#everyday front door wreath

[gvfgal]

Santa, Baby.

Jake Kiszka x reader

18+ minors get lost!!

Content Warnings: Christmas fluff, graphic sexual content, a little role-play (kinda), fingering (f rec.), oral (m&f rec.), dirty talk, lots of pet names, unprotected sex (you know the deal).

A/n: Day 2 of quarantine means another fic. It’s the only thing keeping me sane at this point. ALSO, thanks so much for all the love on my first fic, definitely wasn’t expecting the response I got but I’m so very appreciative of it! And let’s give it up for that pic I threw together in like 2 minutes 😂

Word count: 3.6k

       · · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Snow flurries danced across the indigo shaded sky as you made your trek home after a long day of work. The holidays always ushered in a higher volume of businesses wanting marketing help from you and your team, so you were used to the long days at the office. However, you didn’t expect to be there past sundown today, especially with it being the beginning of the weekend.

The heavy workload during the holidays was putting a damper on your Christmas spirit. Everyday you dragged in from work, feet sore, sometimes too tired to even prepare yourself something to eat. You’d simply shower and crawl into bed, hoping to get enough rest for the long day ahead of you tomorrow, but even then, you were up most nights with a head full of looming tasks that never let you rest.

It was so bad this year, you hadn’t even put up your Christmas decorations yet.

I’ll get around to it, you’d tell yourself.

But it was December 4th, and not a single garland had been hung yet.

The only thing that was keeping you from completely losing it was the fact that your beloved Jake was home with you.

Having a break from touring, he’d be able to spend the whole month of December with you and his entire family, a luxury he wasn’t granted often. Coming home to him, with his feet kicked up on the living room table, a beer or a glass of whiskey in hand, was the best part of your days lately.

You wanted him to be able to enjoy his time off doing a bunch of nothing, but he couldn’t help but notice your constant exhaustion, and therefore wanted to dote on you endlessly, making you dinner (which you couldn’t say no to, you couldn’t get enough of his cooking), rubbing your feet, drawing warm baths for you, etc.

And as much as you loved all the TLC, you couldn’t help but feel bad that he was waiting on you hand and foot when he was supposed to be enjoying his time off. You felt that it should’ve been you doing all those things for him. But you neither had the time nor the energy.

“My love, stop fussing about it,” he lovingly reprimanded you one night as you sat in the bathtub, one foot hanging out the side as he massaged it with care, “I enjoy taking care of you. It isn’t a chore for me. I wouldn’t wanna spend my time off any other way, trust me.”

Either way, you felt lucky to have him, and you couldn’t wait to get home and curl up underneath him on the couch, a mug of hot chocolate and some corny Christmas movie to accompany you.

The snow had picked up its pace by the time you got home, and you thanked all the God’s that it waited until you made it home, not making your already long commute even longer. With a heavy sigh, you grabbed your obnoxiously heavy work bag from the passenger seat and exited your car, scurrying as fast as you could out of the brutally cold winter air and under the cover of your porch.

As you fumbled with your keys, your eyes caught sight of your elaborate Christmas wreath hanging on your front door.

Funny, don’t remember hanging that up, you thought to yourself as you pushed the door open.

Jake must’ve fished it out of the abyss of christmas decor in the garage.

“Jake? Baby I’m home.”

You stepped through the threshold with a gasp, taking in the sight before you. Every piece of decoration that you’ve collected over the years was put in its place, maybe even a little better than what you could’ve done. A large pine coned garland framing your entrance mirror. A forest of mini Christmas trees along the mantle of the fireplace. Christmas themed pillows replaced your usual throw pillows, a striped candy cane blanket thrown over the side to complete the look.

And that wasn’t even half of it.

Even your large Christmas tree, that was such a hassle to put up due to its size, was standing and decorated to a T. Its eclectic ornaments shimmered in the lights of the tree, and a beautiful merlot colored ribbon wrapped the tree from top to bottom.

It was perfect. The fire roared fiercely in the fireplace, warming up your abode, and some jazzy rendition on ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ droned out of the vinyl player beneath the tv.

The only thing missing was Jake.

Setting your belongings down, you began admiring his job well done, walking around your living room as if you’ve never stepped foot in there before, until you heard the faint jingle of bells coming down the hallway from your bedroom.

Finally you saw him, and the smile that lit up your face was inevitable.

He stood at the end of the hallway nearest you, letting you take him in, a smile similar to yours gracing his face.

He was dressed as Santa, or some rendition of Santa, anyways.

He sported a pair of red santa pants that were a couple sizes too big, but they were held up by matching red suspenders that were fastened over his bare chest and shoulders. His feet were bare, and his santa hat sat on top of his head, almost as if it were balancing there, long hair distressed underneath. An old fashioned pipe was gripped between his teeth to complete the look.

“Jake,” you giggled, unable to stand in silence any longer, “what are you doing?”

“Well sweetheart,” he bellowed out, putting on his best Santa voice as he sat his pipe on the mantle, “I figured since you’ve been so stressed and busy with work,” his feet began moving towards you slowly, “that I’d do something to put a smile on that gorgeous face. Give that Christmas spirit a little boost, yeah?”

Once he reached you, he wrapped his arms around your waist, and you in turn threw your arms over his broad shoulders. 

“So how’d I do?”

You couldn’t help but lean in and plant a long passionate kiss on his waiting lips, and he readily accepted it.

“You’re so sweet my Jakey. It’s beautiful, did you do all of this by yourself?”

“With the help of one of my elves, of course.”

AKA Josh.

“And it’s not Jake, baby. It’s Santa.”

You cocked an eyebrow, “If you’re really Santa, then where’s your beard?”

He chuckled a bit, his facade slipping momentarily, “I shaved it.”

“Why?” you pressed further.

“Because,” he pulled you in closer, “I didn’t want anything in between me and that gorgeous pussy I plan on devouring later.”

You gasped lowly at his obscenity, but smirked all the same. You liked the direction this was headed, so you continued to play along. 

“Oh is that right,” you tried to kiss him again, but he pulled away teasingly, enjoying the way your face contorted into a pout.

“Not so fast, little one. We have some things to check off the list first.”

Your eyes rolled playfully at his double entendre, “things like what?”

Jake made his way over to his favorite lay-z-boy that he insisted you let him keep and took a seat with a grunt. He let his legs spread, and you swore you saw the imprint of his cock through the fabric of his pants, leading you to believe he was bare underneath.

His eye caught yours and he sent you a quick wink before he slouched back further into his chair and patted his leg.

“You look tired, darling. Why don’t you come sit on Santa’s lap and tell him all about your day.”

Without another word needing to be spoken, you kicked off your heels and approached your personal Santa, draping yourself across his lap as he invited you into his warm embrace.

“I had five meetings today with five different businesses,” you began with a sigh as you nuzzled closer to him.

“Mhmm,” he urged you to continue as he began letting his fingers roam up and down your tight clad legs. The soft touches sent sparks through your entire body, but you continued anyway.

“I thought after these meetings there would be less work to be done, but all it did was pile on more work for me and my team.”

“You poor, poor thing.” His lips were now ghosting across the exposed skin on your neck, but he never actually planted a kiss, “sounds like you need a break.”

Another sigh escaped your lips, only for a different reason this time, as all of the sensations Jake was inflicting on your body caused your head to begin to swim. You could feel yourself slowly beginning to relax more, but you weren’t finished with the little game yet.

“Yeah, I do. Is that what I’m getting for Christmas, Santa?”

His wandering lips halted, and you could feel a smile break against your skin.

“Well that depends, sweetheart. Have you been nice,” he nipped at your ear, and you jumped slightly, “or naughty?”

You giggled again, “something tells me this Santa would prefer the later of the two.”

Without warning, his hand that was ghosting over your leg reeled back, sending a cracking sound through the air as it landed back on your thigh. You invited the sting, actually enjoyed it, and you opted for biting your lip rather than letting a moan pass them.

“You’d be right on that.”

You adjusted your body to straddle his lap now, and Jake took the opportunity to slide his hands under your dress and rub along your ass soothingly, both of you reveling in the feeling.

He looked deep into your eyes, and you, his, letting the moment linger on before he spoke up again.

“So tell me, what does this naughty girl want for Christmas, hm? Maybe some pretty toys to play with?”

Of course, you both knew what he meant when he referred to toys, and the sexual tension in the room only grew further.

His hands were still moving along your backside as he presented his tongue to you, and you gladly leaned in to lick across it, closing into the action for another wet kiss. With that, his hands ceased to rub, and instead gripped your ass tightly, making the first moan of the night permeate the air above you two.

“I can think of a few things I want,” you purred, still not pulling too far away from him, his touch was everything.

“Mmm I bet,” he hummed. You thought the game was over, and you were ready to get on with the much anticipated events of the night, but he continued to talk.

“But first baby, I think you need to show Santa how naughty you really are.”

The sound of your tights ripping caused you to gasp, he had torn right through the back of them, a large hole, and his hand wasted no time sliding your panties to the side, his fingers beginning to play in your folds.

Your head fell forward with a whimper as he did so, no shame in the fact that your backside was now entirely exposed, allowing him to do as he pleased.

“So soft, like satin,” he inhaled into the side of your head, “so wet. Probably so sweet, too.”

He removed his fingers and used his unoccupied hand to pull you back to look at him, bringing his glistening digits to your lips.

“Taste for me, sweetheart. Tell me if it’s as sweet as I imagine.”

Complying, your lips parted, and you let your tongue taste all that he was offering to you, and he watched intensely as you did so, his growing erection meeting your soaking center.

Jake groaned, “Christ, you really are naughty, aren’t you baby?”

You sent him a nod with his fingers still in your mouth before he pulled away, lifting out of the chair with ease, gripping your waist tightly as he carried you over to the rug that laid in front of the fireplace.

“I have to taste for myself.”

He laid you down delicately, joining you on the floor as you shimmied your dress higher up on your body.

Santa Baby began playing throughout the house, and you couldn’t help but grin, “ironic, huh?”

“Ironic or planned precisely,” he dragged your tights and panties down, pushing your legs up so the soles of your feet were flat on the ground, “I’ll never tell.” 

A twinkle appeared in his eye as he finally came face to face with your pussy, like a kid on Christmas morning.

His hands found your thighs as he kissed along them, and you wiggled in place, just wanting to feel his mouth on you.

Of course he noticed, and he shook his head, “impatient. I’m starting to think this naughty thing isn’t just an act.”

Finally, finally, his tongue met your soaked center, a long, slow lick from your clenching hole up to your clit. It ended with the tip of his tongue on your bud, and he began flicking his tongue swiftly against it.

A long moan you couldn’t contain escaped as he began working. The sounds were vulgar as he slurped and licked away, but you were enjoying every second of it. His grip on your thighs tightened as he feasted on, and when his eyes lifted to meet yours, you could’ve fainted with how intense his gaze was.

“So good… so good baby,” you whined, “feels so good.”

He inserted a finger into your dripping hole, and you yelped at the added sensation. After a few seconds, he added another, then leaned back on his heels to watch the faces you made as he worked you, it was one of his favorite things. Seeing the way your mouth hung open, watching as you tried to form words with little success.

“I know, my love. You needed this, huh? Needed this pretty cunt played with. Relieve some of that stress?”

You nodded against the rug, too far gone to reply verbally.

Diving back in, he continued with his lewd, unabashed tasting, fingers never ceasing their steady pace, until the heat in your stomach appeared abruptly.

You wanted to give him a warning, you really did, but the build up was too quick, and he was too skillful, and before you knew it, you were cumming hard on his fingers, shaking violently through your release.

Jake didn’t seem to mind the lack of warning, eating you right through it with pleasure as he listened to the mixture of your moans and the music in the background, even letting out a groan of his own against your heat.

This was paradise for him.

Coming down, you raised your head to look at him, and he was smiling at you warmly.

“You’re a dream, you know that?”

You blushed at the sentiment, such a pure thing to say in the midst of such filthy acts, but it was appreciated all the same.

He removed his hands from your warmth, and you clenched slightly at the loss.

Standing now, he reached to unzip your dress from your sitting frame, pulling it off for you and tossing it onto the couch. Your dress didn't call for needing a bra, so your naked form was now on full display, much to Jake’s pleasure.

He undressed himself from his half costume, but before he could take off his hat, you stopped him, placing a hand on his bare thigh, “no, leave the hat on.”

“Kinky. Okay then, hat stays on.”

His cock was extremely hard, red at the tip and leaking pre cum, you licked your lips.

Watching you with pure adoration, his hand raised to cup your cheek, “go on, baby. Touch it. You can even kiss it, if you want. Get your own little taste.”

You reached forward and grabbed at the base of his cock, your other hand also in play, cupping and massaging his balls in your hand.

He jolted slightly at the sensation of your cold hands, but tilted into the feeling anyways.

Collecting some of the pre cum from his slit, you began pumping along his length, your best doe eyes admiring his face as you did.

You let your tongue flick across the tip before sinking down half way, meeting your mouth with your working hand.

“Fuccckkkk,” he groaned as his hand found shelter in your hair, careful not to pull too hard, “that’s it darling. You’re amazing.”

He looked down at you as you began bobbing faster, removing your hand so you could take him deeper into your throat.

“So fucking amazing. So dirty, you love sucking my cock huh?”

Rather than replying, you sank down until your nose was brushing against his stomach, showing him just how much you loved it, and he groaned loudly.

He rested there in your throat, enjoying the feeling of the way you constricted around him, your tongue brushing the underside of his shaft before he lightly pulled you off of him.

You inhaled deeply, coughing a bit as you tried to catch your breath.

Bending at the waist, he gripped your face in his rough palm gently, “choking on my cock like the naughty little thing you are.”

You beamed up at him, and he sent two pats to your cheek, as if to say good girl. 

“As much as I’d love for you to continue, I don't think I can go much longer without being inside of you,” he nodded his head towards the ground, “on your back, sweetheart, wanna look at you while I’m in it.”

Obeying his soft command, you laid yourself back down onto the plush rug, spreading your legs widely for him in invitation.

“Yeah, just like that,” he breathed out, stroking over himself as he kneeled between your legs.

Lining himself up, he pushed in slowly, grinning at the way your mouth dropped open and your brows furrowed together, before sliding in the rest of the way.

He grunted as you tightened around him, framing your face with both of his hands on the rug beside you, “trying to make me cum already, aren’t you?”

You feigned fake innocence as you adjusted to the stretch of his full length inside you.

“Act innocent all you want,” he growled as he pulled his hips away from yours before slamming back in, causing your body to jerk and a pornographic moan to float out of you, “I think we’ve already established that you’re anything but that.”

He began pistoning into you at a rapid pace, so punctuated with his thrusts that you had to grip onto him to steady yourself.

“Fuck Jake, oh my God yessss,” you whined underneath him, your eyes fighting to stay open to capture this moment.

“Yeah baby? You like the way I’m filling up this tight little cunt of yours?”

“Yes fuck yes! Please keep going, don’t stop.”

“I’m not gonna stop baby,” he reassured you with a nod, “not gonna stop until you cum all over me again. I need to feel it.”

One of his hands reached up to grope your bouncing tits, not knowing which one to focus on, so he switched between them equally, pulling and tugging at your nipples the perfect amount.

You gripped his waist and pulled him firmly into you, enjoying how full you felt when he was inside completely.

“So fucking greedy. Look at you, can’t get enough of it.”

His hand moved from your breast to rub circles over your clit, and before you knew it, your body was racing to the finish line again.

“Gonna cum… gonna cum,” you chanted over and over.

Jake knew your body, and he knew that rather than speeding up any of his movements, you wanted him to continue exactly what he was doing until you were seeing stars.

So that’s exactly what he did, feeling his own release approaching as well.

“Cum for me baby, wanna feel you all over me.”

As if you were waiting for his approval, you did just that, your back arching off of the rug, nails digging into the sides of his hips.

“There you go, there you fucking go,” his teeth were gritting together, “all over my cock baby. God, you feel incredible. Shit, look at how you’re leaking. We’re gonna have to get a new rug after this.”

He was rambling now, vulgar words and praises flooding from him nonstop, fucking you through your orgasm.

A single tear slid down your cheek at the euphoric feeling that was still racing through your body, when finally his entire body collapsed forwards onto yours, a few more pointed strokes before he came in your warmth.

You both were panting now, letting the sounds of the crackling fire and the music that was still playing bring you both back down to earth again.

You began stroking Jake’s untamed hair, pulling the hat from his head for better air circulation, before he sat up to look at you.

“Hello, lovely,” he grinned lazily, obviously still feeling the high.

“Hi Jakey,” you pecked him on his damp cheek.

With a grunt, he removed his body from yours and stood, holding out his hand for you to take.

“How about a nice hot shower? I can cook, if you’ll let me,” he joked, “then we can cuddle up and watch The Grinch.”

You took his hand and stood along with him, pressing your naked body against his, but not before tugging the Santa hat onto your own head and sticking the pipe between your teeth, making him laugh heartily.

“I like that idea very much,” you smiled goofily, and turned around to disappear towards the bedroom.

Chasing behind you, he sent a quick smack to your ass, “you look good in that hat. I think I want you to play Santa next time.”

[encrucijada]

oc kiss week, prompt: tender clio/kratos (she's history,)

“What do you think?” Clio asks, touching her fingers to the necklace in front of the mirror and then turning so Kratos doesn’t have to look at it through the reflection. In rose gold light, lining the frame in coin-sized bulbs.

“You’re beautiful,” Kratos says, standing and maintaining the place next to the door. He’s been unmoving all through the last two hours of prep, watching her twirl around and choosing. Coming in and out of the bathroom that still smells of hyacinths and vanilla. Padding bare feet and then feet in black stockings, bathrobe then dress, loose hair then pinned with the space left for the wreath of purple gemstone flowers. Nude lips, red lips, the red-purple of undiluted wine.

Her lips stretch and part for her smile. “I know you think that,” Clio says, “but I mean this necklace in specific. Do you think it’ll upstage Calliope?”

Clio, second of the Muses. Her older sister and best friend wears the golden tiara and stands at the centre of the stage. Hearing Calliope is like hearing a word said to perfection every time, she’s the size of great poems. Hearing Clio is like screaming someone glory, someone praises.

“If a necklace managed to upstage someone like your sister,” Kratos says, “I’d be worried something might have happened to her and we were in the presence of an impostor.”

“And that would be your fault,” Clio says, and keeps the necklace on.

For getting distracted with you I could join Prometheus. What organ would Zeus remove everyday from me? What animal would he use to do it?

“I’m ready.” Clio grabs her bag, that shimmery shawl too. Like draping the night sky over her shoulders.

Her high heels give her the extra inches to reach him with ease. He tastes the wine colouring her mouth, smells the hyacinths of her perfume. He wants to bite but that would ruin her work of the past forty minutes and they’re on a schedule. She has people to sing in front of before dinner. (Why should Zeus hire entertainment when his daughters make a choir?)

“Did your lipstick rub on me?”

“A bit.” Clio rubs a fingernail on the corner of his mouth. “Right here.”

Wiping the corner of her mouth where it smudged out of line, not his, Kratos says: “Leave it, let’s go.”

[sunnytaes]

The Ballad of the Phoenix

❅ Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x Lee Minho x Lee Felix

❅ Genre/themes: angst with a happy ending (eventually), eventual fluff, adventure, fantasy au, royal au, childhood friends to enemies to lovers, Felix is Steve (but not really), arranged marriage (but not really), prince!Hyunjin, prince!Minho, mage!Felix

❅ Warning(s): alcohol mentions, brief description of an animal pelt, Felix (unfortunately) does not appear in this chapter

❅ Chapter word count: 6.7k

❅ Chapter summary: Prince Hyunjin of Mahonia and Prince Minho of Cerasus have been distant for years after once having been close as children. Their parents want them to marry to unify their kingdoms, but both princes adamantly refuse. They agree to give reconnecting a chance, however, though it proves to be difficult when neither is willing to bend.

❅ Note(s): This fic is for the Clownracha fic exchange and it is dedicated to my lovely Lennie, @decaffedthoughts! Lennie, I hope you enjoy it. I made a playlist for the series, which you can find here. Pls listen to it in order :)

Chapter 1: Forget-Me-Not

The afternoon sun seeped in through the tall windows of the castle, squares of light broken up by the shadows of the window panes travelling across the large canvas set up next to the window. Delicate, practised hands were adding small, vaguely flower-shaped dots of orange to the rhododendron bush on the canvas. In front of the canvas sat His Royal Highness, Prince Hwang Hyunjin of Mahonia, the Kingdom of Winter. 

The young prince was sitting in a decidedly un-princelike manner, hunched over his canvas with his paintbrush clutched tightly in his hand, but the determined expression on his face was certainly that of a king’s. His long hair had been tied crudely out of his face with a stray piece of twine, and his princely outer robes had been tossed haphazardly on the large bed, leaving him in only a white undershirt, the paint-splattered sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his everyday pants, the piece of linen he used to protect the fine material from paint long since abandoned on the floor. 

Hyunjin’s painting was interrupted by a firm knock to his door, two raps in quick succession, followed by a third a moment later. Hyunjin only knew one person who knocked in such a unique manner and a smile spread across his face. 

“Come in, Seungmin,” the prince called out, rinsing his brush in the wooden bowl next to his easel before placing it on the cloth next to the bowl to dry. 

Hyunjin’s personal attendant and the closest thing he’s had to a friend all his life poked his head into the prince’s chamber, his fluffy brown hair flopping slightly to the side from the angle, his round golden wire-rimmed glasses also falling slightly askew. Hyunjin could only see his collar and a bit of his left shoulder, but he knew Seungmin was wearing the same garb all of the palace staff wore, a royal blue tunic belted at the waist with a gold braided cord, black trousers, and polished black loafers. Each tunic bore the kingdom’s crest — the Hellebore Mountains with the moon rising behind the peak, surrounded by a wreath of plum blossoms — embroidered on the left side, just above the heart, and Seungmin’s featured a small gold pin of the same crest on the mock neckline of his tunic, indicating that he was a member of the royal family’s personal staff. 

Hyunjin did not need to see the rest of his friend’s uniform in that moment to know that not an inch was out of place, with starch-pressed creases in the trousers and shoes so well-polished one could see their reflection in them. Seungmin was often better dressed than Hyunjin, the latter often having the odd paint stain somewhere on his clothing or hands, despite the amount of care he took to prevent that from happening. 

“Your parents are requesting your presence,” Seungmin said, casting a glance at Hyunjin’s canvas. He hummed appreciatively at the painting, meeting Hyunjin’s eyes as he spoke. “It seemed serious, so you might want to make yourself look… a bit more presentable. But quickly, it also seemed urgent.” 

Hyunjin let out a sigh, picking up a rag to wipe the stray flecks of paint off of his hands. Some of the fresher flecks came off easily, but some only smudged deeper into his skin, and others had long since dried. 

Seungmin took his leave, off to do whatever it was he did when he wasn’t taking care of Hyunjin. Hyunjin honestly didn’t know what he got up to in his spare time, but he did not care so long as Seungmin was there when he needed him, which he always was. Technically, the prince’s attendant or his personal maids were supposed to help him dress, but Seungmin had given up on that very shortly after he took on the role, and Hyunjin had also dismissed his maids from assisting him, as it made him feel like a child being doted on, which he hated. 

The rest of the kingdom thought him to be a spoiled, arrogant prince, but Hyunjin and those closest to him, albeit not that many people, knew that was far from the case. The prince did not care what others thought of him, though. He knew that his subjects called him the Ice Prince because of his cold exterior, but he did not mind. He was warm to those who mattered and polite but succinct with those he was unfamiliar with, and if that made him come across as cold, then so be it. 

Hyunjin dressed himself quickly, praying his parents wouldn’t notice the splash of yellow paint that had made it onto the knee of his trousers, and started to make his way to the east wing of Icehaven Palace, where his parents resided. Hyunjin spent most of his time in the south wing, in a former guest room that he had claimed for his own because of the beautiful view of the garden below his window, and the Hellebore Mountains on the horizon, marking the edge of his kingdom. Though it was customary for a prince to stay in the east wing with the rest of the royal family, Hyunjin found himself forgoing custom more often than not, and even though he occasionally returned to his childhood bedroom in the east wing to watch the sunrise, he had called the room in the south wing home for as long as he could remember. 

Arriving at the east wing, Hyunjin made his way to his parents’ shared room, as that was usually where they were when they summoned him together. He nodded at their personal guard, Mingyu, as the taller man stepped aside to let him in. 

Entering his parents’ chambers, Hyunjin was met with the familiar scent of mulled spices and old wood that he came to associate with the space. His mother was sitting in her favourite chaise lounge by the window, the midnight silk of her dress blending into the indigo velvet of the chair. A chalice was perched delicately in her hand, likely containing her favourite plum wine, a Mahonian signature. Hyunjin’s father stood by her side, staring pensively out the window and looking in Hyunjin’s direction when he entered the room. Like Hyunjin, his father had long hair, but his swept past his shoulders where Hyunjin’s only reached his jaw. The king often wore his hair in a complicated braided knot atop his head, accenting his crown perfectly, but now his hair was loose, flowing past his shoulders as the gold crown rested on the vanity next to the queen’s matching one. 

Hyunjin was unaccustomed to seeing his parents so casually, but he did his best to appear unfazed by the sight. He greeted his parents with the low bow customary for greeting Mahonian royals, with one fist clasped over the heart to signify fealty to the crown. When he straightened his posture, his parents were smiling warily at him, as if they were nervous too. 

“Hyunjin, please sit,” his mother said, gesturing towards one of the armchairs facing the chaise lounge. 

Swallowing his nerves, Hyunjin sat in the one closest to the fire. 

“There’s something we would like to discuss with you,” the king said, his focus solely on Hyunjin now. 

“I only snuck out to get paints once, Seungmin had no idea!” Hyunjin blurted, wringing his hands in his lap. 

His father quirked a bemused eyebrow at him, while his mother appeared to be hiding her smile between her chalice. 

“That is not what we were planning on discussing, but we can address that later.” 

“We have always appreciated your independence, Hyunjin, and we would never force you to do something you didn’t want to do, but there is something we would like you to consider,” his mother said, smiling at him warmly. 

Though both of his parents were looking at him with uncharacteristically fond expressions, Hyunjin could not help but feel the anxiety rising in his chest. 

“What is this about?” he asked. 

“We’ve been talking with the King and Queen of Cerasus, and we were thinking it would be greatly beneficial to both kingdoms if you were to get married to their crown prince, Prince Minho,” the queen said apprehensively, as if she knew what Hyunjin’s reaction would be. 

Predictably, Hyunjin shot out of his chair immediately, causing it to tumble backwards and land with a dull thud on the carpet. “If we were to do what?” he exclaimed, eyes frantically darting between his parents. Surely they had to be joking. 

“We are not trying to force you, Hyunjin, but we would like you to consider it,” his father said calmly, ignoring his son’s burst of frantic energy. 

“It seems a little forceful,” Hyunjin chuckled nervously, reaching his hands up to tangle his fingers in the roots of his hair, loosening his ponytail and causing him to look probably about as frazzled as he felt. 

“You don’t have to commit to anything right now,” Hyunjin’s mother explained gently, resting her chalice on the side table next to her. “We have invited Prince Minho to stay with us at the castle for the summer. All you have to do is get to know him better, and tell us how you feel at the end of the season.” 

“I already know how I feel about him,” Hyunjin grumbled, crossing his arms. “He hates me. Why couldn’t it be Prince Yeosang instead?” 

“Prince Yeosang of Celosia has already expressed his intent to marry a commoner,” his father said with a sigh. “Besides, weren’t you and Minho friends? I seem to remember you two running around the Cherry Blossom Palace wreaking havoc everywhere you went.” “Not anymore,” Hyunjin said with a pout, arms crossed defiantly. He was well aware that he was behaving childishly, but he could not bring it upon himself to care. He would continue to refuse marriage to Prince Minho even if it was the last thing he did. 

His mother gave him a look, and Hyunjin sighed, tossing his arms in the air. “Fine, he can stay here. But I make no promises beyond that.” “That is all we ask of you, son,” his father said, something akin to pride in his eyes. 

Hyunjin was dismissed from his parents’ chambers and left in a huff, not even bothering to greet Mingyu this time, leaving the poor guard with his hand lingering halfway in the air. 

Not a single member of the staff dared to speak to him as he thundered through the halls of the castle, a storm forming on his brow as he made a beeline for Seungmin’s room. 

When Minho’s parents, the king and queen of Cerasus, the Kingdom of Spring, first suggested to him that he marry the Hwang prince, he adamantly refused. He’d known Prince Hyunjin since he was a toddler and Hyunjin was a dumpling-shaped infant, on account of their parents being good friends and their kingdoms being allied. The two princes had been friends as kids, Minho had many fond memories of chasing stray cats together through the gardens of his palace and peering through the telescope in the large conservatory in the Cherry Blossom Palace. 

But as they aged, Hyunjin grew distant, and one year at the annual Harvest Ball held in Celosia, the Kingdom of Autumn, Hyunjin avoided him like the plague, even going so far as to run away when Minho tried to approach him. They were still kids then, especially Hyunjin, who was two years Minho’s junior, and Minho knew he should’ve been the more mature one and tried to talk to the other prince about it, but instead Minho reacted in the way he knew best. If Hyunjin was going to act coldly towards him, Minho would be cold right back. 

Years later, after Hyunjin had continued to act coldly towards the elder prince and Minho delivered sharp remarks any time they were forced to be together, Hyunjin had developed a reputation in his kingdom.The citizens started to refer to him as the Ice Prince, not simply because he was prince of the Kingdom of Winter, but because he acted coldly to everyone he met, staying locked up in the castle and refusing to go out to meet the citizens on holidays as was expected of royalty. 

Minho, on the other hand, though he had grown to act coldly towards Hyunjin as the years went by, had earned the title Angel Prince because of his delicate features and his benevolence towards his people. Prince Minho was often seen in soup kitchens helping the needy and donating toys to local orphanages, and had even purchased an animal shelter with his own money to keep it from shutting down. Whereas Prince Hyunjin was feared by his subjects, Prince Minho was revered. 

Though they had been friends as children, Prince Minho was firmly against marrying the frigid prince and moving to his equally frigid kingdom for even part of the year, and he vocalised as much to his parents, who were disappointed but agreed that they would not force him. But when a courier from Mahonia arrived with a letter addressed to him, Minho briefly reconsidered his stance on the Ice Prince. 

Prince Hyunjin had personally written to him saying that his parents had also tried to talk to him about a marriage between the two of them, and while he was not enthusiastic about the idea of marriage, he had made a promise to his parents that he would try to get to know Prince Minho. 

The letter was an invitation for Minho to come stay with him in Mahonia. Minho was not thrilled at the prospect of staying in the winter kingdom, where he hadn’t been since he was too young to remember; both his and Hyunjin’s parents much preferred spending their time together in the warmer Kingdom of Spring. 

Minho was moved by the letter, regardless, because it would have been easy for Prince Hyunjin to continue to avoid him like he had all these years, and the fact that he hadn’t outright rejected the idea without a word to Minho or his parents was enough for Minho to find himself packing his bags with his warmest clothes in hopes that the Ice Prince he knew had thawed his heart since the last time he had seen him. 

The day of Prince Minho’s arrival at Icehaven Palace, Hyunjin was doing his best not to be found. That is to say, he was hiding in a far corner of the library where he hoped no one would think to look. Hyunjin was not much of a reader himself, but he had gone looking for Seungmin during his days off enough times that the prince was very familiar with the royal library and all of the nooks and crannies that would make perfect hiding spots. 

That’s how he found himself wedged in a bookshelf in the least frequently visited part of the library that had been suspiciously cleared of its lower shelves, leaving an oddly Seungmin-shaped void where the books should be. Hyunjin was not a coward, not at all, but there were many things he would rather do than entertain the Prince of Cerasus for weeks and pretend that there was any chance of the two getting married, and folding himself into a pretzel in a bookshelf that was probably pressing bruises directly into his bones was apparently on that list. 

Hyunjin wasn’t sure how long he was going to hide, but he figured emerging at dusk would be a safe bet as he would only have to interact with Prince Minho at dinner and then would be able to excuse himself to his chambers for the night. Judging by soft light filtering in through the domed skylights built into the library, it was mid-afternoon, and Hyunjin would have to be here for a while longer. 

With a sigh, he reached his hand up to the shelf above him that did, in fact, contain books, and grabbed a book at random. As he pulled it off of the shelf, a plume of dust emerged with it, causing Hyunjin to splutter and cough and hold the offending book at arm’s length. Of course Seungmin would only clean the shelves he would need to create his hiding place. 

Carefully shaking out the book and wiping the cover with his sleeve, Hyunjin began to read. He wasn’t too interested in the ancient methods of agriculture of Mahonia, which, despite being the winter kingdom, were still plentiful, but he was bored enough that it didn’t matter as he soon got engrossed in the text for the sake of having something to do. 

Despite the book likely having been relegated to an unused part of the library for a reason, Hyunjin found himself losing track of time. It wasn’t until a pair of black trousers and spotless black shoes appeared in his periphery that Hyunjin became aware of how much time had passed. As he looked up to meet Seungmin’s eyes, the sky showing through the skylight had darkened significantly, dusk being well underway. 

“Just what exactly do you think you’re doing here?” Seungmin said, in the same bored tone he often adopted when Hyunjin was being too erratic for his liking. “And in my hiding place, no less?” Pouting, Hyunjin dog-eared the page and pretended not to see Seungmin’s responding wince. “Didn’t think anyone would be able to find me.”

His whining tone was met with an eye roll as Seungmin crossed his arms impatiently. “Most people would not think to look for you in the library, because everyone knows how much you hate reading. But I’m not most people. Now get up, you’re due at dinner in half an hour and you’re covered in dust. Not to mention your fiancé has been wandering the castle like a lost soul because you didn’t come to greet him.” “He’s not my fiancé!” Hyunjin protested, groaning as he slowly eased himself out of the cramped bookshelf nook, his joints creaking in protest. Seungmin made no move to help him. 

“Visiting prince who your parents are ‘suggesting’ you marry, same difference,” Seungmin said, looking as if he was holding back a laugh as Hyunjin finally stood to meet his eyes, his face red from the sudden blood rush and his long hair tossed haphazardly in his face. With a fond smile, Seungmin picked a few dust bunnies out of Hyunjin’s long hair like he’d done many times before, adjusting the prince’s hair so it was back in the neat half ponytail he normally kept it in. “Let’s go, Prince Dust Bunny, you should wash up before dinner. Wouldn’t want to make a bad impression on your future husband.” 

“That ship has long since sailed,” Hyunjin grumbled, following Seungmin with heavy footsteps as they made their way out of the library. 

“What’s with the book, by the way?” Seungmin asked as they were almost at the grand doors of the library, only sparing a cursory glance back at Hyunjin, who still had the book cradled in his arms like it was more precious than it probably was. “I’ve never seen you get more than ten pages into a book without giving up, you must have been really keen to avoid this prince.” 

“Thought Yunho might like it,” Hyunjin mumbled reluctantly, having in fact brought the book with him instead of leaving it where he found it because he thought Seungmin’s boyfriend, the palace gardener, would enjoy its contents. Hyunjin knew Yunho hated reading, but he did enjoy hearing Seungmin read to him, something the gardener and the prince shared in common. 

Seungmin’s retort died in his lips as a voice called out further down the hallway, “Prince Minho, we should really return to your chambers and wait to be summoned for dinner.” 

Hyunjin froze, quickly thrusting the book in Seungmin’s direction, leaving the poor attendant to scramble to hold it properly. Approaching from the other end of the hallway at what could only be described as a leisurely stroll, was none other than the very person Hyunjin was trying to avoid, with a very flustered guard, one of Hyunjin’s own, trailing after him hopelessly. 

Hyunjin hadn’t seen Prince Minho in years, but he looked the same, only more handsome, if that was possible. Minho had really grown into his features, much to Hyunjin’s annoyance, and his confident posture seemed to indicate that he knew it. 

The winter prince was still frozen in place when Prince Minho and his escort’s path overlapped with his. Hyunjin was regretting not ducking into the nearest supply closet to hide, because Prince Minho looked even more beautiful up close. Warm brown hair, rosy red lips and chestnut brown eyes that narrowed upon seeing Hyunjin. Hyunjin had once known Minho well enough to know when the guarded expression he used with those he wasn’t close to fell over his features, and he could still see the moment it slipped into place as the Cerisian prince stopped in front of Hyunjin. 

Hyunjin wanted nothing more than to avoid eye contact, so he let his eyes trail from the polished boots Prince Minho wore, to the silken white trousers, to the lavender silk robe and matching overcoat gilded in gold flowers. The garment was typical of Cerisian court attire, but he must have been freezing when he arrived. Hyunjin found he did not care about whether the other prince was cold on his journey or not when they finally met eyes, and the air around them was palpably tense. 

Though equal in rank, it was customary for royals to bow to each other upon greeting as a sign of respect. Neither prince moved to bow, choosing instead to maintain prolonged eye contact. Hyunjin was the first to break, because even though he didn’t want to initiate contact, he knew he should based on the fact that he was the one hosting. 

“Prince Minho,” Hyunjin said with the slightest inclination of his head toward the other royal, nothing close to the customary bow. He couldn’t bring himself to bow before the man who had been unkind to him for years, the other prince didn’t deserve that kind of respect. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Seungmin bristle slightly at his cold tone. It was not one he used often, usually reserved for courtiers who thought their status meant others should bend to their will, and Seungmin was unaccustomed to hearing it. The last time Hyunjin had seen Prince Minho had been long before Seungmin was promoted to be his personal attendant. 

“Prince Hyunjin,” the spring prince replied, equally as frosty, his stare seeming to pierce through Hyunjin’s perfectly crafted cold persona that he adopted around the Cerisian prince, straight into his soul. He looked simultaneously menacing and bored, like he would rather be anywhere else in the four kingdoms. He probably did, Hyunjin knew that Prince Minho had accepted his invitation, but he didn’t know how much of that was the prince’s own will and how much of it was his parents’. 

Suddenly, Prince Minho’s demeanour changed, his shoulders loosened as he blinked owlishly at Hyunjin, his gaze trained on Hyunjin’s hair. 

“Is that… dust in your hair?” he asked, seeming almost amused. 

Hyunjin’s eyes widened marginally, shifting his gaze to Seungmin, who had clearly missed a dust bunny in his tidying of his prince’s hair. Seungmin shrugged apologetically but utterly unhelpfully, leaving Hyunjin to fend for himself. Hyunjin took a look at the high, vaulted ceilings, almost as if begging the gods to help him come up with an answer, and failing that, his gaze trailed to the portraits of his ancestors that were lining the hallway in ten foot increments. Neither the gods nor his ancestors appeared to be on his side, because no answer came. 

Squaring his shoulders, Hyunjin looked directly into Prince Minho’s piercing brown eyes before addressing him. “What’s it to you?” was the only thing that came out of his mouth, a childish response he would’ve expected to have given at the age of eight, not twenty two. 

Frustrated and ashamed and utterly unwilling to let Prince Minho see the flush that was beginning to creep up his neck, Hyunjin surged forward, brushing past Minho with a brisk nod to his guard, Seonghwa. A baffled Seungmin was on his tail the entire time as the abashed prince rapidly made his way back to his chambers to wallow in peace. 

Prince Minho of Cerasus arrived at Icehaven Palace in the middle of a blizzard, after eighteen days of travelling across the continent on horseback. To say he was exhausted would be an understatement. He was unaccustomed to long distance travel, only travelling between cities and towns within his own kingdom, and occasionally to Celosia. But neither Cerasus nor Celosia had weather quite this terrible. Minho had never encountered such weather before, and he now understood why the Mahonian king and queen always made the journey to his kingdom instead of asking him and his parents to visit them here. Minho was quite convinced that if he had to live here for any extended period of time, he’d want to get away whenever he could as well. 

His reception was nice enough, the queen greeted him personally in the expansive main hall of the castle, fussing over his tired appearance and snow-covered form. He was assigned a personal guard, as all of his had returned to his kingdom upon abandoning him in a kingdom he had never been to with people he hardly knew (he definitely wasn’t harbouring a lifelong grudge against each and every one of those guards and their descendants), and a personal attendant for his stay in Icehaven Palace. They both seemed nice enough, and were both around his age which would be nice for a change. Many of the guards in Minho’s palace were in their thirties or older, and while they were interesting to be around, Minho did not have the chance to spend time with many people his age.

The guard was a slim but imposing figure, seeming to tower over Minho and looking like he was taking account of every breath Minho took with his wide but piercing eyes, which was a little unnerving, honestly. He was introduced as Lieutenant Park Seonghwa, one of Prince Hyunjin’s personal guards who had been reassigned to Minho for the duration of his stay. If the lieutenant was upset about this assignment, Minho could not tell. The attendant was introduced as Yang Jeongin, who apparently knew all of the ins and outs of the castle and would be able to secure Minho whatever his heart desired, within reason. Minho was polite to his new companions, as he was raised to do, but he wondered all the while how long it would take for him to evade his new shadows and be able to roam the castle without feeling like he was being kept prisoner. 

In the meantime, Minho would have to make do with the situation he was in, so he politely excused himself from the queen, though she was very insistent that he wait just a few moments longer in case her son decided to show up, but it had been abundantly clear to Minho as soon as he stepped in the castle and was greeted only by the queen and a handful of staff members that Prince Hyunjin was not going to grace them with his presence any time soon. 

After Minho insisted on making his leave, Jeongin led him to the chambers where he would be staying for the month he had to live there as Seonghwa carried the small sack of Minho’s belongings he had brought from home. The chambers were well-decorated and nearly as big as his chambers back home, he could tell it was one of the ones meant for important guests. 

The main room had a small sitting area to the right of the door, in front of a fireplace, which Jeongin had rushed in to light as soon as they arrived. The bed against the left wall was massive, much bigger than the one Minho had at home, because he hated feeling small in such a large bed. It was dressed in indigo silk sheets, with a gold brocade on the comforter and pillows. Minho smiled, recognizing the set as a gift from his parents to the Mahonian king and queen many years ago. Minho’s kingdom was the primary exporter of silk across the continent, so it was a safe bet that most if not all of the silk in the castle had been produced in his kingdom. 

Though the bedding was familiar to him, the room also had more animal hides and pelts than Minho had ever seen gathered in one place before. He supposed it was only logical, as they would need to keep warm somehow in the frigid winter kingdom, but Minho shuddered nonetheless at the sight of a particularly realistic white pelt laying across the back of one of the chairs that must have belonged to an arctic fox at some point. 

Probably interpreting his disquieted shudder as a shiver of cold, Jeongin appeared at Minho’s side, wiping the soot from his hands on a white handkerchief with the blue and gold kingdom crest embroidered on it. 

“Would you like me to draw you a bath, Your Highness?” the attendant asked, reaching to help Minho out of the heavy winter cloak he had purchased specifically for this journey. Minho obliged, letting the sharp-eyed man take the cloak off of his shoulders.

“That would be nice, thank you, Jeongin. And you may call me Minho, I do not require honourifics when we are away from the public eye. The same goes for you,” he said, turning to address Seonghwa, who was in the process of placing Minho’s bag in the armoire that was to the left of the door, parallel to the bed. The lieutenant paused, his brows furrowed and wide eyes full of confusion as he pointed to himself as if to say “Me?” 

Minho let out a laugh at seeing the man’s previously intimidating face shift into such an innocent-looking one. “Yes, you. I estimate we are all about the same age, and I don’t have the luxury of being surrounded by people my age when I am at home. So please, refer to me comfortably.” 

As Seonghwa stood there, still dumbfounded, Jeongin piped up brightly “Alright! Minho it is! How would you like your bath?” 

“So scalding my skin turns concerningly red and I have a reason to miss dinner,” Minho replied with a deadpan look on his face. Minho had come to accept that his humour was doomed to be criminally underappreciated, but to his surprise, Jeongin’s face broke out in a gleeful dimpled smile as he scurried off in the direction of the bathing room that lay beyond the bedroom. 

“You got it, boss!” the young attendant exclaimed, sounding slightly too excited about the prospect of drawing Minho the hottest bath he’d ever been in. A surprised laugh bubbled out of Minho’s chest. He could learn to like it here. 

A long bath that left him smelling so floral it reminded him of home and a short nap later, Minho decided to dress himself and wander the castle a bit before dinner. Jeongin had disappeared from his room before his nap, after unpacking Minho’s bag and steaming all of his clothes free of wrinkles and hanging them up in the armoire, a task he did not have to do but did nonetheless. Minho had a feeling the attendant would insist on doing many more things for him over the course of his stay, even though Minho was used to pretty much being left alone at home. Minho wasn’t sure if all personal attendants were this dedicated, as he had not had one since he had nannies as a child, or if Jeongin was just a special brand of enthusiastic. 

Nonetheless, Minho was able to leave his room with one less shadow than he had entered it with, only Seonghwa, who had been posted outside of his door, following him now as he wandered aimlessly throughout the cavernous halls of the castle. 

The layout was considerably different from Minho’s home, with tall sandstone walls and arched doorways and ceilings, instead of the bamboo walls and ornately painted tiered ceilings Minho was accustomed to. He had expected to be cold in the castle walking around in his Cerisian attire, since the place was made almost entirely of stone, but he actually felt strangely warm. Not uncomfortably so, but enough to make Minho question exactly how the castle was being heated, as the small torches mounted on the walls appeared to be more for lighting than heating. 

Now that he thought about it, Minho remembered feeling warmer as soon as he set foot within the palace boundaries. Granted, it had still been cold, because there was still snow everywhere and Minho apparently had delicate Cerisian sensibilities, but to the best of his memory, he had started to warm up as soon as he entered the palace’s outer boundaries, not its walls. 

Minho’s thoughts were broken as he became aware of two things at once. First, Seonghwa’s presence only a couple of paces behind him, much closer than the trailing distance he’d been maintaining up until now. It appeared Seonghwa had been trying to get his attention, which he would have succeeded in doing, had something, or rather someone, not immediately grabbed Minho’s attention as soon as he spotted them. Second, walking closer to him and looking in any direction other than Minho, which let the older know immediately that he was being avoided, was none other than the Ice Prince, Hwang Hyunjin. 

Given that the other prince had not received him despite personally inviting him, Minho had an inkling that Hyunjin had been actively trying to avoid him, and would likely scurry away immediately upon making contact, as he had often done when they were children. Which was why Minho, despite having initially paused upon spotting Hyunjin, continued his leisurely stroll down the hallway, making sure to keep his eyes on Hyunjin the entire time, so that if the other prince looked in his direction he would be forced to make eye contact. 

When they inevitably did make eye contact, Minho stopped where he stood and schooled his expression into the bored one he used when the ladies who worked at the soup kitchen would try to set him up with their sons and daughters, even though he was secretly delighted at the fact that this eye contact appeared to be making Prince Hyunjin squirm. 

Certain that the Ice Prince would run away at any moment, Minho made no move to bow. He did not want to embarrass himself in front of his new guard or the attendant by Hyunjin’s side when he was left in a perfectly polite ninety degree bow in the direction of the space the younger prince had occupied before fleeing. 

“Prince Minho,” Hyunjin spoke first, startling Minho so much that his careful mask almost slipped. He had not expected the Mahonian prince to speak to him at all, though the level of frostiness in his tone was not surprising in the slightest. 

“Prince Hyunjin,” Minho returned, fighting to match the cold tone with his own that he was quite unaccustomed to using. Hyunjin had changed drastically since the last time Minho had seen him. 

He had frustratingly grown to be what looked to be a couple of inches taller than Minho, but luckily they were not standing close enough that Minho had to look up to him. He was sure he’d die if that happened. His face had lost nearly all of its dumpling-like softness that Minho had once fussed over for hours when they were children, and was now angular in a very flattering way, making him look all the more like the Ice Prince he was said to be. His hair was also much longer than Minho had ever seen it, long enough to be kept in a short ponytail, with only a few wisps falling out, and… “Is that… dust in your hair?” The question slipped out before Minho could stop it, but he found himself unable to regret it once he saw the look of panic flash across Hyunjin’s face. It made him look more real, much more like the Hyunjin he once knew. 

“What’s it to you?” the younger prince blurted, before his eyes widened and he darted past Minho, who could only sigh as he watched him leave. Definitely like the Hyunjin he once knew. 

After the mess he had made of himself in the hallway, Hyunjin did not want to attend dinner, begging Seungmin to say he had a stomachache and would be retiring early. It wasn’t a complete lie, as Hyunjin’s stomach felt as uneasy as it had used to feel on the boat rides they used to take to Cerasus when he was a child. But Seungmin refused to lie for him, and said that he would not bring him food later on if he skipped dinner, knowing quite well that Hyunjin had not eaten all afternoon and was likely starving. 

Seungmin’s persuasion unfortunately worked, so Hyunjin found himself seated across from Minho at the long but mostly empty dinner table, his mother having given up her usual spot next to the king so that the two could sit opposite each other. She seemed quite fond of Minho, asking him many questions about his travels and his life back in Cerasus, but Hyunjin tuned most of it out, focusing only on his dinner. He tried not to eat too much, but he was really starving and ended up being the last one to finish eating, well after everyone else had finished. 

After Minho excused himself abruptly but politely and retired to his chambers with Jeongin and Seonghwa on his heels, Hyunjin’s mother shifted back into her usual chair so she could glare at her son properly. 

“What was that?” she questioned, taking a sip of her plum wine as she stared daggers at her son over the rim of her goblet. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hyunjin mumbled around a large bite of persimmon tart. 

“Manners, Hwang Hyunjin,” his mother snapped, like he was five years old again. Heat rose to Hyunjin’s face as he forced himself to swallow the pastry with a sip of plum wine to wash it down. The sweetness of the wine cancelled out the sweetness of the dessert, leaving his mouth with a bitter taste in it, but Hyunjin couldn’t bring himself to eat or drink anything more now that his parents seemed set on interrogating him. 

“Why do you insist on giving our guest, your guest, the cold shoulder?” his mother questioned. Hyunjin looked to his father for help, but the king seemed very interested in the contents of his wine goblet, swirling it counterclockwise and decidedly avoiding inserting himself in the conversation. 

“He’s mean to me,” Hyunjin grumbled, hating how much he sounded like a petulant child. 

“Have you even spoken to him since he arrived?” the queen retorted. 

“Well-” Hyunjin started, before deciding that the interaction in the hallway did not count as a conversation. “No, but-”

“But what, Hwang Hyunjin?” his mother sighed. Hyunjin remained quiet, because he did not have a way to end that sentence that would not result in his mother scolding him more. He could tell she was starting to get frustrated with him as her nails were tapping rhythmically against the cherry wood table. 

The king chimed in now, placing his hand placatingly on top of his wife’s to stop the tapping. “All we ask is that you try to speak with him, Hyunjin. Perhaps he’s changed since the last time you saw him. Think about how out of his element he must feel here. It needs to be you who reaches out.” Hyunjin knew his father was right, but he hated it. He would rather walk through a blizzard in nothing but his undergarments than be the one to break the years-long tension between him and Prince Minho, but he had made a promise to his parents, after all, and he couldn’t let them down. 

Masterlist.

Taglist: @wooyussy @saltyone101 @burningupp

[erisunoaakaibu]

Revival - Chapter 2: First Encounter

I walked to the door leading to the Exordium, where my ascent began. The red walls were like ruins, collapsing, with green torches as light sources. The stone floor was cold and mossy, the whole place gave me chills, I could feel like anything could jump out of those piles of broken bricks and stones. The Spire was dangerous, and it had always been. There would be many enemies, be them monsters, automatons, or people with bad intentions. I would be attacked, I would get hurt, and I might even be killed.

Thoughts of death suddenly filled my mind. I wanted to live, yes, but my main purpose here was to end my suffering from the Spireblight. What if I couldn't find an answer here, and nothing could help me? Then dying wouldn't be that bad. I took a deep breath, trying to erase those thoughts out of my head. it wasn't time to think of this nonsense.

In fact, death, to me, was better than all the pain I had been suffering because of the Blight. Dryads are supposed to be beautiful creatures that look like the embodiment of the woods themselves. But I looked nothing like that, all thanks to that Spireblight. Apart from my bright green eyes, my body was... just black and light gray, with some withered brown from the thorny wreath on my head, the vines wrapped around me, and the messenger bag. But appearance wasn't my concern, it was my health that made me want to end the Blight so badly. I was almost always in pain, and even my power was also affected. I could still summon and control plants, but they were all dark and withered, just like my dying self. And when I said I was dying, I meant it. My body was so fragile, like wood infected by termites, it felt as if anything could break my body. It just kept getting weaker and weaker everyday.

Before I even knew it, I was already on the first floor. The smell of rotten woods, the dust particles in the air, the faint crackling sounds of the torches, all made a poor attempt at hiding the malice in the room. My eyes darted around, trying to locate the source of that malice energy. Immediately, I heard scuttling sounds coming out of a pile of bricks at the corner of the room. The brick pile gently moved, then I saw two hairy, louse-like creatures drawled out, one red, one green.

The battle began. Time suddenly stood still, as that 10-card deck appeared in front of me. Five of the cards were automatically drawn, and I could see the intention of the two lice on their heads. One intended to attack me, and one intended to buff itself. I felt something in my messenger bag. It was the journal, which emitted some kind of magical power. The two lice immediately got affected by it, and I could see their Strength had been reduced by one. These creatures shouldn't be a problem, I thought to myself. Just Strike them, and Defend when they attack, using the cards provided. But much to my surprise, the deck seemed to have a direct link to my mind. They felt more like the combat moves that I could use than just playing the cards, as my body moved in unison with each Attack card I played.

I raised my hand up high, ready for a Strike, and thorny, withered vines erupted from the ground. I pointed my fingers at the lice, then swiped my arm. The vines copied my motions, hitting those creatures, one by one. But then they curled up in a ball, and their hardened shells made them invulnerable to attacks. I paused and looked at the creatures, then shifted my gaze to my vines and my deck. A furrow appeared between my eyebrows, as I thought of what to do next. I was going to play another card, but I realized that I ran out of energy for the turn. I did play one Defend, but nothing really happened except for a strange number telling me how much Block I had. My turn ended, and the lice attacked me. Much to my surprise, instead of having a shield protecting me from the attack, it was I who controlled the vines to block the attack from one of the louse. I then noticed those lice had returned to their previous form, so I finished off the creatures over a few turns, then sat down on the mossy stone floor.

And just like that, three new cards appeared in front of me, waiting for me to choose one to add into my deck. "Those attacks were too weak, I will need a better attack card. Or I could use my vines to strangle the enemies so that they could die slowly… Or I can grab a better block card." I thought for a while, and decided to go for Entangling Vines to strangle the enemies. My body was weak, and taking damage wasn’t what I wanted, so a source of passive damage would be good.

Then, I remembered the journal. I didn’t know it could weaken the enemies like that, and it got me curious. I hadn’t had a chance to examine it further either, so I thought this was a good time to do so.

“For anyone who happened to find this, This journal has been enchanted with a spell that can help to aid you in the journey to the Spire. I don’t know the condition of this thing when you get it, but if it looks tattered, then this spell won’t work as well as when it was casted. In that case, the content of this would help you more. Turn to the next page for the table of contents.”

The whole journal was filled with information about possible enemies that can be encountered within the Spire, ranging from normal enemies, to elites and bosses. There were simple illustrations too, and I could tell how much danger the author had been through to write this. The spell, despite being weakened over time, still felt familiar to me. I had a feeling that I could somehow strengthen it, but I didn’t know how. That would be something for later then. I had just begun my ascent, and there was still enough time for me to figure this out.

And so, I stood up, and started moving again.

[cieltee22]

So for the last month or so, there has been a furrow spider (type of orb weaver) living by my front door. Came across her-- yes you can tell male from female-- one evening while she was waking her web... And by that, I mean the top of my head brushed across part of it and I backed up and gave her a 'wtf' look. Like, I use the same path everyday, how did she not know I was going to come that way?! She sassed me a little-- pretty sure she shot webs at me, or that was my own imagination, as I do not like spiders crawling on me-- but needless to say, she made herself at home.

I dubbed her Lady Web-- came out the first time as 'Lady, what you doing with your web?' but I digress. She had a neighbor of a sorts down the hall-- also in head grazing range if you weren't too careful-- whom we later named Lady Charlotte. Made since, Charlotte's Web and all. I told my roommate that Lady Web could stay, but only if she doesn't block the doorway like another furrow spider did last year-- that one was a male and he was an idiot. Was tense for a few nights here and there, but we came to an understanding, Lady Web and I.

Well, we noticed a trend with Lady Web. If it was very windy or cold, or even if it was a rainy night, she would stay tucked in a corner by the ceiling, safe from the wind. Come back out when it was chill again. She would go there most of the time in the day too, very neat. Well, last week, she tucked in real good because of a thunderstorm that came through. I didn't think anything of it when she didn't come out the following nights to say hello, only that it was odd she wasn't enjoying the good weather where it was clear skies for about 4 days straight.

Finally noticed the other night... Lady Web was gone. Lady Charlotte is still around, she's big as ever down the way. But Lady Web isn't in her nook. Her web, which she tended to painstakingly, is dusty and tattered, almost gone. She's nowhere to be seen around the doorway, not even on our Halloween wreath, where I had suspected she would go to. She's just gone.

I ain't asking for another spider to make itself at home-- not right now, not when the weather will be turning bad soon-- but even though she gave me a couple of spooks here and there, I kinda miss Lady Web. I'm hoping she just migrated and hasn't perished, even though I am aware furrow spiders only live for about 2 years. She seemed so lively, I just don't think it would be her time.

In spirit of the encroaching holiday, we'll be leaving her web up as long as we can. If she comes back, we don't want to seem like rude neighbors and give her a reason to web up the door. But if she doesn't... Well, I hope we weren't to loud when we would pass by her web, and that she had plenty of moths and mayflies and mosquitos to eat.

TLDR: I kinda miss the spider that lived near my doorway.

[chierafied]

December Drabbles Day 22 - The Solstice Scheme

Read on AO3.

Banner fan art by the amazing @sayuri-liu

For Wicked 💖For your friendship and for supporting me and cheering me on all through this month. Love you bunches!! 😘💕💕

Day 22 - The Solstice Scheme

“I’m home,” Sesshoumaru called from the entranceway.  

“Welcome back,” Kagome replied from the living room. She’d burrowed into a nest in the corner of the sofa, wreathed in blankets, and was browsing social media on her phone. Then, she looked up from the phone and frowned. She heard Sesshoumaru move to the kitchen. The rustle of a bag. Then his steps shuffled further into the apartment. Somewhere down the hall, a door opened and closed.  

That was odd. These days, the first thing he did when coming home from work was to check up on her. What was up?  

Kagome broke free of her blanket bindings and swallowed a grunt as she levered herself off the sofa. One hand propped on her aching lower back, she made her way to the kitchen. Her head tilted at the bag of citrus fruit on the counter.  

She was still contemplating them when Sesshoumaru finally made his appearance. His arms wrapped around her from behind and he pressed a kiss on her temple.  

“How are you doing?”  

“Pretty much the same as this morning. Everything hurts and I hate you.”  

Sesshoumaru’s laughter was low and delicious. “You’re free to blame me if you wish, but it took the both of us to make this happen.” His hands curled to cradle her belly. “And how is my son doing today?”  

“Your daughter has had a marvellous time using my ribs as a xylophone and has banged many tunes with her foot.”  

“Ahh. I’m glad he’s energetic.”  

“That makes one of us,” Kagome grumbled. “What’s with the yuzu ?”  

“It’s the winter solstice.”  

“Is it? The days are already getting all muddled up for me.”  

He rubbed her shoulders, earning a soft sigh. “It is. I’ve brought pumpkin, too.”  

“I knew there was a reason I kept you around.”  

Sesshoumaru laughed again and Kagome smiled at the sound. She’d never grow bored of that.  

“I’ve put the bath on,” he told her, steering her towards the dining table. “So we’re going to have dinner, eat our pumpkin and then take the yuzu and go get a hot bath.”  

“A hot bath sounds heavenly,” Kagome said, taking a seat at the table. She watched Sesshoumaru putter around the kitchen, revelling in the comfort of such easy familiarity. It was in these small, everyday moments when love most threatened to overwhelm her. “Though when you say ‘we’, are you suggesting we share the bath?”  

“I’m telling you we’re sharing the bath,” he replied, voice firm.  

“It could be a tight fit. I take up more space these days.”  

“You take the right amount of space,” he countered. “We’ll fit. I will even help you wash before the bath.”  

“Of course, you will.” She rolled her eyes at his back. “How staggeringly altruistic of you.”  

“It will benefit the both of us.” He walked to the table and deposited a bowl of udon noodles in front of her. “Now eat, you’ll need to keep up your energy.”  

She raised her eyebrow at him. “Do I, now? What kind of plans are you cooking up for tonight, mister?”  

“The best kind,” he answered her. And grinned.  

[iamhussainialvi]

Colorful Smiley Face Wreath - Bring Joy to Your Door!

This colorful smiley face wreath is the perfect way to add a touch of happiness to your front door or any other space in your home. It's made with a variety of bright and cheerful colors, including yellow, pink, green, and blue. The wreath is also decorated with a variety of flowers and other embellishments, making it a truly unique and eye-catching piece.

Whether you're looking for a fun and festive wreath for the holidays or a simply a way to brighten up your everyday life, this smiley face wreath is the perfect choice. It's sure to bring a smile to your face and everyone who sees it!

https://www.redbubble.com/i/t-shirt/Colorful-Smiley-Face-Wreath-Bring-Joy-to-Your-Door-by-DigitalHussaini/154990583.NL9AC

[indianflowers01]

Fresh Flower Decor: Elevate Your Space with Natural Beauty

Fresh flowers have an unparalleled ability to transform any space into a vibrant, inviting haven. Whether you're decorating for a special occasion or simply enhancing your everyday surroundings, incorporating fresh flowers can add elegance, freshness, and a touch of nature's beauty. Here are some creative decor ideas to inspire you:

1. Table Centerpieces: A classic way to utilize fresh flowers is as table centerpieces. For a formal dinner, opt for a low, lush arrangement in a decorative vase that won't obstruct conversation. Mix flowers of varying heights and colors for a dynamic display. For a casual brunch or outdoor gathering, consider placing small bunches of wildflowers in mason jars or vintage bottles along the table runner.

2. Floral Wall Art: Create stunning floral wall art by arranging fresh flowers in a symmetrical or abstract pattern on a blank wall. Use floral adhesive or wire to attach the blooms directly to the wall or create a temporary installation using a frame or wire grid. This adds a dramatic focal point and brings the beauty of the outdoors inside.

3. Hanging Installations: Elevate your decor with hanging flower installations. Use a variety of blooms and foliage to create cascading arrangements from chandeliers, archways, or ceilings. Hanging floral hoops or wreaths can also add a whimsical touch to your space, perfect for weddings or garden-themed parties.

4. Entryway Accents: Make a lasting impression by decorating your entryway with fresh flowers. Place a large vase filled with seasonal blooms on a console table or opt for a floral wreath on your front door. This sets a welcoming tone and instantly lifts the mood of anyone entering your home.

5. Bedroom Retreats: Bring a sense of tranquility to your bedroom with fresh flowers. Place a small bouquet of fragrant blooms like lavender or eucalyptus on your nightstand. You can also create a romantic ambiance by scattering rose petals on your bed or arranging a simple bud vase with a single rose.

6. Bathroom Refresh: Turn your bathroom into a spa-like oasis by incorporating fresh flowers. Place a small arrangement of bright blooms on your vanity or float petals in a bowl of water. The natural fragrance and beauty of the flowers will enhance your daily routine and create a serene atmosphere.

7. Seasonal Celebrations: Celebrate holidays and seasonal festivities with themed floral decor. For example, create a pumpkin vase filled with autumn flowers for Thanksgiving, or arrange red and white blooms in a patriotic display for Independence Day. Tailor your floral arrangements to reflect the colors and themes of the occasion.

8. Office Elegance: Brighten up your workspace with fresh flowers. Place a small vase of cheerful blooms on your desk or reception area to create a welcoming environment. Studies show that flowers can boost productivity and morale, making them a perfect addition to any office setting.

Conclusion: Incorporating fresh flowers into your decor not only enhances aesthetic appeal but also uplifts spirits and creates a soothing atmosphere. Whether you're hosting a gathering, celebrating a special occasion, or simply refreshing your home, these creative ideas will help you harness the natural beauty and versatility of fresh flowers. Embrace the seasonality and diversity of blooms to personalize your space and bring joy to all who enter.

By integrating these fresh flower decor ideas into your home or event planning, you can effortlessly elevate your surroundings and create memorable experiences filled with the fragrance and beauty of nature.

[bookmyblog]

White Flowers DIY: 10 Elegant Ideas for Timeless Decor

The Allure of White Flowers

White flowers, with their timeless charm and versatility, have an enduring appeal that transcends seasons and design trends. Symbolizing purity, innocence, and elegance, they stand as a perfect choice for enhancing your home decor. In this blog, we will delve into the beauty of white flowers and provide you with ten creative DIY ideas to elevate the aesthetic of your living space.

Why Choose White Flowers?

Versatility: White flowers seamlessly complement any color scheme or decor style, be it modern, rustic, or traditional.

Timelessness: Unlike trendy colors that fade away, white flowers remain a classic choice, never going out of style.

Calming Effect: The purity and simplicity of white flowers create a calming ambiance, making them ideal for bedrooms, living rooms, and bathrooms.

Expressive: White flowers serve as blank canvases for your creativity, allowing you to convey any message or feeling in your decor.

DIY White Flower Arrangement Ideas

White Flower Centerpiece Create an elegant dining experience by arranging white roses, lilies, and daisies in a vase. Perfect for special occasions or elevating everyday dining.

White Flower Wall Art Design unique wall art by pressing white blooms between glass in a frame, adding a touch of nature to your decor.

White Flower Wreath Craft a beautiful bouquet to hang on your front door or any room, using a base of grapevine or wire and attaching white flowers like peonies and gardenias.

White Flower Terrarium Build a miniature garden inside a glass container with white flowers, succulents, and decorative stones for a stunning addition to your living room or office.

White Flower Candle Holders Enhance your space's ambience by gluing white flowers around glass candle holders. When lit, delicate petals will cast a warm and attractive glow.

White Flower Mobile Design hanging white flowers for a unique nursery or children’s room decor, adding a touch of elegance and fascination.

White Flower Potpourri Make your home smell as lovely as it looks with homemade white flower potpourri. Mix dried petals with essential oils like lavender or vanilla and place in decorative bowls or sachets.

White Flower Garland Craft a white flower bouquet by combining blossoms with a needle and thread, hanging it on your fireplace mantle or draping it along staircases.

White Flower Centerpiece with LED Lights For a modern touch, incorporate LED lights into a glass vase with white flowers, creating a magical glow as a table centerpiece or to illuminate a dark corner.

White Flower Bedspread Give your bedroom a fresh look with a white flower bedspread, sewing or purchasing a quilt adorned with white floral patterns for a peaceful and inviting atmosphere.

Maintaining White Flower DIY Decor After creating your white flower DIY decor, it's essential to know how to maintain it. Here are some tips:

Regularly change the water in vases to keep flowers fresh and prevent bacteria.

Keep an eye on artificial flowers, replacing them as needed, especially if exposed to sunlight.

Dust flower arrangements regularly to keep them looking their best.

Store DIY white flower decor carefully, protecting it from dust and direct sunlight when not in use.

Sharing the Elegance Once your projects are complete, consider sharing your beautiful creations:

Host a DIY Party: Invite friends for a creative DIY evening, making white flower arrangements together.

Gift Your Creations: Surprise someone special with a homemade white flower decor as a thoughtful, unexpected gift.

Photograph and Share: Capture your DIY projects' beauty with high-quality pictures and share them on social media to inspire others.

Start a DIY Blog or Social Media Page: Share your projects and experiences through a blog or dedicated social media account to connect with like-minded individuals.

Conclusion In conclusion, white flower DIY projects offer an excellent way to bring beauty and charm into your living space. Whether you choose centrepieces, wall art, wreaths, or any other DIY project, the possibilities are endless. With your creativity and the timeless beauty of white flowers, you'll enhance your home's aesthetic appeal, adding elegance and saving money in the process. Share this elegance with your loved ones and make every space bloom with the beauty of white flowers.

Visit For More :- bookmyblogs

[thxnews]

Christmas Decor Ideas: Elevate Your Holiday Spirit

Introduction

The holiday season is a magical time filled with joy, laughter, and the warmth of togetherness. One of the most enchanting aspects of this festive period is the art of decorating your home for Christmas. In this article, we will explore a myriad of Christmas decor ideas that go beyond the traditional, sparking creativity and infusing your space with holiday cheer.  

Why Christmas Decor Matters

Decorating for Christmas is more than just placing ornaments around your home. It's about creating a festive atmosphere that brings people together. The tradition of adorning our spaces with holiday decor adds a layer of joy and anticipation, making the season even more special.  

Steve hanging Christmas lights! Photo by Deana Hunter. Flickr.  

Incorporating Lights

LED vs Traditional Lights: Explore the magic of LED lights, energy-efficient and vibrant, versus the timeless appeal of traditional Christmas lights. Discover which suits your decor style best. Best Places to Hang Christmas Lights: From the classic tree to unexpected spaces like stair railings and windows, learn the best spots to hang your twinkling lights for maximum impact.  

DIY Decor Projects

Handmade Ornaments and Crafts: Add a personal touch to your tree with handmade ornaments and crafts. Get inspired by simple yet charming DIY projects that reflect your unique style. Personalized Wreaths and Garlands: Elevate your door and mantel decor with personalized wreaths and garlands. Craft a warm welcome for your guests with these creative ideas.  

Christmas dinnerware and decorations. Photo by Libby Penner. Unsplash.  

Table Setting Ideas

Festive Dinnerware Choices: Selecting the right dinnerware sets the tone for your holiday meals. Explore festive choices that add a touch of elegance to your Christmas table. Creative Centerpieces for the Table: Transform your dining table into a winter wonderland with creative centerpieces. From floral arrangements to themed displays, find the perfect focal point.  

Outdoor Decor Tips

Welcoming Front Porch Decorations: Create a warm and inviting entrance with front porch decorations. Discover ideas for wreaths, lighting, and festive accessories to greet guests. Illuminating the Garden: Extend the holiday magic to your garden with strategic lighting. Illuminate trees, bushes, and pathways for a magical outdoor experience.  

Christmas tree decorations. Photo by Dineshraj Goomany. Flickr.  

Christmas Tree Decoration

Unique Tree Themes and Styles: Move beyond traditional red and green. Explore unique themes and styles to make your Christmas tree a standout centerpiece. DIY Tree Toppers and Ornaments: Put a personal spin on your tree with DIY toppers and ornaments. Craft memorable decorations that tell a story.  

Innovative Ornament Ideas

Beyond Traditional Baubles: Unleash your creativity with ornaments that go beyond the usual. From nature-inspired decor to quirky themes, find the perfect additions for your tree. Incorporating Family Memories: Turn your Christmas tree into a sentimental journey. Learn how to incorporate family memories into your holiday decor.  

Love Bird Glittery Ornament. Photo by Glitter and Frills. Flickr.  

Inclusive Decor for All Ages

Child-Friendly Decorations: Engage the little ones with child-friendly decorations. From whimsical ornaments to interactive decor, make Christmas a magical experience for kids. Elegant Decor for Adults: Discover sophisticated decor ideas that appeal to adults. Strike a balance between festive and elegant for a refined holiday look.  

Sustainable Decorating

Eco-Friendly Ornament Choices: Make environmentally conscious choices with eco-friendly ornaments. Explore sustainable options that align with your values. Repurposing Materials for Decor: Unlock the potential of everyday items by repurposing them into festive decor. Embrace sustainability without compromising on style.  

Christmas Candles. Photo by C G P Grey. Flickr.  

Holiday Scents and Candles

Creating a Cozy Atmosphere: Elevate your holiday experience with delightful scents. Learn how to create a cozy atmosphere with scented candles and essential oils. Best Scents for the Holiday Season: Explore the best scents to infuse your home with the essence of the season. From cinnamon to pine, discover aromatic delights.  

Fireplace Mantel Decor

Stockings, Garlands, and Candles: Transform your fireplace into a focal point with stockings, garlands, and candles. Create a cozy nook for festive gatherings. Showcasing Personal Mementos: Add a personal touch to your mantel decor by showcasing cherished mementos. Tell your story through carefully curated items.  

Angelic Aspirations Christmas Tree detail. Photo by Tsayrate. Flickr.  

Innovative Color Schemes

Beyond Traditional Red and Green: Break away from tradition with innovative color schemes. Explore palettes that bring a modern and elegant twist to your Christmas decor. Elegant and Modern Christmas Color Palettes: From sophisticated neutrals to bold jewel tones, discover elegant and modern color palettes that redefine Christmas chic.  

Unique Indoor Plants Decor

Incorporating Greenery into Decor: Bring the outdoors in with indoor plants. Explore creative ways to incorporate greenery into your Christmas decor for a fresh and vibrant look. Low-Maintenance Plant Options: Not a green thumb? No problem. Discover low-maintenance plant options that add life to your decor without the hassle.  

Christmas concept, wrapped gifts on the floor under the Christmas tree. Photo by Marco Verch. Flickr.  

Gift Wrapping Inspiration

Creative Wrapping Paper Ideas: Make your gifts as beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside. Explore creative wrapping paper ideas that add a touch of magic to your presents. Personalized Gift Tags and Bows: Elevate your gift-giving with personalized touches. Create unique gift tags and bows that showcase your thoughtfulness.  

Incorporating Family Traditions

Passing Down Decor Traditions: Embrace the nostalgia of family traditions. Learn how to pass down cherished decor rituals from generation to generation. Creating New Traditions with Loved Ones: Start new traditions with loved ones. Build lasting memories through shared experiences and festive activities.  

Little girls in pajamas on a staircase looking at personalized snowman reindeer Santa and penguin Christmas holiday stockings. Photo by Personal Creations. Flickr,  

Managing Decor on a Budget

DIY Decor on a Dime: Decorating for Christmas doesn't have to break the bank. Discover budget-friendly DIY decor ideas that are as charming as they are economical. Thrifty But Festive Decorating Ideas: Explore thrifty yet festive decorating ideas that prove you can create a magical holiday atmosphere without a hefty price tag.  

FAQs

- Are LED lights energy-efficient? LED lights are highly energy-efficient, consuming less power than traditional incandescent lights. Make an eco-friendly choice and brighten your home responsibly. - How can I make my own ornaments? Crafting your own ornaments is a delightful way to personalize your tree. Gather simple materials like felt, ribbon, and glue to create unique and memorable decorations. - What are some unique color schemes? Step outside the red and green palette. Consider elegant color schemes like navy and gold or rustic combinations like burgundy and cream for a sophisticated touch. - Where can I find eco-friendly decor? Explore local artisan markets or online platforms specializing in sustainable products. Look for recycled materials and eco-friendly certifications when shopping for Christmas decor. - Tips for decorating on a tight budget? Transform your space without breaking the bank. Opt for DIY projects, repurpose existing decor, and shop smart during holiday sales to achieve a festive look on a budget. - How to involve kids in decorating? Engage kids in the holiday spirit by incorporating child-friendly decor. Allow them to create their ornaments, and designate a special area for them to contribute to the overall festive atmosphere.  

Conclusion

As you embark on your journey to create a festive haven, may these Christmas decor ideas fill your home with joy and warmth. Additionally, from engaging DIY projects to sophisticated and elegant color schemes, let your creativity shine. Ultimately, may the holiday season be as magical as your beautifully decorated space, enveloping you and your loved ones in the spirit of celebration and warmth.   Sources: THX News & House Beautiful. Read the full article

[two-oaks-farmstead]

Fantastic Budget Friendly Christmas Decorating Tips

Budget friendly Christmas Decorating The holiday season is a time of joy and celebration, but it can also strain our wallets. However, that doesn't mean we have to sacrifice the festive spirit. With creativity and smart planning, you can embrace the holiday spirit without breaking the bank. Blesser House One of the best ways to decorate your home on a budget is to opt for budget-friendly Christmas decorations. Look for affordable options such as DIY ornaments, thrift store finds, or discounted items at local stores. You'll be surprised at how charming and unique these decorations can be. Another tip is to focus on simple yet impactful decorations. Instead of going overboard with extravagant displays, choose a few key pieces that will make a statement. For example, a beautifully decorated Christmas tree or a festive wreath on your front door can instantly create an inviting atmosphere without costing a fortune. Blesser House Don't forget the power of nature when decorating on a budget. Take advantage of natural elements like pinecones, branches, and holly berries to add an organic touch to your decor. These items are often free or inexpensive and can bring warmth and texture to any space. Lastly, consider repurposing items you already have in your home. Get creative with what you already own by transforming everyday objects into festive decor pieces. For instance, old mason jars can be turned into charming candle holders or vases for fresh flowers. Embracing the holiday spirit doesn't have to come with a hefty price tag. By opting for budget-friendly Christmas decorating, focusing on simplicity and impact, incorporating natural elements, and repurposing existing items in your home, you can create a festive atmosphere that will delight you and your guests without breaking the bank. Our upcoming series of posts on budget friendly Christmas decorating will cover all of these areas in detail and will offer ideas along with CURRENT DEALS on products that will help! 3 piece Set Outdoor Lights Lighted Birch Trees Wooden Christmas Decor S/3 Lighted Boxes Christmas Ball Ornaments Christmas Chair Covers Set of 4 Pillow Covers Set of 4 Pillow Covers Set of 6 2 pcs Wooden Advent Calendar 36 pcs Christmas Plaid Ornaments S/3 Lighted Christmas Boxes - LED Budget Friendly Christmas Decorating Deals Don't Miss Our Upcoming Series on Budget Friendly Christmas Decorating! You may also want to check out some of our other Holiday posts such as Cozy Farmhouse Christmas, Whimsical Christmas, Beautiful Blue Christmas, 27 Christmas Theme Options, and more! MORE WAYS TO CONNECT We also, as a homesteading family, have a variety of blogs that might interest you. A Life on the Farm focuses on the more personal side of the homesteading life. We discuss subjects like family, parenting, relationships, homeschooling, cooking, canning and so much more. Two Oaks Farm Talk concerns the more technical side of homesteading. We discuss subjects like gardening, food prep, and farm building and construction with lots of tutorials! Farm Raised Family is basically a hub for everything under the Two Oaks Farmstead umbrella. You can learn a great deal about all parts of the farmstead there. The Farm Raised Family blog focuses on financial matters such as budgeting, saving, and more and on current events affecting families. You can also have a more in depth look at all that we do by visiting our Two Oaks Farmstead YouTube Channel and be sure to subscribe so that you don’t miss a thing! Farm Life and Freedom is the new podcast we are in the process of launching! It is going to be so much fun! You could also check in with our Farm Life and Freedom Youtube Channel. Two Oaks Farmstead is the farm store… the one that holds the umbrella! Check us all out and join us, not only on our blogs and Farm Life and Freedom podcast but come join the fun on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… wherever you get social! Read the full article

[all-kind-of-kinds]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Spring/Summer flowers wreath Faux Flower Handcrafted Wreath,.

[rileyjanehomedecor]

[butlersbabe]

Good Man’s Land-Cowboy!Austin Butler x Reader

a/n: This is my new 5-part series. An enemies to lovers type thing. I hope you all like it.

w/c: 3k

warnings: none…i think.

Part I.

When you were young, nothing mattered at Mama and Papa’s. An open field with a beautiful, mint green, two-story house plum in the middle of it. With bright purple window sills and a red door with a wreath reading “Y/L/N” in pretty, swirly letters, decorated with marigolds, baby’s breath, and a few other flowers you couldn’t quite name. A big brown dog, Chuck, would chase you around until he caught you, tackling you and giving too many kisses. Life wasn’t so hard there. 

Many years later, your dad said it was time to grow up. To be a woman. Someone who supported herself and didn’t rely on someone else to put food on a table. You didn’t rely on your dad to put food on a table, did you? You had a part time job, you never were completely reliant on her father. He didn’t quite see it that way. He believed you were ready to leave and make something of herself. Thing is, you weren’t ready.

“Dad, I can’t just leave and live on the street!” You shouted from across the island that separates you and your dad. “Y/N!” He shouts, cutting you off, “You’re 24. You graduated college, you’re a woman. You need to make something of your life.” Although your dad was completely right, you couldn’t help but reject the option of leaving home. “Please don’t be this way, dad. I’m not-“ He slammed his fist on the counter top, turning around to you slowly. “I cannot financially support you anymore, Y/N. I just can’t. After getting laid off a-and you don’t have a stable job. We’re only able to keep this apartment because of the life insurance.”

You knew your dad hated to mention that. You mom’s life insurance. She passed not even a year ago. She was in a car accident. And thanks to a highly intoxicated individual, she became just another statistic. Your dad had asked her to get groceries that night. And she never came home with the gallon of milk, a pound of ground beef, ketchup and grapes. He beat himself up about it everyday until not too long ago. You constantly reminded him of that it wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Except that 40 year old on his ninth Bud Light.

“We’re running out of money, Poppy.” Your dad grimaced, saying your nickname that only your family called you. Your grandma had said you played in the poppies in front of the house when you would come over. They were your favorite.

“We can’t afford anything anymore, I can’t afford anything.” He shakes his head. You nod, and without dinner, you make your way to your bedroom. Flopping on your bed, your face finally cracks. You let your tears fall and the day-old mascara ran down your face. What was she to do? She wasn’t getting kicked out, but not without good reason. You had nowhere to go and had to be out within two days. Sitting up and spare yourself the pity, you text your best friend, then a friend from college, they couldn’t take you in. Finally you land on your last option, calling Mama and Papa’s. You hadn’t been up there since god knows when. It was out of state, in the western part of Texas. Fifteen minutes just outside of Marfa. Being from Denver, you didn’t jive much with the flatland but Mama and Papa needed it for the ranch. And you used to love being out there.

Mama and Papa were old southern folk. The enjoyed their, for lack of a better term, boring landscape. It wasn’t as boring when your were 8. Thing was, you were older and they expect you to help out. Which you were willing to do as long as you got paid.

“Thirty bucks a day?!” You shout.

“It’s a good amount, Poppy. Our ranchhand only-”

“But I’m your granddaughter. You should want to help me.”

“You’re being selfish, Poppy.” Mama pauses, “Papa and I do want to help you. But you don’t get everything in this world for free.” She says in her soft voice as always.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, Y/N. Just understand that we want you to know the importance of hard work.”

“Okay.”

“Be ready by tomorrow and we’ll fly you out.” She says, a sigh behind the statement. “Okay.”

You let your dad know about the plan and he helped you start packing a bunch of clothes. Against your will, he made you pack what seemed like a million pairs of jeans. A few pairs of shorts, a ton of t-shirts, and a pair boots that once belonged to your mom. That plus the clothes and sneakers you wore.

That next evening, you left on a plane to Austin, Texas, where your Mama and Papa met you. The greeted you with open arms and a bouquet of flowers. They took you home, a six hour and then some drive. Arriving at the ranch, it was dark. You step out of the car and grab two of the suitcases you brought, your Papa taking the other two.

Walking up the driveway, although it was nighttime, you noticed the house had turned nearly white. The red door had faded and peeled, the sign still hanging with the fake flowers surrounding it. Walking up the rickety steps, your mama opens the door for you and papa. The house smelled of pork chops, corn and mashed potatoes with homemade gravy. And she was right, all laid out on a made table was the food and some sweet tea.

“Austin must’ve fixed supper.” Mama told Papa. He nodded his head and agreed. “Looks like he did.” Papa replied sarcastically. “Thank you for the clarification, sweetheart. Papa, why don’t you take her stuff up to her room?” Your grandmother asks her husband. He nods and heads upstairs with the bags he had, he’ll be back for the rest. You didn’t know who “Austin” was but you were almost completely sure it was the ranchhand who was some middle aged man with a bald spot who chronically sweats all the time. But he slept in your dad’s childhood bedroom. You would sleep in the guest room, just down the hall from your dad’s old room, luckily there was a window and a furnace.

“So, Y/N,” Mama said, digging into her meal. Before taking a bite she continues, “Work starts at 8am, tomorrow. I’ll be out around 10. Papa and Austin will be up and out in the field before the sun is even up. You’ll find them and they’ll help you out with what morning chores there are. You should be done just in the afternoon. Maybe 5?” Your eyes widen at the initial schedule. It wasn’t really ideal that you’d be given a strict itinerary for the next…however long you were going to be there.

“Oh okay.” You furrow your eyebrows and scrape more mashed potatoes off your plate into your mouth. “Austin is our helper. He lives in your daddy’s old room. He’s a few years older than you. Such a nice young gentleman. A hard worker too.”

“Okay, so he’s a guy who just works here and lives here too?” Great.

“Yes!” Too chipper, Mama. “You’ll meet him in the morning and get done with morning chores, feeding the chickens, hogs and cattle. You’ll wash and feed the horses, we have only four now, Aretha passed a few years back,”

“No! Not Aretha!” You chimed in with a frown.

“She felt no pain, I promise. But we bought Diana, Elvis, and last year we got Jagger from a breeder. They're gentle. Papa and Austin will help you saddle up on Jag. You’ll be riding him most of the time.” She says finishing her plate, “You’ll get on a combine and a couple tractors before this visit is over but I won’t put you on one tomorrow.”

You felt so in over your head. You’ve never done anything like this. You truly didn’t know what to think when Mama told you about your new routine.

“Saturdays are only half days, get up at 6, be done by 3, I’ll give you Sundays off for church and such.”

You didn’t go to church. You weren’t really even religious after these past some odd years but you were going to take advantage of those days off.

“We have farmer’s market days up in town square on every other Tuesday morning. On those days, you’ll come with me and Papa and Austin will stay here to tend to the farm.” Okay, Tuesday is pretty soon. “But since you’re still learning, I’ll leave you here for the first one.” Shit.

“We also need to get you a new wardrobe. I should have some old button ups in the attic. Papa will get you those before heading off to bed. You’re a farmhand now, you oughta look like one.” She scoffs. She’s never really liked your ripped jeans or your big shirts. Your messy hair or your outrageous use of jewelry. “The only piece of jewelry that’s should be on your body-“

“On your body is a wedding ring, yes, okay, Mama. I get that but I will never get that. I like the multiple rings. Helps me forget that I may never have a husband. Which I’m completely fine with!” You interrupt her, getting up and placing your plate and silverware in the sink, rinsing them off and placing them on a towel next to the sink.

“Whatever, Poppy.” She shrugs off. “I’m going to bed. Be ready for tomorrow.”

You hear the roosters hollering through the open window and the sound of hooves trotting the open land. You wake up to check your phone. 7:41am. Stretching, you let out an ungodly sound and rolled off the bed towards your suitcase. Within 15 minutes you had thrown your hair into a low ponytail, put on holeless jeans, a bra, wifebeater, and a button up. Finishing with your mom’s worn out boots. You felt so out of place. You winced at the thought of leaving your phone alone for a whole day.

Walking outside, Mama’s already shooing the chickens into the coop while a dog you’ve never seen chases them around. Chuck rested on the porch, beating the hot morning glow. You spot Papa and the back of a blond head who has to be Austin talk while the horses graze on what little grass there was next to the pigpens. “Good morning, sunshine!” Papa raised a hand, calling you over. “Let’s get you on a horse!” He happily says, Austin turning his horse around to see you. Austin. You make your way over in a hurry, not wanting to make them wait any longer than they already had. Walking up to your Papa, he introduces you to the live-in.

“Y/N, this is Austin. Austin, this is my granddaughter, Y/N. This pretty girl here is Diana and that handsome boy is Elvis. Her grandma calls her Poppy but don’t worry about any ridiculous nicknames yet. Let’s get you on a horse.” You look at the boy and he tips his hat at you then offers a hand to shake. “Howdy.”

You walk next to them while they walk you to the stables. A black horse stands behind a gate, already having the reins and saddle on. “Just go in there, introduce yourself and walk him out.” So, you walk in cautiously and begin to pet his nose and neck. You walk him out, the other horses moving out of the way. “Don’t you worry your pretty little heart about experience, he’s very well trained for a youngin’. Listens well, doesn’t freak out very often. I think you’re in for a treat with this one here.” He reaches over and pets the steed. “Just grab the horn, place the other on the pommel, take your foot, put it in the stirrup and swing the other over.” He said all these words like you knew what he was saying but somehow, after nearly 20 minutes, you get up and situate yourself.

“Now, give him a little kick with your heels, and I mean a good kick but you don’t want to startle him so bad he takes off.” You swallow at the directions, you could kick him so soft he never gets going or you kick him too hard to the point he takes off and kills you. But you do it, and he starts to walk. “Now let your hips follow his movements. Steering is just like a car,” which you never learned how to drive, “And to make him stop, you just pull back, using your upper body weight. And to make him trot, you kick again, and just bounce with him a bit more.” Your Papa says, him and Austin’s horses taking off into a light jog, you following after a few seconds. “You’re a natural!” Austin hollers back to you. Now you were no equestrian but you definitely caught on a lot faster than you’d thought you would.

Papa stops his horse and turns her to you and Austin’s. “Austin, my boy, will you take Y/N around? Let her get a feel for riding. Bring her back in about 30 minutes?”

“Yes, sir.” He obliged, “C’mon, cowgirl!” He began trotting again, but a bit faster. You sped Jagger up but not to Elvis’s speed. “Austin! Wait up!” You laugh, shouting for a bit of sympathy but he continues to get faster with each step. “Austin!” You kick your horse to make him go just a bit faster. “Please!” This wasn’t fun anymore. You kept getting quicker and quicker until you felt unable to control Jagger. “Austin!” Jagger was running for the hills, he passed Elvis in no time. You cock your head back, giving the blond a terrified look. Before you know it, Austin and Elvis are right next to you, Austin reaching over to grab the reins just in time to slow you down before the river bank. “Woah, babe.” He says to the horse, calming him down.

You give Austin a dirty look, “Why did you do that? I

couldn’t even stop him.” He laughs like the situation is some big joke, “A little fun never killed, nobody.” His slight southern drawl follows the chuckling. “Besides, if you held this right, you could’ve stopped him.” Austin reaches over to your set of reins and you pull away, moving the horse. “Stop, I know how to hold them,” You sternly say even though you most definitely had no clue what the exact way was. “I’m just trying to help.” You two bicker back and forth until the horses bump into each other, making Jagger stand on his hind legs, you hit the ground, with a harsh thud, feeling a bruise on your arm already.

It goes silent.

“Look, Y/N, I’m so sor-”

“Whatever.” You huff, getting up off the ground, fully in pain. You take the horse by the reins and begin walking him back to the house about 1200 yards out. “You go back, I’ll walk Jagger back.” You limped away. Austin turned Elvis back towards you and the way home. “Come on, Y/N. I said I was sorry.” He pleaded with you. “Go home, Austin. Tell Mama and Papa I just wanted to see how I’d do alone.” You said through grit teeth. He scoffs and rides back home, leaving you to stumble through the thick growth of the land.

It takes you much longer to get home than a measly 30 minutes. Mama runs up to you and holds your jaw that was already growing a light yellowish-purple on the right side. “Oh Poppy, what happened?” You shake her hands off of you due to the slight pain it gave you. “I asked Austin if I could ride alone and I guess I can’t. Jagger threw me off-”

“Baby! Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry. He’s never done that with me. I’ll make sure Austin goes with you every time you’re out until he’s broken to you.” She sighs heavily, petting your hair. Not the plan but you’d get out of it somehow. You don’t want that asshole around you any more than he has to. “Well.” You heard Papa’s voice. “Get back up there, we have work to do.”

Papa helped you back up onto Jagger and off you went back into the field, wrangling up the cattle into the pens so you could feed them. Some time later it was lunchtime. Mama had made sandwiches to your liking. Papa had a bologna sandwich, Austin’s was a BLT, and you had a grilled hot ham and cheese.

“So, Y/N,” Papa started, “How’s the first day?”

“It’s good. Other than being thrown off a horse. It’s good.”

Austin laughed and your head snapped towards him. “What’s so funny?” You ask, the pressure of anger rising in the back of your throat. “Nothing, dear.” He laughs again, you didn’t like that. “Don’t call me that.” You sneered.

The workday ended at five. Papa called it an easy day. Didn’t feel easy. Things felt like they were going to be tough now. Your dad kicked you out, you have to work on a farm for god knows how long, you’re going to deal with a blond, pretty boy know-it-all. You feel so stuck and out of place. This couldn’t be how life was going. Shouldn’t be.

Your heart was heavy while you sat in the bathtub. It felt as if the weight was dragging you deeper and deeper into the water that had turned lukewarm. You breathe out of your nose, the bubbles rising until your body emerges from the water.

“You alright in there?” Austin’s muffled voice asks next to a knock in the door. “Yeah, I’m just fine.” And you sunk back into the water hoping God or something would change your situation. Hoping you’d wake up in a new place.

-part two 🤠

[celestialsister0918]

Standing Right Outside My Door (Older Sirius Black x OC)

🎅🏻 🎄 🕯(Christmas in April, guys!)

One-Shot

Outtake From "Black as Night”

Category: Smut and Fluff, NSFW 18+, Minors DNI

Warnings/Tags: Breeding kink, oral sex, vaginal sex, multiple orgasms, squirting. dirty talk, praise kink. Brief mention of Animagus coupling- discussion only.

This would fall within the chapter "I'll Be Upon You by the Moonlight Side." Sirius comes home for Christmas from Horcrux hunting with Dumbledore to find Colleen sitting by the tree. This one-shot will be her POV. You can read Sirius's thoughts on her in the original work. I chose not to write the sex originally, so here you go. 🥰

Chapter title from "All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey. (Yes, going kinda fluffy with this smut.)

*************

Colleen stared into the golden glow of the evergreen branches at fantastical things: elves…sugarplum castles…angels. Muggles sort of got it right. They knew there was some kind of realm beyond the mundane everyday; they just made the magical out to be a bit more cartoonish than it was in reality. Reality...

The young Muggle mum could scarcely believe what her reality had become since she'd become so completely swept up in all things Sirius Black. As she put the finishing touches on the presentation of Ben's toys beneath the tree, the prismatic sparkle of Sirius's rings caught the warm light of the twinkling tree bulbs. She rested her hands on her red silk-clad knees, appreciating the twists and turns of light radiating from both hands.

Yes, there were two rings— one they'd found at Grimmauld Place, buried within a wall in his late brother Regulus's room. The younger Black had intended it for his beloved, Marguerite, before his tragic death in the very Horcrux fight Sirius undertook now. Marguerite had disappeared, according to Dumbledore. The gold band adorned with diamonds, moons, and stars found purpose now on Colleen's finger, and Sirius wore its thicker, more masculine mate. On her right hand she wore the ring Sirius had crafted just for her— at its center a diamond created from Colleen's very own tear. Rhiannon, the witch who'd conjured the precious jewel through her unique magic, was a special friend. Colleen counted on her quite a bit in these lonely days without Sirius.

Colleen sighed, her gaze transfixed on the display of Christmas magic before her, and she found herself like the women in the cliché holiday songs, wishing for nothing other than having her beloved walk through her door. She missed his strength and his smell and the warmth of his skin. Her neck craved the tickle of his stubble, and her insides longed to be filled by the pieces of him that were meant for her.

Colleen had been married before, in a rather disastrous experiment, its one salvation being the sweet little boy who slept down the hall. But only these last few months had she begun to know what it meant to have a mate— someone who made you come alive on every level when you were together, and ache on every level when you were apart. Gods, what she'd give to unwrap that wizard beneath the mistletoe that hung just inside the wreathed front door to her flat.

"Colleen Black— I've heard some tales about your escapades that make me inclined to place you on the naughty list this year, but I'm still open to persuasion."

Colleen whipped around and jumped to her feet, not startled but completely overcome with joy. Growing more in tune with magic— especially the magic that was at the root of attraction and love— had her knowing deep down Sirius would come. He must have apparated in at the back of the flat, because she'd missed the "pop" that would have announced his arrival. She felt a wide smile spread across her face, which became damp within seconds from the accompanying tears. Her nose buried itself in the thick flannel shirt that had shielded him from the cold December night. It was somehow warm against her face from his body heat in spite of frigid London winter. His long fingers tucked her curled waves behind her ears, his blue-gray eyes soft and worshipful as he began to kiss her tears away.

"Welcome home, Batman," Colleen sighed happily. For all of one week after meeting her, Sirius had let her believe he was just a man, but there had been many signs of something odd going on in his life. She'd intuited them as him working for some vigilante group to fight organized crime, which wasn't all that far from the truth he’d soon revealed about his role in the magical world. But the vigilante nickname stuck, as Sirius rather liked the persona of a slightly dark, masked superhero.

Sirius didn't respond, just grinning from ear to ear and taking possession of her waist with his strong hands. Their eyes locked and seemed to communicate two months of missed opportunity before he gave a lazy wave of his wand toward the CD player he'd enchanted, commanding it to play soft Christmas tunes. He still had snow scattered throughout his mahogany curls, and they melted one by one as Colleen's fingers raked and twisted their way through her favorite activity.

The flannel shirt offered the slightest glimpse of his neck tattoo— the one from Azkaban. The sight of it always made her heart swell with an aching desire to soothe the pain she knew still hid somewhere in his mind. It would reveal itself in nightmares, grimaces, and faraway stares. She pressed her lips to the ink before continuing loving nuzzles and nips below his ear. Sirius let out a low growl, and Colleen took a deep breath. His scent...god, his scent. It did indescribable things to her. Pixies seemed to clamor in her lower belly.

"Please let me make love to you," Sirius whispered. "All night. In every way."

"Aren't you a bit tired after your journey?" Colleen murmured in reply. Nonetheless, she took both his hands in hers and began walking backward to her bedroom.

Sirius shook his head. "Sweetheart, I'm hungry like the wolf."

She giggled, loving the fact that after two months in the wizarding world and the wilderness, he still tried to use Muggle phrases. "Are you going to talk in corny lyrics and movie lines forever now?"

He laughed in return. "Rhiannon's turning you into a witch, and I'm turning into a Muggle. I guess we'll just meet in the middle and be perfect. Sound like a plan?"

Colleen nodded in the affirmative and started in on his shirt buttons the moment they crossed the bedroom threshold, anxious to drink him in with her eyes. Once the flannel was cast aside, her palms splayed against his warm skin, and she opened her mouth to the deep, hungry kisses Sirius began planting on her lips. He tasted so good; obviously since he'd spent the last two months trekking through the wilderness, he'd brushed his teeth magically. Colleen could taste peppermint and vanilla mixed with a strange yet alluring smoky substance she hadn't tasted on him before.

"Pipeweed," Sirius said with a chuckle in response to the curious "Hmm" she let out upon tasting it.

"Dumbledore and I...errr...celebrated a bit before adjourning for holiday."

"Well, I suppose you deserved it," Colleen said with a laugh. "Though I can only guess what it is or does.”

"It’s rare…mystical…ancient. It really puts you in tune with your deepest senses and urges," Sirius explained. "All I could think about as I slept last night was..." he trailed off, his long fingers grasping the white piping at the bottom of her red nightgown.

Sirius scooted the silk up to rest on her waist, pinned up with the force of his body against hers. His fingers then played with the tops of her thighs where they met her behind, squeezing and kneading, then allowing those deft fingertips to slide lower into the sides of the silky knickers that matched her gown. He teased at the wetness that was already pooling in preparation for him, the pads of his fingers making circles at the very tip of her entrance while his tongue tickled the side of hers. It was still like their first kiss. Whenever he tickled her so gently and lovingly, it always triggered a sensation behind her eyes like she might cry from the emotion it wrought.

"What did you think about as you slept last night?" Colleen asked breathlessly, making sure he didn't forget to let her in on whatever secrets that very dirty mind of his had envisioned.

Sirius ignored her. Whether through true distraction or a desire to string her along, Colleen couldn't tell. "Mmm...so soft...so warm..." he praised her, his hands lifting the silk further now to slide up her stomach. He cupped her breasts, stroking their sides, squeezing like his hands had ached to feel them. Each squeeze sent a throb thundering between Colleen's legs, and she could literally feel herself opening to him— unfurling, hot and swollen.

"Sirius..." she whispered, "Your dream?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, well..." Sirius walked her over to the bed, his frame pushing her down before he laid on top of her, his tongue now brushing what rivaled the most obvious spots as her favorite spot on her body— that small curve where her jaw met her throat. When Sirius laid his tongue flat against it, it sent her mind whirling.

"Your scent..." he groaned, as if the tiny spot of skin filled his senses with something painful. His hips rutted forward, and his erection was so stiff Colleen thought it might bruise her thigh. Each pulse of it made her pussy throb in turn, a call and response completely out of their conscious control.

“The dream..." she panted as he abandoned the little electric spot on her neck in favor of lapping at her pebble hard nipples instead. She watched his tongue flick and glisten over the aroused peaks before stiffening and moving to the sides of her breasts, teeth sinking into the delicate flesh. Mother of Merlin, she was on fire.

"Dreamed about filling you up," Sirius finally muttered, his voice barely above a growl. His blue gray eyes were almost black now, nearly all pupil as he straightened to free his straining cock. Colleen reached out eagerly to help, excited to view his impressive, godlike inches once again. The wizard deserved a statue in a museum.

"So fill me up," Colleen responded with a sexy smile. "Though I'm sure there was more to it than that."

Sirius grasped his shaft and sank back onto the mattress with her, running his tip over the soaked red silk she still wore. Colleen cried out at the sensation. Just as soon as he'd nestled it there, Sirius removed it to scoot down between her legs, inhaling deeply.

"Fuck...Mine..." It was a primal, guttural declaration. The red silk was soon a thing of the past, sailing across the bedroom and landing on a lampshade. Sirius's nose was soon buried between her folds, even going so far as to enter her, and he breathed again.

"Sirius, what are you...?"

"You know, love," he chided her gently, the vibrations of his words hitting the front wall of her pussy with a jolt. "You've got this dog scent-trained, remember? The smell of this wet pussy makes me want to howl."

"So howl," Colleen dared him. "Assuming you cast a silencing charm?" Colleen didn't know how Muggle parents had any kind of sex life at all without such things.

Sirius smiled sheepishly. "That was metaphorical, darling. Only Padfoot howls, and you've made it quite clear you're not ready for him yet.”

Colleen's face flushed a deep holly berry red. Rhiannon had educated her through their sex magic lessons that an Animagus's partner could lay with their lover's beast form without guilt, since they were still a witch or a wizard in the soul and mind. But Colleen was still way too much of a Muggle to wrap her brain around that, and she wasn't sure that would ever change.

"It's okay, pup," Sirius assured her with a wink. "We have our whole lives ahead of us and plenty of time to explore. I'll only do what my queen wants. But she has to tell me. What do you want, my sweet love?"

Colleen's smile returned. She'd been so shy when they had first met, and Sirius had been merciless with his games of dirty talk. But she was a pro at it now.

"Taste me, Sirius Black," she played along. "Taste me like you've forgotten what I taste like and want to make sure you never forget again. And make me come all over your mouth like I've forgotten how and need to be reminded."

It wasn't a howl, but a growl that once again escaped Sirius's chest as his scratchy brown whiskers descended on the soft skin between her legs. There was no better feeling in the world than Sirius's stubble on her skin. Except maybe his lips on her clit...devouring her clit, drawing the sensitive bud into the protection of her labia and then sucking the whole mound into his mouth, shaking his head like he was tearing at her.

"Ahhhh...uhhh...oh, god..."

Sirius released her. "Not god, love. Your wizard. Say my name."

"Sirius...please...oh, please don't stop..."

His mouth returned to his work, his tonguing interspersed with praises. "Beautiful cunt," he murmured. "Delicious...perfect." Sirius's tongue started to slide in and out her hole, wet and pointed and firm, and Colleen bucked against his face for more pressure.

"Is this what you want love?" Sirius asked, holding up two fingers in a V. "A bit more pressure on those sweet spots?"

Colleen nodded with a wordless whine.

"Words, pup."

“Finger me," she begged, her head throwing back in frustration as the blood kept rushing to her aching center.

Sirius winked again and shook his head excitedly as he dove back in, his shining dark curls tickling her thighs. His tongue snaked around her clit this time and his fingers began to sweep in gentle swishes along her walls, causing her eyes to roll back in her head.

"Oh, Sirius...I can't last...I'm going to come."

“Come, sweetheart," he encouraged her. "Over and over. Let's see how many."

Colleen gave herself over to the waves that started at the depth of her core and spread outward to every nerve, shaking from head to toe and everything in between. Rhiannon had made sure she had toys to continue in her sex magic practices during Sirius's absence, but orgasms with silicone were nothing compared to the ones from Sirius Black's skilled fingers and mouth. Her hands flew to his head, and she jerked instinctively back, but his hands held her firmly in place, his actions not letting up in the slightest.

"It...it’s too much...Sirius...”

His mouth backed off but his fingers kept their insistent prodding. "Work through it, kitten. Focus. You can have another for me, right, love?"

His two fingers curled and pushed hard against her front wall, and suddenly Colleen wanted pressure back on her clit, knowing she could fall over the edge again...could give him what he wanted...

Sirius's mouth was back, this time a suction that held still and waited for her to drive the force. Her hips rutted tight against him, and her fingers desperately raked his curls.

"Yes...Sirius...I'm coming again...hurts…but it, it feels so good..."

More tremors washed over her, sending euphoric pulses through her limbs. Her head fell back into the pillow. Colleen felt a tiny squirt eject within her, and she blinked in surprise. The phenomenon certainly didn’t evade Sirius’s observant eye, and he pulled his fingers from her with a triumphant smirk.

“Ah, there they are— the ‘juices like wine,’” he quoted again from the Duran Duran song.

Colleen could feel a ridiculous grin spreading over face, completely drunk on him, drunk on orgasms. But her comedown didn't even last ten seconds before Sirius’s chest crashed onto hers, and his stiff cock was enveloped in her dripping wet walls. His pace was the same he'd maintained with his hand and mouth, making sure her rhythmic contractions started building once again to the melody he had set.

"Fuck, yeah, so hot and tight, pup. That pussy's missed me...needs me to fill it up...stretch it with my cock...breed it with my cum..."

The words tickled Colleen's eardrum and made it shake like a mini orgasm in her head just from dirty words. It was wrong to feel the way Sirius Black made her feel...it had to be. So dirty, so raw, so out of control. Her nails dug into his back, and she knew he'd be sporting little half moons along his skin from their unyielding grip. She was aware of the delicious friction of every inch of his strained, velvet skin stroking her channel, building to the point of impact between his thick tip and her deepest point, then repeating all over again. If she weren't so aroused it would hurt, but Sirius always knew how to get a lover ready for what he wanted. And he was skilled enough to know that the orgasms from that point, the one deep within the center of her core, were the ones that would send her flying into the stratosphere.

"Mmmm," Colleen groaned, "Your cock feels so good, Sirius. So big...so hard...made for me."

"Made for you, love. You take it like such a good girl. So good for me, kitten."

Sirius was kissing her again, his lips transmitting that magical electricity that hummed in her chest, like it gave life to her heart. Colleen gripped him and threw one leg over his, locking them together while she pushed him onto his back. Those blown pupils gazed up at her, and her fingers massaged over the runes on his pecs, his ribs, his biceps. Her hips gyrated like she was riding an animal— which of course she was, in multiple senses of the word.

"Mmm, yes...I love it when you ride me, sweetheart. When those tits bounce and I can watch that sweet pussy swallow my cock."

Sirius's right hand laid a playful slap on her behind, while his left squeezed her breast. Her own hands came up to lift her long hair off her back before it stuck to the thin film of sweat now covering her. Sirius grabbed his wand off the night table and produced a cool breeze drifting over her, and she smiled gratefully. The pounding of her hips on him became more insistent, and her clit sought more satisfaction, her body lurching forward on him in search of what it needed.

"I got you, love," he murmured, and placed a curved finger against her swell, allowing her to pound on its rigidity as her pussy did the same to his cock's. That point at her center started to ache, twisting back and forth between pain and the promise of exquisite pleasure— so burning, so intense, like it was ready to open up and take every drop of him.

"You're ready for it, aren't you?" Sirius rasped. "Want me to put my baby inside you?”

Colleen didn't (not yet), and she couldn't — she'd taken longer term precautions last year when she'd decided she most certainly didn't want to have another child with her terrible former husband. But none of that mattered to Sirius's favorite game.

“Yes, Sirius, please. Breed me. I want to have your pups." Her hips unleashed a wild torrent upon his rock hard length, and his chiseled, perfectly angled face contorted into pure bliss as he sent the coveted jets spiraling within her. That apex of pain and pleasure within her seemed to snap open to take him, and Colleen let out a deep, strained groan in a voice wholly unlike her own.

"Oh...yeah...sweet girl...feel that? So hot and wet inside you? Fucking mine."

Colleen didn't know if Sirius was talking about his stream or her, but it sounded perfect either way. She shuddered to a stillness atop him, and her body immediately berated her for allowing such a merciless pounding of her most intimate recess.

"Potion," she whimpered, wincing as she carefully dismounted him.

Sirius jumped up, and Colleen was momentarily distracted by appreciation of his tight backside as he made his way to their Potions cabinet. Severus and Rhiannon kept them well stocked since Sirius still couldn't be seen in Diagon Alley. Sirius made his way back to their bed with several bottles, which Colleen met with a look of curiosity.

He grinned and slid under the sheets beside her, lifting the dropper to hover above her tongue. "It's going to be a long night, love. Happy Christmas."

***Like this one-shot? You can find more of my work on AO3 and Wattpad, including the full “Black As Night” novel. Look for username celestialsister0918

https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestialsister0918/works

[juicycoutureheaux]

Always There

Chapter 2: Happy & Sad

A/N: I wrote this while I was inspired; I’ve been bellyaching over this story for like 3 weeks and just wanted to get it published. I hope y’all enjoy it. The title is a Kacey Musgraves song, which this entire album was the inspo for this story.

The next couple of months were a blur. He felt Y/N’s absence almost immediately. He did what he did best and threw himself into work.

Claire was upset with him; she had pulled what he did to Y/N out of him.

She told him he was making a mistake, that Y/N sounded like “the one” and their parents would have definitely approved.

He couldn’t stop thinking about Y/N; surely she should have moved on by now. What was she doing? Was she still counseling others? Was she fucking someone else? He felt ashamed, he really had ruined things with her, and he wouldn’t be surprised if she hadn’t thrown herself into another serious relationship.

He was growing more miserable by the day; everyday just felt lonelier. He had a taste of what a domestic, simple life had in store for him. Y/N was right, she was blessed to live in that gorgeous town, and he felt himself longing for it too.

He made up his mind and sent an email to the director. He was going to go back to that town and work something out with Y/N. He was going to apologize and make things right; or at least try to.

His flight landed in the decent sized airport in the middle of the morning. He had a plan but still felt nervous. There was a decent chance Y/N wanted nothing to do with him and wouldn’t take him back; but he was willing to take that chance.

The neighborhood of her residence was something out of a movie. Big oak trees leaned their branches over the road covering each house with a blanket of shade. Her house was a charming white cottage with azalea bushes out front. There was a colorful wreath on the door and a sturdy porch swing.

His feet felt heavy as he was climbing the steps up to the door. He knocked on the door and was surprised when he heard footsteps almost immediately.

He almost dropped to his knees in anxiety when she answered the door.

There she was, her Y/C hair was pulled neatly on top of her head, her eyes as bright as he had ever seen them. Then there it was, his eyes glanced downwards to her abdomen and she had her hand resting on a small bump.

She was equally shocked to see him. The two just stared at eachother for what felt like ages until Y/N broke the silence.

“Did Julieanne tell you?” She asked her voice just above a whisper.

“I had no idea about this!” He gestured at the small bump. “I was surprised she even returned my messages; but I guess I know why.”

She just laughed a humorless laugh. Her sister would kill to be a witness to this “grand romantic gesture.” As she liked to call it. Damn her, she read too many romance novels.

“I better get you inside, don’t want my nosy neighbors to get the wrong idea and call the cops.”

He loved her dry sense of humor, but guessing by the number of neighbors that just now decided to do “yard work” he decided there was some truth to her statement.

He stepped inside ths cottage. “Y/N I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry for how I left things with you; but why didn’t you try to reach out?”

Chris took her small hands into his.

“I thought about everything you’d said to me Chris, I didn’t want to force this on you.” She looked down at her feet, avoiding eye contact. “I didn’t want to upset you.”

Chris embraced her tightly, “Y/N, all I could think about these last two months is starting a life with you and a family.” He let go of her. “I told myself I couldn’t have it, and I know how wrong that was.”

She cupped his cheek with her hand and began to stroke his stubble with her thumb. “What are we gonna do?” She asked, looking him in the eyes.

“I’m going to be there for you two.” Chris smiled at her.

“This time I mean it.”

“What about the BSAA? What about your job there? Aren’t they going to freak out that one of their leading agents is going to retire?” She said quickly.

“I’m sure I can work something out with them.”

“I’m not going back to New York.”

“I didn’t say we would have to do that.” He shrugged.

She missed him, there was no denying it. She missed the moments when he had a hopeful glint in his eye, she’d almost forget what kind of work he did and what kinds of things he had seen.

“Are you talking about moving here?” She asked hopefully.

“I plan on it.” He said confidently. “Did you know the military base here has had platoons run in with the BSAA?”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Seriously? This little base here?”

He laughed. “Don’t underestimate that little base, they’ve got some pretty capable people there and some pretty impressive talent. I’ve convinced the director to come to a deal with the US military.”

“Chris no you didn’t, you literally moved heaven and earth just to come back?” She was blown away. Talk about cliche.

“Now don’t give me all the credit, it’s been in the works for years, they just needed the right person to spearhead it; and The director figured who better than a founding member?” He said proud of himself.

Y/N just stood there shocked. She was blown away; the same man that had told her two months ago he wanted nothing to do with her was in her living room promising her the world and making it happen.

“Chris, I don't know what to say.”

“Please just tell me that you’ll reconsider giving me another chance.” He said putting his warm hand on her thigh.

That made her blush. The memories of all the good times they had together came flooding back; but, the way he made her feel in that hotel room, she couldn’t move past it.

She remembered going to Julieannes and crying her eyes out until she fell asleep. She remembered feeling sick but chalking it up to her nerves.

It was Julieanne that convinced her to take the test, and another one when they both showed up positive. The doctor confirmed it and she sat in her car in the hospital parking lot crying; she would be tied to him forever whether he knew or not.

She had to heal, he had his reasons for leaving; and he was back. She took a deep breath.

“Only if you fucking talk it out with me next time rather than leaving me.” She looked at him, some anger in her eyes and some of that playfulness he had fall in love with.

“I promise babe.” He said and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. He was stroking her hair and she had her fingers tangled in his.

It felt like a dream for the both of them.

They both came up for air when Chris laid his hands softly on her abdomen.

“When will we know anything about this small person?” He said lovingly.

She kissed him on his warm forehead.

“I have an appointment in a couple of weeks, if you’d like to come along.” She said happily.

“Of course, I don’t want to miss out on anymore moments with you and our baby boy.”’ He winked at her.

She smiled. “You’re really so sure it’s going to be a boy huh?”

“Of course, there’s always the first born son in the Redfield family.”

“So we’re the Redfields? Shouldn’t I change my name?” She said, pushing his buttons.

“You know, I knew there was a reason I came down here.” He said sarcastically.

He had his speech prepared, but there was no need to; everything happened so naturally.

He pulled out a blue velvet box from his pocket. It definitely had some age to it, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

“Y/N I know this seems crazy, but one thing I’ve learned is life is short-“ she cut him off.

“Yes, Redfield I’ll marry you.” She said bluntly.

“You didn’t even give me a chance Y/N.”‘Chris said, taken aback.

“I didn’t have to, your actions were all I needed.” She said cupping his cheek again. He loved the feel of her dainty hands on his face.

He opened the box and inside was a dainty antique engagement ring. It had to be an heirloom she thought.

“I know it seems small, but I didn’t have much time. We can go shopping together and we can find the perfect ring, no matter what it costs.” Chris said nervously.

It was beautiful, it was what looked like a 2 carat European cut diamond, with intricate filigree on the sides. “Chris this is beautiful, whose ring is this?” She said still in shock.

“It was my mother’s, but it was my grandmothers before that.”

“Claire didn’t want it?” She said incredulously

“Claire thought it would be put to better use with you.”’

Y/N couldn’t believe it, she hadn’t even met Claire and she was putting a lot of faith into her being perfect for her brother. She also thought of how generous she was for letting Chris propose with their own Mother’s ring. if it was Y/N she would have kept it for herself; but, that spoke for what kind of family she would be marrying into. What their child would be born into; a loving and accepting one.

She smiled as he slipped the ring on her finger. “It fits perfectly!” She said shocked.

“I totally took a chance on it being the right size too.” Chris said, rubbing the back of his head.

“You mean you didn’t think to get it sized beforehand?” Y/N asked suspiciously.

“I told you I had a revelation and was short on time! Magical moments like this wait for no one!” He said half joking.

Y/N looked at him and just smiled. “I can’t believe this is really happening.” She leaned into his chest. “I love you Chris Redfield.”

“I love you too. Y/N.” And you shared a sweet, chaste kiss.

————//////——////———/////——-//////——-/////———/////-

After a long engagement and the birth of their son Jonah, Chris found himself standing in the groom’s suite of the little church Y/N had grown up in.

“Well, I guess I’m the one who ended up marrying Y/N in this church.”’he thought to himself.

Sure, the last couple of months hadn’t been too easy; but he got to spend them with Y/N and that was all worth it.

Chris and Y/N were over the moon when they found out they were actually expecting a boy.

The two had taken great care in constructing their nursery for their bundle of joy and were so relieved when they had finished.

When Y/N had finally gone into labor, it had actually hit her she was going to be a mother and finally panicked. Chris made sure that he was there for her through it all; the actual delivery, the sleepless nights and the postpartum depression.

She hadn’t anticipated going through a roller coaster of emotions like she did; but Chris understood and was there when she needed help.

The two made a perfect team when it came to parenting. Chris found himself extremely hands on and very supportive. He made sure that once Y/N came home from the hospital and actually sleep after her delivery; not worry about Jonah the entire time.

Y/N was so thankful, she knew he would be a great partner; but she hadn’t expected anything like this.

After a couple months of living in pure bliss with their infant son; Y/N’s father, Roy, asked them about their plans for getting married.

“You know I was just so caught up in Jonah’s arrival, I hadn’t even thought of us.” Y/N answered truthfully.

“I was thinking maybe heading down to the courthouse and just signing the paperwork. What do you think babe?” She looked at Chris.

“I think if you want an actual ceremony Y/N we should have one.” Chris smiled and took her hand in his.

She looked over at her sister and Clarke, who were both smiling so hard she thought they would explode.

“We’ll see.” She said, and with that Julieanne squealed with delight and started to plan.

It was a beautiful day in the middle of fall. The weather had started to cool down and the trees had started to change colors.

Y/N was getting ready in the bridal suite with Julieanne and Claire. Claire was over the moon when Y/N asked her to be apart of the wedding personally.

“I can’t believe the day is already here!” Claire squealed. “I can’t believe my brother is actually settling down.”

Julieanne laughed “I know, I can’t believe the same for my sister either.”

Julieanne and Claire were like two peas in a pod, within the first 10 minutes of meeting, they had already exchanged phone numbers.

Y/N’s heart was so full, she had managed to create a large loving support system for her growing family.

“Y/N, it’s time.” Julieanne whispered to her.

“I know, I’ll go ahead and go to the doors of the church I’ll See y’all in a minute.”

Y/N quietly made her way through the church walkway, from fellowship hall, to the doors of the chapel where the coordinator & her father were waiting for her.

“You ready magnolia?” Her father asked taking her arm.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She kissed her father on the cheek.

The doors opened and she stepped through the threshold.

There were dozens of smiling faces at her, but all she could focus on was the handsome man standing at the altar.

The wedding was absolutely lovely and the two of them were close to tears.

They were able to duck away for a private moment immediately following the ceremony. The two sat in the Bridal suite, reminiscing on their relationship before Jonah.

The two then joined the rest of the reception and were introduced as husband and wife. They danced and socialized with each others families. It was Y/N’s first time getting to chat with the Burtons, and she became very fond of Barry and his wife by the end of the night. They couldn’t stop cooing over Jonah.

Jill and her partner, Carlos were there as well. Y/N was ecstatic having so many important people in Chris’ life attend. She knew all of these people were important to him and that it wasn’t easy having them all here.

She made a mental note to make sure they received all Of their addresses to send thank yous.

The night eventually ended much to the couples chagrin and relief. They were sad the night had to end, but we’re relieved as they both weren’t 21 anymore and very tired.

“Where’s Jonah?” Y/N asked her sister.

“Girl, you didn’t know? Y’all are staying in a room in that fancy hotel on Desoto island for the week.”

“What?” Y/N was done with the surprises. She looked at Chris. “Was this your plan?”

Chris smiled at her. “Trust me, I had nothing to do with this, Julieanne let me know two nights ago. We got your bags all packed though.”

“I can’t believe y’all would surprise us like that; it’s so expensive! Who’s going to be taking care of Jonah?”

Claire chimed in, “I figured I could spend some time in the city with Jonah, and Julieanne’s family.”

“Y’all are seriously the best.” Y/N said with tears in her eyes.

“Y’all just have fun and relax; I also heard Jonah wants a brother or sister.” Julieanne winked at them.

Y/N playfully punched her dear sister.

——////——-////—-////—-////—-////—-////—-////—-////—-////

Chris and Y/N arrived at the beautiful hotel on the beach at around 1 am. They were sharing a bottle of champagne on the balcony of the room, the warm salty air blowing through their hair.

“Is this what you’d imagined married life being like?” She said to Chris with heavy lidded eyes.

“To be honest with you, I never thought I’d have moments like these.” Chris said somewhat melancholy. “I thought my job would have killed me or that I would have ruined everything I touched.”

Y/N leaned over and kissed him. “You’re perfect.”

He replied with a deeper kiss. She ran her fingers through his cropped hair and just relished in the moment. She broke the kiss and beckoned him inside the cool hotel room.

“Might as well make good use of this bed and give Jonah a sibling.” She winked at him.

Chris was more than happy to oblige.

“I’m so lucky to spend the rest of my life with you.”’

“I think the word you’re looking for is blessed