#even as tears trace paths down my cheeks. In the midst of the storm

[manoasha]

Echoes of a Heartbreak: A Poetic Journey In the quiet solitude of my room, where shadows dance and memories whisper, I sit and reflect on the past, my heart a mosaic of shattered dreams and lingering pain. Heartbreak, they say, is a bitter pill to swallow, yet it is in this very bitterness that we find the seeds of our own strength and renewal. “Sometimes, good things fall apart so better…

[optimizche]

Missing (Part 7) [Aemond Targaryen x Reader x Jacaerys Velaryon]

Warning: Smut, fluff, angst.

Even though it snowed outside, you felt like you were being burned from the inside out. Heat smouldered through you, torturously curling into your belly, drawing out pained and desperate moans from you. Fingers trembling, they caressed the scalp of the dark haired Prince who was kneeling before you, his face buried, almost reverently, into the space between your legs.

"Jace, please…" You moaned, wanting to squirm away from his relentless ministrations yet unable to do so as he held your hips down with surprising strength. He licked into you, groaning appreciatively at the taste of your arousal, ensuring he drank every drop he was able to coax out of you. It colored your cheeks an alluring rose, the way your cunt wept so copiously for him.

Shuddering into the thin and worn mattress under you, your back arched as you climbed the peak he had already brought you to twice.

"It's alright, my darling," he murmured against you between gasps. "Let go for me, I'll catch you…"

Tears sprang into your eyes at the strain of trying to remain quiet, turning your head and pressing your mouth into the mattress to muffle your moans. It felt dizzying, the pleasure swelling so rapidly inside you that you felt like you were going to break into pieces.

"Jace, oh my…"

Even in the midst of this feverish storm, you felt the Prince gently pulling your hands away from his hair, lacing his fingers through yours and holding your hands down upon the bed. Keeping you grounded to him even as you shattered with a sob.

He led you through the blinding ecstasy, his hands never leaving yours, pinning them to the bed, even as he continued to work his mouth against you in kitten licks. Trying to prolong the euphoria.

Once you returned to him with a quiet whimper, you tugged at his hands with whatever strength remained in you, silently begging him to become one with you.

He climbed the length of your body with a path of kisses strewn across your bare, flushed skin until he was looking into your eyes with a warmth that drew your breath away.

Had I always been so blind to his love for me, you wondered, running your thumb across his lip to wipe away the traces of your wetness.

At your touch, Jacaerys closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, as if he were steadying himself.

"I know that you will never be able to love me the way you loved him," he said, pressing his lips into your palm. "But if I continue to keep denying myself from giving in to what you awaken in me, I'll die."

"Shhh…" you hushed him with a kiss, struck by his tenderness and care. "I need you, Jace. Inside me, please."

Feeling him slip into you, inch after glorious inch, felt indescribable. The two of you forcing yourselves to keep your eyes open and on each other. Your walls fluttered and clenched around him, drawing him all the way in with just a twinge of pain as he breached past your barrier. Your maidenhead.

Tears flooded into your eyes at the sensation of fullness, at how you felt like you were being split into two in the most exquisite way.

He stilled almost immediately, sensing the tension in your muscles. Bringing his forehead against yours, he urged you to breathe with him, hands running through your now undone hair.

"Gods, you feel like a dream, my darling…" he said, mesmerized.

It enthralled you, the rush of heat that seared through you when he gently withdrew before surging back in. It made you break contact with his intent gaze, the pleasure forcing you to cave in. Head falling back against the thin pillow beneath you, your eyes fluttered shut and you felt him bury his face into the curve of your neck as he found his rhythm.

Sedate and languid, he kept going, mumbling words of adoration and praise into your ear. Telling you how much he wanted you, wanted this. How much he loved you…

In the midst of it all, you wished to tell him that you loved him too, but it felt like something was weighing down your tongue, constricting around your throat. Reducing you to quiet moans and faint gasps. Running your hands across his shoulders and through his hair, you held him against you, your own hips rising to meet his thrusts. Chasing the intoxicating ecstasy.

"J-Jacaerys… I…"

"I know," he responded, his voice a gentle lullaby. "I know, sweetness."

It went on, for minutes or hours, you could not tell, your bodies intertwining ever so intimately and familiarly that you were left wondering of the depths of his yearning for you. It overwhelmed you, the way he held you, the way he kissed you, the way he worshipped you, the way he always knew what you needed, that you fell into a trance. Feeling your entire being become consumed by fire. For once, you truly understood how glorious it felt to be desired by someone.

Toes curling into the sheets, you arched against him, approaching the last crescendo with startling rapidity. He throbbed within your aching walls, now pushing into you with a breathtaking sense of urgency and want. Arrested and crazed by the desires he had evoked in you, you begged him to just let you come.

"Gods be good, where…?" he asked, rising from your neck, sounding just as wrecked as you were.

"Inside me. I want to feel you…" you sighed.

You broke against him first, nails digging into the sinew of his arms, drawing him to his own completion mere moments after, moaning into his ear at the sensation of him spilling over and over into your velvety walls.

After, you lay against him, your bodies covered by his cloak to shield you from the cold.

You looked at him with glazed eyes, swollen lips parted as you tried to regain your breath, fingers tracing aimlessly along his arms, revelling in his warmth.

"So beautiful," he whispered, his hand gently combing through your hair, sweeping it away from your face. "I'd kill for you, my darling. I'd die for you."

"Jacaerys…"

"When we win back the Iron Throne, I want you to be by my side when it passes to me in time," he said.

"I will be by your side, Jace…"

"…as my Queen Consort," he finished and the weight of the true meaning of his words took a moment to sink in.

Eyes wide, you placed your fingers upon his lips, shaking your head. "I couldn't possibly- You have no idea what you speak of."

He grasped your wrist, pulling you closer to him. "I know what I am saying, what I am asking of you," he uttered, his voice so calm and tranquil against your ear that you wanted to melt into it. "I am aware that he still lingers in your heart. Even if you do regret this in the morning and never want to look upon me again, all I want you to know that I will never hurt you like he did. I would rather die than forsake you. Just, promise me... You'll consider it."

"I promise, Jace," you said, pressing your lips to his shoulder, before leaning your head against it, wrapping your arms around him. "I just…" you trailed off and you knew that he understood you, like he always did.

I just need some time… To let go of him.

"Sleep now, my darling," he said, his chin brushing against your crown as he drew you into his embrace. "I'll wake you before dawn so that we can head back to the castle."

You hummed against his shoulder, sinking into a sleep so peaceful that you forgot to even dream, let alone stay awake and think about him…

For the first time in more than a decade, Aemond Targaryen felt the pain return. The searing agony he had felt at Driftmark, when the dagger's steel had forever stolen away half his sight.

Staggering, tears brimmed in his other eye, his knees buckling under the intensity of the pain he felt writhing around the sapphire in place of his eye. The leather of his eye patch felt suffocating and chafed against the smarting scar and the exiled Prince ripped it away. Cupping his lost eye in his palm, Aemond clenched down on his jaw to prevent himself from crying out from the phantom pain.

It was in that precise moment that he heard Helaena's voice scream at him:

The remedy is obscured in frost, enwreathed in darkened flames…

Seconds later, his mind deciphered the meaning of the words in startling succession.

Frost? Winterfell.

Darkened flames? Jacaerys Velaryon. A dark haired dragonrider.

The remedy? You…

Helaena's last words were leading him to you, he realized, bile rising in his throat.

"Help me, Gods…"

He felt a similar, rivalling agony burst through his chest, the sight of you intertwined with that bastard Strong playing repeatedly behind his closed eyes. His fingers twitched with the urge of wanting to grab his longsword and plunging it to the hilt inside that bastard's heart for touching you the way he had done.

How dare he… How could you…

Seven Hells, is this what you had been suffering from since he had left you for Vhagar at Driftmark? Is this the pain that you had endured for all these years in silence?

Was this the heartbreak that had made you turn against your childhood friend?

If that was the case, for just a brief moment, Aemond understood you. He understood what had motivated your hand to write those letters that had gotten him exiled.

If this was the pain you carried within you for years, the same pain that now made him want to burn the world to the ground, Aemond understood you.

He had come to Winterfell hoping to find you. Hoping to hear the confession from your lips, in your own voice. He had wanted you to admit that you had betrayed him in the worst possible way.

He hadn't wanted to hurt you, he hadn't wanted revenge for what you had done. He simply wanted you to confess the truth. He did not even expect an apology, for he himself had never apologized to you for what he had done.

Perhaps he had hoped that hearing you confess would have given him an odd sense of peace. A sense of closure. Helping him to move on with his life and leaving you alone to move on with yours.

But you had taken the knife you had already stabbed into him with those letters and cruelly twisted it into him, again and again, by allowing Jacaerys to…

Aemond shuddered and shivered under the sheer intensity of the pain that blistered through him. His emotions were a maelstrom of rage, agony and bitter jealousy. It spread like poison through his veins, piercing infinite needles into his heart. Now he was learning what you felt when you came to know the truth of his relationship with Helaena, the truth about Jaehaerys and Jaehaera. It felt like every beat of his heart sent a roar of dragonfire coursing through him, leaving a trail of despair and destruction in its wake.

"Punish me," he wept, tears now flooding down his cheek, becoming one with the snow on the ground. "Gods, punish me for what I've done but don't… Don't…"

Don't take her away from me so cruelly. Don't let her move forward with that whelp when I need her so.

He cried and cried, the pain never subsiding. Only growing.

Growing with a series of recognition of all he had lost.

His eye.

His mother.

His sister.

His children.

His dragon.

But last and most important of all, he had lost you.

It crushed him, the cognizance of his biggest mistake.

A broken laugh burst through Aemond's pressed lips.

You foolish boy, he scolded himself. His younger self. Look at what you've done.

For what wrong had you done? Nothing. You had been the one to defend him against his brother's and nephews' cruel japes. You had protected him from his mother's scoldings when he snuck into the Dragonpit for the umpteenth time. You had been by his side, guiding him with a gentle patience through his studies, teaching him where he struggled with his lessons. And if, in your innocence, you had ended up losing your heart to him, he should have held onto it. Protected it and cherished it just as earnestly as you had protected and cherished him.

Instead he had spat on your feelings with his arrogance and greed for power. He had taken your heart and crushed it into splinters with his own hands. It was only fair that you decided to run away. It was his utter stupidity to assume, just like everyone else, that you were dead. He should've tried to look for you, he should've not let you go, he should've…

A maniacal laughing fit took over him in the midst of his agonized tears.

This is the pain she has lived through for all these years, you idiot, he chastised himself. And you are going mad within minutes of feeling it? Can you even blame her for doing what she did to you?

He laughed and cried, all at the same time. Crazed with the torment.

For the briefest moment, as he lay curled on the snow covered ground, Aemond saw a vision of you emerging from the cabin…

..you saw him lying on the ground, in pain and rushed toward him. Gathering him in your arms, you kissed him, healing the anguish he felt in his heart. Erasing the heartbreak. You asked him to take you away from this war, away from everything. You told him that it was him and only him you had ever loved. He took your hand in his and flew with you on the back of your dragon to King's Landing to free Vhagar. Once she was free, the two of you took to the skies, flying far beyond Westeros and even the Free Cities to make a life of your own. He took you to be his wife in the custom of Old Valyria and the two of you lived to have a family of your own. Maybe a son and a daughter each? And you watched each other grow old together…

His maddened laughing fit ceased as he found himself suddenly struggling to breathe under the strain he felt in his chest.

He had lost his last chance at happiness. He had lost his purpose.

And now he had nowhere to go.

Nothing to live for.

The remedy is obscured by frost, enwreathed in darkened flames.

The words echoed in his mind in an endless chant. Somehow, Helaena had known that you were in Winterfell, known that you were going to give yourself to Jacaerys. And she had warned Aemond of this, but for what?

To prevent his heartbreak?

To make things right with you?

To bring you back to him?

To bring you back to him…

You thought you heard someone laughing, the sound awakening you from your sleep with a start.

Emerging from your place of rest against Jace's shoulder, you looked up to find his eyes shut.

He was sleeping so soundly, his handsome face a picture of absolute calm. If your younger self had any inkling of how much he had loved you, your life would have turned out to be so different.

Instead of wasting all the time you had on dreaming of Aemond's affections, perhaps you would have had something real to hold on to. Jacaerys' love would have kept your heart whole, not broken right through the middle as it had now become.

You would be betrothed to the oldest son of Queen Rhaenyra, perhaps married with a child on the way even. That life would have been so beautiful and almost dreamlike.

But in a way, you were thankful for what you went through. It helped you the person you were today: a proficient healer, a dragonrider and someone highly trained in the arts of combat, governance and diplomacy.

Looking at the man who lay asleep beside you, you felt your heart soften. The perpetual pain that you woke up to when you ever did manage to get some sleep felt somewhat eased. For the first time in a long time, you felt a ray of hope.

Exactly like the early morning sun that was just beginning to creep up the horizon.

Fuck.

"Jace…" you kissed him, before whispering his name in his ear, trying to wake him up. "The castle, we need to-"

"Mmmh," he pouted, his arm wrapping around your waist just in time to stop you as you made an attempt to rise from the bed. "Let's stay here forever."

"Lord Stark's men must be looking for us!" you insisted and it was hearing this that finally made his eyes open.

He released you with a defeated sigh, watching you stand and walk over to where your clothes lay in a heap on the floor.

"You look so good bent over like that."

"Jacaerys!" you exclaimed at his ribald comment before being overtaken by a bout of laughter. "Get dressed, you insatiable beast!" you giggled, throwing his crumpled doublet at him.

"Fine," he finally acquiesed with a grin, devilry dancing in his eyes. "But after we get back to the castle…" he waggled his brows at you suggestively.

"And what excuse will we give the Starks?" you asked, attempting to lace up the back of your dress.

Jace watched you struggle, before rolling his eyes and walking over to help fasten your dress. "We'll say that you fell ill."

"And we left the castle because I fell ill?" you countered.

"If Lord Stark presses us with too many questions, I'm commanding Vermax to burn him down," he mumbled petulantly.

"Jace!"

"Okay, okay, I won't," he tittered.

Once you both were dressed and sufficiently presentable, you started your walk back to the castle, hand in hand.

It felt incredible, happiness, true happiness, slowly taking root in your barren heart as you saw dawn break across the sky.

However, just as the two of you neared the Winterfell castle, you felt the deafening screech from the skies. It was unmistakable.

A dragon.

You panicked, knowing that Vermax and Aquerion rested safely within the walls of Winterfell's castle, where you had left them.

Looking up, you could see in the early morning sky, an immense golden dragon soaring toward the castle.

Your astonishment came to a sudden halt as recognition came and you spoke in unison with Jace, just as he squeezed your hand.

"Sunfyre."

Author's note: Your comments, suggestions and reblogs make my day! I hope you liked this chapter and please stay tuned for more! ❤️

Part 8

[crazywritingbug]

Dreamers (Part Fourteen)

Soulmate AU

Raphael x Fem!Reader

A/N

So I tend to dislike long authors notes, but I feel I owe you all an apology. By starting this story, I promised a continuation and an ending, but I have been terrible with posting constantly--It’s been two months. I can offer as many excuses as I want, first year college student, two jobs, other projects, yadda yadda... the list goes on. But that doesn’t change the fact that I have a promise to keep and haven’t been doing a good job. So I am sorry and I hope you all can forgive me.

The lair was in chaos when Y/N came back. Splinter was scowling as Leo and Raph argued, raised voices bringing her into a halt in the entryway. This was not a good thing to be happening right before going to meet with Stockman. What had caused it in the first place? She’d seen how these two bickered, this was not that. This was a fight.

“Hey Y/N,” Donnie approached her, his voice lowered and eyes worried. “I don’t think now is a good time for you to be here…”

“What happened?” She gestured to the opponents and a dejected Mikey.

“It’s a long story…” Donnie shifted, almost uncertainly.

“You should have seen the way they looked at us…” Mikey spoke up, “There wasn’t just fear...there was actual hate.” Even from this distance, she could see the tears in his eyes that had even Raph and Leo falling silent. Whatever had happened, it had caused a hurt that none of these heroes deserved.

Her feet moved before her mind did, closing the distance between her and Mikey to pull him into a hug. He clung to her as if she was a life raft in a storm, shaking with the silent tears she could feel soaking her shirt. Looking up over his head as he hid his face in her shoulder, Y/N leveled a sharp look at Leo and Raph. At least both had the decency to look ashamed.

“What happened?” She asked again.

“Raph and Mikey broke into the police station to try to get the mutagen,” Leo cast a cold glare at Raph. “They roped Casey and April into it, in process getting them arrested and revealing us to the entire New York police force.” Y/N felt Mikey’s grip tighten slightly and the puzzle pieces fell into place. That was why Mikey had said they’d looked at him with hate. What was she supposed to say to this? How was she supposed to fix this?

“I’m sorry…” She whispered, mostly to Mikey.

“Sorry that you have an idiot for a soulmate?” Leo asked, and she tensed. How dare he-

“We need to move out.” Leo kept talking. “You have an appointment with Stockman.” No, there was no way that she was going to let him just walk away like that. He did not get to talk about Raphael like that. Ever.

“Leonardo.” She snarled it with the same venomous rage that was flowing through her veins. “Apologize to Raphael.”

He froze, looking at her as if she had lost her mind.

“Apologize to Raphael.” Y/N repeated herself. “You may be his brother but you. Will. Not. Talk. About. Him. Like. That.” Mikey pulled away and she stepped towards Leonardo. Her whole body shook with anger. He would not speak to her soulmate like that and get away with it. 

Leo towered over her, stepping close enough that she had to tilt her head back to look him in the eye. So this was his game? Intimidation? Did he really think she would buckle under it?

“Y/N,” Ralph’s voice was a soft warning.“Be careful.”

“What makes you think you can tell me what to do?” Leo countered and Y/N felt herself begin to bend. He had a point. What was she doing stepping out of line like this? She had hardly known them all for a week. Why did she think she had a right to stand up to Leo like that? He was the leader, he knew what he was doing...right?

“Y/N.” Splinter’s voices cracked through the air like a whip and she took a step back to look at the Sensei. His gaze bore into her like a drill and she dropped her own. 

“Your protectiveness and tenderness towards Raphael is touching,” Splinter’s words held a soft scolding. “But now you are late for the meeting with Stockman.” As if his words had summoned it, her phone began to buzz. It was Sarah.

“I stick my neck out for you and risk my job and you don’t show up!” Sarah yelled it, her voice sounding out for all to hear as she wailed, “Y/N how could you?” 

Y/N cringed, “Sarah-“ 

“Don’t you dare tell me you changed your mind!” Sarah stopped her short, “That you actually want that...that... that beast for a soulmate!” 

Y/N couldn’t stop her gaze from jumping to Raph, to the swirling storm of emotions in his eyes. She could lie to Sarah, and he would know it was a lie, but that wouldn’t stop the hurt. She could tell the truth and risk losing their chance at Stockman… Was hurting Raph really worth the advantage?

Y/N hung up on Sarah before her “friend” could do any more damage.

“What did you do that for?” Mikey asked softly.

Y/N shrugged. “I’d rather lose a chance at Stockman than lose any of you.” She attempted a smile. “Even you, Leo.”

“Well…” He paused, looking more than a little uncomfortable. Huh, so that was what it took to catch him off guard. “We, uh...we still need to come up with a plan…Donnie, how’s that tracking going?”

Donnie led Leo away, chattering about isotopes and geographic location. With a sigh she tried to conceal, Y/N turned away only to find Raph giving her a look she didn’t know how to read, his head tilted ever so slightly with a storm swirling in his gaze.

“What?” She asked and he shook his head.

“Nothing.” Was the only response he gave her.

***

Raph couldn’t quite catch his breath as he watched Y/N go toe to toe with Leo- for him. Even Raph had almost withered under the look she’d leveled at his brother. Was that why she was his soulmate? Because she was as sweet as sugar but had a fire burning in her? And why was it making him so poetic?

He glanced out of the kitchen at the sound of her laugh. Why did seeing her play Mario Kart with Mikey seem so right? Why did everything about this seem so right when it was so wrong?

Raph tightened his grip on the bowl of cereal. Of all the times to finally find someone to love it had to be in the midst of this chaos. What was he thinking? He needed to keep her out of this, keep her safe. It was a miracle that she’d missed the meeting with Stockman, now he needed to put distance between her and this mess.

But how?

The questions still rang through his head as he saw her home that evening, dropping smoothly onto the fire escape outside her window, trying to deny that he was showing off. 

“Ya gonna be okay tiny?” He asked as he set her down, instantly missing the feeling of her in his arms. It was soothed by the smile she gave him.

“I’ll be fine,” Y/N almost laughed it but it quickly faded as she looked up at him. “Are you sure you’re going to be alright? I know today probably wasn’t the best day…” 

The looks of the police force and the whispers of “monster” filtered through his mind down to his heart where they squeezed it tight.

He shrugged,“It’s fine. It’s nothing I didn’t expect.” It wasn’t fine, if anything it hurt to be rejected by the very people they did their best to help and protect. 

“I know it’s not fine Raph,” Her voice was soft as she reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. That...that was new. Not a bad new but new. She looked up at him with the softest gaze. “I can see it in your eyes, but if you’re not ready to talk about it, that’s okay.” He chuckles softly, fighting the urge to lean into her touch -and failing terribly. All those years of stuffing away his emotions to try to be strong for his brothers, to show Leo he could handle things just fine and support Mikey and Donnie, it was freeing just knowing that somebody could read him and didn’t judge him for it or try to correct it. Somebody who saw and…just let it be.

He wanted so bad to kiss her, standing here toe to toe on a cool evening. There couldn’t be anything wrong with that...right? He pushed a piece of hair away from her face, loving how the moonlight fell over her skin, loving her.

Before his mind could overcome his heart, he was bending down, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her closer. He was taking a risk, that much his mind was able to get through. Maybe though...this was a risk worth taking, especially considering how she popped up on her tiptoes, gently pulling him down by the ties of his bandanna. Everything about the kiss was gentle and soft. The way her hands slid over his skin, tracing a path over his face, down his neck and shoulders, her lips dancing in time with his. His arms wrapping around her, holding her close enough to feel her heart racing in time with his. It was perfect. Some part of him noted it was his first kiss, another prayed it wouldn’t be his last.

“Raph…”Y/N murmured it in a way that was almost musical as she pulled away slightly. “I need to go…” It was true, sadly, but he didn’t want her to go.

“Okay…” He whispered but didn’t loosen his grip on her. “Okay...just…”

“Just what?” She looked up at him with a searching gaze and he wasn’t sure what to say anymore.

Just stay safe? Just be careful? Just stay away from Sarah? From TCRI? Just stay inside?

Just know that he loved her?

No, it wasn’t time yet.

“Just be safe…” He settled on that one, letting her go.

“I will.” There was a new light in her eyes as she smiled up at him, almost a reflection of everything he was feeling. “You stay safe too okay? It’s not just the city that needs you…” She slipped through the window with that statement, becoming a shadowy figure in the dark room. 

Not just the city…Raph puzzled over that as he climbed up the fire escape to the roof. Did she mean that she needed him? He couldn’t help but smile at the idea, and at the lingering taste of vanilla on his lips. 

He didn’t hear her muffled scream.

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[lefaystrent]

LeFay’s Masterlist

Here’s a list of all of my Sanders Sides stories. There’s a lot down there. Lots of pairings, lots of genres. Don’t get lost.

ONE-SHOTS 

20biteen??? – Patton’s really confused and Logan’s just trying to make a sandwich.

A demon? In my attic? More likely than you think --  “Well that’s what happens when your dad asks you to clean the attic and it’s filled with a bunch of junk from his wiccan days,” Virgil explained, though from the demon’s pinched expression the explanation left a lot to be desired.

A Dire Situation -  Logan tries not to make a single move or sound. His whole body coils tight with tension, knowing that the animal can strike at any moment. (additional parts can be found here)

A Storm Rolled into Town -  It’s not like Virgil meant to become famous anyway. It just sorta happened. And now he’s shopping in some small-town mom-and-pop store on a weekday morning. Despite wearing the hood of his jacket up and perhaps looking the more conspicuous for it, he can sense that someone somewhere in this store is watching him.

Ashes –Three months ago, Roman returned home to find the house that he shared with his younger brothers up in flames.

Baby you’re a Firework - “Patton is MY best friend!” you screamed, and then you looked to me with those eyes. How else was I supposed to react other than to tell you that we would be together forever? Logicality

Beneath the Boughs –The feeling of tender fingertips tracing from his jaw to his temple made him want to run through fields, but he wouldn’t move an inch away from this spot for anything in the world. Royality

Curiosity – Deceit’s mission to annoy Logan somehow involves sharing a bed with him and refusing to leave. Logan doesn’t really mind. Loceit

Death of a Bachelor - Virgil invites a bunch of billionaires to his fake wedding with his roommate, Logan. He doesn’t expect one of them to actually agree to go. 

Dino – Patton visits his local library one day and meets the librarian Logan, a man who loves dinosaurs.

Down by the Pier – Patton lives by the ocean. He likes to go sit out on the pier because the view is sweet but the company is even sweeter. Moxiety

Every Friday Night – “There’s a cat? In the sink?” Virgil said. platonic LAMP

Existentialism – Patton is a demon and really bad at it.

Five Times – There were five times that Virgil’s path crossed with Logan Sanders. Each time memorable, each time helping to shape Virgil into the kind of person he wants to be. platonic Analogical

Flutter and Fall – Virgil doesn’t believe in love at first sight, but he wonders if you can fall in love with a moment. Prinxiety

Happy Birthday, Virgil – Logan tends to take things literally.

Heartbeat – Roman’s out on the hunt for prey. He gets more than he bargained for.

Heartbeat AU – More info on the story.

Hello Mr. Spider -  He’s heard the screams of people whenever they lay eyes on him. They take one look at him, this monstrous being with too many limbs and eyes, and they quiver in fear and tears. He doesn’t blame them. He hides himself away, hoping to never hear those horrified screams. Moxiety

Hello Again -  Humans trespassed into the church occasionally. Some during the day, most of them at night. Never did humans come two nights in a row. Moxiety (Sequel to “Hello Mr. Spider”)

Hold On -  He felt someone grip the sleeve of his shirt. Logan looked to his side where Deceit stood, holding onto him. platonic Loceit

How to be a Good Person - “There’s an unconscious man in my flowerbed. What should I do with him?” Dee should be used to getting phone calls from his brother needing help. brotherly Moceit

I got to pet the dog -  Patton gets distracted easily. Virgil doesn’t have the heart to tell him he’s supposed to be working.

I met God last night - Predictably, Patton looked up to stare at Virgil. He set aside his scrapbook, clasped his hands together, and said, “Okay, I’m listening.” platonic Moxiety

I wanna intimi(date) you — Virgil teaches Patton to be more intimidating. It doesn’t go very well.

In a magical kingdom far away… —  The evil Lord Of Logic descends on the land, forcing all it touches to obey the laws of physics.

It’s hot – Virgil won’t take off the jacket.

Love Isn’t Blind – Patton notices a lot more than what people think he does.

Never Too Old – Patton worked as a manager at a toy store in the mall. Lately, the employees were noticing a reoccurring customer. Well, if you could call him a customer. He never actually bought anything. platonic Moxiety

Picture That –  “What are you doing?” Patton says between a flurry of giggles. He lifts the book he’d been reading to half hide his face. Roman dances around him snapping pictures as if Patton is a model. Royality

Piggyback – It’s late, and Patton’s falling asleep on the couch. Virgil’s not used to being the responsible one. Moxiety

Potatoes – Virgil has worries for days, but there’s only one thing that truly scares him. Moxiety

Rewrite – So here Roman is, lying by the sidewalk, very much not okay. Not because the local squirrels ostracized him, and not because he’d tripped or some such unfortunate mishap. No, he just has a lot on his mind. Prinxiety

Ribbit – Two lab partners and one dead frog do not make for the most romantic atmosphere but Roman tries. Logince

Roamin’ Nights -  Not that anyone’s looking right now, but Virgil’s glad that it’s dark in the kitchen, lest the color in his cheeks show. Roman’s not usually this affectionate with Virgil. Makes him wonder if he even realizes that this is Virgil he’s basically trying to use as a pillow. Prinxiety

Round and round we go – Logan stood there long after the commotion began outside, the one where everyone realized what had happened and were running to help and call an ambulance.

Sacrificial rituals and other fun activities – Virgil was a mage—one of the best. He’d seen a lot of things, but a handsome man chained up in the middle of a field? Even he had to take a moment. Prinxiety

Shark Attack! -  “I could be wrong here, but I’m pretty sure sharks don’t attack their victims with hugs.” platonic Moxiety

Sicky Icky – Most people assumed Roman would eat up all the attention he could get even when sick. They’d expect loud dramatics and Roman acting like he was dying every minute of it. That’s not how he was at all. Logince

Side-by-side – Virgil’s tired. Moxiety

So help me, I’m not moving from this spot – Virgil has the day off from work and chooses to spend it in true Virgil style. Queer platonic LAMP

Soft Prinxiety – Literally just a softy prinxiety scene. Prinxiety

Some Days – Some days are better than others, and some aren’t. These are Virgil’s days in the mindscape.

Someday I’ll find my way home -  Love cut deep and left scars on the heart. The heart never quite beat the same way again afterward. Analogical

Supposed to be – People get locked into a certain kind of perspective and decide what kind of person you’re supposed to be. Patton is frustrated.

Take Over the World - There’s not much else to do in the Mindscape for Deceit and the Duke.

That one time Deceit played hero in the mindscape – Deceit goes to the common rooms to find that everyone…is acting too much like themselves.

The Hug Booth -  In Patton’s free time, he had a booth set up somewhere on campus and he’d go sit there. The booth advertised ‘free hugs’.

The Ties that Bind – Everyone has a soulmate. Even the ones who probably shouldn’t. Logicality

This is the police! – “This is the police! Open up! Tell me something about yourself, don’t be afraid.” Prinxiety

Ties - Roman and Patton try to persuade Logan to wear a bow tie. Logan is uncooperative. romantic LAMP

Trances – The sides go into trance-like states sometimes.

Trouble in Tiny Town -  Logan is six inches tall. And somehow the human is the one cowering in fear.

Useless gays are useless – Patton is shirtless and Roman and Virgil are very, very gay. Roman/Patton/Virgil

Stil Gay -  Roman and Virgil are still thirsty gays, and Patton is a tall drink of water. One night of tv watching with his roommates leads to none of them paying attention to the tv. Roman/Patton/Virgil (Sequel to “Useless gays are useless”)

Wake up call -  There’s a muffled siren blaring from outside somewhere. He can feel the time slipping between his fingers.

We are family~ - “Patton,” Logan called. He stood in the doorway, stern-faced for a moment before slumping forward with a pout. “I require physical affection.” platonic LAMP

MULTI-CHAPS

Analogince - What started as a list of headcanons became a story of how three men fell together. part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4

Dog Days – In the midst of grieving for his beloved pet, comfort comes to Thomas in a curiously small form. platonic LAMP/Thomas, borrower!sides 

If you have nightmares, we’ll dance on the bed - Fae thrived on chaos and the fear that came with it. Well, most of them anyway. Virgil never really shared that sentiment. (Or alternatively, the story of how Virgil loves humans so much that he makes stupid decisions because of it, like save princes from attempted assassinations.)

Kid!Logan AU – Logan somehow finds himself back in time, waking up in his eleven-year old body.

Reverse Kid!Logan AU –  Roman just wanted a normal babysitting job. Now he’s caught up in debunking why he sees five-year-old Logan Sanders as if he were a grown man. part one , part two

Lifeline – Long ago, when his sides first started showing up, Thomas had pondered long and hard about reality versus imagination. But this? It became more apparent that Patton was carding his hand through Thomas’s hair. It was as if any of his friends were doing it, so tangible it was. Tangible in a way that shouldn’t be possible. platonic LAMP/Thomas

Nursing Home AU -  Patton had seen Virgil during the hiring process, and his personality didn’t seem like a … good fit. Too closed-off and kinda gruff, and probably not a good bedside manner, right? Plus there was that criminal record to consider… But he’s hired anyway, and Virgil joins the staff.

Psychic Therapist Virgil – Virgil’s not your run-of-the-mill therapist. part one, part two

Roses – The humans steer clear from the forest, warning their children with every generation, “Do not stray into those woods. They will devour you.” But it’s modern times now, fairy tales aren’t real, and Virgil and his friends have just moved into town and want to investigate the ‘haunted’ forest.

Variants – Patton was surprised by the mutant breaking into the jewelry store one night. And by break in, he meant that they seeped into shadows and appeared on the other side of the windows without breaking anything at all.

Weclome to the Neighborhood –Virgil’s really bad at peopling, or so his new neighbors find out. Prinxiety

Witch Way -  Virgil just wants to live a quiet life with his familiar, Logan. But we can’t always get what we want.

[ahtohallan-calling]

chapter 17 of love is the only thing we can carry with us (kristanna slowburn/angsty but cute/no magic au, rated t) is up!

next chapter // all chapters

It was October before he could bring himself to open the door. He’d tended the garden almost every day. Anna had been right; the sunflowers were as tall as he was. He’d doubted that they would grow at all, at first, but she had known, somehow, or maybe made it happen through sheer stubbornness, the whole-hearted devotion she offered to everything she loved that made even the most impossible things grow.

“Look at you, baby,” he whispered, his fingers trembling as he brushed them over a golden petal. “Look what you can do.”

chapter 17: another two months

“Anna! Anna!”

Kristoff hadn’t moved since the carriage had pulled away. He could see it now in the  foothills, already halfway back to the city. He knew she was still watching, too, though she would have lost sight of him as soon as they’d turned into the forest.

Olaf came skidding up the path, stumbling over a loose stone. Kristoff caught him before he could fall, but the boy was out of his grasp and running down the path as soon as he was steady on his feet again. “Anna! I didn’t say goodbye!”

He let the boy go, watched him run a few more yards before he sat down on the grass and began to sob, pulling his knees up to his chest and hiding his face. Kristoff walked over then and scooped him up. He was nearly too big to be lifted that easily; he was about to turn eight, the same age Kristoff had been when he first met Anna, when he had seen her crying and knew he couldn’t bear to leave her alone.

“She’ll come back and visit, buddy,” he lied, carrying the child back home. “She’d miss you too much, otherwise.” 

Olaf accepted this without question, calming down enough to be set down and walk beside Kristoff the rest of the way back to his grandfather’s house. For a moment, Kristoff almost envied him; he was still young enough that, though he would miss his friend, over time she would fade from his memories into a fond but faint impression of a particularly memorable summer.

For him, it wouldn’t be so easy; he knew he would wake up every morning for a long, long time reaching across the bed, awaking from a dream and expecting to find her there. It was a price he was glad to pay. 

—

He knew, of course, that some people turned to drink in times like these. He bought a bottle of liquor and tried it himself one stormy night when he couldn’t sleep for fear that Anna might be out there somewhere caught in the rain.

It had eventually put him to sleep, but he’d still woken up with a blinding headache, his heart pounding as he’d jolted out of a dream about her being out there alone, caught in the wind and rain and unable to find her way back home. He’d take the sleepless nights over that in a heartbeat.

Kristoff forced down a glass of water and a hunk of bread; he’d heard his grandfather prescribe that same remedy more than once to the young people who had a little too much to drink after a festival and showed up at his door convinced they were dying. It helped enough that he was able to make his way out of his cabin and towards the hill, wincing in the bright September sunlight. 

He could hear her in the back of his mind all the way up the hill, could still see her worried blue eyes as she’d laid next to him, sharing a pillow, so close their noses brushed against each other.

“Kristoff?”

He was stroking her hair, memorizing the way the strands slipped like water through his fingers. “What is it?”

“Will you still take care of the sunflowers? Please?”

His heart broke for the thousandth time that day. “Of course, baby, you don’t even have to ask.”

“The first one bloomed this morning.” A tear ran down her cheek, glimmering in the moonlight. He brushed it away like he had the rest  and left his hand there on her cheek, cradling it. “I wish I could be here to see all the others.”

“I wish you could, too.”

He crested the hill and strode immediately behind the house. He’d seen the storm clouds rolling in last night and hurried over here as soon as he’d gathered what he needed. The tarp had held up pretty well, all things considered; only one of the stakes had been knocked out of place. Kristoff rushed over and yanked the canvas away, relief washing over him when he saw that the flowers were still okay underneath. Two more had bloomed, even in the middle of the storm. He took it as a good omen; he’d had far too few of those in recent days. 

—-

“Kristoff?”

“Yeah, Grandpapa?”

The old man shifted from one foot to the other, unusually reticent. “I know you’re still in the midst of the ice season, but I was wondering if you’d mind helping me out again on your off days, if that’s not a problem.”

“Of course not. Whatever you need.”

His grandfather took a deep breath. “The…cottage. It still needs a caretaker. Someone has to go and cover the furniture, finish boxing up anything that was left behind.”

Kristoff gripped the back of a chair to steady himself, hoping the motion was inconspicuous. “Okay.” 

“There’s no rush, really, take your time. You don’t have to go right away.”

He didn’t respond, still feeling suddenly off-balance. Grandpapa came over then, clasping his shoulder. “I…thought you might want to do it yourself. It helps, sometimes, to go back through the good memories. But if you don’t–”

Kristoff shook his head emphatically. “No. I’ll do it.”

His grandfather nodded in return, beginning to pull away, but then suddenly looked up at him again, sorrow in his eyes. “I’m sorry, you know, for what I said at the beginning. And I’m sorry that it ended this way. I thought perhaps there was a chance that…”

He trailed off, and Kristoff nodded, a numbness creeping over him now that the initial shock had worn off. “Me, too.”

—–

On clear days, when he was higher up the mountain, he could see all the way down to the castle. He let his mind wander some days when he was too exhausted to keep his thoughts in check, found himself wondering what this prince was like, if he loved her, if maybe someday Anna would grow to love him in return. Maybe she, at least, might get a happy ending after all.

He closed his eyes, letting himself remember her again, the way he’d teased her in the early days about her happy ever afters. Six cats, she’d insisted, and he’d asked her what will you name them all?

“I was thinking I’d name some of them after characters in my favorite books,” she’d said dreamily. “A Beatrice for sure, and a tabby named Jim Hawkins. And I always wanted a white one named Snowball.”

He’d looked over at her then; they were lying down on opposite sides of a blanket, up at their favorite little pond again. “You’ve put a lot of thought into this, haven’t you?”

She’d nodded, eyes sparkling as she met his gaze.

“What’s your prince going to be like, then?”

She didn’t look away from him, but something in her eyes changed. It made him feel suddenly unsteady, the way he did when he was at the peak of the mountain and looked down at the vast world below. “I’m not sure anymore,” she’d whispered, a little smile blooming on her face, and he’d had to fight to keep himself from pulling her to him right then.

He wished now that he had. Maybe if he’d loved her sooner, for longer, that would have changed things; maybe then it would have been enough for her to stay.

—-

It was October before he could bring himself to open the door. He’d tended the garden almost every day. Anna had been right; the sunflowers were as tall as he was. He’d doubted that they would grow at all, at first, but she had known, somehow, or maybe made it happen through sheer stubbornness, the whole-hearted devotion she offered to everything she loved that made even the most impossible things grow. 

“Look at you, baby,” he whispered, his fingers trembling as he brushed them over a golden petal. “Look what you can do.”

He drew his hand back, forcing himself to turn and go, to step over the threshold for the first time since the night it had all fallen to pieces. For one heart-stopping second, he thought he caught a whiff of tea brewing on the stove, thought he heard Anna’s little footsteps pattering above him, rushing down to greet him; then he blinked and was left with nothing but the dust.

The kitchen was first, wiping down the table and stove and covering them both over with white sheets, as gently as if they were shrouds. Next was the living room; the plaid blanket had been left thrown haphazardly over the arm of a chair, and he picked it up tenderly, folding it into a neat square before pressing his nose to it. Whether he was imagining it or not, he didn’t care; he could smell her in it, black tea and cinnamon filling his senses once more, like they had that last night together when she had fallen into his arms, dizzy with love and grief and leaning on him even as he was falling, too.

He set it down carefully on the sofa, like he was leaving it ready for the next time it rained and they spent the whole afternoon lying there, kissing and talking and kissing again, all tangled up in each other, and then he covered that over, too, covered everything downstairs until he turned around and could see no trace of her.

He headed upstairs, remembering the weight of her in his arms as he’d brought her up here to tuck her in. She’d left the bed unmade, as she always did, and he smoothed the blankets, straightened the sheets, fluffed the pillows, leaving it all ready, just in case. 

He opened the wardrobe to check for cobwebs and froze. The dress was still hanging there, the blue one she’d worn the night of the summer festival, just as delicate and beautiful as he’d remembered. 

Marieke had loaned her that one on purpose; she’d told Kristoff so, taken him aside the day before the festival. “You still have that blue vest, right?” she’d asked.

“Only one I’ve got,” he’d said, raising an eyebrow, and she’d left him with a wink.

He took the dress from its hanger, intending to fold it so he could carry it back with him, but the moment the soft fabric slid over his palm, he could feel her again, could feel the warmth of her waist against his hand as they’d danced, the way she’d held onto him with those little fingers, barely half the size of his; he remembered the sound of her voice as she’d asked him not to let go, not to leave her, the way she’d fallen asleep leaning against him, the way she’d trusted him so deeply, knowing he would always be there to see her safely home.

A sob wracked him then; he leaned against the wall, trying to find support, but his knees were too wobbly to stay upright, and he slid to the floor, still clutching the dress in his hands. He hadn’t let himself cry like this, determined to be strong for Anna even when she was gone. This sorrow, this grief that hollowed his bones, this was what he’d always tried to protect her from, even the first night they had met. You were crying, and you were scared, and you were alone. And I had to do something– that’s what he’d told her, and he hoped desperately that wherever she was she had forgotten about him, had moved on, that she wasn’t alone in this, too.

—

Olaf found him one day in the last week of October standing at the perimeter of the garden, fists clenched as he realized that it was futile. The sunflowers were heavy with seeds, drooping forward, most of their petals lost; he’d kept them alive as long as he could, but they were past saving now. 

The little boy, already wise beyond his years, had reached up, taken his hand. “They’ll be okay, Kris.”

“Thanks, buddy, but I think these ones are done.”

Olaf shook his head. “No, you don’t get it.”

He’d stepped forward, shaking one of the flowers until a few seeds fell into his palm, leaving the stem bent at a strange angle. Kristoff gritted his teeth, even as Olaf held up the palmful of seeds to him. “See?” he’d said, eyes shining.

“I see.”

The boy huffed in irritation. “No, you don’t. It’s what Anna taught me. She said she liked this kind of flower best because they always come back. They’re never really gone, you just take the seeds and then next year, you can plant even more. So it’s not goodbye, it’s see you again next summer.”

Kristoff held out his own palm, and Olaf tilted his hand, letting the seeds fall into it. “Maybe we can plant them with Anna if she comes to visit in the spring again,” he said, hopeful, and Kristoff nodded, the sudden lump in his throat making it hard to speak.

Olaf wiped his hands on his pants and pulled out an envelope from his pocket. “Anyway, I came up here to bring you this. The mailman brought it to Grandpapa’s house by mistake.”

Kristoff took the letter, flipping it over. The royal seal of Arendelle was stamped on the back. Hardly daring to believe it, he tore the envelope open and pulled the enclosed card out.

He ran his finger around the gilded edges, nausea rising in him as he read the text, over and over. It was an invitation, on behalf of the kingdoms of Arendelle and the Southern Isles, to a ball, celebrating the upcoming wedding of Princess Anna and Prince Hans. What kind of cruel joke was this? He started to crumple it in his fist, but Olaf cried out, reaching up to stop his hand.

“Don’t!” the boy exclaimed. “There’s something on the back.”

Kristoff turned it over, eyes widening as he read the hastily written message, done in a spidery hand. “Olaf– come with me. I’ll drop you off before I go,” he said, already running towards the stable and Sven.

“Where are you going?” the boy called after him, giving chase.

“To Arendelle!”

[godsofmonster]

Saudade ≽

Hoseok x Reader x Jimin-  Two Loves au

Word Count- 5,3k

Warnings- some serious a n g s t and sexual content.

They say that time healed all wounds, that love was supposed to set you free, but that wasn't true. I had remained a prisoner to his love for much too long. I lingered somewhere between heaven and hell, calling for my lover, for him to see what I've become.

A sweet melody was sent across the open window, with the most sensitive hum, it reached the ocean and followed to glide the earth. It appeared of only him, his voice was true tranquility as it called to me, promising that everything would be fine. I could hear it every time I closed my eyes, every time the sunlight arrived at my window, it was his hands touching me.

"I don't think I can do this any longer..." I muttered as the breeze from the outside grazed my hand on the windowsill. 

"But you have to." His warm breath brushed the shell of my ear as he whispered the words I knew he would.

 The one man I could truly love brushed his delicate fingers across my shoulder, revealing its bare skin from the vailing cloth, as he continued to hum a kiss upon it. He was warm, dignified, and determined to show me what it truly meant to cry. 

“We belong together.”

I was convinced of that and nothing more. The very air spoke it to me, late at night, when I was in doubt. "I was made for you."

He gently gripped my arms and turned me on my feet. His slender frame managed to tower over me, leaving me in the warmth of his adumbration. A pair of black orbs searched downward in an attempt to hold my eyes, not understanding that he only drew tears from them. "You were made for me." 

"I know that," His lips fell flat, upset. He took my face in the palms of his hands as he lamented. "I know that more than anyone."

All I could do was stare- stare at my entire world as it stood before me. The way that his mouth fell into a pout, his black hair enclosing the dewy skin of his emanating face. The sternness drowned in it. If I hadn't already, I could lose my heart at the very sight.  

Then, suddenly, he was like a man brought to life. His lips turned and dazzled me with a smile. The literal imagery of the sun's glow embodied. 

"Hoseok," I muttered, instinctively, rushing to pull him into my arms, hiding my tears as I rest my expression in the crook of his neck. 

There was nothing but our wedded souls that pressed to matter. In the midst of his embrace, in his shelter, I could definitely worry about nothing else. Moments like this invoked the certainty that home was not the four walls in which we lived- our home was one another. Together is where we belong, where we could thrive, where we were meant to be. 

"Hey." He cooed as his cheek pressed against the top of my head. "Why are you crying, (Y/n)?"

Nevertheless, he knew why. Seeing him was fairly a bittersweet experience. He would hold me in his arms, make love to me in our bed, and then leave me to unravel.  

“Come on, let's go!"

Before I knew it, in a flash of a second, he was drawing me off my feet. He pulled me through the rooms of our small cottage house, where the low inclinations of sunlight made the home appear lively in the dead of summer.

"Where are we going?" I asked in a daze as we pass by the gleaming beams from the windows that blinded me like a strobe light. 

Then the light had elevated and my eyes adjusted to the outside garden of our home, where Hoseok and I seemed to spend most of our days. The years of hard work and love bloomed from the fruit of this bed. The aroma of sweetpeas and scorpion grass hugged the fields behind our house. The sun began to set just over our oak tree painting the atmosphere of amber.

It was only as we stepped toward the large tree, did I come to realize that we were both barefoot. The weight of our skin bent the grass we wandered on our path, Hoseok still leading me by the hand like my guide. 

I watched him let go and make himself comfortable against the trunk. The oak leaves shielding shapes on his skin as his gaze was admiring the sunset over our garden. The light shimmering on his eyes and the color of the sky kissing his skin. 

Eventually, he turned his eyes to me, in wonder as to why I hadn't moved to join him. But how could I look away? He was something so breathtaking. There was nothing in this world that could match the force that drove me to him. 

I fell on him, my legs straddling over his hips, causing him to laugh in surprise as his arm intuitively hooked around my waist. 

"I miss you..." I said. He continued to smile though. That smile that only he could give, with small impressions of dimples and his eyes cutting in half.  My hand moved to part the black mop of hair that threatened to hide his eyes from my outlook. I could give my heart and soul to stare at him like this for the rest of eternity. 

"Everyone tells me to move on," I looked at him, studying every edge and curve of his face, tracing my fingers along its outline. "But loving you forever can't be so wrong..."

His smile faded and his hands tightened around my hips. Just as he was about to object, I came to realize that I had forgotten the taste of his mouth and so, I leaned in to try and remember. 

The soft skin of his lips gently took hold of my own- where the taste of him, like honey, brought me to a deep state of nostalgia that caused the pieces of my heart to ache. His lips were faint, a memory from so long ago, that I could not recover it completely. But still, I clung to his illusion and hoped that it could come to life. He was mine and his lips belonged to me, to only me. 

For his love, I had my entire life to give, along with a broken heart that didn't know how to stop adoring him. It was a day just like this one- the day that we first met, since that very moment, I swear that I have never again had felt that same passion in my body. It was that type of emotion that made you hold your heart in your own hand. I knew that it made no sense, that I was living in a lie, but what else could I do? 

"How can I move on when I'm still in love with you?"

-

"(Y/n)... (Y/n)?" 

There was a ruin of breath in my lungs that caused me to wake up in a gasp. I panted for air like I had done so many nights before. My heart was pounding rapidly, that was the only validation that I was still alive.

"Are you okay love? What's the matter?"

He asked me with deep concerned as I sat up on the bed. It was only then that I had taken notice of the tears marking their way down my cheeks. The lashes of my eyes drenched, and my nose was stuffy as I tried to catch my breath. I had managed to wake him once again.

"I'm okay. Sorry..." I woke up in the same room, in the same bed. I looked out the same window that I just envisioned in my dream, but the reality was much bluer. The sun wasn't out and the sky was painted gray. "I didn't mean to wake you..." 

"Hey. It's alright. Come here..." He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me against the bare skin of his chest. I sighed, he was warm, warmer than I was at that moment. He could feel my clammy skin under his touch, and he pulled the bed sheets over my arms as a result. 

He knew how to soothe me, he was the only one who could. The scent of his skin lingered on my body, it was delicate as was he. His light breathing was enough comfort. Yet, somehow, I managed to still feel lonely in the arms of his touch but I knew it was only me. How could I doubt him though? He was perfect, understanding, and with a heart made of pure gold. So why did I continue to ponder him?

 "(Y/n)?"

My head turned upward in the direction from which his loving voice came. His coffee-colored hair was pushed back, away from his face, revealing a puffy set of lips looking down at me. I began to wonder, more obscurely, why did he continue to stay? 

"Jimin-"

He hushed me with his mouth, tenderly bent in and stole a kiss from lips that didn’t belong to him. His lips were promising however, and they always kissed me with the restraint of the very first time.

 As much as I tried, as much as I wanted to, I could not kiss him without tasting Hoseok's mouth. The blame was mine.  There was a deep hatred growing in the pit of my chest. Frustration and sorrow swirling like the winds of a storm. Some spend their entire lives looking for someone like Jimin. Some would kill for such a sweet taste and yet, here he was, making love to me- while I thought of another man.

If only I could erase him from my dreams, from my memory, undraw him completely. I would drown his very name in the depths of the ocean, If I could. But how could I erase his lips that were tattooed on my skin? His fingerprints left on my body like evidence at a crime scene? How can anyone compare to such perfection?

But still, I tried. I gave myself to Jimin completely.

I curved my arm around his neck and drew him in closer. I opened my mouth welcoming every inch his tongue had to offer. As he slowly began to lay me down onto the mattress, I shut my eyes and forced Hoseok's memory from my head. It was just one of those days.

Jimin's hands caressed the sides of my figure, his fingertips gently seeking for bare skin. My head turned on the pillow while his mouth trailed off my lips, leaving them flushed as he made his way down my neck. I held on to the ends of his hair, beginning to lose my steady breath. Jimin muttered sweet words against the flesh of my chest, his hands working to rid me of any other clothing. I felt my eyes water with frustration.

Jimin panted and praised me from above, staring at me with strangers eyes. He intertwined our fingers together, pleasure shaking under the skin of our bodies and out through our mouths. His passion ran through the veins of my body, selfishly using them to push toward my pleasure. And as we grew closer to our final climax, I could see it in his eyes, the love and lust mixing into a deadly concoction. I clung to his shoulder, begging to connect, to feel everything that he deserved from me. But even as he finished inside of me, his warm love settling in the pit of my core, I could not.

I was left only disgusted with myself.

-

There is a moment in the mornings, when I’m on the border of the dream realm and the real world. In that single second, I am aware of nothing- not guilt or heartbreak- the only thing I know is that I am awake. I looked forward to every morning, the only second of true tranquility before the cruelness of my reality sets. My entire life being a slave to the hope that he would one day return and to heal the stains on the heart that I use everyday in an attempt to heal the pain.

There was no light coming through the window. Hours had gone by and the sky had actually grown darker. I rose from beneath the comforter and found an empty bed. There was a light pitter-patter against the window while droplets of rain began to spot the glass. My bare feet slid softly across the wooden floors of the silent house. The only sound was an angelic voice coming from the depths of the kitchen. 

Jimin stood near the stove working on breakfast with a soft hum wavering in his throat. I watched his outline in peace, full of energy that was almost contagious. Even on the dimmest of days he somehow managed to glow.

"I hope you're hungry." I could hear the smile in his voice. He always knew when I entered a room, even when I hadn't made a single noise, he knew.  

"I can eat." I shrugged and slowly made my way to the round table in the middle of the room. 

I took one of the two seats. Slouching over the table, my hands ran through the greasy strands of hair, keeping them away from my face. There was a slight headache troubling behind my eyes. The fresh smell of freshly brewed coffee was the only hope I had of clearing it. 

“Just how you like it.” Jimin came strolling toward me with a mug in his hands. I wondered if I was so easy to read, he always seemed to know what was on my mind. "It's hot."

He warned me while placing the mug inches from my hand. I gave him a grateful smile before he turned back to the stove, where he was preparing the breakfast platters. 

I leaned over, bringing my nose closer to inhale the aroma. Coffee was like a narcotic, the sent alone stimulated all of me, kept me going every day. Holding the burning mug in my hands, I brought the edge to my mouth and allowed the liquid to burn my tongue. I couldn't help but sigh, difficulty weighing on my shoulders. It was good, really, it was. But I always expect it to taste like the coffee Hoseok would make me. I didn't understand what it was. I had seen him make it a thousand times, I followed every step, but no matter how much I tried... it never tasted the same. 

"We might have to go grocery shopping if you want me to make dinner later," Jimin said with his back turned to me. My eyes switched to his direction, placing the mug back down on the table. 

"You're spending another night?" I questioned. He turned with a plate in either hand and paused his actions.

"Do you not want me too?" I heard the concern in his voice.

"No! No, it's not that." I cursed myself for not being more careful with my tone. I loved spending time with Jimin however, I still wasn't completely comfortable with him staying over. Hoseok and I bought this house together- It just didn't feel right. "I just... thought that maybe your cat was starting to miss you."

I tried to play it off and even though he smiled, I could tell he wasn't quite convinced. He continued to make his way over, I moved my arms off of the table as he placed the plate in front of me.  

"I'm sure he's doing fine with Taehyung." He assured that his roommate could handle it.

I looked down at the plate of food- pancakes and fruit, I hesitated as I realize that I had no appetite. Still, I picked at the food, the fruit mostly, and hoped that he wouldn't notice.  

 I didn't mean to lie straight to his face but I was terrified of hurting him. I'm relieved that Jimin couldn't actually read minds, he didn't deserve all of the doubts that crossed through mine. It wasn't always like this though. Sometimes, by Jimin's side, I went hours without thinking of Hoseok. Although it was difficult to do so when we were in our house, surrounded by his things and memories of him rested in every corner. One might think that after five years, I would have come a long way in forgetting him. But the truth, I feared, is that I missed him more than ever. I've come as far as to consider that it was normal, maybe the first love was actually true love, the rest that followed were merely attempts to forget. Had I truly gone mad? Was I obsessed? 

"(Y/n)?" Jimin called for me across the short table, I  only stared at him like a lost doe. "So do you want to go?"

"Where?" I asked, resting my fork on the plate. Jimin hesitated, studied me up and down with his eyes before scoffing lightly.

"To see the movie I just told you about." He answered, fairly annoyed with me.

"Right," I lied. "Whatever you want." 

He didn't answer, he only went back to eating his food without another word. I sighed and stared down at my food. I couldn't continue the of the day like this. I needed to go out and clear my mind. 

-

I combed through my damp hair, strands of it tangled into the brush. I felt a cool autumn breeze come in through the window, and it sent a chill across my skin. I moved quickly to shut it closed, pausing for a moment to look at the outside. The leaves of the surrounding trees were just beginning to drop. The dead colors decorated the dark grass under this cloudy day.

"Where are you going?" 

I turned around to look at the bedroom door, where I found Jimin standing under the doorway. I reached for my bag that rested on a nearby chair, making sure all of my things were inside.

"You said we needed groceries," I smiled, swinging my bag over my arm and walking his way. Jimin wore a still expression, as his eyes never left my figure. I placed my hands on his shoulders and leaned in to kiss his lips. He placed his hand on my waist, drawing me in, for a more profound moment.

"Let me put on my shoes- I'll go with you." He suggested as he pulled away. 

My smile visibly dropped at his words. I was in a better mood already after my shower, but I still wanted to spend some time alone to clear my thoughts. 

"It's fine," I said, trying not to provoke him. "I won't take long."

He didn't seem pleased with my response but said nothing on the contrary. Instead, Jimin granted me space to move past him and out of the bedroom.  He followed closely behind me into the living room, where my shoes were placed by the front door. I slipped them on with ease and reached for my car keys on the corner table. 

"You're leaving to go see him, aren't you?"

My skin frosted with his words, so much so, that I could not make any sudden moves. Jimin knew of Hoseok, although I presumed the topic was uncomfortable for him, so he never spoke of him willingly. "I never asked, mostly out of spite. I thought that if we didn't talk about him- he would just sorta fade away for you."

I slowly turned to face him, I could see the disappointment in his stare, "Jimin-"

But he didn't let me get a word in. He didn't want to hear any more of my lies. "We've been together for what? A little over a year now… how many times have you gone to see him?" 

"Jimin, I'm sorry. I don't..." I couldn't even finish my sentence, my voice broke under the guilt, and my sight clouded with tears. 

"I hear you say his name when you sleep. Do you know what that's like for me?" He blinked away the tears that threatened his eyes and licked his lips. Jimin couldn't even bear to look at me, but he did, when asking, "Am I not good enough for you?"

What pained me the most was that I recognized it as a pressing question. One that he expected an answer to. How could I make him doubt himself?

"It's not you," I cried softly, taking long strides closer to him but the cliche made him scoff. "It's me." 

"Really?" He dismissed it.

"Yes!" I gripped his arms and pleaded for him to listen. "It's just me because nothing is ever good enough!"

Nothing was ever good enough for me, that’s why I lost Hoseok, now I would lose Jimin as well. My heart was like a ruined valley, shallow, and manmade. "I don't deserve you." 

A hue of pink flushed around his eyes and on his nose. I watched as tears fell from his heavenly eyes and stain his cheeks. All he could do was shake his head and work up the courage to look at me. 

"You're eyes don't lie, (Y/n). I look into them- and I know you aren't happy." Jimin took a step back, causing my hands to lose my hold on him, as he ran his hands through his hair in defeat. "I don't want to wait around, so one day, after I've given you everything... you can realize that you don't love me."

"I do love you, Jimin!" 

"No, not like you love him- I just comfort you." My hand covered my mouth, holding back the whimpers that followed my cries. I tried to be strong, to explain to him how much he meant to me, but all I ever did was end up hurting him. I didn't even see him approach me until he pushed my hand away from my face. He replaced my touch with his own as he cupped my face in his hand. Jimin stared at me like I was his weakness. His eyes read both hate and desire. 

"I love you because I want you to love me. Because someone else like you… doesn't exist in this world."

I closed my crying eyes and smiled sadly into the warmth of his touch. I knew I would be completely lost without him. I needed him more than he could ever know. 

"If you can just- give me some time...maybe I can-"

"Come live with me," Jimin didn't hesitate to say. "We can start over."

The idea caused me to open my eyes and move away from his touch, hesitantly.  He was asking me to give up the little bit of security I had left. When I first laid eyes on this house, I had a vision, of the children I would raise here and my death of old age in that bedroom. I wasn't ready to give that up yet.

"This is my home," I begged him for another way.

"No this is your home with him," He pressed. The tone of his voice dropped as anger began to overwhelm him. "And that's why you can't let him go!"

Jimin was right. This house was Hoseok for me, not wanting to leave it, meant not wanting to leave him.  I couldn't forget about him because deep down, I didn't want to let him go. I wasn't ready to give him up yet.

"I can't do this right now..." I said, slowly taking a step back and cowering away from the truth.

Terror overflowed Jimin's eyes, fear of the most vulnerable kind settle his mind into a state of panic. In a frantic attempt to keep me from leaving, he lunged forward and grasped his fingers around my wrist. 

"Please, don't do this..." He pressed on with such raw emotion, his heart collapsing with the words he uttered. His eyes begged me, hand holding on to our last hope, he asked, "Just give me a chance." 

 I was far too ashamed to look into his eyes. I could not face his breaking heart as he asked me to stay. I was afraid that if I turned back now, we would simply fall back into our game of false promises.

"I don't think you can save me."

I pulled my arm away from his touch, his fingers caressed my hand as it slipped from his grip. He felt that loss in his chest, in his soul, and wore an expression of his deepest fear. 

The tears still falling from my eyes blurred my way to the exit, and the pain in my chest, I held it in my hands. I could not stay this time because I refused to keep holding him in the dark. I had to confess, I wasn't made for him. The blame was mine and this wasn't me. My mistakes were the ones that defined me.

I retook hold of my bag on the corner table, moving swiftly toward the door before I changed my mind. In a last attempt to stop me, an outburst of emotion, Jimin yelled. 

"I'm here, (Y/n)! He isn't!"

And upon my faith, I could swear how much I loved him.

-

It was not my initial intention to go see him, but I soon understood, I had nowhere else to go. They say that time healed all wounds, that love was supposed to set you free, but that wasn't true. I had remained a prisoner to his love for much too long. I lingered somewhere between heaven and hell, calling for my lover, for him to see what I've become.

I looked in the rear view mirror and caught a glance, the reflection could not lie, I wasn't myself without him. 

Every morning I woke up to confront the longing emptiness of his leaving. The thought of him never returning was the only caress that I woke too. In the same house, in the same room, in the same bed, where I had loved him. Now he's gone and I don't know why, and every day since then I've cried. He didn't even take the time to say goodbye.

I swerved around one car after another, their blare return fell on deafened ears as I continued to step down on the gas. If I hadn't been gripping the steering wheel so tight, I know my arms would be shaking recklessly. I beat my hand upon the wheel, my hair veiling my face of tears and anger. The eyes of passing cars watched me drive by. The lonely road stretched far, taking me exactly to where he was.

I would not let myself fall prey to his charm any longer, not even my long despair would keep me from seizing the truth. I will demand answers from him. Why did all those promises disappear? Why did he leave me broken and bare? Why did I remain his, completely?

-

I parked the car somewhere on the end of the sidewalk, a cold breeze rolled under my skin as I shut the car door. The red scarf that hung loosely around my neck was now veiling my mouth. And suddenly, I was unsure, scanning the surrounding streets for a sign of no one. Every step I took caused my anger to dissolve into tears that remained streaming down my cheeks. My vision could not peer over the large wall that surrounded the property, regardless, I made my way to the front gate.

The rhythm of life didn't seem right with each step. It was a numbing feeling that fogged my sight, coward my soul, and held me down. Not even god, or his priest or his kings help me onward. I wandered, blind, to ask him for mercy as it nights soon. 

Somewhere over the dim horizon, in a trail of dead leaves, was a little lonely hill where he waited for me. 

And as I stood before him... I began to weep. 

"Please..." I pleaded, barely uttering the word. My lips were quivering as my legs gave out to sit by his side. "Please- I still love you."

My fingers gripped around the strands of grass, the grass that essentially had become him. The small patch that grew and died in front of his headstone every season. I could taste the tears on my tongue, sight hazed barely enough for me to make out his name. 

"But I don't want to love you anymore," I admitted with a quiet sob. Shutting my eyes tight as the pain escaped my chest. "You stole my sun during the day and my stars at night. I don't want to keep watching my days come and go without you here."

I slammed my hand against the ground, over and over again, for him to know my pain as I yelled through my teeth. "You're not here!"

Regardless of how much I still needed him- he was gone; and there had been nothing harder than living with his emptiness. My body didn't know how to exist without him, the cold consumed me and asked for his body heat. 

I love Hoseok- more than the sun, more than the moon, and all of the stars in all the sky. I would rather feel the pain to be empty inside. 

Despite all of that, Jimin was the only thing that was pulling me through. It wasn't love at first sight, it wasn't something that was written in the stars, but it was raw and real. It was work from our own hands, everything Jimin and I had, we fought to build.

"Is that... alright with you?" 

And I waited, for some type of response, some kind of sign. But the breeze hardly howled and the skies remained colorless. The birds did not sing and the sun did not shine. The stains of tears dried my cheeks as my vision freed. I moved to rest my body, lying just above him. My face rested on the dying grass, attempting to find some sort of comfort in my memory. I could only accept my sentence. 

"Are you ashamed of me?" I whispered. My fingers running through the grass as if it were his hair. "Do you hate what you see?" 

But there was still no answer. The pain weighed in my chest and pressed more tears to build in my eyes. 

"Can't you see?" I cried. I believed that I was deeply heartbroken but that wasn't true. A broken heart could be mended. "When you died- you took my heart with you..."

It would be a mistake to not return Jimin’s love but how could I, when I left heartless? "Please, give it back..."

I felt the world closing in, my one taste of light dying out, it was cold. I was to spend the rest of my life loving him. He would haunt my dreams and overlook the very air I breathed. Just as I, the flowers that were born in a graveyard were brought to weep by the wind. It filled me with hate to think that perhaps all Hoseok and I had... was all that we were ever meant to be. 

A broken song began to sing.

 Its number confounded me. It sounded of that sweet melody that Hoseok used to haunt me in my dreams. I raised my head from the ground softly, following the sound that echoed through the air. My eyes scanned its source but there was no one in sight. That was until I noticed, down the hill, sitting on a large headstone rested an olive whistler.

The little bird was the only living thing in sight. Following its ghostly rhythm, a warm light embrace me from behind. With tired eyes, I faced the sun, it shimmered, as if a brand new world has now begun. The feeling conquered every part of my body and soul. The echo of a small farewell as I could remain free. Those happy days replayed inside of me like a child being drowned in paradise. With his only song, I achieved to hear his reply, like a requiem that shall remain. 

"(Y/n)..."

[toloveawarlord]

Oliver x MC “Hideout”

You can find my masterlist in my bio!

@alloveroliver AHHH I finally finished that fic I promised you ages ago! I apologize that it took so damn long but I hope you enjoy this little slice of Oliver ^_^

Also tagging @plumpblueberry for her loving nagging

Warnings: There is a tiny section of smut!

Rain pattered against the cobblestone pathway leading through the backstreets of Central Quarter, filling the broken holes with clear, fresh water. Alice caught a glimpse of her own reflection, backlit by the only street lamp still on at this hour. Her hair slicked back against her scalp, clinging uncomfortably to her neck. Mascara stained the skin under eyes. Her cheeks flushed red from fleeing her pursuers in the damp, cold night. Alice thought she must resemble that of a drowned rat. A shiver overtook her chilled body.

Her only bit of warmth came from the large hand clasping her own.

He’d come to her rescue.

 Alice cast her gaze up at the sky, shielding her eyes from the bright sun with her hand. Stormy clouds had begun to roll in from the east, bringing gusts of cold wind sweeping through the city. Her skirt fluttered around her legs. She should hurry to buy the items that Sirius had sent her into town for and return to headquarters before she got caught up in a storm.

Clutching the paper scribbled with a list, she set off, determined to fulfill her task. So many wonderful smells drew her attention, begging her to stray from her path and give in to her grumbling stomach. The temptation growing harder to resist with every passing vendor.

Soon, the sun faded from view, covered by the threatening clouds rumbling with thunder. Her task completed, she found herself nearly running through the streets to escape the bumbling city. The bags weighed her down, forcing Alice to take a break at the edge of town.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, a drop of rain plopped against her head, then another. The rain not waiting for her to find any shelter, pouring down from the sky above. Alice ducked into the alley, finding an overhang at a back door to keep herself as dry as possible.

The air chilled, sending a shiver over her. There were no signs of the storm relenting. The harsh wind would surely take her umbrella, and the long distance back to headquarters would leave her and all the things that she had bought drenched.

They were going to begin to worry about her. She would hate for them to send out soldiers into this mess for her sake.

Alice steeled herself, accepting that she would need to return to headquarters regardless of the weather.

Not a step was taken before a hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her scream of shock. The bags slipped from her grasp, spilling into the street. The only evidence that anyone had ever been standing next to the alleyway.

Far down the path leading into the backstreets of Central Quarter, Alice struggled against her captors. A black sack had been pulled down over her head, wrists bound tightly together, and a cloth shoved haphazardly into her mouth. She hadn’t gotten a single glimpse of who had her.

“Alice has been procured. Inform Lord Amon.” The voice came from beside her, the man gripping her upper arm tightly, tugging her along. They walked for a ways, turning down different alleys until the edge of Central Quarter greeted them.

Alice nearly tripped as she was shuffled forward and into a carriage. Her heart pounded in her chest. How would she escape? Could she? Her brain reeled for a plan, anything to free her from these men. Without her eyes, she had no idea what direction they were traveling or where they might be taking her.

No one spoke to her. There must be at least one other person. She could hardly overpower them in her condition. Yet, if she tried, and managed to get out of the moving carriage, then she could find a place to hide. But if she failed…

In the midst of her calculating gunshots rang out, firing from all around the shuttering carriage. The horses whinnied, speed slowing until the wheels stopped moving. Shouting mingled with the echoing shots.

The creak of the door preluded the deep laughter of the Ace of Spades. “Don’t worry, Alice. We wouldn’t let ya go without a fight.” Fenrir promised, firing a deafening shot that rattled around the small space. He untied her wrists, and gently took the bag off her head. Glowing amethyst eyes were filled with concern but sparkled with excitement. “Ya alright?”

Alice rubbed her sore jaw but nodded her head in response. “Yes, thanks to you.”

Fenrir grinned widely, patting her knee. “Stay here while we clean up this mess. Someone will come to retrieve ya soon.” Like the whirlwind that he was, Fenrir had closed the door the carriage and began firing shots once again, his laughter following each one.

The fighting continued on around her, surrounding the small carriage. She grew more anxious as the seconds passed. The Black Army was strong, she knew that. But each flash of white light, signaling a magic attack, sent a wave of fear through her. Perhaps she should have asked Fenrir if she could have assisted him.

“Alice! You idiot, come on!”

Her head lifted, seeking the source of the voice. The last person she ever expected to see had leaned in the door, hand outstretched, waiting for her to take it. “Oliver?”

Oliver flashed a wry smile, and impatiently taking her trembling hand. “Trust me.” His reassuring tone beckoning the girl from her spot and out into the dark streets of Cradle.

There were bodies littered on the ground, all breathing peacefully, deeply asleep. They all wore matching robes. A bright flash lit up, magic being shot at the soldiers chasing down the remnants. One shout was all it took to turn the attention on them.

“Don’t let Alice escape!”

Oliver squeezed her hand gently, drawing her gaze back up to him. “Don’t let go.” His words sunk into her, promising safety and care.

The two set off, disappearing down small streets and weaving their way out of Central Quarter. Alice glanced behind them, hearing the angry shouts of the ones who wanted to take her away. She struggled to keep up with the tall man, breaths heavy as they never slowed until they reached the small cottage.

 Water pooled at their feet, dripping down off their drenched bodies.

Oliver ran a hand through his slick brown hair, a wince passing over his features. Blood stained his white shirt, revealing a wound.

“You’re injured,” Alice whispered, voice disappearing out of guilt. Her stiff fingers tenderly touched the crimson spot. “Let me look at it.” Her hands already working the buttons open. He’d gotten hurt because of her. That very thought filled her with sadness. The last of the buttons popped, the shirt fluttering open to reveal the wound across his left side.

The hatter gave only a glance. “It’s not that dire. A little bandaging will stop the bleeding.” A small strike from a magic blast. In the moment, he hadn’t even felt it happen.

His unconcern for his own well being wrenched at her heart.

“I’ll treat you. The first aid is in the upstairs bathroom, yes?” She asked the question as if she hadn’t spent countless days in this house.

“I’m perfectly capable of doing it.” It would not require much tending.

Alice reached up, cupping his face in her hands. “Oliver Knight don’t be so stubborn,” she chastised with as much sternness as she could muster. His cheeks were warm against her cold hands.

The desperation reflected in her eyes relinquished his protests. Emotions openly flooding her features. Despite the fright she’d experienced, her resolve in this matter shimmering through all the anxiety astounded the man.

“Fine. Fetch the kit.”

Alice left him in the chair by the fire, quietly climbing the stairs up to the second floor. The other resident gone for the evening. The first aid materials were just where she remembered, beneath the sink. She checked everything twice, making sure all the materials she might need were there.

Returning to the awaiting hatter, Alice knelt beside the chair to first clean off the blood that had begun to dry around the wound. The crackling of the fire was the only noise filling the space between them as she worked.

Those robes meant that the magic tower had come for her once again. The full moon would rise soon, threatening to take her away from this land.  Since coming to Cradle, she’d met amazing people, including the one sitting in front of her. Tender hands bandaged up the wound, fingers tracing it with feather touches.

“I’ll make us some tea to warm up,” she said, pulling herself out of her foggy mind. She didn’t get one step before he’d taken her wrist and gently tugged her back to him. The kit in her hands tumbled to the floor, spilling the contents. Having nowhere to go, one knee sank down into the seat between his legs.

“Alice.” His beckoning of her name drew her gaze to him. He brushed his thumb across her cheek, catching the tear that spilled over.

Neither spoke, enraptured in the other’s gaze. Her eyes trembling, as if one second away from losing her control. Oliver’s hand lingered on her cheek, his warmth seeping into her cold skin. It had been a few days since her last visit to their home. The circumstances weren’t ideal, but he was glad that she was with him now.

The moment when Fenrir busted through the door, giving a brief detail about the information they’d received of her being kidnapped, Oliver had felt the wind knocked out of him. He couldn’t explain it. The girl was clumsy and airheaded in his opinion. But he’d been utterly shocked to hear the news from the Ace of Spades and jumped into the action without a care for himself. He would not call himself a fighter, yet he’d thrown himself into the middle of a warzone to secure her safely back in his arms.

There was a dozen or so of those men in robes, all fighting to steal Alice away. One small mistake could have cost him his life. Magic being shot out at the small group of Black Army soldiers, one such shot grazing him in the process. Fenrir cleared his path, giving him instructions to take Alice and run. He promised to take care of the rest.

Her trembling state when he’d opened that door had nearly knocked him off balance. Her look of utter shock at seeing him, melting into relief. She trusted him, fully and without hesitation.

Alice leaned into his touch, eyes fluttering closed as she soaked up the feeling.

Idiot.

Leaving herself vulnerable after the events of the evening. Oliver shifted slightly, bringing his face closer to hers, feeling her soft sigh on his lips.

The two jerked apart at the sound of the front door creaking open. Blanc’s voice called out, unaware of the moment he’d interrupted. “Alice? Oliver? The King of Spades reached a decision on the matter. We’ll be keeping Alice hidden here until the mastermind behind the attempted kidnapping is caught.” He entered the room with a paper bag full of clothes. “Here you are, Alice. They sent along things you might need.”

“Thank you, Blanc,” Alice muttered, pale cheeks tinted with redness. It had only been a split second, but she had the strangest feeling that they were about to kiss. What a silly thought. She excused herself to go bathe and change into the warm clothes, leaving the two men to speak alone.

Oliver rested his chin on his palm, arm propped up on the chair. “What horrible timing you have, you dense rabbit,” he said with a sigh. Thinking on his actions now, he might be grateful for the intrusion. He’d never given in to those lingering feelings. It might have made her stay here uncomfortable.

“Did I interrupt? My apologies.” Blanc smiled, nonetheless. “Alice’s whereabouts are top secret. They’re hoping to mislead the kidnappers by keeping her here.”

Oliver hummed in response. A good plan, provided that none had saw the hatter run away with her. If the enemy believed her to be back at Black Headquarters, then she had little to worry about while being here. On the other hand, should they discover her here, he feared that he could not fully protect her. He was an inventor, not a soldier.

“Well, I will be taking my leave for the night. The armies have called a meeting early tomorrow. You’ll keep Alice company, won’t you?”

“Don’t ask stupid questions,” Oliver said, casting a sideways glance at the staircase.  

  Three days passed without any incidents. Alice spent her days cleaning things that did not require it and lounging on the sofa with a lukewarm cup of tea and her attention focused on the book in hand. She cooked all three meals for them, humming happily as she did so, and filled their time together at the table with stories from her land.

Oliver had been around but being idle irritated him. He preferred to be working. Alice had told him that she did not mind spending time alone. Of course, how could he believe that when those doe eyes were filled with longing for normalcy? She had been at her happiest when Fenrir dropped by to check in and give another order for a new type of magic gun. That, and when the two spent an hour having afternoon tea.

He scratched the back of his head, still in the midst of working on the guns. It had never bothered him before to be cooped up in his workshop, grinding the midnight oil and working until it was completed. Focusing had turned into an impossible task. His thoughts were plagued by the girl in the house.

The longer he stared at the work before him, the more irritated he became. If he wasn’t going to work, then why hide out in here at all?

The house was quiet. At this time of night, Blanc would have already gone to bed. Alice typically stayed in the living room, warm by the fire and nose stuck in a book. She’d been having a hard time sleeping, but who could blame her.

The living room was dark, no fire brightening up the space. Certainly, no Alice curled up on the sofa. Perhaps she had gone to bed early. The hatter stared into the dim room, mostly convinced that must be the case.

Turning his back and intent on returning to his work, something tugged at him. He stood still, mentally battling himself for the right answer. Checking on her would be ridiculous. She needed the rest.

A soft sigh left his lips and Oliver traveled up the stairs. One quick glance and he could return to work without any more distractions. He gently turned the knob and pushed the door open just enough to peek inside.

The bed perfectly made, no signs of anyone being in it. The space empty and dark.

Where was she?

Oliver couldn’t explain the panic setting over his being. He began to check the other rooms, finding each one to be empty, save for the peacefully sleeping Blanc. He searched thoroughly, finding her nowhere. Could the kidnappers have taken her with both of them here? Without making a single sound?

Passing by the kitchen, grey eyes flickered to the window. His fast pace came to a halt. Through the glass, the moonlight spilled over their yard and garden, illuminating a figure standing in the center. The hatter moved without thinking, out to where Alice stood, gazing up at the stars.

She squeaked when pulled into his arms. “Oh! Oliver, you frightened me,” she said, with all the innocence of a child. As if he hadn’t been pacing through the small cottage in a frenzy.

“You aren’t supposed to be outside,” Oliver replied, not willing to confess how worried he’d been.

Alice gazed up at him, a smile growing on her lips. She did not comment about his state, but amusement reflected in her irises. She wouldn’t tell she could feel his racing heart through his chest. Instead, she offered an apology. “I’m sorry.”

No, she wasn’t. Not in the slightest. Oliver sighed, thumping his fist lightly against her forehead. “You aren’t allowed to disappear again, got it?”

“Got it.”

Oliver released her, casting a glance back at the cottage and then saw her smile drop. He should do the responsible thing and take her inside. Her safety came first.

Should he not also protect her happiness?

“It wouldn’t hurt to watch the night sky a little longer,” he said.

The delight that passed over her being was blinding. Alice clapped her hands together, smile brighter than any star shining above. “Will you stay with me?”

“I can’t leave you alone out here. That isn’t safe.” His excuse not convincing.

The two settled on the grass, the breeze rustling around them. The moon was nearing its peak, soon to open the way back to her own world. She’d chosen to stay here, out of a love for those that she had met. Each time the full moon returned, he pondered if she would decide to return home one day.

“It was lovely to see Fenrir yesterday. I really miss the liveliness of headquarters.” Her words spilled out, eyes locked on the navy sky littered with twinkling stars.

“They’ll catch the culprit soon.”

Alice’s attention jerked to him, surprise written on her features. “Oh! I don’t mean to say that I’m not enjoying being here with you and Blanc. I’m incredibly grateful that you both took me in, despite the danger that it brings.” She stumbled over her words, struggling to find the right way to phrase her feelings.

Oliver flicked her forehead before falling back against the soft grass. “There’s nothing wrong with missing your friends. You don’t need to apologize for having feelings.” Crickets serenaded them, swinging sweetly from within the garden behind them.

“Right, sorry.”

“There you go again.”

Alice turned her head to stare at him with a pout on her lips. No hint of anger on her features. Her lips began to upturn, as if watching him brought her more happiness than the picturesque scene up above. The tenderness in her eyes ignited something within him.

Smokey grey eyes observed her closely, as if trying to puzzle out her intentions. A soft chuckle left his lips. As if she would be so crafty as to have ulterior motives with that angelic smile. She questioned why he had laughed, but Oliver cut her off.

One hand slid to the nape of her neck, bringing her down to meet him as he sat up. Oliver captured her lips in a gentle kiss that soon melted into a fevered one. Her speaking of returning to headquarters had not angered him but placed an ache in his heart. The same pain he’d felt when he thought she might have been taken away from him again.

Alice’s hands twisted into the material of his shirt, leaning into the kiss as if she couldn’t get enough. Her lips parted to allow his tongue in. She tasted slightly of mint tea and butter, probably from her late-night snack. The girl could find a reason to make something to eat at any time of the day.

When they parted, both were panting for air, lungs deprived for nearly too long. Oliver caressed her cheek, brushing his thumb across her bottom lip. It was like they had both disappeared from the reality lurking beyond their sanctuary, lost completely in one another’s souls. “Kiss me again.”

Their lips met again in another heated kiss. Gently guiding her back to lay on the plush grass, Oliver deepened the kiss, fingers trailing softly across her shoulders to push the dress off. He trailed butterfly kisses down her jaw and to her neck, eliciting a raspy gasp from her as he marked her pale skin.

Alice couldn’t be idle. Her fingers picking open the buttons of his white shirt, struggling more than she would have liked. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip as his warm lips continued to assault her sensitive neck.

The hatter nimbly disposed of her dress, tugging the material up over her head and tossing it aside with ease. His own shirt joining it soon after. Their clothes disappearing and leaving the two bare before each other.

Alice’s cheeks flushed red, embarrassment coursing through her as he sat back enough to examine her form. Grey eyes etching each and every detail of her skin into his memory. The moonlight illuminated her in a heavenly glow. He leaned back down to kiss her collarbone, trailing his lips down to the dip between her breasts.

She gave a sharp gasp as he slid one finger through her folds, body jerking with surprise. Her hands rested on his shoulders, hips rocking forward to feel his touch on her once again. He added a second digit before dipping them into her core.

Oliver flicked his tongue over her pert nipple along with his free hand pinching her other mound softly in time with the menstruations of his fingers. Her body responded to him with raw desire.

Alice dug her fingers into his shoulders, head lifted just enough to get a glimpse of what he was doing. Her eyes met his, lips parted with her short breaths. “Oliver-”

She hadn’t realized how badly she’d wanted this. His first kiss having unlocked a part of her that had been buried deep within her heart. It had been a feeling that she ignored, unsure if it would ever be reciprocated. The adoration reflected in those smoky grey eyes assured her that the man before her felt the same for her.

Her eyes widened, hips rocking forward with more speed than before. Biting down on her lip, she knew the coil wound up inside would soon break.

Oliver added his thumb to the mix, rubbing easily over her clit. Her whimpered moans were delectable to hear. “Cum for me, Alice,” He beckoned, adding a light bite to her nipple to edge her over.

Alice pushed her feet against the ground, raising her hips up off the grass. Her eyes wrenched closed, mouth parted with a long, breathy moan escaping. Her entire being swept away with the pleasure spreading over her body.

“You’re incredibly beautiful,” Oliver spoke into her ear, slowing the pace of his fingers inside her to ebb out the rest of her orgasm. He nibbled on her earlobe, receiving nothing but pants and quiet, satisfied moans coming from her.

Alice could hardly regain control of herself. Her sight had flooded white, still not focused on anything besides the fire tickling through her nerves. Slowly, her vision returned. Oliver had been running his fingers gently over her, bringing goosebumps to show where he’d been.

She lifted her hand to trace her own fingers over his broad chest. Her head turned just enough to meet his gaze. “I want you,” she whispered through parched lips. She traced her long along her bottom lip, silently asking for another kiss.

Oliver smiled before taking her lips again. He could have spent the remainder of their night simply showering her with his mouth. Her sweet taste like an addictive drug. Her legs parted for him as he positioned himself at her entrance.

He swallowed her moans as his cock entered her wet core. He pushed gently, allowing her to adjust as he went further in. Sloppy kisses were exchanged until neither of them could stand it. Oliver began to thrust his hips, picking up momentum.

Alice entangled her hand into his brown locks, tugging each time he filled her completely. The moon shining down silver light onto their slick bodies, melting together as one unit.

The two spent hours exploring each other bodies, crying out the other’s name, drowning themselves in the pleasure that came along with it. Nothing outside of that moment mattered. Countless moans of pleasure were sent out into the void of the night.

Wrapped up in each other’s embrace still alone just beyond the garden, Alice rested her head against his chest, listening to his heart beating.

“Oliver.” She called his name sweetly, hands tugging at his arm to draw him closer. Alice reached up to cup his face with her hand. “Can I confess something?”

The hatter hovered over her, eyebrows raised at her sudden question. “Yes.”

Alice brushed her thumbs against his cheeks, chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. Her eyes were pooling tears, bringing alarm to his own features. “When you kissed me, I thought my heart was going to burst. Since I arrived in Cradle, you’ve always come to my rescue. And over the past few months, I couldn’t quite figure out what had kept me in this land.”

His silence only prompted her to continue.

“It was you. I stayed to be with you, in any capacity that I could get.” Her captivating gaze would not let him look away. Tears spilled over but she continued to smile tenderly at him.

Oliver listened to her pour her heart out, enraptured in her every word. He turned his head just enough to place a chaste kiss into her palm. “I feel the same. It’s become a nuisance for me whenever you aren’t around. You plague my every thought.”

Her tinkling laughter sounded more brilliant than any other sound in the entire world.

He leaned down to kiss away the tears by her eyes, receiving more of her melodic giggles. The sound soon swallowed by his lips on hers, desperate to taste her once again. He only broke for a moment, compelling her to hear the words that reflected through his loving gaze. “Stay by my side, Alice.”

“Yes, please let me.”

The night hid the two out by the garden, the only witness to the love being shared until the sun peeked over the horizon to dawn a new day. Her stay at the small cottage sitting on the edge of Central Quarter soon would turn into a permanent one. Alice and the Mad Hatter settling into a new life in each other’s arms.

 Only two more days went by before the Black Army had captured the man responsible for her near kidnapping. A remnant from the Magic Tower seeking revenge on the poor girl for assisting in overthrowing their Lord Amon. Fenrir and Luka had come personally to collect her and were utterly shocked to learn the news.

“If it’s alright, I’d like to come back and thank everyone personally for allowing me to stay at the Black Headquarters for as long as I have.” Alice had broken the news of her plans to stay in the small cottage with Oliver and Blanc, having received open arms from the latter upon hearing their confession of being in love.

Fenrir smacked Oliver on the back, a wide grin on his face. “You were only together for a week! Ya move quick, Oliver!” He was elated for the two. If Alice was happy here, then he would support her decision in moving in.

“Not so quick,” Oliver muttered, eyes focused on the girl still explaining to the Jack of Spades about what had transpired and that it did not mean she would not be seeing them as much. She gave many promises to visit often.

A carriage arrived to get them back to their headquarters, and escort Alice without making her have to walk so far. Alice paused before climbing up, head turning to find him. “I’ll be back before night fall,” she promised with a smile warmer than the sun shining down above them.

Oliver stayed at the road until the carriage had disappeared from sight. In the past when she had gone off with them, there had been a lingering feeling in his chest. Now, it had been replaced with her tender love. She would soon return, bringing her brilliant light back to him. He would keep her within his arms for the remainder of their days. That was a promise he would keep no matter what came at them.

aaand your promised drawing with Oliver ^_^