explode in your mouth, while the juice stains the delicate skin of your fingertips.

In your mind you begin to assemble a pastry around the flavor, thinking of the things you could make.

Maybe a jelly roll with honey-wine drizzle.

“These are perfect! I'll take two boxes." You smiling at the vendor who mirrors your enthusiasm and begins to pack up a bag for you while your eyes drift over the other fruits on the table considering what else you could create from oddly shaped products.

The market never failed to inspire you, and you often went back to the bakery laden down with multiple bags and exciting ideas about possible treats to bake. You also supposed that was the curse of shopping hungry, and it was something that you did often, but never regretted

Today you had been hoping to find more inspiration for savory treats. Since the day you went with Din to parent's night, he'd gone from stopping by a few times a week to everyday. And each time you'd send him off loaded down with a bag full of meat pies, stew, pastries, and anything else that you could think of.

It made you smile to yourself, but it drops a little bit when you think of him. Din hadn't been into the shop in a week. You knew that it was because he was out on "a job." He hadn't said where  he was going or what he was doing, but he had stopped by just before closing time the night before he left to tell you.

He'd loitered by the door for a few moments watching you sweep up and listen to you talk about your day while Grogu slept in the bag slung around Din's broad chest. And after he'd told you that he was going to be off planet for a few days.

You been surprised that he was telling you that, but at the same time you were happy he did. If Din had stopped showing up with no warning, you would have been worried that something terrible happened to him.

Despite his hesitancy to talk about it, you knew what Din did for a living, and even though you knew that Din was supposedly a mighty warrior and he wore armor that protected him, you still worried about him. The thought that Din would just vanish from your life made an unpleasant feeling bubble in the pit of your stomach.

It had happened so quickly, but you could feel yourself falling for him more each day, and his time away from you this week, had only proven how much you depended on seeing him every day.

The week had dragged on, each day longer and longer in Din's absense. You'd almost gone to find Karga to ask him if he'd heard from Din, or stopped Cara as she did her daily rounds about the city to see if Din was back. You'd held yourself back.

The trip to the market at the end of the longest week of your life had been an attempt to cheer yourself up, but it hadn't done much to keep your mind off him.

Each flash of silver in the sun had turned your head as you walked through, heart surging at the thought of running into Din, but every time you'd been disappointed.

It wasn't him and you missed him more than you thought possible.

You missed hearing his heavy sigh, seeing the tilt of his head as he watched you with a customer, and feeling the warmth of his gaze that made your cheeks heat.

You missed hearing his laugh at your jokes, seeing him cradling a sleeping Grogu in his arms, and smiling at the awkward hesitation Din had whenever you did something for him that he wasn’t expecting. Like when you rubbed a smudge of icing off his breastplate because Grogu had touched it with sticky hands, or when you'd made Din sit still while you patched a hole in his cowl with the emergency sewing kit you always had with you while he stammered that you didn't have to do that.

Those moments made you imagine that Din was blushing beneath his Beskar and smiling at you the way you smiled at him. You understood that the grumpy and somewhat stoic Mandalorian you'd come to know was not someone who blushed easily, but it gave you an unfathomable amount of joy to be the only person that could do that to Din.

Or at least… think that you were the one who made him blush.

“Hey baby.” You hear someone hiss, but you ignore it, expecting it to be directed at another customer and you continue looking at a collection of vegetables on the table, that are star shaped and bright red.

I wonder if they'd bring a little spice to a good hearty stew. Does Din like spicy food?

You made a mental note to ask him when you saw him.

“You here all alone?” The voice says again and you feel someone’s hand on the small of your back, pressing through the crimson dress you were wearing.

You flinch at the intrusion and turn your head to gaze up at a large Transdoshan that stands beside you. His reptilian face is split into a wicked smirk, tongue treading through his black lips, red beady eyes raking across your figure in a more than friendly way.

Nevarro did occasionally get a colorful group of bounty hunters, each month there were less and less with the way Cara and Karga were cleaning up the city, but you'd never seen a Transdoshan here before, especially not one this close.

Most of the bounty hunters kept to themselves, only coming in to your shop with clipped words before you sent them on their way, but there was something lurking behind his beady eyes that made a cold shiver trickle down your spine and your heart beat dangerously fast.

You wondered if he could hear it.

“No.” The lie slips through your lips before you can stop it, and you try to pull away from him to continue shopping, hoping that he'll leave, while the vendor watches the two of you uncomfortably.

“I think you are." The Transdoshan teases with a smiles so wide you can see all of his sharp teeth.  "And someone as pretty as you shouldn’t be out all alone on a beautiful day like this.”

The black stripes that run vertically up and down his face are a stark contrast against the white scales and red eyes. His hand presses harder against the small of your back and you can feel the sharp tips of his claws against your soft flesh through the dress.

You clear your throat, trying to slow the rapid beat of your heart. "Can you please move your hand? I'm trying to shop." You say it as politely as possible, but it does little to keep the tremor from your voice.

His red eyes crinkle around the edges with his smile as he hears the shake on your words. “I think I’ll keep it here. In fact why don’t you and I go somewhere a little more private.” He rasps, tongue flicking out through his fangs, as his other hand travels down to grip your wrist dragging your body back into his. His skin is cold, scaly, hard, and unyielding where it rests against your flesh.

His breath is warm and smells like something coppery and metallic, while his tongue tickles your cheek.

Another shudder travels down your spine when you think about going anywhere with him, especially alone.

Your eyes flick to the other people in the marketplace hoping to catch a glimpse of Cara Dune for help, but you don't see her.

You wish that Din hadn't gone away, wish that he was here with you, because you knew that if he was someone like this Trashdoshan would never come within ten feet of you.

“I’m okay thanks.”  You try to pull away cringing back from him, but he only tightens the grip he has on you, pulling your back harder against his chest.

“Come on sweet thing, don't be like that-“ the Transdoshan leans down, his dark tongue flicking between his sharp teeth, but as he does someone grabs him by the back of his jacket and rips him away from you, so hard and fast that the he stumbles away and lands in the dirt.

Even wearing full armor, Din looks furious as he puts himself between you and the Transdoshan laying on the ground a few feet away. Anger wafts off of him in waves through the silver Beskar into the blaring sunlight, and his shadow falls long over the warm ground beneath your feet.

Din pushes you behind him, wrapping his arm around your waist to keep your body pressed against his back as he looms over the Transdoshan. Your hand automatically comes up to his shoulder, allowing it to ground you to where you are, while Din’s hand is placed firmly on the back of your waist.

The Transdoshan rises to his feet with an angry snarl, lips curled back over pointed teeth that are about half the length of your pinky. It makes another shudder travel down your spine and you gasp softly against Din.

You feel Din's body tense at the sound of your gasp and feeling of your shudder, and the hand on the back of your hip tightens as Din pushes you further behind him into his back. You lean into his protective embrace.

“Don't you ever touch her again.” Din’s voice, although monotone, is laced with venom.

The Transdoshan's eyes flick to where you stand behind Din, his lips curling into a wicked smirk before he says something in his native tongue and then vanishes into the crowds of people enjoying the sunny day who have watched the drama unfold with wide eyes.

You relax as he vanishes and take a breath for the first time in a minute. “Thank you Din.” You say, but Din doesn't answer, in fact his arm tightens around you where it's wrapped around your waist. 

“Din?” You say his name softly to get his attention, but he doesn't turn. His gaze is focused in the direction that the Transdoshan disappeared.

“Wait here.” He says his voice still a growl through his helmet before he hands you the kid and vanishes in the same direction as the Transdoshan.

You try not to be disappointed when his arm is removed from around your body. You had felt so safe pressed against him, like no one could touch you.

You take in a shaky breath to calm your heart, that still seems to be going a mile a minute. Grogu reaches up and touches your chin with one of his little hands, drawing your eyes to the child in your arms.

“Hey Grogu,” You smile as the child coos and puts his fingers through your hair, tugging lightly at the strands that have pulled free from your floral scarf.

He coos something and nuzzles his head into your chest. You might be imagining this, but there's a part of you that thinks Grogu is trying to make you feel better.

It works.

You smile at the little creature, holding him closer to you as he reaches up again to squeeze your chin. "I'm okay."

Grogu blinks his dark eyes, but he mirrors your smile.

 “Are you having fun at the market?” You ask him, gently rubbing his ears, but notice that he has a brown sticky substance smeared on the bottom half of his mouth. “You’re a mess.” You laugh and take out a cloth from your bag, wet it with your tongue, and begin to gently drag it over his face.

Grogu wriggles defiantly under your ministrations, but you hold him fast and continue, allowing the rhythmic movement of the cloth against his face calm you and also distract you.

You had no idea where Din had gone, only that you were now more worried about him than you had been for yourself.

The Transdoshan was bigger than Din, what if he hurts him?

Din reappears next to you, the shine of his metal in the sunlight almost blinding, but you feel a wave of relief at his reappearance. There's a purplish-black substance flecked just under the right intention of his helmet that wasn’t there when he left.

“Are you alright Cyare?” Din asks, his voice a low rumble through the helmet, and then Din does something he’s never done, Din touches your cheek with his gloved hand, his helmet tilted down towards you.

Your eyes widen in surprise, gasping softly with his touch. It was the first time that Din had ever done anything remarkably like this, especially in front of the entire town that was still watching the two of you.

They always were, but by now you didn't care. You were used to the whispers, used to seeing women in the streets stare at you and then turn to one another as if they knew something you didn't.

"Yes." You breathe, looking up into the helmet with a soft smile. "Thank you Din."

"You do not have to thank me." Din replies, the roughness of his glove resting against your cheek is surprisingly comfortable.

"But-"

"Not for something like this. He won't bother you again." He says firmly, voice hardening.

For a brief moment you can feel his gaze locked on yours through the visor, and it brings a wave of comfort through your body, being here with him. A feeling of safety comes with it and you lean further into his touch with a sigh.

Din keeps his hand on your cheek for another few seconds before he drops it. You watch his head tilt in the direction of Grogu, who is still trying to squirm away from the wipe in your hand.

“I guess he’s saving whatever that was for later.” You say with a smile, changing the subject.

“We stopped at the shop, but you weren’t there.” Din explains. You can't help but think that he sounds a little disappointed.

“Oh so this is Uj cake.” You laugh as you finish cleaning. “I left Jax in charge. She’s pretty good at cashiering, not so much baking, but I thought that I made enough sweets for the morning rush at least."

The people pass by the two of you glancing nervously at the Mandalorian standing next to you, but you pay them no mind, gently rocking the child in your arms.

“How are you?” You ask Din.

"Good."

“I-um- wasn’t sure when you’d be back.” You drop your eyes to Grogu in your arms shyly. It was difficult not to show Din how much you missed him, and at the same time there was a part of you that wanted Din to know.

“It wasn’t supposed to take that long, but-“ Din stops mid-sentence, measuring his next words.

“But?” You look up at him raising an eyebrow in confusion.

You noticed that he did that a lot, that Din tried to censor what he said to you as if he were afraid to tell you the whole truth.

Sometimes you wondered if Din was waiting for you to run away screaming, for you to turn your back on him the way everyone else in town had, and it broke your heart. You wanted him to open up about his job with you, to tell you what he did, to tell you about the sprawling worlds that lay beyond this one.

You’d only been to a handful of other planets in your lifetime and you were sure that Din had some incredible stories about other worlds all over the galaxy.

Din waits another beat finding his words. “He kept evading me. I’m sorry I was gone so long.” Din remarks slowly.

“You don’t have to apologize.”

“I did-“ He clears his throat. “Bring you something.” Din's fingers fidget slightly where his hands hang at his sides.

“Oh really?" You blink in surprise. "You didn’t have to.”

Din reaches into his bag and pulls out an old book. It’s covered in a dark blue tattered binding with faded silver script on the spine and cover, and yellowed pages. He takes Grogu from you before holding out the book to you.

You take it gently from his hand and open the first page to read the table of contents, and realize that it's a cookbook. The listed dishes of sweet and savory items are things you’d never heard of, but you feel yourself begin to buzz with excitement at the thought of trying out new recipes.

He was thinking about me.

The thought makes you smile to yourself and blush, that Din thought about you as much as you were thinking about him.

“I saw you sitting at the fountain a few days before I left, reading, and I thought you’d want another one.” His voice is huskier than usual and you wonder if it’s because he’s nervous.

“That was very sweet Din. Thank you.” You brush your fingers over the page before looking up at him with a bright smile. “I can’t wait to try these out."

He nods once.

“Why didn’t you come say hi when you saw me?”

“I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“I would have welcomed the disruption. Especially if I knew if you were going, I missed seeing you around." Your cheeks warm as you admit that to him, but you wondered if he felt that way about you, especially now that you had the cookbook clasped in your hand.

Din's muscles tense beneath his Beskar. "I-" He begins to say, but just as he does the Greef Karga walks by.

"Mando! You're back." Karga smiles wide at the sight of the Mandalorian. "Just who I wanted to see."

Din sighs. "What is it?"

"I need your help with something- only take a minute." Karga's gaze flicks to you. "Well isn't it Nevarro's favorite baker. Are you enjoying this fine day?"

The memory of the Transdoshan flickers across your mind, bringing the sharp feeling of his claws prickling against your back, and the warmth of his breath against your face. You shudder slightly, hoping that Karga misses it.

Din doesn't.

"Yes." Your smile feels a little bit forced. "I am."

"Good!" Karga booms. "Now Mando please, don’t make me ask again. I need you, old friend.”

Din's helmet hasn't turned away from where you stand, his concerned gaze focused on you for a moment too long. "Fine."

"Thank you!" Karga turns to go, expecting Din to follow, but Din steps closer to you.

"Are you alright cyar'ika?" Din asks it quietly under his breath and you watch his right hand twitch as if he was going to reach for your face again.

You didn’t know what the word meant, but you’d noticed that each time you were with Din, he'd use more and more words in Mando'a that you couldn't place. By now you were used to it, figuring that Din was getting more comfortable talking casually with you and it caused certain words in Mando'a to slip in to his vocabulary when he spoke.

"Yes, Din I'm fine. I promise." Your smile is genuine this time as you look up into the helm, and you reach out to touch his arm to reassure him.

Din waits a moment, his eyes tracing over you face beneath the helmet, before he sighs. "Can you watch the kid for me?"

"Of course. I'll go back to the shop. I'm sure that I can find something he wants to snack on." You place your new book in your bag before taking Grogu from Din, who gurgles happily and nuzzles into your neck.

Din sighs again and you imagine the Mandalorian rolling his eyes. "You shouldn't spoil him."

"He deserves it. And I like spoiling people." You didn't say that you wished Din would let you spoil him, because the big scary Mandalorian you'd heard rumors about was nothing like the man who showed up in your bakery for treats. There was a voice inside of you that wondered if he was as lonely as you were. "Thank you for the book, I'll see you in a little bit."

You walk away whispering to the child while he gurgles and squeaks grabbing on to the strands of your hair, not noticing how Din's eyes follow you through the market making sure that you're safe.

By closing time, Din still hasn't come to pick up Grogu, but you don’t mind. You liked spending time with him as much as you liked spending time with his father. You'd sent Jax home early, wanted to let her enjoy the rest of her day, and by now the twin moons had already risen from the horizon to bathe the city in a silver glow. The florescent signs that lined the streets flickered in multicolored splendor outside and strands of lights that lined the streets twinkled outside the shop.

Grogu was happily sitting on your counter with a bowl of stew clutched between his small hands, listening to you read aloud from the book of recipes that Din had brought you. There were so many recipes that you'd never heard of before, and by now you had a large list of ingredients written on a piece of paper beside the book you’d made. It meant another trip to the market, and you hoped that Din would go with you now that he was back in town.

"What do you think about stewed Jorgan berries with spiced egg-milk tart?" You muse aloud to Grogu who takes another sip from his bowl as you study the recipe written in neat script, running a fingertip down the list of ingredients. "I think that could be good." You continue, listening Grogu babble his answer. "Do you think Din would like it?"

The door at the front of your store opens, the happy jingle of the bell is familiar and welcome. You expected it to be Din, so you don’t bother looking up from the page. “Wow, Karga kept you a long time. What did he need?” 

But it's not Din that answers.

"Did you miss me sweet thing?" A voice hisses bringing a tremor of fear scuttling down your spine.

You raise your eyes from the book.

The Transdoshan dwarfs the front entrance of your shop, the lights of the street outside dramatizing the broad shoulders and imposing figure. It takes another step forward, mouth curling up in a snarl as it does.

One of it's eyes is completely swollen shut, the once white skin covering it an ugly blotchy purple, and it's lip is split, dripping purplish black blood onto the smooth wooden floors of your shop.

The color is familiar and you remember the flecks of liquid on the indention of Din's helmet from earlier.

Did Din do that?

The memory of how long Din was gone and how quick he was to follow the Transdoshan seemed to prove that.

He approaches the counter limping on his right leg as if putting weight on it is too much to bear.

"We're closed." You keep your voice from shaking. "Plus, I'm sold out."

Grogu coos softly, looking up at the creature that slinks forward, and you pick him up and move him out of harms way. The last thing you wanted was for Grogu to get hurt and if that meant putting yourself in between him and the creature that loomed over your counter so be it.

Why is he here? Why couldn't he have just slinked back to wherever the hell he came from?!

You'd thought that Din had made himself clear when he spoke to him earlier, but apparently this Transdoshan was more hard-headed than your favorite Mandalorian.

"Oh I'm not here for that." The one red eye glints with malice in the light, and before you can back up further, his hand flashes out across the counter and grabs your wrist, yanking you forward. "I'm here for something much sweeter."

You bite back a whimper.

Where is Din?

"You see, your Mandalorian disrespected me." The creature pulls you halfway across the counter, so close to him that you can feel his rancid breath against your face, the wood ledge presses painfully into your hip. "He wears all that fancy armor and I wasn't able to leave a mark on him. But you-" He raises his cold scaly hand to your cheek, dragging a claw down the arch of your cheekbone. "You were made for that." The claw bites into your skin following the subtle curve of your cheek.

The door behind him whips open so fast you imagine that it's been pulled off it's hinges. You can't see who it is, but all you know is that the creature is ripped away from you so suddenly that it almost pulls your arm off in the process.

You scramble backwards off the counter, holding your wrist to your chest, watching the scene unfold in front of you.

"Do you remember what I said I'd do to you if you ever touched her again?" Din's voice is a growl through the helmet, so different than the deep rumble you loved so much.

He has the Transdoshan pinned to the wall of the bakery, a silver knife pressed so hard against it's throat that blood blooms against the blade and drips down below the creature's collar.

“I don’t see your name written on her Mandalorian.” It spits back. “Perhaps she wants something more free range not someone locked up in a metal cage.”

Din's body tenses with the words and he growls out your name without looking away from the creature. "Take the kid into the kitchen. I don't want you to see this."

You do as he says without question, vanishing behind the curtain that separates the back and the front of the shop with Grogu clutched tightly against your chest.

He said you. He didn't say the kid.

The thought makes you remember how Din tried to distance you from when he spoke about his job, when you knew he was holding back details because he was afraid you wouldn't be his friend.

There's a sickening squelching sound, a muffled scream, and the sound of something heavy hitting the floor, but you don't leave the kitchen. You hold Grogu tighter to your chest and squeeze your eyes shut as your stomach knots at the unpleasant noises coming from the front of your bakery.

Din walks through the curtain, the dark blood of the Transdoshan splashed over the front of his Beskar, his chest rising and falling with the exertion. His helmet tilts in your direction and you watch him hesitate to come towards you, as if he's afraid that you would run from him.

How can I when I know he did that to protect me?

Before Din can decide to come closer, you run to him, throwing your arms around his chest with the kid pressed between the two of you, and burying your face against the hard metal of his breastplate. Sobs shake your body as tears burn and slip from your eyes, rolling down your cheeks.

You were trying not to focus on what had almost happened to you, but all you could think about is what would have happened if Din didn't show up when he did. Outside at the market had been a public place, but here, alone in your bakery there would have been no one to hear you scream.

You shudder at the thought.

It was enough to shock Din out of his stupor. He hadn't moved since you'd collapsed against him, momentarily surprised, but now his muscular arms come up around you to hold you against him. The breastplate was cutting into your cheek, but you didn't care, not when Din was actually hugging you back. 

"Shh cyar'ika, it's alright." Din murmurs, his voice softer than it was moments ago as he moves his hand up and down your back while you cry harder and tighten your arms around him. "He's not going to hurt you again I swear it."

The three of you stand there for another few moments, with Din rubbing his hand up and down your back while you cry softly into his armor and Grogu coos softly and nuzzles his head into you as if trying to bring you comfort the way his father is.

Din pulls back from you. "You're bleeding." His voice deepens a little bit and you can feel the invisible trace of his eyes over your face.

“Huh?” You sniffle, rubbing your eyes with the back of your hand.

“Come on.” He leads you back to sit down on the ottoman of the plush armchair in the corner, tilting your face upwards and brushing back the strands of your hair that have fallen into your eyes.

You could see your reflection in the shine of his helmet, eyes swollen and rimmed with fresh tears, and an ugly long scratch that ran the length of your cheekbone.

“Does it look bad?” You whisper.  You couldn’t feel any pain, you were still in shock, anxiety thrumming through your body, with the possibility of what almost happened.

“No.” Din almost growls it, his gloved hand tightening on your chin as he continues to examine your face.

Finally he sighs, releases your chin, and tries to take Grogu from you, but Grogu wriggles defiantly and cuddles further into you.

"Please don't take him." You whisper in a voice you don't recognize. It sounds more hollow and still holds a little shake as you sniffle again.

Din does as you ask and kneels down at your feet, sitting back on his heels as he begins to strip off his gloves.

You blink in surprise, holding back the urge to reach eagerly for his hands, wanting to see just a peek of the skin, wanting to reach out and touch the forbidden flesh that he hid beneath his armor.

He doesn't notice your interest, instead Din stays focused on the task at hand.

Din reaches into the bag slung around his shoulders to pull out a small medical kit, methodically taking out the gauze and sterile spray.

 His fingertips reach to brush against your jawline and you gasp softly, not because he is touching the scratch that the Transdoshan left behind, but because Din's skin is touching yours. The exact thing that you'd wanted for so long.

"Are you alright? Does it hurt?" He rumbles, mistaking your gasp for pain. You can hear the worry in his voice. It stirs something in your chest, knowing how much he cared about you.

"No, it doesn't, not really." You smile faintly despite the situation.

"I'm sorry." He sighs shaking his head. "I should have come sooner. I shouldn't have assumed he would leave you alone."

"This isn't your fault." You whisper. "I'm okay."

"You're not."

"Din, I'm right here in front of you-"

Din's hand touches your cheek again. "But you're hurt. You wouldn't have been if I had been here with you. I was stupid to think-"

You raise your hand to touch the metal of his helmet, directly over where you imagined his cheek would be if he wasn't wearing it, tilting his helmet so you're sure he's looking at you through the visor. Din freezes in surprise. "This is not your fault Din. Please don't blame yourself for this. How were you supposed to know? Karga needed you for-"

"I do not care what happens to Karga. You needed me more and I wasn't here-"

"You were here when it mattered." You whisper back with a soft smile. "And you're here now."

He shouldn't beat himself up for this, not when it's not his fault.

"But-"

"No." You breathe wishing that you could see his face, touch his cheek the way he was touching yours, not just the feeling of the cold metal of his helmet against your hand, but the warmth of his skin. You knew that it could bring more comfort to him than this. "We're not going to go there. We're not going to think about 'what if' because if we do that we'll be here all night."

He sighs again.

Your thumb gently rubs over the indention of his helmet wishing again that it was his cheekbone. "I worry about you too."

"You worry about me?" Din chuckles, but there's a trace of surprise in his voice. "Why?"

"I mean you-" You press your lips together in a tight line before you drop your eyes from his helmet, the heat of his gaze through the helm too much.  It didn't matter that you couldn't see Din's face, you knew he was looking at you, and although you welcomed it, sometimes it was too much, especially now when you were admitting something like this. "I know what you do Din." You say it slowly, noticing how he stiffens, but you continue. "And you were gone for so long that I was afraid you were hurt or worse."

The thought that Din would never come back, that you'd never see him come into your shop with Grogu ever again haunted you.

Din's hand slips down to your chin, tilting up your face to look at him again. "Please do not worry about me cyar'ika. I swear to you that no matter what happens, I will always come back to you."

You didn't need to see Din's face to imagine the determination in his eyes when he says it, you could hear it in his voice, stirring something in the pit of your stomach that sends your heart surging up in your chest. It was so brutally honest, his voice holding more emotion than you'd ever heard before.

He said "to you."

The thought makes a shy blush creep into your cheeks.

Din keeps his hand on your chin for another few seconds, his gaze locked on yours through the helmet studying you. He was waiting for you to look away, waiting for some hesitation in your eyes. Din was a master of reading people, it was a part of his job understanding what a simple twitch on the end of someone's lips or of the flicker of someone's eyes meant. Din was waiting to see fear flash in your eyes, but there's nothing. There's only you.

It was why Din had told you to go into the kitchen, he hadn't wanted you to see what he was going to do to the creature who dared touch you. And after he'd expected you to tell him to leave, that you didn't wish for him to be around you anymore, that he was a murderer and scared you. It was the reason why Din didn't want his life as a bounty hunter to tangle with yours, because he feared the moment you found out the kind of person he was, found out what he'd done, understood how many times his hands ran red with blood, you would run from him. But you hadn't,  you had run to him, hugged him, collapsed into his chest and fit there like you belonged while asking him to comfort you.

The sharp tang of the Transdoshan's blood fills your nose and you can see the purple stain against the breastplate of Din's armor like a shadow, a reminder of what he did.

And maybe another person would be frightened, but you can't be, not when you knew that Din did those things to keep you safe. He was your friend and there was no part of you that believed Din would ever hurt you.

"I'm going to hold you to that." You smile into the visor, still only seeing yourself, but for some reason you can tell that Din is smiling back. Call it some inkling in the back of your mind, or some kind of psychic connection, but you can feel his smile.

"I don't break my promises cyare." He says firmly, but he leans into your hand where it still clutches the left indention on his helm.

Din had called you that several times since that walk home from the Parent's Night, and each time you were just a little disappointed. You hoped that Din saw you as more than a friend, especially after he'd promised that he'd "always come back to you," but you supposed not.

"I believe you."

"Good."

Din pulls back from you slowly to begin cleaning your wound again.

"Din?"

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?" You ask tentatively.

Din's rough fingertips work with a practiced methodical precision and deftness that you didn’t think he'd possess, gently cleaning your cheek. "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"I wasn't sure if you were hurt too."

Din chuckles as he applies a bandage to your face. "What did I say about you worrying about me?"

"I didn’t promise I wouldn't worry." You laugh. "I just wanted to ask because you were fighting him."

"I am fine. My armor was sufficient to block his attacks." He reassures you before lifting up your left wrist to examine the bruising handprint the Transdoshan left behind. Din lets out a sigh that sounds close to a growl. "He should not have been able to do this to you."

"Is it broken?"

It didn't feel broken to you, it just hurt a lot more than the scratch on your face.

I hope people don’t think Din did this to me.

The thought of Ms. Cross and the other parents at the school gossiping about the new bandage on your face and what people had seen today in the market made your blood boil. You didn't want to hear a rumor about how Din invited another bounty hunter to Nevarro and it was Din's fault you got hurt.

"No, but I wouldn't knead any bread for a few days."

"Does that mean I get to hire you as an extra set of hands in the kitchen?" You joke. "Because I can always make you that pink apron. And yours certainly seem big enough to handle some dough."

Din only shakes his head, but before you can stop yourself, you reach out to take his hands in yours.

He stiffens.

It feels forbidden, like something you shouldn’t be able to do and yet you can't stop. You gently trace your fingers over the rough callouses on his palms worn from hard work and notice small scars that interlace and curve over the back of his hands over the burnished bronze of his skin. You wanted to memorize each one, to listen to the warm rumble of Din’s voice and  know the story of how they came to be.

Din sighs.

It's not the heavy sigh of annoyance he has when Grogu does something wrong, or the growl of a sigh he just had when he dwelt on what the Transdoshan did to you, this is different. It's soft through the modulator of the helmet, it wisps through the air and straight into your heart.

Oh no maybe I did something wrong.

"I'm sorry I should have asked-" You try to pull back, afraid that you've offended him, but Din takes your hands in his. They're much larger, warm and solid, but he holds yours with a gentleness that would have surprised you if you hadn't seen the way he was with Grogu.

"It's alright." He says softly.

"It feels wrong."

"What?" Din asks, voice laced with humor.

"I never see any of your skin." You were sure that by now your cheeks must be almost blinding under thermal vision. It felt like all the blood in your entire body had rushed to them and made them shine like a beacon in the night. "You don't take the helmet off to say hello and you certainly don't take off your gloves."

Din says your name softly. "It’s okay for you to see my hands."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." He laughs. "It's my face that you cannot see."

You chew the inside of your cheeks measuring your next question. It was the one question you’d had since you met Din, why he kept his helmet on when you knew other Mandalorians that did not. "Why?"

"This is the way." Din replies in a monotone as if reciting the phrase from memory.

That tells me absolutely nothing.

“You really wear it all the time?”

“Yes.”

“Even when you sleep?”

"Sometimes."

“It must be uncomfortable."

You couldn’t imagine waking up with your head in a helmet, you'd probably think you were suffocating. That or you’d think you went blind.

"I'm used to it." Din shrugs. "I've been wearing this since I was a boy."

“So since last week?” You say with a laugh squeezing his hands. You were trying to make light of the situation, given that you didn’t understand why Din wore his helmet and your brother did not.

Din chuckles, the warmth of his laugh making you feel like you’d sunk into a hot bath. His helmet is tilted down where you’re holding his hands in your own watching your fingertips trace over the scars that weave over his sun-kissed skin.

“But what if you-“ You stop the question before it comes out of your mouth.

Din’s head tilts up to look at your face. “What if I what?”

“Nothing, it’s too personal.”  You shake your head in embarrassment.

You didn't know what had made you almost blurt out the question 'what if you wanted to kiss someone?'

Well, you did know, because you wanted to kiss him, but you didn't know if Din saw you that way. Given the way he kept calling you "friend" in Mando'a you were sure of it.

“Please ask me Cyare.” Din gives your right hand an encouraging squeeze.

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“You cannot.” He says gently.

You swallow. “What if you wanted to kiss someone? You wouldn’t take off your helmet? And if you got married Din, you’d just never-“ You trail off, cringing at your questions. You weren’t about to open the can of worms that was asking Din about his sex life.

I should just shrivel up and die.

Din’s thumb deftly traces your bruised wrist in a soothing motion, taking his time before he answers. “There are other ways to kiss someone.”

“Oh.” You had no idea what that meant but you were still trying to not be so damn awkward because now you were imagining what it would be like to kiss Din. Not to mention the feeling of him holding your hands skin against skin felt so good it was making you transcend to another plane of existence. "Like what?"

His thumb stills.

"Please forget I asked that. You don't have to explain if you don't want to." You squeeze your eyes shut in embarrassment. You really really didn't want to make Din nervous, not when it felt like he was actually opening up to you. It was what you had wanted since the moment you met.

Din raises his hand to your cheek, his gaze locked on yours through the opaque visor. He clears his throat. "May I show you?"

For a moment you forget how to breathe.

"Yes." You squeak.

Oh holy glazed honey buns he's going to kiss me.

Din waits a moment, before he very gently pulls your head down to his and rests his forehead against yours. You gasp softly, feeling the cool metal of his helmet against the heated blush of your face, fogging around where it rests against your skin.

And before Din can pull away, you raise your hand to the left indenture of his helmet once more, mirroring his own hand on your cheek, tilting you head to look into the dark visor with a soft smile.

Din sighs.

It’s not the tired sigh he has whenever Grogu does something or whenever you give Grogu a treat, it's softer, the same sigh he had when you first touched his hands. You're under the impression that he didn't mean to do that, but you see the tension dissipate from his shoulders as he leans further into you waiting another few precious seconds before he pulls away and your hand falls from his cheek.

Din doesn't say anything for a moment and truthfully you couldn't think of anything either. There was a strange energy in the room between the two of you, a tension that wound tight around where Din was kneeling in front of you and you were sitting. You knew he was only demonstrating, but there was something about it that felt like more.

His head tilts down to look at your wrist again. "We should ice that." He says, voice huskier through the voice modulator than it was a few moments ago.

"Oh, I can-"

Grogu reaches out with his hand and touches the delicate skin of your left wrist, laying gently against the bruised flesh. Warmth blooms where his three fingers grasp your arm, wrapping and curling around the bones and muscle, weaving them back together. And you watch as the flesh takes on it's normal color before your very eyes.

Grogu sighs heavily and falls back into your lap in a daze.

"How did he do that?" You raise your wrist to your face to examine it closer, slowly rotating your hand and flexing your fingers in surprise.

You hadn’t been looking forward to using only one hand in the bakery, but you were willing to make do with what you had.

Din gently take Grogu from your lap to into his bag, who has begun to snore quietly.  "He's always been able to do that."

"Heal people?"

Din nods once, but doesn't embellish.

Worry begins to trickle in at the way Grogu seemed to crumple as if it took too much out of him to do that. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Yes. He just needs to sleep.

You look down at the creature resting in the pouch, his small head cuddling into the worn leather side of the bag.

Curious.

"Thank you Grogu." You whisper, gently stroking his ears while he slumbers. He stirs for a moment to babble something under his breath in his sleep, but quickly drifts off once more.

“He didn’t want to see you in pain.” Din says quietly. “I understand how he feels.”

Your heart thuds an extra beat when Din says that and it again reminds you of what Din had done for you today, how he'd protected you and put himself in harm's way to keep you safe.

Din stands from his position on the ground and holds out a hand to you. "I would like to walk you home, if that's not too much to ask."

"I'd like that Din, but I still have to clean up-" You wave a hand at the kitchen that still has dirty bowls and pans stacked in the sink. “I can’t leave the kitchen like this.”

"Let me." His helmet turns in the direction of the front of your shop to look over his shoulder. "There are some things in here that I need to take care of. And I'd like to make sure you get home safe."

The memory of the sounds you heard coming from the front when Din was dealing with the Transdoshan make you cringe in disgust. The thought of cleaning up what was left of him made your stomach tie itself in knots and the sour taste of bile rise in the back of your throat.

But you didn’t want to leave Din with all this mess.

“Are you sure?"

"Yes. I want you to get some rest."

Din gently leads you by the hand to the curtain partition that divides your kitchen from the front of the shop, but stops so suddenly you walk into his back.

He turns to look at you over his shoulder. "Close your eyes."

You do what he asks without hesitation and Din leads you through the shop and out the front door into the moonlit streets beyond.

The walk home is silent, but odder still is that Din has not released your hand since he led you through the tables and chairs at the front of your shop. He holds it gently, as if it's a beating heart.

But you weren't going to complain. The feeling of Din's bare skin against yours was giving you a pleasant buzz. The warm roughness of his palm surprisingly soothing. You didn't know how you were going to go back to feeling the leather of his gloves when all you wanted was this.

Not to mention that the streets were blessedly empty and there wasn't anyone watching Din and you together.

When you arrive at your door, Din says your name to catch your attention.

"Yes?" You ask.

He looks down at where his hand is still in yours as if he can't believe it. His thumb begins to trail over the back of your hand. "I didn't answer your question."

"My question?"

What question did I ask him?

Din hesitates again, unsure. "I can reveal my face to people in my clan. And if-" Din clears his throat. "If I were married, my wife would see me without my helmet."

"Oh, oh." You said eyes widening in surprise.

Frankly, you were shocked that Din was bringing this up again, but you weren't going to stop him. Not when Din was opening up to you again.

"We would be one. The other half of me." Din says this slowly. "My riduur."

“Riduur.” You murmur the word feeling the syllables roll off your tongue.

"Yes." He nods at your pronunciation of the word.

Your eyes trace the familiar lines of Din's helmet, again thinking what he would look like. It was something that you always did in the past, but now the idea that you wouldn't get to see him, stung just a little bit. It was difficult for you to imagine Din with someone else, to know that someone else got to see the soft side of Din that he only showed when you were with him, but you also knew that you would try your hardest to be happy for him if he ever took a wife. He was after all, your only friend on Nevarro and really your only friend beside your brother.

"She would be very lucky to be with you." You say looking up into the helm, a soft smile pulling on the end of your mouth as you give Din's hand an encouraging squeeze. "Just as I am lucky to have you as a friend."

Din's body goes stiff in surprise. It was the last thing that he was expecting you to say to him. In fact Din was afraid that he had said too much to you. Especially given that he was about to start courting you. The book he'd given you today would be the first in a series of gifts that he would bring back to prove his commitment and ability to provide, as had Din's statement that he would always come back to you and his remodeling of his home to make a bigger kitchen and more room for you if you were to accept him. Of course there was a part of Din that wasn't sure that you would accept him.

That was why Din hadn't told you what "cyare" really meant or tell you why he brought you the book. He thought that maybe easing you into it would be better.

Before Din can respond, you pull him into a hug, wrapping your arms around him as tight as you can. "I know you keep saying that I don’t have to thank you, I do. You saved my life Din. Thank you."

Din's body curves up around yours holding you tightly against the hard cool metal of his armor. "You're welcome cyare."

Guide:

Cyar'ika: Sweetheart

Cyare: Beloved

Thank you so much for reading! Likes, Reblogs, and Comments are not required, but are always appreciated! If you'd liked to be added to my taglist for fics in this universe please let me know!

Taglist:

@jollyhunter @scoliobean @pressedwater @littlebear423 @bookloverkat

@scorpio-echo @windsweptarmadillo @foxin5billion @silas-aeiou

[joyswonderland1108]

"KEEP GOING". Okay but.. going where, exactly?

You know, i was minding my own business, lying to myself that i had emotionally recovered from "Who", when i remembered that glorious monitor shot of Jungkook's eyes, glowing like the moon itself, and right above him.. the words "KEEP GOING"

I blinked. I sniffled. I screamed internally.

But i let it slide. I said "no Joy, maybe it's just encouragement for life. For growth. For stage presence. For getting up in the morning without dissolving into tears because Park Jimin looked into a screen and saw Jeon Jungkook's face and decided that was the push he needed."

BUT THEN. THEN. THEN.

Came the "Are You Sure?" poster. And guess what's slathered across it again like some poetic whisper from the depths of the Jikook Cinematic Universe?

KEEP. GOING.

Oh. Oh Okay. So we're doing that again?

Because i thought i was hallucinating the first time. I really did. "Who" drops, and suddenly Jimin's staring at a monitor like he's receiving a divine prophecy, and who's on that screen? Jungkook. And what's floating above him like a celestial commandment from Gay God himself? "KEEP GOING".

I looked at it. It looked at me. We looked at each other. And i said "huh. Interesting. Probably just a cute little motivati-" NOPE. Shut up. No. We are not doing that rationalizing thing today.

Because fast forward to "Are You Sure?" and BAM. There it is again. That same cursed phrase. "KEEP GOING". Like a haunting. Like a secret code. Like Jikook's personal tagline for their unauthorized, unwritten, but highly televised romance.

Let me just.. hold on.

Let me put on my my conspiracy theory hat, no, my whole tinfoil bodysuit, and dive in.

(Me with my Jikookies going down that rabbit hole)

Because if we're gonna be told twice, not once, but twice, in big bold letters that we should "keep going", then i'm gonna start asking QUESTIONS.

Like:

Keep going WHERE?

Keep going with WHO?

Keep going.. HOW gay is this road exactly?

Are we talking Seasong 2 of AYS where we finally get a confession on camera, filmed like a K-drama, complete with cherry blossoms and tragic violin music?

Or maybe it's a Jikook subunit called "Keep Going", where every song, or every line, is them soft-singing each other's name while playing acoustic guitar and making eye contact?

A Jikook movie perhaps? A coming-of-age story about two boys who found each other in the chaos of idol life and clung on like they were the only real thing left?

Or, and hear me out, to coming out.. of the closet? Like, "keep going" down that rainbow brick road, boys. We've got flowers. We've got fanfiction. We've got archived live clips of you making heart eyes at each other in 4K. Let's gooooo.

And before someone in the back starts yelling "You're reading too much into it!!!" let me just say, YEAH. I AM. That's LITERALLY THE POINT.

I'm not here for logic. I'm here for pain and chaos and the fact that Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook keep choosing the same exact three words like it's a personal mantra carved into the walls of their heart.

They could've written anything. "Stay strong". "Belive in yourself". "Do laundry" (You and i both know what a Jikook laundry is but we're not gonna there lol) But no. They said "KEEP GOING". And not once. TWICE. Publicly. Boldly. With full chest.

So here i am. I will keep going. Right into madness. Right into emotional bankruptcy. Right into the group chat like "guys i saw another Jikook sign and i need someone to tranquilize me" (@mimiskookie @kkhluvsbts @kanmom51 Just be patient with me lol)

Because maybe, just maybe, the real meaning of "Keep going" was the delulu we made along the way.

And whatever they're doing, wherever they're going, i wanna go too. Even if it's straight to clown camp with no chance of parole.

[And just as i was about to hit "post" i remembered.. the "KEEP GOING" in BT21. Taped to the wall. Behind Chimmy and Cooky. Like the phrase itself is now following them across universes. So actually, it's not even two times anymore. It's three. No, FOUR. Jikook said keep going and i'm about to keep spiraling.]

[acotarxreader]

Tell me to Stop

Reader x Azriel

Synopsis: You and Azriel ended in a messy breakup and now he's desperate to distract himself with anyone else, that anyone being Elaine. Elaine quickly takes control of Azriel's whole life, forbidding him from seeing you, but can you two really stay apart forever?

Warnings: Elaine being crazy and mean (to my Irish followers, shes a class One wagon in this fic), high angst, smut, silly Cassian and Rhysand.

Note: Hello! Extremely long time no chat! I am currently writing on the most depressing thesis topic you can think of and so I decided to write this fic and take a break from "serious" writing. Let me know what you guys think! I'm very rusty at writing (especially writing smut lol) so please forgive me!

ALSO HOLY HELL THERES OVER 700 OF YOU!!!

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

“Az, do we have to do this every day?”

“Only until you say yes, YNN” Azriel grinned into his whisky tumbler as Cassian rolled his eyes at the same old dance he witnessed every night. 

“Az, give it a break, you're sounding desperate” Cassian smirked at his best friend's near-daily ritual, sliding onto a barstool next to him. You stood on the other side of the bar, polishing glasses with a small rag, Rita's electric around you.

“I'm just looking for another chance, is all.” Azriel did his best sad puppy dog face, and you swatted it away playfully with the cloth.

“Azriel, one of these days I'm gonna roll my eyes so hard at you I'm gonna go blind” You gently patted his shoulder, smilingly, before moving down the bar to take another customer's drink order. Azriel kept his eyes on you the whole time, watching your interaction with male patrons closely, only Cassian's voice snapping him from his study.

“You’re gonna hate me for saying this to you, again, but you've worked so hard to get back to this place, Az, are you sure you want to risk losing it all again?”

“Cass, I just know we're supposed to be more, but maybe you’re right, maybe it's time to just call it” Azriel watched your outline drift into the sea of patrons as you moved from behind the bar with a tray of drinks. You had known one another for over three centuries, as complicated as those years were. Partners in crime with a healthy dose of one-sided outward pining but mutual feelings. The two of you had dated before, but it crashed and burned almost fifty years ago, around the time when Rhysand was stolen. 

Azriel scanned the room, his gaze landing on Elaine as she laughed with the other members of his beloved family. Cassian followed the look, and it didn’t take a mind reader to know exactly what Azriel was thinking. 

“What? Why are you looking at me like that, Cass?”

“I know that look, that's the, let me jump on the next thing that moves and pretend it's YN because that's who I really want but can't have, look”

“Sounds like it needs a rebrand” Azriel chuckled in return before pushing off the bar and strolling over to reacquaint himself with the Archeron sister, who did very little to hide her affection for him. Cassain just shook his head at the scene before turning back to the bar top to watch you return, apron and wine glass in hand.

“Finished for the night YNN?”

“Yeah, right on time to watch that trainwreck” You plastered a smile across your face that didn't quite reach your eyes as you took a deep drink from your glass and threw the apron around the other side of the bar. Elaine cuddled in closer to Azriel, a stray hand finding a home on his thigh as his arm rested on the back of the booth behind her. You quietly simmered with rage as she batted her eyelashes at him, and he did nothing to stop her advances.

“I know you want him back and you're scared what happened…will happen again” he said somewhat sheepishly.

“Wow, Cassian, I didn’t realise you were studying to become a mind reader” you laughed with Cassian before an idea entered your head. You tore your eyes from the booth and landed them on Lucien Vanserra, back fresh from another disastrous trip to Spring, nursing a drink at the tail end of the bar. 

“Oh god, not that look” Cassian once again was disappointingly shaking his head. 

“What?”

“That's the, let me jump on the next thing that moves and distract myself from the deep unresolved feelings I have towards Azriel, look” he took the fresh drink you offered him as you finished your own before replacing it.

“A rebrand should be considered” he laughed at you and your similarities to Azriel before dragging a hand down his face in mild annoyance at your mirrored ignorance with his brother. When he looked back, you were already gone, he released a breath that sounded a lot like here we go before heading back to his friends at the booth. 

It didn’t take long for Azriel to spot you and Lucien looking extremely close, your knee between his two as you both sat together laughing in your own little world. While you would admit that initial you sat with the Prince of Foxes to piss off the Prince of Shadows, you were enjoying Luciens company for what it was. The night was starting to become a very drunk mess, and you were only delighted not to be on the closing shift and instead very much part of the chaos. 

You dragged Lucien to the dance floor, twirling under the technicolour light as the whiskey hit you like the flicks of light from the disco ball. You felt Lucien’s strong hands stroke up the length of your sides, his tipsy demeanour fighting to steady you both. This was short-lived as suddenly Lucien’s whole world went horizontal. 

“Azriel!” Cassian and Rhysand leapt out of the booth, bolting to their brother as he drunkenly pinned the son of Autumn to the sticky dancefloor. Your head started to uncomfortably swirl from the alcohol as you looked down at the two brawling males. You rolled your heavy eyes, stepping over their legs and heading for the door. 

You made it about halfway down the street on tired legs before Azriel jogged to meet your stride.

“YNN, where are you going!?” 

“Away from you!” You half shouted back to his raised tone, dragging your fallen hair from your face before attempting to push past him, failing miserably as he took a drunken but gentle hold of your wrist.

“Leave me go Az!” “When are you just going to stop pretending that you don’t still have feelings for me!?” his almost untamable eyes searched yours for answers, wishing the next words that left you fell on deaf ears.

“When are you going to stop pretending you didn’t hurt me!?” You snatched back your wrist harshly from him, despite him giving it to you willingly, the second you gave the indication to be let go. You left out a deep, exasperated breath before storming past him again. 

“YNN, that was a mistake, a stupid, drunken mistake, she didn't mean anything to me-” his small voice was swallowed again by your sharp tone as you whipped around again to face him.

“-Then why'd you do it!?” The street lights cut through the night as you bit back alcohol induced tears.

“I-I we just lost Rhysand and we-we had that big fight and I thought I lost you too and I-” “-Azriel! Are you okay!?” Elaine’s worried voice cut across the explanation you had heard a million times, your shoulders sinking at the sound. He half turned to her as she approached the scene slowly. 

“Elaine, can you give us a minute? YN and I were just-” he turned back to gesture to you, but you had already gone. 

-

It became an almost silent pact between you and Azriel to not talk about that night again; any time he entered the bar during one of your shifts, he’d leave again. Things were hauntingly familiar to when you broke up originally. Work began to consume half of his life, the other half was engulfed by Elaine. With his two best friends mated to her sisters, it felt like a natural progression to seek the same in Elaine, to no fruition. Yet, Azriel told himself, the bond hadn’t snapped yet, but it had to, right? 

When not at work, you found odd comfort in Feyre, her hopeful determination for a better future, nurturing something in you you thought you lost. As for Lucien, he seemed much to entangled in his messy work life for anything to blossom there, and so you two went back to a pleasant acquaintance; the same could not be said for him and Azriel. This very thought entered your head as you watched the two males avoid one another at Feyre’s birthday dinner in the House of Wind. You sat across from Rhysand at the long dinner table, Feyre lightly touching your hand before she sat down at the top of the table, the other guests only beginning to take their seats. 

You examined the splendour of the table setting in front of you, a reminder you were still a different pay grade to the fae you frequently brushed elbows with. Heat radiated to the crown of your head, as you lifted to watch Elaine, almost bore holes into with her scrutinising gaze. Clearly, Feyre had forgotten to mention to her dear sister all aspects of the guest list.

You looked briefly at Azriel, dressed in a suit he definitely did not pick out himself, its pastel colour complementing Elaine's dress but washing him out entirely. His hair was slicked in a way you knew that bothered him, but that's not what set your blood boiling. Azriel finally sat, almost directly across from you, your eyes snagging on his hands as they reached for the filled wine glass. Gloves. He was wearing gloves. You looked from them to right into his eyes, accidentally catching him watching you. He seemed to plead with his eyes for you not to make a scene before giving you his attempt at a reassuring smile, it not reaching his eyes. Your shared look was torn apart as Elaine caught his chin, dragging his attention back to her words. You decided then to get pissed drunk, the only way you were making it through this night without ripping Elaines clips from her skull.

The dinner was a beautiful feast, the after-dinner drinks even nicer as you all sat around the table regaling stories of your youth, the Archeron sisters eager to hear. 

“And what about you YN? Where do you come from?” The table suddenly quieted as Elaine addressed you for the first time directly, her arm possessively linked through Azriel’s across the table from you. 

“Velaris, lived here my whole little life” You gave her a soft smile, she didn’t return.

“And you work in Rita's? That’s all you do, a bit pitiful, no?”

“Actually, YNN grandmother owns Rita’s, she keeps us well-sated” Mor came to your rescue, reading between the lines of Elaine's somewhat pointed question. 

“If by that you mean she keeps us rip roaring drunk” Cassian laughed loudly, raising a glass to you as you beamed at him. 

“Oh do you remember that t-time Cass, that we drank their taps dry!” Rhysand bellowed from the top of the table, Cassian laughing loudly in return.

“Yeah! YNN left the bar top unattended for what, like, 30 minutes? And-and we gods, practically just drank straight from the tap!” the group laughed at the story.

“YN, that's so irresponsible of you!” Feyre fake scolded you, smiling towards you with laughter borne tears in her eyes. 

“Well her and Azriel were busy fucking in the stock room, I didn’t even think you could last 30 minutes Az! We were getting dehydrated waiting!” Cassian's booming laugh covered the table as you covered your smirking face with your palm, sinking slightly into the chair. When you removed it, you looked at Azriel scold a hysterically drunk Cassain across the table, Elaine's heated stare once again prickling your skin. 

“That was a long time ago” You laughed lightly, desperate to change the subject. 

“Oh! What about his birthday weekend when Azriel thought he’d dislocated his hip from your escape to the cabin! Oh Gods, the shameful look Madja gave him!” An equally drunk Rhysand joined the pile on, the maroon in your cheeks heating as the group laughed. A sudden sharp scrape of wood on slate silenced the table as Elaine stood, glaring between Azriel and you before storming away, Azriel hot on her heels. 

“Gods, good thing I didn’t mention the time in the war camp-” “Okay! That’s enough stories!” Mor came to your rescue again, but your eyes stayed focused on the door Azriel had just run through. You looked around the table of faces, then as they all examined you as if you were a wounded deer, before you stood to follow the storming couple. 

“THAT WAS UNACCEPTABLE, AZRIEL! DISGUSTING!” You heard Elaine shouting before you saw them. You stayed back in the shadow of a tall supporting pillar, watching the two at the end of the hallway, unable to tear yourself away from the sight of them.

“Elaine, c’mon like YNN said, it was years ago!”

“Stop calling her that name! You should have no warmth towards that serving wench!” “Elaine, stop, you’re not being fair! She’s been our friend for years!” Azriel raised his arms to stop Elaine from storming away, corralling her at the end of the hall. 

“No! She was your fuck buddy and its unacceptable that she’s still in your life!” You pressed your back into the cold stone wall, doing absolutely everything in your power to not spring off the stone and clober her, how dare she boil your relationship with Azriel down to just that. Unless that’s all Azriel had led her to believe that it was? 

“Stop, stop speaking about her like that, please!” Azriel took a slightly sharper tone, but it was still nothing to the level you felt she deserved. You suddenly felt the cool, familiar caress of Azriel’s shadows swirling around your ankles, they almost began to leap in recognition. You shushed them, softly scolding them, but they remained. 

“You need to stop seeing her” Elaine finally said after a moment or two of silence.

“Wh-what?”

“Azriel, we have the chance to be everything, I’m asking you to stay away from that bar slut if you ever want everything to come through!” She practically bit out, her hands in fists at her sides. You exhaled sharply, finally having had enough as you attempted to spring from the wall, Azriel’s shadows keeping you in place. You heard Azriel release a defeated breath. 

“F-fine” he said so softly you thought you misheard it entirely. Elaine beamed brightly again, delighted to have owned the protest. She squeezed Azriel’s arm before bouncing back down the hallway to the dinner, so lost in her success, she didn’t spot you quietly boiling in the shadow. 

You emerged from the shade as soon as the door to the dining room latched closed. You watch Azriel at the end of the hallway, head hung in shame. 

“Fuck buddy huh?” You almost whispered, leaning one shoulder on the pillar you once hid behind, your voice giving Azriel a small fright. 

“You-you heard that?” He sank his hands into his pockets, doing his best not to remind you of the itchy gloves that dawned on them. 

“It’s okay Az, you don’t need to say anything…after all that’s happened I still just want you to be happy and-and that girl in that dress shaped like a pastry could be it” You said with a weak smile, Azriel closing in to you as you pushed back from the pillar.

“I don’t want to lose you YNN” “Your girlfriend said stop calling me that” You whispered, stepping back to put air between the shrinking space. Azriel’s head dipped for a second before looking back at you. 

“Azriel! C’mon!” the two of you heard Elaine’s voice through the heavy door, your cue to exit. 

“I don’t want any more hurt or fighting between us Az, I want this to be easy for you, I want you to be so stupidly fucking happy and this could be it…tell Feyre I’ll speak to her during the week, bye Az” You every so lightly brushed a soft kiss on his cheek before stepping away from him and into the depths of the castle. 

—---

“Maybe we could ship her off to sea?” “I don’t think Feyre would appreciate that, Cass” Rhysand laughed as he looked through the forgotten files of the House of Wind library.  The brothers frequently found Azriel and Elaine's relationship to be the topic of conversation lately. It had been 2 months since Feyre’s birthday, and their hope for Azriel returning to his normal self was dying out. In the months since, the Spymaster was losing his spark, instead replacing it with seesawing between unbridled rage and deepest depression, everyone but Elaine worried sick. 

“What are you two doing down here?” Azriel’s voice gave his two brothers a small shock, Cassian dropped the file he clutched. 

“We’re trying to clear through some space, Nesta wants a sex room” A file flew past Rhysand's head at his comments.

“No..we already have one of those, this is for her books” Cassian defended proudly. 

“Books filled with sex, same difference” Rhysand laughed, a smile grew slightly on Azriel’s mouth before it sank away again. He then quietly began helping his brothers go through the files. 

“Wh-what’s this, is this what I think it is?” Cassian held up a tattered shred of paper, long family lines scrawled across, black blotches inking out the portraits of the names beneath them. 

“Is that..Holy Shit! Az, this is your family tree! Your family's birth records!” Rhysand snatched the file from Cassian to inspect and find the best news he could for his brother. Azriel had all but given up on finding any family from his mother's side, settling that in his mind but this, this could lead to a whole new world for him. Azriel took the folder carefully and then almost frantically devoured the information within. 

“Fucking hell! This-this is insane, I have to go tell YNN-oh wait” The action died in his movements, Cassian and Rhysand looking sympathetically at their brother. 

“Az… you should be allowed to talk to who you want… especially YNN, she was your best friend”

“Ahem!” “Leave it Cass” Rhysand shoved the General playfully, Azriel’s eyes still fixed on the folder. 

“I-I can’t deal with this right now” “Az wait-” it was too late, the Spymaster sank into shadow. 

-

Azriel materialised onto the Velarian streets. He found himself walking down the cobbled road to clear his head, anything to absorb the information he had just gotten. It was great news, he was so excited and yet had no one to share it with, not really anyway. His friends would be so supportive and thrilled for him, but he knew no one would come close to how ecstatic you would be. The sound of a familiar laugh snapped him out of his thoughts, where he then saw Elaine laughing as she and Nesta strolled up the street towards him. He wasn’t sure why he did it, but maybe he just wasn’t ready for her to shoot holes in his hopes just yet. He quickly ducked into the next building he could to avoid her.

 

“We’re closed!” You called from a crouched position behind the bar as you restocked the lower shelves, the scrape of a stool sending you upright. 

“I said we’re clos- oh, Az…you probably shouldn’t be here, Elain wouldn’t like it-” You slowly put down the stock you held, happy the bar kept space between you as you examined the Shadowsinger's wild eyes. “-Hey are you-are you okay Az?” You found yourself rushing to step out from behind the bar as Azriel looked like the weight of the world might crush him to death. Your soft hands braced his shoulders. 

“Az, tell me, what’s wrong?” he finally looked into your eyes, a true smile painting his face for the first time in months, settling the anxiety in your throat. 

“We found my family tree, my lineage, written down at the bottom of some rotten box in the depths of the library… YNN I have a family” His eyes began to glisten with the hopeful words he shared with you. 

“Oh my Gods, Azriel! That’s amazing!” You couldn’t help yourself then; you pulled him into you, his heavy arms swaddling you deeply in a hug. You felt his smile against your hair as he breathed in your scent, your face buried in his chest. You both stood there for comfortable moments, swaddled in familiarity. 

“You should go get them! Show me, I want to see, we gotta plan your trip to meet them! Just like we always hoped to do together someday” You pulled back, begging your eyes to not leave the threatening tear fall down your face. 

“Y-yeah, we should, we should do that” Azriel gave you a sad smile, and for once, he decided to ignore the Elaine of it all and just do what he wanted, and this was it. 

“I’m not opening here for another hour so, go go get them!” You laughed lightly, wiping the stray happy tear from your cheek as he stepped back. He then nodded happily before running out the door back to the street. You watched, hands on your hips with the biggest smile in the world, as he dashed up the street, forgetting he could just winnow there in all his excitement. 

Azriel, in his exhilaration, wasn’t entirely watching where he was going, crashing into the back of Elaine as she said goodbye to Nesta, who stayed in the cafe. 

“Oh sweetie! What's the rush!” She laughed, gripping his shoulders to hold them both upright. 

“I-I found my family tree! I’m going to meet my family!” He beamed, and she returned the smile, pulling him into a hug. 

“Az, that’s great that's-” she took a deep inhale, your scent clinging to the fabric of his jacket “-why-why do you smell like…like her”

“Oh, I-I it-it must have happened when she hugged me, I told her the news, isn’t it great I’m going to have real relatives!” His smile was stolen from him as a recognisable glare grew across her face. 

“You told her before you told me!” Elaine put icy distance between them, disgust now spewn across her face. Azriel had had enough. 

“That’s not the point, Elaine, I didn’t mean to tell her before you… It just happened that way! C’mon, it doesn’t matter, what matters is that I have a living fam-” “No. What matters is that you went and saw that beer-slinging bitch after I explicable forbade it!” She barked, drawing some sideways glances from passersby, heat rising to the back of Azriel’s neck. 

“Stop. Stop talking about her like that! It’s time to get over that, Elaine. I need YNN in my life, I miss her, and that doesn’t need to mean anything more than that, okay! We’ve talked about finding my family for decades, this is important to both of us! Can’t you just put aside these feelings and support me, be happy for me” He searched her eyes for any glimpse of the female he once thought she was before becoming entangled with her. It now clear she never existed. 

“No.” 

—---------------

You swiped a rag across a mahogany table across from the bar, humming with elation at Azriel’s news, alone in the bar until opening, the creak of the door hinges dragging you from your cleaning. Azriel stood in the doorway in all the shadowy glory he was known for. The Spymaster practically took two steps at a time as he closed the distance between you, snatching the rag from you and throwing it any which way. 

“Az, what the fuck?” You laughed in confusion, Azriel’s eyes examining the movement ever so carefully. 

“Tell me stop” You stopped laughing at his almost stony words, raising an eyebrow to him as his gloved hand touched your side beneath your t-shirt, pulling you gently into his heat. 

“Tell me to stop” he repeated cautiously, and you found yourself shaking your head no as you looked into his hazel eyes, which seemed almost lit with fear, before he leaned down and connected his lips to yours. It had been almost 52 years since you two had kissed, all of that time shrinking into nothing; it was as if no time had passed at all. 

“Tell me to stop, tell me you still hate me” he rasped out between frantic kisses. 

“I never hated you Az, and I am never going to tell you to stop this” You admitted, wrapping your arms around his neck, his hands burying into your waist as if afraid you’d dissolve without his touch. You looked down then, still seeing the cloth on his digits. You stepped back briefly, cold rattling through his bones. 

“I can’t believe she’d want this” You pulled off his gloves, his skin irritated from the scratchy wool he rarely took off. 

“It doesn’t matter what she wants, we’re over, we never should have started. I’ve only ever wanted you and 50 years ago, when I stupidly, drunkenly gave into the anger I felt towards the world for losing Rhysand and icing you out and shouting at you when you were only trying to help and letting that stupid fucking nobody kiss me all I still wanted was you. I’ll never not be sorry and I want you to tell me to stop so that we can find our way back to friends” His words sank into your skin as you realised you never really were as angry at him as you let on, you were angry at yourself for not trusting that he was sorry from the beginning, sorry for sacrificing all those years together to stay on the lonely high horse you’d isolated yourself with. 

“Is that all you want from me, to be friends?” You tried your best not to let the heartbreak rattle out through your voice.

“YNN, I want all of you, in any and all sense, in whatever way you’ll allow me” A gasping breath left you the moment his now bare hands grabbed your hips again, with your arms returning to around his neck. Azriel carefully backed the two of you up until you were pressed into the wall adjacent to the long forgotten booth you were cleaning. His hands slid down from your hips to cup your ass as he bent down slightly to get a better grip, lifting you from the ground until your back was flush with the wall. Your hands clutch the material of his shirt, afraid to let go of him and the movement. 

Briefly, his hand left your side, your legs gripping him tighter as he sent the searching hand outward for the door handle he knew had to be somewhere. Success. The door of the stock room opened with a creak, Azriel separating from your mouth to bury himself in your neck while he carried you into the room. You let out a whimper at the feeling of his teeth marbling your neck, marking you as his.

“I missed that fucking sound so much” he said against your heated skin.

“You’ll be hearing it for the rest of your life” You laughed breathlessly, running your hands from his shoulders to his hair, scruffing away that awful gelled hairstyle you knew he hated.

“I should be so lucky” He claimed the spot until dapples decorated your skin, the feeling of him hard against you was driving you crazy quickly and he damn well knew it. He dropped you gently down on top of a hip-high crate of wine. Cool air flushed against your chest as you separated his eyes had turned lustful, your hand reaching and grazing his bulge, gaining a slight groan from him.

“Azriel” you couldn’t help but moan out at the feeling of him beneath the fabric, it nearly sending him over the edge at the sound. He quickly yanked his shirt from over his head in one swift movement before pulling your trousers from you, leaving you bare on the table before him. His hand traced up your torso as you watched the painfully slow movements until he sank to his knees at the edge of the crate. You leaned up on your elbows, your legs dangling over the edge of the box, before he tucked his hands beneath your knees, gently forcing a bend in them before they fell open to the side, where you swear you saw the Illyrain drool before you. You were close to begging him to touch you, and as if he heard your thought, he immediately applied pressure to you with his hand, your pulse nearly hitting the roof, the feeling of his rough but delicate fingers entering you, massaging you as they slide to your core. You couldn’t help but dig your nails into his bare shoulders, riding his thrusting fingers as he groans at the sight. 

“You’re so fucking beautiful YN, show me what I’ve been missing” The moan was trapped in your throat as he shot up, connecting again with your lips in ferocious desperate need for you, sending you crashing over in insurmountable pleasure. He couldn’t tear his hazel eyes from the storms of gratification swirling in yours. 

Your legs shook as you edged closer again to the edge of the crate, your hand finding the buckle of Azriel’s belt, the beautiful thud from the sound of his trousers hitting the floor filling the cupboard, along with your shallow breathing. You nearly went over the edge again at the feeling of him free in your hands. Azriel practically snatched you from the make-shift counter, back into his strong arms, your legs tangling around him again, he backed you against the wall across from the door, stepping over fallen stock from the surrounding shelves.

Azriel slowly inched into you, allowing you to adjust to the massive length of him, your nails digging into his shoulders in the glorious pain you missed with every cell in your body. Azriel raised a hand above your head to support himself, his other hand wrapped around your waist with a serpent-like grip before he began to rock back and forth with unbridled power. Your nails raked up his back at the growing speed, your growing moans spurring him on. Azriels wings splayed out to balance himself, your hand found itself tracing gently the spines, sending gratifying shivers down Azriels back. 

“Mine, fucking all mine” was all he could manage through rasping breath but it was enough, enough to send the tightening band in your abdomen to its absolute limits. It’s overwhelming, all-encompassing, and it's Azriel, the full picture of what was happening, sending you bolting towards your second release. You forced your eyes open just in time to witness Azriel unravel and burst with what could only be described as a primal roar, filling you to your limits. 

Azriel pressed his forehead into yours, you both breathing in one another's shallow breaths, shaking with the power of the events that just happened. Azriel managed to straighten his strained and weary legs enough to gently drop you back to your own feet. 

“I-I didn’t even get my top off” You found yourself laughing breathlessly, Azriel joining.

“There’ll be time for that-” he looked at you, practically glowing at him “-and thank fuck for that” he chuckled, retriving your trousers for you to slip into as he did the same. You took your time getting dressed again together, neither able to stop laughing at the brilliant absurdity of the day. 

“Well, hello there” Cassain's voice caught you and Azriel off guard as you stumbled out of the supply cupboard. You looked at the jug in his hand he held over the width of the bar, Rhysand on the other side with his head practically under the tap. 

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” You said, hands on your hips, at the two Illyrians who looked like they were caught with their hand in the cookie jar. 

“We should say the same to you” Cassian quickly quipped, gesturing to your hand in Azriels, neither of you realising you had done that. 

“Will you be giving Lucien a turn in the store cupboard?” Cassian laughed at Rhysand, and you swear you heard a growl from the Spymaster. 

“The two of you better have your wallets with you!” “Is that what you said to Az before you brought him in there? What's the going rate at this bar turned brothel?” 

“Shut the fuck up” You rolled your eyes at Cassians joking turn, moving to shoo him away as you stepped behind the bar to Rhysand. The two of you laughed as you fought for control of the tap, Azriel sitting at the bar top alongside Cassian. 

“I know that look” Cassain smiled at his long-time best friend as Rhysand passed him a pint while you scowled him for the mess he had made of the floor behind the bar.“Yeah?” “And I am so happy to see it back” he gently clicked his pint against Azriel’s, who could only grin.

----------

What do you guys think?

[queerpontmercy]

so, weird story maybe, but when i was in my practicum i had to start getting up severely early on my longest day of seeing clients. there was really no way around it, and sometimes i'd get to my clinic at 8, and then not be home by 8, after class ended at 10 the night before, and it sucked.

logically it was like, hey, this is temporary, ik i can get through it, but emotionally i was furious that i was being forced to attend something i didn't want to at a time that didn't work for me.

anyways the first time i got there, i was so Mad, and i knew i needed to go be professional in there, so i was like "okay i'm gonna take 2 minutes to ground myself and breathe and get in a better headspace." but trying to be calm frustrated me more. so i said "okay i'm going to take 2 minutes to be an absolute hater." stomping my feet in my car and grumbling and complaining and moving my body.

and it actually helped a lot more? i'm someone who has often had my feelings invalidated by people who "know better," so getting to just be pissy, and let that be heard, made a world of difference. i wasn't happy about having to go in early, but i felt less like i had to chew drywall about it.

anyways i guess the whole point of this story is just to say, sometimes your emotion brain really needs that! like yeah there's overdoing it (usually when you're trying to control others doing harmless things, or lashing out), but sometimes i think it helps /more/ to find a way to bite bite bite, and for that part of you to be Heard.

and that's emotional regulation, too.

SOOOOO funny when you’re having a strong emotion and your logical brain KNOWS you’re overreacting but you literally can’t do anything about it.

[kuurechr]

You and Sukuna did each others' hair.

It was a way to save money and it was also a nice experience to have a boyfriend that had the ability to do your hair. He had a careful eye when he cared, and because he knew you valued how your hair looked, he handled it with the utmost care no matter how long it would take.

Sukuna could cut his own hair, with his technique and all, but he never put too much effort into that. He could just run his hand through his hair and it would stay in place – you were always jealous.

But one thing he did��ask your help for was with dyeing his hair.

Jin and Sukuna were both born with brownish-blond hair. Sukuna had started dyeing it at an early age – back in the Heian era, his blondish hair was part of what had made people consider him to be a freak. He often dyed it in the blood of people he murdered, leaving it a pinkish colour.

It was much better to dye his hair like this though – to have you do it.

You rubbed it in with the brush, and Sukuna scowled at you. "You got it in my ear, woman!"

"You're fidgeting!" You insisted, pulling the towel around his neck to wipe at his ear. "S'not my fault."

"I'm not fidgeting," Sukuna grumbled. "And if I were, it's cause you're taking way too long."

"I am doing it the fastest I've ever done it."

Sukuna was sitting in your bathtub, while you sat on the ledge, running your brush and your gloved hands through his hair, with pink dye. Your nose twitched slightly and you scratched it with the nook of your elbow, unable to touch it.

"Oh, Kaori texted me earlier, by the way."

"Huh?" Sukuna turned to you, brows furrowing. "Why?"

You used your elbow to try and itch your nose again but failed. Sukuna reached up and scratched it for you. You muttered thanks to him, before answering. "They're having a small gathering, she said. Really wants us to come by."

"Doesn't mean we have to," Sukuna said, gruffly.

You raised a brow at him. "What's wrong with you? Are you fighting with Jin again?"

"No," Sukuna huffed. "That girl – Kaori – is off putting."

You frowned. "That's rude, 'Kuna. She's your sister in law."

Sukuna grunted. "You just can't see it with your non-sorcerer brain but... just trust me on it, okay?"

"We still have to go," you told him, looking through his hair for any missed spots. "It's important to Jin, too."

"Fine," Sukuna said. "But you're never gonna be alone with Kaori. Just stick by me the whole time, ya promise?"

"I promise... and finished!" You removed the towel from his shoulders, letting his shirtless body free from being covered in any way, revealed in all of its glory. "Hit the showers, dude."

Sukuna grabbed your wrist and pulled you in between his legs, in the tub, making you yelp. "Call me dude again and I'll drown you. But since this was just a one time thing, shower with me."

"Ew, no dude, your hair dye is gonna drip onto me." Sukuna grabbed your hair and brought his forwards, to get his pink onto you. You screamed, laughing and pulling away. "'Kuna, let me go!" 

[rocknroll7575]

X-men au

Marvel rivals

Character interactions but this time other characters mentioning Jaune in there dialogues

Magneto: Ah, Logan, I'm looking for Jaune, have you seen him?

Logan: No, and why are you looking for him? Wanna try to kill him again?

Magneto: Heaven's no, I just want to hear more about my grandchildren

Logan: Yeah? Well, how about you ask Wanda, she's capable of handling you in case you decide to change your mind.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Johnny: Hey, Ben, you think we might be able to find Jaune's world in this whole Multiversal Madness?

Thing: Don't know, Johnny, but maybe it's good for the kid,

Johnny: Yeah, I mean, he talks about Remnant a lot... but you think any of his female friends are single?

Thing: *Sigh* Really, Johnny?

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Wanda: I'm worried, Emma, I can't find Jaune anywhere

Emma: I'm sure wherever he is, he's alright

Wanda: Perhaps... I just don't want to lose him again

Emma: I know, but I promise you we won't, we'll find him, I'm sure.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Hela: Ah, Thor, tell me... have you seen my dear knight around?

Thor: Begone Hela, I will not let you sink your claws into Jaune once again!

Hela: Aw, but he and I had so much fun~!

Thor: For you perhapes, but not for him...

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Logan: Wanda, how's Jaune holding up?

Wanda: He's holding up Logan, but he's been distant...

Logan: I don't blame him; I know how it feels to have your mind messed with

Wanda: I just wish he talked to me...

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Magneto: Does the version of me allow you to date a human?

Wanda: No, he's tried to kill Jaune every chance he got.

Magneto: Can you blame him? After all Human's have done to us, I do not blame him.

Wanda: And what about what we've done to innocent humans? you give them a reason to be scared of us... Jaune showed me that.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Emma: What is your Jaune like? Is he as annoying as mine?

Logan: Heh, so I guess, you two always have beef in every universe, because mine always give you a headache.

Emma: Fantastic...

Logan: Don't be like that, despite how you act, you still like the guy

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Wanda: YOU! How dare you show yourself to me!

Hela: Come now Wanda, there's no need for hostilities, we're allies now, are we not?

Wanda: I will never be allies with you! Not after all you've done to my family!

Hela: Such a shame... but I guess once this is over, I'll just have to take your husband for myself again!

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Captain America: Arc's a good soldier and a good man

Logan: Yeah, reminds me of you, honestly

Captain America: Heh, Is that why you like him?

Logan: Pretty much, I mean, I don't like the kid because he's got a sense of humor

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Loki: I don't understand why you like that Knight so much, Brother

Thor: He's got a warrior's heart, brother! How can I not like him!

Loki: I suppose that should've been obvious to me

Thor: Yes, it should've! Ha!

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Emma: Jeff, why have you been spending so much time with Jaune?

Jeff: *Internal Thoughts* He's been feeding me extra streaks!

Emma: Has he now? Well than, I guess I'll have to talk to him

Jeff: *Internal Thoughts* Uh-oh...

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Peter: Whoa! Jaune and Hela did what!?

Johnny: Shhh! Be quiet man! I don't want Wanda to overhear us!

Peter: I get that, still... how did that happen? Is Jaune ok?

Johnny: Don't know... but it's caused Jaune to really blow everyone off, makes me worried.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Thing: Any closer to getting Jaune home, Reed?

Reed: I've been trying, but finding a way to Remnant has been tricky, trying to find a single universe across the vast expanse of the Multiverse is harder then you'd think

Thing: Well if anyone can figure it out, it's you Reed

Reed: Thank you, Ben, I hope to give Jaune some closer

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Logan: Back off Hela, I don't want you stinking up the place

Hela: Oh, Logan, how I missed your gruff attitude, but you're not the person I'm looking for

Logan: Yeah, well, I ain't gonna let you take the kid again

Hela: You can try, but I always get what I want.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Logan: You think Jaune's going to be alright, Ororo?

Storm: I have faith that Jaune will pull through, Logan, he has to

Logan: I hope so, the kids already been through enough as it is...

Storm: On that we can agree.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Emma: Ugh, you'll never believe what Jaune said to me

Storm: *Chuckles* What was it this time?

Emma: He said that this dress doesn't suit me! Can you believe him?

Storm: Yes. yes I can.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Logan: Wanda, you seen Jaune around? I've been meaning to ask him and the kids if they know what happened to my bike

Wanda: Your bike? What happened to it?

Logan: It's been vandalized... with crayon

Wanda: *Sigh* I'll go talk to them...

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Johnny: What do you say pete? You, Me, & Jaune, hitting the down and partying hard?

Peter: Johnny, I've got work, and Jaune's got three kids to watch

Johnny: Oh, right... man responsabilites suck

Peter: To you, maybe

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Magneto: Honestly, I don't know what Wanda see's in that boy!

Emma: I do, he's quite Handsome really

Magneto: Oh, then why don't you go after him?

Emma: If I had not met Scott, I might have...

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Luna: That Jaune guy's really cute, right?

Squirrel Girl: You don't have to tell me! Holy Nuts he's hot!

Luna: Totally! *Sigh* Do bad he's married though...

Squirrel Girl: Yeah, but there's always plenty of Squirrel's in the woods!

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Magik: Jaune's a strong warrior, I can see why my brother follows him into battle

Storm: Yes, Jaune's an amazing leader, he and Scott are the reason the X-Men work so well

Magik: Of that I have no doubt, perhaps I should train with Jaune more, see how he uses a blade

Storm: He's quite skilled, he might just actually be a challenge for you

[effietrinket1619]

hal jordan vs brucie wayne: the tiktok war

a continuation of this. part two

hi i'm back with a little thing. i desperately needed to write something kinda lighthearted because my current WIP is really bumming me out lmao. anyway, effie-typical characterisation ahead so don't read if you don't like me portraying bruce as kind of an asshole <3

When Dick slammed his phone down, screen-first, onto the dining table, Bruce figured he'd finally had enough.

All of his children weren't behaving normally. Being shifty, being one with the shadows, that was a core part of being a Bat but this? Hiding things actively from Bruce was a step too far into territory he did not want to visit.

He sat down heavily, opposite Dick who was staring down at the table like it interested him greatly. "Phone," he growled.

"What am I? Twelve?" Dick retorted, flipping it over and unlocking it. A song started playing, a rap song Bruce was only partially familiar with and Dick didn't show Bruce immediately, staring at whatever played before sighing. "Okay. I'm gonna show you, but you have to promise to be normal about it."

"Normal?"

"Yeah." Grimacing, he added, "Just don't be...yourself, okay?"

A grumble of dissent built upon Bruce's tongue but Dick didn't let it fly. He spun the device around and Bruce got to watch one of those TikTok edits young people were obsessed with. The song he now recognised: Nasty Dog by Sir-Mix-A-Lot. Bruce figured the song choice would have offended him the most but no. He now saw exactly what Dick meant.

Because why, in the seven hells, was Hal Jordan the subject of this thirst trap?

Bruce blinked. He reached up and scrubbed his eyes before they focused again on that stupid, infuriating aviator jacket. It was--it was undoubtedly Hal's face and body there, edited by a stranger underneath a slightly cloudy filter in order to make him look as physically attractive as possible. And--

Bruce turned horrified, betrayed eyes onto Dick, his eldest and prodigal son who was currently rolling his eyes. "I told you to be normal about it."

"That's Jordan."

"Yeah."

"You are watching videos of Jordan."

"Yes."

"Why does Jordan have a TikTok account."

Dick sighed, long and hard. "He doesn't. But his teammate, Jessica Cruz has. She's been uploading videos about Hal for a couple of weeks now and they've been blowing up."

"His ident--"

"She's careful about it. No identifying questions or traits or anything like that. It's just raw and unfiltered Hal Jordan."

Staring at the edit which was still playing, Bruce blinked harder. "And people enjoy it?"

"Clearly."

"Do--" He hesitated. "Do you enjoy it?"

Glancing away, Bruce's boy muttered, "Me and others. Hal's become a hit in the hero community. And, uh, other communities."

"People are--are sexually attracted to Jordan."

Dick shoved his face into his hands and groaned. "Yes, Bruce. What about that can't you understand?" Lifting his eyes, Dick sighed harder at Bruce's expression which he was trying to maintain as total neutrality. Clearly, he was not effective. "It's not just his appearance. He's nice. He's honest. He's very out of touch with internet trends so he's funny without meaning to be. And with the Lanterns raising Keli, there's a paternal aspect people can't seem to get enough of."

"Keli?"

Sounding vaguely annoyed now, Dick said, "Yeah, Keli Quintela. Teen Lantern. Keep up Bruce."

"There's another one?"

"Ugh! Anyway, I got from Jason who talked to Kyle--"

"You talk to Jason?" Bruce asked, astonished despite himself.

Dick waved him off. "He's my little brother, of course I talk to him. Anyway, Jess is running a tight ship. She's ruthless about what they do and don't put on the internet. If the whole Green Lantern thing doesn't work out, she'd be a pretty good PR manager. Might not work for you."

Bruce narrowed his eyes. "How good?"

And finally, Dick looked a little cowed. He glanced up at the clock and then the exit, as if he was planning an escape while thinking up of a sufficient lie. Bruce leaned forward and hoped the hysteria in his eyes didn't give him away too freely. "Bruce, c'mon--"

"How good?"

Looking anywhere but his father's face, Dick muttered out, "Really popular. Like, stupidly popular. Even in comparison to you."

"To me?" Bruce's voice did not crack.

Throwing his hands up into the air, Dick desperately exclaimed, "It's not my fault we're in an economic recession! Billionaires aren't really popular right now so the people are gravitating towards a ruggedly handsome everyman--"

"Ruggedly handsome?"

"--to root for! And Hal just happened to appear on TikTok at the right time. I'm pretty sure Hal barely knows what TikTok is. Kyle apparently mentioned that they're not letting him read any comments."

"I..." Bruce stood up so fast, he was dizzy for a split second. "I need to talk to Jordan."

"Great! Goodbye Father!"

When Bruce walked out of the room, Nasty Dog continued to play and did not stop for several, long minutes.

---

When Bruce got to the Tower, he was late. This was by design, of course, although when he entered the agreed upon meeting room, the darkness made him believe it was empty for a moment. Flicking the lights on, he got the shock of a lifetime.

There was Hal, slumped forward with his head resting on his arms. John sat next to him, entirely uninvited but not unwelcome. Hal groaned loudly when the LEDs blinked to life, burying his face deeper. "Turn the sun off, John," he moaned.

"They're lights, Hal."

"Even better. Turn 'em off."

"Jordan," Bruce began brusquely. "Are you hungover?"

Hal groaned pitifully. "Who the hell has time to be drunk? I was patrolling for a week straight and then I had to go straight to a PTA meeting. Fucking Micheal doesn't know how to keep his goddamn filthy hands off--"

Hal was still talking but Bruce had already thoroughly checked out, his mind still caught on that damning piece of evidence right in the middle of his rant. When he spoke next, his voice was an octave higher. "You're a member of the PTA?"

"Shut up, Bruce! You're too goddamn loud."

He fought with himself to regain his composure. Breathing out deeply, Bruce spoke again and his voice didn't waver. "I wanted to discuss with you about your online presence."

"Aw, frag, is it that TikTak shit?" Hal grumbled. Once again, Bruce found himself blinking in shock. This was the man who'd charmed the internet? "Jess's the one in charge of it so go ask her. God, I thought this was gonna be important but you dragged me up here for nothing."

"It is important," Bruce pressed. "It's a matter of security. All it would take is one slip up for our identities and lives to be compromised. What Jess is doing is putting everyone at serious ri--"

"Get to it, Bruce," Hal growled. Growled. At Bruce. "Guy's got an MRI later and I needta be awake for it."

"I just--Gardner has an MRI? What happened to him?" Bruce demanded.

Hal laughed at him. Laughed. A short bark of a chuckle that was neither soft nor actually humourous. "Don't pretend to give a shit about Guy and his extensive brain damage now, Bruce. Get. To. The. Point." He lifted his head enough for Bruce to see the deep circles underneath his eyes, the weariness that clung onto his face like a vice. Not so ruggedly handsome anymore, then.

"I think you should convince Jessica to delete the account she's made," he said succinctly. "It's far too risky and if you truly are raising a child, which I wish to talk to you about later, it is best that you keep her off the internet at all costs. There are many benefits to staying offline, in fact, and I think you would thrive in such a position, Jor--"

Hal's head slammed into the table so hard, Bruce heard an audible crack. Then, he heard a soft and firm, "No."

"No?"

"No. Jess won't delete that account if she doesn't want to. That's her decision."

"Why?" Bruce demanded. "Why would you--"

"Fuck!" Hal slipped both hands over his ears. "Volume, Bruce."

"Why," Bruce snarled, "are you opposing me on this?"

"It's makin' her happy." Hal gave an approximation of a shrug from his crumpled up position against the table. "If she's happy making content with me in it, then she's happy and I'm not gonna be an asshole and ruin that. And she's good at it too, according to your kids."

"Do you enjoy the attention, Jordan?" Bruce seethed.

"People on the internet wanna get me pregnant and they frame it like it's a threat. Keep that in mind and ask again."

"You aren't funny."

"Wasn't trying to be."

"Jordan," Bruce said, taking a step forward to tower over him. "I'm not asking you."

"'Kay."

He felt himself twitch in irritation, a full body flinch. John smiled down at Hal, idiotically fond, and rested a hand against his back. "I think we should bench this discussion for another time," he said pleasantly. "We really do have to get going. Guy might try to chicken out of the scan and we've been trying to convince him for months."

"Right." A deep breath in and out. "And about Keli Quintela--"

"No." Hal looked up again, eyes a pale, bleached green. "Nope. Nuh uh. You come at her with one of your half-baked, bullshit contingencies and I'll show you what fear is. She's eleven. She doesn't need that shit. Jess won't even let her be in the TikTaks."

"They're TikToks!" Bruce cried, a little hysterical. "Don't tell me you don't know that?"

But Hal had already dropped his head down once more and gone still. John's smile at Bruce was nothing short of victorious in his calm, quiet way.

Bruce walked out with his head high and his ego moderately bruised, the promise of vengeance settling over his heart.

[goldcleaver]

I'm gonna put my two thirds of a classics degree to work here

When I said Phaidei can be seen as an allegory for Odysseus and Penelope, I meant it

Penelope encounters the returned Odysseus posing as a beggar. From a mural in the Macellum of Pompeii

Spoiler warnings: 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, as well as leaks towards the end.

TL;DR: Mydei is Penelope, Phainon is Odysseus.

Mydei and Penelope

Now, I know it may seem tempting to say that Mydei, being the big, strong, burly man that he is, is a parallel to Odysseus, but he’s actually Penelope! This whole fever dream of a "theory" actually stems from the parallels between Mydei and Penelope, specifically. Phainon was a secondary thought lmao.

Point 1) The theme of buying time

It cannot be understated just how much of Mydei’s core themes center around buying time, not just for others, but also for himself. 

On multiple occasions, he goes to some pretty extreme lengths to do so, namely in 3.0 when he offers up his own immortal body as a means of keeping Nikador occupied in Castrum Kremnos. In that moment, he completely puts his own safety on the back burner – the team needs to hold Nikador off long enough to render them immortal once more, and Mydei has the solution, no matter the personal cost of dying a couple of times. Later, in 3.1, he puts his own personal feelings aside to shoulder the divinity of Strife, despite the fact that he was hesitant to do so in 3.0, simply because it would be for the best. Then, at the end of 3.1, he completely disregards his own wants and fears, and takes the fight to the Black Tide on his own because he is the only one capable of doing so. By sacrificing himself in this manner, he can buy his fellow Chrysos Heirs enough time to usher in the new dawn, and the miracle of Genesis.

But Mydei doesn’t just buy time for others, he also does so for himself. Throughout 3.0 and 3.1, his story leads up to one massive decision: what to do about the Kremnoans. He is torn between claiming the crown – his birthright – and leading his people back to Castrum Kremnos, or leaving them in Okhema. 

However, to the Kremnoans, Nikador is synonymous with kingship, judging by Krateros’ reaction to Mydei surrendering the Coreflame to Phainon. In Krateros’ eyes, Mydei giving up Nikador’s divine power is the same thing as him “giving up the throne of Kremnos and forsaking his people”. 

As previously stated, Mydei is hesitant to claim Nikador’s coreflame for fear of ending up like his corrupt forebears and leading his people down the wrong path, so obviously he wants to put off that decision for as long as possible. First, he enters a (frankly, pointless) competition with Phainon just to decide who gets to deliver the final blow to Nikador, and gives up his win ridiculously easily if Phainon loses. That way, they can ignore the decision they have to make for a while longer. Then, when Nikador is dead, he is quick to surrender the Coreflame to Phainon, and promptly shuts down Phainon’s attempt to discuss the subject any further. So, by sending Phainon to the trial of divinity, Mydei can avoid making his own decision regarding the fate of the Kremnoans, if we take Krateros’ words about kingship and Nikador’s powers into consideration. Effectively, Mydei makes sure the decision is out of his hands – he didn’t technically reject the Coreflame, after all. 

So how does all of this connect to Penelope, exactly? 

Well, Penelope’s themes also center around buying time – for herself, and for Odysseus. She also has a big decision to make: who should succeed Odysseus as the king of Ithaca, and just like Mydei, she wants to put it off for as long as possible. Naturally, she doesn’t want to choose, and comes up with increasingly desperate ideas to keep the suitors at bay. In the end, she does succeed; she buys Odysseus enough time to return home, and as such she never has to choose a new suitor. Unlike Mydei.

You see, Mydei actually fails in avoiding his decision. In the end, he is forced to take on the Coreflame when Phainon fails the trial. As a result, Mydei has to make a decision regarding his people and his potential kingship. In this sense, Krateros and the rest of the Kremnoans are the suitors, encouraging Mydei (Penelope) to make a choice.

If we view Mydei’s actions through this Penelope-esque lens, we can draw some pretty convincing parallels!

Point 2) The challenge

At the climax of Penelope’s story, right before her reunion with Odysseus, she makes a last-ditch attempt to hold off the suitors by presenting them with a seemingly impossible challenge. She sets up twelve axes and demands that the suitors shoot through them flawlessly using Odysseus’ old bow. What she doesn’t tell the suitors is this: the bow is nigh impossible to string. Then, as a sort of fail safe, she sits down behind the axes. That way, if a suitor succeeds, she is immediately killed and doesn’t have to marry them.

While this is more far-fetched than point 1, a connection to Mydei’s actions can still be made, in the sense that he, too, has made arrangements for the worst case scenario. In case he is corrupted by the Black Tide, and thus cannot buy the Chrysos Heirs enough time to bring about the miracle (i.e buy Odysseus enough time to return to Ithaca), Mydei has arranged a fail safe for himself by telling Phainon about his weak spot. Phainon is the only one who knows about it, and as such, he is the only one who can shoot through the twelve axes with Odysseus’ bow. The parallels may not be perfect, but the narrative is very similar.

Point 3) Sparta/Castrum Kremnos

My last point is their origins. Penelope is Spartan royalty, though she was never its ruler. It’s no secret that Castrum Kremnos is vaguely based on ancient Sparta, and Mydei is the prince-turned-king of Castrum Kremnos. It’s a pretty obvious connection, but I’ve chosen to highlight it, nonetheless.

Phainon and Odysseus 

I'll admit that Phainon's connection to Odysseus is vaguer than Mydei and Penelope’s, but I can totally see it. 

Point 1) The one time is being bought for

Penelope buys Odysseus time to return to Ithaca, Mydei buys Phainon and the other Chrysos Heirs time to a) render Nikador mortal, and b) bring about the miracle of Genesis. Now, post-3.2, we know that Phainon is meant to take over the authority of Kephale. If the plan proceeds smoothly, he will be the last one left alive to reforge the new world with his, in Anaxa’s words, “complete, intact memories”. While we cannot be certain that Mydei knows this, it can still be argued that Phainon himself is the one Mydei is buying time for.

Point 2) Nobody

Odysseus initially evades Polyphemus by calling himself “Nobody”. Phainon is called the “Nameless Hero”, and we have no idea what his real name is. Just like Odysseus, he has crafted a persona for himself.

Point 3) The journey to Ithaca

Phainon going on the Flamechase Journey is his version of Odysseus' journey of going to war and then trying to make it back to Ithaca. They're both put through the wringer a million times over on their journey, and express desires to go back home. In the end, they are both crumbling under the weight of their past actions and losses, and become increasingly more brutal because of it, if Phainon’s behaviour towards Oronyx in 3.0 was anything to go off of.

Also, LEAK WARNING:

.

.

.

Going off leaks, we know that Phainon is both the Flame Reaver, and the final boss for Amphoreus. For whatever reason, we can guess that he lost his humanity somewhere along the line, and, if you can forgive the EPIC reference, became the monster. In the Odyssey, Odysseus ends his journey by slaughtering the suitors vying for Penelope’s hand, showcasing his potential for great violence, much like Phainon. 

TL;DR: Mydei is Penelope, Phainon is Odysseus.

Now, this was obviously mostly for shits and giggles, but the parallels are pretty convincing, ngl.

Bonus: Phaidei = Patrochilles

Now, additionally: they can ALSO be seen as an allegory for Achilles and Patroclus, especially since the game has already drawn parallels between the Iliad and the Amphoreus story.

The game is obviously hinting towards Mydei being Achilles considering his whole weak spot-thing. Naturally, that makes Phainon Patroclus. If we regard Mydei as the “true” heir to Nikador’s divinity, Then Phainon was technically taking Mydei's place in the trial. Ultimately, he fails to pass, which is a nice parallel to how Patroclus dons Achilles' armour to lead the Myrmidons, and dies against Hector, who Achilles later slays in a fit of rage. In this case, Hector is Nikador, who first dies by the team’s hands during the fight, and then later dies by Mydei’s own hand in his trial.

[tallwife]

Ive been kind of quiet about personal posts on here in the last year or so making my moves in silence so here's the full crazy rundown of how me and bf got together because all I've been doing really is make the occasional vague post but not expanded on it

Met this guy at a party about a decade ago (omg) when I was about 16/17 who I remember because I talked to him and this other boy about video games. Other boy was like a GIRL who GAMES??? And the guy was like 'obviously girls can play games lol' and I remember it well because it was funny and he was nice. Don't see him again

About 5 years ago meet the guy again, we don't make the connection for another few years that we've met before. He has a gf and is nice enough, but I don't know him very well yet

He hangs out with my friend group a lot and I click very well with him when we talk, but he's not on my radar because of aforementioned gf

I start a VERY tumultuous idiotic embarrassing situationship with one of his best friends aka the 'GIRLS CAN PLAY GAMES???' guy. I'm stupid and have feelings for him and on reflection it was insane. My heart is being ripped out constantly and I'm being toyed with

Meanwhile he and his gf break up and soon after he has a casual fwb thing with another one of my friends. So he's still not on my radar at all

As this is all going on me and him become very very good friends, its 100% just platonic and supportive. He finds out how badly his friend treated me and to my surprise he firmly takes my side on things and is a massive help and a great friend in this time, distances himself a little from situationship guy

We start to click and hang out constantly. We bond over being bi and other personal things and we have the same humour, nobody can make me laugh like him.

At this point about a year and a half ago, we probably hang out at least once a week. We have a cute weekly cinema habit and we talk about everything. I've never felt this comfortable and safe with a guy before. Start to realise he's also very much my type but I try to keep it out of my mind

He starts to get back into the dating world and I realise it makes me feel really nervous and sad. UNSURE WHAT TO DO. I worry that I am just feeling this way because of proximity and also that I am going to fuck things up if I ask about it. I also kind of fell into that trap of thinking 'if he liked me he wouldve already tried to make a move'. i start imagining how id feel if he got another partner longterm and it makes me feel really sad

About this time last year it's like I wake up one day and am like 'fuck I have feelings for him' but figure I just need to ignore it and get on with my life

Attempt to have a brat summer and affirm that I will find someone else and that these feelings will go away. By early July I realise this is IMPOSSIBLE and that I will need to tell him how I feel because he's the only person I ever look for at events and the person i think about all the time.

situationship guy leaves the continent and i never have to see him again HOORAY

A few of us go abroad in mid July. Hot country, us two and another friend, his gf and brother.

the whole time im TRYING to ignore my feelings but im 100% fallen in love and am so attracted to him. we have long late night chats over cigarettes on rooftops, late night swims, day trips by ourselves etc. so i realise i have to tell him how i feel or i'll regret it

almost have a heart attack from nerves but tell him on the last night of the holiday. feel like im going to get rejected and because hes slow to react and needs to process it im SURE hes rejecting me

we basically stay up all night talking about what this could mean, the implications if it goes wrong, can we stay friends if so, etc. but we do end up holding each other and falling asleep together.

the second we land back in ireland we go on a 40k+ step walk all day to discuss EVERY detail. at the end decide we're gonna try it and have a proper first kiss by the ocean AHHHHH

have our first date the next day

we fall crazy in love

both admit later on that we had BOTH been in love with each other for the past year and BOTH had resigned ourselves to never confessing it because we cherished our friendship so much and thought the other person would reject us

friends to lovers arc in real life complete

[tricksh0t]

★ new year's

☾ jesse x male reader (tlou)

𝘱𝘳𝘦-𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘩0𝘵 ⛥ guess who watched TLOU s2 ep1 today :) by the way I've watched the gameplay as well

𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘴 ⛥ 547

cw: dry humping ish, no s*x just making out, hard-ons, a church

Desperate hands curl around the side of your face and grasp at your hair, pulling. Pulling at your strands, pulling you far back. That initial strength pulls you off, but you fight it, push through, back to his lips.

He doesn't resist. He kicks himself further up the wall, inching up to his full height so you might kiss him easier; but his knees are weak. You notice it.

It's like you're grappling, when you take the underside of his knee, pull him up to height and push him back against the wall.

It's Jesse's choice, after, to wrap it around your hip and press his body closer.

Your pelvises meet, and fuck, that is not a gun.

In a sudden sprout of awareness, Jesse turns his head. He says in a gasp for air, "We're at a church."

"We're outside a church." You correct, and you won't let his self-restraint stop you. It's his self-restraint, after all.

When you press kisses around his neck, Jesse groans. "Wait. Wait, seriously." He tugs at your hair, but you're like a fucking animal, like a dog stealing food that's not his. "Maria's gonna fucking kill me."

"Not if we don't get caught."

"Seriously, you rabid dog." His hand comes down to your cheek, and his thumb pushed against your top lip, and only then do you pull off.

"What is it?" You press a kiss to his thumb, even after it has slighted you, and Jesse almost melts. "Do you not like it..? I mean, you're into guys aren't you?"

"I wouldn't say I'm into guys, I'm more into you—nevermind, that's not the point." Jesse shakes his head. "It's New Year's."

"That's exactly why we should be kissing." You argue.

"And we're at a party and–"

"–you're not helping your case here–"

"and I'm looked up to. I'm a patrol commander, I've gotta get up early tomorrow, and...and it's a goddamn church.."

"Get up early tomorrow is suggesting a lot—and why are you so hooked up on it being a damn church?" Before Jesse can even reply, you kiss him.

He fights for a second or two, nails digging into your cheek and his other hand pushing into your shoulder, before he finally, finally melts.

All his restraint, all his refusal, is thrown right out the window. He grinds his pelvis up against yours, and that moan he lets out at it is quiet, but only because your mouth muffles it.

You swallow the sound right up. God, he's a fucking treat.

Your hands wander, riding up his shirt. A shiver runs through his body–it's winter and there's wind–but your warm hands are there to make up for it. It has a whimper pulling out of his throat.

You've stared before, at the peak of summer, when he lifts up his shirt and he's all sweaty. Of course, you couldn't touch, then.

"Dina's finally let you go," You chuckle, nipping at his bottom lip before kissing his jaw. "and I finally get to have you."

"Oh shut the fuck up." Jesse breathes out, but it's as much of a threat as a snow bunny is.

You don't know how much farther you'll go. You're both hard, that much is clear, and you're not passing up this chance.

𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵-𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘩0𝘵 ⛥ okay let's talk about casting:

bella ramsey was sooo good first season right? but this deeper voice they've got for season 2 (at least i think they're making their voice deeper) is NOT selling an older Ellie; so I think they should've recasted Ellie

ABBY DESERVES TO BE BUFF! that's almost her whole thing in the game, like, "blonde? arms like mine?" or how she's always described as jacked, that's her identifier but fine if at least the actress built some muscle, i think it's alright; her acting during her introduction scene was good

Jesse's casting was great, Dina should've had her hair up more often than not but that casting is okay, she really sold the Dina voice when she yelled "Ellie!" when Ellie fell through the floor

Rapidfire for the fireflies: Owen and Abby's height difference SHOULD NOT have been that big, and the rest of them are way too hot. Like, Manny should've been chubbier, rounder cheeks and all, it's part of his charm. Also where's the rest of them? The dude with the bitch scar across his face?

[makowo]

Hi welcome to my pjeg romance/kinda sexuality headcanons. explanations and further insights for each are under the cut 👇 not too many complex thoughts but do know that i have an aromanticism bias

Grace and Wolfgang: I don't think there's much to say here. Both have taken a look around and decided they do just like the opposite gender (each other). Grace definitely did more exploration of this than Wolfgang when she was younger, but both are pretty set in their ways. If we factor multishipping into this though then Grace has smth goin on with Eloise that's not so nice for either of them, but I don't think it's enough to warrant a change in labels. Transfem Wolfgang is also possible but I don't feel strongly enough about it to think it warrants a change in labels here.

Ingrid: Less stubborn about her preferences, she just has other things to worry about and lacks the time to explore her options more thoroughly. I don't think she's particularly attracted to anyone because she views herself as more of a mother/authority figure than in a position to have romantic partners. I don't ship her with anyone either, so she stays straight.

Jett: A beautiful bear that deserves the world. I could see him previously flirting with some other drivers before/after races, but has put his love life as a much lower priority due to his accident. Keeps an upbeat mood, but is more scared of actually fooling around with other people like that bcs the topic of his appearance is inevitable. Dawnteago or Jettmon will win out in the end though 🙏 in my mind. Might like Mark but Mark does not like him back.

Jean: Literally has a line about being "YMCA at sea." He's a ship captain that has lots of alone time around strong men and surely has needs. Man-liker through and through.

Ulysses: Okay here's how the lesbian part of this category factors in. He's a transfem lesbian in the making she just needs the time to think on it (which she doesn't get the time for).

Kai: Now he HAS explored a lot of his options just by nature of being on the internet. Says he's bi for clout when he's like 15 and then it comes true. Definitely still feels a little weird about liking men because of the lingering identity crisis.

Eloise: She was the hardest placement on this entire list. I don't think I have a strong enough grasp of her to feel confident about anything else though! Her being bi borders more on her not caring, but it feels like too much to put her in the uncaring category bcs she Does care. Idk idk. She's a situation.

Diana: Pansexual ^_^ She's very open to her possibilities and accepting of whoever, since her whole job is basically about prettying up anyone she meets.

Desmond: I think he also has an open mind but doesn't have his mind on who he's attracted to, really. He kind of gets along with most people, so he makes his judgements when people approach him, rather than considering if he should approach other people. If he enters a relationship though, he's gonna have to do some major restructuring of his routine, for obvious reasons.

Damon: The man of the hour, but also the most simple. I will be clear that I'm partially projecting and think that he's an aromantic bisexual because I am also that, BUT. I think he also just really struggles to feel romantic/sexual attraction in general. He doesn't like having to get close to other people, so he's very difficult to want and has a hard time wanting. Feeling romantic attraction takes a very long time for him under normal circumstances*, but when it hits, it hits hard. *Desmond is the exception. Damon likes him the moment he meets him and it spirals into a serious crush in a matter of days. Takes him so long to actually realize that he's feeling romantic love though.

Eva: Girl who has been neglected and unloved and self-isolates sooooooo god damn much. Doesn't feel any romantic attraction to other people and thinks of it as a waste of time. Pretty mean about the topic of romance until she's had friends for a while and feels more confident about herself. Gets into an aro4aro relationship with Cassidy, I know this in my heart.

Cassidy: Never has her mind on romance, and gets pretty awkward about it when she sees it or it's brought up in conversation. She does not know why for a while and plays it off. Maybe someone confesses to her and she's like "... Yeah, sure! Let's give it a try!" and then immediately feels bad bcs she doesn't feel aaaaanyyyyything for them besides like, being friends. Takes about a month to end that whole issue, and she loathes talking about it. Later on she latches onto Eva though, and they eventually agree on a low stakes friend-relationship thing, where they can just be friends but they're allowed to hold hands and casually kiss each other whenever they want. That's my Cass thoughts I hope u liked and enjoyed 👍

Mark: Okay. Can't say I have much to say for him. Might be gay, might be aro, kind of flip-flopping on it. Mark is my least favorite so as much as I do still like him, my thoughts on him are minimal.

Tozu: "Are you gay?" "The only way I get my thrills is through the chills that run down your spines when I walk into the room. Thank you for asking ^_^!"

Mara: No character yet. Next year 🙏 We'll see.

Wenona: I think she's gotten so many questions about this that it's wrapped around to complete apathy towards the idea of labels. Gets with Ulysses after she decides she's trans, but ultimately Wenona settles on the answer that she is "neutral to everyone, and more focused on business than her personal life."

[doodleferp]

The Dante/Callie Brainrot

So in an effort to get rid of my art block and try to get into writing some more, I'm putting together some general thoughts about Callie and Dante. I wrote these with the games in mind, but these can be applied to the reboot game and the Netflix show if we squint.

Absolutely feel free to send me asks about these two as well. I need the fuel. Please. I am begging.

Potential triggers include surgical practices, death, canon-typical violence, sex mention, friends with benefits mention, tattoos

Dante and Callie are two and a half weeks apart, and met when Callie was a few weeks old. See, Callie's mom Fran was Eva's best friend. Her bestest best friend in the whole wide fuckin' world. The kind of friends that plan out their lives cradle to grave. and have somehow stuck to it after all these years. Callie spent about a third of her childhood hanging out with the Spardas, becoming bestest best friends with the twins until the fire. Callie reconnected with Dante in DMC 3 and just like that, they were together for the next thirty-something years.

Just like their mothers, Dante and Callie were pretty much inseparable as kids. Pretty much the second that one was in the other's line of sight, the other would be sprinting up to hug them. Since Vergil was an indoor boy, Dante relished the opportunity to play with someone his own age. Meanwhile, Callie was an only child who was lonely at home, so she was equally ecstatic to be around Dante for as long as she could. But childhood stories are for another day.

After DMC 3, Callie and Dante were FWBs for a few years to cope with the grief of losing Vergil. Obviously, they end up dating, but instead of a big dramatic confrontation, they just…slowly forget they aren’t dating and one day they’re a couple. And they both seem to think they were dating from the very beginning and are (purposefully?) confused when people bring up they were just fuck buddies for a while.

Before they moved in together. Dante would like, super duper clean his room before Callie came over. I don’t know if it’s because he wanted to impress her or if he just wanted a clean space to get down, but he goes into a bedroom cleaning frenzy when he knows Callie’s coming to the shop. They didn’t always go to the bedroom when they screwed around so your guess is as good as mine.

They don't really have like...date-dates very often. I need to figure out how exactly their schedules are gonna line up, but dates are usually stuff like movie marathons or drive-ins or dinner at the diner that Dante loves. Every so often they'll head out of town for a job that Dante has to do and spend some time together there, but the good time usually gets overshadowed by whatever demon he has to fight. They don't really care and the demon ends up being an afterthought anyway. They're just glad to get to spend time together.

Dante will "babe, I got it" her all the time. It's like, she'll try to do something herself and he'll go "Nah, babe, I got it." And just. Never does it. Out of procrastination or pure virtue of forgetting about it. It's infuriating and it keeps happening. Callie's learned to ignore him whenever he says he has something and just do it herself.

Callie's a trauma surgeon, and works in the ER at the local hospital. She credits the development of her surgical skills to Dante being her "personal cadaver" -- a feat that he proudly flaunts to this day. Due in no small part to his indestructibility, Dante would let Callie practice small surgical things on him -- stitches, sutures, staples, intubation, IVs -- and even some more complex procedures when he was feeling ballsy. I have this lovely mental image of them lounging on the couch or in bed on a dark summer night, the light from the old TV casting an eerie glow on them, Dante eating pizza or nursing a beer with one hand while Callie practices a running whip stitch on his other hand.

Fun fact! Due to the nature of their work, Callie's had to admit Dante and Lady to the ER every so often. Being some of the most badass demon hunters ever doesn't automatically guarantee you'll never get injured, and it also doesn't mean people won't call 911 in the aftermath of an attack. Every so often, Callie will stroll onto the ER floor, pull back a curtain, and see Dante's smiling face on the bed, sitting in an ocean of blood with a bone or two sticking out of his body and a couple semi-panicking staff. Lady is ironically the more difficult patient because she usually just wants to get bandaged up and get out of there. Dante will do anything the doctors tell him to do and is very cooperative with the staff, all while throwing cheesy lines Callie's way.

Speaking of. Even though Callie is making reasonable bank and can provide for the shop, Dante refuses to let her help him with the bills. It doesn't even matter that Callie has lived there long enough for them to be legally considered married. He refuses to let her contribute financially to the bills in any way. “I’m your boyfriend, I’m the one who’s supposed to take care of you!” So Callie does the mature thing and pays his tabs behind his back.

They have designated days where they go thrifting and antiquing. It’s how they find stuff for the shop, it’s how they find Dante’s awesome outfits, and it’s just so much fun to look at all the cool shit people have donated or put up for sale.

They have a cat! A little bit after Devil May Cry, a depressed and lonely Dante spotted a kitten with a broken leg and decided to take him home. That cat is named Sampson, and he is the most grumpy little shit on the face of the earth. Dante is his chosen two-leg and Callie is just the spare. He warms up to her after she starts being home more, but she was a constant recipient of hisses and bites whenever she approached Dante while Sampson was nearby. Sampson dies around DMC 5 (he dies from natural causes at the old age of fifteen) and Dante cried like a baby.

Bedtime for them is. Weird. It’s a fluctuating thing that changes as Callie adjusts to her work flow at the hospital. Eventually, she settles on the early and day shifts at the emergency room, so some days she’s waking Dante and the cat up at the crack of dawn. And don’t even get me started on the nights she needs to be paged in.

Anyway, Callie will fall asleep and spread all the way out like a starfish. Dante, meanwhile, will latch onto her no matter what and render her unable to move from that starfish position. Every time she gets in bed while he's asleep, he immediately gravitates towards her and starts to cuddle. Sampson sleeps at the foot of the bed, or he steals Callie's pillow and forces her to switch with the already-comfy or already-asleep Dante. There is no in-between.

My dear friend Penelope convinced me to let them get married, but I haven't put down an exact timeline for it. As far as the games go, I'd place it somewhere around or between DMC 4 and DMC 5. He really feels like the hopeless romantic guy who WOULD want a big wedding party, but kinda pushes that dream aside because he knows he wouldn't be able to afford it. Instead of rings, they get marriage tattoos -- Dante tattoos Callie's name on the back of his left hand, and Callie does the same but with Dante's name. And that tat gives him the butterflies more than any ring ever could.

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devil may cry © capcom

fanfic © doodleferp 2025

[void-bitten-ghost]

Thinking about Lucanis going back to that brothel. Thinking about him seeking out that card player for something so stupid he refuses to ask thier name out of sheer embarrassment.

"How much for an hour of your time?"

"A whole hour?" Not-Rook grins, brow practically up in thier hairline. "Feeling a bit ambitious tonight, I see."

Thier current company, a busty woman with a feather scarf in thier lap, snickers. Lucanis doesn't rise to it.

"I need advice," he relents. "And I know your time is valuable."

"Huh." They sit up, gently helping the woman to her wobbly feet. "That's a first."

They stand themselves, much more stable but hiding it under the guise of merry drunkeness. They give a flouncy wave and a blown kiss to the rest of the table.

"Alright, birdy. Let's go somewhere you're more comfortable talking."

They go upstairs, into a series of hallways with many a closed door, and thankfully the entertainer facade drops. They enter the second door from the end and the silence stretches as Lucanis tries to put together the sentence that best says what he wants it to without making himself look like an idiot.

Remember this is younger Lucanis. Wee lamb. Still figuring out some things about himself but needing to be the best Crow he can.

The silence is near unbearable. They shift in thier seat on the end of the plush bed. One he hadn't even noticed but really should have. He knew the exits (a window just beyond, another back at the end of the hall), sure, but knowing the obstacles was probably just as beneficial.

"You know, an hour isn't that lo--"

"I need to know how to kiss someone properly," he barrels ahead, arms crossed and fingers tapping on his elbow. And Rook-but-Not just stills, mouth slightly agape, brows crinkled in a concerned sort of curiosity.

"I have a contract," he states, as if that clears up everything.

"Riiiight." They look at him, all tense muscle and evident sleep deprivation, and decide to throw him a bone.

They pat the bed next to them. "Alright. Come here."

"That wont be necessary. I just need instruction--"

"No you don't, Birdy," they sigh, and they see the nickname grates at him. They love that. "You need guidance. And you ain't gonna get that from six feet away."

They pat the bed again, scooting over as to not crowd the man who looks about ready to bolt. "Sit. I don't bite unless I'm asked to."

That, surprisingly, gets a snort. Quite a nice reward to be honest. Felt properly earned.

He shakes his head, looks like he's about to leave, maybe leap out the window, and then slowly, in measured strides, makes his way over to sit.

"Okay," they grin, weirdly proud of him for deciding to stay. "So. You need... kissing? Lessons?"

"Meirda, it sounds even worse when you say it--"

"No no no, this is some weird, deadly, Crow business yeah?"

He nods.

"Then you need to do it right the first time," they encourage, turning to him, one leg folded under them. "It's not easy, you know. It's a skill like any other. Right--" they lean forward, think better of it, sit back with thier legs crossed rogue-ishly under thier elegant robes. A glint of Something in thier eye at spending thier time doing something different for a change.

"Okay. Let me try and explain--"

After the second hour of learning 'proper tongue placement and maneuvers' Lucanis feels like his plan for some simple training has run away from him.

They're clinical about it, which puts him at ease. As much at ease as he can be at least, given the situation. And they only touch him to tap his jaw once, telling him to relax the muscles there.

In the end, Lucanis has enough theory to write a full report on the subject of, of all things, kissing.

"Why didn't you just ask that brother of yours? He clearly gets around."

"Cousin," Lucanis sighs. "And he'd be insufferable about it."

"Ah."

"Thank you for your help."

"No problem. The Old Lady downstairs takes the payments. Oh wait--" They ruffle their own hair before leaning over to do the same to him, and strangely enough, he lets them.

"Need to look like something happened," they explain, purposely rubbing thier eyes to smudge their make-up down their cheeks. "The old lady likes to overcharge if she thinks we're just taking up a room for no reason."

All in all, that is one of the most bizarre nights Lucanis has for a good long while