#by FALLING FROM VERY SMALL LEDGES

[dailyeca]

why dont u like cars eca

what's there to like about em.

[nightingale-prompts]

Nightwing gets a sidekick introducing: "Batboy"

Continuation of this post: "Danny has Bat wings"

|Next|

Dick tries to tell himself that he's better then Bruce. He's not going around taking young orphaned boys with unique abilities willy-nilly. No, he very careful. Besides this is first- well second sidekick.

He's doing a public service anyways. You can't have a kid with giant bat wings just falling from buildings. If Nightwing hadn't stepped in to stop those goons trying to catch the kid and sell him then who knows what would have happened. What if they tried to cut off his wings and turn the boy into a bloody trophy for the Bats?

There are many villains in Bludhaven who'd take the boy out or take him in. Dick already had a sinking feeling that Heartless would try his hand at killing the kid after all he targets the weak and helpless like a coward.

It was easy enough to convince the boy to be his friend. Dick did have natural charm and charisma after all. All it took was a meal from batburger and a fruit cup to get the kid to open up.

Danny (apparently his family gave him a normal name) didn't live with his family anymore due to ideological differences. That difference was that they thought he shouldn't exist anymore and wanted to turn him into an experiment. Poor kid didn't even get to finish his freshman year of school before he had to leave. He was a small town vigilante for a few months before the incident.

Dick saw an opportunity but was subtle about it. He invited the kid to live with him until he got his education. Its also totally ethical because the kid was a vigilante already.

Everything kind of went by quickly. Dick had done everything possible to hide Danny until he could come up with a plan of how to tell everyone.

True Dick didn't "need" a sidekick but come on, look at him! He's a boy with bat wings! Dick could put a little cowl on him and dress him up like Batman. I mean he's not a dog but it would be funny. The irony there, the bird-themed hero now had a bat-themed sidekick. That is the universe's way of sending a message.

After training Danny Dick learned that the kid had an endless supply of energy and ADHD that rivaled his own at that age. The kid also couldn't fly, it was actually closer to gliding which was still useful but he kind of looked like a flying squirrel when he jumped off ledges.

The term issue with taking Danny in was that Dick was still a Wayne and while he could hide the kid while he was swinging through Bludhaven, Dick Grayson could not.

Danny could hide his wings like they weren't even there whenever he wanted to look human. Which was a start, next he needed a new identity. One that wouldn't tip anyone off.

Dick needed to pull some strings without alerting Barbara or Tim. A new name was forged: "Daniel Nightingale" (Dick patted himself on the back for that one).

With that Dick was ready to let Danny out in the field. For the most part, Danny was as reliable as any Robin if not a bit crazy. Danny was way too charming for his own good but also completely feral. The public adored the domino-masked kid in his green and black costume. Danny didn't wear a cape because of his wings so he used them as a cloak.

When citizens saw them in public they'd offer the kid fruit cups and candies just to get close enough to see his wings. The people of Bludhaven were also excited to have their own version of Robin since Gotham had so many. Also, the kid was so marketable. Look at the way his wings flapped when he was excited.

Danny's or more specifically "Batboy's" presence would not go unnoticed.

Well, this can't end well.

Welp. Dick should have expected this. He couldn't even be upset. He doesn't regret anything that he's done.

Danny was still in bed, actually it was a hammock which was more comfortable for a bat. Dick wondered if he could sleep upside down. The kid was comfortable here and probably better off here than in Gotham. Once the adoption goes public however things will get complicated. Danny may end up Bludhaven's sweetheart or outcast. He'll probably end up fine...probably.

[lemon-lime-limbo]

𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖕𝖊𝖓𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖆𝖗𝖐 | 𝖆 𝖇𝖓𝖍𝖆 𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖙

pairing: shōto todoroki x gn! reader

warnings: kissing, reader is gender neutral (no pronouns used), slightly emotionally vunerable todoroki, insecure todoroki, very sweet fluff, innocent romance

genre: fluff oh my god

word count: 2.5k

note: bruh i never expect these to be so long but i start writing and can't stop LMAO anyway todoroki is sooooo yum and also i live for "we have to stay warm" scenarios so... that plus his heat quirk... enjoy!

The winter was supposed to be over; snow turned to slush as the sun did everything it could to melt it all. But night came with freezing temperatures, turning slush into ice underlayers for the new snow to pile on top of. At the start of the winter, it was soft and powdery, but as the season matured, it became thicker, denser, piling into nigh impenetrable snow mounds and filling up every driveway and street until plows came to get rid of it all. They weren’t always successful, so UA elected to cancel classes for the week, deciding it would be better to allow the students a break, both for morale and to prevent any issues from the snow.

Back at the dorms after extra training, you shook ice and snow off your clothes as you left your shoes by the door. Changing clothes was your first task, replacing a sweaty gym uniform with a clean shirt and plaid pajama pants. Even with the cold outside, the dorms stayed warm and the heating system worked overtime to combat the falling temperatures as night came.

Now, you join your classmates in the common area, tuning in to whatever movie they were watching after squishing yourself onto the couch among Mina, Tsu, Jiro, and Hagakure, at Mina’s invitation, trying not to bump Denki, who sits on the arm of the couch right beside you. The others are scattered on the floor beside the couch, engrossed in the action movie on the screen.

A hand bumps your foot as you try to get comfortable. “Oh, sorry.” You look down to see Todoroki sitting below you, back up against the arm of the couch, his arm grazing your leg. He doesn't look at you, so you stay quiet, ignoring how hot your face gets.

You’re the first to admit the movie’s pretty lame, bad CGI paired with a weak plot, but to you, getting to spend time with your classmates is more important than the movie. Everyone else seems to enjoy it, even with Denki’s stage-whispers of, “What just happened?” and, “Who is that guy again?” that somehow make the movie more entertaining. 

Snow falls in thick, wet flakes outside the windows, piling onto the small ledges until everything is covered in white as far as the eye could see. You glance again, but you can’t see anything through the flurries whipping around in turbulent circles just outside the building. The lights in the common area flicker a few times, earning a few groans from the others as the movie flickers along with them. 

The movie wraps itself up, a satisfying enough ending even for an unsatisfying movie. Mina shuts off the TV, leaving the couch to stretch. “Well, guys, I’m beat! I’m outta here,” she says, wandering down the hall to her room. “Night, everyone!” Most of the others follow her, yawning as they say their goodnights and leave to their rooms.

You and Todoroki are the only ones left, you still on the couch, and him standing about a foot away, stretching with a sigh. His plain black shirt rides up as his arms reach above his head, exposing the waistband of his own pajama pants just below his toned stomach. You’re thankful he stays turned away, embarrassed by your own inability to keep your eyes to yourself. His training has done him justice, He checks his phone and puts it back into his pocket. “I’m heading out, too. See you tomorrow,” he says, always polite. 

You yawn in response. “Probably smart. I’ll see you in the morning. Night, Todoroki.”

“Goodnight.” He disappears down the hallway, leaving you to your own devices, alone in the common area. 

Your face is hot, even now that he’s gone. Most of the girls in class 1-A agree Todoroki holds the spot for the most attractive boy in the class, and his polite yet relatively aloof demeanor keeps him there. It isn’t like you aren’t friends, so conversation between you isn’t out of the ordinary or shocking, but it still makes you nervous to talk to him. And it especially makes you nervous to be alone with him.

Heaving a sigh, you take the elevator to your room. It’s not very productive to stay awake just thinking about a classmate, so you decide to do some reading, taking a seat on your bed, grabbing your blanket and draping it over yourself. 

A low hum echoes through your room as the lights flicker before cutting out completely, leaving the room in pitch black darkness, save for the faint moonlight coming through your small window. 

Oh, shit. That’s not good. 

You scramble for your bookmark and set your book down, still wrapped in your blanket as you chew on your bottom lip, trying to decide what to do. You continue to wait for the power to turn back on, eventually pulling out your phone to pass the time. 

But as the minutes tick by, it’s impossible to ignore the chill in the air. The heat turned off, judging by the silence, and left the dorms with no source of warmth to protect against the bleak weather. That’s really not good.

With no signs of the power returning, you groan, pulling the blanket tighter around your shoulders. What should you do? You can practically see the frostbite forming on your skin as the cold makes its way through your thin blanket. It’s too bad Denki already went to bed a while ago, so you doubt he’s still awake to restart the power. 

The dark doesn’t help, and you’re frighteningly alone in your quiet dorm. You turn on your phone flashlight, but you know the weak battery won’t be enough for even another hour. You wish you brought something battery powered to light your room, but you didn’t think that far ahead.

You shut your door tightly behind you as you tiptoe down the hall to the stairs beside the elevator. Hardly anyone ever uses them, but there’s a first time for everything, you suppose. The icy tiles freeze your slippered feet as you walk. Crisp air burns your nostrils as you grip the railing, fingers turning white as the frozen metal draws heat from your skin. The flight of stairs to the fifth floor is much more tedious in the dark, your phone flashlight illuminating every step up.

Reaching your destination, you knock gently on the door, hoping your target isn’t asleep.

No response. You turn to leave, but to your surprise, the door opens, revealing Todoroki. Behind him, soft orange light flickers onto the walls. “Yes?” he says. 

“I, uh- was just wondering if you had a candle you could spare me? Because the power, y’know… Well, I figured if anyone would have one, it would be you!” The chattering of your teeth apparently makes you talk a lot, and you have to clamp a frozen hand over your mouth to get words to stop falling from your lips.

He shakes his head, much to your dismay. “No, I’ve only got one, and I’m using it.”

A shiver runs down your spine in the cold hallway. “Oh, that’s okay! Sorry to bother you!” You move to leave, but a warm hand on your shoulder stops you.

“If you want, you could stay here,” he says. “I don’t have any idea how long we’ll be without heat. Or lights. And, I think we’re the only ones still awake.” He steps back into his room. 

Your eyes widen, but you go in regardless, feet padding on the tatami mats. It’s still chilly in here, much like your dorm. You’re grateful, however, for the light from the candle and also for his hospitality. He motions to the bed in the corner, gesturing for you to sit. “Thanks, I really didn’t want to just hang out by myself all night,” you say, perching gently at the foot of his bed. “It’s scary with no light.”

“No plans on sleeping?”

You breathe a laugh, fiddling with the hem of your plain shirt, though your fingers are sluggish.  “Can’t really sleep when blankets won’t do much for an eternal cold.”

He sits down on the bed too, but cross-legged at the other end from you. If you weren't so tense, you might have laughed at his respectful nature.  Nodding in understanding, he says, “Ah. I guess it is quite cold.” 

It makes sense he didn’t notice. “What about you, Todoroki?” you say. “Burning the midnight oil?” 

It’s hard for either of you to ignore the chills that wrack your body, even as you try to stabilize yourself. His eyes widen momentarily, and he stares at you, head tilted. To deny that his room is becoming colder would be impossible for you. It’s like someone opened a window to let more air in, because there’s no way the rooms should lose heat this quickly. You rub your arms, trying to bring any amount of blood flow back. And not to mention the flutter in your stomach at the fact that you are sitting on Todoroki’s bed, at night, alone, something that your female classmates would squeal at. 

He seems largely unaffected by the temperature and you being here, but that look on his face remains. Why is he looking at you like that? But he still doesn’t respond to your question, leaving you to clear your throat and try to avoid his gaze. “Are you okay? Is it too cold in here?” he says.

Your head snaps up before you shake it vehemently, waving your hands in the air in front of you. “No! No, I’m fine! R-really, don’t worry about me.” Your feeble attempt to reassure him is admirable, but he’s not convinced.

“Come here,” he says.

You laugh awkwardly, your breath forming a cloud of condensation in front of you. “W- um, what?” You stumble over your words, and you pray he thinks it’s just the cold. 

“You’re losing a lot of body heat, and even without light I can see your lips are turning blue. So, come here.” He holds his hands out to you and stretches his legs, staring at you expectantly. 

All the remaining heat in your body goes to your cheeks.

Every thought in your head runs rampant as your stiff body crawls over to Todoroki. His hands meet your shoulders, pulling you between his knees with your legs slung over his right thigh. Your side presses into the left side of his chest and his arms wrap around you.

His heat pervades your body, and you shiver in his grasp. Jesus, he’s so warm. Even in the dead of winter, he’s burning hot like sand on a beach in summer, and you couldn’t be more grateful. 

“Is this better?” he asks, breaking the silence. Probably an obvious question, but you’re sure his polite nature made him ask anyway.

You nod, swallowing hard. “Yes. Thank you.” Your body warms up, heat blossoming beneath your skin where his body meets yours.

But, as you bring yourself to look up at him and your eyes meet, you’re acutely aware of his hands on your waist, and the way the light from the solitary candle dances on his face, illuminating the jagged, reddish-brown scar that expands over the left side of his face. And his smell — warm and intoxicating, it infiltrates your brain until it short-circuits. Becoming bold with your newfound warmth, you reach a hand up to touch him, but something flashes in his eyes and his hand grips your wrist in an instant, pulling your hand away and making you gasp softly.

His eyes widen and he releases you. “I’m- I’m sorry…” he murmurs.

Hesitant fingers reach again, and this time, your hand connects with his face. His breath hitches reflexively and his eyes dart away from yours in shame. You swear you’ve never seen him like this, so unguarded. You run your fingers over the edge of his scar, where smooth skin meets raised. It’s mesmerizing you think, the way the discoloration feathers out, harsh and delicate edges alike making up the left side of his face. Your palm moves to his cheek and his gaze meets yours again. 

The sight is like a punch to the stomach, leaving you breathless as he stares into you, your hand on his face. One brown eye, dark like freshly-brewed black coffee, warm and inviting. The other, blue and glacial, like a cold winter’s night, much like this one. The dichotomy was almost laughable as his blue eye was more akin to night and the other, like day. 

Your other hand meets his face and you bring him closer to you. Inches apart, your eyes flitter around his face. Your fingertips slide into his silken hair, making his grip on your waist tighten, palms sweating over your shirt. 

“You’re beautiful, Shōto,” you say, and that’s all it takes.

His lips meet yours, unexpectedly gentle, and you can’t help but sigh. Your lids flutter closed and you’re ascending, heart beating out of your chest as you’re convinced heaven is real. Tangling your fingers into his hair, he groans into you and his hands leave your waist for the first time in a long time. You try to keep track of them, but they’re all over you, leaving trails of fire in their wake. No inch of your skin goes untouched, he makes sure of that.

Oh, god. This can’t be real. You can’t help but think of what your classmates would say if they knew you were here tonight. But, on the other hand, what they don’t know can’t hurt them, right? 

It’s like he’s a different person, his usual detached persona gone in favor of a gentle, kind boy. He’s careful with you, hands never straying too far downwards as if he’s afraid you’ll brave the frigid halls just to get away. You wish you could tell him you wouldn’t leave, that you won’t, but your desire to keep his lips on yours is all-consuming. He’s addicting, and you can’t seem to get enough. His scent, his taste, everything about him is addling your brain, your only thoughts of this moment, right now.

You move so you’re facing him, kneeling between his legs, no longer in need of the warmth he so graciously gave you. His fingers grab at the hem of your shirt, snaking underneath it to feel your bare stomach, lingering on your hips. You whimper softly into him, and you move to take your shirt off.

Lips leave yours. “Stop,” Todoroki says, and your eyes snap open. 

“What’s wrong?” you say, wiping drool off your lips. Did you do something? Did you misread him? Oh, god���

Hands on your shoulders, he sighs. “I don’t want you to think this was my intention.”

You tilt your head at him. “You mean you didn’t… want to kiss me?”

He shakes his head. “No, it’s not that. I… I just feel like I’m taking advantage of you. You didn’t come here for this. I was only supposed to keep you from freezing to death and now-”

“Stop it,” you say, your arms wrapping around the back of his neck. “I don’t think that about you. I came here for a reason, yeah, but… you are keeping me from freezing. But, if you want to stop, we can.”

“I don’t want to.”

At this moment, you knew you were going to have a lot to explain in the morning. 

[the-moons-tears]

Scaramouche x reader (Spiderman au)

GUYS GUYS SPIDER-MAN SCARA BRAINROT EIFJEJDCKKEFM gods i CANT

Hot emo spider boy grrr

Not very spicy (a bit at the end) this is pretty much just a plot that I enjoyed writing about

Preview:

"all you have to do is keep your pretty eyes open, and try not to fall behind."

Blues, greens, whites, and reds zoomed by the eye coverings on your mask. Noises from the city and its traffic flared up in your ears and ended as soon as they came. The sharp wind whipping your hair around, and the feeling of your suit moving with your body made you feel alive.

Your hands moved methodically in a pull up, release, and shoot cycle. The strong webbing that was naturally formed in your body shot out through a tiny slit in your wrist, and the cut in your suit fabric made it easy to shoot out of.

The ground seemed so far away every time you launched yourself up into the night air, but became almost touchable when you let gravity take you back down. Your lungs took in large amounts of air and released heavily through the mask fabric.

When you arrived at a certain large skyscraper, you began your ascent. The webbing that flew out hit the glass panels which you used to propel you upwards. The noises from the city below grew quieter as you neared the top roof with the internet tower sitting in the middle.

Your hand grasped the edge of the building and used your upward force to swing over the ledge onto the roof surface. Standing upright, the wind hit you and blew your hair away from your face showing you the view that you never got tired of. The city looked so small from there. Leaning over where you just came from, this was definitely the tallest building in your city.

Planes overhead made their presence known by the blinking lights that were flashing from their bodies. Above them lay the stars, although you couldn't see them because of the light pollution. The silence, even though so many things were happening, was always strange. It just showed how high up you were. The wind was your only company with its occasional howl coming from any direction.

Although, your solitude didn't last long. A cold sensation ran down your spine and an instinctual alert inside your mind told you something was coming. A figure, black as the night above came so fast at you, you didn't have time to react.

In a tangle of arms and at the speed of the impact, you and the figure crashed into the part of the roof that led to stairs to the floors below. A loud grunt came from the figure beside you when their head hit the wall.

Your own body had slammed into the stone pretty hard. Obviously it was much worse for you since the impact sent you into the wall first. A strangled gasp for air escaped your lungs after it had been knocked out and you fell to your side with your vision spinning. Rough hands turned you over, ripped off your mask from your face, and grabbed you over your mouth. The other hand held your shoulder to the ground.

Above you, the figure, who you figured was a male, was breathing hard. The hand over your mouth gripped hard, and your attempts to speak failed. In your panic, you shot webbing onto his face with your free hand and kicked him back once you got a leg up from underneath him.

Immediately once you had enough free space, you made a dash for the edge so you could jump off. Alarms went off in your mind again, making you duck in time to see a web shooting overhead at what would have been your neck. The next one, however, you couldn't dodge in time.

White webbing caught your ribs and pulled you to the man again. Before you could blink, you were wrapped in web that was holding you in all directions. You couldn't move, and your mask that protected your identity lay away from you on the ground. When you finally were still, you could see clearly who he was.

Short violet hair moved in the wind revealing a black mask with purple and blue iridescent web looking designs interlacing it. The body suit also had the same design. The person's mask ended at their hairline, letting the bangs that were there fall over it. Everyone had seen him, he was quite famous although no one knew his real identity. The savior of teyvat city, spiderman.

He ran a hand through his hair rubbing the spot that hit the wall and let out a long sigh. "I really wanted an easy night tonight..." the man ran his hands down his face and walked toward you. Without gentleness, he grabbed you face again and tilted it how he pleased.

"What the hell-do you always treat people this way?"

"Well most people I come across that have any sort of power aren't exactly wishing the city a merry Christmas."

Fair. From what you had seen, every time he made an appearance was when a supernatural threat was in the city, like that one battle with a giant lizard you saw on YouTube. You'd seen what he was capable of, and that he probably didn't have any intention other than protecting the city, so you decided to be compliant.

For a bit, he was silent. He brought a hand up that had your webbing that was on his face on it, and his silver eyes on his mask narrowed.

"I watched you swing up here from a distance before attacking you. You shot this from your wrist."

"Yeah, I'm guessing you want a backstory?"

"Normally I wouldn't care, but your web is the same make as mine. It's not coincidental." He then waved his hand for you to speak.

You simplified the story as needed in your head, and begin to tell about your spider experience.

...

You were in college enjoying your student life when it happened. With your university being so close to ILDOTTORE Inc., a lot of students came to study in the sciences, you being one of them.

In one of your leisurely afternoons at the campus park, you were sitting on a bench just looking at the wind blow through the trees when you felt a sharp pain on your hand. The pain continued to spike when you pulled your hand up and shook it. Looking at your palm, sitting there was an iridescent spider that had its fangs lodged in your skin.

It looked abnormal for sure. Its eyes were bigger and it's legs were longer. A strange symbol was marked on its back, almost like an experimental number you would put on test subjects. Without a thought you immediately slapped the spider.

When it didn't come off the first hit, you took off your shoe and pressed it to your hand, not caring about the dirt because the bite hurt. When you got the spider off your hand, you relaxed thinking you'd definitely killed it.

Feeling something moving on your thigh, you looked down and jumped from your sitting position with your hand swatting at your thigh. The spider, with one less leg now, was crawling up your leg until you swat it off.

"Oh hell no, die hoe." You took the shoe that was still off and put it quickly back on your foot. As the spider was speeding away, you chased it a couple of steps from the bench and stomped on it like you'd never put your foot on the ground before. After twisting your foot back and forth on the spider, you took your shoe off an examined if it was really dead.

It twitched only once even though it was completely crushed, but that was enough to smush it again until you were only looking at a black smudge on the concrete path.

Ever since that day, you had to stay in your apartment with a sick excuse because of the changes your body was undergoing. The pain was blaring. Your hands would stick to things randomly, and your vision would shift from regular to being able to see through walls. You felt feather light, could move faster, and jump higher.

The strangest parts were the fact that you could shoot webbing from openings in your wrists, and that you would get a strange feeling when something was about to happen. Your reaction time had heightened and your body molded itself into being fitter.

After days of change and determining that the spider gave you those powers, you found ways to control your new abilities. You even made yourself a suit from your webbing. After school days, you would practice in a remote alleyway what all you could do. Swinging around and climbing walls wasn't as hard as you thought. Watching videos of Spider-Man's fights also gave you some tips on how to move well. You were around one month into your new experience before this incident.

...

"So that's where it went...And you made sure 100% that you killed the spider?"

"The only thing left was a blot on the ground. Pretty sure it's dead."

"Great. My two problems have been cut to one."

You wondered if the problem he was referring to was you and the spider. You were correct.

"So can you let me out now?" You wiggled the only movable thing your body, which was your hands. Spider-Man laughed sarcastically and stepped backwards to sit onto the edge of the building. The wind picked up swaying his hair, and his eye pieces on his mask moved in a gleeful expression that you knew had a teasing glint in them.

"Nah, you can get out yourself. You're the same as me right?"

The same? You huffed and looked around you spotting the places his web connected to other structures that held you in place. Angling your hands in the direction of the connection, you shot a web and held on to the end. Your web connected to the place his was stuck on and you pulled with your hand as far away as you could.

His web snapped off, letting one arm loose. From there you broke yourself free from all the webbing. Walking with your back turned to him, you picked your mask up off the ground, moved your hair out of your face, and put it back on.

Suddenly, you felt a web come in contact with your back. Turning around, you saw that spiderman wasn't there anymore. A long web was quickly sliding down off the edge, and you noticed too late that the web was connected to you.

With a scream, you were yanked forward and launched off the building. Looking down, you spotted Spider-Man diving down with the web that held you in one of his hands. When his fall had reached around half of the buildings height, we shot a web from his free hand and began a swing.

"You better shoot a web, I'm gonna let go!" Although most of his words got lost in the wind, you got the message. As soon as you shot a string, the web on your back became loose. You quickly yanked it off your back and swung with your other hand to catch up to him.

You synced up your swing timing to match his, but as soon as you did he changed direction. you caught up to him stopping on a building top where he hung off the side waiting for you.

"You're slow." Indigo hair blew in the wind and his head tilted. His arm hung out in the wind beside him while he held onto the edge with his other.

"Well maybe I would have caught up faster if someone didn't pull me off the tallest building in the city. Secondly, I'm still knew to this whole thing." You landed a bit below him with a web holding you to the building. The man above you laughed and spoke in a haughty tone,

"all you have to do is keep your pretty eyes open, and try not to fall behind." His hand left the edge letting gravity take him. Diving after him, you followed him through narrow alleyways and under highways. It was hard to see him because his suit was so dark, but the iridescent colors on his chest guided you.

You didn't know why you were following him, or better yet why he was indirectly telling you to. Chasing him around in sporadic movements soon became easier. It almost felt like he was training you.

At one point, he disappeared from your vision. Coming to a stop in a dark street where no cars were coming, you looked around. A sharp zing went off in your head, making you turn around in time to see a web come in contact with your face. The mask attached came off and your hand shot up to cover your face.

"Hey! You don't know who's around here, and there may be cameras in this area!" You yelled out in the direction the web came from with your hands over your whole face.

"If you can't block a simple thing like that, and by the way that wasn't even an attack, you're not going to survive fights or the media." A sultry voice spoke near your left ear.

You turned pretending to not be surprised by his sudden closeness. "What are you even talking about-"

"You think you can go back to normal society with these powers? You're already all over the media from swinging around tonight with me."

Spider-Man shoved your mask on your hands that cover yourself and you quickly put the mask back on. When you remove your hands, the first thing you see is a phone screen reading,

Another spider joins Spider-Man? Two swinging figures seen around teyvat city tonight, watch the video footage!

With narrowed 'I'm-not-having-it' eyes, you looked at him behind the phone, "you did this on purpose didn't you."

"The point is, you're now obligated to protecting the city whether you want to or not. It would be better if I trained you so you don't end up wasting your abilities by dying early."

My gods. Everything was happening so fast. Your hand came up to rub your temple through the mask because of the headache that rose.

Your hands went out in a calm down motion. "Ok ok give me a minute. I'm in college and I do have a lot of time, but how am I going to balance these two things? And how on earth are we going to meet up, to quote you, train?"

"Well I make it work with my classes. We can set a schedule for you to meet me at the building we first came in contact."

You mean the place you nearly busted my head open you thought to yourself before you caught an important detail in his words.

"You're in college?" You pause and look at Spider-Man who has his arms crossed. Silence before he spoke,

"No-"

"Oh wow you're younger than everyone thinks. I thought you were like 30 or something."

"Do I sound anything like thirty?" He said aggravated as he shot another web in your face making you take a couple steps back and struggle to get it off.

From that spot, you both worked out a plan to meet up three times a week on the tallest building roof. The first few weeks were rough, and they made you realize how tasking his job was. His training was rigorous, but you caught on fairly well. There were a couple times you went to grab his mask in hand to hand combat, only for you to fail and for him to flick your forehead. You tried making conversation, to which he didn't necessarily ignore you, but he kept his answers short and vague.

"So what major are you in since you won't answer which college you're at?" You poked his shoulder from where you were both sitting on the edge of the building.

"I'm an art student..."

"Actually?" You leaned forward and peered into the eyes on his mask. He nodded and went on staring out at the city. "What kind of medium do you like to use?"

"Charcoal most of the time. Occasional graphite or spray paint."

"I'll have to see some of your work sometime when we're not training. I really enjoy art."

"hmm..."

Over the next few times you two met, Spider-Man would let himself be more carefree with you in your now frequent conversations after training on top of the building. On one of your more tiring training sessions, a thought came into your head. This is merely training, what about real fights. Getting beaten and bruised with the media filming all of it. Was it ever lonely or stressful all by himself?

When you both sat down on the edge, you asked the question.

"It is lonely, being the only one in this position? Saving the city all by yourself?"

"It...was lonely, but now I'm too preoccupied dealing with your annoying ass to be like that."

"Aww, did my 'annoying ass' fill the void in your heart?" You exaggerated the last bit and poked his shoulder.

"Pshh." He pushed your poking hand off of him and tried to shoot a web at you again, but you dodged it. When his hand shot the web, you took the opportunity to try to grab his mask again. It had honestly become a thing to tease him with.

This time however, was different. He just seemed to sit there and let your hand wrap around the edges of his mask, taking it off and exposing his face. His hair whipped around in the wind, the violet bangs brushing his forehead. Long eyelashes and eyes that blinked slowly, almost teasingly so. His irises, like the color on his suit, but with depth and a color you could only describe as mesmerizing. Skin soft and a rosy pair of lips that parted slightly as you took the mask away. You almost reached out to touch him.

"Your eye pieces are wide open, what's the matter~?" His hand extends a bit and closes your slightly open mouth. He doesn't even bother to take the mask back from you, and instead just leans back on the ledge and throws his head back. Adam's apple moving as he swallows slightly.

"Uh-" you cleared your throat and tried looking at him again to speak, but when you did his eyes were locked with yours making your lungs close up.

"Scaramouche."

His voice brought you back. "What? Like Bohemian rhapso-"

"My name dumbass. You can use that instead of Spider-Man. Of course, not in public..."

You took off your own mask and set it beside his that now lay between you both. The wind felt good on your face, you hadn't taken it off in a while up there. There was a silence that hung from that point. You both rested there in your seated positions, and scaramouche could have sworn he heard you try out his name on your tongue.

...

The next month was peaceful. Winter break had begun, so you were able to rest at your apartment and spend more time with scaramouche. He actually started letting you into his life. You learned where he went to college and got to see a lot of his art projects in his own living space, although he kept some of them hidden from you for reasons unknown to you. Of course, you couldn't leave him alone about them and would always be trying to search for them when he wasn't looking.

"Hey, what do you say to getting a drink at- what the hell do you have in your hand?"

You stood there at his sketching desk, with papers that made your eyes wide. On the parchment, were graphite sketches of...you. The way the details on your face were so accurate made you blush furiously. All those times he would just seem to stare at you when your mask was off, was he looking so intently so he could draw you? The answer was right in front of your face.

Gods you were in deep. Not only did you develop feelings for him when you started training, but seeing this made you realize it was probably not one-sided.

Quick footsteps came behind you and a hand reached out to take the papers from you. Turning to him, you were surprised to see scaramouche's face close to yours with glaring eyes and a red that reached his ears.

"Did I not say that you weren't allowed to see those?"

Nothing came out your mouth. Your lips only parted to try and give an apology, and you didn't miss the way his eyes flicked down to your parted mouth. His eyes said so much, but you could see there was a fear in them as well.

...

After that incident, not much was said between you. The very next day you met on the tallest building once more. It was the day that you two would spar, like every other time right?

Wrong. You were both distracted. Every grab on your arm shot electricity through your soul, more than before. The same could be said for him. The distraction caused an accidental blow to the face, which knocked your mask off.

"Ah shit, are you al-" his voice cut short. You were leaning back against the wall behind you that he first encountered you on. Your chest was heaving and visible breath from the temperature came from your mouth. You looked too good to him in that moment, so he let his desires take over.

"Yeah I'm good...it just knocked my mask off-" a strong grip pushed you against the wall.

"Hey what-" Looking up at him, you saw his hand reach up and rip off his mask, his violet hair messily flowing around. He threw it to the floor before grabbing your face and smashing his lips on yours.

Your hands instinctively grabbed his suit turtleneck collar and pulled him into you. He wasted no time pushing his tongue past your lips and putting his body flush against yours. Surprised sounds left you as you could barely breath. He was desperate, hungry, and could no longer hold himself back.

The drawings were his only cope to deal with the feelings. Gods he was scared, scared that you would want to end the whole partner thing if you knew. Now all those doubts dissipated when he felt you meld your lips back with his when he tried to part your mouths.

Hands ran down your ribs and to your waist. His fingers were gripping you with need, and his mouth kissed you with abandon. Scaramouche never wanted to take his lips of yours, not after he'd waited so long gazing at you, watching the way you tried to do what he did, and feeling your covered skin when you fought.

Neither of you needed to breathe. You believed you could be sustained solely by each other's lips.

Only after several minutes of pure bliss in each other's mouths did you break apart for much needed air. You gasped and panted, and scaramouche did the same. He rested his head on your shoulder in the aftermath, just feeling your warmth that enveloped him despite the cold winds.

"Want to head to my apartment? We can um...continue there if you also want to-"

"Yes.”

You blushed when his hands wrapped around you and his face turned to kiss your jaw.

"I wonder if the media would like to know that Spider-Man is a romantic."

"Shut up..." He gave a slight laugh and slowly drew away from you. His eyes were clearly glazed over with a need for more, but he'd save it for when you were both warmer in your home. After picking up your masks off the ground, you both quickly made your way to your home where you couldn't stop scaramouche from starting to kiss your nape and skin before you even got into your apartment room.

[theoriginalkaminari]

Attention span of a squirrel

Shoto Todoroki with an S/O who is very silly

Also seriously pls do not repost or reblog

Warnings: swearing sorta? Uh reader is GN and stuff.

Also the reason I call this 'Attention span of a squirrel' is bc squirrels have the attention span of uhhhhhh

Shoto was hanging from a rope, ankle first and upside down. The rope made him spin around the room very slowly as he felt the blood go to his head.

To make things worse, Shoto was dangling over a pit. It was foggy down there, so he wasn't able to see the bottom.

You both were chosen to go against Aizawa for this project, to see how well you did in a real villain situation.

So far?

Not so great.

Shoto was beginning to feel lightheaded, so he called out to you to try and bring your attention back to the situation.

"L/N." He calls, making you jolt out of your distracted state and back at him. "Hm?" You look up at him. "Oh yeah. Sorry, I forgot." You laugh nervously, scratching the back of your neck.

"Okay...so..." You tap your chin in thought as you stare at the rope wrapped around Shoto's ankle. "If I were me...which I am...then how would I get Shoto out of here?" You jut out your bottom lip slightly, narrowing your eyes as if it would make you think harder.

"I don't mean to rush you," Shoto begins in his usual monotone voice. "But Mr. Aizawa could be approaching." He says, spinning slowly as the rope clings to his ankle.

You don't seem to hear this, as you're staring down at the pit. "Aha! I've got the situation!" You grin confidently, stumbling slightly as you take off your right shoe. Shoto raises an eyebrow, confused to what you were doing.

Then you suddenly throw your shoe into the pit. "One..." And you begin counting. "Two...three....four.....five..." You continue. Shoto feels confused as he stares at you. What the hell were you doing?

"L/N. What are you doing?" He finally asks, eyes still trained on your every move.

After you count to ten, you beam proudly, like you made a shocking discovery. At least, you thought you did.

"Well my icy friend," You begin as you point down into the pit. "We have discovered a bottomless pi-" You were interrupted by a soft 'thud' of your shoe finally hitting the bottom of the pit.

"Oh. Nevermind. Not bottomless, just ten seconds deep."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Shoto asks, tilting his head as best he can. You just turn back and grin at him.

"Well, if I cut you down from there, at least I know how long you'll be falling for!" You beam, like you've solved all world problems.

"Okay, now hold still." You try to reach for the rope, but stumble and almost fall into the pit. "Whoa!" You yelp lightly as the dirt crumbles beneath your feet. Luckily you got out of the way in time.

"Okay! New plan." You clap your hands together. Then, to Shoto's dismay, you begin to pace around the pit. After a while, you grin. Its not an innocent grin, but a mischievous one. Almost Bakugo like.

You suddenly run backwards. Shoto sighs in disappointment, thinking you've given up on him. "How do I-" He stops himself when he looks back at you, now charging at him. "L/N! What are you-"

You grin as you jump off the ledge of the pit, jumping up to grab him. You use a pocket knife to cut the rope in the process so you both don't get stuck.

You and Shoto tumble onto the otherside, landing into a pile of eachother.

Sort of a 69 position.

Quickly, you both pull away and stand up.

Shoto feels embarrassed, looking away from you and not knowing what to say.

That is, until you clear your throat. "So...here." You hand him a small amethyst rock. Maybe you collected it a while ago, or you found it somewhere. Eitherway, you don't really remember.

Shoto tilts his head, looking at the amethyst in your palm, then back at your face. "Whats this?" He asks.

You smile softly, finding his confusion amusing. "A gift! See? Its pretty, like you." You beam. Shoto swears he sees light emitting from you as you smile at him. Shoto gives a small smile in return, and takes the amethyst. "Thank you, L/N." He says, his voice soft.

You laugh softly and place your hands on your hips. "And since I gave you a gift, we're friends now. Is that okay?" You say, even though Shoto doesn't have a choice in the matter.

Shoto puts the amethyst in his pocket. "Okay."

You grin and give him a small thumbs up. "Great! So you have to call me by my first name now, okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay what?"

"Okay, Y/N."

"Atta boy!"

Shoto smiles softly. He feels a sudden feeling in his chest, snapping him out of his thoughts. He places a hand on his chest, suddenly very confused.

Did my heart skip a beat? Do I have heart problems? Perhaps I should see Recovery Girl after this.... He thought.

Eventually, the day ended, and everyone was heading to their dorm rooms to finally get some sleep.

All except Shoto. He stayed on the green couch in the lounge, staring blankly at the wall, lost in thought.

"We're friends now, so you have to call me by my first name!" Your voice rang in his head like a lullaby.

A week passed, and you and Shoto stared hanging out more. You would say things like:

"Shoto! Do you ever thinks ants get lonely?"

"Shoto! Did you know worms have an asshole?"

"Shoto! Whats your least favorite animal?"

Things that would make him smile, or things that would make him confused. Things that would make him think, or things that would make him surprised.

Every little thing you did made him have a soft and warm feeling in his chest. Shoto, completely oblivious to these feelings, decides to confront his friend, Izuku. One night, everyone is staring to head to bed, when Shoto approaches Izuku.

"Midoriya." He says, staring the conversation. "I need your help."

Izuku tilts his head, looking up at his friend. His green eyes fill with curiosity. "What is it, Todoroki? Is everything okay?" He wonders.

"I think I have heart problems." Shoto says, in earshot for Mina and Ochako to hear.

"WHAT?!" Mina gasps, suddenly very interested to Shoto's conversation with Izuku. Mina and Ochako rush over to them, their eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay, Todoroki? Should we get you to the hospital?" Midoriya asks, standing up as his expression turns to one of concern.

Shoto thinks for a moment, before speaking again. "No. I just feel a warm feeling in my chest, and sometimes my heart skips a beat. Sometimes my face gets hot, even though I try and cool myself down with my left side."

Mina and Ochako's eyes widen. The two beam, leaning ever so closely to Shoto. "Do you feel this way around a certain someone?" Mina says, her voice giddy and excited.

Shoto nods. "Yes, it happens around L/- I mean, Y/N."

Mina and Ochako squeal, while Izuku sighs in relief, glad his friend isn't suffering from any heart failure.

"What? What is it?" Shoto looks at them all, very confused. Did he really have heart problems...?

"Its love!" Mina grabs Ochako's hands, the two of them bouncing around in circles.

"Love..?" Shoto tilts his head. "Yes, Y/N is my friend. I care for them deeply." He nods, confused to why Mina and Ochako were makeing a big deal about this fact.

"No, Todoroki!" Mina looks at him in the eyes as she stops bouncing. "Romantic love." She corrects.

Something in Shoto's brain clicks. "Oh." He says quietly, a soft dusty pink tainting his cheeks.

Shoto began to hang out with you more, staying by your side as you ramble about silly things, or smiling as you show him silly things.

Until one day, Izuku encouraged him to confess.

Shoto asked you to meet him at the courtyard after school, and you did. Shoto took a deep breath, trying to gather his nerves before he spoke to you.

"Y/N." He says softly as he looks into your eyes.

Your beautiful eyes...the ones he could get lost in for hours. The ones he loved staring into.

"I have feelings for you. Romantic ones." He finally says after a moment of silence.

You, being the person you were, holds up a hand for him to high-five. "Dude, no way, that is awesome sauce!" You say.

Shoto looks at you in confusion and disbelief. You suddenly cover your mouth in embarrassment, muttering quiet apologizes.

"Oh god, I'm really sorry, Shoto! It just popped into my head and then my mouth talked and then it all fell apart but what I ment to say was..." You take a deep breath, and look at him in the eyes.

"I love you. Like a lot." You hold out your arms as far as they could go. "If I was able to, I would stretch my arms pur way further but this is as far as they can go. But I really do love you!" You beam.

Shoto chuckles softly at your antics. He suddenly feels...complete.

You smile as well, and lower your hands. Then, you slowly extend your hand out to him to take. Shoto's eyes light up slightly. He slowly take your hand, and you intertwine your fingers with his.

"Now I get to tell people I have my own furnace AND my own cooler!" You grin brightly, making Shoto chuckle again.

He kisses your cheek gently. "Your pretty." He whispers.

And so doofus and doofus 2.0 relationship begins.

[love-toxin]

@ eric draven, hes goth and metal And he kills people AND hes a feminist. literally the whole package what else could u want <33

UNNNNNGHHH AND HE'S GOT THE BIG WET PUPPY EYES GRRRAAAAAAAAHHHH

like.....like......imagine after the events of the crow Eric doesn't go back to purgatory or pass through to the afterlife, but rather finds himself staying in the land of the living for some unknown reason. he's got his revenge, he's avenged his beloved Shelley, but what now? what's his purpose?

but the crow won't speak to him any words of either comfort or doom, so he just wanders. wanders away from his city and home until he stops somewhere on the opposite side. spends time thinking and planning and thinking until he drives himself nearly mad and falls asleep. he can't do much else, or at least thinks he can't. when he's found no better place to roam he returns home, but when he steps up the curb to his apartment, he sees lights on upstairs. something dark stirs in him--protectiveness, maybe, he's sensitive to his home being invaded for obvious reasons--but when he leaps up and perches on the ledge of the shattered window he sees somebody he's never met before.

you're just standing in his apartment, sweeping up shards of broken glass like you own the place. humming to yourself. he remembers, briefly, what it was like when there was music in his home. but it used to be Shelley's laughter, and now there's a soft-eyed stranger singing a quiet tune in the lamplight, and he feels the same as he did back then. he sticks to the shadows because he doesn't know what to expect, but you just step lightly around the pile and sweep the glass shards into your dustpan. there's a little electric lantern keeping the place aglow and a few small bags of meager luggage huddled at the front door.

it occurs to him that you might be the new resident as he coldly watches you from a distance. it's obvious that the apartment would be repurposed at some point after his death, but how do you feel knowing that you're taking over the home of a dead man? that you'll lay your head in the same place where a couple were brutally and viciously murdered? where Shelley, his Shelley, was-

you tilt your head. your ears perked at the imperceptible sound and you nearly caught him staring, but he's a lot faster to hide than you are to see.

he leaves soon after that, but he finds himself returning every night. he learns things about you. you're industrious, for one--you work on the apartment whenever you're not working your job, both of which are tough, and you sleep on a hard mattress on the floor. you spend such a long time cleaning but when you find little things left behind of his or Shelley's, you don't throw them out. maybe you feel bad for them. maybe you know exactly what happened, and you don't want to disrespect their memory.

maybe you're a really, really good person that lives for a better world. Eric can't help but think that when he watches you tirelessly slave over renovating his apartment--he can't ever quite see it as something not of his own--taking down what was broken and making it into something beautiful again. he doesn't know you that well, he only hears your voice when you're talking on the phone or singing in the shower, but he grows to like you. you're gentle. you smile at little things and you laugh as sweetly as you cry. even when you feel frustrated or betrayed, when you get violent and punch something out of anger, you just feel it in such a raw way that it entrances him. you're complex. you're gorgeous. you're someone he could very easily fall in love with, but you don't deserve to feel his hurt in the way that he does. you can't shoulder his burdens with him when they're just too great for a mortal life.

so he resorts to watching you and feeling badly about it. he's kind of stalking you at this level, but he goes nowhere beyond following you to work and back and occasionally glancing through your window to make sure you're okay. one time he caught you freshly out of the shower with your towel nowhere in sight--you were out of clean ones and had to go digging--and he felt so bad about it he couldn't be around your place for weeks. but you deserve protection and all the love in the world, and if he can't give you one he can at least give you the other. at this point he would never forgive himself, he would probably burn down the whole city if what happened to him and Shelley happened to you. he would truly lose his mind.

it's only when you catch him that he has to stop and think on what he's doing, because there's no way he can explain himself properly--perching atop the roof of your apartment with the crow grooming its feathers at his side. when you stumble across him he wasn't even paying attention, just keeping an ear out for any screams or cries for help, but you mesmerize him because you're just so....so...

"are you....cold?"

kind. you're so warm he couldn't think of shivering in your presence. from that day on you're aware of his presence but you don't mind it. you welcome it. you don't know who he really is and you probably wouldn't believe him if he told you, but you welcome him in and that's fine because he really, truly is in love with you now. he has to be. because there's no way that his silent heart would start beating again for any other reason, even if it's just a trick of the mind and it's not really true. you touch his hands and feel cold skin and he's definitely still not alive, but he doesn't feel quite as dead as he was, and every day he spends growing closer and closer to you he feels death growing into a curse over a promise. maybe he doesn't really want to go back to sleep after all...not if the world has people like you, and not if a person like you could start feeling something for a restless, morbid soul like him.

[lipstickchainsaw]

Things I would've liked to see in Arcane S2, in no particular order:

Caitlyn doing some more heinous shit after becoming dictator. Let her be evil, damnit! Let her fuck up the Firelights' sanctuary to achieve whatever goal! Make some people mad!

More of a sense of the power struggle between Ambessa and Caitlyn. Let Caitlyn look into the disappearances as well, or at least give us a sense of what she thinks is going on. Maybe give Shoola something to do after even Salo left. Make the upper class of Piltover feel more alive.

Give Caitlyn the initiative in her turn away from Ambessa, mirror Vi choosing to trust Jinx while facing to Warwick here, and have it take a little more to get them on the same page.

Let Ekko and Jinx actually rally Zaun in the final act. The way they're seen by their people was a pretty big deal, and I would've liked to see that go somewhere in the climax.

Actually, have Zaun actually discuss what to do in the Noxus/Piltover war. Both sides oppressed Zaun pretty badly, so maybe there's some people who want to support Noxus (a very small group), or who figure they're happy to let their enemies fight it out. Let Sevika, Scar and the Jinxers about this.

Hell, let Sevika show up at all after episode 4! Isha was important to her too! Have her and Jinx suggest building a statue for her, like Silco did for Vander, as another notch to help Jinx stand upright.

When Jayce and Mel come back, have them reckon with what Caitlyn did to their city, and have them take some time to forge the place back together.

Let Zaun negotiate with Piltover for their aid! Give them more than just one seat on the council amongst people who already look down on them (although I think Sevika is canny enough to get the most out of it, it's a real consolation price for a group of people willing to abandon their own homies to rally to the defense of yours), and make Ekko a prominent voice here.

Warwick in episode 9 didn't really do much for me. Any of the emotional beats there were already covered in episode 6. Not sure what to do with him instead, though. Maybe make Vi and Jinx protect others from him more explicitly?

By emphasising the Piltover/Zaun conflict more, you can have Vi be more conflicted about where she falls on that divide.

Ambessa also lobbies to get Zaun on board, maybe pulls some Renni shenanigans again. Actually get me invested in that grand climax.

Same goes for Viktor, honestly. Maybe give his conversation with Mel and Jayce a bit more weight. His turn to Ambessa and Singed's side is a bit abrupt (and also very much caused by Jayce killing him, so his moral high ground in that conversation is a bit weird).

Don't make Jayce talk shit about Viktor's terminal illness, goddamnit. Heimerdinger's whole arc was about how corrosive that attitude was, and the conclusion of it was that you can't sit down on your laurels because change will keep happening with or without you. I think that makes for a much more compelling argument against Viktor's philosophy at this point.

No notes on Singed. What a ledge.

Overall, I think the show needed a bit more breathing room to build up to the level the climax was operating on. It left a bit too much of what I cared about behind to get there, and adding an act could've been a way to alleviate some of that.

[vieoeil-riae]

tw: it gets suggestive at the end :)

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

you've got cold hands.

the destined one, on the other hand, has the body temperature of a furnace. it's good in most situations, keeping him warm when the weather takes a turn, keeping you warm too on the occasion.

but it meant that the feeling of cold on his skin felt much, much more pronounced - and over the course of your travels, you've only been touching him more and more.

he first really noticed it when he gave you a hand up, staring down at you with an outstretched palm after you'd slipped over on uneven ground. when you took his hand he became so very aware of it, its size compared to his, the smoothness compared to his and the coldness that married it and made your hands feel like fine china. maybe he was biased.

the second time was when he got injured, scattered tears littering his arms and shoulders from where he got knocked off a ledge. you helped him, kindly and gently. your cold hands dancing over cuts and bruises and it felt like heaven on his hot skin, even through his fur. he couldn't help but arch into, but also away from, your touch as you picked through the fur on his back while looking for more injuries. his skin was burning hot, tender to the touch and the cold of your fingertips was electric.

the third time was when you were travelling through snowy mountains. you'd clutched his hands almost the entire way, save for the fights with enemies you encountered, right up until you had to let go to set up a small camp and a fire.

the second you could, you were pressed against him again, your cold hands buried in the barely-there amount of space between your bodies, but he couldn't complain about the way you hands made his stomach clench when the rest of you was so soft and warm.

you huddled for the rest of the night, falling asleep with your hands threaded through the fur covering his collar bone, under his own mindless and gentle ministrations. honestly, how could you not? his warm hands kneaded softly against the flesh of your sides, thumbs stroking delicate swipes through the layers of your clothing.

the only downside was that he wasn't touching your skin directly, but maybe that was for the best because you wouldn't last long beneath his caring touch. it made you think, maybe his lips were that warm as well? you sighed into his shoulder as you drifted off.

the fourth time was fun.

you giggled against the shell of his ear as your cold hands drifted down his bare chest, your lips so warm in contrast. your hot breath ghosted the thin skin, teased sensitive by nibbling.

your hands skimmed the exposed skin, lighting cold fire in their wake, and his body jerked minutely - fighting for and against your touch with shaking breaths.

reaching his thighs, your feather light touch made them tense up, his back arching just enough for you to notice. teasing further, he whined quietly - a sound you had no intention of muffling, kissing the corner of his lips.

[emilys-bangs]

loved your other fanfics for Emily! Could I request a Emily x fem!Reader fic with fluff and maybe some angst? Maybe one of the two gets hurt and the other is scared for them? <3

Thanks! And tysm for requesting! I hope this is similar to what you had in mind <3

———— wounded hearts | e.p

Tags: established relationship, hurt/comfort, typical cm violence, mentions of blood, use of petnames, no use of yn, bau!reader

Word count: 1.6k

Your heart flutters like a raven’s wing. Even now, with Emily right in front of you, sitting on the ledge of an ambulance and grumbling at the EMT—more than enough sign that she’s actually okay—you feel the residual fear lingering in your bones, sticking to your skin.

The unsub was operating out of an abandoned warehouse. It was huge, covering several blocks, and you were running out of time; he had a pattern of killing once every three weeks before going dark for a whole year, and then striking again.

Hotch had the team split up to search the property, and when all of you had reported back except for Emily, your heart dropped to your stomach. You ran to the section she’d occupied, your footsteps thundering on the floor as you yelled her name, the sound echoing in the endless space.

When you finally found her, Morgan was there, handcuffing the unsub on his knees as Emily stood in front of them, breathing heavily. She was holding up her arm, blood dripping down her elbow and to the floor, her chest heaving as she tucked sweaty bangs behind her ear with her other hand.

“Emily.” Your voice broke. When she turned, her eyes dazed from the blood loss, you saw the bruises and split lip. Your stomach had churned with nausea as you caught the unsub’s bloody knife, darkened with your girlfriend’s blood. 

Emily could hold her own, you knew that. And as beaten as she was, she still managed to take control over the unsub, keeping him subdued just until Morgan came to cuff him. But the logical part of your brain hadn’t reminded you of that as you heard her labored breathing, saw the dark drip of her blood fall to the cement floor. You only saw the slight way she swayed, the small huff of relief she let out as your eyes met hers. Only felt the twist in your stomach at the stark bruises marring her face.

As you pull yourself out of the reel of memories, your gaze sharpens on her again.

She sits on the very edge of the ambulance, ready to stand the second the medic gives her the all clear. Her pale skin is darkened with bruises, the ivory of her cheek lost in a layering of blue and deep purple. Red crawls up her jaw, the imprint of the unsub’s knuckles still lingering on her skin and growing more obvious as she grinds her teeth at the EMT’s prodding. He bends over the long gash on her arm; it runs from the bottom of her thumb to just shy of her elbow.

The blood is wiped away now, only forming in beads along the gash, but the sheer length of it makes your stomach churn. Emily must feel your searing gaze on her, because she ignores the medic and looks up, forcing her grimace away as her eyes meet yours.

You haven’t said anything since you’d found her, but the fear still clings to you, making itself known in the way you bite your lip and fiddle with the material of your shirt.

“Babe, I’m fine.” Emily says, her voice raspy as she tries for a smile. It tugs more at the gash on her lip and you frown as blood blooms red again. “Can you stop worrying? Please?”

She might as well have asked you to stop the sun from rising.

“Can I stop worrying?” You give a small scoff, mostly to clear your voice from the tears gathering at the back of your throat. “Your face is ten shades of purple, Emily.” You hate the way your voice shakes. “Your arm was practically ripped open—”

“Honey, it doesn’t even need stitches,” she coaxes.

“Um, actually it does.” The EMT interrupts softly. He’s young, clearly still fresh, his hair flopping over his forehead and his frame lanky with youth.

Emily gives him a dirty look. “Can we have a minute?” She bites out through her teeth, her eyes murderous as she rips her arm out of his hold.

The EMT shies away. Ducking his chin into his chest, he mumbles, “Sure,” and scurries to the front of the ambulance, leaving you and Emily alone.

“He’s just trying to help.” 

The way your voice shakes doesn’t go unnoticed by her.

Emily’s eyes go soft—the way they always do for you. She taps the space next to her. “Sit with me.” She murmurs.

You do. The ledge of the ambulance is hard and your shoulder bumps gently against hers, but you look straight ahead. Her eyes are hot on your face; you focus on the dark silhouette of the warehouse, still too unsettled by the bruises on her skin. 

Deep down, you know it’s ridiculous. It’s not the first time you’ve seen her like this and you both know damn well it won’t be the last. Maybe, if you try to justify it, you could chalk it up to the fact that this is the first time she’s gotten hurt as your girlfriend. 

Not SSA Prentiss. Em. Up till now the only bruises you’ve seen on her alabaster skin were ones you’d put there yourself, marks of love from your teeth and hands and lips, tattooing your reverence on her body if only for a little while.

Tears sting behind your eyes as Emily reaches for your hand. Your fingers are loosely held in a fist, but her hand curls around yours. Slowly, she coaxes it straight and laces her fingers through your own, then turning them so your joint hands settle on your thigh, palm side up.

“I’m okay, dolcezza.” 

If not for the rasp to her honeyed voice, you might’ve believed her.

You turn to face her. She’s so close, the fluorescent lighting of the ambulance harshly illuminating the bruises. “Don’t lie to me, Em.” Begging has always been beneath you, but when it comes to her, all your principles are thrown out the window. Desperation sticks to your words, the vice around your heart making you sound breathless. “Never lie.” You plead.

“Okay,” she breathes, her eyes widening. She tightly squeezes your hand, “Okay, I won’t. It hurts. But I’ve had worse,” she quickly says as your vision begins to blur.

How very Emily of her, to be so quick to reassure, quick to soothe someone’s worries before her own. It makes her all the more maddening, all the more remarkable and endearing and unfortunately, exactly the kind of woman you fell in love with.

“Sweetheart,” you murmur, shaking your head as you carefully cup her cheek. The hitch in her breath is audible, but somehow you know it’s because of your tears and not your touch. “You don’t have to hide your pain from me.” 

“Can you blame me?” Emily whispers, her shoulders rising in a helpless shrug. “If it makes you cry, of course I will.” She says softly. It makes it worse that her voice is sincere. Her eyes, still clouded with pain, are earnest, and you don’t know if you want to laugh or cry.

“How heroic of you.” You croak, sniffling as a few warm tears finally slip down your cheeks. Her mouth parts, her eyes widening, and you know some protest is underway so you close the small distance and kiss her as gently as you dare.

She tastes like blood. Her mussed, sweaty bangs tickle your skin as she leans in close, places her hand on the curve of your waist and squeezes over your shirt. You’re careful, shying away from the cut even as she chases you, wordlessly imploring you to kiss her like you always do, with near reckless abandon. Ignoring her signals, you place a final soft kiss on her mouth before you pull away. 

“Please don’t, Emily.” You whisper. She raises her hand and thumbs your wet cheek, a small frown on her face as her finger slips on your tears. “This isn’t about me, it’s about you.” You cover her hand with your own. Her eyes meet yours, dark and lovely and shining with the selfless love she’s full to the brim with. “I don’t want you to hide anything from me. Not your pain or anything else.”

Another warm tear falls on your joint hands.

Emily wipes it away. Taking in a shuddering breath, she blows it out slowly and leans forward to press her forehead against yours. “I love you, you know.” She says quietly. Her voice is hoarse, her eyes a little more wet than they were before.

A small smile pulls at your lips. “I know, sweetheart. I love you back.” Taking your hand off hers, you tuck her bangs back behind her ears. The bruises are clearer now that they’re out of the way, but you shift your gaze back to her eyes. “Now, will you be a good girl and let the EMT do his job?” Your voice is the slightest bit teasing as you try to lift the mood.

A flimsy smile flits over her face. Emily grabs her lip between her teeth and you mentally grimace as it pulls on her cut. “It hurts.” She admits.

The soft admission both warms you up and makes your heart clench. Gently, you pull her lip from the cage of her teeth. “I know that too. I’m coddling you when we get home, whether you like it or not.”

Emily snorts lightly, her breath skipping across your skin. Her eyes light up despite the pain, and both your smiles are a little more genuine. “If you insist.”

“But you have to get stitched up first.”

“Fuck.”

taglist: @suckerforcate

Reblogs and comments mean the world; I’d love to hear your feedback! Prompts are very very welcome <3

[paris9]

wrong place right time

Victoria Neuman x fem!reader

Warnings: Age gap (20 year old reader), dubcon, intoxicated Neuman, Asshole men, threats of headpopping, height difference, reader works with The Boys.

(Might have spelling mistakes. did this quick.)

This wasn’t your first time sneaking through a window but it was your first time sneaking through a window to save your friends ass from getting killed at Tek Knights party. You hauled yourself over the windows ledge, falling onto the soft carpet with a small thump. You tried to make as little noise as possible as you slowly pulled yourself up. You walked down the hallway, eyeing each picture on the wall with disgust. This place really gave you the fucking creeps.

Trying to find Hughie while trying not to get caught was hard. There were so many people here.. and on top of that both the remaining of the seven and Ms Head popper herself (what you liked to call her) was here as well. You made sure to remain vigilant, looking for any clues you could find to where Tek Knight took your friend. You checked different rooms, making sure to keep clear of the main Party room. You were checking out a particular room, your eyes wondering over the fine vintage furniture, suddenly you felt your head throb, and your nose began to leak.

You took a finger and wiped away the metallic crimson liquid, you heard the door open and close behind you rather gently. Fuck! “I knew you and your little group couldn’t stay away. Give me a good reason on why I shouldn’t pop that pretty little head of yours.” Her voice was raspy and patronizing, leaving a very heavy threat in the air. Victoria Neuman. You turn around slowly, facing her, your heart felt as if it was going to explode out of your chest. “I’m not here to cause any trouble—“ she quickly cut you off “you’re always here to cause trouble.” Her voice was almost teasing, her dark eyes scanning your face, as if she’s trying to memorize every detail of you. Victoria set down her now empty glass of alcohol on a small mahogany table.

“I promise im not.. I’m just here to get someone out of here.” Your voice shook slightly. You definitely weren’t gonna reveal anything to her. There was a long moment of silence of her just studying you before she let out a simple ‘hmm.’ A long sigh escaped Victoria, “you know.. honestly, I’m actually glad you’re here..” she said simply, taking a small step towards you. You took an equally small step back, she seemed a bit intoxicated. “Yeah I don’t fucking believe that.” You mutter and a half smile formed across her red lips, it didn’t seem fake but you never truly knew with her.

“I’m serious.. there’s too many old men here who keep going on and on about what a woman should do with her body.. it’s insane really. Made’ me wanna pop my own fucking head.” She scoffed, shaking her head with a sigh. You didn’t really know what to say to her, ‘sorry???’ Or ‘not my problem.’ Instead of responding to her you just stayed silent.

“Has anyone told you how fucking gorgeous you are?” The older woman said horsely, admiring you almost.. hungrily? “Even in the most mediocre outfits..” she pointed towards your plain sweat pants and a baggy black ‘AC/DC” shirt. “Erm.. thanks..? Can I go… or…” you spoke anxiously. The congresswoman frowned, her eyes narrowing dangerously, “and why should I let you go? You know how easy it would be to just.. take care of you permanently?” Victoria stepped forward, closing in on you fast. She pinned you against the wall, you struggle but she doesn’t budge, handling you like a small pitiful puppy that just got scuffed for doing something bad.

You closed your eyes, ready to feel something… anything to let you know that she was gonna end you but nothing came. Instead you felt a cold hand travel under your shirt feeling your bare skin, her nose placed in the crook of your neck. She inhaled deeply and let out a hum of satisfaction, “you smell so.. sweet.. like strawberries and vanilla.” Her voice came out slurred. Her hands slender fingers moved up your waist, tracing your delicate skin. You open your eyes slowly, blinking confused and scared with a frown. ‘What the actual fuck..’ your mind was frantic and weirded out. Was she gonna kill you or not?

“Let me go please.” You ask gently. Neuman just sighed out, “you’re right.. I need to at least take you out first am I right?” She joked mainly to herself. You chuckle nervously “yeah.. At least take a girl to dinner first..” you move away from her. Honestly you weren’t too apposed to the idea but the group would honestly kill you or tell you how stupid you are. She watched you, “I don’t want to harm you.. or anyone..” she admitted shaking a bit, Victoria took a minute to catch her breath. She composed herself within a blink of an eye, “you can go.. this never happened.” She said coldly, turning her back to you to study a huge family portrait on the wall.

You felt bad.. honestly you really shouldn’t. She’s a shitty person but just seeing how mentally unwell she was did something to you. “Yeah um.. I’ll go.. but if you do want to get dinner sometime I can give you my number.” You said approaching her slowly. She turned her head towards you slightly, her eyes narrowing, “really.. do you really expect me to just believe you like that? Also.. you’re what..? 19?” She asked raising a eyebrow. “I’m 20.” You shrug, “besides. It won’t hurt my team if they don’t know.” You smile playfully and she rolled her eyes at you before turning away.

“Fine.. no phone numbers and shit though. Only emails.” She said with a huff. You raise an eyebrow and snort, “Emails? Really? Jesus Christ..” you mutter teasingly as she took out her phone, making you write your email in her notes app. This was humiliating for you, truly.

Once you were done Victoria excused herself as if nothing ever happened. You had a friend to rescue anyways so you got back onto that. You did finally find hughie in some type of Sex dungeon?? This place just kept getting fucking weirder and weirder.. who knew Tek knight was such a weirdo (obviously so many people) but you called Annie and Kimiko, who helped you get hughie out of there.

———————————-

Two days later you did end up getting an email from Victoria. She wanted you to meet her at some classy restaurant, telling you to wear something pretty. Which you did. It was surprising how well you two hit it off. Maybe she wasn’t the political Supe monster everyone made her out to be?

[in1-nutshell]

Hello and is it okay to request TF with this idea?

Fem Buddy as a cybertronian (or Terran) and has a twin bot. They've been raised on earth and by humans, since they were babies and They don't know anything about Cybertron, they still loves/cares Earth and anything on it

They're famous or celebrity twins on earth. (like being genius, performer, artist, model, YouTuber, actor, or others, you choose). They do love it, the fame, the happy faces that humans get when seeing them, but They sometimes wondered where they came from.

Fem Buddy and Male! Twin are both inseparable, caring for each other, they sometimes speak/act in unison, having same and/or sharing thoughts, and had great teamwork/synchronization, and yet had teasings/sassiness in a mild way

Yet Fem Buddy and Twin have differences

Fem Bot looks like a Decepticon, has an reclusive yet timid and good-hearted, yet sometimes expressive with closed lip, also being supportive (and somewhat child-like or oblivious/innocent) twin.

M! Twin, he looks similar to an Autobot, known for being a leading/leader twin, having energetic, bold, and pompous yet somewhat mature, or something like spoiled prince yet mature and has smart personality, often showing his sharp teeth, whether he's smiling, frowning, etc., also being very protective/ aggressive for his twin.

You can add this idea if you want:

Autobots' human friend/kid(s) have been a fan of the twins (and probably had a celebrity crush/es on them), before the cybertronian thing, and they introduce the Autobots to these Celebrity twins via media of sort?

I apologize if this is complicated or I've been requested a lot. Thank you so much and also take care of yourself.

(also Happy Decepticon Day!)

Finally! I got to this one before it got erased! Again!

Hope you enjoy!

Bot Buddy Twin's who live on Earth

SFW, Platonic, Familial, Cybertronian reader

TFA

The name Issac Sumdac was one well known throughout the city of Detroit.

It was also a little-known fact of his daughter, Sari Sumdac, who was almost always accompanied by two of his most astounding looking robots.

A tall one and a small one.

Affectionally given the names Sonia and Syrus.

Sonia was the larger bot that was often seen walking the grounds of the Tower, presumably as a guard bot.

It seemed like the bot fit the job having such a large, and sharp framework.

Perfect for intimidating any trespassers.

As intimidating as the bot looked, Sonia’s family knew that she was a shy bot who just so happened to look like she could end someone with her pinkie.

A couple of tourist are looking at the big bot from a distance. Tourist 1: “Do you think it can think?” Tourist: “No way, its just a machine.” Tourist 1: “But if it could…” Tourist 2: “Probably thinking on how to annihilate human kind. I mean have you seen the size of those fists!” Meanwhile with Sonia… Sonia: “I think I’ll go visit the red birds nest before lunch time.”

Around her family, Sonia was a bit of a pushover for her younger siblings.

She couldn’t help it!

They had a mastery of the puppy dog eyes she had yet to conquer.

But make no mistake, if there is even the notice of a threat to Sonia’s family, she is making sure to get them to safety before dealing with the situation.

Sari loves hanging around Sonia’s shoulder and loves doing random trust falls with her.

The Professor has lost count of the number of times he has had to buff out dents in his eldest daughter’s frame.

Sonia loves her younger sister to death but she needs to stop giving her near death experiences.

Sonia is with the Professor watching Syrus playing with Sari play. Professor Sumdac: “You know you could always join them, Sonia.” Sonia looks at him. Sonia: “But what if I hurt them? I’m too sharp and big” Professor Sumdac: “It would be on accident. We both know you would never actively harm them.” Sonia still looks a bit conflicted but ends up joining the pair in ‘Mega trust fall’. Professor Sumdac winces a bit as both Syrus and Sari fall from a ledge and Sonia cushions their fall. Professor Sumdac: “Maybe I should have talked to them about taking it easier on their sister…”

Syrus was the smaller bot.

Often seen giving some tours around the Tower for guests and tourists.

His energetic and charismatic personality fit well for the tours.

He is the closest with Sari.

Don’t get him wrong, he loves Sonia, but his baby sister is way more fun to hang out than Sonia the worry wart.

Both love playing around the Tower’s private grounds, letting their imagination run wild.

On the occasion they do decide to make the day an adventure, they both know that if things get too hairy, Sonia was always one call away.

No one in their right mind would DARE mess with them when Sonia was in her protective mode.

Sonia is just minding her business when she gets a call. Sonia: “Syrus? What—” Syrus: “Can you come get us? We might have gotten in a bit of trouble…” Sonia is already tracking down Syrus location. Sonia: “What happened? Are you and Sari okay?” Syrus: “Well… we might be hiding from Fanzone’s new rookie cop.” Sonia: “And why?” Syrus: “To be fair, he started calling Sari a brat… and we might have put a virus on his phone… and currently hiding in the park.” Sonia: “… Give me 5 minutes.” Syrus: “Yes!” Sonia: “But you two are explaining to Dad why your in this mess.” Syrus: “…Hey big sis—” Sonia: “Don’t even think about it.”

That being said, Syrus is almost, if not more protective of his family than Sonia is.

While Sonia can handle certain things being thrown at them, she has a hard time standing up for herself.

That’s where Syrus usually comes in and stands up for her.

Syrus has no problem chewing out anyone who goes after her.

Both robotic siblings are ready to choose violence if someone decides to go after their squishier family members.

The topic of the bots creation has been a hot topic for years, mainly kept up by Syrus constantly pestering Professor Sumdac about it.

Sonia stopped asking a long time ago, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t think about it from time to time.

Especially looking at other, less emotional robots.

She is simply content with her life keeping her father and siblings safe.

Now, to the day the Autobots wake up…

Sonia was away on a nearby island trying to help Sari with her project on bird nesting sites.

Syrus is beside Sari’s side the entire time the Autobots are going around.

Absolutely blown away when the bots reveal that he is a Cybertornian like them.

Even gets a vehicle mode from them!

Every single one of the Sumdac’s remember at the last second that they had forgotten to mention the whole incident to Sonia.

The Professor swears he can hear Sonia’s ‘blood pressure rise in less than a couple seconds when he talks to her over the phone.

Syrus and Sari are in charge of telling the bots about their older sister.

Sari: “You guys are gonna love Sonia!” Optimus: “Sonia?” Syrus: “That’s our big sister.” Bumblebee: “Like human or bot?” Syrus: “Bot—Sari! She is going to flip when she finds out she’s an alien too!” Sari: “I bet she’s gonna watch all those alien movies with us now!” Ratchet turns Prowl. Ratchet: “I swear if this ‘Sonia’ is like Syrus…” They both share a look of slight dread. BOOM! The ground starts to tremble a bit. Bulkhead: “What is that!?” Bumblebee: “You think it could be the Decepticons?” Sonia appears at the front door venting heavy with panic in her optics. All the Autobots are ready to attack when Syrus and Sari run to the bot. Bumblebee: “Sari! Syrus!” Both jump up as the larger bot kneels and holds them both to her chassis. Sonia: “Your okay! Wait are you?” Sonia looks at both of them from head to toe trying to see any signs of harm. The bots are just stunned. Syrus: “We’re fine Sonia, but guess what! We’re aliens! Just like the Autobots!” Sonia finally looks up at the bots and looks just as surprised as Syrus had when he first met them. She shyly goes over and takes her servo out. Sonia: “Its nice to meet you all. I take it you helped keep Syrus and Sari safe?” Optimus blinked a bit before slowly shaking her servo. To his surprise, she was very gently in handling it. Optimus: “Yes, and you are Sonia?” Sonia smiles a bit while placing both her sibling on her shoulders. Syrus stops her. Syrus: “Wait! Sonia look what we can do!” He proceeds to transform into a car and drives a bit around the Plant. Sonia: “Wait we can do that!”

[cowboydisaster]

Christmas countdown request:

Have you ever sat in a hot tub while it's snowing? It's a magical experience. Your top is chilly, your bottom half is so warm, and if you look directly up at the falling snow it looks like the stars are floating down around you.

Anyway, Arthur should take reader skinny dipping in a hot spring and it starts snowing and they get to enjoy that magical moment while cuddling naked in the hot spring 😁

* ˚ ✦ Nightfall * ˚ ✦

pairing: arthur morgan x f!reader word count: 1.9k a/n: OKAY-- i have experienced this and i LOVE it. I couldn't help myself from writing the smut, really. Smut in a hot spring is too good. I'm obsessed with this. warnings: 18+, nsfw, smut, thigh riding, inexperienced reader, cowgirl

cowboydisaster's christmas countdown: TWO days 'till christmas!

christmas countdown┊main masterlist┊rdr2 masterlist

The breeze is cold against your bare skin, the snow soft against your feet.

“Are you sure this won't hurt?” You ask again, eyes flickering over towards Arthur. He chuckles as he unbuttons the bottom of his shirt, slipping it off his shoulders and letting it fall to the rocky ground. 

“Yes, I'm sure.” He says, amused. 

“Why did we have to wait ‘till nightfall?” You ask, teeth chattering, hand running up your bare arm, over the goosebumps that are appearing. 

“You’ll see. C’mon, darlin, before ya catch a cold.” Arthur whispers, hand on the small of your back as he leads you across the flat rocks, towards an unknown destination. 

He’d wanted to surprise you, had planned this little trip weeks ago. Your horses eye the landscape curiously, not daring to leave the forest and venture out onto the strange, warm rocks. A nervous smile rests on your lips, a slight anxiety resting in your stomach. Arthur doesn’t miss the shudder in your breathing, nor the beating of your heart in your ears. Wishing to quell your hesitation, Arthur reaches for your hand, squeezing it gently in his own.

“You trust me?” He whispers, green eyes searching yours, and you nod. Hand in hand, you both venture across the rock. Arthur smiles for the way you marvel at their heat. The snow melts away from them, and small bubbling puddles of water rest at your feet. You raise an eyebrow, never having seen anything like it. 

“Where are we?” You ask, looking down, seeing more water, ponds and pools of it, hot and steaming. The warm pools are crystal blue, and seem to glow in the pitch black of night. 

“Cotorra Springs.” Arthur smiles.

Your eyes go wide, taking in the beauty and the wonder of the hot springs. Arthur leads you towards a particularly large one, and you study it. The way the water steams, warmed by some forces in the earth, the way the moon reflects in the strangely clear waters, the halo of light that shines out from the circle in the earth. 

Arthur watches your curiosity with loving eyes. He knows that you were very sheltered, and he’s trying to show you as much of the world’s beauty as he can. The wonders of nature are something that he often takes for granted, but not you. Every flower you come across, every landscape and every animal you meet is met with deep wonder and appreciation. Seeing the way you study, how your eyes light up at something new is… enchanting for him.. 

“Is it magical?” You whisper, your eyes filled with stars reflected from the water. You lean down, running your fingers through the spring, pulling away quickly at the warmth. You look to Arthur for reassurance, relaxing when you see him stepping down into the water. 

“Reckon it might just be.” He hums, extending a hand out to you. You take his calloused hand, letting him help you. Your toe meets the water first, and you pull it back, hesitating. 

“S’alright, sweetheart. I gotcha.” Arthur whispers, and trusting him wholly, you step in. 

The warm water envelops you, chasing away the chill that had been sinking into your bones. Arthur sits on the naturally carved ledge in the spring. You hesitate, but he nods– signaling that you’re okay– and you follow.

“Incredible, ain’t it?” Arthur whispers, head tilted back, looking up at the stars. The snowfall combined with the bright stars enrapture your attention, and you stare at the sky, wondering if it’s the snow falling onto your tongue, or the stars themselves. 

“It’s beautiful.” You murmur, brushing your hair back with wet hands, extending them to the sky, catching snowflakes that promptly melt against the warmth of your skin. 

Arthur is sure that in all the things he’s seen, all the places he’s gone, he’s never seen anything as beautiful as you. Your wet hair falls in tangled waves down your back, your smile is brighter than the stars above as you try and catch the ones that sprinkle down to you. The wonder in your eyes. That wild streak in your heart. Arthur could draw you day and night in his journal, and never truly capture your glow, or the way your smile brightens a room, the way your laughter heals broken hearts. 

Sometimes he wonders how you do it. How does someone with so much pain– so much trauma– stay so optimistic? So grateful for life and for people? In all that Arthur endured, all it ever made him was an angry fool. But you. You’re a phoenix. 

Arthur’s hands grip onto your waist, pulling you into his lap, your legs sitting across his own as he holds you wedding-style in his arms. 

“How’d I ever get so damn lucky?” Arthur whispers to you, green eyes laden with emotion. 

Your smile picks up all the cracked pieces of his heart, the liquid gold pouring out from your soul glues it back together.

“Karma.” You answer quickly, “Because good things happen to good people, Arthur.” 

Your legs are toasty warm in the water, but your chest and shoulders shiver lightly in the cold breeze. You cuddle closer to Arthur to make up warmth, laying against his chest. 

“I ain’t a good m-” 

“Shh.” You say into his ear, lips remaining there for a moment, pressing a slow kiss to his cheek. 

“You are a good man.” You whisper, turning in Arthur’s arms to face him, straddling him, “and…” You press a soft-as-silk kiss to his neck, “I love you for it.” 

His breaths grow a little quicker at the contact, and suddenly you become all too aware of the position you’re in.

“Too good to me.” Arthur whispers in between open mouthed kisses to your neck. His hands find your waist, fingers digging into your soft flesh, gripping you tightly. 

You whimper, breath shuddering as he pulls your hips down, grinding your core against his leg. 

“Arthur we’re–” You take a breath, “What if someone comes along?” 

“No one will come along, darlin.” Arthur reassures, thumbs trailing up your torso, pressing circles against your firm, sensitive nipples. 

Despite your sheltered childhood, you struggle none with this. When you were eager, Arthur had shown you– again and again– what you could do to make yourself feel good, to what you could do make him feel good.

“Keep talkin’ to me, sweetheart. Tell me how it feels.” Arthur’s voice is like velvet against your ear, his lips locking on to your lips, your jaw, your collarbone. One of his fingers continues massaging your swollen, pink nipple, and the other travels lower, teasing your thigh, stroking your hip. 

“Please, Arthur.” You whisper, hips rocking gently, waiting for friction.

“Jus’ wanna touch you, sweetheart.” Arthur groans, pulling your hips down against his leg, helping you to rock them, to fuck yourself against his thigh, your warm bodies still half submerged in the spring. The temperature does something for you all on its own. Your breasts are exposed to the cold, only warmed by Arthur’s touch, but your lower half is heating all on its own, and combined with the hot water, it's almost overstimulating. 

“Just like that-” You gasp, head tossing back, hair dipping back into the glowing water. Snowflakes flutter about, landing in your hair, on your face, and your breasts, scattered white specks that Arthur picks up with his trail of kisses. Your hips keep their steady pace, and Arthur continues teasing you, featherlight fingertips trailing down your legs, ghosting over the backs of your knees. 

“Easy, sweetheart.” Arthur’s voice reaches your ears in a strained huff. 

He wants to pull you down onto his throbbing cock, to roll his hips up into you, watch you rock yourself, fuck yourself on his length. He wants to watch those beautiful eyes roll back into your head over and over, wants to hear his name coming from those pretty, plump lips. He wants to mark you, kiss you, make you his. He’s not sure if at heart he's a good man. However, he is sure that you make him a very bad one. His cock is straining against his stomach, and every rock of your hips is rubbing against him, and jesus, he can’t take it much longer. 

It’s selfish, purely selfish as he dips his hands below the water, pulling you up. Your face wrinkles in pleasure when he slides you down onto his cock, and the gesture nearly sends him to heaven. Your soft skin goes tense, muscles tightening, cunt gripping him, pulling groans from his cracked lips. 

The glow of the water shines impossibly brighter, illuminating you. Your face is flushed, your breasts bouncing with every one of your rocks.

“Oh–” You moan, hands gripping onto his sturdy shoulders, “Arthur!” 

“Tell me what’cha need, darlin.” Arthur grunts, squeezing your ass in his hands. 

You reach for his wrist, grabbing it tightly, and shoving it down between your bodies. Arthur smirks against your skin as he nips at your earlobe, sending waves of pleasure through all the pressure points in your body. His thumb makes a steady pace on your clit, and when you toss your head back in pleasure, snowflakes spot your eyelashes. 

“Feel good? Gonna cum for me?” Arthur groans, cock twitching inside you, pushing up into you. You press your chest to Arthur’s, the added stimulation of your nipples against him creating an influx of sensations.  

“Good… Good, there you go.” Arthur praises, feeling the stutter of your hips, noticing the whine of your voice. 

“Cum for me, sweetheart.” Arthur kisses your neck, and your stomach clenches down on him, “C’mon, baby. Cum for me.” 

Your hips stutter, voice growing louder, strained as you rock against him. Arthur curses as your walls tighten around him, squeezing out every bit of self control that he’s clinging on to. Your orgasm works through you slowly, building and building, like a dam cracking before it bursts. 

“There, there, just–” Arthur groans, “Jus’ like that, darlin’. Doin’ so good. I’m– nearly there wit’ ya–” 

You shudder and gasp, fire erupting in your abdomen, spreading over your limbs. A few unrhythmic, upward thrusts and Arthur is there with you. His hips grind up slowly, pumping his cum into you, filling you full as he groans, hands tearing into your hips with their force. He thrusts again, slow, breathing deeply as you both come down. 

“That–” You shiver, sweat clinging to you, cold from the temperature. 

“I know.” Arthur finishes for you, pulling your body against his chest, keeping you mostly in the water for warmth. His arms wrap around you, fingertips trailing slowly up and down your spine as tingles spread through your limbs, little waves of aftershock hitting you now and again. 

Arthur doesn’t pull out, just keeps you in his lap, holding you, kissing your head, praising you. 

The falling snow lands in your hair, and as Arthur looks up at the vast expanse of stars, he's sure you’re one of them. An angel, come down as a star. Something divine, surely.

taglist: @margofiore @mrsarthurmorgan7 @woman-with-no-name @tillith @luvliewriting @pine4pple-b0i @photo1030 @dudsparrow @holyratrimony @twola @calcarius445 (send an ask to be added/removed!)

[actiniumwrites]

𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊

synopsis: you and neuvillette dance among the mechanical dancing robots, copellia and copellius, after a particularly stressful day

characters: neuvillette x gn!reader

wc: 1,066

warnings: fluff, a pinch of angst, reverse hurt/comfort, established relationships, some spoilers for neuvillette’s personality but no major spoilers for 4.0, this follows the theory that neuvillette is the dragon (i mean at this point, hyv is throwing it in our faces)

notes: i’ve had this idea since the trailer came out and i am very excited to be writing it! luckily neuvillette is kinda easy to write since he reminds me a lot of zhongli but in a better way? idk but i love him so so so so much. i actually had to cover my mouth while playing the quest because he made me smile so hard 💀

Little drops of rain dusted away from the wind, falling gently across your skin as you stepped outside of the Opera Epiclese, arm hooked around Neuvillette’s. At the sound of rain, his eyes raised toward the sky before back to the ground, sighing in frustration. Work had been particularly tasking lately, what with the latest homicide case that Lady Furina just couldn’t seem to take seriously. He didn’t need bad weather on top of everything else.

Shaking him out of his thoughts, you pulled him gently along, “Wanna go for a walk?”

“You know I hate to deny you your wishes, but this weather is not suited for walking, my dear,” he gently replied, pulling you back under the overhang and away from where the rain was falling. Of course. Even though he was the one who was not okay, he was still putting you before his own needs.

Your eyes flickered between his, observing the tiredness in them. Dark blue and purple bags formed under his eyes, his hair ever so slightly disheveled. The twinge of red in them made your heart ache, realizing he had been crying again. Who knew how long it had been since he had properly been able to take a break and go outside, enjoy the scenery, or even just breathe.

Making up your mind in an instant, you reached for your umbrella, quickly snapping it open and holding it above you both. Neuvillette quickly grabbed it from you and gently peeled your hands off of it.

Always the gentleman, you think to yourself.

He followed in your footsteps blindly, letting you take the lead during this outing. There was one place you had in mind, one that always seemed to bring you peace. You only hoped it would bring him peace as well, even if it only amounted to a little bit.

“We’re here,” you turned to him, smiling with a glimmer of hope in your eyes. You gestured your hand to the robots in front of you, waltzing around in the rain entirely free from the world around them.

Neuvillette set his eyes on the mechanical couple dancing in front of him, unable to stray his gaze from them, almost as if they were hypnotizing him, “Copellia and Copellius? I was unaware you often came to observe them.”

“I find a certain tranquility in them,” you said quietly, nudging his shoulder with yours and leaning into him a little more, “there’s just something about the way they dance. It’s mesmerizing really, especially when it rains.”

“I cannot say I disagree,” he hummed.

You both paused in your movements as you watched the scene in front of you. Neither of you spoke for a few minutes, just letting the calm silence fall over you like the rain. There was a calming tune playing in the background, echoing from the phonograph broadcast towers by the Opera Epiclese. A classical tune you enjoyed, but one you never bothered to learn the name of.

Quietly, your hand reached up and took the umbrella from Neuvillette. His eyes met yours, alerted by the sudden touch of your hand against his. You gave him a small, but reassuring smile and placed the umbrella down on a nearby concrete ledge. Grabbing his gloved hand in yours, you eagerly pulled him toward where they danced.

“Are you sure?” He hurriedly asked, concerned for your health as the icy rain fell upon your skin, “I would hate for you to get sick.”

You hummed in reply, assuring him you would be okay. Neuvillette nodded back and held your hand a little tighter, pulling you into him so you could fall into step with the clockwork meka.

Back and forth, you both waltzed alongside them. One hand was raised in the air, intertwined with yours as the other pressed against your lower back, holding you close to him. Round and round, your footsteps fell in sync with his as you both danced along the robots. A few people had noticed, stopping by to stare in awe at the sight before carrying on with their days. It felt like hours had passed, but in truth, it had only been a mere ten minutes. When you were with one another, basking in each other’s presence, time just didn’t seem to exist.

And as the rain began falling particularly heavily, you felt your heart ache once more. Your head raised from the spot where it was just resting on his shoulder. Slowing your steps to a stop, you tenderly brush the ivory and blue strands of hair that covered his face off to the side, only to reveal a pool of tears gathering in your lover’s eyes.

Wordlessly, you swiped the ones that had escaped off of his face while a frown paints itself across your face. Placing your hands on either side of his face, you pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. He reciprocated the action, pulling you closer to him with the hand that laid on your back, allowing the tears to flow in the presence of your comfort.

“I had no idea you were so skilled at dancing,” he whispered as his lips departed from yours, simultaneously swiping the tears with his hands. You softly laughed to yourself, hooking your arm in his as you began to leave the area.

“Well,” you started as you walked up the steps, pulling him along, “it isn’t like we often dance together. Not seriously anyway.”

“Maybe we should do this more often? Only if you would like to, of course.”

You nodded in agreement, turning back to face him, “To be honest, I always thought you weren’t really into this kind of stuff.”

A few strands of hair that had fallen over his face again were wiped by his hands as he answered, “I do…if it’s with you.”

When you glanced at him again, he was smiling. It was the first one you had seen in a long time — or rather, the first genuine one in a long time. His hands peeled off the soaking wet gloves that once adorned his hands before moving to grab your hand once more. And as you set off for home, hand in hand, you noticed the rain had stopped. The once gloomy skies were filled with the setting sun and an array of blues, reds, and oranges. As Neuvillette found his happiness again, so had the sky.

[yerimacoustic]

𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚🤍𝙟𝙤𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙖 𝙭 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

↳ ❝ 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣 ❞

summary: after the princess falls mysteriously ill, joshua, born with powers no one else in the palace knows about, becomes her caretaker.

content warnings: joshua x female reader, fantasy/regency au, steward/secret sorcerer!joshua x princess!reader, joshua and reader are in their early twenties, friends to lovers, deep conversations, yearning, hurt and comfort, mentions of illness, very very brief mentions of death, curses, magic, reader’s family has a lot of lore, secrets, angst and comfort. featuring jeonghan and seulgi. 15k wc!

notes: i am so sorry if this is bad or seems rushed at the end, i was working on this super late at night so please be nice t-t

lavish parties were a common occurrence at the palace, and birthdays were no exception. although your own birthday had been celebrated a handful of times, you still never quite got used to all of the attention. to the spotlight. and now that you were finally of marrying age, there was an added pressure, as potential suitors most likely filled the audience. 

after what felt like hours of dancing, polite conversation and forcing smiles, your mother had pulled you aside. after explaining that she wanted to present your gift in private, she eagerly watched you untie the tiny pink ribbon encircling the red box that fit perfectly in the palm of your hand. a gold, heart shaped locket lay inside, shining in the candlelight despite being an ancient heirloom. 

the necklace had been passed down from generation to generation for centuries. your mother felt there was no need to explain the sentimental value the necklace held, instead stating that she had been eagerly awaiting this day since the moment you were born. suddenly, you felt silly wondering if she was pulling you aside to offer some comforting words of assurance. 

no pressure. 

actually, once the thin chain found its way around your neck, it felt as if it bore an actual weight on your shoulders. after all, you knew fully well what it symbolized- as the eldest daughter, you would be taking the throne one day. and as you began to take another turn around the dance floor, you came to the stunning realization that this was no ordinary birthday party.

you weren’t exactly sure if your corset was too tight or if a mysterious figure was suddenly sucking all the air out of the room- either way, it felt as if the walls were closing in on you. once you felt that enough backs were turned on you, you shuffled towards the nearest french doors. once they were closed behind you and you were met with the bitter winter air, you let out a prolonged sigh. 

with your palms resting flat on the ledge you looked up to the stars, finding comfort in the way they seemed to shine so brightly that night in particular. you quickly became fixated on the patterns and puzzles in the sky, wishing that you could pluck them off of the dark blanket like small diamonds. music gently began to ring through the air as the doors behind you carefully swung open and closed in a brisk motion. even so, you didn’t bother to look back and greet your visitor. 

you were expecting the visitor to be one of your family members, maybe even your lady’s maid. holding back a sigh, you closed your eyes and spoke in a delicate tone, “i’ll be back inside in a moment.”

“no pressure,” a familiar voice behind you spoke. your eyes went wide upon hearing the man’s silky cadence and you, of course, were pleasantly surprised that it was probably the last person you expected to visit you.

you turned around to see joshua standing close to the two doors, as if he was awaiting your permission to come closer. he was quick to bow politely once your eyes were locked, earning a gentle scoff from you, “please- there’s no need for formalities. we’re not in public.”

he took a quick look behind him, reaffirming that there still were, in fact, lacy curtains covering the barred windows on the doors. a sheepish smile that seemed to light up the air between you two was sent in your direction before he stepped carefully towards you. “forgive me for disturbing you- but i wanted to ask if.. the princess was doing alright?”

you chuckled upon hearing his gentle tone and watching him approach you in the same timid manner. “well- the princess is doing as well as expected, under the circumstances. let’s just put it at that.”

this time it was the young steward’s turn to chuckle, mirroring your position and resting both hands on the balcony’s ledge. “the majority of the guests may not have noticed your strained expressions, princess, but i did.” he paused, looking over to you with a smile that instantly warmed your heart with reassurance. “if you ever need someone to talk to-”

“thank you.” gently cutting him off, you moved your hand to rest on top of his. an already shuddered breath caught in your throat once your eyes met again and a heated blush scattered across his cheeks. a similar warmth grew within your own cheekbones, prompting you to raise your free hand upwards to let your fingertips graze the area.

“you’re welcome,” he whispered to you, unable to break away from your gaze for even a moment. never in his wildest dreams did he expect to share a moment like this with you, the princess, someone he had stolen secret glances at in crowded ballrooms and halls for as long as he could remember. 

the two of you were both raised in the palace, after all. so close yet so far- until now.

and yet, he didn’t dare to move another inch. even if his free hand was aching to brush delicately through your curls, or along the curve of your jawline.. “princess..?”

“yes?” you asked with a slight strain in your tone. after all, you unknowingly held a similar line of thinking as joshua’s. you always considered the steward to be a handsome man, but never knew the great details of his beauty until that moment, as you stood closer to him than you ever had before. 

he had been wrestling with the dilemma of what to tell you since he’d plucked up the courage to walk through those doors. that much was evident by the way he quietly cleared his throat, pausing abruptly before speaking again, “i.. just want you to know that everything’s going to be alright. you’re going to be a wonderful leader someday.”

you weren’t sure what you were expecting (or hoping) him to say, but his beautiful words provided you with much needed reassurance. suddenly.. the prospects of becoming queen didn’t seem so daunting, now knowing that he would be there to support you. 

“you’re so.. sweet,” you thought out loud shamelessly. 

“you sound surprised,” his smile widened as he let out a gentle laugh. 

“no, not surprised- just-” you bowed your head and chuckled sheepishly. “i suppose i should have taken more time to get to know you. we did technically grow up together, after all.”

“well..better late than never.” the young man’s attention averted towards your intertwined hands on the ledge, his smile growing fainter. as if he was stuck in quiet contemplation. suddenly, snowflakes began to gently fall. it was beautiful, picturesque, the way they fell and gently twinkled in the starlight.

joshua couldn’t help but laugh as he watched some of the powdery snowflakes attach to your hair, finally leaning in to the prompting to brush through the silky strands. “don’t want your hair getting too wet,” he chuckled sweetly. 

“of course not,” you giggled quietly in return and stepped closer, allowing him to brush his fingers through your locks in an attempt to rid the small crystals. his gentle movements continued until your hair was pushed behind your shoulder, exposing a part of your collarbone to the cold. “joshua, i-”  

“y/n!” your brother swung the doors open, prompting the two of you to take a step backwards and unlace your hands. jeonghan’s gaze shifted between both of you, the guilty parties, as he folded his arms across his chest. but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes that reassured you he wouldn’t tell your secret. 

“what is it?” you groaned, annoyed that a wonderful moment was interrupted by your brother, of all people.

“mother and father are wondering where you’ve been, of course,” he chuckled, raising an eyebrow in your direction. “they sent me to look for you. i suggest you get a move on before they start looking, themselves.”

you made no attempt to disguise your annoyance, rolling your eyes before brushing through your hair once more for good measure. “i suppose you’re right.” 

before too long, jeonghan had made his way back inside the ballroom, slamming the door shut behind him in a quick attempt to reunite with his dancing partner. you stole one more glance at the burgundy-haired man standing at the ledge after crossing to the french doors, smiling gently to him, “thank you again.”   

“i’ll be seeing you again soon.” he watched carefully as you stepped back into the ballroom, focusing on your figure until the lace in the window clouded his vision. a confused sigh escaped his parted lips, and just as he looked up at the sky, the snowflakes stopped falling. for unbeknownst to you, there was more to this young steward than met the eye. 

meanwhile, your older brother was dragging you across the dance floor with that same annoying glint of mischief in his eyes. when you questioned it, he turned to you with a chuckle, “prince juyeon requested a dance with you. are you really going to turn him down?”

“yes,” you answered pointedly, ensuring your tone was hushed.

jeonghan stopped dead in his tracks to look at you incredulously, an eyebrow cocking up. “why i never! i cannot believe my dear, sweet sister would leave a potential suitor to entertain himself.”

you rolled your eyes, “there will be plenty of other balls, brother. if i have to engage in an awkward dance and converse with one more man who would view our union as a transaction tonight, i’ll scream.”

jeonghan laughed a little too loudly for your liking, even briefly tilting his head backwards. “and how do you think i feel? so many women lining up to dance with me, tugging at my arm, begging me to-”

“i dare say, it sounds like you’re enjoying it,” you scolded him and whacked his clothed arm with your fan for good measure. “tell mother and father that i’ve gone to bed.”

before you could listen to another word of your brother’s annoying protests, your eyes scanned through the sea of guests and servants alike until they landed on one figure in particular. you sent a smile towards joshua once his beautiful eyes met yours, taking note of the way they shone with such beautiful warmth even from a distance. once you were alone in the privacy of your bedroom, it was the last thing you thought about as your head hit the satin pillow.

—-----------

the next morning, there was a distinct uncomfortable energy in the servant’s quarters. once joshua felt confident enough in his accomplishments to take a break, he sat in the small kitchen while sipping some hot chocolate. he felt nothing but a sense of unease- this was supposed to be a relaxing moment for him. he was completely alone, undisturbed and yet- he felt as if he was missing out on something. 

something important. 

and he was right. it wasn’t long before your lady in waiting, seulgi, burst through the door and promptly dumped a large bowl of water into the sink. he noticed her sense of urgency, her labored breathing and shaking hands, and quickly rose to his feet, “seulgi? what’s the matter?”

only when the young maid turned around to face him fully did he notice the tears in her eyes, however. she sniffed, “forgive me, joshua, i didn’t see you there. the princess has fallen horribly ill- i was just changing the water, i need to go to the well, quickly-”

“wait, what?” the steward’s eyes went wide in disbelief. he briefly reminisced the moment they shared the night prior- you seemed so lively, so healthy.. what in the world could have happened to you in a matter of hours? “what do you mean, ‘ill?’”

“she has a terrible, terrible fever. i don’t understand, she usually stays so healthy-” her voice cracked just as she bowed her head, her attention shifting towards the large bucket near the corner of the room. “if you’ll excuse me, joshua, i need to fetch the princess more water.”

“wait-” just before she could leave the kitchen, he gently grabbed onto her arm to keep her in place. “can i come with you?” 

seulgi furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, moving a hand to swipe the plethora of tears off her cheeks. “i.. can’t imagine why you’d want to. i thought you’d be busy filling in for the king during a time like this?”

“oh..” for a moment, joshua felt silly for ever forgetting his place in the palace. yes, there were a lot of benefits that came with being the king’s right hand man, but he was still, at the end of the day, a servant. born in the castle in harshly different circumstances from the royals, sworn to serve them like his parents had before their passing. 

“i suppose you’re right. will you give the princess my regards?”

seulgi felt overwhelming guilt rush over her like a tidal wave, wrestling with the sense of urgency she hadn’t forgotten since leaving the princess’s bed chambers. she timidly looked around (a subtle action that joshua found comedic since no one else was in the room) before speaking in a hushed tone, “once the physicians have taken their leave.. i’ll come find you. you can give the princess your regards then.”

joshua smiled in gratitude, the corners of his eyelids wrinkling as he did so. he gave his colleague a friendly pat on her upper arm, hoping that it would provide her with even the smallest amount of reassurance in this stressful, anxiety-inducing time. “thank you.”

“don’t thank me,” seulgi chuckled hurriedly before breaking away to grab the bucket near the sink. she carried it with both hands, tears blurring her vision yet again as she crossed to the back door and called out a half-hearted parting statement, “until then.” 

the sound of seulgi slamming the back door behind her would have startled joshua if his heart didn’t feel completely numb. the mere thought of you in pain brought an aching of his own to his chest- therefore, he felt there was no point trying to rush back to his office, seeing as though he knew his heartache would be too distracting.

—-

it wasn’t until much later in the evening that seulgi finally found her way to joshua’s office and pulled him away from his work (or lack thereof). and lord, was he grateful that she finally did; he’d been looking up from the papers to glance at the door at every chance he could get, which only made the hours go by slower and slower. a few had finally passed before he began to wonder if she would even bother to fetch him at all. 

she quietly led him to the east wing of the palace, the area that joshua rarely found himself in if he could help it. he tried to memorize the unfamiliar layout of the castle to the best of his ability, considering there was a likelihood he wouldn’t allow himself to visit the princess just this once. 

after all, how would it look if your illness disappeared just as abruptly as it had been inflicted upon you? he also took the fact that seulgi was the suspicious type into consideration; if he healed you completely after your meeting, it wouldn’t take long for her to connect the dots. especially considering he had no medical experience of his own. 

that was exactly why he concocted a plan the moment the two of them finally made their way to your bedroom door. he would be using his powers to heal you slowly, maybe give you a few days.. it was sure to work like a charm and it gave him an excuse to spend more time with you. besides, he didn’t want to risk hurting you by using an unfamiliar, ridiculously powerful spell that may speed up the healing process too much and do more harm than good.

seulgi nodded in his direction, once again taking a look around the hall (just as she had done in the kitchen hours earlier) to ensure no one was following them. she knocked quietly on the door, signaling her and joshua’s arrival, before the two of them entered your room quickly and quietly.

the sight of you brought back the all too familiar aching in his chest, which he worked hard to disguise. of course, there was nothing he could do to hide the growing concern in his irises as he allowed himself a closer look at you. he tried his best to keep his emotions grounded and hidden, unlike the young woman next to him. 

seulgi’s eyes remained fixed on your figure, which was hidden under the sea of blankets, until they filled with tears again. she glanced at joshua before she could fully allow the warble in her voice to take over, “well.. i’ll give you two some privacy. make it quick.”

“thank you,” joshua whispered to the tearful handmaiden, watching her shuffle out of the room with a handkerchief she seemed to produce out of thin air. once the two of you were left alone, he finally allowed a shaky sigh to escape his lips. 

you looked so weak, so vulnerable- quite the contrast from the lively and confident air he became familiar with the night before. your eyes were delicately closed, your hair, mostly dampened with sweat, was splayed out on the satin pillows, and your breathing remained labored even in your slumber. 

for a moment he felt guilty pulling you out of your seemingly blissful sleep. it wasn’t long before he rationalized, telling himself he would rather wake you than have you open your eyes and get startled by the sight of his looming figure over yours. after subtly conjuring a warm cup of chamomile tea, he stepped just a tad closer towards your four poster bed and cleared his throat, 

“princess?” 

you slowly opened your eyes, your vision slightly blurred as you adjusted to the candlelight. you continued to blink slowly until joshua’s figure in front of you became clearer. then, allowing a weak smile to curve at your lips, you tilted your head to allow yourself a better look at him. “joshua.”

he greeted you with that all too familiar, infectious, angelic smile before speaking up. he kept his tone low as a courtesy towards you, knowing how your head must have been aching, “forgive me, i wanted to visit you sooner.” 

“it's alright,” you told him, chuckling weakly. “it was awfully crowded in here earlier, anyways.”

at first he nodded awkwardly, letting out a faint chuckle of his own. he tried to conjure up another good talking point before his gaze fell to the teacup he delicately held in his hands, “oh.. this is for you. it's chamomile and honey, it’s supposed to help you sleep. and soothe your stomach.”

“thank you.” your heart warmed as you watched him sit carefully next to your bed, cradling the teacup in both hands. 

just as you were about to raise your hands to take it from him, however, he gently shook his head. “allow me, princess,” he spoke in gentle protest, watching you adjust ever so slightly against the propped up pillows as your gaze fell to the ornate teacup. 

then he timidly brought the cup to your lips, allowing you to blow on the steaming liquid as a precaution before taking a sip. one of his hands moved to cup your cheek, keeping you steady against the pillows as you drank more of the soothing herbal tea. “this..doesn’t taste like our tea,” you noted quietly. “where did you find it?”

joshua chuckled, his thumb brushing along your jawline as he withdrew the cup ever so slightly, allowing you to take a breather. he knew that even the most mundane efforts under the present circumstances could be strenuous for you. “let’s just say.. i have my ways.” 

you chuckled again before he brought the cup to your lips again and assisted you in taking a few more sips. once the cup was half empty, you pulled back to nuzzle against the pillows. “are you feeling alright?” he asked, sensing your discomfort.

“just..hot,” you whispered, watching him set the cup down on the nightstand next to your bed. 

“oh..” he looked around the room for a moment with knitted eyebrows before his gaze fixed on the wash basin, a bowl full of water resting on the tiny counter top. once he found fresh towels,  he dipped his fingertips in the lukewarm water. he was grateful the bowl was crafted from graying marble so you were unable to see the contents briefly glowing light blue before cooling down. 

once he wrung out two rags, he rushed back to your side and stood near the pillows. “can you lift your head for me? just a little bit?” a faint smile stretched at his lips as you nodded and he slipped one chilled rag onto your pillow to cushion your neck, draping the other across your forehead.

a small hum of satisfaction escaped your lips before you closed your eyes. initially, the cold water nipped at your skin and shocked you. but it didn’t take too long for it to soothe your burning flesh and bring about the inevitable relaxation. “that’s..a lot better.”

joshua smiled to himself, watching your curly eyelashes flutter as his hand remained draped along the cloth on your forehead. it served two purposes, keeping the water cold with his.. capabilities, and keeping the rag in place. “i’m glad to hear it, princess.” 

comfortable silence lingered between the two of you as he continued to gently press the cloth against your forehead. you couldn’t even bother to ask exactly how the rag had stayed cold; all that mattered was the temporary relief the towel had provided you. and the fact that joshua was standing next to your bed, slightly hovering over you to keep it in place. 

his palm lay flat against your forehead, his gaze fixed onto your features even as you watched him with half-lidded eyes. it was the closest the two of you had ever been. yet joshua kept his free hand planted firmly onto the mattress, bracing himself while also giving you plenty of space. “your highness..?”

“y/n,” you gently corrected him. 

“right..” a sheepish chuckle. “do you have any idea.. what may have brought about this fever? last night you seemed so…lively.”

you gently shook your head but it didn’t deter joshua’s hand placement. “the court physicians think it’s caused by stress. i never really thought my anxieties were strong enough to cause such an ailment, but maybe i was wrong.”

the two of you shared a gentle laugh, the sympathy in joshua’s irises clear as day even as your vision became hazy. “i suppose the mind and the body really do work in mysterious ways,” he joked quietly. 

“i suppose they do.”

another wave of silence passed between you two before joshua gently cleared his throat and removed the rags, standing upright. “i should go. you need to get as much rest as possible.”

“wait-” before you could even process your own movements you reached for his hand, your fingers gently locking around his wrist. “will you stay with me? just until i fall asleep.”

joshua paused for a moment and took a mental note of the way you briefly widened your eyes with your plea. he wasted no time sitting comfortably on the same chair- after all, who was he to ignore a gentle command from the princess? “of course i will.”

as he settled more comfortably in the chair, he leaned forward ever so slightly and shifted his palm upwards so he could lace his fingers with yours. you remained propped up by the pillows, staring over at him in a sleepy daze. you weren’t sure if it was his overall warmth, his dark blue vest that accentuated his red hair, or his doe-like eyes, but he’d never looked more handsome.

you silently wished that the two of you hadn’t been forced to meet again under such unfortunate circumstances. during your last encounter you were dressed to the nines, and now you were definitely less than a sight to behold in your nightgown. not to mention your entire body felt as if it was on fire, you could hardly move due to the aches in each of your limbs, and you could barely speak without a rasp in your voice. 

still.. you were glad he was there. to tell the truth, you’d rather have him there to tend to you than anyone else. “i’m glad that you came to see me, joshua.”

“i’m glad i plucked up the courage to,” he confessed as he bashfully looked down at your intertwined hands. “i keep thinking about what you said on the balcony last night. about getting to know me more.”

at first, you could only respond with a stiff nod of your head while making no attempt to hide your growing smile. “i’ve been thinking a lot about it too. about you.”

you found the quiet giggle that escaped his lips to be too adorable for his own good. it even came with a gentle squeeze of your hand, which distracted you momentarily from the aching. “and what about me specifically?” 

“you’re really going to make me answer that?” you chuckled as he responded with a simple raise of his eyebrow, taking note of the knowing look in his eyes. “well, if you must know, i’ve been thinking about how you were one of the few people to ask me how i was that night.”

he paused, almost as if to let your words echo throughout his mind in an attempt to commit them to memory. not only your words, but your gentle smile, the warmth in your eyes.. “is that so?” even if you only nodded, such a simple action brought upon a smile of his own. “well.. i’m sorry to hear that.”

“‘s alright,” you muttered, your eyelids suddenly feeling much heavier. you tried to fight the wave of exhaustion that washed over you and focused on the sound of joshua’s voice, hoping to stay awake just long enough to carry the conversation with him. but his cadence, his presence in and of itself was so peaceful that you couldn’t resist perceiving his voice as a lullaby.

he paused, letting out a gentle sigh while keeping his eyes on your intertwined fingers. your palms were molded together so perfectly as if they’d been specially crafted to hold each other. “i like the way your hand fits in mine,” he whispered.

while keeping your eyes closed, you managed to send him a bashful smile while squeezing his hand for good measure. you allowed a brief pause of silence before whispering to him a simple but meaningful, “i do too.

“i’ll see you again tomorrow?”

“yes. of course.” 

he watched your eyes finally close, your chest heave as your breathing patterns became less strained- all the while, your grip on his hand slowly began to loosen. and then he took a deep breath, savoring the tranquility of your shared moment and feeling grateful that you were obviously doing the same. 

as he watched you sleep in silence, he muttered a silent prayer to himself. he hoped to god that his remedies would work. and not just because the stakes were particularly high. his grip on your hand grew just a little bit tighter as the worst possible outcomes ran briefly through his mind until he pushed them away. 

he made a promise to himself to continue taking care of you. whether you had been inflicted with a short-living fever or a deadly ailment, he would continue to take care of you. and he wouldn’t let the fear of anyone discovering his powers stop him from doing so. no matter what.

that night only, however, he wasn’t so sure how much longer he could stand seeing you in such a condition. he slowly rose to his feet as not to accidentally awake you, the touch of your hand lingering against his palm even once he pulled away from your light grasp. he took a moment to examine his own hand, feeling your warmth linger against his skin in the most beautiful, addictive way. in that short time, it felt as if you were the one with powers, not him.

—--------

the next morning, joshua only partially regretted staying up late to brush up on some reading. after all, he viewed magic to be something akin to a sport or a talent; the more one practiced, the more one would excel in said hobby. plus it didn’t hurt to refresh one’s memories of the healing chapters, all things considered.

there was something strange about your sudden infliction. how was it possible for one to appear so lively, as per usual, only to be bedridden within a matter of hours? he briefly considered asking the chefs if they had experimented cooking with different ingredients that night before coming to the realization that he could risk insulting them. he wasn’t an expert in medicine by any means, but he wasn’t completely sure if your anxiety was the sole cause.

so what could the explanation possibly be? 

he was also slightly annoyed that he had to wait until the end of the day to visit you. he wasn’t usually one to neglect his duties, but you were calling to him. he was worried that jeonghan was getting suspicious of him, especially when he pulled him out of his daze by calling to him from across the room, “joshua? are you even listening?”

“hmm?” the young steward lifted his chin from the palm of his hand and sat upright. he stared at the prince sitting on the plush sofa across from him, taking a mental note of the annoyance adorning his features.

jeonghan leaned back ever so slightly, tugging at a loose thread on one of the pillows. “i was talking about taking my leave with my father very soon. we’re meant to tour the kingdom.. joshua, what’s gotten into you, hmm?”

“nothing,” joshua answered with a shrug. “nothing at all.”

“are you quite sure? you’re usually a better listener,” he countered playfully, his eyes lighting up with a smirk. 

“right, sorry-” joshua cleared his throat before sitting more comfortably, offering his friend a small smile. “you and your father are still planning your journey? i thought you would postpone it, considering the princess’s condition.”

jeonghan shook his head with a faint chuckle, “my sister has plenty of handmaidens and physicians to take care of her. she’ll be well enough without the two of us.”

the steward nodded, although he truthfully failed to understand jeonghan’s reasoning. he understood that the king and the prince both had their duties to fulfill and contracts were to be upheld, but he couldn’t stop thinking about you in your condition. “have either of you been to see the princess?”

“yes, we both saw her this morning,” jeonghan sighed, flipping through the book that had been resting on his lap for the duration of their impromptu meeting. “have you been to see her?”

“no,” joshua answered calmly. even as he flipped through stacks of parchment the king had left for him to sort through, he could feel jeonghan’s gaze practically piercing through his soul. he could even hear the smirk tugging at his lips as he spoke. “why do you ask?” 

“no reason in particular,” jeonghan responded cheekily. “i just thought it might have something to do with your rather scandalous meeting on the balcony the other night.”

“there was nothing scandalous about it.” even as he protested his friend’s teasing remarks, his tone remained as gentle as ever. jeonghan’s words did, of course, annoy him- but he felt no need to let the prince know how he felt. “i simply wanted to extend my best wishes towards her on a stressful evening.”

“and yet you never extend the same courtesy towards me,” jeonghan pouted.

joshua chuckled, once again bowing his head to turn his full attention to his assignments. however, he was quickly coming to find out that his attention span wasn’t quite what he remembered it to be. he didn’t want to risk asking your..exasperating brother for any more details, therefore he was left to wonder… 

had your condition worsened? were you currently alone or surrounded by a plethora of physicians and maids? were you thinking about him the same way he was thinking about you?

even in the middle of the afternoon, there was an unfamiliar, downright melancholy air that filled the halls. the usual infectious hustle and bustle that seemed the echo through the walls had nearly disappeared, instead being replaced with unnerving silence. it made joshua nervous, to say the least.

he paused once he reached your quarters, cautiously pressing his ear against the door. there were no distinguishable noises or voices; no one else seemed to be in the room with you. relief washed over him as he knocked on the door, waiting for just a moment before pressing it open and quickly stepping inside before anyone else could see him.

once you were greeted with the familiar sight of the handsome steward, the faintest smile tugged at your lips. you tilted your head to allow yourself a better look at joshua, who kept a fair distance from your bed upon bowing politely towards you. “how many times must i tell you..not to do that?” you teased him, speaking slowly.

“old habits die hard, your highness,” he chuckled, bowing his head slightly as he tugged a chair closer towards the bed and sat down comfortably before you. once again, his heart began to ache as he focused intently on your demeanor- namely, your slightly squinted eyes, your labored breathing.. “how did you sleep?”

you shook your head, even if such a simple motion brought you discomfort. “barely a wink,” you finally answered, watching joshua tilt his head inquisitively. “i’ve been having these odd dreams as of late..one would technically call them nightmares.”

“nightmares?” joshua asked in disbelief, the sympathy laced within his voice practically tangible. “what kind of nightmares?”

you took a deep breath, cautiously moving your hand upwards to tug the piles of quilts and blankets closer towards your figure. “i’m- walking through the palace. it's.. so so cold, it’s pitch black, there’s dust everywhere, it’s impossible to breathe. 

“someone’s..whispering things to me, i can never make out what they’re saying. then they get louder and louder, the castle gets darker and..” you pause, gently clearing your throat once your voice threatens to crack. “i woke up freezing. it hasn’t gone away.”

joshua, who had been hanging onto every word you spoke, scooted closer as his eyebrows gently knitted together. “that sounds…terrifying.”

“the doctors say they’re most likely fever dreams,” you whispered, your hands bunched weakly against the fabric of your woolen blankets. “they feel so..real. i don’t know if i’ll ever be able to sleep again.”

“i’m sorry. truly.” to add emphasis to his words, joshua reached out to place his hand over yours. he expected you to gently part your fingers so he could lace them with his own, which you did. but he didn’t expect your skin to be just as hot as it was the previous night, the back of your hand practically scalding to the touch. 

and yet, he made no effort to pull his hand away. he embraced the warmth, squeezing your hand in hopes it would provide you with much needed comfort. or at the very least, offer a contrast in temperature. “but.. you need to sleep, conserve your strength as much as possible.”

you nodded your head once in understanding, your migraine practically thrumming against your temples and provoking a stiffening sensation along your neck. instead of focusing on how you felt as if you were losing every ounce of strength you possessed by the second, you found solace in memorizing joshua’s features. “i know.

“what brings you here today?” you spoke softly as your throat ran dry, silently wishing for more of the tea he’d brought you the night prior. 

“i thought you’d like some company,” he explained. “that is, if your physicians don’t see me as a nuisance.” 

you chuckled softly, “i’ve excused them for the day. told them i needed my beauty sleep.” 

“and they listened to you?” joshua asked, a short laugh of disbelief escaping his lips. 

“i am the princess, after all,” you shrugged. “it gets overwhelming, dozens of physicians and courtiers surrounding you at once. especially when you’re not in the best physical condition.. or mentality, to be completely honest.”

he nodded once while reflecting on the party just two nights prior. it was truly a marvel just how quickly things could change. for instance, you hadn’t thought much about marital prospects before the fateful birthday party. and then there was the matter of allegiances between kingdoms.. 

another point of discussion could be your illness, which still perplexed the young wizard. he couldn’t imagine dealing with a terrible fever while wrestling with such complex moral dilemmas- “that’s completely understandable,” he thought aloud. “if at any point, you want me to leave-”

you were quick to interrupt him, though you didn’t dare to raise your voice. “that’s nonsense.”

judging by the widening of his eyes, he was obviously taken aback by your words. “nonsense?”

you nodded, “i want you here. you could never be a nuisance.”

joshua nodded his head, trying to hide a bashful smile from you. for a moment he was at a loss for words,comfortable silence once again filling the air as he stuffed his hand into his pocket. “i forgot, i was going to give this to you-” of course, there was initially nothing in his pocket, but once his fingers were concealed, the flower materialized within the security of the fabric.

you eagerly watched him pull the tiny flower out of his pocket, your gaze softening at the sight. he held it up for you to see, his hold on the small stem delicate and graceful. “snowbells,” you whispered. “how did you know?”

“lucky guess, i suppose.” with a knowing chuckle, joshua leaned over to place the snowbells atop your nightstand. they remained within your line of vision, resting on the center of a lace doily. “they’re a favorite of yours?”

“indeed they are,” you beamed. “thank you.”

“you’re welcome.”

during another pause of silence, joshua took a moment to look around the room and seemingly investigate his surroundings. he initially didn’t pay much attention to the details of your quarters, completely neglecting your smaller, exclusive library. you watched him as he rose to his feet and crossed towards the towering shelves of books, his eyes scanning through each of the titles on the bindings.

he stood with his hands folded behind his back, his doe eyes softening as he investigated your collection. he was soon filled with intrigue, as they were mostly unfamiliar titles. you called out to him, “see anything you like?”

he turned on his heel as you captured his full attention and nodded, “you have an impressive collection. there are a lot of stories here that i’ve never even heard of.”

“full disclosure, they’re mostly romance novels,” you chuckled. “but you’re welcome to borrow them any time you like.”

“what if i told you romance novels are a guilty pleasure of mine?” joshua snickered gently and plucked one of the books off the shelves, the spine adorned with green vines and tiny roses.

“i wouldn’t be surprised.”

“you wouldn’t?” joshua’s eyebrows knitted together; once again he was taken aback by your words.

you gently shook your head and watched him cross towards you, sitting comfortably next to your bed with the book on his lap. “no. something tells me you’re secretly a huge romantic,” you teased him. 

the servant chuckled sheepishly, “am i really that transparent?”

you shook your head, chuckling along with him, “no. but i am pretty intuitive.”

once again, joshua bashfully bowed his head under the guise of investigating the cover of the book he’d chosen. the book was in mint condition without a single mark or scuff on the binding. obviously you took great care of your belongings, and he admired that. “have you read this one yet?”

you shook your head, your features lighting up as you suddenly got an idea, “will you read to me?”

he didn’t hesitate to nod his head, his blush growing more vivid by the second. as he watched you settle more comfortably against your pillows and draw the blankets up to your chin, he began to recite the text aloud to you in a soothing voice, 

“the delicious smell of salt wove through the air as she strode along the shoreline with a lighthearted air. her bare feet sunk into the dampened sand, leaving clear prints in their wake. the powerful waves crashed along her ankles but her posture remained intact. for today, she had somewhere to be.”

your eyelids began to flutter as you listened to him read to you in a calming tone. it felt like a lullaby, the poetry he recited for you, and it served as a momentary reprieve from the pain you were in. his voice lulled you into a daze, your eyelids feeling heavier by the second as you took the written words to heart.

he stole quick glances at you near the end of every paragraph and you could somehow hear his smile as he did so. he continued to read aloud until he noticed that your smile had faded, a sign that you had finally fallen asleep. he folded the top corner of the page, marking his place before setting the book next to the tiny snowbell.

then he allowed himself to take a longer glance at your peaceful form, smiling faintly at the sight. nothing gladdened him more to know that he had brought you comfort without overwhelming you, just as the others had. he settled a bit more comfortably into his chair, his eyes fixed on your sleeping form until his vision became hazy. 

his own form was slouched over on the chair, his head bowed once he had fallen asleep. perhaps his own reading had the same effect on him… 

the peaceful moment was short lived, however, when you began tossing and turning in your slumber. he wouldn’t have noticed your heavy breathing, or your gentle thrashing for that matter, if your heavy breaths had not been laced with quiet whines. when he awoke he blinked repeatedly, adjusting to the lighting before his gaze remained fixed on your figure.

then his eyes flooded with concern as your breathing got heavier, seemingly panicked. he didn’t spare a single moment grabbing onto your hand while his other rose to cup your cheek. “y/n..” he gently whispered, so as not to startle you. “y/n..”

he brushed his thumb along the apple of your cheek before his hand fell to your shoulder, gently nudging you awake before your cries could get any louder. he squeezed your palm, desperate to wake you and deliver you from what appeared to be another nightmare. he rose his voice, just barely, “y/n, please-”

your loud gasp startled him as you awoke, your hand instinctively squeezing his. even with your eyes wide open, your breathing remained labored, shallow.. still, a faint sigh of relief escaped your parted lips once you saw joshua next to you, his hand still cupping your shoulder. “joshua..”

“it’s okay. i’m here,” he whispered to you, removing his hand from your shoulder as a courtesy and instead letting it relax at his side. meanwhile, the other still kept a firm grip on yours. “was it the same nightmare from before? the one you told me about?”

you nodded shakily, “i felt someone..whispering to me. directly in my ear. some sort of incantation, but i couldn’t..” you paused, trying desperately to steady your own breathing while gripping onto the steward’s hand like a vice. “it’s.. cold, joshua, it’s so cold…” 

“hey,” he whispered, once again moving to cup your cheek so your eyes would meet his with haste. “it’s over now. it was just a dream. alright? just a dream..”

you nodded again, weakly at that. joshua momentarily began to panic as he watched you shiver under the covers, unsure of how to help you without overstepping any boundaries. you noticed the hesitance in his demeanor; it would’ve made you chuckle if you weren’t then overcome with fear. “hold me? please?”

he nodded and assisted you in sitting upright before draping an arm around your shoulders and the other around your center. as he sat a bit uncomfortably on your bed (undoubtedly trying to respect your boundaries), he kept a firm hold on you. his hand soon caressed your shoulder in slow and gentle patterns as your head fell upon his covered chest. you did your best to shift your heavy breathing so it would match his slow and timely caresses.

“there you go,” he whispered, noticing your efforts. the faintest smile could be heard through his voice, even then, but it too was short lived. he closed his eyes once he felt you wrap your weak arms around his figure and rely entirely on him to keep the two of you steady. “i’ve got you. it’s just you and me.”

just you and me. 

such a simple phrase had such beauty and depth to it when hearing it from joshua. the words brought much needed warmth to your heart, causing you to faintly smile against the fabric of his tunic. as sore as your arms felt, you wrapped them as tightly around his waist as you were able, desperately seeking his warmth and clinging onto it. 

“hey,” he spoke up to you again after a pause of silence. “say..something. anything. please?”

you nodded into his chest, drawing in a shaky breath before speaking, “you’re so warm.”

he let out a light, fleeting chuckle, wrapping his arms tighter around your figure and bringing you closer to his own in the process. “are you feeling any better?”

you pondered his question for a moment; yes, your shared moment had brought you a reprieve. but it didn’t eliminate your fever in the slightest, you were still slightly shivering in his hold.. “a.. little bit,” you answered truthfully. “thank you.”

“of course,” he told you quietly without making any effort to break away from your embrace. in fact, his hand gently moved from your waist to cradle the back of your head and brush through your hair. “i get nightmares sometimes too.”

you lifted up your head to face him, still nuzzling your cheek in his shirt. “really?”

he nodded a tad solemnly before going on to explain, “everyone in my family did, too. i guess it… comes with the territory. my mother got them the most, especially as a child. she always made me a glass of hot chocolate when i came running to her late at night. said it worked better than any medicine.”

you chuckled faintly, picturing joshua running through the palace halls at a young age. like you’d witnessed him do many times before, of course. it brought back memories, some pleasant and others..not so much. “i was so sorry to hear about your mother passing.” you paused. “i know.. i should have told you that sooner.”

“no, that’s perfectly understandable,” joshua reassured you as his fingers massaged your scalp and wove through the locks of your hair with gentle ease. “i took it really hard. i.. distanced myself from everyone. even jeonghan. even seulgi.”

“i think that’s understandable,” you told him quietly. “you were so young. i can’t imagine going through something like that.”

for a moment, he could only respond with a faint nod and a quiet sigh of his own. to be completely honest, he wasn’t so sure if he was completely healed from his mother’s passing.. “you’re stronger than you know, princess,” he told you sweetly. “but it doesn’t hurt to have friends around you when you’re going through a difficult time.”

you hummed in agreement, lifting your head up once more to meet his gaze. “i’m lucky i have you.”

“i’m lucky i have you too,” joshua smiled gently in response, resting his hand at the nape of your neck as he gave you a gentle squeeze. “now..are you ready to lay back down?”

once you nodded, he took it upon himself to gently lay you down against the mattress and slowly pull his arms away to break out of your embrace. his warmth lingered against your figure, against your nightgown even as he pulled the quilts up to your chin. for a moment he remained seated on the bed, his hand finding yours. 

he spoke again, lacing his fingers with yours, “by the way, i have it on good authority that hot chocolate helps you sleep like a log.”

you chuckled faintly, “really? and who told you that?” 

another small laugh left your lips after he simply shrugged his shoulders, “what do you think? do you trust me?”

your smile grew as you squeezed your hand with as much strength as you could muster in that moment. “only if you agree to spend the night with me, too.”

“i wouldn’t have it any other way, princess.” 

he was quick to rush to the kitchen and prepare two glasses of hot chocolate as well as a bowl of soup and bread for you. by some miracle he was able to make it from one end of the castle to the other without anyone noticing him carrying the tray towards your quarters. he kicked the door shut with his foot once he made it within the privacy of your room, earning a chuckle from you.

“food first,” he gently commanded after setting the tray down. he held the small bowl of soup with one hand and the spoon in the other as he sat down on the bed, scooping some of the contents with a growing smirk. 

“i can do that myself,” you laughed in gentle protest.

he shook his head in reply, snickering, “no, no, i’m the one taking care of you. open up.”

the soup was incredibly flavorful, prompting you to hum as the hot contents soothed your aching throat. “how did you make all of this so fast?” you finally asked after carefully swallowing. 

joshua pondered your question, briefly considering telling you the truth: that he conjured the broth and added some of the spices he found in the kitchen for a finishing touch. “i had some help.” it wasn’t a complete lie..

you nodded, not wanting to think much of it as you continued to savor the flavors of the soup, and eventually the hot chocolate. of course, joshua had no desire to stop assisting you, even as you took the final sip of the warm beverage. and as you settled against the pillows once more, you watched him finally take a sip from his own cup. 

“you were right. about the hot chocolate,” you spoke up. “it worked like a charm.”

he smiled, even with the porcelain pressed against his lips. “I’m glad you liked it.” his gaze remained innocently fixed upon your features as he settled comfortably into his chair once more. “i like your necklace, by the way.”

you’d nearly forgotten about the gold locket adorning your clavicle. you rose your hand to clutch the small locket, the cool of the metal briefly stinging at your skin. “thank you. it’s a family heirloom.. my mother gave it to me, her mother gave it to her, and.. so on and so forth.”

“it suits you very well,” he chuckled sweetly.

“i’m glad you think so. do you have anything like this, passed down from your family members?” 

well… “no, not really. my mom always said i make a mean cup of hot chocolate, though. she taught me well.”

“i’ll say she did,” you chuckled just as fatigue began to consume you yet again. you initially thought overly sweet beverages before bedtime did more harm than good and yet there you were, snuggling against your pillows with your eyes half shut.. “promise you won’t leave this time?”

“i promise,” joshua assured you quietly, scooting the chair just a tad closer to your bed after finishing his glass of hot chocolate. “good night, princess.”

“good night.” 

—-----------

another week had passed and your condition only seemed to worsen. joshua tried to visit you as much as possible without arousing suspicion, but once he had to fill in for the king it became more of a hassle. his work, although very time consuming, did nothing to distract him from his thoughts of you. 

especially once you informed him that your dreams had shifted to a more sinister topic.. namely, mysterious dark rooms, louder incantations, terrifying creatures, castles and thrones crumbling under thunderous skies.. as much as the doctors try to reassure you that they were nothing more than harmless fever dreams, they couldn’t convince you entirely that the dreams weren’t premonitions.   

premonitions of what, exactly? you and joshua wished there was an answer. 

once it became harder for him to mitigate your symptoms, he tried to the best of his ability not to doubt his own abilities. instead he rationalized, coming to the realization that there was more to your infliction than met the eye. after all, how was it possible that your symptoms worsened even when he did everything in his power to heal you?

the steward eventually came to the conclusion that there was something much more sinister at play. he’d carefully eavesdropped on many of the doctors’ conversations and they all said the same thing: there was little to no concrete explanation as to why you were only getting worse and worse. 

although joshua had been studying magic for a long long time, this wasn’t exactly his area of expertise. he vaguely remembered studying a few chapters detailing curses and hexes, at the time remaining optimistic that he wouldn’t have to deal with such dark magic. he was trying to keep a low profile, after all. 

he never got a good explanation as to why he had to hide his powers. the fear of being thrown out of the palace or banished from the kingdom entirely had been instilled in him from a young age, and he was told never to question it. so he never told a soul. not even the king, who trusted him with his life. 

however, since he first learned of your illness, he spent every night reading the books he’d kept carefully hidden in his private quarters. after a week had passed, he shifted his focus from the healing incantations to the history of curses and hexes in hopes of finding hints, clues or even a list of symptoms. 

one night, he was particularly exhausted as he found himself hunched over his desk, eyes fixed on the brittled parchment. he found himself unintentionally reading the same sentence over and over again as the words became harder and harder to comprehend. just after he closed his eyes and allowed his forehead to rest upon the desk, a loud knock at his door startled him.

“uh- just a minute!” he called out, waving his hand and ensuring that none of the books on his desk were visible before rushing to the door. 

he was met with seulgi, whose shoulders were hunched over as she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. concern flooded over him as he remembered the only thing that seemed to bring the young handmaiden to tears.. “seulgi? is everything alright?” 

she shook her head, sniffing, “no..the princess..” she paused once another flow of tears prompted a warble to resonate within her voice and a gentle cry to escape her lips. “she’s..gotten much much worse within the last few hours.”

“oh no..” joshua whispered, trying his hardest to hide the anguish he felt upon hearing seulgi’s words. the only word he could use to describe his feelings hung over him like a cloud- hopeless. 

she nodded stiffly, composing herself just enough to whisper to him, “she keeps asking for you.”

“she..does?” 

“she does. i know it’s late, but i thought..”

“no, please-” joshua gently interrupted her, grabbing his closest jacket and throwing it over his figure before shutting the bedroom door behind them in an almost frenzied manner. “it’s not too late.”

a brief smile shone through seulgi’s tearful air before she turned on her heel and started towards the east wing. the two of them shared a strange sense of deja vu as she hurriedly led him throughout the halls, making no effort to keep a low profile this time around. the halls were dark, gloomy.. terribly cold. 

joshua tried his best not to think about the nightmares you’d described to him in detail as the two servants rushed through the hallways and staircases. it was just as he’d imagined your retelling in his own mind- frigid, pitch black, an uncomfortable energy in the air to accentuate it all..

seulgi waited outside your quarters this time around, signaling for joshua to step inside by himself. he concluded that it was most likely because she couldn’t handle another minute of seeing you in such a condition and that worried him greatly. he slowly turned the doorknob regardless, drawing in a deep breath as he stepped inside.

the sight nearly brought him to his knees. 

you barely mustered enough strength to open your eyes upon hearing your door gently swing open. although you desperately ached for his warmth, to feel his skin against yours, you couldn’t find it within yourself to reach for his hand. most of your energy had gone towards trying to steady your labored breathing.  

he watched you carefully. he watched the impact of your chest rising and falling against the thinned blanket, your eyelids droop as you made more conscious efforts to keep them open, your lips parting in pained anguish.. it wasn’t long before his hand was intertwined with yours and he was gently squeezing your palm. 

neither of you spoke for a moment as he made himself as comfortable as he could on his seemingly designated chair. neither of you thought that there was much to be said, even if you, yourself, could find it within yourself to muster the strength to speak. and if joshua could muster the courage.. 

with his elbows resting atop the mattress, he held your hand up to his lips while both of his found themselves wrapped gently around your wrist. he ignored how hot and clammy your skin was, instead focusing on your eyes while he made no effort to hide the agony within his own. “you came,” he heard you whisper after bowing his head.

“did you really doubt i would?” he asked you quietly.

“no,” you whispered to him with the faintest smile. it grew once his hold on your aching hand tightened ever so slightly and you felt his lips briefly press against your knuckles. 

the two of you sat in comfortable silence for the entire time you were able to keep your eyes fully open. it felt as if the two of you had reached a mutual understanding that it didn’t matter how much banter you could partake in, how much laughter or sweet, comforting words he could provide you- it only mattered that he was there for you. that you had grown to depend on him more than anyone else in the castle and he didn’t disappoint you.

joshua, while keeping the gentlest grip on your hand, whispered into your palm once your eyes were fully closed, “i promise you, princess.. this will all be over soon.”

he paused, feeling incapable of pulling away from you. after his eyes scanned over your weakened figure, they remained fixed on the necklace you were still wearing. he’d never focused on the accessory enough to notice uncomfortable energy around it, the ringing that would fill his ears if he devoted enough attention to it…

—-

joshua couldn’t focus on anything else since he had all but confirmed his suspicion- you were under a curse. he couldn’t eat or sleep let alone fulfill his duties as a steward, knowing that there was someone or something out there that wished you ill. he could hardly be bothered by the risk of being thrown out of the castle when you were clearly in danger.

late nights in the library had become a prioritized part of his schedule. and when his efforts proved to be fruitless, he turned towards the scriptorium. none of the other servants found themselves in the cellar if they could help it, least of all joshua, the king’s right hand man. but these were hardly normal circumstances, right?

after lighting the small lamp near the edge of the table, he dove in. although he grew up in the palace and had been officially working there for a few years, he realized only then that he wasn’t too familiar with the official royal records. he also realized just how attentive to detail the keepers had been for centuries. 

there were lists of ball attendees, minutes kept from meetings, even from coronations and christenings. there were records detailing names of every single servant, courtier, and advisor who did so much as breathed within the palace walls. 

he would have thought nothing of it and searched elsewhere if there wasn’t a strange detail in old records from centuries ago: one name, obviously belonging to a person of significant importance, was repeated multiple times until it wasn’t. until this mystery figure was seemingly replaced and forgotten. 

but why? 

there was no record of said servant dying or being let go.. 

in a darker corner of the scriptorium was a series of large, rolled up pieces of parchment. portraits of past monarchs, courtiers, priests- but that was the last thing he was interested in. a tiny slip of paper was tucked into one of the larger scrolls, falling onto the floor once he’d unrolled it. 

he was scared to read it. terrified, actually. but he bent down to pick it up, nonetheless, slowly unfolding the note. a chill ran down his spine as he read slowly aloud to himself, “‘your fate is entwined with mine. there is no escape…’ what in the world..” 

“you shouldn’t be in here,” a voice from behind called out to him, prompting another aching sensation in his heart. 

he turned around just as his breath caught in his throat, his heart stopping in his chest once he saw jeonghan standing in the doorway. “jeonghan?” he asked timidly. “i thought you were-“

“away?” jeonghan interrupted, stepping closer and shutting the door behind him. with his hands shoved in the pockets of his inky black robes, the princess wandered somewhat aimlessly through the small record room. “my father left without me. although i must say, i’m not surprised you didn’t notice.” 

“what’s that supposed to mean?” he set the scrolls down, maintaining a neutral expression as he turned to face the prince, his superior, fully. never in his wildest dreams did he imagine this level of confrontation from jeonghan. 

the prince stepped closer until he was less than a foot away from joshua. he looked him up and down, his eyes filled with a sense of superiority that the steward did not recognize. and frankly, it startled him. “unlike you, i am perceptive. you think i don’t know what’s going on between you and my sister?” 

any sense of indifference disappeared from his eyes as they widened and he immediately shook his head, “no. no. jeonghan, it’s not what you think..”

jeonghan laughed, “don’t play dumb. you’ve been putting on this act for a week, maybe longer, but i know-“ 

“jeonghan, your sister could be dying,” he interrupted with as much patience as he was able to muster. “look- this is going to sound crazy, i know, but something really strange is happening. there’s more to her illness, this.. fever, than we think-“ 

“i know.”

“you-“ he started, his throat going dry. 

jeonghan’s words echoed through his mind until they sounded peculiar. jeonghan, the prince, one of his oldest friends, your brother.. he knew? what else had he been hiding? 

joshua was finally able to speak again, keeping his distance from the prince and keeping a palm flat on the table to steady himself. “what do you mean ‘you know?’”

jeonghan avoided the servant’s gaze, his own falling to the floor. “centuries ago.. one of the king’s trusted advisors was accused of using dark magic. whether he was actually summoning mythical creatures for the kingdom’s sake is still up in the air. 

“he was dismissed from the palace and banished, removed from the public records without any explanation and the rest of the servants were sworn to secrecy. but he, of course, had to have the last laugh. he cursed the royal family. he stated that when the oldest daughter reaches the age of twenty three, her life force is to be slowly taken away from her and then the illness will spread to the rest of the family until the throne is empty. 

“no one thought anything of it. everyone went on with their lives, keeping the curse a secret from their subjects and any neighboring kingdoms. and by some miracle, no one in my bloodline has ever had a daughter.” 

joshua whispered, “until y/n came along.” 

“exactly,” jeonghan sighed heavily, still avoiding joshua’s gaze. 

joshua would have stumbled had he not kept a firm grip on the desk beside him. he felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him, a whirlwind of emotions swirling through him. “you.. you would keep this from your own sister?” he asked in disbelief. “you would leave her to fend for herself while going to all of your meetings and excursions.. ignoring what you know to be true?” 

“why do you think my father left?” jeonghan countered. “he’s not going on a long excursion just for the hell of it. he’s trying to find a way to stop this curse from killing us all.”

“and yet the two of you have kept the most crucial piece of information from her,” joshua argued without raising his voice a single octave. “not to mention your mother. is she in the dark, too?”

jeonghan finally met the other’s gaze, his eyebrows furrowing as he straightened out his shoulders. “you forget yourself,” he told him in a hushed tone. “not only are you out of your depth, but you seem to forget your place in the palace.”

joshua paused, clenching his jaw. jeonghan’s words, icy and callous as they were, rang deep within his heart. all his life he’d been made to believe that he was welcome within the palace because they didn’t know a crucial piece of information about him. they knew only of his good nature and strong work ethic. but at the end of the day, he always knew he was nothing more than a servant to them. 

standing in the dim room in front of an unapologetic prince, he realized that it seemed as though he needed a reminder every once in a while. 

“you may be right,” he finally whispered. “about me, at least.” without bothering to await jeonghan’s rebuttal, joshua pushed past the prince and crossed hurriedly towards the exit door. 

“where are you going?” the prince demanded.

“someone has to tell her the truth,” joshua replied coyly. “if not you, or the king, then me.”

jeonghan’s eyes widened with realization, rushing towards the door just as joshua slammed it shut. but once he’d forced it open, it was too late. the steward had disappeared, nowhere to be seen in the unending hallway. “what in the-”

—---

your heart nearly leaped out of your chest as joshua swung your bedroom door open, panting as he shut it behind him. an apologetic expression washed over his features the moment the pained gasp escaped your lips and he knelt on the floor, meeting your gaze. “prin- y/n.. i’m sorry to frighten you, but i had to see you.”

he cleared his throat, his breath eventually catching up to him as he grabbed onto your hand. “there’s something i need to tell you.”

you gently cut him off, breathlessly at that, “i’m renouncing the throne.” 

what? 

joshua’s eyes went wide, his lips parting to form an ‘o.’ no.. no it couldn’t be true.. “y/n, you can’t..”

you nodded your head slowly in protest, “i can. and i will.”

joshua was quick to shake his head, now taking your hand in both of his and gently shaking it with determination as he spoke. “no.. no, you can’t. that’s what he wants. you can’t give in, we’ll find a way..”

you furrowed your eyebrows, slightly raising your head from the pillows. “what do you mean?”

just as joshua parted his lips to offer his piece, your bedroom door swung open once more to reveal a breathless jeonghan. he scoffed at the sight of joshua sitting so close to you, holding onto your hand.. “i should have known,” he muttered. “hong, it’s time for you to leave.”

you furrowed your eyebrows, your confused gaze remaining fixed on your brother. “jeonghan? i thought you left with-”

“i’m not going anywhere,” joshua spoke calmly and rose to his feet, your hand still in his as the other balled into a gentle fist. he stayed cool, collected, and above all else, shameless. “not until she knows the truth.”

“truth?” you spoke up, eyebrows furrowed as your gaze shifted from joshua to jeonghan, and vice versa. “what truth?”

the two men froze, seemingly waiting for the other to make the first move. joshua reeled at how jeonghan remained stubborn even in the heat of such a catastrophic moment, much more stoic than usual. he didn’t even recognize the man in front of him. 

but that hardly mattered.

he looked down towards you, a gentle sigh escaping his lips. “i know why you’re sick,” he started. “why you’re having all these dreams.”

jeonghan spoke up, “joshua-”

“your family was cursed,” joshua was quick to cut him off, ignoring the prince completely. “a long long time ago. that’s why you’re only getting worse, that’s why you’ve been having those nightmares.. why you’re terrified, especially now, to take the throne one day. because someone wants to take it from you. from all of you.”

“what..” the aching in your chest only worsened as you felt your heart shatter into a million pieces. slowly, you rose from the mattress to sit upright and inadvertently prompted joshua to rest his palm flat on your back to keep you steady. “what do you mean?” 

“i know,” joshua whispered to you, rubbing your back in slow circles. “i know it’s confusing and scary..”

“is this true?” you cut him off to send a sharp glare towards jeonghan, who remained by the door. his unnerving silence was more than enough of an answer for you and you let out a strangled gasp of disbelief. “how could you keep this from me?”

joshua awkwardly watched the exchange between the two of you, his hand sliding from your upper back to your waist as he felt you lean further into his figure. jeonghan maintained a neutral expression, his gaze shifting from the ground to the two of you. “i thought i was protecting you.”

“no,” you interjected. “no. that’s not how you protect someone. you should have told me.”

“y/n, i’m-” 

“get out,” you interrupted, your voice rising to a higher octave than either man in the room had ever heard you speak in. “and if you tell mother and father anything about joshua and i meeting together or try to make anything difficult for him by any means, i’ll never speak to you again.”

uncomfortable silence lingered in the air as jeonghan seemingly processed your words and avoided your gaze. you and joshua expected him to offer a rebuttal, a snarky comment, but there was nothing. he simply turned dramatically on his heel and slammed the door shut behind him. 

the tension lingered in the air, the silence deafening just before joshua tilted his head towards you. he kept a firm grip on your waist, holding you against him. “are you alright?” he finally asked.

“i..don’t know,” you answered truthfully and closed your eyes while resting your temple against his shoulder. “i think i always had a feeling there was something strange going on.”

“me too,” joshua confessed quietly. he took a deep breath, allowing a brief pause of silence before speaking in a low tone. “there’s..something else i need to tell you.”

you were timid to allow him to confess, seeing as where his last bold declaration went, but you nodded against his shoulder all the same. “go on..”

he looked down towards you, moving a free hand to rest upon your clothed shoulder. for a brief moment his gaze remained fixed on the necklace you wore, especially the dark colors surrounding the golden heart that only he could see.. but he digressed. “i wish i had told you this sooner but.. i’ve been a practitioner of magic since i was a child.”

you furrowed your eyebrows, gently tilting your head upwards. “..really?”

he nodded, trying not to showcase just how nervous he was. “really..i’m sorry. i’m truly, truly sorry..i know i should have told you sooner.”

“joshua..”

“i’ve been doing my best to mitigate your symptoms this entire time. i tried to take it slow because i didn’t want to..ruin things somehow and make you feel worse.”

“josh, please-”

“i haven’t told a single soul. i was told not to, i was sworn to secrecy by my parents, i was terrified-”

finally, you lifted your head from his shoulder, placing a hand on his chest. it was your own delicate way of telling him to shut up. “i understand,” you told him. “completely. especially after learning this family’s history with magic. i guess i’m just..hurt that you didn’t trust me, of all people.”

“of course i trust you,” joshua whispered, a faint smile of relief twisting at his lips. “but..you can never be too careful.”

you nodded, vaguely remembering the horror stories you’ve heard of sorcerers and witches across the kingdom. not to mention the fear of magic that had been instilled into you from a young age. needless to say, your people didn’t take too kindly to witchcraft or magic in any form. 

“you’ve been nothing but kind to me, joshua,” you whispered as your hand found his once more. “there’s no one in this entire palace i trust more than you.”

“and i, you,” he whispered, giving your hand a gentle squeeze. “that’s why i feel compelled to tell you.. i have a theory.”

“a theory?”

he nodded, his voice growing shaky as he spoke, “i think… the man who cursed your bloodline, his magic is somehow preserved in one of your belongings. your.. necklace, to be exact. there’s a thick darkness surrounding your pendant..it looks like it might consume you.”

your eyes widened at the revelation and suddenly you felt silly, realizing that the answer was right in front of you. around your neck, to be more precise. it felt much heavier as you rose your hand to brush your fingertips against the chain, your shoulders hunching over at the contact. “what should we do?”

joshua paused, frowning slightly. he was aware of the sentimental value the necklace held, he wished there was a way to preserve the locket.. but sadly, there were no other options. “we have to destroy it.”

you felt as if you were about to faint. you felt like you had been forcibly fed endless streams of information that did you more harm than good. you weren’t even sure if there was a solution to breaking the curse.. and if there was, then what was your livelihood to be like afterwards? it felt as if you could no longer trust anyone in your family, for example. 

however.. a large part of you felt that it was worth the risk. of course, it broke your heart to imagine the porcelain falling to a million pieces on the marble floor, but you slowly nodded your head and turned your back on joshua. 

he took the hint immediately, his fingertips brushing along the nape of your neck as he unclasped the chain and withdrew it from your figure. as soon as the cool of the metal left your skin, it felt as if a large weight had been lifted off your shoulders. but neither of you rejoiced too quickly.

joshua pushed off the bed and rose to his feet, taking several steps backwards. with the necklace concealed in both of his hands, he felt a shiver run down his spine.. his suspicions were once again proven to be correct. he looked up to see you with your shoulders hunched, your hand resting on the now bare skin of your clavicle. whether it was out of relief or a newfound aching, neither of you were sure. 

“you may want to close your eyes, just in case,” joshua advised, watching you follow his gentle command and clasping his hands tighter around the locket. he looked down, his eyebrows gently furrowed in concentration as he focused all of his energy on the tiny piece of porcelain in his palm. a wave of purple and red surrounded his hands as he remained in position for a minute or two, his jaw clenched as he remained unrelenting in his effort to release the mysterious power from the necklace and rid you of your burden once and for all.   

you, however, kept your eyes screwed shut for the entire ordeal. your ears began to ring as the minutes passed and you felt a wave of warmth rush through the room as he stayed present in his endeavor. a loud crack eventually pierced the uncomfortable silence and you opened your eyes, only to see tiny cracks of the necklace fall from joshua’s hands and onto the marble floor with a clink. 

the two of you shared a sigh of relief, even as tears stung at your eyes. joshua, noticing the way your eyes glistened, rushed towards you. “hey..” he whispered, his hand finding your shoulder. “i’m sorry..”

“no..” you gently protested, your gaze fixed on your lap. “don’t be sorry. you..saved me. you saved everyone.”

joshua could only respond with a stiff nod of his head as he gently squeezed your shoulder. “are you..feeling any better?”

you paused, blinking back tears as you pondered his question. you broke out of his embrace and rose to your feet, your stance shaky, as you’d been bedridden for a little more than a week. but all it took was joshua’s hand to find yours for you to stand upright. “i-”

you wanted to rejoice. you wanted so desperately to dance around your room with joshua, run through the gardens or swim through the lake, everything you’d been unable to do for too long. but.. still, you could barely stand upright without assistance from the man still seated on your bed. he called to you but you didn’t answer. the only sound you could hear was your blood racing through your entire body, accompanied by your heavy breathing. 

and then it felt as if your limbs locked. you fell to the floor, nausea washing over you and replacing every single ounce of hope you initially had with dread. 

“y/n-” joshua gasped, immediately kneeling on the ground and pulling you up to his chest. with one arm draped around your figure, holding you in his lap and the other cupping your cheek, he stared at you with widened, panicked eyes. “hey..hey, say something..”

he ran a hand down your neck, stopping at your collarbone. your skin was.. cold. terribly cold. your pulse racing, your breathing labored.. “hey..please. stay with me, stay with me..” he wrapped both of his arms tighter around your figure, bringing you closer to his chest and all but cradling you. 

“god..” how could he have miscalculated so terribly? it was sure to work, everything pointed to the necklace.. he gulped, trying to think. quickly. he tried not to let his breathing reach a panicked rate, as yours had, in hopes of providing you with hope. “shh..shh.. it’s okay.”

he broke his gaze away from you and looked around the room, racking his brain for something, anything from one of his books that could help him. god knew there was no time to rush back to his room to grab them and search for the answer. come on, come on, come on…

he committed a large majority of the paragraphs to memory, as he had studied them for years under the direction of his mother and on his lonesome. ‘curses..a dark charm, meant to cause harm to an adversary..mostly brewed from emotion..’ and then it finally dawned on him. 

emotion. anger, vengeance, and most importantly.. 

“hey,” he gently called out to you, cupping your cheek and gently tapping it to keep you awake. he let out a sigh of relief once you opened your weakened eyes to meet his own and greeted you with a pained smile. he wove his fingers through your hair, as if to savor the feeling as a precaution. “i need you to do something. can you help me?”

you nodded your head stiffly and moved a weak hand to rest on his chest, feeling as if you could shrink under the tight hold he had on you. “what is it..”

“this is gonna sound.. mad, i know-” joshua chuckled half-heartedly. “but i need you to forgive him.”

“jeonghan?” you asked.

“no. not jeonghan, not your father,” joshua clarified, his thumb brushing along the apple of your cheek as he gently maneuvered you in his lap to sit upright. he kept a firm hold on your waist, holding you steady as you leaned into him in every sense of the word. there was a knowing look in his eyes, one that you didn’t like. 

your eyes went wide, “you mean..”

he didn’t waste any time nodding his head, “yeah. can you do that for me? please?”

you watched as desperation flooded joshua’s eyes and he nervously awaited your answer. meanwhile, you searched within every ounce of yourself for sympathy.. sympathy for the man who wronged you, who wished ill on you and your family.. an aching sensation swept through your entire body at the mere thought. as if joshua sensed it, he slowly ran his hand up and down your side. 

“can you do that for me, please?” he repeated, complete and utter desperation causing him to raise his voice. 

the heartbreaking look in joshua’s eyes was more than enough for you to say yes. if not for you, if not for your family…then for him. the man you’d grown to love. so you nodded stiffly, your hand balling into a fist as you gripped the fabric of his tunic to ground yourself. “yes.”

“good. that’s good.” he nodded, quickly pressing a kiss against your forehead before resting his hand over your heart. “close your eyes. don’t focus on anything else, alright?”

you could only nod in confirmation, resting your head against his chest and delicately closing your eyes. warmth slowly spread throughout your body as joshua seemingly summoned the powerful emotion from deep within your heart. you tried to think of something else, anything else, besides the gravity of the situation.. 

you thought of the cool water brushing against your skin in contrast with the beating sun, the sharp blades of grass against your feet, the multicolored flowers in your gardens.. all of it went away once you opened your eyes, however.

it was terribly dark, much darker than usual. the only other tangible presence you could make out in the room was a cloaked figure in the corner, eliciting a loud gasp from your lips. you began to shift nervously in joshua’s grasp, clinging onto both of his shoulders. he caught onto your worry immediately, his lips once again pressing to your forehead. 

all it took for you to slowly close your eyes again was him whispering his assurances in his familiar, gentle tone. as you held onto his voice, his warmth, his mere presence.. you forgot about anything else.  

once the tangible darkness had finally wafted from the room, joshua let out a prolonged sigh of relief. he slid his hand from your collarbone to your jawline, gently tapping at the skin with his thumb as you still lay across his lap. “princess…?” he whispered to you affectionately.

once you opened your eyes, you saw more clearly than you had in a long, long time. you stared at the man delicately holding you with wide eyes, moving a hand to cup his cheek. “you did it..”

joshua let out another sigh, a chuckle soon following as a smile finally graced his beautiful features. “no. no, that was all you.”

“don’t be so humble,” you scolded him playfully and shifted in his lap so you were straddling his waist. and when your lips met for the first time, there was absolutely no space between the two of you, just how you liked it. 

—------

you couldn’t wait for the snow to melt before returning to the reclusive corner of the palace gardens. after being bedridden for more than a week, you would take any form of sunshine you could get. your gloved hands relaxed in your lap as you sat comfortably upon the bench, staring at the snow covered topiaries and fields in front of you.

the flakes shone like millions of tiny diamonds and surrounded you almost completely, but you didn’t feel threatened at all. you were bundled up within the security of your cloak and gloves, after all. 

it wasn’t long before someone followed in your footsteps, a familiar man with gorgeous burgundy hair and a large dark blue coat to accentuate his graceful features perfectly. his hair shone brighter in the snow, somehow, as well as his eyes. he sat next to you, making no effort to leave any space. even a brush of his shoulder against yours brought butterflies to your stomach. 

you tilted your head to face him, a faint grin tugging at your lips, “i’m guessing they sent you to fetch me?”

he shook his head, a broadening grin bringing crinkles upon the corners of his eyes. “no. i simply wanted more alone time with you.”

“greedy,” you teased him, taking his uncovered hand in yours and allowing both of your mittens to provide him with the needed warmth, as well. the two of you stared at your joined hands, heat rushing through your cheeks.

“and, if you must know,” he startled, unable to contain a short fit of chuckles. “i wanted to ask if the princess was doing alright.”

you chuckled, recognizing the statement immediately. but this time, you felt compelled to answer honestly. “a lot better. thanks to you.”

joshua felt a surge of pride rush throughout his heart, bringing another bashful smile to his lips. “was there, by chance, anything else you wanted to discuss?” 

you pretended to ponder his question, your gloved hand continuing to trace over both of his. you let out a low hum, briefly seeing your breath in the cold air in the form of a tiny cloud, “i was thinking about what i told you that night, before.. it happened. that i wanted to give up the throne.” you paused, watching joshua nod his head. “and how you told me not to.”

a look of understanding and sympathy filled joshua’s eyes as he slowly nodded his head. he hadn’t forgotten about your plans to renounce your title, undoubtedly due to the fears instilled in you without your knowing. “and now that there’s no longer the threat..do you still want to?”

you locked eyes with him, raising your hand to cup his cheek. “i decided that i’m keeping my title as a princess..” you paused for dramatic effect, annoying joshua greatly. the two of you shared a laugh, regardless. “only if you are allowed to be my prince. otherwise, i’m moving far away from the palace and starting a new life.”

he moved his hand to rest on your waist, effectively closing the distance between the two of you. “is that a proposal?” he teased you, his voice low.

“if you want it to be,” you quipped, your tone even lower than his. 

“i do,” he whispered before pressing his lips against yours. he drew you in closer by resting his hand at the nape of your neck, his bare fingers brushing against your fur-lined coat in the process. he was all but lost in the kiss, the sensation of your lips against his until you were the one to break it and he spoke, “as much as i would love to stay out here and kiss you until our lips get sore..we should probably head back soon.”

you nodded, albeit sadly. even so, neither one of you dared to break out of the embrace first. “just a few more minutes?”

joshua said nothing, drawing you in closer and once again carefully molding his lips against yours. not for the first time, you felt completely lost in him. you’d known from the moment you held his hand on the balcony that his warmth and presence was captivating, but those sentiments seemed to be amplified from the moment the two of you shared your first kiss. 

for joshua kissed you with such soft spoken passion that spoke more than words ever could. they conveyed years of yearning, stolen glances and thoughts he’d kept to himself. and you, in turn, responded with silent praises and gratitude. after all, he’d saved your life in so many more ways than one.

[doshi-sukiru]

Okay 2 more questions because your SG au will not leave my brain alone (/pos)

What was going through Orion’s mind leading up to trying to kill Sentinel (and when he accidentally axed Dee instead???) Was it similar to D-16’s in the movie? What did he do after he nearly killed Dee? Did he think he killed Dee and Starscream quietly dragged him off and used Megatronus’ cog to repair him? Did OP know what happened but couldn’t stop them from getting away?

Also, how did he get the Matrix this time?

Thank you!

So that actually changed after @/angstychilz and I rediscussed that!

So we believed it seemed unlikely to actually get D-16 in the way fast enough to take the hit. A blast it very fast. A swing? It's connected to his arm, so it's likely Orion would stop it before it would hit his beloved.

Instead, we decided how while D-16 would get the high guard to help him use Airachnid's memories to defame Sentinel, Orion managed to chop off Sentinel's arm, the one that the false prime turned into a blaster to shoot D with in the original (important for later).

Orion was feeling giddy at the start. He got to finally kill the mech that caused him and the other cogless bots to suffer, the mech that killed the primes for power, and the mech who hurt his beloved (quick note D was still the one who got caught and still got the scar-). When he saw D approach him in the midst of him beating up Sentinel, he is happier, before realizing that D was asking him to stop and hold back for a moment longer.

During this small pause between D and Orion near the pit while D is trying to convince Orion to not kill Sentinel, and Orion is trying to force D to agree with him like he always does, they miss what Sentinel is doing exactly.

In that moment, Sentinel had noticed everyone was distracted by their argument, and snatched Elita's gun from her quickly to shoot at them. Orion noticed too late, and only had seconds as he watched D fall down the pit from the blast. He sobbed for a moment as Elita and Bee quickly restrained the prime again, before Optimus went back to Sentinel and tore him apart slowly in front of everyone as revenge for killing D-16.

The moment Sentinel died, Primus gave him the Matrix of Leadership before everyone, claiming that he was worthy since he protected the people of Iacon from a dangerous threat, and through his first order he demands the destruction of any trace of Sentinel. In that moment, Starscream quickly slips to the pit edge, and steals Megatronus's cog before flying down to the pit. He wanted to keep the Prime's cog out of any cogless bot's servos out of fear they grow too dangerous, and so throwing it in the pit would be a good idea. He, Shockwave and Soundwave all respected D 16 for the mech he was, and so Starscream planned on retrieving his corpse to give him a proper burial.

Optimus did not notice Starscream doing this btw, he only saw Soundwave and Shockwave with the other high guard helping innocent bystanders move away from the destruction when it occurred, and ignored them.

When Starscream found D-16, however, he realized he was still alive, but death was near. D-16 landed on a ledge side because Primus would not let him fall any further like how Optimus did. Out of panic, Starscream quickly switched out the damaged cog for Megatronus's, and through the healing factors, he was fixed and reframed. D was surprised, and in the midst of trying to understand how he was alive, Starscream chose to have him redesignated to Megatron, to match the cog he now bore.

When Optimus and Megatron met each other, Optimus hugged him, and apologized heavily for not stopping D from taking the hit. He then tries to pull him along to tell him about what he's missed and he plans to do now that he was a Prime, as a way to rebuild their lives after everything, but Megatron immediately tries to get Optimus to call off the destruction.

This angers Optimus, and at first he believed it was Starscream's doing, since he brought Megatron back to the top of the pit. Optimus lunged at the seeker, and Megatron quickly intercepted him, and basically ensued the fight that we saw in the original.

Eventually, when Megatron's cannon is destroyed, Optimus banishes Megatron and the high guard, leading to everything I've mentioned so far.

I hope that cleared up the rest of your questions, friend!

[heresthestorymorningglory]

Kiss

Summary: Colt has a bit of an oral fixation...

A/N: The Fall Guy is my new favourite thing and I personally would gnaw on Colt Seavers like a chew toy.

Colt x afab reader <3

As per usual, it's NSFW 18+ @ken-dom as always my darling, I thank you for your support and inspiration and late night chats.

There will certainly be more Seavers in the very near future ;) but for now, be gentle, I'm no stunt man

Enjoy my loves <3

There was a heavy knock on your trailer door before it clicked open and Colt ducked inside. 

His shaggy blond hair falling in his face as he smiled that smile that made you weak in the knees. 

He was covered from head to toe in dirt and dust in your favourite outfit; jeans with both knees ripped out and a dirty white t-shirt and work boots in his Miami Vice stunt team jacket. 

“Hi” you smiled, as his large arms slipped around your waist, pulling you against him. 

Your arms snaked around his neck, his skin warm and sun kissed against your forearms. 

“Hi” he whispered before claiming your lips in a heated gentle kiss. He pushed you back gently against the small counter. You moaned softly against his mouth as he sucked on your bottom lip making your stomach flutter. 

His teeth pulled gently on your lip before your tongue tangled with his, returning his kiss with just as much fervor. 

He boosted you up on the small ledge, his fingers sliding under the hem of your shirt, squeezing gently, grazing over the smooth skin of the small of your back. 

The walkie talkie at the end of the counter crackled with chatter, Dan was looking for you. 

You pushed Colt back gently, prying your lips from his, albeit reluctantly, leaning to reach the small radio. Colt paid it no mind whatsoever, opting to continue his assault. His beard scratched over your skin as his teeth nipped along the length of your neck as he mumbled protests. 

Holding his shoulder for support, you leaned further, fingers just brushing against the walkie talkie as he sucked harshly at the hollow of your collarbone. 

You gasped, squeezing his shoulder “Colt, please-” you strained to reach the radio as Dan called again, knocking it over. 

You giggled as his bangs tickled against your cheek, his hand closing around your wrist pulling you back to him. 

“Nn-no” you protested as his frame enveloped yours as he turned you to face him, still stretched over the length of the counter, his weight heavy on top of you as he cupped your cheek, his lips finding yours as you protested half heartedly. 

Your breath caught in your throat against his mouth as you felt yourself slip from the countertop; his strong arm locking around your back kept you from falling to the floor as your arms instinctively wrapped around his broad shoulders. 

You break your kiss a second time, panting heavily against his neck as you try again to protest. 

“Colt” you breathed hard as he moaned against your neck, but made no effort to lift his head; instead his perfect teeth leaving love bites down your throat, leading down toward your cleavage. 

You whined pathetically as his warm tongue licked over your skin. Your entire body going limp in his arms, fingernails scratching against the nape of his neck. He knew just how to push your buttons. 

His free hand pulling the deep v neck of your t-shirt down even further as he dragged his nose between your cleavage. 

“Oh my-” you gasped, licking your lips as he hummed with approval; the support of the counter under you was gone, his arm across your back and one unsteady foot barely touching the floor between his boots, keeping you suspended where he wanted. 

There was a loud knock on the door of the trailer, Dan's booming voice coming from the other side. 

“Colt you better not be in there!”

That stopped him in his tracks, but he only looked up at you from his place between your breasts, his blue eyes meeting yours with a mischievous glint as he stood rooted to the spot. 

You bit your lips together, fighting back a laugh as Colt winked at you but didn't move. 

You squeezed your eyes shut laughing quietly as Colt moved to start sucking on your overheated skin. 

You grit your teeth pushing him gently by the shoulder but you knew it was in vain. “Stop it” you whispered harshly. 

“He's not here Dan!” You yelled and Colt's head shot up

“Shhhh” Colt frowned up at you 

“He knows I'm in here” you whispered harshly 

Colt just rolled his eyes

“Check the coffee cart!’ you yelled, your fingers twisting in his mop of tangled hair. 

“Mhm” was Dan's unbelieving, muffled reply.

Colt only snorted into your cleavage and you pulled on the thick strands of his hair hard, making him growl low in the back of his throat. 

He stood up straight, pulling you with him before he sank to his knees in front of you, his hands pushing up the thin fabric of your shirt, he kissed a trail over your bare stomach; both your hands on either side of his head, threading through his hair. 

His nimble fingers working open the button of your jeans before he slid them down your legs along with your panties. 

You rested against the counter, your eyes fluttering closed as you felt him lean in closer to your core. 

Your heart thudded loudly in your ears as his calloused hands slid back up the length of your now bare thighs. 

He let out a soft moan as you scratched against his scalp a second time, his head dipping to lick a hot stripe between your thighs. 

You cried out, your knees instantly buckled as you threw your head back. 

Colt slid a hand under the back of your thigh, hooking your knee over his left shoulder to move himself closer. 

You balanced against the counter on one foot as he slid underneath you, his hands firmly on your hips. 

He moaned against your slick folds making you whine with need over his head; both your hands holding his head still as he fucked you with his tongue. 

Your weight rested heavily against his shoulder as you bucked your hips, grinding against him as his beard scratched the inside of your thigh, only adding to your bliss.

“Holy fuck” you swallowed hard, eliciting another moan between your thighs. 

You dropped your chin against your neck as his tongue flicked over that oversensitive bundle of nerves. 

“Colt g-god” you whimpered unashamedly as he lapped at your leaking core, desperate to push you over the edge. 

His fingers gripped your hips with a painful need, his short fingernails biting into your flesh. 

His tongue skilfully working between your folds. The entirety of your weight threatening to collapse on him knelt in front of you. 

You shuddered over him and he moaned under you, knowing you were close. 

“Colt I-” you squeezed your eyes shut, struggling to find the words. You hummed, biting down hard on your bottom lip. 

You gasped, trying again failing miserably stumbling over his name a second time “C-Colt”

He simply moaned with agreement devouring you like you were his last meal….and if Dan got ahold of him you probably would be. 

You moaned, desperate and needy over his head, fisting chunks of his thick hair. “Colt” you breathed. 

Again, he moaned against your core with agreement, not even bothering to come up for air. 

“Mhm, mhm, mhm” he attempted a nod, but your grip in his hair made it difficult. 

All at once the one knee holding you steady, buckled, Colt's grip on your hips tightening instantly to keep you stationary as you yanked hard on the hair between your fingers, thrusting your hips shamelessly, grinding against him, fucking his face, quite literally riding out your orgasm as he lapped up and sucked every last drop. 

You nearly collapsed against the counter as he eased your leg from off his shoulder and got to his feet, an impressive hard on, pressing wet against his jeans. 

Barely giving you a chance catch your breath and come down from your high he claimed your mouth in a desperate kiss; his entire face wet with your slick. 

You reached between you, ripping his jeans open and shoving your hand inside, fingers wrapping around his throbbing, leaking shaft. 

He pulled his mouth from yours, his breath hot and heavy against your neck as he growled through grit teeth, his cock twitching hard in your fingers. Precum spilling from the tip, dripping over your hand. 

His teeth sank into your neck, making you whimper and squeeze him harder. He bit so hard on the little hollow under your ear you thought for sure he would pierce skin before he sucked hard, you had no doubt, forming a dark purple bruise in his wake.  

His entire body was coated in a thin sheen of sweat. 

You pulled his cock free, stroking him gently. 

Leaning next to his ear you breathed hard after running your tongue along his jaw. 

“Mark me” you whispered, his cock twitched again and he bucked his hips with a groan. “Then fuck my mouth”

Again, his teeth sank into your neck, this time he did pierce your skin making you cry out with a moan against his shoulder. 

You sank to your knees in the small space, immediately hollowing your cheeks and taking his entire throbbing length into your mouth. 

The deep groan over your head making your core throb as his massive hands gathered your hair into a snarled ponytail, the head of his cock bumping the back of your throat as he fought to keep himself in check. 

Your hands dropped in your lap as you let him take complete control, his hips moving slowly at first as you moaned around his length. Until you looked up at him from under your lashes with a small quiet moan. 

His eyes locked on yours and all at once his hips thrust forward, the head of his cock hitting the back of your throat with enough force to make you choke slightly, but he didn't stop. 

His grip on your hair tightened as he did what you'd asked, fucked your mouth. 

You let him slide over your tongue effortlessly as he breathed heavily through his nose and muttered “Fuck”

You moaned around him, which only egged him on, coating your tongue with the beginning of his release. 

His hips snapped hard and you moaned approvingly before he stumbled over his own words. “C-come I'm g-nnnuh”

Before you had a chance to acknowledge the flurry of noises over your head, Colt grunted and his thick hot release filled your mouth and just like he had, you sucked and swallowed everything he had to give. 

He braced himself on the counter as you let him slide from your mouth before wiping the back of your hand across your lips and got to your feet. 

You both put yourselves back together, and you buttoned your jeans as Colt's arms slipped back around his waist. Both of you still catching your breath. 

He kissed across your face and down your neck, his teeth marks prominent, red and angry against your tanned skin. He kissed it gently before continuing along your jaw. 

You hummed with protest as your hands slid up his back. “You're insatiable,” you giggled “Take up gum chewing or something” 

He shook his head gently, “Uh huh,” his mouth barely pulling away to speak as continued to pepper your neck and face with kisses before his lips found yours, “Kiss more first…” he muttered against your lips, kissing you gently before he pulled back as you giggled. 

“Control yourself, Seavers” 

“Never” he shook his head pushing you back against the counter to once again lose his nose in your cleavage. His mouth sucking and nipping at the mounds of your flesh.

You pushed him back gently with a laugh surveying the bright red bite marks he left behind. 

“God, can you at least hide them better?” You smirked as he leaned over you, you cupped his cheek, pulling him to you. 

“I could,” he shrugged in between kisses “But I don't want to” 

You rolled your eyes, pushing his bangs back off his forehead as he leaned over you. “I miss your long hair” you whispered as he leaned forward to kiss the tip of your nose.

“Wanna go do some donuts?” 

“You mean go make out in your truck instead of in here?” You asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“And maybe a couple of donuts,” he shrugged. When you didn't answer right away he continued “I'll start growing my hair out” he smiled

You smiled and draped your arms around his neck as he pulled you up from the counter. “How can I say no to that?”

He shrugged nonchalantly with that goofy grin you fell in love with. 

“Let's go Stunt Man” you smiled, planting one last kiss on his swollen lips before slipping around him and out of your trailer.