#ever since kingdom i just have a soft spot for the groups that want to be friends instead of 'competitors'

[xcziel]

like ... there was never a chance of a solo artist winning that award

[goldfish-afterhours]

Genshin Characters as Fairy Tales

Characters: Diluc, Kaeya, Childe, Zhongli, Xiao x Gn!Reader

Type/Genre: Bulleted headcanons, angst/fluff

Warnings: Not all fairy tales have happy endings—major character death

Notes: Man why are fairy tales so sad

Diluc

Cinderella

On the night of your 18th birthday, your father holds a grand masquerade ball, inviting everyone in the kingdom

You, however, had little to no interest in such things. While the party was happening inside, you decided to take a stroll in the gardens

Who knew there would be monsters lurking in the dark that got past the guards?

Before it could devour you, someone sliced its head off with one fell swoop

Standing in front of you was a man with red hair, a black masquerade mask obscuring his eyes

You thanked him and offered him a reward, but he declined. Upon seeing your disappointed expression, he suggested just spending the night talking with him, since he didn’t know anyone at the ball

The two of you sit outside, talking about anything and everything as the night grows later and later

Just as the clock struck twelve, the masked man jumps to his feet, muttering something about how he has to get home

You try to persuade him to stay, or at least tell you his name, but he dashes off so fast you can’t catch up to him

All he left behind was your memory of his soft smile…and a black mask, dropped in the grass

You scour the entire kingdom for him, holding up the mask to every person you meet in hopes you find him, but to no avail

But a crazy idea pops in your head

Deep into the night, you stroll down the main street, unarmed. Just as you expected, a group of hoodlums threaten you, demanding money in exchange for your life

And just as you expected, the man with red hair returns to save you again

For saving your life twice, you insist on giving him a grand reward

You bring him, the son of a deceased and disgraced ex-government official, to the castle, and the two of you live happily ever after <3

“I was afraid you didn’t want to see me again. But putting yourself in danger was much too reckless.”

“That’s how much I wanted to see you again~”

Kaeya

The Little Mermaid

Kaeya, a merman, falls in love with you, a pirate

He’s always swimming beside your ship, listening to you sing with your shipmates of treasure, of good alcohol, of friendship, of love

Gives away his voice to have legs and be with you. He doesn’t want to just listen to your songs—he wants to be the one you sing them to

Cruelly, you fall in love with someone else

His brother, in an attempt to save Kaeya, presents him with a dagger, saying if he is able to kill you then he’ll be able to return to the sea as a merman

But how can Kaeya kill the one he gave up everything for?

How can he even dare imagine hurting the one he loved with his entire being, that he would be willing to walk on glass everyday for?

Throws the dagger into the water. As the sun rises, he watches you, laughing together with your lover, as he melts into seafoam

And as much as it pains him, at least he can see you happy one last time

You don’t see him as he is carried away by the wind

“No matter what…I hope you live happily.”

Childe

Little Red Riding Hood

He’s the Big Bad Wolf, and you’re an herbalist making your deliveries of medicine to your patient in the forest

At first, he’s too nervous to approach you, afraid he would scare you away

But one day, when he sees you shivering from the frosted air, he steels himself enough to offer you his red scarf

The smile you gave him as you wrapped the scarf around yourself was almost enough to heal the years of loneliness from his isolation in the woods

The two of you become friends: Childe shows you all the best spots to pick herbs, and you tell him stories of the outside world

The villagers fear him, a man-eating beast, so he never ventures out of the forest

Childe loves the sound of your voice, and he loved listening to your stories, especially this one story about how the Sun and Moon were lovers in a tragedy, separated in the sky

Protects you from the hostile wild animals in the forest

When the two of you realize you were in love with each other, you made no haste in moving into his cozy cottage

But when the villagers realized their beloved herbalist was in the clutches of the detested wolf, they all swore you had been tricked

They stormed the forest, armed

You come back to your cottage from picking herbs, just in time to see the villagers point a rifle at him

Even with your skills, there is nothing you can do but cradle him in your arms as his blood stains the grass red

“C-Can you finish the rest of the story? I want to know…if the Sun and the Moon ever meet again.”

Zhongli

Sleeping Beauty

In the wild overgrowth once known as the country Liyue, there exists a legend of an almighty god who had fallen into a deep slumber

To save your country, you set out to search for this missing god

The terrain is harsh, overrun with trees and thistles and bushes blocking your every way

But occasionally, you will stumble upon a statue, vines and moss adorning the structure, helping you to believe that perhaps there really was a civilization who lived here in the past

The wild guides you up the cliffs, into a cave where you find a dragon sleeping, his breath slow and shallow

There was something so lonely, so sad about this sleeping dragon, trapped deep in the country of a long-gone civilization, only able to wait for someone to come

You put your hands on the sides of his face, and, as if to reward him for all his years of waiting and to tell him he is no longer alone, you kiss his forehead

The moment you do, his scales scatter away like droplets in a summer rainstorm

You were no longer holding a dragon, but cupping the face of a man

His eyelids fluttered open, revealing amber eyes that glowed like the moon in the darkness of the cave, and you knew you had found your missing god

“Oh…you have found me. How long I’ve been waiting for you.”

Xiao

Beauty and the Beast

With each passing day, Xiao can feel himself transforming more into a monster

The weight of his sins grew heavier and heavier, covering him with ashes and feathers

Soon, there were rumours of a half bird beast flying over the village at night, searching for its next meal

You, an orphan that had been treated as an outcast since birth, was chosen by the villagers to be the sacrifice to quell the beast’s anger and hunger

But after being brought to his decaying castle, Xiao makes it clear he has no interest in eating you

In fact, he gives you free reign in his home, allowing you to go wherever you pleased

At first, he tries to scare you, tries to get you to stay away from him

But when you see him feeding the chipmunks outside, and the songbirds feel safe enough around him to perch on his shoulders, you no longer feel afraid

The two of you slowly warm up to each other. Xiao’s favourite thing to do is listen to you read

When he can’t fall asleep at night from the pain, he asks you to read him stories so he can fall asleep to the sound of your soft voice

You come to realize he’s not a monster but a hurt, scared boy who only wants to wake up from this nightmare he’s been trapped in

The two of you enjoyed your peaceful life together, until one day a hero from your village stormed Xiao’s castle, determined to either save or take vengeance for you

Xiao, who flew over the village every night to make sure no danger came to the villagers, could not bring himself to defend himself from this naive boy

As you hold his still body, you kiss him goodbye

To both you and the hero’s shock, the feathers stabbed into Xiao’s body dispersed, swirling into the sky

The feathers kept flying away until the beast you were holding in your arms became human again

“You’ve awoken me from a terrifying dream. Thank you.”

-

please comment/reblog if you’ve enjoyed! <3

[lime-sketches114]

Ok this request was from one of my online Friends, she requested one of my own OCs! A very popular one at that. FLASH/FELIX!

They wanted an x reader prompt with a date. This is an in general thing so I'll make it somewhat mostly in a modern setting.

I hope this would be a good mini fic!

FLASH/FELIX X READER: DATE NIGHT

Warnings/rating: no nasty, flirting, Flash/Felix being bold as usual. Still trying to be gentleman-like. (Some mentions of blood but not actually blood n stuff)

You're on a date with a gender fluid person who is also a dragon person and a royal in their universe. Goes by either or but mostly shape shifts into either gender too. (Also you can imagine yourself as any other race in my story or just some sort of DND races too lol. You can be human too)

★★★★★

It's a quiet night upon the harbor of the Kingdom of Yoitz. You and your date, Flash, ride in on their bike to go to dinner. You were on basically a set up date/Tinder date with this dapper young person. She treats you to a lavish dinner. You think that this will be normal, possibly minimal drinking as well since she drove you here on the bike. Their features were sharp yet soft and the beaming gaze of their hooded gaze made Flash look fierce like a dragon.

Once inside the lavish yet simple restaurant, Flash tries to be polite and help you into your seat and used proper manners when addressing the waiter for drinks but something seemed out of place when you got your food as well.

"is something wrong?" You tilted your head.

"Yeah yeah everything's fine, just...never been one for these types of dates. Don't worry I'm still paying" Flash sighed.

"oh I'm not worried about paying or anything. Your profile seemed to be more...wild and party-like." You questioned.

"Yeah but my sisters insisted I'd be more gentleman-like especially on a first date. I've always been the more bold kind but never one for feelings half the time." Flash rubbed the back of their neck.

"why don't we go to a club or something after dinner, just try not to get wasted. It's up to you" you suggested. You've been to bars and concerts before but not as often as you think they've been to.

"I'll think about it over dinner, can't think on a empty stomach" Flash winked. "Maybe I might surprise you if we do go"

You chuckled and smiled as the drinks and dinners you ordered arrived. When dinner was done and you thank for the meal. Flash pulls up on their bike and you get on. Flash chuckled as you held on tightly with the spare helmet over your head. You two soon rode up to a performance bar club. It was well known to host famous people from all over the world. Actors, singers, band groups, etc came here to have a good time.

"Why are we here? This is an expensive and popular place..." You questioned.

"trust me with this, if you wanna see the real me like you wanted, then this is the place" Flash parked the bike in a special parking spot and the bike was protected with a spell. They lead you to the VIP lounge in full view of the stage as a band group performed for the hour or so they were there.

"I'm gonna go get dressed, you watch over the balcony. I'm gonna rock the house and shake it to the core" Flash smirked a toothy grin before disappearing.

You sighed and thought to yourself what could possibly be going on. The band soon finished up their skit before a familiar emblem showed up on the monitors. The Black Fangs. It was one of your favorite bands. Then a dragon roar echoed in the club and everyone cheered as smoke and fire filled the stage. Then a male voice.

"Alright your drunken party goers! Who's ready to rock the house with Crimson Death?" The male voice spoke like velvet with a hit of a gruff undertone. Everyone is yelling and cheering the name Felix as he takes off his shirt and begins to sing.

"it can't be...did she..." You smiled with excitement as the song began to play.

★★★★★

Do you ever think the world is cruel

Dark and damp unto we shall rule

Fire and smoke fill the crowds

Shining in gold, the tyrant crown

★

Roar like a dragon until the skies turn black

Hear my song, my brutal attack

Splatter the ground with my red passion

Not giving up until we finish the mission

★

My power is nothing to dismiss....

My blood is boiling...

My eyes aflame...

★

Burn!

I'll show you what I'm made of!

Burn!

Power's my calling and it won't back off!

Burn!

The passion ignites and all I hear are screams!

Burn! Burn! Burn!

Let me hear your dreams...

★

Torn from grace and I'm falling down

Looking up with a busted ass frown

Tears crawling, bruised and battered

Picking myself up, what's the matter

★

Woah, I can't look at the past

Time passing by way too fast

The sands of time spinning in my head

Now all I see is black and red.

★

Isn't this world so cruel

Dark and damp, we shall rule

Fire and smoke fill the crowds

Shining in gold, my tyrant crown

★

My power is rising up....

The blood upon my brow....

My eyes blazing...

★

Burn!

I'll show you what I'm made of

Burn!

Power's my calling and I won't back off.

Burn!

The passion ignites and all I hear are screams!

Burn! Burn! Burn!

Woooooah

Burn!

Woooooah

Burn!

Yeaaaaaah

Burn!

Yeaaaaaahhhhh!!!!

Let me hear your dreams....

★★★★★

"Thank you everyone! That was a demo of our upcoming song called "Burning Dreams". Make sure to watch out for the music video coming out soon!" Felix smirked and looked up at the balcony and winked.

You were taken aback until you saw the tattoo, the hand part looked exactly like the tattoos Flash had. What was going on you didn't know. You were curious then when Felix came through the door with the same shirt Flash was wearing you were confused.

"so? How did I do?" Felix chuckled.

"YOU'RE CRIMSON DEATH?!" You smiled brightly.

"that I am, I can shape shift into these forms or into other people, but I like to be in this form a lot. Makes me feel tall" he smirked

You smiled with a blush, "can I have...your autograph...your music is amazing and unique"

"sure, where should I sign?" He pulled out a sharpie.

You raised your sleeve and pointed to your arm. He signed it with a hum and added a little heart under it.

"it'll be awesome if you get that tattooed, make this little date worth it." Felix said in a smooth tone.

You blushed, "I'll think about it, but I'll be sure to send evidence"

"you better" Felix smirked before "or I'd charge double for that"

You chuckled as he went back to perform some more after a quick break and a few drinks. When the night ended and it was well after midnight. He drove you home that was a bit outside the main city. You waved goodbye from your doorstep and went inside. After a few minutes you heard revving and tired squealing. You look outside your upstairs window to see Felix doing donuts and turns to make a heart on the road and zoom off back to the city. You didn't know what to make of this date but you knew one thing.

"definitely getting this tattooed..."

(not my gif BUT this does kinda looks like Flash/Felix does it not lol) (it's a character from Tokyo revengers)

[starryjeekies]

~ Double Trouble ~

Pairing: park seonghwa x fem!reader x lee know

Genre: smut, pwp

Summary: your boyfriend, lee know, has been in a particular mood ever since kingdom ended. so he asks you if you would be down to allow a third into your bedroom activities. when he mentions seonghwa, the other ‘98 liner he made friends with on the show, you’re intrigued and don’t mind giving it a shot.

Warnings: pure smut, hard dom!leeknow, hard dom!seonghwa, aftercare, degradation (name calling), oral (fem receiving), guided masturbation, protected sex, unprotected sex (please wrap it), dacryphilia, humiliation, exhibitionism, spanking, if there’s more lmk!!

Words: 7k

A/N: hello. again. so. fun fact: lee know and seonghwa are two of my biases from ateez and stray kids. and i loved seeing them interact. so i wanted to write something that would include both of hem because they both make me weak. i’m taking requests too so feel free to message me!

You find yourself in an interesting predicament. With the grueling hours of recording your boyfriend had to go through with Kingdom, leaving you little to no time to spend with him, you expected that when you did hang out he would just want to cuddle and relax. Instead, you would start off that way but it quickly escalated in feverish passion as Minho would order you to be good for him and if you obeyed his rules, you would be greatly rewarded. And wanting to make sure he was enjoying himself, you were obedient and in turn greatly rewarded with multiple orgasms that left your thighs shaking. Even though it was only once a week, the sex left you craving more.

Now that Kingdom is finished and your boyfriend’s band won the title, he can relax for a while before having to do any more schedules. Today, you two are cuddling on your couch while watching some YouTuber you decided to put on reacting to the different stages. Your arms are wrapped around his waist while his hand rests on your thigh, holding it securely to keep you fastened to his side. You enjoy just being near him, listening to his heartbeat.

“What was your favorite stage we did?” He wonders, not taking his eyes off of the TV.

“Mm, I really liked the Deadpool stage. You all looked like you had a lot of fun on stage.” You reply, craning your neck up slightly to try and look at him.

“That was a lot of fun, there were a lot of different creative liberty moments we did.” You can tell he’s smiling by the tone of his voice. “What was your favorite Mayfly stage?”

“I would be a bad partner if I didn’t say yours.” You chuckle at his question. “But seriously, you killed it with that cover. I thoroughly enjoyed watching you and the others on stage. You seemed to work really well with everyone.”

“You think so?” He looks down at you, seeing you telling the truth. “I made some really good friends because of it.”

“Oh yeah? Like who?” You wonder, hearing him talk about Ateez or BToB before.

“Seonghwa hyung from Ateez, it was nice to meet someone else born in ‘98. We were able to bond and speak comfortably with each other.” He smiles, starting to rub your thigh lightly. “He was really kind.”

“Good, he always seemed intimidating on stage but when I saw you talking with him, it looked like you two got along well.” You say, remembering him talking to Seonghwa when the Mayfly unit were interacting together before they started planning stages.

You knew of the different groups he would be performing against, especially Ateez who seem to be up and coming with extremely talented members. You never got a chance to meet them, but watching their stages on different shows only demonstrates to you how formidable opponents they were in the Kingdom. Seonghwa stood out a lot during the show, dawning bright red hair for part of it that captured your attention a lot of the time. During their Wolf stage, he was easy to spot and showed extremely powerful moves. He looked intimidating at first with his intense facial expressions, but talking with Minho, he showed his soft demeanor.

“He was really kind then, still kind now. We’ve hung out a few times since Kingdom ended.”

“Good, I’m glad you were able to keep some friends after the show. I know Changbin still talks to Wooyoung.”

“We even ended up talking about you.”

Now your ears pique with curiosity. You sit up to look at him, wondering how the topic of you was ever brought up. “Oh?”

“Well, you are my home screen on my phone.” He chuckles, seeing your worry. “He asked who you were so I explained. Told him that you were just this pest who attaches to my hip at any given moment.”

“Oh, great, glad to know that’s where I stand.” You huff, rolling your eyes.

He laughs, pulling you in for a kiss to your temple. “No, I was being a good boyfriend and doting over you. Told him when we met, how long we’ve been together, and that you’re amazing in many ways.”

“Many ways, huh?” You tease, seeing him look at you seriously.

“Yeah, how your humor matches mine, that you constantly give me a good challenge, and you’re great between the sheets.” He winks, seeing your cheeks tint red.

“Oh shut up, you did not.” You slap his chest lightly, fully believing he would. You and Minho aren’t exactly quiet in what you two do, having been caught by the other members multiple times before. You know that he can be known as an exhibitionist at times, not shameful at all when his friends catch him.

“It was innocent at first, telling him how you’re always so good for me, how you listen to every command, and then it got to how pretty you looked all fucked out.” He smirks, watching your reaction with a slight hum in his voice.

Your body feels warm at the praise, always loving when his voice lowers and rumbles in your ear. “Didn’t realize you share such intimate details with your friends.”

“Well, only when friends are interested enough.” He says plainly.

You look between his eyes, wondering what he means. “Interested?”

He sees your curiosity and takes in the fact you don’t have a hint of worry in his voice. “I had a feeling when I met him that he would be fun to be around. It wasn’t until a few days ago when we hung out did we realize we have similar fantasies.”

The wheels start turning in your head as an ember starts fizzing in your core. “So you’re saying we should include Seonghwa in our sexual escapades?”

“I’m asking you if you’d be open to it.” His face is serious but his tone is casual, showing he’s not joking but won’t be upset if you say no. “All in all, it’s up to how comfortable you are with it. I know you haven’t met him yet, but he could come over, we could eat some dinner, and you can get a feel for him before deciding.”

“And he’s like you in that sense?”

“As far as I’m aware.”

You can’t help but feel some excitement at the aspect of having another dom in the bedroom. You’d never ask another one of the Stray Kids members as they already see too much of you and none of them would be able to dom you like Minho. A man who you have no ties to, who apparently can have a hold on you and make you submit, it entices you. “I mean, I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea. See if he can come over sometime next week and I can make dinner.”

“Really?” He can’t contain the tang of excitement as you agree. “I can send him a text to see when he’s free.”

“Good, I hope you’re right about him.” You smirk, going back to lying your head on his chest.

It didn’t take long for Seonghwa to respond, saying he’ll have the day off on Thursday so he could be over for lunch. Lee Know gives him your address and tells him to just come on in when he arrives. You started making the duruchigi while your boyfriend cleans up the living room and makes it cozy. The anticipation in your stomach bubbles as the time for him to arrive inches closer and closer.

Lee Know’s arms wrap around your waist as he hums into your neck, his body warmth enveloping you. Your light startle is quickly satiated by his touch, his hand sneaking under the waistband of your pants to rest on your hips. “Wearing lace today? Might get eager?”

“You never know, but I’m going to need you to be on your best behavior so I’m not influenced by you.” You tease, leaning back into his touch. “I’ve got to make sure I can have fun as well.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll do my best.” He smirks, leaving a light kiss on your neck. “But now that I know that, it might be hard.”

There’s a light knock at your door and you two look to see the tall man slowly peek through your door, looking at the two of you in the kitchen. “Hello,”

“Welcome! Come on in,” Minho takes his hands from your pants and pulls them up slightly, causing you to giggle. He walks over to Seonghwa, greeting him with a light hug. “Glad you could make it.”

“It wasn’t too hard to find, thankfully.” He says, taking off his shoes and jacket. As he fully stands up and your boyfriend starts leading him towards you, you notice how handsome he is in person. You’ve seen him on TV multiple times, but he’s more gorgeous in person. He’s slightly taller than Minho and his intimidating aura is gone. He’s very polite in bowing as he walks up to you, trailing Minho as they walk into the kitchen. His eyes are big and doe like and you wonder how Minho was able to figure out he’s a hard dom like him. “It’s nice to meet you, thank you for welcoming me.”

“My pleasure, I’m glad Minho was able to make more friends.” You smile, taking your attention away from the duruchigi to fully focus on him. “I’m always happy to meet them.”

“Dinner should be ready soon, if you want to take a seat at the table.” Minho suggests, grabbing down a few bowls from your cupboards to place them next to the cooked duruchigi next to the skillet.

Seonghwa turns to go to the table, leaving you to whisper in Lee Know’s ear, “I hope you’re right.”

“I know I am, just give him time.” He smirks, kissing your cheek playfully.

Once lunch has been dished out with rice and some vegetables, the three of you sit at the table and start eating. You let Minho steer the conversation so you can get to know Seonghwa, watching him open up from his shy shell little by little. It seems to help as he starts asking questions about you and your life, what you do for work and what other music you like. It feels comfortable as you completely disregard your food, interested in learning about him. One question keeps nagging you in the back of your head, how is this man a hard dom?

“Well, that was delicious as always. Thank you, my love.” Minho says, kissing your cheek as he gets up from his spot. “I have to run to the bathroom really quick and then I can help you wash the dishes.”

“No worries, babe.” You smile, grabbing his bowl. You step up to the sink, rinsing out the bowl from the leftover sauce and rice. The silence in the room is deafening but not awkward.

“Thank you for lunch, I really appreciate it.” Seonghwa stands up from his spot, pushing back his black hair while walking up to you with his bowl.

“Thank you for coming over, it’s been enlightening to get to know you.” You smile, taking his bowl from his hands. Now being alone with him, now is the best time to ask that question. “So, Seonghwa, you’re really kind and sweet and polite.”

“Oh, thank you,” He turns bashful, covering his ears for a moment.

“Which makes me wonder how you and Lee Know can share sexual interests.” You glance over at him to see his stunned look. “Come on, don’t be shy now. That’s the whole point of you being over here, is it not?”

You see him take a moment to compose himself before his doe eyes turn lidded, looking at you differently. You can feel the air shift around him as it brings a shift in you too. “Are you suggesting I can’t take control?”

“Not at all.” You quip, quick to answer. “Lee Know is teasing, demanding, and takes control of situations in normal life which is easily transferred over to our sex life. Not that I mind one bit. But someone who is so sweet and polite in normal life, I wouldn’t pick them as 100% dominant in the bedroom.”

A small smirk comes across his face, taking another step forward towards you. His head is tilted in wonder. “You see the way I am on stage?” With a nod from you, he continues, “That is the side that transfers to the bedroom.”

“Ah, I see now.” You look into his eyes, seeing that same determined look in his eyes that you see from his performances. “Now that we have that cleared up, any questions?”

His eyes scan down your body, taking in all of you for the first time. He tugs his bottom lip between his teeth before his eyes return to yours. “Are you alright being tied up?”

“Neckties or rope?” You ask back, now completely disregarding the dishes in the sink. You can feel that same familiarity of excitement as you get with Lee Know at fun suggestions to liven up the bedroom from time to time. 

A groan escapes his throat as all distance is removed from you two, his body almost pressing into yours as your hips rest against the counter. His breath is hot and lightly fanning on your lips. “Favorite position?”

“Cowgirl, specifically with my hair being pulled.” You explain, your skin crawling in anticipation and heat.

“And safeword?”

“Mercy.”

The sexual tension only builds between you as he gently rests his hands on either side of you, craning his neck to whisper into your ear. “If you allow me, you’ll be under my mercy.”

You’re interrupted by the sound of footsteps as Minho comes back from the bathroom, looking at the scene unfolding in front of him. “Getting acquainted, are we?”

Seonghwa takes a half step back, not knowing how he would react to him making insinuations to his friend’s girlfriend.

You, on the other hand, can’t contain your excitement. “Minho?”

“Yes?”

“Yes.”

His eyebrows perk up, seeing you clearly disheveled at whatever conversation you had with him. He smirks, taking in your bowed head but desperate eyes. “Now?”

“Now.” You repeat, affirming that you wanted this. Your eyes meet Seonghwa’s, seeing his worry diminish. “If you’re good with now.”

A small smile makes his way to his lips, looking between your hazed eyes. “Now is good.”

“If that’s the case,” Lee Know pushes his sleeves higher up on his arms, looking at you expectantly. “Can you go to the bedroom, baby girl?”

You almost launch yourself up from the counter and start walking to your bedroom. The door opens easily as you push through, working to remove your shirt and pants quickly and discarding them in the corner near your laundry hamper. Lee Know liked it whenever you were good for him and stripped down to your underwear and presented neatly on the bed for him. Your dark purple lace matching set you were wearing was just for tonight in case you did enjoy Seonghwa and the idea of him. You’re glad it didn’t go to waste.

After a few minutes sitting on your knees with your hands perfectly placed in your lap, Minho opens the door, revealing his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows and the top four buttons on his shirt are opened, revealing his chest. Seonghwa stands behind him with the only changed feature being his buckle and pants button are undone. You wriggle in your seat lightly as to what’s to come.

“Oh, pretty baby got ready for us too.” Minho coos, slowly striding up to you and taking your chin in his hand. “How precious, and you didn’t know if you were going to enjoy this.”

“I was wrong, sir.” You respond, looking up at him. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay, but I’m glad you trusted me.” He places a kiss on your forehead, all too sweet for what he wants to do. He removes himself from you and goes back to Seonghwa, motioning upwards with his hand. “Stand up.”

You follow his command, standing up from the bed to face the two. Minho has a smug look on his face as usual, whereas Seonghwa is just hungry. His eyes tell how he wishes he could be able to kiss you already but patiently waits for Minho to give him permission.

“Panties off.”

Your fingers hook into the edges of the lace and pull them past your knees where you step out of them slowly, your eyes glued to your boyfriend’s. If you know his routine, you know you should get on the bed next.

“Now, I want you to give Seonghwa a show.” You called it. “I want you to show him how much you want him.”

You sit on the bed and scoot back, feeling slightly embarrassed to be doing this the first time you meet him. But Lee Know knows you better than you think, so he knows you secretly enjoy being humiliated. You’re seated in the middle of your bed, looking at Seonghwa now while your legs slowly open, showing him your most vulnerable parts. After letting your middle and ring finger rest on your tongue for a moment, you gently rub against your clitoris, exposing your labias every few passes by.

“Start off slowly, darling. Can’t have you getting yourself off yet.” Minho looks on, watching as your gaze flickers between him and the new party involved. “You need to prove to Seonghwa that you’re ready for this.”

The cool air hits your entirety now, your wetness spreading all over your lower half as you go from dipping your fingers between your walls to giving your clit a few strokes before repeating the process. Your breathing starts to labor as you try to build up an orgasm, wishing to show them that you’re prepared for whatever they deal out. Slight whimpers start falling from your lips as you hear Seonghwa groan, watching you unravel yourself in front of him.

“Doesn’t she look pathetic, Seonghwa?” Minho purrs, having both of you right where he wants you. “She does what I say, even with someone she just met watching, waiting to be used.”

“She’s very pathetic and very obedient.” His voice is low and somewhat strained. “Is she ever a brat?”

“Rarely, only when she wants a punishment.” He smirks, seeing the way your hips start to flex at your built up pleasure. “But she’s being a good little slut tonight, for now.”

You can feel your coil starting to tighten, the backhanded praises doing wonders for your arousal. You can see how both men are straining against their pants now, at least half hard with watching you chase a high. Your eyes close as you can feel the delicious burn of release coming, trying to hold on as long as you can.

“Eyes open.” Minho demands, causing you to groan and open your eyes to see him. “You’re close, aren’t you?” When he receives a nod, he smiles devilishly. “Then stop.”

With a heave of your chest, you pull your hand away and can feel it ebb away, leaving your hand a mess but not near to satisfaction.

“Why don’t you let Seonghwa taste how sweet you are?” He asks, looking towards his friend with a glint in his eyes.

Seonghwa slowly steps further into the room past Minho, walking up to your outstretched hand. He grabs your wrist and lets his tongue lie flat against your fingers before gently sucking your fingers off with a groan. His eyes never leave yours except when they flutter shut for a second, taking in all of you. He pulls your fingers out of his mouth gently, watching your flushed face get more aroused.

“Delicious, isn’t she?” Minho has seated himself in the chair on the other side of the room, able to watch you both.

“Very, thankful you could share her with me.” He smirks, still holding onto your wrist.

“Why don’t you get your fill of her then?” He asks, letting him take the wheel first. “You better listen to him, darling. My orders.”

“Yes, sir.” You rasp out, watching Seonghwa as he gets up from the bed, taking off his sweater now. Underneath it, he’s toned with his abs poking out ever so slightly in the dim light of the room. He’s gorgeous, you can’t lie. Though your heart stays with Minho, he’s allowing you a taste of something else.

“Lie down, love.” He orders and you fall flat on your back, knees now bent so he can hold onto you. He grabs your hips and pulls you closer to the edge of the bed, allowing his knees to rest on the floor while your pussy is directly in front of him. He looks up at you with sultry eyes as his hands hold you open. “Don’t cum until I tell you or else you’ll get punished, understood?”

You nod, sitting up on your elbows so you can see him. “Yes, sir.”

He smiles at the title, then starts his work on you. Firstly flattening his tongue against all of you, the warmth of it causes you to gasp out before he starts to work his tongue in you, feeling every inch of you. His tongue makes great work against your walls, making sure that you feel him in every way possible. When you feel empty again, he works on your clit, making sure it gets just as much attention as the rest of you. While you squirm, he holds you down tightly to keep your legs from clamping around his head.

The little jolts that are sent through your body cause you to whimper and try to hold yourself down. You don’t want to orgasm, but god damn if he keeps up his pace swirling your clit around to sucking on it gently then diving back into your hole, he’s going to drive you insane. You can only imagine how messy it is but don’t care; he’s giving you immense pleasure without ever breaking eye contact. When you look at Lee Know, you see he’s pulled his cock out from his pants, lazily stroking himself while he watches the scene unfold. His voyeurism takes over, watching as you get tongue fucked by his friend. When his eyes meet yours, he half grins while he gently squeezes his hand around himself and causes both him and you to groan out in pleasure. “F-Fuck, Seonghwa, so good…”

He hums around your clit, making you clamp down on nothing as you try to stave off the building of your orgasm. “You’re being so good for me, you can last a little longer.”

“I-I can’t.” You breathe out, back arching up to gain more friction against his mouth. “It feels so good, I can’t hold out much longer.”

“Don’t cum.” He commands, keeping his eyes locked on you. “Or else you’ll be punished.”

Your whine is high pitched as you feel your first orgasm of the night start budding in your core, his assault on your clitoris not helping at all. You try to hold your breath to keep it from crashing over you but that only helps for a moment before the tall man sucks harshly on your clit that sends you crashing down. Your sweaty chest heaves as euphoria rushes over you, allowing you to finally come down from the tension wrapped tightly within you. Seonghwa doesn’t stop until your walls stop flexing around his tongue and the realization comes over you about what you’ve just done. Minho knows you’re not good at prolonging your orgasm, maybe he told Seonghwa that as a way to make sure you get a punishment tonight. You wouldn’t put it past him.

“Now, what did I say about not cumming, doll?” Seonghwa’s tone is too sweet for comfort, making you feel like something is coming very soon.

“I-I’m sorry, sir, you felt so good. I tried, I really did.” You swear, looking at him with pleading eyes while you start coming to.

He pulls away fully, wiping off his chin with his thumb. “On your hands and knees, facing the headboard, now.”

You push up on your elbows and turn over, fully presenting your ass to him. You keep your eyes trained on the bed, fearful of what might happen if you were to look back. You hear the man get into the nightstand and get out a condom from the stash you have, probably with the direction of Minho. After a moment of silence, you hear and feel a loud smack come across your ass, causing you to screech out and rest your forehead against the sheets. The sting from the slap lingers around the edges of where his hand hit.

Seonghwa rubs his hand across the reddening skin, soothing over the warm area. “I told you you’d be punished. No slut goes unpunished.”

“I’m sorry. I tried to-” You feel another smack come across your other cheek, your body jolting again.

“‘I’m sorry’, what?”

“I-I’m sorry, sir. You just felt so good, sir.” You whine, the sting lingering longer this time. “I couldn’t hold it any longer.”

“If you’re going to cum that easy,” He says before he lands another loud smack, your hands balling up into fists as his hand rubs the red area gently. “Then you better cum again for me before I do.”

“You can do that, right, baby?” Minho coos from his seat, watching the tears form at the corners of your eyes. He sees you nod and asks, “You feeling good, baby?”

“So good…” You whimper, relaxing slightly hearing his voice again. “I want more.”

“Oh you’ll get more, I’ll be sure to fill you up while your boyfriend watches like the whore you are.” Seonghwa says, his hands holding onto your hips tightly.

You couldn’t have prepared yourself for what came next. His tongue did little to prep you for his dick as he takes no time to slam in and bottom out against you, making you almost scream. His groan is drawn out as he holds against you firmly. After the initial shock, you can start to feel him. He doesn’t fill you how Minho does, but it still feels damn good. You can feel how easily he slides out of you, easily being coated in your cum and his spit. He quickly pushes back in again and his hips smack against your ass, now sore from the slaps. Your groan is sharp pitched as you’re knocked from your hands, your chest fully resting against the bed as Seonghwa starts his rhythm.

Your head is turned towards Minho, watching him lazily stroke himself while watching you get fucked. It’s ridiculously attractive at how lewd he is, at how this whole situation is. His dirty blond hair is pushed back with a few strands matted to his forehead with sweat. He’s looking at your face with the usual mischievous glint in his eyes. His tip is flushed bright red with precum already leaking out, using his thumb to coat the rest of his cock with it. As he’s watching you watching him, he lets out a groan that sounds just a little bit more performative than usual unless this predicament turns him on more than he originally let on. “You look so gorgeous being used like that.”

“It feels so good, so so fucking good.” You moan out, eyes squeezing shut to focus on the way your ass bounces back against the taller man rutting his hips into you. You relish the way he pulls out almost fully before slamming back in, trying to hit both his and your best spots. You can’t help but let out broken moans that only get cut off by each other as his speed picks up. “Tha-ank you for letting him fuck me, s-sir.”

“Just make sure you leave some moans for me, love.” He smirks, hissing through his teeth as he squeezes the base of his cock. “You know I love it when you sound broken.”

“Can’t promise I won’t break her.” Seonghwa grunts, then moves a hand from your hip to your pussy, pushing rough circles on your clit causing you to cry out at the harsh stimulation. “She seems easy to please.”

“Mm, she is. Baby?” Your boyfriend coos again. “What’s the most amount of times I’ve made you cum in one night?”

“S-Seven, sir.” You cry out, feeling one of your tears cascade down your face.

“Fuck, you must have been a complete wreck after that, but I bet you enjoyed it.” Seonghwa starts angling his hips downward, earning a strangled moan from you as he hits you just right over and over again. He can hear the way you start babbling into the sheets at the new angle and feel the way you clamp around him as he doesn’t stop. He breathes harder at the added pressure. “I can’t wait for the day I can see it.”

With the new angle and his hand not letting up in the slightest, you can feel your orgasm start bubbling again, The burning feeling comes back and you wish for it to grow furiously. “More, please sir, more…”

“More? You’re a greedy whore, aren’t you?” You can hear the smirk in his voice, hoping it pushes him to do more. His pace picks up as well as he starts rolling his hips every few thrusts, wanting to soak in the feeling of you. He loves to hear the sound of you moaning underneath him, feeling that sense of power he craves.

“Fuck yes, fuck yes, please, please, please…” Your broken moans come out as he brings you to your high, That coil tightens immensely while he rolls his hips into yours, your knuckles white as they grip onto the sheets. Your mind is only focused on the burn as it flourishes. “I’m gonna cum, gonna cum, fuck.”

“Cum all over my cock, baby, show me how good I make you feel.” He commands, rubbing your clit faster to ensure your orgasm is intense.

The bliss crashes over you, causing your thighs to tremble slightly as you cum all over him. Your strangled moan is music to the men’s ears, watching your body react to the pleasure. Your mind goes fuzzy for a moment, focusing on how your body feels heavy and light at the same time while your other lover of the night still pounds into you, keeping your orgasm coming. You can feel your own cum start to drip down your legs as the lewd sounds only grow louder.

“Shit, fuck.” Seonghwa curses before his thrusts start faltering and he soon after, cums into the condom. His hips still while fully inside of you, allowing you to milk every drop out of him. Without the sound of skin slapping against each other, everyone’s breathing becomes very apparent. The quietness in the room is only broken up by that. The black haired man slowly pulls out of you, hearing a groan of discomfort come from you. He pushes his hair back from falling in his face as he gets off the bed.

Your body feels stuck, face down ass up, as you know if you move, your legs will give out. That orgasm was intense with how high intensity his fucking was. Everything feels hot and sticky and you know in the back of your mind you’re not done yet.

A gentle touch comes to your back, rubbing softly down to your shoulder. With a small moan, you feel the weight in the bed shift again. “Baby, you’re doing so well.”

“Thank you, sir.” You mumble out, trying to push up on your elbows.

“Take it easy, doll, you still have to take me, yeah?” He reminds you, a condescending hint in his voice.

“Please, I need you, sir.” You groan out, already feeling a slight ache to your body.

“Oh you’ll take me.” He smirks, moving to sit next to you on the bed. He angles your face to look at him, taking in your dazed expression and tear stained cheeks. His lips meet yours and you melt into him, missing the feeling of intimacy. Sure, getting absolutely fucked feels fantastic, but the kissing and fondling while being fucked is better. His lips are hungry against yours, having waited to take his turn with you. “I’ve waited all night for this.”

“I’m ready, I’m ready, sir.” You promise, looking into his eyes deeply. Even if your body can’t physically hold yourself up, you’d try.

Minho helps you swing your leg over to straddle him, letting you hold onto his shoulders to get comfortable. He holds his dick at your entrance, looking up at you to see you slightly nodding at him. He chuckles at your eagerness, slightly pushing himself in so you can easily sink down on him. He drinks up your whine at him filling you up, huffing out when he’s fully inserted in you.

You always crave the way Minho feels in you, cockwarming being one of your favorite activities. He is no doubtedly made for you, down to the way his dick fits inside you and fills you completely. You sit there for a moment, eyes closed as you take in the familiar feeling before they open to see him looking at you adoringly. He has his soft moments in bed, making sure you know you’re being taken care of every step of the way. You smile at him before slowly raising your hips up to bring them crashing down again. Moans escape both of your lips as your hips connect again.

“God, you’re gorgeous like this,” He groans, watching your face screw up in pleasure as you repeat the action. “Tears streaming down, being so desperate for me, it's my favorite sight to see.”

“Fuck, Minho.” You blurt out, starting to grind down onto him as your legs can’t support your bouncing as much as you’d like them to. You crash your lips with his again as you whimper. Your mind goes blank, consumed only in pleasure as you feel all of him in you. You moan out as his lips trail down your neck and rest on your collarbone to suck a harsh circle on your skin. His left hand reaches up and grabs at your breast, twisting your nipple between his fingers while you cry out at the multiple points of stimulation.

“Look at you, pathetic, trying to get yourself off again.” He mumbles against your skin. “But you can’t even hold yourself up. Did Seonghwa fuck you that good?”

“Yes…yes he did.”

He grabs your chin and angles it to the chair where the man rests, watching the scene unfold before him. “Tell him.”

“Seonghwa, you fucked me so good. Fuck!” You sreech out, feeling another slap to your ass as you forget his title. “Seonghwa, sir, you fucked me so so so good…”

“You’re welcome, little one.” He states boldly, drinking up the sight of you sloppily riding your boyfriend.

“You’re not exempt from punishments yet, sweetheart.” He purrs, guiding your hips with his hand, dragging long strokes with you. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long.”

Lee Know starts to take control of your movements, guiding you as you grind against his cock while then assisting you in bouncing on him, taking much of the burning pain away from your legs. He knows how you like it. He knows the ins and outs of your body so well it can scare you at times. He knows how to hold off your orgasms better than you can. He knows how to make you cum within a minute if he puts his mind to it. He knows what will make you scream out his name in the most perfect way.

Your mind starts going white, only feeling the best pleasure imaginable as he works your body. Your hips may be screaming at you for being in this position, but the way he stretches your walls makes it so worth it. The way he’s able to make you unravel with just the slightest touch is the superpower only given to him.

“Tell me, who’s fucked you better?”

“You, sir.”

“Speak up so he can hear you.”

“You, Minho,” You groan, fingers flexing into his shoulders while you ride him. “You fuck me so fucking good, thank you, thank you sir.”

He uses that praise as leverage for a reward, holding your hips in his hands while he thrusts up into you. He can see the fucked out look on your face starting, your eyebrows knitted together at the new feeling. The way your jaw is slack but no sound comes out besides the first sharp gasp. He lives for this moment.

“So that’s what she looks like fucked out.” Seonghwa purrs from the other side of the room. “I need to see it up close next time.”

“Oh you will,” He smirks, continuing the pace he’s at as he feels your pussy start clenching around him. “Wouldn’t you like to get fucked by the both of us again?”

“Yes, yes, yes…” Your brain focuses on that montra before a new one forms. For a third time, you can feel your orgasm approaching again, knowing this one will completely ruin you. “‘Mma cum…’mma cum.”

“Then cum, princess.” He commands, capturing your lips in a kiss again. “Show me how dirty you really are.”

This started off as a slow burn before erupting through you. Your whine is high pitched and drawn out in his ear, full body sweating and shaking from it. The feeling doesn’t seem to subside for minutes as Lee Know continues to slam up into you. Then you feel it subside for a moment before it comes crashing down again, orgasm three and four flowing together almost as one. Your mind goes blank, consumed in the pleasure he brings you.

“Fuck, baby girl. God, fuck.” He holds onto you tightly while keeping you in place, his own cum shoots into you, covering your insides. His chest heaves as he moans through his orgasm. His eyes are focused on you, watching your body twitch with any slight movement he or you make. A light chuckle escapes his lips as his hands reach up to gently cup your face, kissing your softly and assuringly. His breathing starts to come back to normal while his thumbs caress your cheeks. “Are you with me, love?”

You mumble slightly, opening your eyes to see him warmly looking at you. You lazily smile and rest your face in his hands, feeling warmer than ever.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He says and kisses you again. He cherishes the way your soft lips melt into him, still loving and trusting of him after the wild experience. He gently lifts you up to pull out of you, causing you to groan in discomfort of him moving and leaving you. Some of his cum flows out of you and back onto his thighs. “I know, but we’ve got to get you cleaned up.”

“Here,” Seonghwa hands him a warm washcloth, already taking the liberty to help with aftercare.

“Thanks,” He smiles at the man, setting you down on the bed so you can lie back against the pillows. Minho starts his work of trying to make you less sticky, being delicate and trying not to overstimulate you.

“Do you want some tea or coffee?” The other man asks you, gently brushing your hair away from your face. When he receives a lazy nod from you, he smiles and kisses your forehead. “Okay, I’ll get that started for you.” His brown gaze is fond as he looks between you and Minho before slipping his underwear back on and heading out into the kitchen.

There’s a moment of silence between you and Minho before he speaks up, “You did so well for us today, princess. Thank you for being such a good girl.”

A light giggle comes out of you, watching him take care of you. Minho is always good with his aftercare, making sure you know you’re loved and pampered afterwards. It also sobers you up a bit, bringing you back to the real world. You feel the butterflies you always feel for him, but they feel more intense this time now that someone else has joined your intimate moments. Once he’s done and wipes off his own thighs, you make grabby hands towards him. He only laughs at you and sits next to you, grabbing your hand in his. You say, “I think this could be a regular thing.”

“Really?” He looks almost astonished at your suggestion. “You enjoyed it that much?”

You nod, rubbing your tired eyes lightly. “You were right, and it was amazing. I wouldn’t mind doing this once or twice a month.”

Minho beams, looking like he just hit the lottery. He kisses you again, sealing what you have said. “Alright then, we can plan more out once we’re all clean, okay?”

You nod, kissing him again. When you hear footsteps come walking back into the room, you see Seonghwa bringing in some green tea for you. You smile at him, taking the mug from his hands, feeling the warmth coming from it. “Thank you, Hwa.”

“My pleasure.” He chirps, sitting on the other side of you. His hand goes back to playing with your hair, causing you to hum contently. “Feeling alright?”

“Mhmm,” You agree, then glance over at Minho. You see the usual devilish glint in his eyes causing your belly to churn. “If you want to shower, I have another bathroom down the hall you can use. Then we can watch a movie or something if you’d like.”

The Ateez member looks a little taken aback by your suggestion, fully thinking you and Minho would be doing aftercare together. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like that.”

“We wouldn’t just be kicking you out after this,” The man laughs, seeing his ears go back to their reddish tint. “We also have to plan out next time.”

He nods, liking the sound of that. “Next time, yeah.”

[bunie-grrss]

hello hello!! can i request platonic scenarios/drabbles or just hcs of just. cookie of darkness reader?? like. shenanigans in the weird group of cookies. i've been having so much brainrot of it. gender-neutral. thank you very much!!

Sure sure!

I'm guessing it's a kingdom request? Or both oven and kingdom, tho there's a few mentions of ovenbreak dark cookies here and there, just a heads up.

_____________________________

Dark enchantress cookie

•literally will be your mother for awhile, even though she's cold and about harsh, she was able to take care of you (if your a child cookie) but also will teach you dark magic occasionally!

•she sees you as compatible assisstance

•dont ever annoyed her, you will probably be strike by zip zap zapy zip zip

•licorice almost got zip zappy zip by lightning- holy millennial tree-

Red Velvet

•if you like dogs? Good, he will take you to the cake hounds to play with them

•not exactly a talkitive type, but will kick-a-punch to anyone talking bad about his hounds(especially chiffon my beloved💞)

•Earl grey once got bitten by the hounds after accidently say something bad about red velvet

•he will mostly be quiet, but also can be a good listener to you

Dark Choco

•dark Choco... You won't see him often in the headquarters , he mostly don't want to be around people most of the time, so don't be sad when he not there

•he will listen to you, if you eve read something in your mind, though occasional pets on the head

•his Cape is best hiding spot, you escaped pomegranate and macha cookie after accidently angering them

•a big scary guy, but have a heart like a kittens

Licorice

•be ready for some soft insults and anger, because man- this guy is out of the world when angry- of course he won't be like destructive crazy, but slot of words if you know what I mean

•you see him regularly arguing with pomegranate cookie, you tried to break their arguements a few times but it mostly won't work well...

•if you see him in his room writing in anger, don't bother him- you will only get yelled at- legit no joke! You sometimes ask why, but he usually say 'none of your business' or 'why you ask?! It's nothing for you to know!!'

•batcat and schalwaltzer will ask you occasionally to hide from him sometimes, I mean- he can be harsh and a little brat sometimes-

Poison Mushroom

•litterally a champ, will never betrayed you no matter what, and will help you in any situation

•will offer you alot of shroomies I mean like alot, probably will make your closet full of them

• This guy is just so squishy and small, please pet him- his so soft and squishy-

•probably admires pome, don't know how but, seems like pomegranate took the wrisk of eating the shroomie, well speaking of pomegranate..

Pomegranate

•hear me out, she probably won't despise you, but can took respect if you catch her interest

•she can see your worth and ability to help the darkness, of course why wouldn't dark enchantress took you in?

•shell probably busy with doing tasks for dark enchantress, of course she's her most trusted assisstance

•if you ever see her wandering around the headcourters, it's either finish arguing with licorice,done scolding licorice, or trying to get her anger out of a failed mission.

----------------------¶|

I didn't put much research into them much since I'm rushing stuff on this blog- sorri- if this isn't beyond your expectations I tried my best- this is probably the longest hcs I ever done-

-Yakou

[helpistolethesecharacters]

Love Conquers All

Zuko x Male Reader

Word Count: 1856

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

Y/n could understand where Zuko was coming from, but he knew he wouldn't be surprised if it didn't go as well as he had perhaps envisioned.

It was all very well and good that he had finally found his way, but he had hurt the Avatars group a fair bit before finding his way. Y/n also knew that as someone who had been a part of Zuko's attempts to hurt them, he had no leg to stand on in helping smooth the situation over. He hadn't been as single-minded in his focus on capturing the Avatar, but he had only cared because Zuko cared.

He didn't think that would matter to them, but then, Y/n didn't particularly care one way or the other how they felt about him. The only person who mattered to him was Zuko. Well, and Iroh, but that was a given of anyone who had met the calm old man.

When they made it to the kids campsite Y/n hung back, staying by the exit. It wasn't that he didn't trust them not to ambush him and Zuko, oh wait, it was that. Never mind.

Y/n watched the exchange carefully. He could feel it in the air mere seconds before she struck.

Faster than their eyes could follow, Y/n moved. By the time that everyone had caught up with the events, Y/n was standing in front of Zuko, sheathing his sword after having deflected Katara's water whip.

Silence reigned for a single heartbeat. Then Katara shrieked in outrage.

"How dare you!"

Y/n was sure she was still speaking, but he had a habit of being selectively deaf when it most benefited him.

And then, with almost no warning she was throwing water at him with increasingly wild movements.

It was no match for Y/n's technique.

It wasn't common knowledge, in fact, he had hidden it for most of his life, but Y/n was an airbender.

Yeah, literally the biggest lie in their world was that there were no more airbenders. The Air Nomads had had the practice of removing non-benders from their society and giving them to the other kingdoms.

What they didn't know was that all it took was for the right circumstances to happen and suddenly you had airbenders in the descendants of those non-benders.

It didn't change much ultimately, they were so few that they wouldn't ever be considered a threat to anyone, not that the Air Nomads had been when the Fire Nation had attacked them a hundred years ago.

What it all came down to, was a confused child suddenly developing powers that no one was able to control anymore.

Luckily for Y/n, the only person who had been around the first time he had bended was Zuko. As secrets tend to do, it had bound the two closer together than anyone would have thought ever since that day.

It was a loyalty that had seen Y/n stowing away on the ship Zuko had been banished on, and one that had been returned by Zuko had never once considered that the apparently Fire Nation child could be the reborn Avatar.

What it came down to, was that Katara was having no luck besting Y/n. Much as he wanted to put her in her place properly, Y/n knew that what they were trying to accomplish here would be hurt by that. From the looks of things though, they might have lost that chance.

Y/n stayed on the defensive, letting her tire herself out instead of outright attacking. He was worried about the look the Avatar was giving him though. That wide eyed expression couldn't mean anything good for his secret. He had always known that it would come out eventually, but he had hoped it would last longer than this dammit!

"Katara stop!"

The kid was trying to get in between then now, but the water tribe girl was apparently past the point of caring. She was just not backing down.

"Wait, I wanna talk to him!"

"No! They need to get out of here and never come back!"

Y/n was sure that her words might have been more intimidating if she weren't so clearly out of her league. He decided to ignore the voice in the back of his head that whispered that if he had used even half of his abilities properly before this they might have caught the Avatar long ago.

The element of surprise couldn't be taken for granted after all, and judging from the kid's reaction just now, all they would have had to do was show him Y/n's powers and he probably would have stayed on the ship that first day.

Y/n pulled himself out of his thoughts with a shrug. It was a bit late for that right now.

The Avatar had managed to get between Y/n and Katara, and seemed to be trying to talk her down from her rage. Y/n watched, only mildly interested. This wasn't how he had thought today would go.

He turned to Zuko, who was still standing behind him.

"Are you okay?"

He just looked Y/n over, head to toe looking for injuries.

"I'm fine, but are you sure it was a good idea to show them that? I could have taken a few hits. I've had worse before, you know that."

Y/n clenched his jaw at the reminder.

"I know. I'm sorry. You know how I feel about you willingly putting yourself in danger though. You didn't even try to defend yourself. Don't think I didn't spot that."

Y/n leveled a flat stare at Zuko.

He at least had the good grace to blush in shame and hide behind his fringe.

Y/n turned back to the group of kids gathered in front of them.

He gave them his best blank stare. He had nothing more to say to them, this was about Zuko teaching the Avatar firebending after all.

Besides, he was sure that anything he said would be twisted around and spat back at him by the water tribe girl.

"You're an airbender!"

Y/n refused to give up his secret that easily.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

The little blind girl perked up.

"You're lying. You are an airbender? I thought they were all wiped out."

Y/n stubbornly refused to respond. He could see the water tribe girl's eye narrow at his silence. She was just about to explode on him again when Y/n felt a shift in the air. Less than a second later he felt Zuko's hand on his shoulder.

He slumped slightly. Damn Zuko's soft heart.

"Yes. I can bend air."

The shout of pure joy that the Avatar let out was enough to make Y/n feel slightly guilty about keeping it from him the whole time he had been after him.

"I'm not alone! There must be more, right? Some of the monks survived and hid right? Please tell me!"

Man, this kid was excitable, and as happy as he was, Y/n didn't want to be the one to tell him that he was wrong. He couldn't take the soft option of letting Zuko tell him though, they would probably turn on the both of them and Zuko wouldn't be able to fulfill his destiny.

"No."

"No you're not going to tell him?"

That girl was really starting to get on Y/n's nerves.

"No, they didn't survive."

That shut her up.

It also made the kid tear up, but there was no point building a lie just to make him feel better in this moment. That would be more cruel than the truth.

"The only reason that I exist right now is because of your ancestors though. Your people had a practice of testing their babies for airbending potential."

The Avatar was nodding along. Good, this wouldn't be a surprise to him.

"Well, when they showed to be non-benders your people gave them away. They were sent off to the other kingdoms, not welcome in, nor considered to be, a part of the Air Nomads."

"Air Nomads are airbenders, so if they aren't airbenders they aren't Air Nomads. That's just the way things are."

Y/n grit his teeth. It was an old hurt, but it still stung. He pulled in a deep breath and the only thing that stopped him from screaming about the injustice of it all was Zuko's hand that was still on his shoulder lending him the strength to continue.

"Your people were wrong. Occasionally their methods would be wrong, and they would let a bender slip away into another kingdom. But more than that, its in our blood, in the thing that makes us who we are. When enough of your ancestors were born from the Air Nomads, no matter whether they could bend themselves or not, you have the possibility to end up as a bender."

The Avatar's jaw was hanging open as he stared in horror at Y/n.

"But, they couldn't possibly have known that! If they had, maybe they wouldn't have done what they did."

Y/n's eyes shone with a dark light. This was something he would ultimately have to give up, but it was worth planting the seed if he could.

"So your saying that the only possible use non-benders have is the possibility of benders being born from them?"

The Avatar stopped cold and stared at Y/n in horror.

"What? No! Of course not!"

"Then what? You had no problem with the idea that they would be thrown away like yesterday's garbage up until now. The only thing that's changed is this piece of information."

Y/n pulled back as he saw the tears form in the Avatar's eyes.

"Think on that for a while. You have a non-bender in your group. Do you consider him to be useless?"

The kids all looked like they had been hit over the head.

Y/n was sure that this would be the end of their interaction for the day.

"We'll come back tomorrow. Maybe then we can talk without resorting to violence."

He turned back to Katara who looked like she was getting ready to unleash whatever thoughts had been happening in that head of hers.

"Before you put your foot in it, consider this. We have two things you want. One you desperately need, the other, something you desperately want. Have a good night."

Zuko turned and walked back the way they had come, with Y/n bringing up the rear. He didn't trust them not to attack them from behind.

Y/n hoped that with the reminder that they needed Zuko to teach the Avatar firebending, they would be more open to meeting the next day. If that weren't enough, then there was the added bonus of Y/n being the only other airbender that they knew. He was sure that the Avatar wouldn't be able to resist the pull to be around someone who was like him for long.

Either way, they still had a long way to go to convince them that they didn't want to hurt them and that this wasn't a trap.

'Oh well,' Y/n thought as he lay sleepily beside their fire, 'things always look better in the morning.'

[weeklyreadings]

Week 32, part one

I Can't Wait To Meet You by @samunderthelights

Rated T. 1k. Wolfstar

Remus wasn't planning on telling Sirius that he thinks he's pregnant. Not until after he had taken the test. But when Sirius comes home early from work, he knows that he has no choice but to tell him.

Chapter 17 - 21 of Blackness Bleeds by @heartofspells

Rated E. Currently 14k. Wolfstar

Remus has turned his back on the Order. They don't want him, don't trust him. So he finds something else, goes to the one person he somehow knows will take him for who and what he is. Except Remus never anticipated just what he would truly find on that other side of grey lines and grey eyes.

👆🏾it’s amazing but read the warnings!!!

Trust the Wolf to Bring You Home by keenbean

Rated T. 15k. Wolfstar

Remus Lupin saves 18-month-old Harry from the Dursleys. And realizes that perhaps Sirius Black isn't as guilty as everyone thinks.

Locks by @msalexwp

Rated M. 2k. Wolfstar

Remus, Sirius, Teddy, and Leo have settled into a comfortable routine in the seven months that they’ve all been living together, but ever since Remus and Sirius came home engaged from Cancun a couple weeks ago, things have gotten a bit, well, out of hand. A lesson in the importance of locking doors.

Neither Hide nor Hair By @mean-whale-writes

Rated E. 28k. Wolfstar

Remus John Lupin, 31, an unregistered werewolf, has a one-night stand with a sexy Muggle called Sirius, and it nearly ruins his life.

Sirius Orion Black, 31, an Auror, has a one-night stand with a sexy Muggle called John, and it's the best night of his life.

These two events are one and the same.

Your Majesty by @cluelesspigeons

Rated E. 17k. Drarry

Draco's bored. Ever since he's become King, he hasn't done anything apart from being stuck in assemblies and meetings. He yearns for a life with adventure and excitement. So, when a group of pirates start raiding the villages of his Kingdom, Draco sees the perfect opportunity to escape his duties as a King for a little while. After all, there isn't much that could go wrong. Right?

When Trust and Truth Collide by silvergalaxy

Rated E. 47k. Drarry

Harry meets Draco for the first time in the employee break room on a boring Wednesday morning and they immediately hit it off. Chance encounters turn into dates, and dates turn into feelings.

Oh, yeah. Draco's also Harry's boss. Harry has no idea.

The Four Doors by @fluxweeed

Rated E. 49k. Drarry

It’s been four months since Harry lost his memory. Four months of dead ends and no answers. With time running out until his memories are gone for good, Harry agrees to a course of Legilimency therapy with a renowned specialist: Mind Healer Draco Malfoy.

Eight o’clock, tomorrow evening by @fluxweeed

Rated E. 12k. Drarry. Part 2 of 👆🏾

Harry and Draco date

Family on the Mend by @heartofspells and @tracingpatternswrites

Rated M. 76k. Wolfstar

Sirius and Remus are struggling with parenthood, stretched too thin trying to bring up two children with a significant age gap, soon-to-be-fifteen year old Harry Potter and two year old Teddy Lupin-Black. When their chaotic life boils over during a dinner party, their friends intervene and suggest they need help. Sirius and Remus both agree they can’t do it on their own, however, the kind of help that they suggest - a Muggle Reality TV Show which focuses on helping struggling families - is not what either of them had in mind.

So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings by Urghhh3

Rated T. 13k. Wolfstar

He always found boys pretty. That's not what had him surprised when Remus Lupin came back for their last year in Hogwarts. Sirius Black knew very early on that he was gay and had a soft spot for lanky and tall boys that always felt awkward in big crowds. That Remus Lupin, his best friend, somehow fit that category wasn't his fault.

thanks to @stars-and-scars-recs who recommended this one 👆🏾

[beifongsss]

firebending [zuko]

Pairing: Zuko x reader

Requested?: Yes! By a wonderful anon: “your zuko fics are all so well-written! I have a request for a firebender reader who hates the fire nation and was never trained in the art of fighting. then she/they join the gaang and learns firebending with aang from zuko. it’s awkward between them at first but cue ~ romance ~”

Summary: If someone told you that you’d end up dating the Fire Nation prince one day, you would’ve laughed in their face. If only you knew how right they were.

wc. ~5.2k

.masterlist.

~

When you first joined the Gaang, everyone expected you and Katara to hate each other. After all, you were from the Fire Nation and everybody knew Katara was the biggest anti-Fire Nation enthusiast there ever was.

They were quickly proven wrong when you didn’t fight against Katara’s harsh remarks, instead agreeing with them and even adding more scathing words of your own to show your distaste towards the Fire Nation. Since joining them, you never wore anything related to the Fire Nation. Nothing that is, with the exception of an elaborate hairpiece that your mother had left you. The hairpiece never left your body, the sunstone in the middle of it shining from its place on your head.

Escaping Ba Sing Se (and therefore the Earth Kingdom) had simultaneously been the best and worst thing that had happened to you. You were glad that Aang was alive, obviously, but being back in Fire Nation clothing was making you anxious.

Ever since the battle in the catacombs, you had been avoiding everyone. You had revealed your firebending in a panic, shooting a strong blast of fire at the banished prince as he snuck up on Katara. He had been taken off guard just long enough for you to subdue him before he realized that you didn’t know what you were doing.

There had been no time for Katara to question you after that. You had all fled and met up with her father, Hakoda, before seizing a Fire Nation ship to use as a disguise. As soon as you stepped foot on the ship, you had scrambled to an empty room and locked yourself inside. You had ignored Katara’s pleas for you to open the door, never once moving from your spot unless it was to use the bathroom or to get the tray of food that you knew had been placed at your door.

No one had known you were a firebender, and the initial shock eventually wore off as everyone found themselves missing your presence. It wasn’t until Aang woke up that you finally emerged.

~

“(Y/N)?” Sokka asked hesitantly, knocking softly on your door.

“Go away!” was the muffled reply that came from your room.

“Nope. I think Aang wants to see you.”

Sokka waited for a few seconds before the door swung open, reveling you standing there. You were wearing your Earth Kingdom clothes, trying to delay the inevitable. You looked up at him, making his heart hurt when he noticed the exhaustion in your eyes.

“Is he really awake?” you asked, your voice small. Sokka nodded.

“Hurry up and get changed. He’s on the deck.”

You nodded softly before closing the door. You opened it again a few minutes later, now dressed in red. As much as Sokka hated to admit it, you looked good in red. The Fire Nation was your home, after all. You followed him up to the deck, your finger nimbly twisting part of your hair into a knot big enough for your hairpiece.

“(Y/N)!” Aang yelled when you came into view. He launched himself at you and you caught him with a small “oof”. You giggled softly as you rubbed his head, making his hair stick up in all directions.

“Aang!” you cried in reply. “You have hair!”

Aang made a funny face at your words before fixing his hair. “Yeah, I guess I was out longer than I thought.”

You leaned down and swept the boy up into another hug, pulling him close as you held tears back. “I’m so glad you’re okay Aang. I don’t know what we would’ve done if you-”

“Don’t worry! Look at me, I’m fine!” Aang said, trying to make you feel better. He led you over to where everyone else was, Katara looking up and smiling softly as you glanced at her. “They also told me about your firebending! How come you never told us?’

You reeled back in shock, looking around wildly as everyone heard Aang’s word. When there were no negative reactions, you relaxed slightly.

“Everyone already knows huh?” you asked drily, being met with nods from everyone on board. You sighed and tapped your foot before speaking. “Okay, yes I’m a firebender. The reason I never told you guys is because I never wanted to use it. I was young when I fled and I never got a chance to learn anything other than the basics.”

Aang nodded in understanding. “But you could’ve built your skills that time we met Jeong Jeong.”

“No. After my family...” you trailed off, thinking about why you never became a master bender. Aang gave you an encouraging look and you breathed in deeply. “I promised myself I wouldn’t firebend ever again. Not after that.”

Aang nodded in understanding as you fell silent, thinking about your past. The Fire Nation was the reason why you had been all alone. They had killed your family with the weapon you now hated: firebending.

The silence engulfed the entire ship, everyone lost in their own thoughts. There was a peaceful atmosphere as the ship drifted along, but of course it didn’t last long.

Soon enough, you found yourself chasing after Aang, eventually being forced to hide in the Fire Nation as the Day Of Black Sun loomed closer and closer.

~

The promise that you had made to yourself to never firebend again was still intact. You hadn’t let any bursts of fire out, not even when you had found yourself surrounded by Fire Nation troops on the Day of Black Sun. The eclipse was a blessing to you, the brief eight minutes just long enough to make you feel normal.

Of course, you soon found yourselves fleeing to the Western Air Temple, silently mourning the loss the rest of the invasion army. Once you all settled in, you kept wearing the red top you had acquired in the Fire Nation. You don’t know why; it just brought you some type of comfort. Aang had grinned when he noticed, wondering if all your adventures in the Fire Nation had lessened your hatred towards the nation.

It had.

But not by much. Wearing the color red weighed heavily on your soul and you spent many of your waking hours debating whether or not keeping the red clothes was the right choice. It frustrated you to no end, how a simply piece of cloth could jumble your thoughts so easily. The red reminded you of the pain and grief you had experienced when you had lost your family, but in a twisted way it also reminded you of them. It reminded you of the days back when you still had them, back when you still had a home and you were happy. Deep down, you knew that you were Fire Nation but that knowledge didn’t stop your inner turmoil. And over the next few days, it only got worse with the arrival of a certain someone.

“Hello, Zuko here.”

You tried to hold back your groan, you really did. But it was as though the universe wanted to test you and had decided to do so by sending the Fire Nation prince your way. Zuko’s soft smile had dropped at your reaction, the corners of his lips quirking downward.

“Hey, I heard you guys flying around down there, so, I just thought I'd wait for you here,” he continued. Appa walked up to the prince and sniffed him before proceeding to lick him. Zuko’s face twisted up in disgust. “I know you must be surprised to see me here.”

"Not really,” Sokka said. “Since you've followed us all over the world!”

“Right,” Zuko said, wincing slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, uh, anyway, what I wanted to tell you about is that I've changed, and I, uh, I'm good now, and well I think I should join your group, oh, and I can teach firebending to you. See, I, uh-”

“You want to what now?” you asked sharply, exchanging a look with Katara.

“You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you?” she asked, opening her water skin. “I mean, how stupid do you think we are?!”

Zuko’s eyes shifted to you before he answered. “You trust her. She’s a firebender.”

Your eyes widened in anger and you began to march up to the prince, only stopping when Katara held you back.

“I am not, a firebender,” you hissed, staring Zuko down. “And I am not Fire Nation.”

Zuko stayed quiet, his eyes drifting from your red shirt to the hairpiece on your head. You followed his line of sight, eyes widening when you realized he was staring at the sunstone. You yanked your arm out of Katara’s grip, angrily stomping out of the room. You quickly stripped yourself of your red top as soon as you were out of sight before sighing deeply and pulling your hairpiece out. You arrived at the sleeping chamber and sat down on your sleeping bag quietly, holding the hairpiece in your hand tightly.

You stared at it sadly, the sunstone glinting in the dim light. Without hesitation, you pulled your arm back and flung it away, watching the sunstone glint in the sunlight as it rolled towards the edge. It was gone in a second, tumbling over the edge of the temple.

Now you were truly no longer Fire Nation.

~

Your life had just gotten ten times harder now that Zuko had been allowed to join the group. The defeat of Combustion Man had been intense and you had found injured when it was all over. Unlike Sokka, you had never been good with fighting, always relying on your intelligence to get you out of dire situations. With Combustion Man however, that proved to be a problem, and you had found yourself caught in the middle of a fight with no protection whatsoever.

In addition to the pain of your injury, you found yourself dealing with the prince’s presence. You found yourself avoiding the group entirely, taking on the more tedious chores (like laundry) to avoid spending time with the group and even hanging out with Haru, Teo, and The Duke as they explored the temple.

Tensions didn’t rise until a few days later, beginning when Aang approached you with an idea. After your tragic failure with Combustion Man, Aang believed that you needed to learn how to protect yourself and he thought that the right way to do that was by learning how to firebend. You had vehemently refused, accidentally yelling at the Air Nomad as everyone else watched in silence.

The argument was put on pause for a few days when Aang and Zuko traveled to the Sun Warriors’ ruins but when they came back, Toph had sided with him as well. You felt slightly betrayed by the small earthbender but still refused, stating that there was no way you would willingly learn how to firebend. At least you still had Sokka and Katara on your side.

At least you did until Sokka and Zuko took a trip to The Boiling Rock the next day. When they got back two days later, Sokka was on Aang’s side as well. The fight with Azula on the gondola had left him shaken as he realized just how hard it was to fight a bender with just a sword. You didn’t know how to use a sword, but you could firebend and so Sokka became one of Aang’s supporters. Katara was the only one who was still on your side, but that changed when Azula raided the temple.

Everyone had been woken up suddenly, reacting a bit slower than normal as Azula appeared. She immediately lunged at you, shooting blasts of blue fire as she stalked closer to you. Your eyes were wide with fear, dodging her attacks as much as you could.

“Watch out!” Zuko yelled, tackling you from the side, a pillar crashing down where you had been standing as a result of Azula’s lightning. You grunted softly as you landed, the breath leaving your lungs as Zuko landed on top of you. You opened your eyes immediately, meeting bright gold irises before they looked away as Zuko began to scan you for any visible injuries. Zuko’s hands rested on either side of your head as he tried to keep his weight off of you, not that it helped considering you were still struggling to catch your breath.

Or maybe you were struggling to catch your breath because of how close he was.

“Are you okay?” Zuko asked, drawing your attention back to him. Scowling, you threw him off of you before scrambling to your feet, rushing to help Katara when you heard her yelp. Zuko noticed Toph earthbend a tunnel into the side of the temple, and rushed to join the others. His eyes landed on you as you threw yourself to the side, narrowly dodging another one of Azula’s deadly blasts. The princess grabbed you by the hair, laughing maniacally before dragging you to the airships.

“What are you doing?” Aang yelled, noticing that Zuko had stopped in his path.

“Azula has (Y/N)!” Zuko replied, turning around and facing the airships. “I’m gonna go get her.”

Katara rushed to Aang’s side, exchanging a worried look with him before getting on top of Appa. The rest of the Gaang joined them, holding on tight as they tried to maneuver the sky bison through all the debris. 

Zuko ran and launched himself onto the airship, landing safely on top of one. He glared at his sister, noticing that she was still holding onto you.

“Let her go, Azula!” Zuko yelled, his eyes never leaving hers.

“Hmm, I don’t think I will,” Azula replied, the blue flame in her palm growing brighter as she held it up to your face. “I think I’ll get rid of her instead. Then I’ll get rid of you. I can’t wait to celebrate being an only child.”

She inched the flame closer to your face, prompting Zuko to shoot a fire blast near her head. Growling, Azula tossed you to the side before confronting Zuko. The two siblings fought for a few minutes and you tried your best to avoid any wayward blasts. The fight stopped when they both struck at the same time, the resulting blast blowing both of them backwards.

“Zuko!” you cried, sprinting to grab the boy before he fell. You managed to grab onto his hand but his momentum sent you both tumbling into the chasm, a scream getting stuck in your throat as you plummeted. You were so overcome with fear that you didn’t notice Zuko pulling you into him, holding you close as you fell.

The fall didn’t last long, Appa managing to swoop in and save the two of you. You sat quietly on Appa’s saddle, both you and Zuko watching Azula as she kept falling.

“She’s...not gonna make it,” Zuko said softly, his arms tightening around you slightly. You watched with wide eyes as Azula used firebending to propel herself to the cliffside, sliding down a bit further before she took out her hairpin and stuck it into the side of the cliff, effectively ending her fall. “Of course she did.”

The seven of you sat in silence for a few minutes before Katara spoke up, tears in her eyes as she looked at you. “(Y/N), seeing Azula capture you got me thinking. I think...I think that you should learn how to firebend. You need to know how to defend yourself.”

“And I think that you can let go of each other now,” Sokka said cheekily, trying to diffuse the tension that had settled upon the group at Katara’s words. You shimmied out of Zuko’s hold, walking up to the Water Tribe girl and looking at her in disbelief.

“You’re supposed to be on my side Katara,” you hissed, flinching when she tried to reach for your hand. Without another words, you walked away and took Appa’s reins. The rest of the flight was silent, everybody knowing that now was not the time to be chatty.

~

Once again, you had retreated from the group. It wasn’t exactly hard considering the fact that now it was Katara and Zuko who had disappeared, gone on a quest to find her mother’s murderer. After a few days, Zuko reappeared alone and you found yourselves traveling to Ember Island.

Upon your arrival, you made your way over to Katara, who was standing quietly on the deck.

“I heard what you did,” you spoke first. “I’m glad you didn’t kill him.”

“I couldn’t bring myself to do it,” she whispered back, still looking straight ahead.

“Why?”

She turned slightly, facing you before speaking. “It’s not in my nature to kill. I couldn’t bring myself to use my bending for that. I have the chance to prevent other’s from going through what I went through; from going through what you went through. I want to use my bending for good.”

You mulled over her words for a few seconds before sighing deeply and walking away. Aang watched you quietly as he walked over to Katara, his eyes widening slightly when you walked up to Zuko.

“Ok,” you said quietly, looking up at the prince. “Teach me how to firebend.”

Zuko’s eyes widened briefly before he crossed his arms and composed himself. “Tomorrow at dawn. Be ready.”

And ready you were. Every day. Firebending was a lot easier than you expected, and you found yourself breezing though the basics and the intermediate moves. It wasn’t until you got to the advanced moves that you began to have some trouble.

“No!” Zuko barked. “That’s not how it’s done. Again!”

Your eye twitched before you took your stance again, launching yourself into the move that you were currently working on. You sighed deeply when you realized you had done it wrong again.

“Wrong. Again.”

“If you’re so good at it then come and show me,” you snapped, fed up with his attitude. Zuko straightened up before walking over to you, motioning for you to take your stance once more. You rolled your eyes, blowing the hair out of your eyes before complying.

“I will,” he said, moving your arms into the right position. He walked around you and you opened your mouth to make another comment, stopping when his hand came around from behind and gently shut your jaw. “Don’t say anything.”

Your breath hitched in your throat as he spoke. He was closer than you thought, his lips brushing your ear as he spoke. You shivered when his hands landed on your back, fixing your posture before they made their way to your waist. He gripped your waist firmly, shifting you into position before leaning forwards slightly, whispering in your ear once more. “Do it again.”

Fighting a blush, you did as you were told. You chuckled breathlessly when you did it correctly this time, a blast of fire leaving your hand at the right moment.

“See? You did it,” Zuko said, a faint smirk on his lips. “You’re a natural.”

You bounced up to him, wrapping your arms around his neck in excitement. His arms immediately wrapped around your waist, enjoying the closeness of the hug. You leaned back slightly, meeting his eyes as you smiled cheesily. “It’s only because I have such a great teacher.”

The two of you walked back to the beach house, joking around after a long day of training. Upon entering the beach house, Katara pulled you aside. “(Y/N)! Thank goodness. I need your help in the kitchen!”

You gave Zuko an apologetic smile as you followed Katara, being met with an understanding nod as he went off on his own. Katara handed you a tray of cups, smirking slightly before speaking. “So, you and Zuko huh?”

“What? N-No,” you replied immediately.

“I’m talking about firebending. How’s that going?” Katara said, filling the cups with watermelon juice as she arched an eyebrow.

A bright blush spread across your cheeks as you realized what she was talking about. “O-Oh. It’s going great. Zuko’s been teaching me some advanced moves now!”

Katara hummed in reply, waving you away now that the cups were full. You headed out of the kitchen in a hurry, loosing your footing when you heard Katara speak yet again.

“I bet the next move he makes is gonna be on you.”

~

The conversation between you and Katara was basically forgotten as the days went by. 

Zuko had informed the Gaang about his father’s plan to destroy the Earth Kingdom, causing you all to worry greatly. In addition, Aang had disappeared overnight and all attempts to find him had been futile.

And that’s how you found yourselves following June and her shirshu as she led you to Ba Sing Se, where Zuko’s Uncle Iroh was supposed to be. You had been warmly welcomed by the Order of the White Lotus and Zuko and Iroh had made up, leaving you with only a day to plan out what you were going to do before Sozin’s comet arrived.

It was quickly decided that the Order of the White Lotus would stay behind and reclaim Ba Sing Se while Sokka, Suki, and Toph would set out to destroy the airship fleet. Zuko had asked you and Katara to join him in defeating Azula and although Katara had agreed immediately, you were a bit hesitant. Of course, Zuko noticed and he decided to confront you about it.

“(Y/N),” Zuko said, coming up to you when you were prepping Appa for the ride. Katara was a few yards away, giving the two of you privacy. You glanced at Zuko before climbing onto Appa’s saddle, the prince following closely behind you. “What’s wrong?”

“Zuko, I,” you paused, breathing deeply. “I shouldn’t go. I just started bending and what is something goes wrong? I don’t want to be a liability to y-”

“Hey,” Zuko whispered, ducking his head to make eye contact with you. “I meant what I said on Ember Island. You’re a natural. You’ll be fine.”

You sighed before hugging your knees to your chest. “I just can’t believe that I’m actually returning to the Fire Nation, even if it’s to help you reclaim your throne. I’m just glad that maybe under your rule, things might finally change.”

Zuko stayed quiet before standing up and reaching for his bag. He shuffled around for a moment before kneeling behind you, his fingers gently grabbing your hair.

“What are you-”

“Shh,” Zuko cut you off. “Give me a second.”

His fingers weaved through your hair, putting it up into a style you were all too familiar with. He was gentle with his actions, letting his hands fall to your shoulders when he was done. “There.”

You reached up, your fingers trembling slightly as they brushed over the sunstone that you had known your whole life.

“M-My hairpiece,” you gasped, tears springing to your eyes as you realized how much you had missed it. “How did you-”

“I found it at the Western Air Temple,” Zuko interrupted quietly. “It was after I came to you guys the first time. Katara sent me away and when I was walking under a balcony, it fell onto the ground. I recognized it so I picked it up. I assumed you would want it back at some point.”

Zuko fell backwards when you threw yourself at him, wrapping him up in a tight hug.

“Thank you,” you whispered, leaning up and pressing a kiss to his cheek. A tiny gasp escaped him and you pulled back, meeting his eyes as he stared down at you. The two of you stared at each other for a few tense seconds before you both leaned forwards rapidly, your lips meeting in the middle.

Maybe it was a spur of the moment decision, kissing Zuko. Maybe it was due to to the anxiety bubbling up in you, your emotions hard to control as you prepared to end of the war in one way or another. Or maybe, it was simply two teenagers too shy to tell each other how they felt, finally sharing a tender moment.

“So, are we ready to go?” Katara asked. The two of you sprung apart, blushes on both of your faces as the Water Tribe girl smirked at you. Zuko nodded and you looked away, taking your place at Appa’s reins.

“Ready as I’ll ever be. Yip yip.”

~

The fight had been a blur to you. You didn’t remember much other than the fact that Zuko had taken a bolt of lightning meant for you. After Zuko had been injured, you and Katara had teamed up to take Azula down. She had challenged you to an Agni Kai after striking Zuko and you had accepted in order to lure her away from his body. To say she had been surprised when you actually fought back with fire was an understatement.

With Katara’s help, you managed to chain her to an old grate before rushing over to aid Zuko. After Katara had done all she could, you helped Zuko into the palace where he had been taken to the infirmary. You hadn’t seen him since.

You had however, met back up with Aang, Sokka, Toph, and Suki. They informed the two of you of what they had done and in turn you had told them about Zuko’s injury. They were all worried about him but after hearing that Katara had healed him, they were slightly relieved.

The next time you saw the prince was on the day of his coronation. Some of the palace guards had come for you, stating that Zuko was requesting your presence. You felt your heart jump into your throat as you nodded, allowing them to lead you through the palace until you came to a pair of gilded doors.

“He’s in there,” one of the guards said. “Would you like us to announce your arrival?”

“No, it’s fine. I can just knock,” you said meekly, causing the guards to smile amusedly. You bowed shortly to them before turning to face the door, gently knocking and waiting for a response.

“Come in!”

The door swung open at your touch and you awkwardly stepped inside, still standing near the doorway as your gaze landed on Zuko.

“Close it,” he said, his voice quiet yet rough. You complied, stepping aside and shutting the door before inching closer. He was shirtless, thick bandages covering his torso. Covering the new scar he had earned because of you. He turned around, his face softening when his eyes met yours.

“Hey,” he said softly, his eyes scanning you for injuries the way he did back when Azula raided the Western Air Temple.

“Hi, how are you?” you squeaked, shuffling awkwardly. You winced at your words, blushing in embarrassment as Zuko’s lips quirked up. He walked over to his bed before picking up the shirt he was going to wear.

“I’m fine. How are you?” he asked, a teasing smile on his lips as he began to put it on. His smile dropped as he moved too harshly, pain shooting through his torso as he struggled to pull the fabric on.

“Spirits! Be careful,” you said, all embarrassment leaving you as you rushed forwards and took the shirt from his hands. “Here, let me.”

You helped him slide one arm in before slipping it over his shoulders and guiding his other arm in as well. You grabbed the belt used to hold it in place before standing in front of him. Your breath caught in your throat as you eyed the bandages, guilt settling in your stomach as you softly placed a hand on his chest. Zuko’s hands automatically went to your waist, pulling you closer to him as he stared at you worriedly.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, still looking at his chest. “This was my fault.”

“Hey,” Zuko replied, one of hands leaving your waist to lift your chin. You shivered softly at the action, your eyes finally meeting his bright gold ones. “It wasn’t your fault. Azula shouldn’t have done it in the first place. She challenged me to an Agni Kai, not you.”

“You should’ve let it hit me,” you said, looking at him sadly. “I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if Katara hadn’t been there. Zuko, you could’ve d-”

Your eyes widened and your words died on your throat when Zuko leant down, softly pressing his lips to yours. The hand that was still on your waist wrapped around you, pulling you closer as Zuko kissed you gently. He began to pull away after a few seconds, noticing your lack of response. Mentally kicking yourself, you began to kiss back, closing your eyes as you wrapped your free arm around his neck to keep him close. Zuko couldn’t help but smile at your response.

“I took that hit because I love you, (Y/N),” Zuko whispered, finally pulling away and leaning his forehead against yours. “I couldn’t let Azula hurt you.”

“Zuko, I-I love you too,” you confessed, your eyes still closed. Suddenly, you pulled away before gently swatting his head. “But that doesn’t make what you did any less stupid.”

“Hey! I saved your life!” he exclaimed, rubbing his head.

“I know,” you said, rolling your eyes before hugging him close once again. “And I love you for it. But never, and I mean never, do that again.”

“No promises,” Zuko replied, guiding your lips to his once more. This kiss was different, full of trust and love and peace.

You pulled away reluctantly, fixing his shirt and looping the belt around him before taking his hand. “Now let’s go. You have a coronation to get to.”

Zuko stopped for a second, pulling you back to him as he looked at you uncertainly. You looked up at him curiously, prompting him to speak.

“Are you-” Zuko stopped abruptly, trying to get his thoughts in order. “Will you stay with me? Here? Even after everyone else leaves?”

You hesitated for a split second, remembering everything that you had suffered at the hands of the Fire Nation. You opened your mouth to reply, looking up to meet Zuko’s gaze. You faltered for a moment, taking in the way he was looking at you. Here in front of you stood the crown prince, the very symbol of the nation that you had spent the majority of your life hating. But he was also just a teen, and he was willing to put in the work to fix the Fire Nation’s past mistakes.

Your heart swelled in your chest as you thought about the golden-eyed boy , and everything he had done to help the Avatar. Because of him, the Fire Nation now had a chance at redemption, and you knew it wouldn’t be easy to undo centuries of imperialism and pain. Especially not when it was so deeply rooted in the nation. And so you answered his question, confident that you were making the right decision.

“Of course I’ll stay, Zuko. And I’ll be here to help you every step of the way.”

~

taglist!

@musicalkeys, @mywigglybaby​, @bubblebars​, @iguessthefloorislava​, @dekahg​, @boxofteenageideas​, @bottledcotscowater, @butterflycore​, @coldlilheart​, @the-firebender-girl​, @ajediherowitchrunner​, @lammello​, @astroninaaa​, @samsmultifandomblogs​, @sadskater25, @oddment-niwit-blubber-tweak​, @duh-dobrik​

[atinymonster]

drunk baby monster

ateez 9th member.

when jiyu turns twenty and chaos ensues during her first time trying alcohol.

inspired by a lovely anon’s ask hehe ✨✨ and this all happened on jiyu’s birthday this year (march 15th)!! i had midterms around the time so i totally lost track of jiyu’s birthday 🤧🤧

⚠️: mentions of alcohol

➴ taglist: @banhmi07, @jiyeons-closet, @jaeminpeachy, @mochibabycakes, @euphoriamingi, @marsophilia, @studioreader, @goddessofdestructionbeast, @dkdlwhs12

➴ masterlist

Jiyu warily eyed the soju bottle in front of her before her eyes flicked to the men sitting around her on the couch.

“I know I asked this at least ten times already within the last half an hour, but are you sure this is a good idea?”

Wooyoung whined, shimmying closer to her before giving her his best puppy eyes. “You have us in case something goes wrong!”

“What do you mean if something goes wrong?!” she asked, not feeling at all reassured for this first experience.

She trusted them, she really did, but did she trust herself or her unknown alcohol tolerance level? No, she really didn’t.

“If you don’t want to try, don’t feel pressured, Ji,” Seonghwa reassured, patting her head.

“No!” she denied, slightly startling herself with how loud she was, “It’s not that I don’t want to try it, as embarrassing as it sounds, I’ve always wanted to try drinking soju the day I’m of legal age,” she sheepishly explained what used to be a childish wish of her’s.

“But I’m just embarrassed about what could happen when and if I get drunk...”

There were endless possibilities of what drunk her could potentially do—she could accidentally fire off embarrassing Universe private messages to ATINY, or just drunkenly interact with ATINY in general, or she could babble about the most random things in the world while crying or laughing, and the list goes on.

And she just knew Wooyoung, San, and Yeosang were ready with their phones to record the momentous occasion and not let her live it down for the next few years.

“I’m pretty sure we’ve all done some embarrassing things when we were drunk at least once in our lives,” Hongjoong reassured with a chuckle. Despite turning twenty, Jiyu was still such a little baby to them.

“It can’t be like Yeosang hyung where he started texting the group chat about how much he loves us before texting out the ponytail song,” Jongho reminded, snickering at the horrified and betrayed look said man gave him.

“I thought we all mutually agreed to forget that ever happened!” he hissed.

“That actually did make me feel better though,” Jiyu admitted, ignoring Yeosang’s pleas about wiping that memory from her head.

Sighing, she reached towards the bottle before slowly filling the shot glass. “All right, if I do anything embarrassing, please do me a huge favor and just forget it happened. Otherwise it’s moving out of the country for me.”

San snorted at how dramatic she was. Surely she wouldn’t do anything too embarrassing; it was Jiyu they were talking about—the one member that sometimes acted like the oldest despite being the youngest, and the one that often times held the few braincells they all shared.

But he had never been so wrong.

They found out she had a decent tolerance level, but that was where she went wrong. At some point along the way, she overestimated herself and had gotten just a tad bit too tipsy.

“Okay, we’re taking these away,” Hongjoong stepped in when she started giggling and hiccuping in the middle of her sentences. Taking the two soju bottles and shot glass, he and the other six were shocked when she started to whine.

They’ve never heard that sound come out of her mouth in all of the time they’ve known her. It was like a child whining when their mother took away their favorite toy.

“Someone please tell me they got that on recording,” Wooyoung stifled his laughter as he watched their maknae be reduced to a giggly mess at the hands of too much alcohol.

“I got it!” San proudly chirped, having been recording since her fourth shot. “She’s so going to kill us for this, though...”

“Did I ever...mention that...Seonghwa gives the best hugs?” she slurred, falling onto said man and hugging onto him.

Seonghwa had no idea how to handle a drunk Jiyu—he just returned her embrace while the others hooted, laughed, or just awed at how different she had become.

“So she’s a cute drunk,” Yunho concluded, chuckling when she started playing with and petting his hair. “You never see her like this on a daily basis.”

“It’s endearing, yet freaking hilarious,” Yeosang snorted, swatting her hand away when she started to reach for her phone. He had been in charge of keeping her away from the device since she didn’t want to accidentally drunk call or text anyone, especially ATINY.

Suddenly, Hongjoong gasped before shooting up from his spot on the couch. “We still have schedules and practice for Kingdom tomorrow! Why did we let her drink tonight of all nights?!” he whisper–shouted.

And that’s where they all knew they had royally screwed up. Schedules for the next day had completely left their minds when celebrating their maknae’s birthday.

“It’s okay! Maybe if she drinks enough water, she’ll just...flush it out of her system,” Yunho offered before standing up and running into the kitchen to fetch a glass of water.

Meanwhile, Jiyu started to develop little hiccups, something the boys found extremely adorable despite their earlier panicking. The red flush across her cheeks also added to the cuteness.

“And have I ever told you guys,” she started, slightly tripping over her words due to her hazy mind, “I love you this much!” Dragging out the word ‘this’ she proceeded to draw out a huge circle with her arms before falling back onto the couch in a fit of giggles.

“I shouldn’t be thinking this otherwise Jiyu will actually slap me into next week, but we should get her to drink on our days off a little more,” Wooyoung snorted as he tried to help her sit upright before steadying her.

“I got water!” Yunho announced, coming back out and carefully handing her the glass. “Alright, please hold with both hands so you don’t spill, baby monster.”

The two older ones couldn’t help but grow soft at how adorable she was, holding the glass cup with both hands like a little kid before bringing it up to her lips and drinking up the water.

“It’s hard to believe she turned twenty,” Seonghwa commented, adoring eyes watching the way she placed the cup back onto the table before looking around for someone to hug.

“Yunyun!” she called out to the group’s giant teddy bear, holding her arms out and looking up at him expectantly. Yunho had no complaints—he enjoyed hugs from her, as well as giving her hugs.

“We need to get her to bed soon. Hopefully she can sleep off the hangover, too,” Jongho noted, seeing as it was way past the time they should be sleeping during promotion weeks. They had to wake up again in a few hours, and yet here they were, one tipsy while the others were watching over her.

“One of us should sleep in the spare bed in her room tonight in case she needs something,” San suggested. Yunho volunteered considering how tight she was holding onto him.

“Yay! Sleepover with Yun!” she cheered before letting out a small hiccup. Yunho giggled and patted the girl’s head.

“Alright, take these water bottles with you and let’s tuck this baby into bed,” Hongjoong handed Yunho three water bottles, and they all brought her to her room to coax her to sleep.

“Please don’t have a hangover tomorrow, baby monster,” Wooyoung teased, poking her forehead before bringing the comforter up to her chin. “Otherwise you’ll really be a baby monster tomorrow...”

Snuggling into the cool comforter, Jiyu pulled it up farther so it covered her mouth. “Who’s...baby monster?” she wobbly asked.

“You are,” Yeosang answered, discreetly plugging the charger into her phone and leaving it on the nightstand. “A twenty-year-old baby monster.”

Leaving her phone on the nightstand would prove to be the worst mistake Yeosang could’ve made that night when Wooyoung’s horrified shriek woke everyone up a few hours later.

“Guys we’re so screwed! She called Sunwoo, she’s actually going to kill us for not stopping her!”

[wishingyouback]

everything he didn’t couldn’t say.

pairing: han jisung x reader // lee minho x reader

genre: fluff, angst & one sided love (?)

summary: you can never choose who you fall for, but sometimes minho wished that he could just to stop the aching pain he had growing in his chest every time he caught the sight of you in the arms of another that weren’t his. 

The group of boys were hanging out in their living room, their dorm being their only safe haven from the chaos of their college life. not even the cafe by campus could help satisfy their cravings or provide them the same sort of comfort that their home did.

Jisung was sat on the edge of the armrest of the sofa as he watched his friends fight over the playstation controllers that were limited to three instead of four since Hyunjin had forgotten to plug in it’s charger, resulting in one less player for their game of Tekken. As the hazel haired boy watched in amusement, he couldn’t help but jump to his feet at the sound of their doorbell ringing, indicating that the guest he invited and so badly waited for, had arrived.

The young boy screamed out a “I got it!” as he jogged up to the door, ignoring the teasing remarks his best friends let out behind him in the living room. Clearing his throat and brushing down his favourite sweater he knew you liked on him to rid of any crumpled state, he pulled open the door with a wide smile plastered on his face until he locked eye contact with a face he was all too familiar with, and frowned — visibly and noticeably.

“gee don’t look too excited,” Minho scowled as he carried a bag of snacks in his hand.

Jisung could only roll his eyes and open the door wider to let his best friend into his dorm, not bothering to look over his shoulder as he turned on his heel and went to grumble by himself. It wasn’t until before he could take his third step that he heard a angelic voice call out for him from behind Minho that he was quick to run back to the door with another grin on his face.

Minho helped you with the snacks the both of you decided to get for the boys then held back a curse word he was ready to let out when he saw Jisung. Though they were best friends, he could definitely sense the bias between him and you. To Jisung, Minho was still his best friend but you were his girlfriend, and he had a soft spot for you — like he should, Minho thought. As he moved out of the way, Minho glanced back to see you greeting Jisung with a warm hug and silently wished he were the one receiving it.

Jealousy was a curse — Minho thought. But still, he moved reluctantly when you gave him a smile that said you were more than fine. He knew it was selfish to pine over your best friend’s girl, but he was a little too stubborn and a little greedy to realise it. Minho would never let his emotions get the best of him, but seeing you with Jisung somehow made it hard. He knew you longer and he believed he knew you best. He loved Jisung like a brother, but jealousy was an ugly trait he never realised he had deep inside of him until he saw Jisung kiss you under the tree at the park.

Where Minho first met you six years ago.

Before he realised it, Minho saw that It went from him and you to him, Jisung and you to just Jisung and you and occasionally, him.

The older boy tried endless amount of times to fight the feeling. Heck he even considered applying to see the college counsellor to snap himself out of it, but every time he thought he was over you, his feelings only continued to grow and he was getting tired of it. It was tiring to keep thinking of you — thinking about what you would be doing today, knowing more than he should that you would be with Jisung. Minho was exhausted, but like any friend would do, he tolerated it and ignored his own feelings no matter how badly he was yearning for you.

While Minho was busy battling his inner conflicts, Jisung was busy wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you closer to him as you sat in the comfort of his arms in the corner of the sofa the three boys left unoccupied. Jisung conversed casually with Hyunjin while Chan and Felix were busy trying to set up the console they brought over. Minho, however, was still caught up in his thoughts in the kitchen that he didn’t realise the big fuss happening in the living room until you decided to get up and get a drink, not expecting to see Minho standing by the kitchen counter with his head in his hands.

“Hey,” you gently tapped Minho’s shoulder. The raven haired boy slowly pulled himself out of his thundering thoughts and turned to look at you with a grin.

The older boy, who you spent most of your years spilling all your secrets to, who has also seen the worst side and prettiest side of you and still decided to stay, stared at you as if you held the world in your eyes and the only way you could describe his gaze on you now was — warm. his eyes looked as if he held the stars and like a secret, he was slowly letting you in on what he had been so scared to show you in a long time.

Which was why after that, you stayed quiet and smiled sweetly in return, liking the way the both of you never felt awkward or stuffy in an environment most people could describe as tension. After a moment, with you getting a cup of water and a chocolate bar for Jisung who you knew would be craving for one soon, you stood across from Minho and mirrored his actions.

“What’s wrong? The boys bother you again or did Hyunjin eat your favourite snack?” You asked with a teasing smile.

To Minho, he could answer that truthfully and say he was just thinking about you, but he knew better than to try and flirt with a girl who was taken.

He only shrugged and poked your nose, “if he did he wouldn’t be here right now.” He grinned widely, trying to hide the way he felt. “Why’re you so nosy?” He joked.

You could only laugh, rolling your eyes as you did so which made Minho’s usual steady heart, skip a beat at two at the sudden action. When he cleared his throat and covered it with a throaty laugh, you took it as a sign to pull him into the living room where the four boys were now laughing at something Chan did as they played their game.

Minho, deciding it was best to divert his attention away from the couple, sat beside Chan and was more than grateful when he offered him a game — it helped him forget about the situation he was in and definitely occupied his mind away from you. As he accepted the consoler from Chan’s hand, you took your spot next to Jisung and easily slipped your arm through his to link your arms together and cling closer to him.

Jisung’s eyes were focused on the game at hand, but the sudden affection from you did not go unnoticed and naturally, he slipped his fingers through yours to lace them together; making your heart flutter and your face heat up annoyingly quick. Hyunjin saw this and jokingly gagged, while Felix gushed over the two of you. Jisung paid no attention to that and only ran his thumb over the back of your hand.

Minho, who was busy choosing his character, stole a glance and noticed the way both of your hands fit so perfectly together. It was like your hands were a constant reminder from the Gods above that you chose Jisung instead of him. Except, you didn’t have to choose and you weren’t aware of Minho’s affection towards you. Minho concluded that the Universe had something against him and was waiting for him to crack any single moment now — he could not catch a break.

Subconsciously, Minho’s hands clenched the consoler tight; making the veins on his hands become more evident.

Shit, was what Chan thought and moved to divert everyone’s attention to the characters on Jisung’s screen — pointing out the tiniest details that usually would not mean much, but this time meant a lot. 

Chan was aware of the feelings Minho acquired for you, in fact, he was the first person Minho told. It was in the spur of the moment and Minho was drunk, but still Minho informed his older friend that he didn’t regret telling him and only continued to ask for advice which Chan gave without a second thought. Chan loved all three of you so the best he could do was try to keep the situation as calm as possible. Minho was patient, responsible and rational — he would never act out of impulse, but still Chan would look out for him and Minho was more than thankful to have a friend like him.

When you laughed at something Felix said, Minho visibly calmed down and continued the conversation easily, acting as if he wasn’t annoyed or bothered by how the two of you were acting.

“You good?” Was what Chan asked subtly behind the cup of water he was about to drink out of. Minho cleared his throat, looked at Chan and nodded.

Taking it as a good sign, Chan continued choosing his character and Minho went back to playfully bickering with the others present in the room; you included.

Jisung smiled at his group of his friends, enjoying the way everything just felt so right with you right beside him. 

What more could he ask for than this? His best friends and you, his favourite person next to him laughing and just having fun. But as he glanced at his best friend from across the room, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of worry wash over his body.  

Call it a gut feeling or Jisung’s wild imagination, but there was a small voice in the back of his head that was constantly reminding him that there was something hiding in the mind of his older friend. The blonde wanted strongly to believe that it was only him being paranoid and that the both of them would go back to the way they were before, but a small gut feeling convinced Jisung otherwise and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to face what Minho was hiding from him; something deeper.

A lot, deeper.

a/n: one of my first ever works of skz that i’ve put out into the world (?), instead of letting it sit in my drafts so i hope you like & enjoy it! <3 don’t forget to vote, & support them on kingdom! xx

[lin-nin]

Tribulation & Tenderness - Chapter 8

Ship: Main Technoblade x Reader, some Dream x Reader

Plot:  You're a princess in a Kingdom suffering a years long famine. In a   desperate attempt to help your people, you accept one simple offer:   Marriage to the crown prince of a neighboring kingdom. Anything to help your people survive. Surely it can't be too bad, can it?

Chapter List: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Disclaimer:   Cross-posted on Wattpad (discontinued) and Ao3. This is based off of everyone's CHARACTERS. I do not write fanfic based off the actual people.

--

Chapter 8: Introductions

< | Previous Chapter

At some point in the journey, you had opened the curtains to the carriage windows, peering outside of them curiously. You knew you were well beyond your territory now. All the lands that sprawled outside were Techno’s, small farms and towns whipping by as you went. You weren’t entirely sure exactly how long the two of you had been traveling, but you knew you were beyond ready to get out and stretch. Your legs were growing restless, and you were sure it showed in how you shifted constantly beneath your blanket.

“We’ll be there soon. The capital isn’t too far off now, those are the outlying villages there,” Techno spoke up, glancing from the book in his lap. He pointed out the window, your gaze following the direction. Beyond the window stood a clearly more populated town. It seemed to flourish well. At least from what you could see.

“Good. I’m tired of being in here,” You nearly whined, leaning back some. He chuckled in response, returning his attention back to his book. The two of you had lapsed into silence some time ago, but it was welcome. You took the time to watch the landscape roll by. Now, though, you were just ready to get to the castle. You knew it was definitely gonna be eventful, though you weren’t entirely sure how eventful. 

The scenery slowly morphed from the flourishing outer towns to that of the capital, buildings lining the cobbled streets. People were looking towards the carriage, clearly clamoring. Were they excited to see you? Or were they unhappy that it was you inside with Techno? You couldn’t gauge that from inside, and you weren’t sure you really wanted the answer. Not right now, at least. You sunk against the seat, closing your eyes and taking a slow breath. That similar nervousness was beginning to build in your stomach again.

“It won’t be too bad. They’re not scary.” Techno reassured you from his spot, closing his book and setting it aside. He glanced out of the window instead. You shifted, giving a small nod.

“It’s hard to not be nervous. You are the only person here I know,” you murmured. Your fingers curled into the blanket on your lap. Then they smoothed it over, repeating the motion several times. As if it were the most therapeutic thing there was right now. The castle was quickly coming into sight, and you nervously chewed on your lip. Was there anything about this place that wasn't intimidating?

As if to answer your question, the carriage lurched to a halt. No sooner than the carriage's stop, you could hear an almost overwhelming clamor outside of it. "Technoblade!" One voice had called out, clearly enunciating each syllable of his name. You turned to the aforem prince, raising an eyebrow.

Before he could even comment, a much louder voice was calling out, "Oi! Techno! Took you long enough to get here!" Were those both his brothers? He sighed, standing up to move towards the door.

"Might as well get it over with before they come in here themselves." He shook his head, opening the door and stepping down onto the stone beneath the carriage. He turned back towards the carriage and where you sat, holding out a hand to help you down. You had carefully moved the blanket away from your lap, moving towards the exit. Your hand was shaking, you realized, as you settled it into Techno’s. His fingers curled around your palm, grounding you slightly as you followed him down onto the path below. Once you had landed safely, his hand was withdrawing from yours. Much to your chagrin. 

Your attention was forced away from Techno, instead to the small gathering of people who had been clearly waiting. Four of them stood there, and you really wanted to shrink away from them. It didn’t help that two of them were tall. Just like Techno. Were those his brothers? There were certainly some similarities between them.

“How was your trip?” One of the men said. He wasn’t as tall as the others, but he was clearly older. Blonde hair was held in a loose ponytail, quite similar to how Techno wore his. Just without the braids. His blue eyes were framed by the faintest hint of bags. He seemed… nice. Whoever he was, Techno hadn’t told you of him. 

"It was fine. Philza, meet my fiancée," Techno motioned towards you. The man turned to you with a soft smile, offering his hand out for a shake. You very carefully took it, offering a soft smile.

"Lovely to meet you. I'm these boys's uncle." He let go of your hand as he spoke. At least he was relatively nice. It helped to soothe your nerves. Of course, it still didn't stop you from sticking to Techno’s side, almost literally. He was the most reassuring thing here.

"Those are my brothers," Techno grabbed your attention, pointing out the two tall ones.

"Wilbur," he identified one of them. He was the tallest of the group. If he had been closer, you undoubtedly would have had to crane your head back. He didn't have long hair, but it was instead kept short. Soft brown curls sat messily atop his head, a few trapped beneath a thin circlet. His brown eyes looked nothing short of tired. That seemed to be a theme among the family, but you didn't exactly question it. He raised his hand, waving at you.

"Pleasure." He inclined his head, and you could only blink. This was the man your parents assumed you would be marrying. He definitely held himself differently from Techno, so you could understand their rage.

"Nice to meet you, Wilbur." You were quick to greet, turning to look at the blonde one beside him. His hair was quite similar to Wilbur’s, just blonde instead of brunette. He bore quite the resemblance to Philza. Just younger and taller. Blue eyes looked at you excitedly, not nearly as exhausted looking as his family.

"Tommy." Techno gave Tommy a very pointed glare. Almost as if to tell him to behave.

"It's about time Techno got a wife," Tommy huffed. His voice was louder than Wilbur and Philza's. You had a feeling it could get louder if prompted. Heat rose to your cheeks at the statement, and you looked aside. You weren’t married to him yet.

"I'm Tubbo! Tommy's friend!" The shortest of the bunch greeted rather excitedly. He grinned at you, and you couldn’t help but smile back at him. He seemed kind, even with the ends of his brown locks covering his brown eyes. Techno had been right. They didn't seem too bad, and all around seemed nice. Hopefully you were able to form a friendship with them over time.

"Schlatt has been in a fit about needing you to come talk to him when you came back. I told him you would be busy, but he didn’t care to listen,” Philza spoke up once more, causing Techno to give perhaps the most irritated sigh you had heard.

“I don’t care about him. What does he even want?” Techno put a hand between your shoulders, gingerly steering you forward towards the castle. He walked alongside Philza, keeping his hand steady. You found solace in the touch, not caring to move away. You didn’t exactly want to get lost here.

“Same thing he wanted the past couple of weeks. Complaints about the marriage arrangement. You know he’s determined that this is the worst decision ever. It’s not, but he really has himself convinced it is,” Philza explained to Techno. You couldn’t help but frown at that. You had no idea who this Schlatt was, but he sounded somewhat important. He didn’t seem to like the idea of you being here, either.

“Hey, Tubbo,” Tommy’s voice rang from behind you. You hadn’t even noticed the other three following. That wasn’t exactly surprising, though. 

“Yes, Tommy?”

“Have you ever tried telling your father to shut the fuck up?” You couldn’t help but snort at the words, head shaking. “Why’s he care who Techno marries?” There was a couple of seconds of silence following the questions.

“You know he’s kind of scary, Tommy. I’m the one who has to stay with him at the end of the day.” Tubbo sounded almost reluctant, and you peered over your shoulder to get a peek at him and the blonde.

“Remember what happened last time he spoke out, Tommy. We agreed that we wouldn’t have him do anything like that again,” Wilbur had spoken up, voice level and calm. He sounded like a voice of reason to the younger.

“I know, I just wish someone would shut him up. Maybe we should give Tubbo a room in the castle. Techno! Hey, Techno!” Tommy pondered out loud before calling to the man beside you. Quite loudly. That must have been what Techno meant when he said Tommy was obnoxious. You had tuned out of Techno and Philza’s conversation in favor of the one the other three had been having, but turned your attention to the men beside you. Especially since Tommy was relentlessly dragging them into this conversation instead.

Techno sighed, not even bothering to glance at his younger brother. He must be used to this. There was no telling how much this happened. “Yes, Tommy?”

“Could we give Tubbo a room here in the castle? So he doesn’t have to deal with shitty Schlatt?” Tubbo stammered as Tommy spoke, as if weakly protesting. He was largely ignored.

“I’m not king yet, Tommy. That isn’t my call. It probably won’t be for a while.” He reasoned, leading the blonde to frustratedly groan. 

“Father never sides with me. Surely you can put a word in for poor Tubbo here.” You hardly paid attention to the shifting scenery around you, only distractedly noting the warm toned walls and tile floors. A touch nicer than your own castle, but somehow that wasn’t a surprise. You were more fond of listening to the siblings bicker back and forth between each other instead.

“Depends. Does Tubbo want a room in the castle?” All attention shifted to the aforementioned male, who seemed to sweat under the pressure.

“I, uh… I mean, I’m not entirely opposed to it, no. It would be nice to get away from him…” Tubbo murmured in uncertainty. Techno nodded, pausing in the middle of the room they had entered. Subsequently, his hand fell away from your shoulders and you immediately missed the warmth of his hand there. It had been comforting. Sure, it wasn’t as intimidating now that you knew four other people at least liked you. Yet you also knew there was one person, if not more, that weren’t entirely fond of you. Or the idea of you. 

“Then I’ll speak to him about it. I’m sure we have a room to spare. Now, do you three intend to follow me? I would like to do a tour of the castle,” Techno turned to the three others. You glanced over towards Philza, who simply chuckled and shook his head.

“I’ll see you around, little one,” The older blonde said. He walked by you, gently patting your shoulder in reassurance as he walked up one of the sets of stairs winding around either side of the room. 

“I’m going, Nihachu wants to see me for something anyways.” Wilbur didn’t say much, instead opting to just walk away. That was fine with you, honestly. You briefly watched him go down a hall to the left of the stairs, wondering who Nihachu was. You’d probably meet them sooner or later. There were a lot of people to meet, but there was time for that.

“Oh, you hear that Tubbo? Techno wants to be alone with his woman-” Tommy had began loudly, causing Techno to groan.

“Tommy-”

“Let’s give him some privacy. Behave yourselves, you two! Don’t do anything Quackity would do!” Tommy was already leaving, dragging Tubbo alongside him. Techno sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. You really understood what he meant when he called Tommy obnoxious. 

“Ignore him. He’s an idiot. Let’s just go, shall we?” He turned towards you. You laughed a little, shaking your head.

“He’s certainly a character. They all are,” You couldn’t help smiling fondly though. You knew you would grow to like them. They had, momentarily, squashed all stress and worry you had felt. Techno’s hand returned to your shoulder, moving you along the way to finally start the proper tour of the castle. Without Tommy breathing down your shoulders.

Next Chapter | >

[mikrowrites]

andromeda

(vignettes cut from cottages of constellations; can be read as a one-shot)

c!wilbur x reader

summary: a series of memories from y/n’s perspective; the war, the death, the stars, the secret, and the meeting.

warnings: fluff, angst, violence, war themes, bad mental health situations, death, language, manipulation

a/n: this is basically a bunch of scrapped ideas from cottages of constellations that i shoved together bc i already had them written and have been hitting a writer’s block with pt 3. the only part of this you should regard as “canon” is the syndicate vignette, that will be in pt 3. enjoy!!

Y/n and Wilbur kept many secrets.

That was not something unknown by any, not a surprise to some. The two seemed to have words unspoken, existing between the glance of an eye or a brush of a hand, a nod of a head and a ever so soft sigh. Y/n and Wilbur kept many secrets to themselves and themselves only.

The cottage was one. A secret kept along a peaceful riverbank, until the price of TNT seemed higher than that forgotten paradise. There were some other secrets too. Some inconsequential, some almost burdening.

Y/n and Wilbur kept a secret they chose to not share with anyone. A secret that would be for the best if left unsaid.

But the price of freedom would prove higher and more demanding. The price for a tall brunette man to whisper the words into an enemy’s ear, for the enemy to relay it to someone who was once deemed an old friend.

The moment Schlatt spoke the secret out loud to Y/n with threatening intent, everything came crashing to the ground.

It was a secret Schlatt would die with.

—

The War…

Y/n arrived as the sun rose at dawn.

Wilbur was there to meet her, his uniform jacket unbuttoned messily and his cravat askew. As she approached him closer he smiled softly, but the smile was tired, aching, the light in his eyes dimmed by the bags beneath them.

What was the saying, “winning is easy, governing is harder”?

Y/n feared both feats were insurmountably difficult.

“Hello, love.” Wilbur sighed, striding the distance of Y/n’s approach and pulling her into his arms, holding her like a lifeline.

“Hey Wil, it’s okay, I’m here.” Y/n reassured.

He pulled away with a less tight smile, wrapping his fingers around her own, pulling her towards the majestic walls.

“Y/n L/n, welcome to L’manburg.”

And L’manburg was small, and undeveloped, and nothing quite impressive really. But it was her lover’s nation, and to Y/n it looked like a spectacle of heaven. “It’s wonderful.”

Wilbur led her into the camaravan, where battle plans and declarations had been hung and placed about, with an occasional empty bottle or a misplaced piece of weaponry.

Y/n had fought in wars before, in another life, far from this server. She had played the part of diplomat, of ally, of enemy. It was all a language familiar to her like breathing, and she suspected Wilbur was well aware, why else would he write begging her to join the front lines?

She hummed in thought, running her hands over a tabletop. “When’s the next battle, then?”

“Tomorrow.” Wilbur replied simply.

Y/n nodded. “Okay. Where do we start?”

Wilbur smiled once more.

—

The Death…

Y/n struggled against Quackity’s hold, screaming her throat raw. “YOU KILLED HIM!”

Smoke from the firework barrage still lingered on the execution box, Schlatt turning from his podium to Y/n. He smirked. “Y/n, my dear, he was a traitor. You know what happens to traitors.”

Y/n spat at his feet, the man laughing. “That’s cute. Remember Y/n, I hold all the cards in my hands. You don’t want to step out of line, remember? Who knows what secrets could get spilled.”

“I don’t give a fuck.” Y/n glared, her eyes like fire as the two stood off against each other on the podium under Manberg’s watching eyes. “Because I am going to fucking kill you before you even think about it.”

Schlatt laughed loudly again, facing the crowd. “Do you hear that, folks? Miss Y/n is going to kill me!” He lowered his voice, leaning so he was face to face with her. “That’s treason, my friends.”

Y/n hardened her eyes, as Quackity let her arms go. She stepped forwards, her hand on the hilt of her sheathed sword. Everything was quiet, not the crowd’s jabs or cries were heard by her, not even Niki’s protests to spare her best friend.

Schlatt smiled, unsheathing his own sword as Y/n stood her ground, preparing to produce her own in hopes of taking down the tyrannical man once and for all.

“These were not the ideals of L’manberg.” Y/n shouted so the audience could hear her. “And Manberg should be no different. And I’m getting really fucking tired of you hurting everyone and everything I love. So yeah, I’m a traitor, because I value people over a country.”

“People you’d be willing to lose a life for?” Schlatt jeered.

“Time and time again, yes.” She verified.

Schlatt shook his head in amusement. “Y/n, the patron saint of L’manberg. You’ll fall as easily as any man.”

Y/n smirked, drawing her own sword. “Good thing I’m not a man then, yes?”

“STOP! Stop!”

The two adversaries’ heads whipped over, catching the glimpse of a tall brunette in a brown trench coat walking down the aisle of seats, hands out in a preventative gesture. “Stop.”

“Wil…?” The man who left her behind. The man who promised safety. The man who most importantly, loves her. The former President, to protect his former First Lady.

Schlatt’s sword ran through Y/n’s body. Wilbur screamed.

The girl gasped, grasping Schlatt’s shoulder’s with tight fingers, looking at him in shock. He had gotten the upper hand. Y/n had never lost a duel, yet this one was over before it had even started because she did the one thing she had been trained to never do in battle.

Y/n found distraction in a lover.

Wilbur would always be her hubris.

Schlatt leaned over with booze-tainted breath to whisper in her ear. “Your secret is safe with me.”

He then ripped the sword out of her, and everything went black. The last thing Y/n heard before waking up laying in the soft grass of a forest was the sound of Wilbur shouting her name.

Y/n was killed by JSchlatt

—

The Stars…

Long ago, in a world different from where she was now, Y/n’s mother had taught her every constellation strewn across the night sky. The young girl would marvel at her mother, eyes shining with curiosity and awe as the soft-spoken woman would point to each cluster of stars.

Life was simple then, before war after war Y/n was forced to fight and win. Before aching loss and hurt.

Y/n laid on the angled roof of Philza’s house, her lips parted slightly as her eyes traced designs of warriors and beasts and lovers. Her breath fogged into the night sky, the girl indifferent to the cold surrounding her.

“Kid, what’re ya doin’?”

She flicked her eyes down to where Technoblade stood beneath her, staring up at her form with disinterest but yet a glint of confusion or curiosity.

Y/n smirked, her eyes traveling back up to the sky. “Chasing constellations.”

Technoblade definitely had the right idea to be a tint worried at the sight of Y/n on a roof, staring off into nothing. It had been a week and a half since they had both blown up New L’manberg, and her mind was undoubtedly conflicted. Techno supposed if he were in the same situation, he’d feel the same perhaps. But now (though he’d never show it) he was just concerned of the well-being of his old friend.

So Technoblade was immensely surprised when Y/n patted a spot on the roof next to her and said: “cmon”.

The blood god was silent and still for a moment before pulling out his trident, using it to launch himself up and land gracefully onto the roof next to her. The girl didn’t flinch a bit, just turned back to the night sky.

Y/n looked tired, Techno noticed, but yet relieved. He hadn’t seen her this relaxed since their last war fought together away from this server, where she had spoken of a kindhearted brunette she was running away with after the battle’s conclusion.

Technoblade sat next to her, the girl sighing. “No more wars, Techno. I’ve fought my last one. I’m tired of being a pawn in someone’s game, of breaking myself for others.” Y/n huffed out a laugh. “I think I might try that retirement plan.”

“Retirement is overrated.” Technoblade groaned. “So if I made you an offer, you’d refuse?”

Y/n shrugged, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her kneecaps. “Depends on the offer. I’m pretty done being taken advantage of.”

Techno turned to look at her. “All these years and you don’t trust the proof I wouldn’t.”

“Can’t blame a girl for having trust issues.” She grumbled. “What’s the offer?”

“I’m putting together a group of people with common ideals. Anarchy, we’d be there to abolish these kingdoms’ governments before they can cause more death and destruction, cause more Wilburs.” Techno explained, the girl turning to him at the sound of her ex-lover’s name. “We’re called the Syndicate.”

Y/n murmured the name to herself, furrowing her eyebrows. “Who’s we?”

“Philza and I. Zephyrus and Prostileus. And, potentially, you.” He stated. “Codenames.”

She turned back to the stars, silent for a few minutes. Technoblade patiently sat in the quiet, letting the girl mull over her thoughts. It had been about five minutes when he spoke up. “So? What’ll it be?”

Y/n pursed her lips, before parting them with a soft exhale. “Andromeda… call me Andromeda.”

Technoblade smiled at his old comrade in battle, now considered an ally and friend.

“Welcome to the Syndicate, Andromeda.”

—

The Secret…

Y/n wasn’t sure how long she had sat in the makeshift cell. Had it been days? Weeks? She didn’t know. All she knew was locked away to stand trial for “aiding fugitives in escaping”.

Her thoughts drifted to Wilbur, as they usually did in moments like these, where she fought desperately to remember the sound of his laughter or his loving assurances. Y/n hoped he and Tommy were safe, and she knew they were smart so they would be.

But she feared for Fundy as well. They had spoken on the night he announced his campaign for president, their hushed voices behind the podium as the rest of the server were asleep.

Y/n met the boy in the shadows of the podium, Fundy looking at her for some kind of reaction. Would she shout in anger? Cry in sadness? Running against his father was a betrayal, he should be reprimanded by the closest thing to a mother he had.

Instead, she smiled, and hugged him.

Fundy tensed in surprise before wrapping his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder as his hands clutched the back of her jacket.

“You know I have to support and stand by your father,” she started, softly rubbing small circles into Fundy’s back. “but it will never overshadow how proud I am of you.”

“Thank you, mama.” He sighed out, Y/n smiling kindly.

“You are my pride and you are my joy, Fundy. There’s nothing you could do that could make me love you less. Don’t forget that, okay?” Y/n asked.

Fundy nodded his head against his mother figure’s shoulder, still embracing her.

He missed the tears in her eyes as she bit her lip to keep her walls up. Indulging in this moment wasn’t something she was deserving of, and she knew that.

She had chosen to forego this path, it would be unfair of her to try and act as though she hadn’t changed everything.

The door to empty room creaked open, Y/n looking up to meet the eyes of a man she had once thought of as an old friend, but now some who repulsed her more than anything on this server. The man smirked, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Y/n. Long time, no see.”

“Schlatt.” The name sounded like venom on her tongue, Y/n glaring at the man with dark eyes.

“How are you, hm?” Schlatt pulled a chair over for him to sit on, Y/n scoffing in disbelief.

“I don’t know Schlatt, you tell me. What the fuck is wrong with you, you were our friend!” She shouted.

Schlatt sat back in his hair. “I’m no one’s friend here. I’m a president here to run this country.”

Y/n rolled her eyes and leaned back against the wall, the man smirking.

“I want you to join me.”

That made the girl start to laugh, shaking her head. “You are something else, Schlatt.”

“I’m serious, I want you to join me and Manberg.” Schlatt deadpanned.

“Fuck off.” was Y/n’s reply.

Schlatt sighed, standing from where he sat, and paced to another side of the room. “Tell me, does your little lover boy have an infatuation with TNT?”

Y/n furrowed her eyebrows. “Not that I’m aware, and if I was I wouldn’t tell you.”

“Fair enough.” Schlatt said, his footsteps clacking against stone as he further paced. “Well, he recently made some deals with the devil and came into possession of a lot of fucking TNT. You wanna know what he traded for that much power? Secrets.”

She stiffened, eyeing Schlatt warily, her voice barely above a whisper. “Secrets?”

Schlatt hummed, grinning. “Oh yeah. Loads of ‘em. I’m a chronic eavesdropper, so I had to get the scoop. And you’ll never guess what I heard.”

Y/n stood slowly, like an animal bracing for a fight, her fists shaking. She uttered the man’s name in warning, Schlatt stopping and turning to her with a wicked grin.

“You have a child.”

It felt as though all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room, Y/n momentarily forgetting how to breathe. Her mouth felt dry, her body numb. Schlatt laughed, knowing he had her right where he wanted her.

“Fundy’s actually your son! Biologically and everything! And you never told him, you just left!” Schlatt exclaimed.

Y/n burst forwards, slamming Schlatt against the wall and lodging her forearm across his throat. She spoke with a low, dangerous voice. “I was young. I was stupid. And I wasn’t ready to be a mother. I couldn’t be the mother he needed.”

“So you left. And then you come back and you play the part of his mother, while the poor boy thinks your lover fucked a fish? That’s fucked up, Y/n.” He chuckled lowly.

Y/n pursed her lips, glaring into Schlatt’s eyes. “What do you want?”

Schlatt slowly removed Y/n’s forearm from his throat. “I want you to join me as one of my officials. I want you to betray Wilbur and Tommy. And if you don’t…”

“… I tell Fundy your big secret… and then I personally kill him until he’s dead.”

Y/n felt completely and absolutely defeated. She had never let someone have the upper hand on her. Not like this. She remained distraughtly silent, Schlatt nodding Ashe received his answer.

He reached into his pocket, throwing her comm device onto the floor. “Lover boy’s been trying to call you for weeks. You should call him back one last time and tell him to never call again. You know what’s at stake.” Schlatt then turned and walked towards the door. “I’ll have a fine pressed suit for you tomorrow morning and a more comfortable room, then the real work begins. Goodnight, Y/n.”

And he was gone.

Y/n fell to her knees, her body shaking with fear and guilt. Why did she have to be so stupid why did she have to create such deep-sewn weaknesses, why did she leave her son?

She reached for the comms device, her trembling fingers clicking a button as she spoke out in a terrified whisper. “Wilbur?”

—

The meeting…

Y/n hated parties with a passion she could not fathom. The celebration of another war won, a country saved. She was just a wandering soldier, moving from one battle to the next, finding celebration a little tone-deaf.

But nonetheless she stood in the banquet hall, her sash of medals and patches detailing her great accomplishments hung on her frame, with the world’s most uncomfortable dress covering her. Technoblade had told Y/n to liven up, drink and dance a little, though what a fucking hypocrite because he didn’t show up.

Y/n sipped her champagne, leaning against the bar top, a bored expression laid across her face as she traced circles into the wood with her finger. She didn’t register the boy standing next to her, eying her with curiosity before he spoke up. “One vodka neat, please.”

She finally indulged to meet his gaze, the tall brunette smiling and offering his hand. “Wilbur Soot.”

Y/n knocked back the rest of her champagne, before shaking his hand. “Y/n L/n.”

“You seem bored, Y/n L/n.” Wilbur observed.

She scoffed. “Parties aren’t really my thing.”

“So I can tell.” He quipped, Y/n beginning to question the audacity of this kid. But he just smiled widely, pulling a stool and sitting next to her.

“Look, I don’t know what you want, but if it’s getting in my pants tonight it’s definitely not happening.” Y/n bluntly responded.

“Woah there! Take me out to dinner before we discuss that.” Wilbur defended, retrieving his drink from the bartender.

Y/n couldn’t even tell if the man was joking, but she rolled her eyes anyways. He was silent, she could tell he was trying to size her up. Figure out what made her brain tick, how to read her.

Must be frustrating for him to know he can’t.

She sighed, pulling away from the bar top, smoothing out her despised dress. “Well, thanks for the chat Wilbur, but I’d best be going.”

“Of course. Have a good night, Y/n.” Wilbur raised his drink and tipped it towards her in a kind of toasting or saluting gesture. She was a high ranked militia official anyways.

Y/n nodded and walked away, Wilbur watching her as she left. What she didn’t know, was he could read her like an open book. He saw her pain, her guilt, her stone disposition. But he saw her kindness, her generosity, her beauty. Wilbur was intoxicated by the mere presence of her, and her mystery.

Wilbur just had a gut feeling they’d cross paths again. And when they did, maybe in a space she was more comfortable than the loud and cheering party, maybe he’d offer her a drink, or even a dance. The boy slammed his drink on the table before standing, and rushing across the room.

Why wait when you know?

Y/n felt a gentle hand on her wrist, the girl turning to see Wilbur. She raised an eyebrow in question as he released his soft grip, and held his palm flat out in front of her. “May I have this dance.”

She had seen years of pretty boys offering her drinks and dances and the world. Each disappointed, each never following through. But Y/n looked up at Wilbur, and she could see the world in his brown eyes, she could see hope and chivalry and mirth. She pursed her lips, the boy seeming to deflate at her monotone and silent response.

Y/n took his hand, to the boy’s surprise. “One dance. That’s all.”

They danced all night. And laughed all night, more than Y/n had in years.

Y/n had never felt more alive than the night she met Wilbur Soot.

[juurensha]

Ship Meme: Senshi/Shittenou

Since people seemed to like my DabiHawks ship post, I thought I’d write some more! So for my second post, I’m going to do a throwback to baby’s first big OTP, Senshi/Shittenou from Sailor Moon!

Another panel that just spawned a thousand fics :DDDD

Are we cheating by just lumping all four pairings together in one post, shhhhhhh.

The Inner Senshi:

The inner sailor senshi, loyal protectors and closest friends of their princess Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus/Minako Aino, guardian of love and beauty, Sailor Mercury/Ami Mizuno, guardian of water and knowledge, Sailor Mars/Rei Hino, guardian of flame and passion, and Sailor Jupiter/Makoto Kino, guardian of thunder and courage.

My favorite is probably Mercury, because I’ve always got a soft spot for smart, quiet bookworms, but I really am fond of all the sailor senshi. Venus, bubbly and sociable, with a core of steel underneath it all, Mars, aloof but with a fire burning in her, and Jupiter, tomboyish but also with the most traditionally girly pursuits of them all.

They fight, laugh, love, and grow alongside Usagi throughout the series, and as the first magical girl squad ever, they really did form a good part of my childhood.

The Shintennou:

The four heavenly kings, Prince Endymion’s bodyguards later brainwashed by Queen Metalia into turning on him and the Sailor Senshi. There’s Kunzite, the serious leader of the Shitennou, Zoisite, cunning and crafty, Jadeite, psychic but a bit of a playboy, and Nephrite, astrologer and patient.

So first off, I will say that some of these personalities listed here are a bit of a mix of different canons (because the 90′s anime and the manga had very different takes sometimes) and fanon, but the essential fact of their backstory, I’m sticking with the manga.

They’re the starter villains of any Sailor Moon adaptation, but as soon as I heard their story of being Endymion’s brainwashed bodyguards, I really started liking them just for the tragedy of it all. They swore to protect their prince and their planet, and in the end they brought about the downfall of both. DDDD:

After the first arc, they pretty much either get killed or sealed in stones that Mamorou carries around for guidance, but I really think they had the potential to have their own arc! Mamorou could have had more friends, and it would have been an interesting parallel with all the Senshi.

Which of course brings us to ....

Senshi/Shittenou:

Sadly we have no other canon images of them together, so we’re just going to have to stick to these :(

So I will admit this pairing really hits all the tragic reincarnation romance tropes that I could want: protectors of a kingdom falling in love with their opposing counterpart, only for their love to betray them and their kingdom, forcing them to kill or be killed by them, and then they’re all reincarnated, and it turns out the traitors were brainwashed, but still, how do you forget all that? Can you forgive them? How do you guys manage to move on from all that???

It’s delicious with how every author goes about exploring that question, but what’s also nice is how each couple has a contrast in personalities. Venus and Kunzite are both the leaders of their group, but Venus can get Kunzite to loosen up, while Kunzite can steady her a bit. Mercury and Zoisite are both the strategists of their groups, but Zoisite can get Mercury out of her shell, while Mercury can soothe Zoisite. Mars and Jadeite are both the psychics of their groups, but the play of shrine maiden and aloof Mars against playboy Jadeite is pretty great. Jupiter and Nephrite are both the tanks of their groups, and Jupiter doesn’t have anything to prove with Nephrite, while Nephrite gets someone who will stand her ground against him.

There’s so many possibilities here, and I love all of them.

But juu, isn’t this pairing based on a lot of fanon?

Yeah of course the truth of the matter with a pairing with characters whose biggest appearance was when they were brainwashed, and whose history was only explored in one art spread by the manga-ka does mean that there’s a lot of fanon involved. Combine that with how the 90′s anime, the stage adaptation, the video games, and the manga all have different interpretations of the characters, and you get a slew of variety. Still, I don’t think that’s a bad thing! We all really like the interesting backstory here, and I feel like that’s one of the most important features.

Also, I think Kunzite/Venus is the one that has the least fanon since that one was explored a little more in the Sailor V manga.

juu, do you have a favorite Senshi/Shitennou pairing?

Yep! I really like them as an ensemble since I love seeing both the boys and the girls commiserating with each other over their troubles, but my favorite two ships are Venus/Kunzite and Mercury/Zoisite.

With Venus and Kunzite, you’ve got the senshi of love actually resisting the idea of love for herself, beating herself up over her own perceived failures as a leader, but gradually learning to forgive both herself and Kunzite, and you’ve got the stoic general of the shitennou pursuing the woman who had fascinated him and pursued him in a past life.

With Mercury/Zoisite, you’ve got Mercury, normally so level-headed and allergic to love, getting to come out of her shell a bit as Zoisite uses all his cunning to once again win his quiet lady’s heart. It’s very sweet! It’s very nice!

juu, do you prefer Senshi/Shittenou fic focusing on their past lives or their present ones?

While I do enjoy seeing the courtly romance and their first meetings, if you couldn’t tell from this post, I really like seeing them more in their present modern lives hahaha. It’s mostly because with the past lives romance, you still have the tragedy up ahead just waiting (unless this is an AU fic), while with the modern fics, there’s obviously a lot of angst, but there’s also a potential happy ending up ahead :DDDD

juu, do you have a favorite/preferred Sailor Moon adaptation?

So while the 90′s anime holds a special place in my heart as one of my first anime (it’s either that or Pokemon), the manga’s art is just GORGEOUS, and I am forever sad that the art books are out of print and now cost like 200 dollars a pop. I still have yet to watch the Crystal anime, but I am interested since I heard it’s closer to the manga’s plotline and characterization. I’ve watched some of the live-action shows and stage shows, and those are fun!

juu, what do you think about the pairings the anime came up with? Like Nephrite/Naru and Kunzite/Zoisite?

I think in the context of the 90′s anime, where the Shinttenou did not seem to have much backstory besides being Metalia’s minions, those romances worked out pretty well and was sometimes very moving. I still remember crying over Nephrite/Naru QAQ.

juu, what do you think of Mercury/Jupiter or Mars/Venus?

I think they’re popular pairings for a very good reason, especially Mars/Venus! They get so much bonding time, and Mars/Venus in particular has some very shippy moments in the manga, and Mercury/Jupiter has some in the anime, and I support them as well! I’m a multishipper, so I like these pairings as well, but Senshi/Shitennou holds a special place in my heart.

juu, do you have any fic recs?

So this was my first big OTP that I read fic for, so that was back in the days of fic archive websites that I think are mostly defunct now, or on ff.net, where also I think a lot of them got purged. But happily, I found one on Ao3 I really like! It’s this fic by winterbones, and it’s mostly a Kunzite/Venus fic, but the other Senshi/Shinttenou pairings show up as well! It focuses on the Shittenou reincarnating after the events of the anime, and how Venus is dealing with that.

Hope everyone enjoyed this! It certainly made me want to go hunt down more good fic for this pairing!

[rufousnmacska]

Only You

A manorian arranged marriage fic from an anon request -

Do you think you could write an angsty manorian drabble where political/royal pressures and such has Dorian marry someone else + Dorian being mortal has Manon encouraging him? just all that manorian heartbreak+pining. also really love your fics!

This turned into much more than a drabble, but I hope everyone enjoys it! 🤗

Many thanks to @itach-i for beta reading and helping plot things out! ❤️

*

PART ONE

*

Dorian hadn’t noticed the cold until his valet wrapped a furred robe around him. How long had he been standing out here? The sun had just broken from the horizon and his breath was pooling in front of him with each exhale. The valet, a gray-haired man named Ruben, disappeared back into the royal suite, muttering something about the foolishness of young men. Dorian smiled grimly, knowing he was indeed foolish. Worse. He was a godsdamned idiot. And he felt numb, as though his body was somewhere far from here, his mind with it. None of it was due to the winter chill. Staring off towards the hills west of Rifthold, his eyes glanced over the many red and gold banners attached to the city’s roofs, snapping in the wind. Part of him loved seeing his people so excited, so proud for the coming celebration. They’d suffered greatly during the war and had worked hard in the rebuilding effort of the last two years. But that small joy for his kingdom was overshadowed by his own despair. How many times had he stood in this spot, watching and waiting and holding his breath until he caught sight of those silvery wings and moon white hair dancing in the sky? He’d known today would be his last chance to watch for her. And since sleep was a fool’s hope, he’d come out to his balcony and stood here for hours, his gaze on the west, wondering where it had all gone wrong.

***

The rising sun shone brightly off the tops of the castle towers, giving the small group of witches their first real view of Rifthold in the distance. In the past, this sight would leave Manon breathless with anticipation, pushing Abraxos to speed up in her excitement. There had been times when her giddy desperation to reach the castle was almost humiliating, forcing her to contain her emotions before she landed. But no matter her control in those moments, Dorian would greet her on his balcony with a ferocious embrace, seeing right through her mask. He always had. Now, Manon wished that truth away, pushing it deep down, along with the nausea roiling in her gut. As they drew nearer to Rifthold, she could just barely make out the decorations hanging from the castle. It almost brought up the meager breakfast she’d eaten not long ago. With the brightening sky, she realized the entire city was decked out, covered in colorful banners and garlands. Of course, a royal wedding demanded finery. She had expected it, guarded herself against it. But her expectations were dealt a swift blow by the reality now facing her. Manon was on her way to Dorian’s wedding. Not as the bride, but as a royal guest. And she had no one but herself to blame.

*****

Six months earlier…

Manon frowned as Abraxos landed on an unusually empty balcony. Though she’d never asked for it, the space had been rebuilt to provide a large enough area to comfortably hold a wyvern. Wrapping halfway around the king’s tower, the balcony offered magnificent views of the ocean to the east and the mountains to the west. As she dismounted, Manon realized that vast western view was what gave Dorian the ability to know she was almost there. Normally, she wouldn’t notice the view because he would be there, scooping her up and taking her inside to say hello in her favorite ways. But tonight, she and Abraxos were alone.

Quietly, so as not to startle Ruben, Manon stepped through the doorway. She needn’t have bothered. The bedroom was as empty as the outside and she heard no sounds coming through the door to the other rooms. Wondering if he hadn’t received her last message telling him when to expect her, Manon sat on a sofa to wait. She lasted less than five minutes before pacing around the room, then finally deciding to go in search of Dorian.

The office was empty and as she continued through to the exterior door, Manon rolled her eyes at the messy desk. How Dorian managed to keep everything straight in the piles and stacks of papers was beyond her. She wasn’t in the corridor long before she heard angry voices echoing up the stairway. Chaol and Dorian had stopped part way up the tower.

“You can’t afford to just dismiss this threat of rebellion. Lord Frey is an ass, but he has the ear of too many other nobles to be ignored.” Chaol sounded winded. Manon didn’t think he came up here very often since his mobility was tied to his wife’s magic. That he was here now to continue this conversation was significant.

“I refuse to give into his demands,” Dorian growled. “He complains about me leaving the kingdom to Erawan, and yet he brags about how he profited from the war. Whatever gold he has in his coffers did not come from me.”

Manon inched back to the door on silent feet. She knew Dorian’s lords were causing trouble, but he’d refused to go into detail about it with her. The thought of anyone claiming Dorian had willfully abandoned Adarlan to Erawan made her blood boil. The valg king and his armies had left a path of scorched earth and devastation on his march to Terrasen. And Dorian had spent the last two years of his life dedicated to rebuilding his kingdom.

Chaol sighed. “Yes, but what he’s proposed in exchange—”

“What he’s proposed will not be considered,” Dorian interrupted. It was a voice Manon had never heard from him.

After a long pause, Chaol continued. “I know how you feel, Dorian. But we need to put emotions aside and think this through. I’m not saying we go along with it. But right now, we have to look at every option.”

“You say ‘we’ as if you would be the one marrying his daughter.”

Manon gasped, covering her mouth to remain quiet.

“It would be a political alliance,” Chaol reasoned. “You wouldn’t have to end things with—”

Again, Dorian refused to let him finish. “Stop. I’ve told you my decision. We will find some other way to placate the rebellious lords. I am not marrying her.”

Soft footsteps punctuated by the clack of a cane sounded as Chaol left his king and descended the tower. When he was gone, she heard Dorian smash his fist into the stone wall, pieces of mortar crumbling and raining down onto the floor. Manon was paralyzed, her hands balled up into tight fists, eyes wide. And that was how Dorian found her when he took the final steps up to his suite.

***

“You misunderstood. Frey doesn’t have enough clout to demand such a thing.” Dorian was frantic, spending the last two hours trying to explain away what Manon had heard. But her face had frozen into a mask, nothing he said could tease out even the slightest reaction.

“You can’t be so flippant,” she said, the stony resolve in her voice starting to scare him. “He’s offered you an out from civil war. If you care about your kingdom, you must do it.”

He was going mad. First Chaol, now Manon. Where was Yrene to talk some sense into them? He cared about his kingdom and his people. He cared so much that he had no life whatsoever beyond the endless meetings and negotiations and squabbles. His sole joy in life was standing before him now arguing that he should marry someone else.

“If I care?” he asked. “I was prepared to die for it. On many occasions. I would gladly give my life. But I won’t give my heart.”

Manon blinked slowly, and he realized she was looking past him. “You once told me you were prepared to give up your throne for Sorscha. Then the war taught you how foolish, how childish that was. And now, as if you learned nothing, sacrificed nothing, you want to do the same thing. Your life and your heart are one in the same.” Finally, her golden eyes met his. “I am immortal. You are not. You need a human queen to give you heirs and unite your kingdom. I will not play a part in disrupting that.”

Dorian searched for any sign - an unshed tear, a twitch of her lips, a clenched jaw. But there was nothing. Nothing on her face except a cold certainty that left him feeling lost, alone. He knew this was an act, a means of protecting herself. And yet, she was right. When they’d parted ways in Orynth after the war, he’d ignored the desire to ask her for some sort of commitment beyond “We’ll see.” They both had countries to rebuild and had chosen that greater responsibility over personal wishes. Dorian told himself then that they had time. Yes, he was a mortal. But he still had a plentiful well of raw magic on which to draw upon, magic that would give him a much longer life than a normal human. And only two short years later, out of nowhere, everything was falling apart.

No, he would not let his people suffer through war again. But giving in to extortion was not an acceptable alternative. He thought of Aelin, wondering how she would handle a situation like this. With the way her people adored her, he knew she’d never reach this point. Maybe Frey and his allies were right. Maybe he’d left them to fend for themselves out of cowardice instead of prudence. Suddenly, Dorian was exhausted, tired of being king, tired of giving up everything he wanted. He rubbed his eyes until they were red

“You know it has to be this way,” she said, having watched him sort out his thoughts. “No matter what they claim, you’ve never once abandoned this kingdom. Which is why you won’t do it now.”

Dorian stared at the ground, grasping for a way out, but his mind felt like aspic, soft and muddled and useless. “I won’t be a king who takes a queen and still keeps a lover.” The ultimatum was hard to voice, but it was true. Despite his rakish history, he’d never taken a new lover without breaking things off with the old one. If ever an exception was to be made, it would be with Manon. But he would never disrespect her, a queen in her own right, by reducing her to a secret paramour and source of castle gossip.

Still stoic, she replied, “I would not expect you to.”

They had always pushed and teased each other, seeing which one would break first and admit their feelings or give in to the desire. Desperately hoping that they were playing that game now, he surrendered. “I want you, Manon. No one else.”

The slightest hitch in her breathing and a tiny flutter of her eyes sent his hope soaring. But, with a firm tone that meant she would say no more, Manon said, “Marry her, Dorian. Save your throne and keep your people from more bloodshed.”

Before he could respond, she walked out the door and climbed into the saddle still strapped to her wyvern. Manon was in the air without a look back, and Dorian sank to the ground, his head in his hands.

*****

Rumors were flying through the witch city faster than the most agile wyverns. Mere months ago, the witches had expected an announcement from their queen, happy news that their kingdom would be united with Adarlan. Some were not in favor of their queen marrying a human, king or not. Others, especially those in the queen’s council, saw it as a good match. A love match, they claimed. But now, after the royal messenger from Adarlan had arrived, the gossip was spinning out of control.

Manon stared at the thick envelope sealed with red and gold wax, the wyvern stamped into it watching her with a single mocking eye. Dorian had once laughed about how significant it was for his royal crest to include a wyvern, a connection forged between their two kingdoms before they had even met. She’d brushed the thought away at the time, rolling her eyes at his insistence that fate was at work. But now, the memory of his teasing voice sank into her chest, adding to the heaviness and pain that had been choking her since she’d left him on that balcony months ago.

“You don’t have to go. No one would fault you for it. We can send Petrah as a representative,” Glennis said, her voice stiff and formal. It was a tone usually relegated for council meetings, not a conversation with her granddaughter.

She was silent for a long moment, still looking at the envelope. Instead of answering, Manon picked it up and ripped apart the seal. The invitation was written in fanciful blue ink with a border of red berries and ivy stamped into the parchment. She frowned at the flowery words that matched the design, knowing the girl must have been behind all of it. The girl. Manon knew she was likely close to Dorian’s age, but she didn’t care. The future queen of Adarlan would forever be the girl in her mind. Even so, it was impossible to miss her name in elegant calligraphy.

Your presence is requested at the royal wedding of Lady Eveline Frey and His Majesty Dorian Havilliard II, King of Adarlan

Manon stopped reading at his name and continued to flip through the remaining pages. They contained notices of the pre-wedding events that the ‘happy couple’ hoped people would attend, despite the possibility of poor weather at that time of year.

Happy. Her eyes caught on that word and didn’t move. She knew it was a lie. And yet, her old doubts and fears flooded back into her mind. She was still heartless despite her efforts to change, he deserved someone who could sufficiently return his affections. She was immortal, he was not. Manon had reasoned that she would rather lose him like this than watch up close as he aged and died. Rather lose him now, when they could both move on to full lives, than be forced to somehow carry on after his death. A magically extended life or not, she could see no other scenario if she continued with him. And if that was truly how she felt, then she wanted to be there and show him they were both better off this way.

Glennis watched her, likely reading every thought that had gone through her head. For when Manon said she was going, her grandmother’s head dipped in resignation. “Then I will accompany you.”

Manon lost count of her attempts at crafting a reply. She began with a simple list of witches who would attend with her, which morphed into a long drawn out explanation of why she wanted to be there. Then she backtracked into a brief, two sentence response. And even then, she had to make several copies until one was legible. The anguish of what she faced kept showing itself in her shaking hand.

Her eyes keep going back to their names and she found herself wondering what the girl was like. Did she like to read? Could she fight with a sword? Would she stand up to the nobility who claimed Dorian was not worthy of his throne? How would she react to him waking up screaming in the middle of the night from a nightmare in which he’d been torturing people?

That last thought made her feel sick. Not because of the dreams that still plagued him - she was well versed in helping to comfort him, just as he knew how to ease her grief and fear after a nightmare. It was the idea that they’d be sharing a bed that turned her stomach.

Gods what was she thinking? There were two months until the wedding. Was that long enough to forget everything Dorian was to her?

Manon knew the answer. And yet, when she read over their names again, she made herself remember why things had to be this way. Adarlan could not survive another war, especially one which tore it apart from the inside out. This was for the best. His and hers. This wedding would be closure, and afterwards, she could move on, search for a suitable consort. Not to become her king. She could not bear seeing anyone else beside her in that capacity. But finding an acceptable male to produce an heir would help to stabilize her kingdom. If Dorian was forced to set aside his heart to help his people, then she would do the same.

When she gave the reply to Glennis later, her grandmother frowned. “I find myself not wanting to send this.”

“It will be us and two sentinels. That’s all,” Manon said, ignoring the witch’s reluctance. “We will arrive the day before and leave immediately after the ceremony.” As Glennis nodded in agreement, Manon noticed she held a royal envelope in her other hand. “What is that?”

Again, that frown. “It’s from Prince Fennick Whitethorn of Doranelle. A cousin of Rowan’s I believe.”

“Was he in Orynth?” She didn’t recall him being there, but her memories from those early days battling Erawan’s army were foggy.

“I don’t think he was.”

Manon took it, examining front and back. The wax seal matched that of Queen Sellene Whitethorn. “What could this be?” she wondered aloud.

Glennis was already walking away, but she turned and said sharply, “I can only imagine.”

Manon was glad she waited until she was alone to read it, for by the end of it, she was sitting motionless, the letter forgotten on the floor.

Prince Fennick Whitethorn, a cousin to both Rowan and Queen Sellene, had written to express his regards and dismay at the news that the King of Adarlan would marry a noble from his own kingdom. He’d felt compelled to write her directly, offering her his support and friendship since he’d experienced something similar a few hundred years before. As Doranelle’s representative at the festivities, he hoped they could meet in Rifthold. In not so veiled terms, he suggested they might establish an alliance of their own, one that would be amenable to both their countries.

Mere hours after speculating about taking a consort and here she was, staring at a proposal. She couldn’t decide between outrage or amazement at the audacity of the fae male. It had certainly taken balls to approach her this way. And at this time. Picking up the letter, she read it over again. From the sounds of it, Fennick had been left heartbroken in his past. A past that extended even further back than her own. Had she not used her own immortality as a reason that Dorian should wed another? Here was an immortal throwing himself at her, eager for alliance. But she wondered if his interest would wane when he was told that at best, he might become her consort. There was only one man who she’d accept as her king, and he was now outside her reach.

She decided not to send a reply. If the fae prince was there, she would meet with him, see what kind of male he was and whether he might bring anything of worth to an alliance. If not, it would be one less thing to worry about.

That night, as she tried and failed to fall asleep, Manon found herself imagining how she might say goodbye to Dorian. They never used the word, choosing instead to focus only on their hellos. It made a twisted sort of sense that this goodbye, this parting that would be permanent, would be the first and last time it was spoken between them.

***

Yrene found Dorian in his office, watching the brutal winter winds send snow whipping through the air outside his window. Judging from her expression, she knew why he’d sent for her. When her eyes went to the letter on his desk, her shoulders seemed to slump, and she sat down heavily across from him.

“She will be attending,” he said, pushing the short reply across the desk in case she wanted to read it. After immediately recognizing the handwriting as Manon’s, he’d stared at it for a long time. As if there might be some sign of hesitation on her part, he’d examined the note, his eyes running over each stroke of ink, again and again. It was flawless. Just like her, he’d thought miserably.

“I didn’t think she’d actually come. It was meant as a formality between two allies.”

“Perhaps that’s why she has agreed. Formality, nothing more,” Yrene offered.

“How do you think Eveline will handle it?” Despite a wedding date only a few weeks away, Dorian barely spoke to his future queen. Yrene had been acting as a go between, keeping Dorian from having to feign pleasantries and interest in someone who he’d claimed looked and acted like an empty doll.

“She has been trained as a courtier since birth. I’m sure she will be as polite and ladylike as she always is.” Yrene rose and came around the desk, standing in front of the window to make Dorian look at her. “She may appear timid and vapid in front of her father, but she is no fool. She knows what this arrangement is and why it’s happening. Your involvement with Manon was never much of a secret. Eveline knows she is not your choice. But like you, she is doing her duty.”

Dorian didn’t reply. He knew his opinion of her was misguided, that it was based on anger at the situation, at her father. Which was why he kept his distance. If he couldn’t keep himself in check in private or with his friends, how could he expect to refrain from unleashing his rage on her with hurtful words? At least, that’s what he told himself. It was true, but some part of him knew that if he gave in and spent time with her, it would make this all the more real.

Yrene’s eyes darkened as she said, “Lord Frey has a reputation to match Chaol’s father. With her mother gone, I suspect Eveline has not had much control over her life. This would be nothing new to her.”

Now fully ashamed of himself, Dorian only nodded. If there was anything he could understand, it was not being able to defy a bullying parent. A new sense of sympathy filled him as he wondered how desperate Eveline must be for a new life. Freedom from an abusive father would be worth the heavy responsibilities and loss of privacy that came with being a queen. Maybe it was time to make an effort. He couldn’t envision a future where he would ever develop actual feelings for Eveline. But he could at least become her friend.

“What else have you learned about her?” he asked.

Yrene shrugged. “Her education has been extensive, and she knows much about the court and how it runs. She enjoys art and music, embroidery …” She trailed off, trying to think of any other attributes worth sharing. “Horse riding. She always seems to be coming back from the stables when I see her. I’ve gotten the impression her father does not approve of that hobby, but she maintains that being a good horsewoman befits a true lady.”

“So, she does disobey him then …” Dorian smiled slightly, recalling how he used to rebel against his parents. Horse riding was much less scandalous. “Does she need any help with the wedding plans?”

The suddenness of his change in tone had Yrene blinking at him. “I don’t believe so. But I can ask her.”

Dorian stood and walked towards the door. He knew if he didn’t start now, he never would. “I will go ask. I’d like to recommend some music.”

“Wait,” Yrene cried, trailing him out into the corridor. When she caught up to him, she asked, “What are you doing?”

The fear in her eyes almost made Dorian turn around and forget his pledge of moments ago to try and accept this. Yrene had always been the biggest supporter of his relationship with Manon. Whether she was helping them arrange a short, secret escape from their duties, or using her sharp tongue to tear down any detractors of the Witch Kingdom, or giving him advice on how to help Manon recover from the loss of her coven … Yrene had always been there. And now, for the first time, it seemed to be sinking in for her that what she had dreamed for her friends – a happily ever after to rival what she had with Chaol – was impossible. It pained Dorian to see it and he pulled her into a hug.

“If there was another way, Yrene, I’d do it. You know that.”

She hugged him back fiercely, her voice shaking as she said, “I know. She is my friend too, Dorian. And I don’t want to lose her.”

Gods, Dorian thought his heart couldn’t break anymore. And here it was, cracking into even more fragments, each time becoming smaller and smaller. “I know.”

Yrene backed away and let loose a string of curses and insults about Lord Frey that left his eyes wide and mouth agape. He’d never heard her speak like that before, had never thought her capable of such filthy language.

Before she could think to apologize, he laughed. “Well said, Lady!”

Red with embarrassment, Yrene burst into laughter too. When they’d both regained their composure, she said, “Come. I’ll walk with you to Eveline’s rooms and catch you up on her wedding plans.”

“Thank you,” he said, and meant it. “She is as much a pawn in this game as anyone, and she doesn’t deserve my animosity.”

Yrene nodded. “As much as I hate to admit it, she’s a perfectly lovely young woman. It makes things worse in a way.”

When they reached her rooms, Yrene led him inside.

“Your Majesty,” Eveline said brightly. Her dark hair matched her eyes and she gave him a beaming smile. “I was not expecting you today.” She was going through a stack of replies to the invitations.

“Please, call me Dorian. I insist,” he said. “I have one more to add.” Slowly, as if not wanting to give it up, he handed her Manon’s reply. He and Yrene both watched her carefully as she read it.

With the same smile as before, Eveline said, “I’m so pleased the Witch Queen will be attending. None of your other royal friends are able to come due to the weather. Though Doranelle is sending someone.” She paused, thinking. “I can’t remember his name.”

As the two women went through the replies and spoke quietly, Dorian pretended to listen. For one terrible moment, he wondered what the word princeling might sound like from Eveline’s mouth. The thought felt blasphemous, leaving him spinning and trapped between two worlds: the reality sitting next to him, this perfectly lovely woman for whom he felt nothing, and a dream world where he’d wake up happy each morning to snow white hair and golden eyes. A dream that had slipped through his fingers, like the wind gusting wildly outside.

Perfectly lovely. Eveline was lovely, and perfect, with exquisite manners, an impeccable wardrobe, and a distinguished education. But despite that loveliness and perfection, he knew without a doubt that his feelings towards Eveline would never come close to what he felt for Manon. Manon was his mirror, his equal. If beings other than fae were able to have true mates, she would be his.

The thought struck him like a dagger, straight to whatever bits of his heart yet remained. Shaking his head, Dorian tried not to think of Manon, of how this next visit for the wedding would likely be her last. Tried not to dwell on how he would have to live the rest of his life without her, his mate in every way that counted.

Of course, he failed. And when Eveline asked him about what music he’d prefer, Dorian used every ounce of strength he had left to force a smile on his face and answer.

To be continued...

***

Thanks for reading! You can find my writing master list here or on AO3.

It’s been a while since I’ve written and I’m not sure who all is still out there. So if I missed you, or you’d like to be tagged/removed for parts two and three, let me know.

@itach-i @bookishwitchling @manontrashbeak @awesomelena555 @jimetg98 @over300books

[sinner-as-saint]

Taste Of Your Lips - 1.

Prince!Ransom x Reader AU

Part 1 of Taste Of Your Lips series 

Run-through: Your parents force you to attend a masquerade ball which is being held at the palace. Reluctantly, you do as they say. There, a masked stranger approaches you and asks if he could have a dance. You agree; unknown to the fact that that one dance would soon change your life.

Themes throughout the series: fluff, smut, angst

‘Chin up, and smile.’ You remembered your mother’s words as you step into the extravagant ballroom of the castle.

It was grand, and spacious and looked like it accommodated half of the kingdom. You looked around, taking it all in. The ceiling stretched up high above you; adorned with gold and paintings of angels in the center. The room was wide, with crystal chandeliers lighting up the place. Not too bright, not too dim – just perfect.

You could hear people chattering, over the sweet, melodious music. Some couples danced. Everyone with their bejeweled and fine masks; matching your own. You noticed a group of women, who stood by the indoor fountain, sent you polite smiles and little nods; clearly they were eyeing you up and down. You returned them all a smile and walked with a little more confidence in your steps.

Your mom had told you, before you left the house, that you looked incredible in your peach gown. You somewhat believed her. But upon seeing the reaction of others, you believed her a little more and thanked God that your mom was the best seamstress in the entire kingdom.

It was a masquerade ball, so you couldn’t recognize anyone. Your friends were supposed to meet you here, but given the flamboyant masks it would probably take you a while to find them. So you walked around leisurely, looking around at the grand and almost mythical ballroom.

 And while you were admiring the room, someone was admiring you from the other side of the room.

As soon as you stepped into the room, you caught the Prince’s attention. He always had an eye for beautiful women, so his gaze followed you ever since you walked in. Your hair, your grace and your lips had him under a spell. One he didn’t want to break out of. And he hadn’t even seen your whole face yet.

And that dress… oh that dress you wore complimented your body perfectly. A peach ball gown with accents of gold and flowers delicately placed in your hair. You looked perfect. So perfect that his hands itched in need to touch you or hold you.

Ransom, the King’s only son. The spoilt, and somewhat arrogant Prince had his eyes on you. He had a habit, ever since he was a child – whatever he wanted, he got it almost immediately. And right now, all he wanted was you. In his head however, you were already his.

He liked how you moved around the room gracefully; smiling politely at all those who smiled at you. Part of him was relieved that you didn’t come with another man; but either way, he would fight for your attention if he had to. And he was damn sure he would win that fight.

The room was filled with pretty women, many who would throw themselves at his feet if he just spared them a proper glance. Yet, there was something about you which set you apart from the rest. Something magical, and the Prince couldn’t resist.

Ransom turned to one of his manservant and pointed at you, far away on the other end of the room. “Any idea who that girl is?”

The young boy took a good look at you and turned to the Prince. “That’s Y/N, the professor’s daughter.” The manservant answered and Ransom smiled. He mentally repeated your name a few times and he liked the sound of it a lot.

“What else can you tell me about her?” he asked his manservant.

The boy answered immediately. “She lives in the manor, with her parents. She’s an only child, her father teaches, her mother is a well-known seamstress. The girl teaches little kids from time to time as well. That’s all I know, your Majesty. Would you like me to gather more information on the lady?”

Ransom shook his head. “No, that’s all I need to know. She’ll tell me the rest herself.” He sounded just as cocky as always.

He kept his eyes on you. He watched how smile grew the moment you spotted a group of other girls, must be your friends. And he watched how they all eyed you up and down and they must have complimented you because you seemed a little shy for a moment.

He wondered what you sounded like. Or how sweet would you smell. How soft your hair must be to touch given it looked shiny and healthy from afar.

Ransom was busy being blown away by your presence alone that he hadn’t realized that he was already up from his majestic seat and crossing the room; making his way to you. It was only when he felt the stares of the women on him that he realized he was getting closer and closer to you.

All ladies in the room had their hearts racing inside their rib cages from the minute Ransom got up and started walking across the room. All of them discretely hoped he would ask them for a dance, many would do anything just to dance with him tonight. But he kept his eyes on you.

And every woman in the room burned with envy the minute Ransom stood in front of you, with his arm extended out.

“May I have this dance?” he asked politely, with just a hint of cockiness and a little smirk.

 You could tell more than half the room was staring at you, even if they didn’t mean to. This very tall and handsome man just walked over to you and asked you to dance. You could only see half of his face, but you could tell he was drop dead gorgeous. He had deep blue eyes; which were accentuated by the white and gold masquerade mask on his face.

And oh was he very well dressed. He looked… expensive. Maybe he’s a relative of the King, you thought. Meanwhile, Ransom was baffled because you weren’t swooning over him already like all women did.

He could see your eyes and he saw confusion in them. Could it be that… you don’t know who he is? Or were you simply not impressed?

He stopped overthinking the second you smile faintly at him and placed your warm hand in his large one and let him guide you over to the middle of the dance floor. You noticed that the lights dimmed a little more than earlier. And the music was sweeter, slower.

Ransom held you close; his hand at your waist pressing your body to his gently. His other hand held your hand delicately. Your arm placed over his shoulder as you stared into his piercing eyes. And just like the smooth flow of a river, you two swayed slowly to the music. Effortlessly, gracefully and without any awkwardness.

He smelt the sweet perfume you wore, and felt the softness of your hands in his. You were beautiful even if he could see only half of your face, but most importantly, you were enchanting. Magnetic. And you made him feel warm.

He was making you feel things as well; with his manly aura and his proximity. But mainly his deep blue eyes. His hands were warm, and he smelt so nice too.

“What’s your name?” he asked in a hushed tone, even though he already knew your name. He smiled when you replied to his question. But his smile faded a little the moment you asked him what his name was.

Ransom had spent all his life having people worshipping the ground he walks on that he didn’t even consider the fact that there could be people who didn’t know him. Perhaps you truly didn’t know who he was? Whatever the case, he intended to keep his identity hidden for a little longer.

“I’m… Hugh.” He answered, using the name he didn’t usually go by, and almost melted when you smiled and told him he had a nice name. You giggled as he twirled you around and pulled you closer almost immediately. And you noticed all the discrete stares you two received despite the dimmed lights.

“Everyone’s staring at us.” You pointed out in a whisper.

Ransom smirked and tightened his grip around your waist a little more. “Let them. Probably it’s because most of the other girls would kill each other to be in your shoes right now.” you thought he was joking when in reality, he was actually serious.

You giggled. “Oh you’re very humble.” You played along. He chuckled.

Ransom wouldn’t stop complimenting you and making you feel all warm and bothered.

“You’re too kind. Maybe you could pass some of that to the Prince.” You sassed and Ransom was immediately intrigued.

“Why, what did he do? Do you know him?” he asked, curious to know your opinion of him.

You shook your head. “No not personally. But I have heard of him from my friends and the people around. They say he’s arrogant and proud and very much spoilt.” You answered.

Ransom chuckled again. “Is he now?”

You nodded and looked up into his eyes, amazed by how effortlessly the two of you glided slowly on the dance floor.

“Have you never seen him? The Prince?” Ransom asked, staring right at your lips and fighting the urge to undo your mask so he could get a good look at your face.

“No,” you answered. “I spend most of my time reading. Or I teach little kids, I mean, I have better things to do than drool over the pompous Prince anyway.”

Ransom chuckled. No one had ever been this honest with him before. Sure, his pride was hurt but your warmth made up for it. Your soft hands in his acted like a balm to all the daggers you were throwing at his ego, unknowingly of course.

“Of course. What’s so special about him anyways, right?” he belittled himself, just to hear you giggle.

Then you hit him with a question he wasn’t expecting.

“If you don’t mind my asking, where are you from? Are you a relative of the King?” you asked, genuinely curious regarding the handsome stranger.

Ransom almost stuttered, but luckily he was saved by the song ending and the sound of people’s laughter and chatter filled the room instead of the sweet melody. And he tried to change the topic.

“Do you want to… go get some air?” he asked, impatient to leave the crowded room.

You nodded and let him lead the way. You were amazed by how he knew his way around. Well, if he’s a relative of the royal family then he must have been here before, right?

 He led you two to the balcony, away from the ball and into the slightly chilly air of the night. It was dark, the only source of light were the burning torches on either side of the balustrade and the moonlight, and the twinkling stars but it was enough. You leaned against the balustrade and he stood right in front of you. And he stared.

“Staring is rude, you know?” you joked, a teasing smirk on your lips.

Ransom was floored. He chuckled and lowered his eyes for a moment. “I can’t help it. You look so beautiful.” He answered, truthfully.

You blushed and tried to look away but he was quick to reach out and grab your chin gently. He stared down at you and reached behind your ear with his other hand and slid his finger into your hair; undoing your mask.

You were frozen in place. No man had ever touched you so softly, and no one had ever put you under their spell quite like this.

He undid your mask and gently pulled it away from your face. And immediately, he was in awe of your beauty. “You’re so beautiful.” He whispered, his face dangerously close to yours.

You blushed even more, a tingle dancing down your spine as you murmured a thank you and tried to hide your face but his grip on your chin was firm.

You noticed him staring down at your lips. “Well, it’s only fair that you reveal yourself as well.” You whispered.

He smiled. “Will you do the honors?” he teased.

You lifted your hand up and reached behind his head. You giggled as you undid the mask because it felt like the two of you were unwrapping presents on Christmas morning. You gently pulled his mask away from his face, and your heart fluttered. Because even then, under the pale moonlight, he looked breathtaking.

You were mesmerized, and so was he. And out of nowhere, Ransom started leaning in. His hand moved to the back of your neck and he pulled your face closer to his. His lips brushed against yours briefly as he paused and waited to see if you would pull away. Seeing you didn’t, he pressed his lips to yours – impatient already. You shivered at how gently he caressed the nape of your neck.

The taste of his lips had your heart racing; in the best way possible. His lips were soft, and warm. Your hands instinctively slid into his hair and you unintentionally pulled him closer. Ransom placed his other hand at your waist and pressed your body to his. Sure, he would’ve preferred this kiss without so much clothing on both of you. But he’d make do for now, besides, you’d be his soon.

He tilted his head to the side and deepened the kiss, nibbling on your lips and gently stroking your lower lip with his tongue. He gently pressed you against the balustrade, trapping you in his arms. You smiled through the kiss and gently tugged on his hair.

The taste of your mouth was driving him insane, and Ransom pulled away before he goes too far. He’d have plenty of time for that later.

You felt giddy and warm when he pulled away and stared down at you with his piercing blue eyes. The moonlight made his eyes look like pools of silver and you could still feel the taste of his mouth on yours. You wouldn’t lie, you wanted more.

“You didn’t answer me earlier. Are you a relative of the King?” you asked again. Ransom circled his arms around you and pulled you closer.

“Yes. I am.” He answered, not bothering to explain further.

 He managed to change the topic, and the two of you talked for a while out on the balcony. Then another melody started playing, and he begged you for another dance. Which you agreed to again.

However this time, he held you closer; your torso pressed against his, his hand on your lower back, his fingers laced with yours when he held your hand. While you held him at the back of his neck instead of his shoulder. You were sure that if anyone was watching you, they would be able to see the unspoken flirtation going on between the two of you.

You stared into his eyes until the end of the song. And he remained by your side until the end of the night. And you even forgot to check up on your friends again, being in his company was just that exciting.

At the end of the night, he kissed you again as he helped you up on the horse-drawn carriage which your father had sent to bring you back home.

Ransom held your hand and wouldn’t let go. He kissed you multiple times – refusing to let you go.

“I have to go home. It’s late.” You didn’t want to leave either. But you knew you had to. “I won’t see you again, will I?” a part of you was sad just thinking about it. If he was just visiting, then he would probably be gone in a few days.

Ransom chuckled, already whipped. “You will. I promise. You will see me very soon.” He got down from your carriage and gave you one last kiss on the back of your hand. “Send my regards to the professor.” He finally let go of your hand. “Now off you go.”

“Good night, Hugh.” The horsed began walking away.

He smiled. “Good night, beautiful.”

 You kept looking back at him until you could no longer see him, a permanent smile on your face yet your heart already breaking a little. How cruel of life to show you the man of your dreams even though he probably wasn’t going to stay in your life for long?

As you were on your way back home, something seemed strange. You repeated Hugh’s last words in your head, which he said to you before you parted.

Send my regards to the professor…

How did he know your father was a professor? You were sure you hadn’t told him that. Oh well, your father was quite well-known, Hugh must’ve heard of him from the people at the castle. Right?

 You dreamt of pretty, ocean blue eyes all night that night. And you couldn’t help but giggle as you thought of the feeling of his lips against yours. Or how gently he had held your body. And how well he danced, and how smooth his voice was. The kind that you could listen to for hours and never get bored of it.

He was so dreamy.

-

The next morning was… eventful. First, you woke up and the first thing which popped into your head was a name. His name.

Hugh.

You giggled again as you got ready for the day, your head filled with thoughts of him. You even skipped down the stairs on your way to breakfast with your family. One of the many rules of the house, the family must eat together at all times.

“Good morning.” You chirped as your entered the dining room. Your parents were sat the table, just as always. Yet you could sense that something was different.

Your mother seemed more bubbly than usual. And your father was… different. Almost like they were trying their hardest to keep something from you but failing.

“Is everything alright?” you asked, refusing to take a seat at the table unless they told you what was going on.

You noticed a scroll in your father’s hand.

“Oh tell her already!” your mother sounded impatient as she placed her hand in your father’s palm like she always did whenever there was good news.

Your father cleared his throat. “Well, it seems that your mother’s dress and your beauty worked wonders last night at the ball.” He pointed out, scanning the scroll but barely paid much attention to it so it gave away that he had read it at least a couple of times before.

You were confused. “What do you mean?” you asked. The only person you talked to last night was Hugh. The handsome, kind and lovely Hugh.

Your father opened his mouth to talk, but your mother beat him to it.

“A marriage proposal came for you! It’s from the Prince! We received a message from the King this morning, they would love to meet us today at the castle. Isn’t that so lovely!” your mother was clearly amazed. She turned to your father, who was smiling faintly. “Can you imagine, our daughter as the Princess of this kingdom, and….”

She kept talking but you zoned out.

How was this possible? The only one you talked to last night was…

Wait.

You reached out and rather impolitely snatched the scroll out of your father’s hand. You skimmed through the whole thing, looking for a name or a signature. And then you saw it.

‘...to ask for your lovely daughter, Y/N’s hand in marriage to the Prince of the Kingdom, his Royal Highness Hugh Ransom Drysdale…’

Your eyes widened at the name and you re-read it over and over again while you replayed last night’s events in your head. The one you danced with for so long until your feet hurt, the one who kissed you endlessly throughout the night; the one who held you so delicately was… the Prince?

And he dared lie to you, for the whole night. And now he dares send a marriage proposal? You always knew that residents of the castle were somewhat egocentric and thought that they were entitled or that they were allowed to do whatever they wanted to their subject, force any decision on them but this, this was next level!

How could he?

You suddenly remembered all that anyone’s ever told you about the Prince. How he is proud, and dangerously conceited and thinks he’s superior to others. How his promiscuity, when he was younger, was no secret. How little he does to help those in his kingdom, and how little he cares in general.

You thought about all the times you heard all those rumors about him; how he caused a ruckus wherever he went, and how he picked fights without a second thought and just how disrespectful he is to his subject. He had never acted like a valiant Prince, he was always so insolent and snobbish.

The people around town would often talk of his ignorant ways. When he was younger, he used to gamble a lot. He would often start his nights by getting drunk at the tavern and would then wake up in the brothel. Or how his egoistical and rampant ways once almost started wars with other Kingdoms.

You can’t possibly marry someone like that. Last night, he put up a façade and you fell for it. Oh you fell so effortlessly. You didn’t even question him, you just melted in his arms like a fool.

“This… I- I can’t marry the- I can’t marry him!” you couldn’t find the right thing to say.

Your mother was horrified at your words.

“Nonsense! Now hurry upstairs, we need to doll you up. Come on.” She dragged you out of the room and walked up the stairs again.

 While your mother dressed you up, your thoughts were a mess. In the past 12 hours you had danced with a stranger, kissed him and had been crushing on him ever since. Turns out he’s the Prince of the castle and you realized you’ve been lied to all along. And now the prideful and snobbish Prince sent you a marriage proposal.

You were pretty irritated and displeased, you felt betrayed because you had been lied to. There was no way you could call someone so terrible your husband. No. No way! Prince Ransom is a lousy and careless young man who doesn’t live up to his title. Marrying him would be a nightmare!

Yet, the strangest part was that, despite how bitter you felt towards him now; you could still vividly remember how his mouth felt against yours; how soft and warm his embrace had been. And how irresistible his lips tasted…

---

Taste Of Your Lips tag list:

@buckybarnesplumwhore​

@x-abi-sharp-x​

@fafulous​

@elegantly123

@chase-your-dreams-away​

@cptn-sgrogers​

@writer-screenwriter-to-be

@0501m

@notsomellowmushroom​

@missrandomista​

@holy-stevie​

@zeilenkrieg​

@jukeboxbabbyyy​

@thedarkplume​

@an-awkward-human-1​

@idontknowstudios​

@omgkatinka​

@mandiiblanche​

@cleopatra-knowles​

@cmon-spiderling​

@sweetlittlegingy​

@onetwo3000 

Chris Tag List:

@voraciousslut​

@zombiepandajfish​

@sweater-daddiesdumbdork​

@orenjineki​

@devastationlover​

@princess-evans-addict​

@nostalgic-bucky​

@idledreams-burninghearts​

@satansgoatt

@heyitsmeimdead

@newyorkgoddess

@chris-butt​

@patzammit

@onetwo3000

@la-cey

@idontknowstudios

@i-stan-my-captains

Permanent Tag List:

@softboibarnes

@grayxswan

@buckybarnesatemyheart

@amazonianbeauty

@destiel-artemis

@starkerhowlter

@unlikelycandylove

@the-omni-princess

@saharzek

@ladymidnightt

@honeyydippaa

@imsonick

@fafulous

@thewolf-and-thesheep

@irespostthingsiwanttoseelater

@observantgal

@lokilvrr

@sebastian-i-stan

@siriusjohnpotter

@fckdeusername

@msruchita

@cupids-quiver

@sebabestianstan101

@sweetkingdomstarlight-blog

@https-bucky

@nostalgic-bucky

@chontellaa

@minetticatinwonderland

@sexytholland

@thefridgeismybestie

@neerness

@itsnotevaitsiva

@matsumama

@uhh-katie-griffiths

@papersstark

@tt-nikithakppr

@heartislubbingdubbing

@vapingisntmything

@curtainlover

@ahappylilybug2019

@givinggoodvibes

@kaetastic

@mandi616

@xinyourdreamsx

@yoongi-little-kitten

@marvelouspottering

@unlikelygalaxygiver

@scuzmunkie

@hailmary-yramliah

@morrellica

@ravenesque

@mrsbarneswillseeyounow

@ariesmadness97

@dyanna-corona

@elementoffire1988

@joannie95

@psychicforest

@nsfwsebbie

@marshyrebelcloud

@enigma-xlii

@notyourtypicalrose

@yeahhemmings-

@xbuckxnastyx

@partlybcarnes

@blindedbyyourgrace17

@mommyloveslittles

@just-a-littlebit-of-everything

@cal-ifornication

@marvelismysafezone

@thedarkplume

@unicornslothfish

@squirrelacorngliterfarts

@sberumenm

@stuckybarton

@sweetlittlegingy

@crazymexicanfangirl

@fandomunited4

@teetles-and-other-stuff

@cashewsaremyfavorite

@brokensunflowersworld

@thesumofmychoices

@ya-lyublu-tebya

@rynabarnesrogers-reading

@phantom-solider

@marvelrose

@lostinspace33

@reniescarlett

@tardisin221bst

@shakespeareanqueer

@dreams-in-blxck

@jenn0755

@stangirl-fangirl264

@jesseswartzwelder

@lokigonnakmsforbucky

@isabelrichards

@dibsonamericasass

@bookish-shristi

@gabbie-is-sad

@breatheeagainnnn

@mannls

@everything-is-awesomesauce

@miraclesoflove-blog

@infinityexe

@sebbysstangirl

@supernaturaldean67

@starstar1012

@saliarheva

@peaceinourtime82

@yikes-buckybarnes

@goodgodimaweirdperson

@nickyl316h

@tdbooth

@james-buchanan-bcrnes

@babyyysucc

@supernatural-fanfic

@buckybarnesplumwhore

@aesthetical-bucky

@nickyl316h

@aroyaldarknessblr

@fizzahocleirigh @adolesences @nightlygiggles @snugglemedaddy @lighttomydark @lemonadygirl 

Everything Tag List:

@charmed-asylum

@ravenmoore14

@stangirl-fangirl264

@xbuckxnastyx

@starkerhowlter

@fafulous

@smolandrare-coffee-bean

@alexxcorona113

@heartislubbingdubbing

@buggy-blogs

@livsheph

@tt-nikithakppr

@chowder200

@curlyhairedandconfused

@beckloves

@inez-lannister-stark-martell

@amantedelcalcio

@reniescarlett

@yourdearest-love

@siriusjohnpotter

@scarygoodgirl

@ladymidnightt

@unlikelycandylove

@fentybucky

@marshyrebelcloud

@talk-geek-to-me

@tasteslikeblueberries

@the-jer-bear

@aynaraxas

@dreams-in-blxck

@moony-tonks-lupin

@anncutamarica

@secretlyactivated

@xoxabs88xox

@noirwarrior20

@shutup-sorry

@sofutostuff

@coconutqueen21

@precious-starkerr

@bangtan-serendipity

@swoonhui

@mayumiirenetheodora

@fvithsxo

@sweetkingdomstarlight-blog

@sambucky8

@marvelrose  

@morrellica

@mrsbarneswillseeyounow

@thewitchysoldier

@gogokeener

@fivesosbucky

@trop-mango

@grayxswan

@rvgrsbrns

@buckysegerton

@tonib666

@el-lizzie

@snazzyjazzyjayy

@ii-ir-ii

@marvelousell

@angel-spidey

@the-omni-princess

@nsfwsebbie

@ahappylilybug2019

@babyboyjames

@stonerosedheart

@amirahiddleston

@sebastianstanbuckybarnes

@grincheveryday

@lauratang

@krazycags01

@teetles-and-other-stuff

@fckdeusername

@momobaby227

@unknown-salvatore

@lokigonnakmsforbucky

@mushyjellybeans

@gabypatd

@burninmatches

@wimpydummy

@emilykjhgsj

@cadence-on-beat

@rae-deation

@polireader

@caitlin-b-cls

@vousfleurdelys

@theunwantedomega

@xmaslightsandmarvelfics

@widowsbarnes

@nostalgic-bucky

@reann-loves-sebstan

@wolfernyx

@bellascrap

@thecurlsofgod

@briarrose125

@xoxabs88xox

@cherryslibrary

@kenzieam

@captainamerica-is-bae

@nightlygiggless

@threepupsinapuddle

@avengersbiggestfanever

@joannie95

@jukeboxbabbyyy

@andreasworlsboring101

@imaslutforcaptainamerica

@fanngirl19

@thomasthetankson

@rita-tlr

@lestersglitterglue

@lost-in-the-stars03

@hailmary-yramliah @sweater-daddiesdumbdork @littlemisskosmix

[poptod]

Make Me Your Queen (Ahkmenrah  x Reader)

Description: He’s never seen anything like you––nothing comes close to your royalty, your beauty, your power, and it draws him in deeper.

Notes: based off ‘make me your queen’ by declan mckenna. i wrote this story with a female reader in mind (bc like, hatshepsut but canaanite) but as always its gender neutral, no pronouns WC: 2.6k

+

"Now I want you two to stay quiet. Do you understand that? Under no circumstance should you speak without being spoken to," Merenkahre said under his breath, his voice low as he spoke to his two sons. Ahkmen nodded––Kahmuh did not, but he'd heard his fathers' words nonetheless.

"These are the Canaanites, right?" Kahmuh asked in a flat tone.

"Phoenicians," Ahkmen corrected.

"Same thing, but don't let them know I said that, okay?" His father said.

Before Ahkmen could even chuckle, his mother called the three of them into the throne room. He hurried past his brother to stand beside her, looking over the long, glorious hall adorned with pillars and vases towards the tall double doors. Shrouds of silk hung from the ceiling, clouding the paintings drawn so painstakingly on the ceiling.

The breath of fresh air in his chest left him the moment Kahmuh came up behind him, taking his spot closer to the throne.

"I was -"

"We go by rank, don't you remember?"

He curled his fingers into his palm but said nothing. Kahmuh loved to annoy him, and though he never benefitted from teasing him, he continued to do it. Now, however, was a bad time to give into the urge to retaliate––the doors would open anytime now, bringing with it streaming sunlight and foreign royalty.

For several years now Kemet had been embroiled in a conflict with Phoenicians. It was one begun by his father, who had hoped to control several of the bay cities for the trade links they provided to Mesopotamia. This part of his father's life had been kept secret from him––entirely on purpose––until they began to fight back. A treaty was established the moment Merenkahre realized his armies could be beat, and now here they were, waiting for the one who had stepped up to take control of Phoenicia. Ahkmen had yet to know their name. His mother had given him scant information, and his father was unwilling to tell.

Rustling from outside brought his attention back to the front, eyes training back onto the door as it began to crack open. It was a sight he'd seen before, the opening of those mystical doors––rarely at sunset, but today was lucky. Red light streamed into the room, clashing brightly with the gold built into the pillars and marble floor. The light fell saturated on his tan skin till he and his family practically glowed auburn.

A short train of people came through the doors, their shadows stretched against the red carpet before them. The hall fell silent at their entrance; all eyes locked onto the veiled figure in the middle drifting closer to the throne. His breath halted right up to the moment the train came to a stop before the Pharoah. It was then the soldiers surrounding the cloaked figure fell into a bow, revealing tall tresses of black and red silk, a veil lined in gold, and purple hair framing soft cheeks.

Ahk's mouth opened unwittingly, staring at you. Were you born like that? How was that possible? And you––you couldn't be much older than twenty. This was what his father had to find peace with? This was what they would've died to?

The stone look on your face matched his fathers' bitter politeness perfectly. Merenkahre's jaw set as he smiled, rising from his seat to greet you personally. He raised his hand to shake yours and you matched him, raising a hand adorned in golden rings and blood red nails, shaking his hand without a hint of the Pharaoh's kindness in your eye.

"I thank you for the invitation to your country," you said, your lips twitching upwards just slightly, just enough to look polite.

"I'm glad you took up our invitation. We have a feast prepared––I'm sure you and your men are tired from the journey," said the Pharaoh, gesturing towards the doorway opposite the entrance.

You glanced down at the bowed soldiers. As your eyes flickered upwards they landed upon the youngest Prince, leaving him petrified from the acid in your gaze.

"Yes," you said after a moment, turning back to the Pharaoh. "That would be kind of you."

Several of the palace guards took the lead of your group, leading you through the small hallway to the dining hall. The hall was placed near the court for convenience, but the decision left Ahkmen little time to ask his father anything, leaving him stumbling over which question was more important.

He pushed his way past his mother and brother, landing beside his father, who still had his teeth gritted tight.

"How old are they exactly?" He asked, but earned no response from the distant thoughts of Merenkahre. Clearly his father was a tad preoccupied––Ahkmen would, most likely, not be getting answers from him anytime soon.

Ahkmen stared at you throughout the whole dinner. Not once did you glance to see him––if you had, he probably wouldn't have been staring. At least not so hard. You're impressively hard to look away from, your smile curt and teasing, unearthly purple hair curled around a crown of spindly gold.

Over the course of the conversation, he learned several things, most namely the duration of your stay. No one had an exact count of days, but you and your soldiers would stay until a peace treaty was reached with the Pharaoh. Knowing his father's advisors, Ahkmen surmised you would be here for a while, a fact that brought a smile to his face. Even though you hadn't spared any more than a single glance at him, he found he didn't care as long as he could keep looking at you.

He wasn't invited, but he followed anyway when one of the priests led you to your room. You bid the priest good-night only when two of your soldiers entered the room with you, before turning to Ahkmen, a soft but blank expression on your face.

"You're one of the princes, aren't you?" You asked in the silence. His eyes widened at the unexpected question.

"Well, um – yes," he said, stammering over his words.

"How old are you?"

The question took him by surprise but he didn't hesitate to answer.

"Seventeen years."

You paused to take in his reply, apparently finding much to contemplate in his age.

"When I was your age, I was spending my time uniting my Kingdom and clawing us out of starvation," you said in a lofty tone, but before he could form a response, you continued. "I suggest you do something useful, like that, instead of staring at foreign dignitaries."

Oh.

"I – I'm sorry, I didn't –"

"No need to apologize. Just keep it in mind."

"But... then how old are you now?" He asked, nails digging into his palm. You held his eye so intently now that you were speaking to him.

"Eighteen," you said with a smile, promptly shutting the door in both Ahkmen and the priest's face.

The priest turned to Ahkmen, a single brow raised. An awkward silence stretched between them.

"Can you not tell my father about this?" Ahkmen finally asked.

"As long as I never have to watch you two converse again," he said.

"Deal."

+

Ever since you came he was enchanted by you––that much was obvious to see. His mother knew, as did his father (although reluctantly), and by his count you probably did as well. Fortunately enough for him, you didn't tease him about it. Instead you kept a polite distance from him––a decision he simply couldn't understand.

He's rarely allowed inside the court while something important is in session, but his father called him in, and he didn’t mind an excuse to be in the same room as you.

"Ahk, come here," the Pharaoh said, and he obeyed, standing by his father's side. "You and the princ-"

"King," you said sharply. It's a title you insisted on constantly, one that your soldiers willingly upheld despite the obvious contradiction. The Pharaoh pulled his lips into a thin line in clear irritation.

"You're around the same age, right?"

Ahkmen nodded.

"Why don't you show them around a little? I'm sure they'd like a break from all these meetings," Merenkahre suggested.

"I assure you I am perfectly fine," you said.

"Septy," one of your advisors leaned over to you, whispering in your ear. He couldn't quite make it out but the tension in your face fell. It was almost nice––you're always irritated around the Pharaoh and it showed.

"Very well," you said, and it looks like it took an enormous amount of pain to get the words out. "I will go with your... son."

Ahkmen practically beamed, making his way across the room to you before taking your hand, and leading you out of your seat. Before you could send any more of a scathing glare at Merenkahre, he guided you out of the room and into an empty hall.

The already-quiet voices of the court faded away as the distance grew greater, leaving the two of you in a common silence.

"He's not making your job easy, is he?" Ahkmen asked despite knowing the answer.

"Neither of us truly desire peace," you said bitterly. "Only to destroy the other. We'll both have to get over that if we're to reach any agreement."

"... I agree," he said, still caught up in staring at you.

The purple in your hair glinted in the streaming sunlight, the only color in the barren hallway lined with arches. Outside, the city sat in its' great bustle, ships lining up and down the Nile, markets flooding each section of Memphis. The sight is one he knew well, but you halted. In a flash he remembered you never came from a wealthy country––you had to build it. Unless you visited some other country, you had never seen a thriving city market.

His footsteps fell quiet when you stopped at one of the arches, eyes trained on the tiny subjects below. A lump grew in his throat the closer he stepped to you.

"How does commerce within the city work for you?" You asked.

Truthfully, Ahkmen had little clue on how the government worked. Only the tidbits he'd picked up from his father. Kahmuh was the one becoming Pharaoh––that was why he was in classes and Ahkmen was allowed free roam.

"We use a fair amount of trade," he began, though had little idea on how else to continue. "We, um... we use grain as a form of currency."

"How much in just one unit?"

He sucked in a sharp breath, biting into his lower lip as he tried to recall. Most times he went out to buy things, they priced far above a single bag, as his tastes were heavily influenced by his palace life.

"It's fine," you said curtly, stopping him in his plight. A small, relieved sigh left him.

"You must know quite a lot about your own government," Ahkmen said in a soft voice. You didn't move from your position, didn't tear your eyes from the market, but the edge of your lip quirked up just slightly.

"I should hope so," you said with a growing smile, "I built it, after all. Or... some of it. I must admit I was aided greatly by my advisors."

Ahkmen chuckled, following you when you left your spot at the arch. He took a quiet lead of the path forwards, discreetly guiding you outside the palace, where the sun shone freely on his skin. The warmth of it gave him good reason to wear few clothes. You, on the other hand, were still adorned in your black and red silk.

"I'm curious," Ahkmen said, keeping a keen eye on you, "how did you come to rule the Phoenicians? Were you royal to begin with?"

"Yes," you said with a sage nod. "My parents were descended from our Gods. When I took control, it was a crucial part of me––it was the only way I could unite the entirety of our cities."

"That's fascinating. So you control the entirety of that coast, now?"

"The cities are independent from me, but for the most part, yes. Now; I would love to discuss such matters with you, but I was promised a break from the politics," you said, and Ahkmen quickly remembered his manners.

"Of course, yes. Sorry. I know a few places you might like," he said with a smile, earning a small one in return as he led you down the sunlit street.

The more free-roaming children that passed by, the more relaxed you grew, eyes dancing at every market stall and homefront. Ahkmen had never known anything but this––to see a King who knew none of it at all was rattling to say the least. Even you, in all your majesty, found the same happiness in others that Ahkmen found in his people. The citizens seemed to like you as well, though he would've been surprised if they didn't. It wasn't every day they got to see someone with purple hair.

"I have a question," he said as the two of you passed by a murmuring crowd. "I, uh, hope this isn't rude, but how is your hair that color?"

"Dyed, actually," you answered, staring forward at the approaching Nile. "Half our trade is made up of this dye. We are great craftsmen and traders, but only recently have we been able to show that to the rest of the world."

"Why's that?"

"Well, before I came, we had no way of travelling to other cultures. I managed to befriend a great architect by the name of Batnoam. You've seen him––he stands beside me in court, but... he built these ships of curved hulls and long sails, allowed for us to hold power over your Pharaoh," you said, your accent becoming more pronounced as your hands moved thoughtlessly to the words. "Once we gained that we gained allies and established trade routes that, I believe, turned the war against you. No offense intended."

"None taken. I know my father can be.. difficult," Ahkmen said. He jumped when you belted out a laugh, raising your chin to the sky.

"I know firsthand your father's military tactics. But there are things he wants from me, things that he realizes he can't take by force."

"Such as..?"

"Look at me," you said, and as he stopped before you, he noticed the sudden quiet of the world around you. You'd made it to the Nile, and walked down far enough to escape the bustle. "Do you see my beauty?"

He nodded.

"Can you feel the power I have?"

He nodded again, too absorbed in your dulcet tone to notice the meaning of your words.

"I have made myself like this, but Merenkahre doesn't know that. He believes my power comes from my riches, from the items my people trade with those around us, and he wants that power. I don't blame him."

"You are so beautiful," he blurted out, eyes still wide as he stared at you.

"I know, dearest. You can close your mouth. I have no need for a prince, and I'm not looking for a Queen."

A soft, dreamy sigh left him as you turned, your attention shifting to the slow waters of the river. He just smiled––his heart burned warm in his chest, leaving tingling in his limbs each time they moved.

I can be your Queen, he thought without much logic behind his words besides the adoration he held for you. You took the title of King when you rose to power; there was no need for a Phoenician King, but they could do––you could do––with a queen such as himself. At least, that's what he liked to think. That's what made his heart giddy.

"Do you come down here often?"

"As much as I can," he answered. You smiled imperceptibly.

"I've always enjoyed the water," you murmured, staring at your reflection. In a split second you seemed to return to yourself, looking up to Ahkmen. "I grew up on the coast."

"I'm happy to take you down here anytime you need a break from the pressure," Ahkmen offered, his heart skipping at the thought of this happening more often. You contemplated his words for a moment before answering.

"I would like that."