#everything after death & romance flows beautifully

[danielpowell]

If you wanna be clean You gotta scrub until the blood comes out Get the spots in between Slip your skin right off and hang it out

[apis-floreaa]

I've been nervous about sharing this but here tumblr...have my love death and robot rambles about Jibaro

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this episode is without a doubt one of the best of the whole show, in my opinion. the many layered parts and themes paired, with the beautifully done animation and soundtrack, send it straight into masterpiece territory. at this point it has not won any awards but whatever ones it does win, will have been justly awarded.

the details in even the very first 2 minutes are amazing. from the way that Jibaro, our main character, is introduced as deaf to the sounds in the background. i really love Albert Mieglo’s portrayal of the stark contrast between Jibaro’s soundless world, and the sounds around him.

i especially find it beautiful how the lake of the story is loosely shaped like a human heart, as if calling it the heart of the forest. which in turn portrays the siren as it’s protector in a way. Alberto Mieglo described this story as a toxic romance but from the way the soldiers are dressed and our view of the surrounding area, we also get the idea that it’s a story of conquistadors and the horror that followed them.

the chaos in the sirens first appearance is extremely well done. it’s one of my favorite scenes, to be honest. the movement, angles, and once again Mieglo’s contrast of a soundless world is insanely beautiful. i’m a sucker for siren stories, women with the most beautiful singing voices you’ve ever heard; but instead this siren screams. she lures these men in with her seductive dancing and deafening voice. it’s extremely different and unique.

after all the men are dead, the kindess she shows by allowing the horses return to land really drives home that she’s a protector. they didn’t do anything, they were merely a pawn in a game; and she knows this, the land knows this.

a sirens voice has never been ignored, so it’s only natural that she becomes intrigued with our remaining survivor who cannot hear her, for a reason unknown to her. i know sirens stories never end in a happy ending for a women who’s used to getting what she wants. in Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ it’s said a siren will die if you able to escape her song, we already know how this will end; yet we cannot stop it. even after what seems to a million rewatches my heart still tightens after this scene, knowing i cannot change her fate.

i love the way that although we never hear a word when the siren finally finds Jibaro again, or even a word throughout the entire 17 minutes, we are never lost to what is going on. this scene brings us back to our toxic relationship. she is fascinated by this man whom she cannot control and he by this inhuman woman covered in gold. we’ve already seen his started want for the gold in the lake but now that changes into full blown obsession.

now begins our fatal attraction. she doesn’t know he will follow when she takes off, but to her joy he does. she’s excited, she’s never been this close to a living human. at this point all reservations she’s had towards these men is cast aside when he finally meets her at the top of the waterfall. she thinks she’s in love, yet he doesn’t waste a second in hurting her. even after that she still kisses him, what’s a small jewel to her ignited passion towards him? she’s never aware that that kiss means her death.

she gave him her everything and he murdered her. in many ways this feels like a soft touch back on how the conquistadors would often rape the women in villages they come upon. she is violated in unspeakable ways and thrown away carelessly when he’s gotten what he wanted. which makes the river flowing red with blood, when she makes it back to her heart, more powerful. she’s the spirit of the forest and she is angry, the water rushes backwards in crashing waves; tainting everything she touches.

in a final act of anger, she gives Jibaro the gift of hearing. he thinks he’s won, he’s gotten everything he has ever dreamed of unaware that the forest isn’t done with him yet.

this last scene is, extremely powerful. it’s also the most beautiful scene of the episode. the way her screams rip from her throat is heartbreaking, she doesn’t dance now, there is no more seduction. her screams come from a place of hurt, his death is not one of survival but of revenge. she tears her throat raw to make him feel her pain. her screams which were once enchanting are now haunting and as the music reaches crescendos we watch as she never truly looks at him through her tears. she doesn’t fully open her eyes until he is dead, safely nestled at the bottom of the lake. this siren was doomed from the very moment she laid eyes on Jibaro, she was never going to get a happy ending; yet we still feel her agony just the same. at the end we don’t know what will become of her, she may live but she is no longer alive.

[ofglories]

   by the time of his supposed birth, argued in any case, the time of faeries and magic were nothing more than whispers and wive’s tales. stories spun up to amuse children, otherwise to give as warnings, but hardly anything else past that. thus did it take all of his memory to recall those meager lessons he had been taught as a young boy when hearing there were several of the fair folk that lingered in chaldea.

   even if they were technically on the same side, romeo hardly wanted to leave it to chance — and especially not to fortune — in destroying the precarious tower of good luck he’s been building so far by inadvertently pissing off any of the faeries by simply saying the wrong thing accidentally. if anything, he’s done his best to keep mercutio away from everyone to ensure that he���s not somehow wrapped into that. in any case, besides carefully walking on eggshells, perhaps even tiptoeing, romeo would keep to his casual self. after all, wouldn’t everyone want to be treated as normal?

   and as far as he could tell, the discussion with taliesin had been going on as normal. unless the man managed to school his expressions that well, romeo would never be able to tell. though as far as he could tell, their likes weren’t similar and their dislikes weren’t either; it was an amicable conversation. if there’s one thing he’s noticed however…

   “you’ve brought up vortigern quite a few times, taliesin,” romeo points out, them having exchanged names from the beginning as romeo had the tendency to do, because referring to each other by their servant titles felt cold and distant. if the story about faeries and names were to be worried about, then maybe hiding their true names would be cared for more. in any case, he has plenty of other names. saber holds onto his thought for a moment, then blurts it out, “what can you tell me about him? do you love him?”

   like a child unable to go to sleep after one chapter, romeo gazed up to the man; despite romeo being a symbol of star-crossed love, he didn’t mean in a way that meant only romance for the concept would surely be different. for love was everywhere. in everything. and it's the hope that drove many to keep going. most of all, he wanted to know more about the man that had been only a name to him, but more to others.

Oh, what a thing to ask.

Taliesin paused, smiling softly as his gaze drifted from Romeo's face to somewhere in the distance. Did he love Vortigern? How bold! How wonderfully, beautifully, cruelly human of the young Saber to ask him such a thing. Well, it wasn't as if the bard was short of things to say about the man who had become a monster. The king who had become a tyrant to be struck down by his own blood.

An irony there, considering the trigger for Vortigern's transformation had been the accidental slaying of one of his kin.

Sighing, the Caster's gaze finally refocused on Romeo. "...Where to begin, I wonder? For I know everything and more about Vortigern, both the man and the monster. The human and the dragon. The mortal and the weapon of the very land of Britain." His voice flowed easily, not quite a song but more than a simple conversation. Almost like when he had given prophecies in his life. Funny to think about now. "The beginning, perhaps, would be the best place but ah..." A smile that creased the corners of golden eyes until they were nearly shut.

"What is the beginning when I knew him before his soul was even crafted? Vortigern is the very reason I was born, my entire purpose in life you could say. Faeries are born with a purpose they must fulfil, you know?"

Lips parted with a soundless laugh, his harp appearing in his outstretched hand so he could play a simple melody. "My purpose was to guide the mortal that bore the name Vortigern. To teach him everything that he would need to know to be a king. To be a human. And also... I was to seal a portion of his magic away with my own death, so that he could not truly become the weapon of the land."

Shaking his head as his fingers plucked a short, discordant cascade of notes, Taliesin opened his eyes to meet Romeo's once more.

"...I loved him in every way one can love another. He was my purpose, my reason to live. My death. My king, my friend... We were so many things to each other, but above all... There was love. Regardless of anything, I loved him. Which is why I guided that magus of flowers to him before my death, so he would not be alone."

[pillow-anime-talk]

disturbing him (but in a pleasant way).

request​: hi! can i have an one-shot with matt’s female s/o giving him head while he’s in the middle of a game?

# tags: scenario; current relationships; romance; smut; gamer!mail & sweet!reader; nsfw

warnings: mention of sexual activities, handjob & blowjob, sloppy, hair pulling, cum on face

includes: female reader ft. mail jeevas {death note}

author’s note: love it >:)

It was one of the cooler evenings, and Mail was in the middle of the game and completing several missions. The police were also chasing him (GTA things, btw). Nevertheless, he was doing really well, efficiently escaping in his car from a helicopter and two patrols.

In the meantime, you left the shower and started your night-time body care; you used your favorite moisturizing cream for legs and arms, you took care of your face with a serum, you also used oil on the ends of your hair and finished everything with a beautifully scented body mist. Then you brushed your hair and put on your pajamas at the end.

After leaving the bathroom, you immediately went to your boyfriend to spend some time with him before going to bed; he was still gaming, this time he was on a boat, still with the police tail behind him. Matt held a half-burnt cigarette between his lips, and his goggles were on the other side of the couch. He was dressed as always in his favorite striped T-shirt and dark pants. Ah, he was also sitting in the middle on the above-mentioned sofa, without any shoes or socks.

You sat down next to him, and your head automatically fell onto his shoulder. He smelled of cigarettes and his favorite perfumes, and you felt at home.

“Everything's all right?” The boy asked and looked at you out of the corner of his eye.

“Yes, I’m just a little tired.” You admitted softly, closing your eyelids.

“Why don’t you lie down in the bedroom? I will come to you soon, I’ll only finish three missions.” He smiled slightly and you just shook your head. You preferred to spend time with him, even if your boyfriend was just playing games and getting nervous at the light TV screen.

A few longer minutes passed and you finally opened your eyes; you looked at your boyfriend’s face, his hands frantically touching the buttons and his slowly rising stomach. Then your gaze landed lower and you noticed something you hadn’t noticed before. Your boyfriend has always disguised himself very well with his feelings, even the erotic ones... But fortunately you are a really good and caring girl.

So your hand took its place on your boyfriend’s belly, right next to his belly button. Then you moved it much lower – so that it was finally on Mail’s zip. The teen tensed a little and then looks at you.

“What are you doing, baby?”

“I see you need help, so I’m helping you.” You chuckled, and your fingers efficiently unhooked the button and slid down his pants a bit. Your warm hand and the low temperature in the room made goose bumps appear on the brunet’s whole body. Your thumb immediately began forming circles on the tip of the penis and smearing the pre-cum that was slowly flowing out. “Relax, honey. Don’t lose your concentration while the police are chasing you.”

Your hand and fingers squeezed him with sensitivity and moved so as to give your man as much pleasure as possible. You didn’t forget about the testicles, which were some of the most sensitive places on Matt’s body. After another two minutes, however, you decided to get off the couch and take care of his dick in a better way.

“... Y/N?”

“Just don't hit me with the controller.” You gave him a quick wink, and then you knelt just in front of his crotch, immediately taking the standing cock to your mouth. It was slightly salty, but it was an acceptable saltiness that you just liked.

Oral sex was a nice break from everyday life for you two; you both enjoyed giving and taking oral sex. Watching Mail’s facial expressions change was just gratifying to you, and the fact that your boyfriend was your first sexual partner made you proud to have reached the point where you could pride yourself on meeting your boyfriend’s needs well.

Your tongue was constantly working along with your mouth, which was still sucking on your hard standing penis. You also didn’t waste time swallowing saliva, you let it act as a natural lubricant and give your boy more external stimuli.

In the meantime, you were working with both hands all the time; one touched the underside of the dick and the other touched the balls or both thighs. You made it so that Matt couldn’t concentrate on playing a game anymore; he didn’t give a shit about the police and his last mission. That’s why he tossed the black pad to his left side and his dominant hand grabbing at your soft, still scented hair. He grabbed you tightly and his hips started to move sideways and up and down by themselves. The large dose of pleasure you were giving him at that moment was overwhelming. So the male closed his eyelids, allowing his mind to visualize the memories of all your previous nights; how you sat on his face, how you rode him every night, how he took you from behind and bruised your buttocks or boobs. He was thinking of you naked, in your underwear, in a bathing suit. He remembered having sex in the car during the trip to the lake, and every intercourse in the shower in your apartment.

“Good girl.” He grunted at one point, and one of his eyes opened. Saliva ran down your chin and your hair was messy - yet you looked cute and sexy to him. “You’re so good at this.”

You looked straight into his eyes, smiling. Your eyesight was confident and your movements became more powerful. As soon as you heard your boyfriend sigh, and his fingers grip more and more in your hair, you took the wet cock out of your mouth, still moving your smaller than his hand.

The white, salty liquid hit your face, and you closed your eyelids a little. When Matt finished you opened them with a glance at him.

“You look good with me on your face.” He said, leaning in after a moment and trying with his thumbs wipe the cum off your cheeks.

“I need to wash myself again, you know?” You asked, or rather stated. But you didn’t say it bad tone of voice, quite the contrary. “Maybe we’ll wash ourselves together?”

A few images of your moments together reappeared in Mail's head, so he kissed you lightly on the forehead and nodded.

“Yes, let’s wash ourselves together.”

[sasschijinx]

Favorite Romy fics

Day 4 - Wednesday, February 23rd - Favorite fanfics

There are so many great stories and talented and creative authors out there in the Romy fanfic space. Here are a few of my very favorite fics, which I go back and reread regularly. Several of these fics are unfinished WIPs, which I'll note with a *. I've come to realize I'm a glutton for punishment when it comes to WIPs, but these fics are so, so worth it.

The Ante * by Lucia de'Medici (@nxctuaryninetythree) | Words don't really express how much I love this story. I read it very early on in my Romy fandom and this story is a big reason why Evo!Rogue is my favorite version. It's beautifully written, and each Romy moment feels tangible and real. Hell, the whole fic feels real. Her descriptions are rich and vibrant, and she has created this magical world of mutants and bayous and thieves and first loves that sticks with you long after you read the last/latest chapter.

Porch Swing by Máiréad Channing | In my own fanfic fan world-building head, I picture this one shot as the ultimate ending to The Ante. Evo!Rogue and Gambit are happily living together in New Orleans here and genuinely seem content. Gambit doesn't technically appear in the story but his presence is deeply felt throughout. Jean Luc LeBeau makes a guest starring appearance and it's fun to spend some time with him and see him and Rogue interact.

Love of my Life by Seven Sunningdale | This fic is legendary and not only because it's no longer available online. It's an epic tale set in the Evo-verse with plenty of twists and turns and pure unadulterated Romy angst. Even after almost 80 chapters, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to this story and its full-bodied characters. Such a unique take on both the Evo cartoon and the characters we know and love.

Blind Sight * by Valerie J | Sequel to Thick as Thieves, Blind Sight could very easily be turned into an HBO series. It literally has everything in it. Betrayal, redemption, romance, adventure, a full X-Men cast.... plus, we get a front-row seat to the inner workings of the Thieves Guild. It's just such an excellent caliber of work and I enjoy how all the characters, even the minor ones, are fully fleshed out.

So Impossible * by Adriadne Quinn. This was among the very first Romy stories I read, if not The First. So I feel very nostalgic about it. This story has stayed with me through the years and I credit the author's X-Men stories for getting me interested in the Evo-verse.

Mamas Know Best by @jehilew | In addition to exploring Rogue's complicated relationship with Mystique and dealing with her subsequent death, there's the strong undercurrent of Romy flowing throughout. Despite it not being a traditional Romy story, the relationship is still portrayed with such depth and complexity. By the end, the familiarity and trust between the couple is palpable.

Broken * by MortonGirl | The characters felt real and the burgeoning Romy relationship is so sweet and true to the characters. The overarching plot is a great creative take leveraging the comic storylines but also feels right at home in the Evo-verse.

House of Cards Trilogy by @ludi-ling | HoC and its sequels are unparalleled works of art. They are gritty and sexy and so true to Romy. Ludi has a knack for writing these characters and they are most definitely on display in this trilogy. Great storytelling, characterizations, and creative take on the comic storylines.

Devil's Poison * by @codealiaswave | Another fic that dives deep into the Thieves Guild. The attention to detail in regards to the world-building that is displayed is amazing. It really helps elevate the fic and brings it to life. Not to mention the explosive tension between Gambit and Rogue who start off as enemies. Excited to see this story continue.

Like a Thief in the Night by hbcooper | A fun New Orleans-based jaunt that features Rogue and some fun Thieves Guild member appearances. The last chapter is definitely worth the wait 😉

Literally anything by Tamarai | Her Romy stories are so much fun. She has such an extensive story collection, which span the different universes. Highly recommend.

There are so many more fics I adore but these are the ones I read again and again and again. They've gotten me through hard times and fun times and have definitely inspired me to write my own fanfiction. 💛

[midnightswithdearkatytspb]

VelvetCardiganBucky’s Recomendations 2021: Week 3 | January 10-16

Welcome to week 3 of my recommendation, if you would like to be featured on a future list, I follow the hashtag #ktkvcbreadinglist, message me, tag me in your future works, or reblog this post and link to your story, one-shot, Masterlist, writing challenge, etc.

Be aware some if not most stories and writers on this list are meant to be consumed by an audience of those 18+. My blog is also an 18+ blog.

«Last Week

Week 4»

My Masterlist

Andy Barber

One-Shot’s

Imagine by @worksby-d • Andy Barber x Reader – Reader takes their chances teasing and tempting Andy, but he can only take so much. | Really good smut.

Good little girl by @donutloverxo • Mob!Andy Barber x Reader — Married life isn’t always easy. Will you be able to solve your problems? (Part 1) | Let me just say the first part sort of darkish but not really? Also I can’t help but read Mob!Andy anything.

Ransom Drysdale

One-Shots

Introducing Chaos by @the-iceni-bitch • Ransom Drysdale x fem!Reader — Ransom brings you to your first Thrombey family dinner, and you make a splash | I laughed so much while reading this and the smut was so good. It’s a really good read.

Drabbles

Playing Games by @just-one-ordinary-fangirl • Ransom Drysdale x Reader — Ransom, the man you loved, did the unforgivable. You confront him about it. | This left me wanting more so badly.

Chris Evans

One-Shot’s

Tonight’s Show by @theblvckvenus • Chris Evans x Fem!Reader — You come home to surprise Chris and his interviewer. But the excitement gets him the better of him and as soon as its over you’re in big trouble. | Came for the show definitely stayed for the smut ;)

Drabbles

Stranger on the Train by @carpediemm-18 • Chris Evans x Female!Reader — Chris comes to the aide of the reader on a late night subway ride. | Sweet and Short

Steve Rogers

Amorosa by @honeysucklesteve • Sugar Daddy!Steve x SugarBaby!Reader — you were drowning, barely surviving in new york city working at an upscale restaurant; the only thing keeping you barely afloat. when steve rogers, vp of stark industries, overhears your troubles, he proposes an agreement that’ll benefit the both of you. should you take it and suffer the consequences is up to you. | I have a huge weakness for Sugar Daddy fics, don’t ask me why but I do. This does not disappoint and it’s got some really good smut in it. Thank you Eleanor!

Bucky Barnes

The Winter Ghost by @msmarvelwrites • Bucky Barnes x Reader — A Devastating car crash causes you to lose your memory and start over. The only thing left in the wreckage was the horrific nightmares which plagued your mind. If you knew what today would entail you would have just stayed in bed. But you didn’t and because of that, everything you knew was about to change. | Get yourself some tissues because you will cry. Brontë wrote the smut moments perfectly that it flowed with the the rest of the chapters so perfectly. Nothing felt rushed, the story was just so perfect.

Picking Up the Pieces [1/3] by @gogolucky13 • Bucky Barnes x Reader — Bucky chooses to stay in his tumultuous relationship knowing you’ll be there to pick up the pieces, until finally you’re not. [Modern AU] | For anyone who has ever felt like they were the second best, this is for you. I teared up while reading. Looking forward to see where this goes.

A Favor [1/?] by @buckysbabygorl • Bucky Barnes x Reader — After breaking up with her boyfriend; Y/N drunkenly admits to the team that she’s never had sex. Not only is she single, but she’s looking. | If you are looking for a laugh, this is the place to go, I’m excited to see where this goes.

One-Shot’s

Teacher’s Pet by @nastybuckybarnes [Dark Fic] • AlphaProfessor!Bucky x Omega!Reader x AlphaProfessor!Steve — The perfect omega doesn’t exist, right? Well, Steve and Bucky think they might’ve just found her in the form of one of their students. And they’re not gonna stop until they have her begging beneath them. | Okay this is such a good A/B/O one-shot. Like it’s got the little bit stuff you need instead of just jumping straight into the good stuff. Which isn’t bad, but sometimes a little bit of a burn, is so good. I highly recommend.

The Thought That Counts by @imerdwarf • Bucky Barnes x Reader — Reader offers to brush Bucky’s hair | All the fluffy fluffy-ness you could want or need.

On His Shoulder by @whateveriwant • Bucky Barnes x Reader — Five separate occasions in which Bucky tells you to put something on his shoulder. | A one-shot that made me wish I was somebodies Jack to somebodies ass. In all honesty Sam does a magnificent job giving reader a nickname and making this one-shot so unbelievably good. You got some laughs, some fluffs, and some smut.

Till The End Of The Line by @chanelsebbie • Bucky Barnes x Reader — You and Bucky go on a mission together to hopefully put a dent in H.Y.D.R.A., but things don’t go as planned. | Shaye how dare you, I cried, this is just so beautifully written and I just want more. Like I was waiting to see more and have him come back. I couldn’t make a link for this one-shot don’t know why, so here you all go.

Drabbles

Boob Move by @nano--raptor • Bucky Barnes x Reader — Y/N falls asleep with her boob hanging out on Bucky’s couch | I’ve never read something so funny yet hot all at once.

Drops of Jupiter by @imerdwarf • Bucky Barnes x Reader – Bucky has a nightmare and you find him on the rooftop looking up at the stars. | All The Fluff!

Lee Bodecker

One Shots

505 by @captain-barnes-writes • Dark!Lee Bodecker x Reader — On her summer break from college, Y/N embarks on an affair with Lee Bodecker. But she realizes that not all that drips from his lips is honey. | If you are looking for some dark Lee Bodecker, but I mean it’s Lee.. with some of angst thrown in and some smut, this one-shot is for you!

Misc.

Drabbles

I See You by @sevans-is-my-weakness • Colin Shea x TJ Hammond x F!Reader — TJ Hammond is your roommate and Colin Shea is your guys neighbor. | Short read that I enjoyed but I suggest also reading through this masterlist, there’s so much I want to share!

Writers

@bbonkyy - is one of my all time favorite writers but I could be bias as we are friends. I know they haven’t published in a really long time but they still deserve some recognition. They do take request, trust me they write some amazing smut! *chefs kiss*

@nsfwsebbie - Please please please do yourself a favor and check out Sabrina’s concepts masterlist, dark fics, and masterlist, I’m slowly making my way through them. Sabrina has got some writing talent in them and I love reading what they put out!

@mypoisonedvine - Looking for an eclectic collection of characters and different choices to choose from? j.d. has you covered with their stories. I love their writing, the dark, the fluffy and smut.

Writing Challenges:

Mostly a Milestone Writing Challenge hosted by @mostly-marvel-musings | What you need to know: You can write for celebrities but they have to be from the MCU or you can write for MCU characters. You do not have to reserve a spot in this challenge. OFC’s, any pairing, AU is welcome. The due date as of right now is the end of 2021 and the theme is... Romance Movies

Shout Out To My...

@redhead-wine-and-literature-club — Mods Scarlett and Ruby say they read and write fanfiction usually with a glass a wine to go with it. They are pairing characters (Steve and Bucky) Sebastian and Chris have played with wines. In February they’ll have daily prompt challenges. You can check out the club's welcome post here!

[kiribaku-queen]

The Blood King and his Queen [3]

Pairing: Bakugou x reader

Romance, Angst, Drama

Word count: 2.3K

Summary:  From being a mere servant girl to marrying the scariest prince in existence, your world changed right before your eyes. Exchanging places with the princess, you knew, wasn’t going to be easy. But could you have found love on the way? Or was it never meant to be?

A/N: I hope you get just as much second-hand embarrassment from this episode as I did. Thank you for waiting and being patient! I hope this chapter was worth waiting for! Look forward to the very end for a special ending scene. Honestly, I was imagining it like an anime and its like an extra that they put in... idk please bare with me. I thought it was funny! Let me know if you’d like to be added to the tag list! :) happy reading, loves!

[previous]                                                                                               [next]

Dinner was eaten in silence. After your smart remark, you didn’t have anything more to say to each other. At least, you didn’t know what to say to him. Was it the best choice to be sassy with him? Probably not. But did he deserve it after being rude to your first? Absolutely.

You looked up from your meal to see Bakugou stuffing his face in an angry matter. Only, Bakugou wasn’t angry. He was just like that, little did you know.

The next morning was no different. Breakfast was eaten in silence. If it wasn’t for that small interaction you had with him the night prior, you would have sworn the mighty Blood Prince was mute. But Kirishima swore to you that the prince doesn’t usually act this way. You’d believe it when you see it.

You had joined Bakugou for breakfast and to your surprise, the table was full with dishes; dishes you recognized and dishes you’ve never seen before. Everything was neatly organized and pretty to look at. It was a sight that you’ve seen before. You don’t know why you’re shocked every time.

“Princess,” Bakugou’s deep voice greeted you out of nowhere. You were startled and confused to hear the prince greet you. Up until this point, he has never even greeted you let alone acknowledge you when you step into the room. Was he finally out of his ‘bad mood’, from what Kirishima told you?

“Your Highness,” you greeted him back with a small bow. Kirishima led you to your spot at the table. When you got situated in your seat, he moved like how he did the previous night and stood guard while you and your ‘fiancé’ enjoyed your meal.

The food presented to you, although foreign looking, looked mouthwatering. And when you looked closer, there were many dishes that you actually knew but only plated differently. So of course, you dug in. Like a princess, no doubt. Or, what you thought like what a princess would do. You took itty bitty bites with your best posture: back straight, chin high, careful not to spill any food on you. Since you don’t have many chances to talk to his highness, meal times are the only times that you could make an impression. Last nights endeavors didn’t seem like it made a lasting impression of hate. Looks like its time to bring it up a notch.

“Excuse me for the corniness, your highness,” you started. Bakugou glanced up. Once again those piercing red eyes made you hold your breath for a second. You raised a spoonful of the yellow corn that was on your plate and gave a cheeky smile. “But this is really a-maize-ing!”

Only the sound of your laughter echoed throughout the dining room. Kirishima’s jaw physical drops in shock. Meanwhile, Bakugou stopped chewing, stopped eating and stared at you.

“Lettuce celebrate to our engagement,” you continued to joke, stabbing your fork in the green leaf and held it high as if you were giving a toast. Bakugou’s face didn’t change one bit. But Kirishima looked mortified. He looked back between you and his angry-looking friend, afraid of how he would react to your not-so comical puns.

The longer he stared at you with his blank eyes, the more cold sweat you began to accumulate. The more cold sweat, the more nervous you became and thus, the more panicky you became. He wasn’t laughing at anything you were saying. You panicked. This was not the reaction you were hoping for. You had to say something. You gave him a nervous laugh again and frantically searched for the next best thing.

“Kiwi at least be friends?” you lifted up the delicate fruit with a glimmer of hope in your eyes. Again, no reaction. Kirishima wanted to cover his face so bad. He couldn’t take this torture anymore! But he had to remain professional. “No? Okay,” you gave up, your voice disappearing into a whisper. Pouting and looking down, you ate your meal quietly. You’ve never felt more embarrassed for yourself than in this moment. Heat rose to your cheeks and you wanted to hide away, never to be seen again.

The moment you looked down in embarrassment, Bakugou tried to stifle a laugh. The sides of his lips couldn’t help but curl up in a small smirk. He tried to eat something to calm him down, but as soon as his lips met the metal fork, his lips curled into a side smile that couldn’t be hid. But you were unable to see this side of Bakugou due to your mortification. Kirishima, on the other hand, raised a brow in amusement. This wasn’t a sight you could see every day.

“Kirishima,” Bakugou addressed the red-head. Straightening his posture, Kirishima put his hands beside his back and raised his chin high.

“Your highness,” Kirishima answered.

“Make sure the princess is ready by the time the horses are packed. We have a long trip ahead of us,” the prince announced and was about to leave, but not before you stood up to stop him.

“Trip? Where are we going?” you asked in a frantic matter. There was a moment’s pause.

“As my queen-to-be, you should know the kingdom, no?” he glanced back. This time, his eyes were not so aggressive. There was amusement and a hint of a challenge, as if he was trying to challenge you. The prince made his way out of the dining hall and back to this residence.

 After taking you back to your room to get ready for your trip around the kingdom, Kirishima made a pitstop at the prince’s quarters to pay visit.

“I saw that,” Kirishima commented, relaxing the moment the door closed behind him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bakugou tried to brush it off, but he knows that he’s been caught.

“I’ve never seen you like that around a princess, before. You like her?” Kirishima teased. Bakugou let out a breathy smirk.

“She’s interesting, that’s for sure,” he admit.

“I mean, what was she saying out there? Out of character for a princess, right?” Kirishima finally let out a laugh.

“So out of character that it was funny,” Bakugou, too, let out a small laugh. A moment of laughter passed and Kirishima got serious.

“You think she’s the one you’re looking for?” he asked. But Bakugou couldn’t say for sure.

“We’ll find out after this trip, won’t we?” Bakugou grabbed his iconic cape, draped it over his shoulders and powerfully made his way to the front entrance.

By the time that you were finished getting ready, you made your way to where Bakugou and a group of soldiers was getting geared up. You were dressed in a lighter, more fit for travel, dress. If you moved, the dress wouldn’t be in your way. Although white, your servants packed you many more dresses just like the one you were wearing. Your hair was flowing naturally down your face, leaving an ethereal, fairy-like appearance.  

Bakugou has brought several soldiers along for the trip, all either carrying a box, securing it on the cart, or making sure that all the materials are present. Insides the boxes ranged from a variety of things: food to wood to medicine supplies. You weren’t sure why you need so many things, but you thought it was for safe precautions? Bring more so you don’t worry about it.

“Your highness, everything has been prepared,” Kirishima announced, saluting to his highness. Bakugou stood tall with his signature glare that didn’t seem to faze Kirishima at all.

“Double check?”

“Yes, your highness.”

“We have extra food and clothing?”

“Yes, your highness.”

“The tent is packed?”

“Yes, your highness.”

“Weapons are secured?”

“Yes, your highness.” Bakugou flared his nostrils and nodded his head.

“Good man. Let’s head out!” he bellowed. On cue, all of the soldiers that were coming were hopping on their horses. You looked around nervously. You had never ridden a horse before, let alone seen one in person. Did they expect you to know to ride one? But there was no extra horse for you. You were about to ask Kirishima but then, a hand is reached out to you. Turning around, you see the Blood Prince, himself, giving you his hand.

“My lady,” he gently grabbed the tips of your fingers, bringing them to his lips. His gaze never leaving yours for a second. You were expecting him to kiss your hand, but instead, he gently laid his lips on top of his thumb where it rested between his lips and your fingers. Heat rushed to your cheeks and you couldn’t stop the shocked expression that was blatant on your face.

The prince helped you on the horse but what you weren’t expecting was him to hop on the same horse right behind you. His presence closer than what you have wanted in such a short amount of time. His arms reached around your waist to grab the ropes, unexpectedly pulling you closer to his chest.

Sitting in front of him, you were as stiff as a board. You couldn’t relax your shoulders because if you did, you would be resting against his body. The beginning of the ride was met in silence. No talking was happening, not even among his solders. Talk about an awkward trip. You hoped it wasn’t going to be like this the entire trip. You would be so miserable.

It took a while to escape the palace grounds, but once you did, you were surprised by how beautifully green and luscious the scenery ahead of you was. The sight bestowed upon you was nothing like your imagination. From the rumors, if the prince was that bad of a person, then surely his kingdom would portray that same image: full of poverty, death, killing, blood. But no. His kingdom was thriving.

In order to continue on with the trip, you and your crew had to pass by the local town. The people looked content and happy. They were flourishing! There were many stands selling essentials such as clothing and food. Others were selling odd objects foreign to you. The smell of meat grilling and sweets filled your noise. Kids were running around without a care in the world. There was so much going on that you didn’t know what to focus your eyes on.

Bakugou happened to look down at you, only to see your eyes wide with excitement and wonder. Your head twisted left and ride to grasp the whole world around you. Bakugou looked at you and back at what your eyes were focused on. Behind you, he had signaled his soldiers to halt and move to the side. But you had noticed immediately.

“Why are we stopping?” you asked, curiously.

“One of these idiots forgot something.” Bakugou made up on the fly.

“But we didn’t forget anything,” the soldier with electric blonde hair commented, so quietly that you couldn’t overhear him. Kirishima just nudged him in the gut to shut him up. “Would you like to explore with me while they get it taken care of?” Bakugou asked. You were surprised but intrigued by his question. This was probably the only time in your whole life that you could explore in such a manner. You had to take advantage while you could.

“Please,” you say.

And just like that you looked like a child exploring the world for the first time. And really, that’s what it was. All your life, you served the princess. Your earliest memories were of the palace. You never knew what it was like outside the palace. Everything fascinated you: the food, the smells, the sights, the clothes, the jewelry, the accessories, the people. How could you not know about any of this?

Bakugou watched you closely as you explored on your own and smiled to himself. He was not expecting the princess to act like such a kid.

“You must never get out much in your kingdom,” he comments. You look at him with a shy smile.

“Was it that obvious?”

“Maybe just a little,” he jokes. Your shy smile turns in a more comfortable, laid back laugh.

“I’ve never been outside the palace walls. It’s a first for me,” you say. You weren’t wrong. You were speaking for yourself, but you’re sure the real princess was able to explore her kingdom.

“Now that won’t do. Get whatever you want, my treat,” Bakugou offers to you. Your eyes up once again like a kid. Bakugou gives you his head of approval and now your options were opened like you never imagined. Anything you wanted? What did you even want? You felt like just looking was a treat for you. You were about to decline until the sight of the street food caught your attention. You got a closer look and the smell just enticed you immediately.

From there, it was nonstop to discovering new foods. You tried all these sweet that you didn’t know existed. It moved from food to trying on luxurious clothing and feeling fabrics that was foreign on your skin.

You were following Bakugou around blatantly. He was commenting on some things to help educate you better. But your eyes were so easily distracted. Due to the overflow of people, if you didn’t pay attention, you could easily get lost within the crowd. Unlucky for you, the moment you looked away, the prince had already disappeared from your vision. Panic ensued in you. No matter where you turned your head, you couldn’t see that tall, blonde anywhere.

“Bakugou!” you reached out, terrified. Thank god Bakugou has good ears. The instant you called his name, he was already looking back for you. You reached out and grabbed his forearm, tightly, determined not to let go. Your actions caused Bakugou to become flustered.

“Don’t get lost,” he scolded. Idiot¸ he thought while covering his mouth and looked away. He wanted to hide the very clear blush that was on his cheeks.

A/N: As always, I would love to know your thoughts! The adventure officially begins now! If you would still like to be tagged for future chapters, please let me know! They are always open!

Spoiler! Next chapter will make your heart go doki-doki <3

Tagged: @superblyspeedydragon​ @melasnchz-things​ @animexholic​ @bkgwrites​ @sam-i-am-1025​ @apexqueenie​ @katsukibabe​ @germfart3​ @tspice283​ @angie-1306​ @bakugous-trauma​ @bakugousmrs​

After scene credits:

“Oi, you seeing what I’m seeing?” Kaminari, one of the soldiers chosen to tag along, observed. Kaminari and Kirishima were resting on top of the roofs, getting a clear view of you and the prince.

“Shut. The. Fuck. Up. Kaminari,” Kirishima rubbed the temples of his head. Kaminari pouted and continued to drink out of his canteen.

“I’m just saying,” he mumbled, sadly.

[missdawnandherdusk]

A Death Eater and a Dancer

Ballerina!Reader X Draco

Summary: Request: @peachesandpink​ Ooooh draco malfoy with a professional ballerina or a figure/ice skater who gets pretty famous in the Wizarding world after the war?

A/N: Okay, so I am in no way a professional dancer (hi, writer here) but! I do know the basics of theatre (hello, theatre kid here) so, please enjoy this lovely Phantom of the Opera esque one shot of a very headstrong witch and a very distant trying Malfoy. Also! Say hello to a new form of magic user and some lore! It was fun to experiment with!! Let me know what you think!! Love you guys bunches!!

Five years wandless. That’s what Draco had to endure. He supposed it was better than Azkaban, but without a wand, it was almost as if he had no magic at all. He was never good at wandless magic, and he doubted that there was anyone who was willing to get near him to teach him.

That was four years ago.

Now, he had worked his way up in the performance industry, using his inheritance to fund the arts as a patron—something he had always enjoyed as a child. Maybe it was an unhealthy coping mechanism, clinging to something that made him feel safe and innocent again, but there wasn’t much of another choice that he had. Wandless and magicless, he was trying to keep his head above the water.

And there was something enchanting about his most recent investment: the Saltota. A group of wandless magic users that harnessed magic through dance. Their performances were renowned and revered. Draco remembered their routines from when he was a child as well, always attending the holiday recitals with his parents. Their elegance and majesty always struck a chord in his heart.

____________________________

“Did you hear!?” Rehearsal for tonight’s show had just ended and Meg was all but bursting with excitement. “Draco Malfoy has just invested in our Saltota Faction!”

I looked up from my bag, shock on my face.

“Malfoy?” A small smile lingered as I remembered a boy from my first year in Hogwarts, before I had transferred to a Parisian school to pursue the path of the Saltota like my mother before me.

“Only the most eligible bachelor in the Wizarding and Muggle world,” Meg sighed, leaning against the lockers. I rolled my eyes at her antics.

I knew the stories, and the papers, and the tabloids, and the rumors, but despite it all whenever I thought about Draco, I still saw the Slytherin protegee who I shared my classes and House with. Not the Ex-Death Eater who was apparently the most eligible bachelor in the Wizarding World.

“Do you think he’ll remember you?” Meg asked eagerly.

“It’s been years Meg,” I scoffed. “He probably doesn’t even remember my name,” It was a sobering thought. “He probably wouldn’t care even if he did.”

“He might care,” She pointed out.

“And you think what? I’m just going to go up to him, say ‘hey, remember me? We went to school for one year together and now you’re the most datable bloke in the world and I’m a dancer, want to go out with me and maybe convince me to give up my life’s work for love?’” I gave her a flat look.

“You sell yourself short, Y/n,” Meg sighed. “You know that you’re the best of this Faction. If he’s the most eligible bachelor, you’re the most sought bachelorette. And who said you would have to give up dance?”

“Men like Malfoy are all the same,” I scoffed. “All they care about is their own careers and can’t bear the thought of their lady outshining them, so I think I’ll pass.”

“I think you’re wrong,” Meg muttered, lacing up her pointe shoes.

I rolled my eyes again and shook my head. There were more important things to worry about. Like the recital tonight. Not some ridiculous fantasy of love. Fairytales didn’t exist and they didn’t happen in the real world. They were stories to dance to, that was it. Tonight, was no different as the production of The Tale of The Three Brothers was being held.

An air of stress and excitement rested on my shoulders as I had the role of representing Death throughout the show. It was considered one of the hardest characters to perfect in Saltota Magic. But it didn’t matter much when the music began to play. Then I could get lost in it and the stress and pressure faded around me as I fell into the melody. It was the only reason that I stayed with dancing through the years. I never cared about the status or the money or the schools. Instead, the melody and the way that for once my body knew what to do, lending itself completely to magic.

It was opening night and anxiety and adrenaline was coursing through my veins as I did the final touches on my hair and makeup, making sure that everything was in its correct place. Magic sparked along my skin as I went through a few final stretches and warm-ups.

The curtain parted like red waves, and the bright lights hit me as the audience applauded. With one deep breath, the music began, and I was Death, and this was my story.

___________________________

Draco had always loved the theater and he had always loved the production of the Three Brothers. Sitting alone in his reserved theater box, he was quickly enamored by the one who portrayed Death. The name on the playbill struck him familiar... but he couldn’t quite place the name.

With careful eyes, he watched you throughout the performance, enraptured by how the magic flowed from your fingertips, your skin. How it radiated in the very air around you, bending to your will as you flitted across the stage with grace and poise that had his heart stammering.

Asking around after the performance, he learned a lot about you. The Governess of this Saltota Faction—a strict woman who without a second glance could be mistaken for McGonagall— spoke highly of you. Though there was a teasing note in her tone as she suggested perhaps, he remembered you from the single year of schooling you shared with another before you attended her school in Paris. It left him wondering if she was kin to McGonagall after all.

Yet, a smile brushed his lips. That’s why your name stuck his memory. You had been a Slytherin with him in first year. Draco tended not to dwell on his memories of Hogwarts, but the small sliver of first year was not the most unbearable thing to reminisce upon.

“May I remind you, Mr. Malfoy, that my apprentices are not to be ogled at. Miss Y/n does not have time for... distractions.”

“Of course,” Draco remained composed. “I was merely curious,” Your Governess didn’t seem convinced.

Even still, Draco had flowers sent to your dressing room, with only his name attached to the bouquet—that was slightly ostentatious. He wondered if you remembered him. Then he wondered if you wanted to. The thought dampened his mood as his past came to haunt his mind, dragging him back down until his face was barely above the murky water that threatened to drag him under every waking moment.

______________________________

“I told you!” Meg screeched, taking the flowers from my hands. “I told you that he would remember you! Oh, my stars!” She acted as if Draco had sent her the flowers and not me.

My fingers brushed over the parchment that held his name. Sighing, I vanished it.

“Meg, I told you. I don’t have time for this! Some silly romance...” I huffed and spelled away my makeup with a flutter of my fingers.

Though the rest of my Faction was crowded around me, hemming and hawing at the note and the flowers and the idea of any one of us being courted by Draco Malfoy, my thoughts were far from their senseless gossip. A dark part of my mind toyed with the thought that he was doing it to use me. It was no secret that Malfoy was sentenced to be wandless and thus created his interest with the Arts. The way of the Saltota offered an alternative to that. I had a wand, yes. But it was rarely used anymore.

I didn’t need it to use magic. It was the true way of the Saltota. To offer and use my body as a vessel for the magic that existed all around. It was why the Saltota Ultas were so revered. They were one with magic, with nothing holding them back at all. And nothing, for me, meant no Draco Malfoy coming in to become something.

It didn’t stop the flowers, however. After a while, I expected them. And it was a waste to throw them away or watch them die. So maybe I used a simple Curator Spell and kept them alive in my flat. And maybe against my better judgement I let Meg convince me to meet him one night after the last performance of the season.

“Malfoy?” I called softly, making my way into the Opera House foyer, brushing by other suitors.

He turned, and I was caught at an impasse. He was strikingly beautiful, his features sharp and defined. Though they were reminiscent of his father, there was still the softness there of his mother... and something that was completely his own in the mystery of his grey eyes.

“Miss Y/n,” He dipped his head politely. “May I say you danced beautifully tonight, as always,”

“Thank you,” My voice was barely audible above the noise of the excitement around us, but it didn’t hide the slight blush on my cheeks.

Everything that I had planned to say to him, every accusation, and every question fell from my lips as we studied each other in some sort of silent standoff.

“Would you care to go somewhere quieter?” An amused smirk reached his lips as his eyes darted to the bustle around us. “Or... perhaps not. I wouldn’t want to be a distraction,” There was a malice note on his last worn as his eyes tightened, the smile disappearing.

“I suppose I do owe you for all of the flowers,” A smile toyed at my lips. “I believe I can afford an outing. With an old classmate,” I drawled the word.

“As you wish,” He offered his arm, and I took it.

We ended up at a small café in the quiet night of Paris, far from the thrill of the Opera House. Draco was nothing, if not a gentleman. And maybe I could see why he was considered the most suitable bachelor in the Wizarding World. If I wasn’t careful my nothing might be something. I had left the hope of love and romance a long time ago. I had to.

“How long did it take you to remember me?” He asked softly, drawing me from my thoughts.

“I could ask the same question,” Leaning my elbows on the table and resting my chin on my hands, I raised an eyebrow at him. “I never forgot you, Draco,” The words were soft.

“You didn’t?” He seemed genuinely surprised. “I would think since... and well,”

I gnawed on my lip, my thoughts following his. The war. And the Dark Lord. It was the one thing that had me so close to the edge of giving up being a Saltota. We weren’t allowed to interfere with the war at all. It wasn’t our place; I had been told time and time again.

“One hardly can ignore the most eligible bloke in the Wizarding World,” I teased softly. “Especially when he sends you the most ridiculous flowers every night. I must say, you have the other girls in my Faction enamored and jealous.”

The smile I had been trying for quirked on his thin lips.

“And what of you? What do you think?” Draco raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. “I’ve never had a suitor that I entertained before, and I’m not quite sure with you either, no offense,”

“Your Governess mentioned something about that.” He leaned back in his chair, a calm expression on his face that I could see right through— he was defensive.

I gave a solemn nod. A silence lingered between us for a moment. I broke it.

“So, you’re obviously invested into the Arts, tell me what have you seen? Any of the Muggle greats?”

“Muggle?” He almost laughed. “Why would I go to see a muggle performance?” 

I gaped at him.

“Are you kidding me?” I was baffled. “What do mean you haven’t seen any of them? Theatre is theatre, Draco.”

“But it’s muggle,”

I rolled my eyes. “You know nothing, do you?” It was a soft accusation. “The Saltota use dance as a way to harness magic, you know that much I assume. But our traditions are not just for magic users. There are those born magicless who still pursue the art of our dance. It is not about who can use magic, but those willing to keep the tradition alive.”

“You mean to tell me that Muggles use Saltota dances?” He seemed almost enraged.

Sighing, I began again. “I recognize that it might be hard for you to understand, but the way I learned magic was not just how to use it, but to also appreciate all it has given. The secrets we carry are not ours to keep, rather for magic to choose.”

“You act like magic is a sentient being,”

“Well, isn’t it?” I smiled softly. “Tell me, when you first got your wand, you felt it. The hum that sparked on your fingertips. Or, forgive me, the burn of the mark on your arm. Magic is as much alive as you and I are,”

His grey eyes narrowed, his face falling into a scrutinizing gaze. I could see the flecks of anger in his eyes and the conflict that resided behind. It was another silent standoff, but I wasn’t backing down. Magic was sacred and not for man—not even the Draco Malfoy—to control.

“I see,” He was all but seething before me. “You obviously know more than I ever possibly could,” The words were sharp and biting, his fists clenched.

“Draco,” My stubborn flare faltered under his harsh tone. “I... I apologize, I never meant to imply—”

“I think your intentions were quite clear,” He hissed.

“It was still rude of me to...” My eyes dropped to the table as I took a sharp breath in. “Thank you for the tea. And the flowers. Goodnight,”

Wordlessly I stood and left. One glance back and my eyes met grey storms of emotions.

“I don’t have time for distractions,” I whispered to myself, hurrying down the lane. “...and I do not fancy Draco Malfoy.”

Only one of them was truth. 

___________________________

Draco watched you leave, regretting letting his pride get in the way of speaking to you like a rational human being. What did you know of his past anyways? You would never understand the weight on his shoulders of the Dark Mark that resided on his arm, or his dark past that shadowed him every waking moment. All of this because he couldn’t entertain the idea that muggles tread on your art form.

What did muggles know of magic anyway? They were ignorant.

But you had insisted otherwise. The theatre. Muggle theatre. Though his love for the Arts ran deep, he never considered looking into its muggle counterpart. A consequence of his parents, he supposed.

Staring at the ceiling late that night, you weaved into all of Draco’s thoughts, with or without permission. Draco groaned and dismayed that he was actually doing what he set out for. It took a few tries but eventually a familiar voice answered the other end of the line.

“Minister of Magic, Granger speaking,” 

“Hermione, I need a favor,”

As soon as Hermione graciously filled him in on Muggle theatre, Draco easily secured two tickets to the next performance occurring at an Opera House not unlike of his own patronage. Now he only hoped that you would still talk to him.

“Miss Y/l/n?”

Your eyes flash to his as you stand, the other girls from your Faction all observing you as he pulled you away from your practice.

“Malfoy,” You were cautious and reserved. “Is something the matter? Something that you find unsatisfactory with my dancers?” Your face remained collected, but there was a mischievous look in your eyes.

You were toying with him. Testing him. He shook his head solemnly and ushered you to a foyer away from the rest of your Faction. You eyed him, questioning.

“On the contrary,” He played along with a smile that would have any other girl—or bloke— swooning after him, but not you. The same curious look remained upon your face. “I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to the theatre this evening. The Palais Garnier is hosting The Phantom of the Opera and I thought maybe you would care to join me?”

Shock flitted across your features as your collected demeanor fell flat. Your eyes narrowed at him as you began to say something but paused in the midst. Regaining your composure, you began again.

“This wouldn’t happen to be a date, now would it Mr. Malfoy?” A smirk rose on your lips.

“Please, Mr. Malfoy is my father,” Draco stressed, not enjoying the formality on your lips. “And this is simply an outing between old classmates,” He chose your words from the night that seemed lifetimes away.

“I see,” You tilted your chin back slightly, “I’d be honored to accompany you, Malfoy,” You dipped into a graceful curtsy.

That night he arrived at the studio and chauffeured you to the Muggle Opera House. You were simply stunning in your muggle attire, not doubt looking as if you were an aristocrat in their society as well. There was an air of prowess about you as you held yourself high beside him.

Though it was difficult for him to be among so many muggles, you had no issue with it. And perhaps, if he wanted to admit it to himself these particular muggles weren’t awful and barbaric. It seemed as if even a few recognized you, asking for photos or a signature. You gave them gracefully, not fretting about the intrusion on privacy.

In his private box, near and above the stage, you two settled. There was excitement in your features as he could feel the buzz of magic dance across your skin. As the curtains raised and the orchestra started it’s overture, the smile on your face grew. He nudged your shoulder gently, nodding to your hands, where they had begun to summon a lighting charm he assumed. Your face went slightly pink as you pressed your hands firmly into your lap, quite sheepish.

He found it endearing, to a point, that theatre, even if it wasn’t your own, could elicit this response from you. Then, he understood why you were so elated by the show before you. It captured his attention, and though it held no inkling of true magic, it was far from being magicless. It was at the intermission that he found himself wanting the show to continue without pause.

“I believe I owe you an apology,” Draco murmured softly as he led you to the foyer where cocktails and hors d'oeuvres were served. “You were absolutely right,”

“Is that so?” You sipped on a tall glass of champagne, the rouge of your lips staining the crystal glass, a mischievous smile on your lips.

“You know, not everyone can get me to admit that I was wrong,” Draco drawled.

“Is that supposed to make me feel special?” Your teasing tone had strengthened. “That the great Draco Malfoy has admitted to me that he was wrong,”

“It should,”

A laugh fell from your lips, a beautiful sound.

The play ended all too quickly, and soon he was standing beside you, outside your flat building in the upper part of town.

“Thank you for tonight,” You smiled softly. “I had a wonderful time,” 

________________________________

I leaned against my closed and locked flat door, not able to rid my face of the smile that resided there. It was almost too easy to be with Draco and the company he offered. A perfect mix of elegance and mischief. Then came the sobering thought:

“I do not fancy Draco Malfoy,” I reminded myself. 

But don’t you? My psyche whispered back.

I didn’t want to answer her.

Rising with the sun, not much planned for the day now that it was my off season—meaning I had at least my early mornings to myself—I started a pot of tea and picked up the Daily Prophet that was nearly destroyed by my anger as I read the front page headline:

Ex-Death Eater Caught with Esteemed Saltota Dancer in The Muggle Theater: Moving on or Malicious Motive?

There was a photo of Draco and I together in the Opera House, last night, looking quite cozy with one another, laughing. The picture moved, as I expected it too, and I almost forget why I was so upset, because the photo held the golden feeling from last night as I gazed upon it. I didn’t linger long however because there was an incoming call from the front desk—Draco Malfoy was requesting to come up.

Quickly throwing on a house coat, I opened the door, seeing a very anxious looking Draco at my doorstep.

“Good morning,” I tested, letting him in.

“I am so sorry, you have to believe me,” He paced the floor, not giving me a second glance.

“Uh, alright,” I closed the door, locking it. “Sorry for what exactly?”

“The article. I’m having my people take care of it. I knew this was—” He didn’t finish the thought.

“Take care of it?” I asked with a careful step towards him.

“The photos. The newspapers.” He snapped as if it were obvious.

“No, I get that, but why?” My hand reached out, resting on his shoulder. He stiffened and jerked out of my grasp.

“Why?” Draco hissed. “Because you shouldn’t be with me! Because I could have just ruined your entire career! This was stupid and selfish and reckless of me,”

“Draco,” My eyebrows furrowed as I took another step toward him and placed my hand on his shoulder again. He didn’t shrug me off this time. “Are you ashamed of me? Of last night?” It was the one thought on my mind.

“No,” His answer came quickly. “No, of course not. We went out. We enjoyed each other’s company. It was a fine night,”

“Then why are you so upset?” My eyes met his unsteady grey ones. “Draco, it’s sweet that you’re worried about me. But I can handle some press. Drama tabloids and what not. It comes with the job,” I paused a moment, “And if it were to be anyone, I’m glad it was you,”

He went quiet, his hands balling into fists at his side. “Did you read the article?” His tone iced his words.

“Not yet, no. You called up before I had the chance,” Another moment, another thought. “And I really couldn’t care less about that it says. It’s gossip. And I won’t apologize or worry myself over a wonderful night spent with a friend,”

“Friend?”

“Well, I mean, unless you’d like to strictly stay as old classmates,” It was a teasing tone that seemed to alleviate some of his tension.

“No, I quite like friends,” There was a smile on his face for the first time that morning.

Draco stayed in my flat for a few hours, having breakfast and tea with me. Overlooking the city on my balcony it was almost too easy to be with him and that golden feeling was back in my chest. We talked about nothing and everything, avoiding heavier topics that didn’t seem to fit in with the rising sun.

And despite my dismissal of the gossip column in the paper, Draco and I both agreed that maybe it would be better if we laid low for a while, keeping out of the public eye. Which meant our morning teas in my flat became a sort of normal as we avoided the busy streets below. He would then leave, off to meetings and who knows what else as I kept up my dancing regime with my Faction.

There was something to be said of my Faction. Since the first article and the few that followed, they all seemed to eye me warily, knowing the contents that I didn’t bother myself with. Meg was begging me for details, but I simply shook my head, informed her and the rest of my dancers that we were merely friends, colleagues. None of what the papers said was true.

“But he is, was a Death Eater,” Kelsey insisted one night after practice. “Aren’t you the least bit worried that he might hurt you? Or try to use you? He is wandless after all. And I hear he’s pretty cozy with you,”

“I wasn’t aware that it was my secret to keep,” My eyes narrowed. “You know as well as I, that magic is not ours to withhold from those who ask,”

“But he’s using you!”

“And so, what if he is!” I shouted. “That would not change who I am nor what I strive for! Now I am to hear none of this talk any longer! It is not our place to withhold the magic of the stars and it is certainly not your place to tell me what to do with my life!”

All of the girls were staring at me as I breathed deeply, storming out of the studio and into the crisp air of the night. There was a certain edge to this night, however, and I could feel it as the Dark Magic grazed my skin. My eyes darted around the well-lit street and to a darkened alley: the source of my unease. A dementor. In the city.

“Can’t I have just one night!?” I huffed, rushing towards the alley, set to alleviate the Dark Magic and restore balance to the energy and magic around me.

Then my heart dropped.

The dementor had a target. Wandless and defenseless, Draco back against the alley wall, looking terrified and hopeless. Ditching my bag, I closed my eyes and focused on the Light Magic passing through my limbs as I threw my body into precise fouettés, feeling an equilibrium restore around me. Settling into first position, I opened my eyes to see that Draco’s had closed.

Dropping to his side, my shaking hands fluttered over his chest, brushing his hair from his face.

“Draco!? Draco can you hear me!?” Cradling his face, a new sort of anxiety grew in my chest. “Draco, please, please wake up.”

As if he heard me, his grey eyes opened barely, a sad cough escaping his lips. I aided him in sitting up as he continued to hack and cough, red spots splashing against the back of his hand.

“Okay, we need to get you to St. Mungo’s,” I decided, standing myself before helping him up. 

“I’m fine,” He rasped, waving me off.

“You’re coughing up blood, Draco,” My voice was surprisingly calm for the current conversation. “I’m taking you to a Healer,”

“No,” He protested, stumbling. “P-people will talk,”

“Let them!” I snapped, still frustrated from my spat with Kelsey. “I’m not going to let you die because some reporter might snap a stupid photo!” Slinging his arm over my shoulder, I calmed enough to Apparate with him into the lobby of the hospital, where Draco collapsed.

Healers rushed in around me, taking Draco off of my hands. They asked too many questions and I barely got out the words “dementor,” and “blood.” Another started to pull me in the opposite direction of him, but I refused.

“Ma’am only family is allowed back with him,” The receptionist stammered under my fierce glare.

“Hell with that! I am his family! Now let me back with him!”

The small girl squeaked and let me go as I rushed off after the Healers that carried Draco up to the fourth floor. The anxiety in my chest grew as this was a graver situation that I originally thought if he was being taken to the fourth floor.

“Ma’am?” An adjacent Healer caught my attention. “Can you please tell me the events of what happened?”

“He got attacked by a bloody dementor! What is with you people?! I thought your government was supposed to control those things!?”

“Uh, y-yes ma’am,” The Healer stammered. “But what happened to the dementor? Was a spell cast?”

“Oh, you wizards!” I cursed.

“Ma’am I understand that you’re upset, but please—”

“No, you listen here,” I grabbed the Healer’s robes and drew him close, snarling in his face. “A wandless, defenseless wizard under your government was just attacked by a dementor, who could have killed him, and you’re asking me about what spell I used? Me!? Do you know who I am!?”

“Miss Y/l/n,” A faintly known voice called from behind me. “If you’d please let go of Mr. Thomas,”

I released my hold on the Healer and turned, face to face with the Minister of Magic herself.

“You,” I spat. “You know, we really do make an effort to let you run magic the way you wish but this,” I gestured aggressively towards the room where Draco was being treated. “This draws a line Granger,”

“I understand that,” Deep brown eyes held caution. “And the dementor was not one under my jurisdiction,”

The air sparked around me, charged with dangerous magic.

“You mean to tell me that you have left him wandless, and alone, with Voldemort’s followers still out there!? Are you absolutely daft!?”

Granger held her composure as I spat the words at her. The Healer emerging from Draco’s room broke our tension as my anger morphed into fear and worry at the Healer’s verdict.

“He will be fine. We managed to assuage the Dark Magic in his lungs, and he’ll be clear for release tomorrow morning,” The Healer’s eyes flickered between Granger and I, no doubt aware of the standoff occurring between us. “He is asking for you Miss Y/n,”

I nodded and took a deep breath, not giving the Minister a second glance as I stormed into Draco’s room. His eyes were barely opened as a smile played at his lips.

“My stars, Draco,” I collapsed in the seat beside his hospital bed. “What were you thinking!?”

“I’m fine, thanks,” His teasing manor left a smile on my face as his hand covered my shaking ones that gripped the edge of the cot.

“What were you even doing out alone like that?” I asked weakly. “You scared me to death, Draco,”

“I... I wanted to come and see you. I thought maybe tonight was a good night to... stop laying low,” His cheeks tinged red as he stammered the confession.

A hopeless chuckle left my lips as I rested my forehead on our intertwined hands. 

“And did you really just call Hermione, the Minister of Magic, daft?”

“Yes?” I looked up meekly. “You could have died, Draco,”

“But I didn’t,”

“Oh, because that makes me feel so much better,” I scoffed.

“How... how did you even do that? I’ve never seen anyone actually kill a dementor before,” His voice held melancholy and regret.

“I didn’t kill it,” I defended. “Not really...” I paused, pursing my lips, debating how much I wanted to go into what I had done, and how conscious Draco would be to understand any of it. He waited expectantly. “I balanced the energy. Dementors consist of heavy Dark Magic, so by channeling pure Light Magic, an equilibrium is found. No more dementor,”

When he didn’t offer a response, my gaze followed up to his face. His eyes had closed again and steady breaths exhales from his parted lips. I found myself smiling and reaching out to brush the hair hanging in his face.

“You care for him,”

I jumped up, spinning, ready for a fight.

“It’s alright, I’m not going to hurt you,” Granger smiled. “It’s just nice to see that he has someone looking out for him,”

“Why would you care?” I asked softly, my fingers brushing against his hand.

“You know, when I became Minister, I offered to end his wandless sentence. But he refused. He wouldn’t tell me the reason.”

A smile played at my lips as a sigh soon escaped them.

“He has a habit of that,” My words were small and soft. “Always thinks the worst of himself... like he deserves all of the awful things that happen to him. No doubt he thinks he deserves this dementor attack,” My eyes found Granger’s again. “I’m sorry, for what I said. I...”

“You were scared. I understand that. No hard feelings,” She offered her hand. “Hermione Granger,”

“Y/n,” I shook her hand.

______________________________

Draco opened his eyes again, feeling like he was submerged under water, gasping for air. Even with his eyes open, there was a weight on him. Blinking to clear the fuzziness from his sight he realized that there actually was a weight on him.

Your hands were intertwined with his, as your head was tipped back. Soft snores left your lips as you slept in the chair beside his bed. He would have liked to be alone in the room with you, but instead, his eyes fell upon an exhausted Hermione.

“Didn’t know that a dementor attack warranted a visit from the Minister herself,” He mused softly, not to wake you.

“You act like I don’t feel awful about this,” She muttered, rubbing her face. “And I’m not here as the Minister, not anymore at least. I’m here as a friend,”

“Draco Malfoy doesn’t have friends,” His tone was flat.

“You seem to have at least one,” Hermione smirked nodding to you. “You should have seen her; she was absolutely livid. Reminded me a bit of you when you lose your temper actually. Terrified the poor receptionist and a few Healers,”

Draco chuckled at the thought, before his laugh turned into a coughing fit, drawing you from your slumber. Immediately you were on your feet, tensed and ready for a fight.

“I’ll just leave you two alone,” Hermione smiled at him kindly. “And make sure the papers have the right story,”

You both groaned at that thought as you slumped back into the chair, rubbing your sore neck. 

“Why can’t they just leave us alone?” You whined, a pout forming at your lips.

“It’s a part of the job,” Draco mused, joking lightly.

“This... this isn’t a part of the job,” You muttered. “Press, dating rumors, maybe something scandalous, but not this. This danger...” You shook your head, scrubbing your eyes. “When had it ever come to this?”

“It always comes to this,” Draco’s voice was tight. “It always has. Sometimes I wonder when enough will be enough...”

“Don’t... don’t talk like that,” You grimaced, taking his hand into yours, pressing it to your lips, a warm feeling that Draco marveled at. “You aren’t... you don’t deserve this. No one deserves this,”

“Y/n—”

“No,” You cut him off defiantly. “Don’t give me your Death Eater bullshit. I won’t hear it. You don’t want to believe in yourself? That you might be good? That you are good? Fine. But it won’t stop me.”

Draco didn’t know how to respond to your words. They contrasted everything inside of him. He wasn’t good. He could never be good. He could never be redeemed. Wasn’t that the point of him trying so hard? Because he knew he could never reach a pure status again. His name would never be cleared and now he was starting to drag you down with him.

“Shouldn’t you be at rehearsal?” The words fell from his lips with an air of melancholy.

Your face twisted into confusion, then shock, then anger. You stood abruptly, his hand falling back to his side.

“Do you even listen to me when I talk to you!?” You huffed, storming out of the small room. He thought he saw tears in your eyes.

About an hour later he was released from the hospital and told to stay home and take it easy for the next few days and to come straight back if something went wrong. Brushing off the worried nurses, be walked down the street, finally finding solace in his own flat. His own space.

What he couldn’t escape however was the sharpness and hurt behind your words nor the headlines that littered the papers the next day despite Hermione’s promise to sort them out.

Dementor attacks Ex-Death Eater: Ministry Slip-Up or Rising Fear?

Saltota Dancer Rescues Ex-Death Eater from His Earned Fate

Enraged Saltota Defends Ex-Death Eater: Love or Lunacy?

His eyes paused on that last headline. It didn’t seem as harsh as the rest, in fact, as he skimmed the article, it had a rather positive undertone:

“The Saltota, known for their captivating dance and bizarre magic nature, have never before interfered with the affairs of the Wizards under the Ministry of Magic. Staying out of the war against the Dark Lord, many Wizards believed the Saltota to have sympathies for The Dark Lord, yet a recent incident suggests differently. Y/n Y/l/n, a Saltota Maxima, was seen to have killed a dementor in favor of rescuing Ex-Death Eater, Draco Malfoy. Though her methods of killing the dementor have not been released, it is known that Y/l/n transported Malfoy to St. Mungo’s where she vividly demanded that he be taken care of. When speaking to the receptionist on shift at the time, they reveal that ‘She was terrifying. You could feel the magic like an aura around her as she fought for Malfoy... If she hadn’t been there, speaking on his behalf, I don’t believe that our Healers would have given Malfoy the attention he needed before his injuries became fatal.’ It is known that these two were caught in a Muggle Theatre looking quite cozy with another not a few months ago. It seems their relationship hasn’t stopped there. Is this Saltota Malfoy’s new lover? Or perhaps something more? More on the event on page 37.”

________________________________

“Lover,” I scoffed. “Yeah, sure.” 

I tossed the paper aside and stared up at the stars that spread out over the Parisian skyline before me. My limbs were still sore from rehearsal not hours before as Meg kept me company.

“You don’t want to talk to him?” She offered me a cup of tea. “I know we haven’t been the most supportive, but we’re worried about you Y/n,”

“There’s nothing to worry about.” I snapped then sighed. “I just don’t know what I did wrong...” Tears threatened to well in my eyes as I shoved my emotions down for what seemed like the hundredth time.

“You didn’t do anything wrong sweetheart,” Meg wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Maybe he’ll come around... maybe he won’t. It doesn’t change who you are,”

I smiled and wiped my eyes.

“Thanks Meg,” Looking down I stared at the warm tea. “Maybe it was my fault. I let him become a distraction...”

“No, you let him to your heart. I know you Y/n. I’ve grown up with you. I knew it would always take someone special to get through to you, and well, I think Draco has.” Her comforting words were bordering patronizing.

“I think he has too,”

“Make no mistake, you’re not the only one whose heart has been captured,”

This wasn’t the voice of my best friend, instead a friend... an old classmate... a lover... maybe something more...

“Draco,” I stood, almost spilling my tea. “I... how... how did you get in?”

“Your receptionist let me up and Meg passed me on her way out.” The explanation was simple enough.

“Oh,” My gaze dropped as I set down my mug. Taking a deep breath, I looked up at him. “What are you doing here Draco?” It was a bit harsher than I meant it to be.

“I came to apologize. And to thank you.” 

I raised an eyebrow at him.

“You did save my life. I believe I should thank you for that.” A smile played at his lips before it dropped. “And I’m also sorry. I thought I was protecting you from everything that I go through... but it seems that still, my own self-doubt and loathing got in the way of seeing what was in front of me... that you were in front of me. I know I let you down and I am so sorry for that... but you’ve brought me closer to who I really am, more than anyone else ever has...” He took a hesitant step closer. “There was no excuse for what I did to you, and I hope you can forgive me,”

I nodded, closing the space between us, my hand reaching for his. They were warm in mine, nothing like the cold feeling they held when Draco was unconscious at the hospital.

“And I hope that maybe... I could be a bit more than a distraction?” His hand parted from mine as his lithe fingers tilted my chin back, calm grey eyes greeting mine. “And maybe I could show the world what you really mean to me?”

His lips pressed against mine. Careful and hesitant. And until my free hand curled around the back of his neck and pulled him closer, did he lose his nervousness. And under the stars, Draco Malfoy became not just my something... but my everything.

And we became the most coveted and prestige couple in the entire Wizarding and Muggle world.

A Death Eater and a Dancer.

.

Tags: @coffee-addicti @msmcsmutt @ravn-87 @artemismohr18 @whygz @crazywritingbug @fuzzy-panda @bitemebro522 @zombiesnips-blog @savingdraco@welcometomyworldwithoutrules @akari180 @slytherin-emerald@memalfoy-spidey @queenfeatherwings @fanficflaneuse @go-whovian-universe @spicyshenanigans @darling-im-not-okay-i-promise @dietkiwi @katsukink @takemetothekingdom @strangerr-things @tmnt-queen @hxneybgb @justsomerandomgur@belcvayelena @moviesbooksandfandoms @howdycharlie@xtrashmouthxtozierx @cocochanelthepupper @ninacotte@braelynn-j @jiggllyy @honeymarvel @darcypottah@atomicpunkrock @thiccheerioss @lottie289 @boredashaeck@beautiful-pegasus @tceedlmao @deadlynyghtshayde@iconjuresnapeingrandmaclothes @anonymous034 @bi-andready-tocry @lunna-does-real-doodle @dragonsandbread @okaydraco@the-queen-of-hell-things @cmxreader @alienmotel @oh-itsnothing  @sunflowerxsadnessw  @fattycooter@angelotakunerd08 @thisisahugemistake @fanficsigottaread@gweaslvy @strawberriesonsummer @gaysludge @cleopatera@ray-of-sunrise @artist-bby @shadowsingeraxolotl @peters-legos@quillsareforwriting @ghostlytoadalmondhairdo @wollymalfoy@lilpieceoftoast @paper-cats @floweryjh @sdicapriox @slothgirl22@peachesandpinks @monimillion @hufflautia @livize75 @annie-mcl@riathearora @live-like-luna @justathoughtfulangel @coconutdawn@skteaiy @wannabeskinny-thinspo @naughtygranger​ @queenofmankind​ @dragonsandbread​ @abundantxadorations​ @moony-artnstuff​ @myforeveryoungblog​ @and-then-a-girl-with-luv​ @1-800-luvsick​ @pandas-rice-field​ @strawberriesonsummer​ @jjustsomerandomgirl​ @mrvlfangirl3190​ @loverbbgirlsblog​ @in-slytherin-we-trust​ @emmaa-t​ @introvertedrae​ @infinity1o1​ @stoleurmomsvan​ @echpr​ @sunkissed-hufflepuff​

[sixofkaz]

heyo

so, what are your favourite tropes/aus, and if you wrote a fic, what would the concept be owo

ooh favorite tropes!! i havent read much the past few months ngl but i usually value friendships and good characterization in fics more than anything else as a general rule. im gonna list them out in an attempt to sound more comprehensive:

1. Found family, regardless of whether the members involved were gung ho or very tsundere abt this relationship

2. Enemies to friends (to lovers sometimes but that depends)

3. Childhood friends

4. Disaster Man Becomes Amazing but Reluctant Dad Figure

5. VIGILANTES

6. HEISTSSSS

7. Sloooooowwwwww Burn. almost to the point that if a romance doesnt have slow burn or an already well established relationship im gonna find it hard to ship it hdjhdj (ive read fics where the burn was beautifully slow and so well done i was dying by the end and it all happened in under 8k. honestly mad props to that author i dont remember who it was ;v;)

theres a couple more but i cannot remember what they were for the life of me

as for the fic writing concept:

back in like 2016-2017 when i wasnt allowed a second of internet access for over a year and was handed one of those old old brick phones in case my parents wanted to call me, i typed out a whole 20k+ fic into the notes of that phone (it didnt have enough space so id had to delete the first half orzzzz). bc it was 2016-2017 the fic was for,,,,voltron, before season 2 was ever announced.

(im gonna summarize it like hell bc there was so much lore) this fic starts off with keith dying when he got hit by a truck on his way to get groceries BUT ITS OKAY. it was set in an au where a person is reincarnated 3-4 years after they die. the beginning is in keiths pov till his death and then the rest is from lance's (with sprinkles of alluras). theyre uni students and live in the same apartment. allura and shiro are profs (theres no ships in this, but theres also a possible klance ending bc i love the idea of one particular plot twist).

allura is also leader of secret organisation altea from 10,000 years that got destroyed but she built it ground up. galra are time traveling organisation that destroyed altea. they keep attempting to take over the world by stealing alfors superior time machine plans (and plans for a particular lion-themed ass kicking robot :3) that almost all got destroyed too but shenanigans happened and allura has them, and shes trying to complete the design

allura is like best friends with shiro and by extension the rest of them and incidentally she has tech that detects galra time travel shenanigans (i had the concept and everything worked out for this too. i had so much time on my hands). for technical reasons she cant time travel and also seeing these guys so heartbroken even 2 weeks later is v painful. she tells them abt altea. they travel to the future. yes they meet future keith. yes they follow alluras (and future alluras) instructions and find out that keith was essential to galras takeover plan. as in the galra were killing keith bc they got word from time travel shenanigans that he'd be the reason they fall (im summarizing this so so so much orz)

also ptsd often passes on through reincarnations so Keith is terrified of rain (itd been raining when he died) and trucks and all this exposure to the rest of the hooligans keep giving him flashes of memories from his previous life

they come back with keith. theres a v good reason why and summarizing all this is so painful bc theres so much cool time travel shenanigans shit i was so proud of that im erasing in the summary but its been 5 years and it is 5 am rn but i am so so excited rn i want to write it.

thank u for this ask!! it really got the serotonin flowing ^u^

[neighborhoodmoonchild]

ᾰ̓γᾰ́πη

Pairing(s): Cursed!Seokjin x Reader

Genre(s): Fantasy Au, Fluff, Soulmate Au

Summary: “There’s a story whispered around here. One surrounding the beautifully carved statue of a man at the center of the town. Legend says that when the hand of his true love graces his palm, he shall wake from his cursed marbled slumber. It’s always been a silly old wives tale, until you give in to a friend’s dare.” (prompt idea from writing-prompt-s)

Warning(s): mild language

Word Count: 1.8K

Part I, Part 2, Part 3, ...

taglist: @best-space-boy @maryelixabeth @mochimaw @yeontanismypresident @hannahantonette17 @ign-is @fanfuckingfic @koala-wonderland @suchgayaesthetic​ @dulcaet​

~ if you want to be added to the tag list for this fic, feel free to send me an ask! thank you💜

The statue was no doubt beautiful. At times, it looked as if it truly was just an incredibly pale living man standing still, transfixed by something the naked eye could not see. Stories, old wives tales, the likes, manifested around it, creeping their way into the homes of every person ‘lucky’ enough to dwell within the town. They graced the tongues of parents at each late night bedtime story to their children, snuck into the early morning gossip of elderly women topping off tea cups, and laid dreamily in the back of every young girl’s mind, each one hoping to be the key to end the curse.

Growing up in this small town, it was hard to ignore the incessant buzz surrounding the terrifyingly detailed slab of marble. However, the challenge intrigued you, spurring you on at a young age to scorn those of ‘childish’-enough mind to ever believe in such nonsense as the ‘Story of the Statue.’ How ridiculous could one be to believe that the statue was once a man, and that the only way to return him to his ‘true form’ was the hand of his ‘one true love?’

If one should believe in such a thing as a living hunk of rock, it would make just as much sense to one day find half the townspeople deep in conversation with their hairbrushes.

Insane is a good way to describe it.

Completely and utterly bonkers another.

Much to your dismay, however, the entire town seemed to believe the exact opposite. Placing your hand upon the statue’s at midday became a reveled ritual for the townspeople. Men and women alike took their chance to entertain the mystery; to indulge in their deepest fantasy of being a part of the magic.

It was this 180 of belief from yours that ended in your own scrutiny. Instead of the ‘magical statue’ being the center of ridicule, it most often times was you. You couldn’t count on your fingers and toes combined the number of times you’d heard your name amongst the petty laughter of your neighbors, or caught the wicked smirks of the other girls your age as they hushed their voices as to be ‘undetected.’

It was painfully obvious that your reluctance to accept what has always been a town tradition made you an outcast amongst them all. The only friend you’d had to stick around being the quiet girl in the house neighboring yours.

In all honesty, she was quite drab at times, most of her vocabulary consisting of the words ‘soulmate,’ ‘statue,’ and ‘magic.’ Yes, she was just as deep into the mess of it all as everyone else, it seemed. As much as it pained you to sit through her lengthy airs on how romantic the whole situation was, that she’d do anything to be the soulmate the man was waiting for, she was the only one that had stuck around to entertain your rants.

Maybe her head was so far in the clouds your negative words never truly reached past the tips of her ears, but you were nonetheless grateful to have someone to at least pretend to listen, and she never made you feel any less-than for having differing opinions. Though, it didn’t stop her from picking fun every now and then, claiming that there must be a small part of you that was even slightly curious.

Her efforts to bring forth the inner-believer in you is what led to the present moment you find yourself in.

The face of utter disgust mixed with slight terror must have looked quite an odd combination for someone about to do the most mundane of things one could do in this particular town. It was as normal as walking your dog, or fetching the mail, yet this was a spectacle most could agree on as being anything but.

The nervousness could not be helped, no matter how desperately you tried to remind yourself that this was nonsense.

An intense burning sensation was the only thing your tingling form could truly comprehend, the eyes of nosy day-goers relishing in the sight of the known town hypocrite about to suddenly go against her beliefs. If anything, you seemed to attract an entire crowd, as if you were the main act in a thrilling road show that would come and go so quickly, the people rushed to witness it before it was gone.

A shooting star, a comet across the night sky, or an eclipse perhaps.

‘Get ahold of yourself,’ you thought, wiping your increasingly sweaty palms across the denim of your jeans.

‘It’s just a silly story, all you have to do is touch it,’ your mind reminded you. The more stares you garnered, the whispers becoming a loud buzz in your ears fighting above the rush of blood pounding through, the more your confidence seemed to crumble.

A tiny speck of a part of you wormed its way up through the depths of your being to call out to the reasonable part of your brain ‘what if it’s true?’

In the unbelievable off-chance that you were wrong, could you deal with the backlash of standing so firmly against it?

As you felt the warm push from the instigator of this whole affair, her face adorned with a slightly amused smirk, you realized that even if this whole story is true, there was no way in the universe that you would ever be the soulmate the story talks about.

Your experience with men is virtually nonexistent. The last time you’d indulged in the whirlwind of possible ‘romance’ had been when your middle school crush had kissed you quickly on the lips after school on a dare, promptly gagging afterwards and swearing to the high heavens that ‘girls are gross.’

Maybe you were traumatized from the whole experience, never mind the fact that the men of your town just weren’t vying for the attention of the town laughingstock, but romantic relationships just weren’t a part of your story.

It didn’t really matter much to you anyways, considering all the eligible men are, have been, and always will be, meager farm boys living off what their ancestors have laid down for them. Not that there was anything innately wrong with that way of life, it just wasn’t what you wanted for yourself and your future.

You have big plans, ones that include getting as far away from this place as possible, and no man was going to get in the way of that.

You’d rather die a painful, lengthy death than be a little hometown wife the rest of your life, reduced to nothing more than mindless cleaning, cooking, and birthing children. To be the ‘property’ of some man that could never understand your true potential; your true worth.

So, despite the twinge of fear lacing the edges of your mind, creating a rigidness in your limbs as you crossed the dirt path to the statue, you rose to the occasion, in a sense.

Maybe this would lay to rest the constant chatter of snobby folk, let them believe that, even for a moment, they’d found a way to manipulate you into their way of thinking. Maybe they’d finally stop whispering petty words when you passed, even begin to accept you into their society, not that you were desperate for that.

Or perhaps, it would give you a little more piece of mind, at least. Quell an unadmitted thirst to understand the hype so you could be completely unattached from this silly thing and hopefully move on with your life.

Those things would not change over the few seconds it would take to finish the deed, but as your mind raced through the possible aftermaths of what you were about to do, a change of sorts had definitely begun.

It was like all of time and space slowed around you. The closer the statue came into your field of vision, it was like entering a tunnel, or vortex, that sucked you in further and blurred reality around you.

And then everything stopped.

There, mere centimeters from you, lie the statue. It’s intricate detail and craftsmanship a new level of divine when admired closely. This was the closest you’d ever been to it and it stole the breath right from your lungs.

It was a strange feeling, mixed with the stares, the heat of the summer day, the nervousness in your belly, and the charge floating through the air. An unnerving mix that, shockingly, calmed the thoughts waging war within you. Like everything was numb, quiet, peaceful almost.

“Just do it already!” A shrill voice called out, followed by the sound of agreement flowing through the crowd. It snapped you from your state, reminding you of the task at hand.

With a little less reluctance than you’d expected, your hand reached out in the direction of the statue’s. Fingers shakily outstretching, all at once, your palm slid into the cool marble one.

It was smooth, yet you could feel every ridge and line like that of a human hand. The cool feeling of the marble against your clammy flesh was surprising considering the temperature the day had suffered through.

You hadn’t even realized your eyes were closed, breath held, until you opened your eyes upon the exhale, coming face-to-face with...

A statue.

You couldn’t help the anxious giggle that slipped from your lips like a mad woman.

You were right, well, at least that was one possibility. You’d touched the damn thing and nothing happened, just like you’d expected.

So why, among the rush of relief, was there an aftertaste of disappointment on your tongue?

The crowd, mildly satisfied and admittedly bored, had begun to disperse as you stood there, hand still placed in the statue’s.

Even though you’d bit the bullet, gotten it over with, you weren’t sure what to do now that it was done. For some reason, you couldn’t seem to pull yourself away, tell your friend ‘I told you so,’ and get on with your life, finally free of the unknown.

That same familiar warmth that pushed you here found its way back to your shoulder.

“Alright, you’ve proven your point...for now. Let’s go.”

Without turning your head to acknowledge her, you looked up into the face of the hunk of rock. For a fleeting moment, you felt as if you were staring into the eyes of another human being.

Without a word, you slowly turned to retreat back to your home, emotions a frenzy you couldn’t quite understand, let alone share with another soul.

As you began to take that first step away from the thing, your hand slipping carefully out of its grasp, you felt the smallest bit of movement behind you.

Before you could turn around on your own, something warm wrapped around your wrist, spinning you back to face the creation that plagued your mind.

Only, you weren’t met the the stark white of the marble, but the ivory tone of skin. Stiffly sculpted hair now flowing freely, dark, with the wind. Empty, pale eyes now filled with a deep rich brown, struck wide as emotion after emotion swirled within them.

Shouts and gasps echoed throughout the square, eyes of every villager as wide as their gaped mouths, returning to their prior posts, the show ending with a twist no one could have predicted.

Mind and body going into an immediate state of shock, there was no time to process anything at all before the weight of the now-man collapsed down from his pedestal onto you.

So the stories held some truth after all...

To Be Continued...

[ariella884]

Voyager Book Club - February Favorite Fics

So I put forth a challenge of sorts to our Voyager Book Club. I asked everyone to pick ONE Voyager fic that they consider to be their favorite. Now, you can imagine, this is pretty freaking hard! There are so many incredible fics out there. I didn’t say it had to be the best written, or the most in character. I gave examples such as: the one you read over and over or your go-to fic, however you want to phrase it. It was pointed out that a favorite fic can change every hour based on your frame of mind and what you are in the mood to read at any one moment. I get it. Even so....I challenged everyone to only pick ONE. And they did it! Or most of them! I got around 20 different favorites picked! So here is the list of our Favorite Voyager Fics, why they were chosen and by whom. Happy Reading!!

Note: Click on the name of the fic for a link to it! Also, this list is in no particular order.

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@curator-on-ao3: ‘Fragile Things’ by @mia-cooper

“Fanfic is about exploring possibilities. That’s what put this fic over the top to be my favorite. In Fragile Things, MiaCooper examines multiple versions of one relationship, pulling different threads to see how things unravel or knit together. It’s thoughtful, it’s meta, it’s realistic as hell, it’s damn good writing — it’s MiaCooper and it’s excellent.”

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@ariella884(yep, that’s me!): ‘2013′ by PCBW (@pcbw)

“I had a hard time choosing my favorite (like most people here), mostly because as i was gathering them all from everyone else I kept seeing ones and going, ‘Oh! I love that one!’.  I also didn’t want to have any duplicates so I had to change mine a couple times, that being said, 2013 is easily one of my top three (which of themselves is almost impossible to pick just one. I’m lucky that my other two were chosen already and I didn’t have to!). I love 2013 because it is a modern AU, without being a completely modern AU. No, that doesn’t make sense. But you get our Janeway and Chakotay, Starfleet officers and all, and you get them in the modern world. It’s incredible! We see the challenges they go through of being taken from everything they know and put into a world that is pretty much unknown to them. Add to that the personal differences they have to work out together. Splash in the normal challenges that we all go through when trying to live a life in this day and age (jobs, house, money, love, family, etc). This is just an incredibly beautiful story that I have read many times and will continue to read over and over. It’s also a long fic and those are my favorite because I like to get completely involved in stories!”

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@mia-cooper: ‘Deceiving’ by QuantumSilver

“Because it starts with a canon event that is absolutely devastating and shows just how devastated Janeway and Chakotay are by it (and Tuvok and Ayala as well, though they only make a brief appearance). It shows Janeway at her absolute best - every last inch the captain, going above and beyond for her crew not just physically but emotionally in spite of the absolutely gut-wrenching cost to her - and it really kicks off with one of my absolute favourite tropes: mutual pining to the Nth Fucking Degree.

It has Chakotay being every bit the commander, backing her up even though he's dying inside, and REFUSING to let her shut herself away even though he KNOWS she's going to want to murder him for pushing and pushing and pushing at her.

And then OH MY GOD, he's deliberately getting on her every last nerve just so he can wrench honesty from her because he knows if she doesn't tell him how badly he's hurt her, how she's absolutely bottomed out because of him, she will never open up to him or anyone else again.

AND THEY DRINK WHISKEY OMG GIVE ME KJ AND C UTTERLY MISERABLE AND DRINKING WHISKEY LIKE IT'S WATER AND PINING LIKE FUCK AND NOT SAYING A WORD BUT BLEEDING TO DEATH FROM THE HEART AND I WILL DIE HAPPY FOREVERRRRRRR

I'm sorry for yelling but this fic makes me want to rip off my clothes and run up and down the street screeching how everybody should read it and they are just BRUTAL with each other and they STILL do not understand, refuse to, CANNOT understand, that the other would not just die for them but MURDER WHOLE FUCKING ARMIES FOR THEM and it's tragic and devastating but then oH MY GOoOoOODDDDD

So that is my favourite fic and the one i read approximately every two months or more if i really hate my writing that day and want to torture myself with How It Should Be Done.”

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@bizships: ‘Fealty’ by MsDisdain

“My favorite story. I honestly don’t have to think about it. It’s one I always go back to.

I love the way the crew pledges their loyalty to her and the way subtle way they tell her that it’s okay that she’s happy too in that they effectively give her Chakotay for her birthday, by way of him “fighting” Tuvok(Starfleet)  for her hand.”

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@arcadia1995: ‘The Space Between’ by lauawill ( @joyful-voyager)

“The Space Between is a story I return to time and time again when I'm feeling down.  I like that it realistically portrays what might have happened between Janeway and Chakotay right after the returned home in Endgame.  I like that no one in the J/C/7 triangle ends up being a bad guy.  I like the hopeful ending and imaging what might have happened after the fade to black (lots of sex!!!)“

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@wishful-thinker-87 : ‘if you came this way’ by tree

“It’s always a go to for me, even though I don’t usually like AUs. The sex is intense and emotional. The characterization is pot on. And we get Phoebe being an awesome sister and some Chakotay/Molly bonding too. What’s not to love?!”

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BlackVelvet: ‘Bluffing the Crowd’ by @ralkana

“Even after years since i read this, just thinking about this story brings a warm fuzzy feeling to my heart and a huge silly grin to my face. I simply love it.”

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@purpledog47: ‘The Future is Ours’ by Dawn

“My favorite is most definitely Dawn’s ‘The Future is Ours. This is my one fic. It’s super long and it tells us what happened after Endgame and it has a little bit of everything in it: angst, romance, hurt/comfort, Q, babyfic, romance.” 

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@amoderngirl: ‘Time and Distance’ by northernexposure

“If I am ever loosing the thread with J/C, I can always read this and I am immediately in love again.”

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@coffeeblack75: ‘Soft Light’ by northernexposure

“There are so many reasons why I love it that I can't even, haha. I'll start with: it was the first piece of fanfic smut I read, so I love it for that reason - my first time haha. More importantly, it is just beautifully, beautifully written - it's plotted beautifully, it flows beautifully and the pacing is spot on. The author has complete control over all of that & over the language, which is just used masterfully. There's so much subtley going on in this story too - the author doesn't spell everything out for us and instead draws us to the details that reveal what is important - the beginnings of these two getting to know each other. Gosh, it's so hard to articulate haha! But lines like this just make me shiver in delight for their beauty and what they reveal: "he was kissing her, with a lot more sweetness than was wise. Ah god, I could go on and on but perhaps I'll finish with my favourite bit, which is when C feels that first stab of lust & realises she might too & tests his theory by blowing softly on the back of her neck. This moment, omg, the moment is just so beautiful, so quiet, so pointed and private and intimate. You really feel that moment as if you are there. Ahhhhh :)

Also….there are two sequels to it that are equally as wonderful ;)  

Oh and one more thing I adore about this story is the way that the C thinks he is lusting after KJ but it is quite obvious he loves her - even before they come together - but he hasn’t realized it yet. The way the author does this is just incredible - so deft! Everything for C is about taking care of KJ … it’s just beautiful.”

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@caladeniablue: ‘Lifeline’ by helenagray ( @picking-daisies-in-the-outfield)

“Why do I like that fic? An unfinished WIP at that (Started in 2013; last update in Jan 2019. No indication how many chapters to go.) The perfect serial story and that's part of the attraction for me.

The first chapter sets the scene: raw Janeway, alone, without the backup of her ship, her crew or Chakotay. Bare of essentials and with only her courage and intelligence and sheer determination to help her survive, and even she wonders how long those will last her.

And while we learn about Chakotay and how he seeks her while the crew has to move on, I am drawn to Janeway most of all.

The fic jumps back and forth across locations and in time from that first chapter to catch up with it again some 20 chapters later, but there is no jarring. The reader knows immediately what KJ is experiencing , but the past events that led to that situation are as important, and that's one of the many attractions of this story. No overlong flashbacks, no tedious info dump. It's all layered, making one wait for the next chapter and the next one, while knowing all the time where KJ has ended up.

The writing is gorgeous, which is a bonus. And it is pure J/C, distilled to its purest by separation.  Perfect.”

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@keiraniels: ‘Bad Ensign’ (Series) by @curator-on-ao3

“Ok so I chose Curator’s ‘Bad Ensign’ because I come back to it often - - it’s such a freaking brilliant idea that I can 100% imagine being canon, and it inspired so many Voyager Bookclubbers to write Bad Ensign stories”

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@cnrothtrek: ‘War Torn’ by @curator-on-ao3

“Why? I had the pleasure of beta reading this story, and I am so glad that I did. It has a great plot, is well-written and perfectly paced, and is hard to put down. The way it pulls together two pieces of canon backstories for Miles O’Brien and Kathryn Janeway is genius. The characters feel so real and their voices can be clearly heard in the text. And the supporting characters of Captain Benjamin Maxwell, Will “Stompie” Kayden, and Molly Walsh are incredible. The story is intense, absorbing, and emotional. I just can’t say enough good things about it.”

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@theshortywrites: ‘The Dragonfly Oath’ by Koneia

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@emmikamikatze: ‘All the Good Things We Never Did’ by northernexposure

“This story brings me to tears, makes me smile and shiver and fear and worry. It's given me phrases that won't leave me, that keep repeating itself in my head even months (years) after first reading it. There's just the right amount of show trivia to make it a fanfiction, but little enough to make it a unique and original story. ne makes me fall in love with these characters all over again as if I didn't know them beforehand.

This story is special and precious and it speaks to me on so many levels I can hardly comprehend how genius it is. It's a literary masterpiece of fanfic if there ever was one.”

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@missmil: ‘Here I Stand’ by lauawill

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@manalyzer13: ‘Gravitation’ by northernexposure

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@grace-among-the-stars: ‘Filling the Void’ by Spiletta42

“Filling the Void is the one fic I always return to. It has my fave ships, JC, PT and D7. Minor characters play major parts and it is just funny. It makes me laugh every time. 

JC’s relationship is really explored from all angles, this is not just your average, ‘the crew get them together fics’, it is so much more. It has sexual tension, smut, humour, sadness and is pure JC BLISS. It always cheers me up and I was so happy when Spiletta42 added it to Ao3 because this meant so many more people would find it.”

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Anonymous: ‘Bent, Not Broken’ by @killermanatee

“This is an incredible hurt/comfort Janeway/Chakotay fic. The story is painfully written from both characters' perspectives, showing how each is suffering in a different way from the traumatic event that has occurred. In the end, their love for each other will help them come together and they will both be able to heal with time, comfort, and support from one another. This is a beautifully told, emotionally heavy story of one couple's love overcoming tragedy. It is my favorite Janeway/Chakotay fic, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to read a heartbreaking yet fulfilling story.”

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@minakotenjou: ‘Mysterious and Curious’ by @h4t08 

“It was so hard to choose - there are a lot of incredible fanfics out there. This was one of the first...shall we say spicier J/C fics I read and for some reason I still think of it often. It's great smut for sure, but I think it stuck with me because of how it all gets tied together at the end.”

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@leisylaura: ‘The Bitter End’ by @mia-cooper

“We have post endgame books but not one about the original timeline, I remember reading “The bitter end” and thinking “this is it, this is what happened”.  I cried from beginning to end.”

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@killermanatee: ‘The Dying of the Light’ by @cnrothtrek

"This fic is such a gorgeous piece of art. I hadn't seen the TNG episode before reading it and when I did watch it I was very disappointed because this fic is just on such a completely different level. The storytelling is so delicate and intriguing, that combined with the poignant and elegant writing style, so that it was impossible to put my phone down. I can't recommend this fic highly enough."

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@cheile: ‘Marooned’ by Soliquilii9 (aka Running Horse)

“I love how she makes the story unfold in slow steady measures.  Also, she filled in the gaps left by the writers in regards to his heritage by using information from her own Cherokee background and it is done naturally (not in an info dump type manner). “

__________

What do you think of our list of Voyager favorites? Do you have a favorite that isn’t on this list? Reply to this post with your favorite!! And if you haven’t read ALL of these fics yet, I strongly suggest you get started!! Have fun and enjoy!!

[animeniacss]

A Palette of Emotions - Artist!Taehyung x Teacher!Reader - Chapter 4 - The Interview

Synopsis: Taehyung dreams of being a professional and famous artist one day, but finds that the sea of creativity can be lurking with blood hungry sharks, as well as bland, motionless starfish. Swimming through the sea of opportunities somehow washed him up onto the shore of Bright Star Preschool, as an art teacher. This wasn’t where he expected to be 4 years into his career, but anything to get his big break though, right?

Feat. BTS, TXT, ITZY, Jisoo (BlackPink), Taeyong (NCT)

Genre: Romance, Slow Burn, Love Triangle, Drama, School Setting, Working!AU

Length: approx. 5.1k words

Chapter 4 - The Interview 

“Mr. Kim.” You began, leaning forward with your elbows on the table. Your boss only hummed as he dabbed his lips with a napkin. “In regards to this new art teacher-.” Just as soon as those words left your mouth, Seokjin looked up at you, cradling his half-filled wine glass just as he finished taking a sip. “What kind of person are you looking for?”

         “Why?” he asked, setting his glass down. “Do you have any suggestions?” You watched Seokjin lift his utensils, cutting into the expensive steaks that he had ordered for the both of you. Finally, Seokjin had gotten you out to that dinner that he so annoyingly pestered you into. Seokjin was sure to take you to the fanciest restaurant in the area, the ambiance of the building holding a regal and important aura around those who sat idly chatting in beautifully upholstered booths. It was much more expensive than what your preschool teacher salary got you for dinner on a regular day.

         “Well, I just want someone who flows well with what I already have established.” You said simply. “What if you hire someone that undoes everything I’ve instilled in the kids?” A small smile formed on Seokjin’s face as he set his utensils back down on their napkin.

         “What, pray tell, have you instilled in them?” You frowned, leaning back in your seat.

         “The kids are calm and relaxed, they know the rules, they know what I expect of them and how to behave. If you hire someone with different ideas of how the kids should behave, won’t they get confused?”

         “Not if you taught them well,” Seokjin said simply. “You act like I’m going to hire some psychopath with no morals.”

         “You would if you thought that he was cute.” You teased, and Seokjin laughed. “My idea is that if I have to have another coworker, I want them to flow well in school.”

         “That’s why I’m including you in the interviews.” He said simply. “Because I know how seriously you take your job.” Seokjin saw you look down at your food, and he pointed to it. “I paid a lot for that, so you better eat and enjoy before it gets cold.” Glancing up at your boss, you smiled a bit, lifting your utensils as you finally cut into your steak and took a bite. Seokjin watched your eyes lit up as the tenderized meat entered your mouth. “See, told you.” He said happily. As you both continued to eat, Seokjin continued trying to ease your nerves over wine. You had to admit, it was kind of working. “I have a few people already lined up for interviews next week, scheduled once the school day comes to a close.”

         “Alright.” You said. As both of you finished up your meals, Seokjin lifted his wine glass.

         “You still don’t look too convinced about it all.” He teased, grinning playfully. You smiled, lifting your wine glass as well.

         “Maybe some dessert will help change my mind.” You teased. Seokjin’s grin widened, emanating into a fit of little giggles.

         “Wow, you’re a monster.” He said, and a grin formed on your face. You both clinked your glasses as Seokjin leaned back in his seat just slightly, turning his head to wave over the waiter and ask for some dessert menus. As the waiter left the table, Seokjin turned back to you, watching as you set your wine glass back onto the table, offering Seokjin one more smile. Despite still being hesitant about this whole event, you knew you had to at least be professional.

         Hopefully, the new art teacher would share that view.

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

         Taehyung had sent over all of the information to Seokjin after his phone call, and before he knew it, the interview was scheduled for that upcoming Tuesday, when the school day was over. The weekend went by pretty smoothly, spending lots of time sketching out ideas, even getting some well-needed break time by taking a night trip to Itaewon with Jimin and some of their old high school friends for some drinks. Monday was pretty calm as well, Taehyung spending most of it unconscious on his couch because he was up until 4 a. m. trying to transfer a new sketch onto a canvas. It was a pretty solid weekend.

         Then Tuesday hit, and nerves washed over Taehyung like a tsunami wave, swallowing him up under its merciless grasp. Taehyung knew how to handle his nerves, having to sell his art to whoever would even glance in his direction as he stood in the heat of small art convention, or graced the marble halls of a beautiful art exhibit. Those were some high-stakes moments that rattled his body was nervous balls of anxious paranoia, and that was being generous. However, for some reason, the idea that he was getting ready for an interview about an art teaching position where half of the kids barely know how to write their names, was even more terrifying.

         “Is it normal that I’m more nervous about this?” Taehyung called to Jimin through the other side of the bathroom door. He had just gotten out of the shower, and Jimin was helping him prepare before he had to hop in his car and head to work.

         “I think all interviews are nerve-wracking, Taehyung,” Jimin assured. “But you’ll be fine, just show them your art and be honest about yourself. That’s all you can do.” He could hear Taehyung snort.

         “Yeah sure. What am I supposed to say when they ask why I want the job? ‘I need money to fuel my hamburger and boxed noodle addiction?’”

         “…Yes, exactly.” Jimin teased, and Taehyung rolled his eyes. “Hurry up and come out here, I want to see what you’re wearing.”

         “What are you, my girlfriend?” Taehyung scoffed. “I picked the outfit out last night.”

         “Then put it on and come out here,” Jimin said, resting his back against the wall beside the bathroom door. He heard a deep groan of annoyance come from the bathroom. Only moments later, did he see Taehyung step out in what he picked last night. Not only was Taehyung’s hair still wet and messy from the shower, but he was wearing a pair of dirty, old jeans and a tee-shirt that had a myriad of colored paint on it, faded from the endless attempts to wash it out. Jimin blinked, staring at him in awe. “…Tae.”

         “What?” He asked.

         “You’re not going to wear that, right?”

         “What’s wrong with it?”

         “For starter, I think you have more paint on that shirt than you do in your paint drawer.”

         “It won’t wash out all the way,” Taehyung said.

         “I know you have nicer clothes than this. Don’t you want to make a good first impression?” Jimin crossed his arms.

         “I thought it made me look casual and relatively artsy.” Jimin pinched the bridge of his nose, the sigh of disappointment that he exhaled out of his mouth setting on Taehyung’s already heavy shoulder, adding even more weight and nerve onto it. “Jimin, I’m nervous, okay? This is my first real interview in forever. I picked this outfit out when I was half asleep at 4 a.m. last night, what do you want from me?”

         “Come with me.” Jimin took Taehyung by the hand and led him into his room. Taehyung put his hands in his pockets, watching Jimin fling open the closet and scan the row of clothing. Shifting some of the outfits around, he examined the selection with a critical eye. “I love you to death, Taehyung, but sometimes, you worry me.”

         “Thanks,” Taehyung grumbled. He watched as Jimin finally pulled out an outfit. A forest green button-up shirt, with some beige pants. Jimin carefully laid the clothes across Taehyung’s arms, which he quickly outstretched to accept the selection.

“Here. This is casual, yet still screams artsy. Wear that matching coat I got you for Christmas, maybe one of the millions of berets you have, and you’ll be just fine. And please, for God’s sake, throw out of the messy paint shirt.”

“Thanks…” Taehyung said, a bit more sincerity in his voice. Jimin smiled, patting his friend on the shoulder.

“Call me when it’s over, okay? I’m going to be late if I don’t go now.” Taehyung nodded, watching as Jimin exited the room at a quick pace. “Bye! You’ll do great. Fighting!” Jimin’s tiny little thumbs poked up from his fists, and he grinned a grin that made Taehyung chuckled a bit, before hurrying out of the apartment. Once Taehyung was alone, he glanced down at the clothes that were sitting in his hands. After a moment of just staring at them, as if somehow, they would magically jump onto him, he set them on his bedside and tugged his shirt off to change.

Taehyung had time before the school day came to a close. He lived only a short bus ride and few blocks walk away, so he was in no rush to get there. After changing into Jimin’s preferred outfit, Taehyung took the time to stare at himself in the full-sized mirror hanging next to his bed. The green top was a nice pop of color to the otherwise simple beige pants and coat. He took Jimin’s advice and used a beret because he loved them so much. He also found a pair of glasses on his nightstand, a round black pair that he slipped on. He turned his body side to side, hands stuffed in his pockets. Each swivel of his body allowed the coat to float up just a bit, and he got a good look at himself from more than one angle. This would do, much better than jeans and a messy tee-shirt. God, Jimin was just so good at this stuff, it was no wonder he got a degree in marketing. Quickly, Taehyung grabbed his phone and snapped a picture of him in his artistic outside, a selfie angled so that his face was exposed sure, but it was the outfit that he wanted to show off more. When he was satisfied with a picture, it was uploaded onto his Instagram with the caption: Got a lot of things going on today. Wish me luck. ^.^

Taehyung’s eyes wandered to his digital clock that sat on his bed. It was still very early, and Taehyung had time to kill before he had to go. Sighing, he slid off his coat and set it aside, plopping himself down on the bed and hoping to get a few more minutes of shut-eye.

Maybe it was because he was so tired, but the next thing Taehyung knew, his alarm that he had purposely set an hour before he had to leave starting blaring in his room, startling the poor boy upright in his bed. His heart was pounding from the sudden noise and he looked around, his eyes finally resting on the cell phone that was screaming for him to wake up at his side. Taehyung let out a deep sigh, slowing his heartbeat down as he picked up the phone. As he checked the time, his eyes widened. It was 2:30.

“I slept for another 8 hours, huh? Fuck, I must have been so out of it.” Finally stopping his alarm, a deep yawn took his place among the room before Taehyung slid out of bed. Walking over to his mirror, he grabbed his coat and slid it back on. He had to fix his glasses and grab the beret that had fallen off his head as he slept like a rock on his bed. He had to look at himself once more in the mirror, and let out another breath of nerves. Pulling out his phone, he headed towards the door. He had to collect his keys and wallet and slipped on his shoes. He was ready to go, exiting his apartment and closing the door behind him. Taehyung fixed his glasses and headed towards the elevator that led him out of his apartment. At the bus stop, Taehyung took a seat and rested his head against the glass, pulling out his phone and taking a few moments to scroll through social media. The first thing he noticed was a blow-up of notifications he had gotten, most likely for his most recent picture. However, he simply opened his notifications so the big red number would go away. A quick skim of what was written was enough for him.

Oppa you’re so handsome yet again! Be a model, be a model!

Taehyungie-Oppa, you look so chic! <3

Good luck today, Oppa! Your looks are sure to bring you luck!

The last one made him chuckle, but that was all that he needed to see, instead of resorting to his main timeline, where a sea of pictures flooded his phone before his eyes. His friends were still posting pictures they had found after their drunken stupor over the weekend. One of them showed Jimin, Taehyung, and two of their high school friends, Lee Taeyong, and Kim Jisoo. As Taehyung scanned the pictures of the four friends holding up beers, laughing, and exchanging their plates of food for the others to try, he thought back to the night.

“You’re going to try for a job as a preschool teacher?” Jisoo asked curiously, resting her elbows on the table as she looked across the booth at her friend. Taehyung set down his empty drink and shrugged.

“Is it so weird?”

“No, not at all. I think it’s really sweet.” She grinned, tucking her long, black hair behind her ear as she sat back once again. “You just don’t strike me as a preschool teacher type, that’s all.”

“That’s what I said. But Jimin said it was a good idea to try.”

“And he’s right.” Taeyong nodded, wagging his finger. He was already slightly tipsy, and the wagging of the finger proved that. A sly grin formed on his face and he pointed to the soju in the middle of the table. Jimin reached for it and offered to pour his friend yet another glass. “Worst case is you mess up the interview and come out still unemployed.”

“Way to bring up his confidence.” Jisoo glanced at her friend, shaking her head as he offered a dopey and slightly drunk grin. “What’s your experience with kids?”

“Not much,” Taehyung said, finishing off his drink. “But whatever, I guess a change of scenery can help inspire some new art pieces.”

“That’s the spirit.” Jimin and Taeyong said in unison, and Taehyung rolled his eyes, taking hold of the soju and pouring himself yet another cup.

“Well good luck. You’ll need it if you’re working with twenty kids. But I’m sure you’ll go great!” Jisoo said. Taehyung nodded, the duo clinking their glances in solidarity before throwing their drinks back.

Taehyung was quick to like all of the memories they shared days ago, then decided to pull up his profile. He had uploaded a single picture from that night, to which he received tons of comments about not only his appearance but the appearances of his friends. Just as he was about to put his phone away, the bus pulled up and Taehyung got out of his seat, strolling onto the bus and plopping down in the seat closest to the front as he could, resting his head against the window. As the bus began to pull away from the stop, Taehyung thought back to the good luck that Jisoo had given him in their drunken adventures, as well as the good luck comments that poked their way through in his social media.

Hopefully, my good looks will help me be lucky today. Taehyung thought to himself, an amused smile gracing his face as he waved the notion away.

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

The kids were getting all packed up for the day, hastily packing their belongings in the hope that if they did it quick enough, they would have more time to play on the playground before their parents came to pick them up. Hoseok was helping the kids prepare, and you were too, but your mind was on something else entirely. Yesterday was the first round of interviews, and after school, three lovely young women came in looking for the job. They chatted with you and Seokjin, show off their work, and one of them even had prior experience teaching children art. It was…less painful than you thought, but Seokjin had at least three more people expected to come by today, and you were just hoping that lack of pain would flow through the rest of the week. Just as you were trying to distance yourself from yet another headache, you saw Yeonjun, who was hastily stuffing his freshly dried artwork into his backpack. Walking over, you knelt and took hold of it.

         “Be careful, we don’t want to crumple it up now do we?” You asked. Yeonjun shrugged.

         “I don’t want it anyways. I’m just showing my mom.” You blinked, looking down at the cute little rainbow with cotton ball raindrops that you had the kids create yesterday. This was a project that you had thought the kids would like, since it wasn’t just construction paper and glue, deciding that the addition of cotton balls for clouds and rain would be an extra touch the kids might like. Based on Yeonjun’s treatment of the craft is similar to all the others recently, it didn’t seem to be the case.

         “I’m sure your mom doesn’t want to see it crumpled though, okay?” Yeonjun nodded, watching as you gently put it in his bag and zipped it up. “Now sit tight before we go outside.” The little boy nodded, slipping on his blue bag and plopping himself down in his seat, kicking his legs in eager anticipation. You got up, stretching your arms as you headed towards the front of the class again. You saw the students sit around their tables as they talked to their friends, excited to finish their school day. “Alright class, let’s head outside and wait for our parents, okay?” A collective cheer from the children roared throughout the room as the kids hopped up, hurrying towards Hoseok, who was standing by the door and gathering them into a single-file line. You began collecting your belongings at your desk, looking up at Hoseok as a grin on his face.

         “Alllllright!” Hoseok cheered. “Ready everyone?!” The kids cheered. “Alright little soldiers, let’s march!” The kids began to giggle as they followed behind their teacher, his exaggerated marching movements being mimicked as best as they could by the little ones. You watched him lead them out, little feet stomping and shuffling out of the room in glee. A chuckle escaped your lips. Just as Hoseok finished leading the kids away, Seokjin came in with a stack of papers in his hand, waving them to get your attention.

         “Ready?” he asked. “The first interviewee will be here soon, so get that smile on!”

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

         The sound of children screaming in the distance was heard. Taehyung looked up at the one-story building, the South Korean flag flying proudly on the top of the building. He could see a playground in front of the building, where children were running around in absolute glee. Some were jumping on the monkey bars, while others sat in the sandbox and played, and a group of small boys chased each other around, arms outstretched in the hopes of catching the other. Taehyung walked along the fence, fixing his glasses. As he got closer to the entrance, he saw a man most likely around his age, standing beside the monkey bars. He was watching the kids who were climbing onto it, holding his hands out to provide the kids with a safety net in case they were curious but scared. As his eyes continued to scan, Taehyung saw two other individuals standing at the door of the building. He saw them shifting through papers for a moment, the female looking up and looking around at the kids in her care. He noticed her eyes lay on him, and he shifted nervously as he stood by the front fence of the building.

         “Mr. Kim, he’s here.” You said, nudging Seokjin. He glanced up from the papers in his hands and saw Taehyung waiting patiently with his hands in his pockets.

         “Ah, earlier than I thought. I like that.” Seokjin glanced at you, smiling before making his way down the dirt path and to the fence. He saw Taehyung looking at his surrounding kids on the playground. Kids who were hurrying past him stopped in their tracks, curious as to the man. Was he a parent? A baby sitter? They weren’t sure, but he looked kind of cool. “Kim Taehyung?”

         “Ah uh, yes…” He said, his eyes focused almost immediately back on the man before him. “Hello.” Seokjin stuck his hand out to Taehyung quickly.

         “Nice to meet you. I’m the principal here, Kim Seokjin.” He saw Taehyung’s eyes looking around curiously, and he smiled. “I didn’t think you would be so early, the kids normally start leaving within a few minutes, so we tried to schedule a time that wouldn’t overlap with the kids leaving.”

         “Oh, do you want me to come back?” Taehyung asked. “I didn’t realize how close of a walk it was from the bus stop.” Seokjin smiled.

         “No problem. Let’s get this done. Follow me.” He led Seokjin towards the building, where he saw you kneeling beside a little girl with her hair tugged into a set of tight braids. Seokjin called your name, and you looked up, gently sending the girl off before smoothing out your skirt. “This is Kim Taehyung. This is our head teacher-.” Kim Taehyung offered a polite nod as Seokjin said your name. As he got a good look at you, his mind immediately flashed back to Instagram only a few days prior. A bright smile stretched between paint splatters; hair unapologetically messy, kids with emoji covered faces surrounding her, and a picture that held simple yet powerful memories of the previous school year. Now, you stood with your hair slicked back into a tight ponytail, a smooth skirt, and he could tell just by looking at you that you hadn’t had paint on your cheeks in forever.

She worked here?!

Seokjin must have noticed Kim Taehyung went tense for a moment, and patted his shoulder, making the boy look over. “Shall we?” He glanced Hoseok, who waved a hand, signaling that he had the kids. The sound of him calling the kids together to the middle of the playground was heard as Seokjin led both of you inside the building and into his office. He had set a chair beside his own for you to sit on, and another across the desk for the interviewee. Kim Taehyung looked around as he watched you and Seokjin sit down, Seokjin pulling out the paperwork Taehyung had sent over the email. “Hm, alright.” Kim Taehyung shifted nervously in his seat. “You know Park Jimin and Kim Namjoon, right?”

         “Oh uh, well not Kim Namjoon, but Park Jimin is a friend from school.” Seokjin nodded. Despite how nervous he was, Seokjin’s cool demeanor helped keep him calm.

         “He did a great job on our posters.” Seokjin pointed out, and Taehyung nodded in agreement. “So, tell me, what made you want this job anyway?” Right off the bat, the question he joked about but feared answering.

         “Well…” he sighed. “At first, I just wanted it because I don’t have a job right now other than a few social media sponsorships and occasionally selling some of my art.” Seokjin chuckled a bit, but you silently leaned back in your chair. “When I walked to the front and saw all of the kids playing around and having a good time, I thought it would be a nice change of scenery. Besides, I’ll show art to anyone willing to look.” He chuckled. “Even if it’s a few four-year-old.”

         “I see.” Seokjin sighed. “Have you had any experience with kids?”

“Other than my cousins, not really,” Taehyung admitted. “And a few kids that I see during small, local art shows, but those interactions are pretty brief.” Seokjin nodded, scribbling something down on Taehyung’s paperwork. They barely started and he was already writing stuff down?! Oh jeez, this was not going to go well.

“So, what kind of stuff do you want to do with the kids? Our teacher right now likes construction paper projects.” You glared at Seokjin for a moment, only seeing his gentle grin remain on his face.

         “Hmmm, well that sounds nice. I always think art can be done with more than just cutting and gluing. Paintings, sculptures, things that they can get a bit messy with. That usually makes the best art, in my opinion. Plus, I’m sure they would love it.”

         “How will you keep it from getting out of hand?” You asked quickly, and Taehyung blinked. “With the paint and the sculptures. This is almost 20 four-year-old’s we’re talking about. What do you have planned to keep them focused and not make to much of a mess?” Taehyung was silent for a moment, causing you to lean forward, folding your arms.

         “Well, isn’t that what you’ve been doing all school year?” he asked. You blinked, and Seokjin had to muster all his strength to keep his jaw from collapsing off his face. “If you did your job and taught them basic respect towards adults, then I’ll be sure to work hard and keep them on that track.” He nodded, offering a kind smile despite the shade he just smacked you in the face with. You felt your blood boiling, and you let out a slow exhale, nodding. You saw a boxy smile on Taehyung’s face as if he had just complimented you and was proud of it. Without another word, you leaned back in your seat. It only took a few moments for Taehyung to see the anger behind your eyes, and slowly, his boxy smile faded away, and he rubbed his legs a bit. Immediately, his eyes went back to Seokjin, who was struggling to keep a straight face.

         “Okay…” Seokjin choked out, grinning. “Uhm, you said you’re an artist, right?”

         “Y-yes.” He said.

         “Can I see some of your work?” Taehyung nodded, pulling out his phone.

         “I didn’t bring anything physical, but I post everything on social media, from sketches to the final product.” He pulled up his account and handed his phone to Seokjin. He watched you lean towards your boss, the both of you skimming through his profile. Immediately, your eyes shot up to Taehyung, and he jumped a bit at the sudden movement.

         “I knew you looked familiar.” You mumbled.

         “You know him too?” Seokjin asked curiously. “Why am I the only one who had to wait until now to meet him, he’s so handsome.” Taehyung offered a shy chuckle, his cheeks tinting a bit pink.

         “I’ve never met him before, Mr. Kim. I followed him on Instagram like a year ago. I saw his face on my timeline all the time but I never looked long enough to look at the handle if it was his face. Just his art…” Taehyung blinked, watching as you took the phone from Seokjin and continued to skim. “His work is pretty good but too abstract for preschoolers.”

         “I don’t intend to teach abstract painting to kids,” Taehyung said in an almost deadpan method. You didn’t respond, simply passing him back his phone. When he took it, he slid it into his pocket.

         “You’re talented, it’s amazing you said you’re struggling,” Seokjin said. “Don’t you agree?” He looked directly at you, and you glanced back at him. You sighed softly, nodding.

         “He’s very talented, but that’s not what I’m worried about. I’m worried about the kids and what they’ll be getting.”

         “I already told you. I have cousins that are all under 13, and I’m always doing fun finger painting and sculpting, but mostly painting on canvases and they like it.” Seokjin smiled, leaning back.

         “Taehyung, are you willing to cooperate with this little angel beside me so that we have an easy rest of the school year? In reality, we want the same thing, and that’s for the kids to have a good time.” Taehyung nodded.

         “Yessir.” He said. “I want the kids to have a good time.” Seokjin nodded. Suddenly, Seokjin clapped his hands together loudly, making the both of you jump.

         “Excellent!” He said. “Well, Kim Taehyung, I have heard everything I need to hear from you.” He stood up, quickly extending a hand. Kim Taehyung followed suit, stretching his hand out and shaking it, as well as nodding his head politely.

         “U-uh, thank you.” He said. It was that short? He thought to himself.

         “You’ll be hearing from me soon, okay?” Seokjin assured.

         “Right.” He turned to you as you stood up, sighing softly. You fixed your hair, extending a gentle hand in his direction. “Thank you.” He said.

         “Thank you too.” You said gently, nodding your head. Kim Taehyung fixed his coat and sighed, nodding his head one last time before finally excusing himself and exiting the office. Once he was gone, you sank back down in your seat. “Thank God that was so short.”

         “You didn’t like him?” Seokjin asked, writing some more things onto Kim Taehyung’s paper. You glared at him in annoyance.

“Did you hear what he said to me?! He had such a bad attitude!”

         “Oh, he did not,” Seokjin said. “I liked his sass; it was kind of funny.”

         “You’re kidding right?” you asked. “I liked that girl Yenwoo from yesterday. She was a bit sassy, but she was extremely polite, at least more so than he was.”

         “Yeah, but Taehyung was pretty attractive,” Seokjin said. “I don’t know, there was something I just really liked about him.”

         “He’s an Instagram model, he’s probably superficial.”

         “I didn’t get that vibe.” You rolled your eyes. As Seokjin finished scribbling something down, he got up from his seat. “Let’s go check on Hoseok before the next person gets here, hm?”

         “Fine.” You groaned, getting up from your seat. You lifted your bag from the floor and watched as Seokjin headed out the door. Turning your head, you glanced at Taehyung’s paperwork that sat on his desk among all of the other files. You were curious about what Seokjin had been writing down.

         Very handsome.

         Hands-on methods.

         In the running for hire. Very interesting.

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[thebiasrekkers]

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Plot: “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | Mafia!AU | Crime!AU | Angst | Romance/Fluff

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Slow Burn, Smut

Previous Chapters: Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || Admin E’s WP || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,395

Chapter 27: Singularity

“Did I lose myself? Or did I gain you?”

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

“Shhh,” came Taehyung’s voice, breath and lips just barely brushing across the soft skin of the beautiful woman beneath him. “You just got back and you need to relax.”

Her skin tone, a lovely brown, glowed beautifully under the dimly lit lamp of her bedroom. He’d conveniently pulled the curtains to dim the early afternoon light. He smirked, watching as her stomach dipped with a sharp intake of breath and saw it still as she held the same breath she took. He began to undo the buttons that had previously been freed from their restraints with his deft fingers. Her ivory and black lace trimmed bra revealed itself beneath the fabric of the blouse, her cleavage prominent and oh-so-very enticing. Once he undid the final button that he could see, he pulled the hidden bits of the blouse out from inside of her pencil skirt – freeing them as well.

He lifted his gaze to meet Raelyn’s, watching as her dark hues took on an amber glow from the lamplight. She had been feeling down the past few weeks. Work was getting taxing, that much was certain, and while his own job kept him busy, Taehyung always made time to give Raelyn his absolute attention. The party was meant to serve as a celebration for all their accomplishments, for them finally walking the legal path they’d strived to reach. But it was hard to miss the hesitation and tension that permeated between Hoseok and her.

Taehyung was ever observant in this aspect.

It would be a lie if he didn’t say he felt a twinge of jealousy. How could he not? For the better part of a year he’d been pursuing Raelyn, despite her constantly giving him the cold shoulder. Something changed, however, in the last few months. He wasn’t sure if she was attempting to take a chance with him or if she’d fully gotten over Hoseok. She didn’t seem like the type to have lingering attachments, but Raelyn could also be a bit sentimental when she wanted to. She was beautiful and determined to remain free from any sort of shackles that attempted to bind her.

It was why he’d offered up the idea of simply letting things flow as they would. No pressure. And little by little, she started to open herself a bit more than she had in the past. Taehyung was elated at the opportunity, not wanting to waste it or any time once it was presented.

She sighed, bringing him out of his thoughts. The silver pendant around her neck shined under the lamplight and he leaned forward to press his lips on her skin just to the left of it. He felt something pulse at his throat and a ravenous hunger took over. Something was so sexy about a woman completely vulnerable. He could just eat them up.

He could just eat her up.

“You’re killing me,” she said, her hands moving to reach for the waist of his pants. Taehyung’s smirk remained as Raelyn began pulling at the hem of his shirt. “You do know that, right?”

He helped her along, leaning back so he could reach behind him with one hand to pull his shirt up and off his person. Taehyung threw it to the side without a care – hearing it land on the floor with a soft whisper of sound.

“I’ll make it a painless death, I promise,” he whispered, dipping his tongue into her collar before moving lower.

Taehyung pressed his lips to her stomach as he slid his hands beneath her skirt. She shifted beneath his hands and he dipped down a bit further so that they could situate themselves into a more comfortable position on the bed.

“Besides, you know you like it when I take my time.”

He leaned forward, his lips forming into a pout so he could press a kiss against the right cleft of her breast as his fingers wrapped around the fabric of her silk panties. Gripping them tightly, the tip of his tongue began sliding slow, affectionate trails along her skin. As he pulled his hands back, he brought her underwear right along with them. Once his hands were at her knees, he removed them from beneath the skirt as he grasped the zipper at the right side of her hip, tugging slowly to unzip the garment. A soft gasp pushed from Raelyn’s lips and Taehyung smirked, learning down to capture those same lips as he fed on her mouth in an agonizingly slow motion.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, lifting her up so she could shrug out of her blouse – throwing it to the side to join his own shirt. Her hands shot forward, digging her fingers into the meat of his thighs and he growled into her mouth, smiling into the kiss as his fingers slowly danced along her spine. He felt the clasp of her bra and flicked his wrist, feeling the constraints pop free. His other hand moved to rest at the dip of her breasts, curling under the cups of her bra before pulling downward – freeing her.

Taehyung groaned softly, his erection straining against the zipper of his slacks. There was a tinkling sound as Raelyn fussed with his belt, whipping it out of the loops and yanking it with such force that it flew into the wall with a clatter. He broke the kiss momentarily, blinking at her as his lips formed into an open-mouthed smile, his attention on Raelyn’s face as she busied herself with his pants. She cut her eyes at him and he silently obeyed, shimmying out of his pants – his simple black boxer briefs all that remained on his person.

He looked at her, still grinning, noting that she was still in her skirt. And only her skirt. Taehyung clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, as if he was about to reprimand her. However, instead of verbally chastising her, he grabbed for her skirt and yanked them completely off her legs. She gasped, eyes widening with surprise and when it looked like she was about to protest, Taehyung silenced the verbal onslaught by sealing his lips over hers.

The moan of pleasure she released was almost his undoing. He pushed her body down with his own, his bulge practically bursting out of his underwear. Taehyung quickly slipped out of them, wanting to feel all of her against his own skin. Taking a moment to card his fingers through her hair, Taehyung inhaled slowly – taking in her perfume and the hint of sweat that peppered across Raelyn’s skin.

He’d never get tired of it; tired of her. Of waking up to her body molded into his, like jigsaw puzzles lost from the picture but finding each other in the corner of a child’s playroom. Forgotten by all except each other.

He wanted to believe they were a perfect match.

Taehyung’s lips caressed her jaw, his arm snaking down and dipping over her bare stomach - his hand gliding between her legs and relishing in the warmth of her folds.

She called his name, her voice thick with a need of her own; deep and rumbling. It made him ache for her even more; more than when he normally did. Wriggling down, his movements urged her legs to part so he could have his meal. There was no need to hurry. Not today. They had no obligations. Pleasing Raelyn was all he needed to focus on, and he took his sweet time doing just that. He groaned with pleasure as she keened against his mouth, and he drank all of her. He wanted to claim her soul by sucking it right out of her.

He never got tired of her mewling. He knew he never would.

Raelyn’s voice was softer now, hot pants leaving her lips as her thighs trembled against his shoulders. Taehyung wasn’t finished. Not by a long shot. His hands grasped at her hips, thumbs dipping into her skin as he pulled her just a little bit closer. He tugged her to the left, urging her to turn over, and he let his chest fall against her back. His hands gently caressed her ribs, sliding down the length of her arms, finally resting them at her wrists. Fingers curled around her slender wrists, feeling her muscles growing tighter as she reached for everything.

He pulled back to position himself behind her, nails raking up her sweat-tinged spine, and Taehyung whispered her name as his hips moved forward to slide into her in a single motion. He instantly saw stars, blinking them back as he let everything was over her – their motions slow; timeless.

Taehyung knew he wanted this and nothing else. All of her. Forever.

Stroke after stroke rolled from Taehyung and he felt her walls clenching around his shaft, squeezing what little control he had left out of him. His hips bucked into her backside and she cried out, the feel of her orgasm riling him up to the point of release; the need to chase her took precedence immediately. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he held her close as he pulled her back down onto the mattress with him as they fell on their sides.

Labored breathing filled the space of her room and Taehyung nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. He felt her arm resting on top of his, her fingers lacing through his own, and he smiled against the softness of her skin. Still buried inside of her, he could feel her heartbeat in tandem with the throbbing of her velvet heat wrapped around him. He kissed her neck for good measure, and she laughed softly as it seemed to tickle now that the aftermath claimed them both.

For a while, they said nothing. Taehyung often engaged in pillow talk, but not with Raelyn. He knew she was the type to take in and marinate what just happened. This wasn’t the first time they’d had sex, but he treated it like the first time whenever he could think about it. Because it felt more meaningful that way. It reminded him to not take things for granted if he faced them as if for the first time every time.

He heard her sigh. Not a tired sigh, but a sigh that held a heaviness to the sound. Taehyung frowned slightly, his brows furrowing with worry. It didn’t help that he couldn’t see her face, but her body shook softly in his arms.

“What’s on your mind, Noona?” he asked gently, not wanting to come off as nosy but more concerned.

She shook her head. “It’s…it’s nothing.”

“Hey…” He shifted, moving her body so that she could turn over and face him. Leaning forward, he pressed his forehead against hers. “…come on. Talk to me.”

Raelyn looked like she wanted to say something, but didn’t know how to go about saying it. That was troubling all by itself. She never had a problem speaking her mind at any given moment. He didn’t understand why this time should be any different.

Her lips pressed together in a thin line, her brows knitting together as she wrangled with her words internally. Taehyung remained patient, however, wanting her to have complete control of this moment. He reached out with his hand to brush a few stray strands of hair away from her brow. His hand fell along the curve of her neck, his thumb moving in comforting strokes against her skin.

“Is it really over now?”

Taehyung lifted his brow curiously.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…everything? The Golden Jackals, your work? Is it over for good?” She looked at him, like she was trying to look through him. “…or do I still have to worry?”

Shaking his head, he pulled her a little closer so she could rest her head along the crook of his elbow. “No, it’s over, Noona.” Taehyung couldn’t help but to pet her head, as if he was comforting a frightened child.

Her concerns were understandable. It wasn’t like he didn’t get it. He did. When she’d been with Hoseok, they were still at the height of establishing themselves in the criminal underworld. It was eat or be eaten. That was the way of things in a dog-eat-dog world. But like she’d expressed in the past, she was tired of wondering when someone she cared about would come banging on her door, beaten and nearly half dead. Taehyung felt the same when he was fighting alongside his brothers – witnessing the carnage that ran rampant in their world.

It wasn’t like it didn’t affect him. He had his own scars he carried. The difference was that he was never left to suffer alone. All the reassurances in the world from anyone wouldn’t be enough to satisfy Raelyn, however. He knew that. Because things were always so uncertain, especially back then.

He at least wanted to give her a guarantee of some kind.

“Raelyn…”

Taehyung spoke softly, dropping all honorifics on his part. This gave Raelyn pause, causing her to shift slightly in his arms. Afraid she might pull away, he closed his arms around her – securing the comforting embrace he was attempting to give to her.

“…you don’t have to worry anymore. And if you’re still afraid, if you’re still worried, then let me make a promise to you instead?”

She looked up at him, her brows knitting together as she bit the swell of her lower lip and waited for him to continue. He smiled down at her.

“I know you’re afraid to get close to me. Even now, you’re still pulling away somewhat. I accept that. I accept all of it; all of you.” He inhaled softly, feeling her breath shudder across his skin. “And if anything were to ever happen to me, you still won’t be alone. The others? They will be there for you.”

She pulled back to look at him. Raelyn’s eyes glistened with the onset of tears and she tried to avert her gaze. Wanting to indulge her, he moved his hand to rest against the back of her head. He pulled her close, allowing her to bury her face into his chest once more.

“I promise that you will never have to suffer alone. You will never be alone.”

A/N: Omg, we finally made it to the smut. Hang on to your waistbands, peeps. I know it took us a bit, but I hope it was worth the wait. ^_^

[readsky]

June 2020 Reads - Minireviews

5 books this month, including a BIG one. June was a bit slower; I am still not back in work and the weather was pretty terrible, so I didn’t get out much. Lockdown rules have been relaxed a bit, so we’ve had a few friends round that we haven’t seen since Feb. Was nice to just have a few drinks and play some card games (Exciting!). Now, to the mini-reviews!

The Eye of the World (Robert Jordan) I wasn’t planning on reading this, but one of my friends has been telling me to read it for years now. I’ve heard all the “it’s just LOTR fan fic/rip-off”, so I put it off since there’s always so much more original content on my reading list. Then I randomly found it in a charity shop for £2. I took it as a sign that I should read it, and I’m really glad I did! A group of young lads discover that they are being targeted by some very scary and dangerous folk, and set off on a quest with a warrior and a powerful female warrior-mage to find out why the forces of darkness are rising and why they are so interested in them. Are there a ton of LOTR parallels? Yes. Does it feel like Robert Jordan just wanted to be a modern-day Tolkien? Yup. But did I care? No. I recently started reading The Lord of the Rings (I reviewed The Fellowship of the Ring a few months ago), and god damn is that shit a slog. It took me MONTHS to read The Fellowship. I think the only way I could sum up The Fellowship is “dense, whilst simultaneously lacking in detail”. I finished TEOTW in exactly 2 weeks, and while it is dense, the story flowed well, most of the characters are interesting, there’s some badass ladies and there’s enough genuinely well-developed mystery surrounding the characters that I’m very keen to keep reading (although 14 x 800 page books is a lot of reading time to devote to one series, but we’ll see how it goes!). So, was TEOTW special or unique? Nope, but I found it an easy and entertaining read despite its size, and it was different enough from LOTR to keep me interested. Very good. 4/5

Broken Stars: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation (Translated by Ken Liu) I’ve already used a bit of my blog to wax lyrical about how great Ken Liu is. And I’m going to do it again! He’s great! What a guy! In this follow up to Invisible Planets, Ken has picked 16 more short sci-fi stories (and some with fantasy elements) written by some wonderful Chinese authors and again translated them for English speakers. This is just as strong a collection of stories as the ones picked for Invisible Planets and just as varied in their ideas and themes. Particular highlights include Baoshu’s What Has Passed Shall in Kinder Light Appear which is a kind of historical fiction where time for the characters progresses linearly, but major world events such as the Second World War and the Chinese Cultural Revolution are happening in reverse. This instalment also includes some more fun stories, such as Fei Dao’s The Robot Who Liked To Tell Tall Tales which is a really cute story about a King known as the biggest bullshitter in the kingdom, but doesn’t want to die with that reputation, so sends a robot out into the world with the mission to become a bigger bullshitter than the King. And finally, Ma Boyong’s The First Emperor’s Games is a short and fun read that will delight anyone with an interest in video games. I enjoyed every minute of this book and hope Ken will continue to bring Chinese sci-fi to western readers. 5/5

Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Laini Taylor) This was another charity shop find (50p!). Looked like fantasy (judging book by its cover, I know!) and then saw that Patrick Rothfuss had given it a glowing review. Turns out it was well deserved. Karou is an art student studying in Prague and seems relatively normal to her friends. However, she moonlights as an assistant to demonic beings who brought her up after she was orphaned, collecting teeth for a purpose she does not yet know. After a chance encounter with an angel, she finally finds out the truth. This is a beautifully written book. The writing is so visual, and it was extremely easy to picture the characters and their surroundings. The way the author describes Prague made me want to jump on the next plane and go. If I were any good at drawing, I would probably have had a go at creating some fan art. My only gripe would be that I’m not a fan of over-the-top, unobtainable, supernatural type romance, and the last half of this book is exactly that. However, once you start to realise what an important element this is to story, you do start to forgive it. Fast-paced and beautifully written. 4/5

The Book Thief (Markus Zusak) I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, so this was different for me. Since I mainly read fantasy, there’s always a certain “epic-ness” to everything I read. The Book Thief is not epic, but that doesn’t detract from this beautiful story based on some of the most tragic events of the last 100 years. The story follows Liesel, a young girl who is forced to live with foster parents after her own are taken to a Nazi concentration camp during WW2 for being identified as communists. This is a story of her growing up in a poor town just outside Munich and the stories of the people she meets along the way (and her growing obsession with stealing books). But to give it a bit of quirkiness, the story is narrated by Death himself. This was probably my favourite aspect of this story, as it gave an “alternative” view of Death. Death is extremely thoughtful and talks in a manner of helping people “cross-over”. I imagine that the author didn’t have the stereotypical black cloak and scythe combo that we usually picture Death to look like. The vast array of characters makes this book an endearing one and it is one I will not soon forget. 4/5

Senlin Ascends (Josiah Bancroft) I would have to put this into my most unexpected reads category. I’m finding it hard to compare to anything. Thomas Senlin is a school headmaster and all-round fuddy-duddy. He keeps to himself and never gets into any trouble. When he eventually marries Marya, a beautiful, fun, and upstanding young woman, eyebrows are raised. They decide to spend their honeymoon visiting The Tower of Babel, a marvel of modern-day engineering with unique societies on every floor. A tower so tall, no one can see the top and no one can actually confirm how high it is. Senlin has learned everything he knows about The Tower of Babel from a visitor’s guide that describes it as a utopia; the pinnacle of modern and civilised society. However, when they arrive Senlin immediately loses Marya in the dense crowds just outside the tower and he quickly learns that this place is as far from utopia as it gets. This is extremely unique science fiction with steampunk elements throughout, and follows the change in Senlin’s personality and outlook as he ascends through the tower, desperately trying to find his wife. I will admit to feeling a bit deflated about this book about halfway through. The lack of strong and/or independent female characters had me worrying and it seemed to be turning into a “save the damsel in distress story”. However, I was breathing a sigh of relief as I approached the conclusion of the book. Not every female character was a victim! Phew! Overall, a great start to this series and I’m looking forward to reading the second book. 4/5

[lokibug]

Inferno

Pairing: Loki x Asgardian!Reader

Summary: While posing as Odin, Loki busts you out of the cell you were being held captive in, after you refused to give the real Odin information on Loki. Your fire matched, being the only people who could fully handle each other, it’s only a matter of time until trouble finds the two of you.

Requested By: @jackiequick

Song: “Bad Things” by MGK & Camila Cabello

Warnings: Slight Angst, tiny mention of blood

Part 1 Part 2

Your POV

The familiar cold wall comforts my head as I rest against it. My cell wasn’t the home of many comfortable places but I found peace within this moment. My eyes travel down to my wrist at the marking a bit darker than the rest of my skin tone. It reminded me of him. Despite the guards informing me about Loki’s so called death...I don’t believe it. The Loki I know is not dense enough to willingly die, to willingly subject himself to be belittled once again. As far as I was concerned he was going to out live us all. Perhaps this is what attracted me to him in the first place...

Third POV

Loki had just gone on a mission along side Thor and the other warriors. As always, Thor had fought with rage rising from his core and Loki had been there to cool him down. Despite putting his life on the line multiple times...Thor had come home the victor. Praises from all and more importantly Odin.

Knowing that Loki wouldn’t be disturbing anyone if he simply left their celebration, he did so.

He arrived on horseback in a black cloak at the pub located very distant from the palace. Tying his horse on a post just outside, he entered the rowdy pub. Loki swiftly removed the hood of the cloak as he entered and gazed around. He caught the eye of a few and more importantly, you.

You recognized him instantly, he was the son of Odin, prince of Asgard. His raven hair glistened in the very dim lit lights that hung above the bar. You couldn’t deny that he was a sight for sore eyes.

Loki gently sat down on one of the stools. The piano was still being played by one of the drunker men in the corner.

Snickering was heard from a table of men. Your eyes faced them as they held their pinkies up as if they were drinking tea. Obviously, they had been mocking Loki. Loki on the other hand, didn’t face them. The snickering continued as they drank their beer and pestered on with more royal jokes.

“Approach your ruler, rightfully you should face your future king whilst you still posses that tongue of yours.” Loki sternly interrupted while laying his palm flat among the wooden bar.

One of the men, the largest amongst the group, grabbed Loki’s cloak aggressively and turned him around. Loki now faced the man unfazed and expressionless.

“What’d you say to me princess?” He growled.

Loki gently rose his eyebrows and let out a light chuckle before slamming his fist into the man’s gut causing him to hunch over. He grabbed a fistful of the man’s wrangled hair and slammed his face directly into the bar before summoning a sharp edged dagger into his hand. Pointing it directly at the man’s throat and poking it slightly, enough to draw a dot of blood, Loki asked, “Care to announce your bold statement again? You mewling quim.”

The man beneath him shuddered in fear of his life. “E-excuse me your highness.”

Loki let out a dangerously fearsome laugh into the man’s ear before throwing him back, knocking over a wooden chair.

Right then the man left and Loki’s returned to his original position.

The show displayed before you, intrigued you very much. You took it upon yourself to get another shot of liquor.

“Another.” You ordered from the bartender as you placed your last glass on the bar. Your eyes went straight to the other rows of liquor until you felt eyes on you. Those eyes belonged to none other than the prince himself. You nodded at the bartender as he placed the clear substance before you. Knocking it back you turned to face Loki.

“What are you doing here?” You questioned sitting on the stool next to him.

“What is it to you?” He leaned his elbow on the bar.

“Well, it’s not everyday that the prince of Asgard enters a bar—hmm that sounds like a joke I’ve heard before.” You rose an eyebrows giving him a mischievous grin.

He gave you a look of warning, “Seems you know much about myself, lady...”

“Y/N.” You stated and held your hand out for him to shake.

Instead he placed a firm kiss upon it.

“Loki.” He said in return.

“Aren’t you something.” You smirked in his direction.

“Something indeed. The surface isn’t as it seems lady y/n.”

“Please, enlighten me.”

The rest of the evening consisted of one upping each other in your trickster deeds. His tales lead through the inter workings of the castle while yours were through the rest of Asgard, the parts higher class didn’t dare step foot in.

You attempted to contain your laughter after him telling the story of his shape shifting ways and tricking his brother many times. Not taking notice, your sleeve had rolled down a bit. Getting a closer look, Loki recognizes the mark immediately. The tales he was told as a boy flooded his mind as he looked at you surprised.

“You’re a Valkyrie.” He stated grabbing your wrist. Quickly you withdrew it from his grasp and covered up your wrist once more.

Your eyes had a look of menace as you hushed him.

“Was.”

You began getting up from your seat. “Y/N wait—“

“You may be a prince up there,” you pointed in the direction of the castle, “but down here is my territory, I suggest you keep your accusations to yourself.”

With that you walked out of the bar. Loki ran after you desperate to know more.

“What is a warrior like yourself, residing in such a...place?” Loki asked. You grew frustrated before snapping turning towards the man.

“Do you know nothing? I want nothing to do with the throne of Asgard. The word Valkyrie...is simply as it is, a word. Were you not taught the history?”

Loki looked dumbfounded. You walked towards a ledge that led above the waters of Asgard. You sat down trying to calm your rage.

“The battle, you fought alongside the most fierce group of warriors to win back our home.”

You scoffed, “Just like Odin to paint the picture to his favor.” Loki beckoned you to reveal the truth to him. You did just that. Hela. The battle. The massacre of your sisters. Everything.

If Loki thought he despised his father before, he did more so now.

“I’ll grant you the pleasure of knowing that I believe my father’s ruling over Asgard is not incredibly pleasing. For when I become king, I will right those wrongs.”

Yours and Loki’s journey didn’t end there. It was merely the beginning. You two indulged in tons of mischievous acts along side one another.

These things included: Secret horse back ridings...

The wind flowing ferociously through your guys’ hair. The rush of adrenaline seeking through your veins.

“You’re falling behind prince!” You shouted behind you as Loki slowly caught up to you.

“Don’t sell me short love!” He would call out back as he would take the lead.

...Challenging your strength against one another...

“You won’t do it.” You stood upon the cliff, arms crossed amongst the simple armor you wore.

“And what makes you so sure?” Loki scoffed back.

“Because I don’t think you’d want to get your precious hair coated in the water.” You teased as you two gazed at the water below. The night was cold, well more so for you, it hadn’t seemed to bother Loki so much.

“You dare test me?” He questioned as he began stripping down his armor and articles of clothing. He was left in his undergarments and you laughed.

“Oh woah, that doesn’t leave much to the imagination.” With that Loki jumped off the edge and dived head first into the water. You did the same as he had but ended up extremely freezing.

...Of course you two were a match for each other. Your own insane antics matched and this was a dangerous thing. You guys argued. A lot. Sometimes it was simple bickering, other times it was more than that and you wouldn’t see each other for a few days.

One thing led to another and both of your intentions swayed. Thinking you were simply secret friends and nothing more, you two were greatly mistaken.

It was the night Loki snuck you into the castle, casting an illusion over you to look like Sif, you two played harmless pranks among Thor and the others.

Returning to his chambers you two were a laughing mess. He took down your illusion and you thanked him for bringing you. Despite hating the very sight of Odin, you were just glad to have some ordinary fun with Loki.

Maybe it was the fact that you two made up after an argument or the way he looked at you...but you did something you never guessed you would. You kissed him. He hadn’t pulled away. After pulling away he asked, “What was that for?”

“I’m kissing my boyfriend.” You teased nudging him. He didn’t deny your request as you hadn’t known how to properly admit your feelings, neither had he. He had knowledge of many things but properly going about these things was not one of them.

“Hm, sounds like a marvelous plan to me.”

Your romance was something that lasted. It was passionate and there was never a dull moment. Your demons danced beautifully amongst each other.

Although denied of your happy ending, Loki had begin to admit his plans of attacking Midgard...as his father had.

“Loki this is a horrible idea,” You huffed with your hands on your hips, “what do you suppose is to happen?” You stood in the small cottage you lived in.

“I will rule over them all. I will be their king, they will praise me for the god I am.” He said as if it were an obvious answer.

“Is this not enough for you? You do not need to be better than Odin. You don’t need to become him Loki!”

“I am not Odin! I thought you’d want this, once I rule as their king...you will come with me to rule as their queen.” He grabbed your hands and you looked down as they were held together tightly. They felt much colder now.

“If you leave, do not bother coming back. This is your decision.” You spoke sternly.

Loki breathed out of his nose roughly and looked at your figure as turned away from him.

“If that’s what you wish...I-” He hesitated to announce his true feelings to you one last time...but instead turned and walked out of the cottage before slamming the door roughly behind him. Hot tears stung your eyes.

After Odin found out what his adopted son was up to, he knew immediately who to question.

“You are a Valkyrie! You serve me! The throne! You shall give me every ounce of information you’ve gathered from Loki or you will be thrown into a cell for the rest of your days!” Odin boomed, threatening you.

Blood dripped form the corner of your mouth. You had put up a great fight before being captured by the guards. They still held you by your arms tightly. “Then throw me in the cell,” you spit on the ground before him, “I’m not telling a sad excuse for a king anything.” Despite being extremely hurt with Loki, you would never give him up.

Your POV

I chuckled at all the gathered memories. We definitely had an adventure. The books could never compare. The sound of footsteps took me out of my thoughts. Odin had stood outside my cell. His posture seemed off. He smirked, I immediately knew. The illusion had been casted off and Loki was revealed.

“It’s been quite some time my love.”

Taglist: @drakesfiance @sunflqweroses

[mocharoll]

Hey! Wrote another thing! (F!Hawke x Isabela, almost act 3)

I’ve been checking out Isabela’s romance route for the first time and by the time I was done with act 2 this popped up?! Again a very quick one and fairly smol™️  but I hope it brings a smile to your face! 

“Look what the cat dragged in.”

Hawke sashayed her way through the hazy, awed gazes of the Hanged Man’s patrons and towards the pirate queen, flashing her own wicked grin to match Isabela’s.

“You could say that again.”

She wore the willowy, ivory robe from last night’s festivities that stopped just short of her knees, made of creamy silk that flowed and caught the sun with each step. It contrasted beautifully with her warm shoulder length black hair and, Isabela sighed to herself, not so charmingly with her weary brown leather jacket and ankle boots, the colour of which almost makes the flakes of dried mud look like they’re meant to be there. She can always count on Hawke to be the worst at fashion and still look smashing, not that she’s the most qualified person to judge, she noted to herself, idly scratching at her behind and combing through her hair with her fingers. Hawke laughed at her expression.

“I know that look, Isabela, and no; you’re looking wonderful and yes, you can always come to my place for a bath should you wish to.”

She snorted in response, almost spilling her bottle of whiskey everywhere and ruining everyone’s morning, including hers. “Only if you join me. But surely you can’t have stumbled here by chance- it’s too early for your daily visit and too late to still be hungover,” she leaned against the counter and smirked, gesturing at Hawke with her bottle. “Though I’m not exactly complaining, what with you wearing that dress that I could go on for hours about how flattering it looks on you, if half of Kirkwall leering at you when you walk by wasn’t any indication. But maybe, just maybe without the boots and jacket sprinkled with six years’ worth of mud and blood.”

Her grin widened as Hawke turned redder and redder, and they both gave a hearty laugh by the end, Hawke tugging at her jacket and burying her face into her palm half-heartedly.

“You were gone by the time I woke up and I was worried something was wrong, so I went looking for you.”

“Hm? And I’m guessing there I was, in the first place you checked?”

“Exactly. Well,” Hawke frowned. “Not quite, I asked around if anyone had seen you around the docks first.”

Isabela’s smirk softened. “Afraid I might run away on you again?”

Hawke looked up with genuine shock in her eyes, and clasped her hand in hers.

“What? No! Why would I?”

“I wouldn’t blame you.”

“Wh- You made a promise, and I know you wouldn’t break it without good reason. I was worried you were sick and hiding around the docks again!”

Isabela chuckled, more so at the way she said it than the memory itself. “What was it you said? ‘I found you by following the smell of your whiskey and splotches of vomit’? Or shrieked, rather?”

“You forgot the ‘daggers and baby knives’ part, honey.”

She barked out a laugh, in no small part thanks to the pet name. “The what?”

Hawke gaped at her, deadpan. “Andraste’s sword Isabela, you don’t even remember yourself telling me you threw them around because you got mad at them poking at your arse?”

“Ohhh,” Isabela nodded slowly in realization. “So that’s why there was blood down there. I thought it was you.”

“Isabela!”

“Alright,” she held her hands up, “Sorry, I didn’t know you were still upset. You mentioned it first, though.”

Hawke shook her head and brought her other hand to hers. “It’s alright just-… You can’t imagine how terrifying it was to find you like that. You were nearly…” she looked down. “I needed to be sure.”

Isabela sighed, bringing her free hand up to Marian’s cheek, thumb caressing her beautifully freckled cheek.

“I know. And… Thank you. If it makes you feel any better I don’t intend to drink or screw everything up like that anytime soon, hopefully never.” She chuckled softly, hand moving down to Marian’s chin and tilting her head up slightly. “Not with you insisting to clean up my mess for me every time.”

“It’s not a mess,” Hawke whispered, her eyes soft. “And you won’t.”

She can’t be real, Isabela thought to herself. “Don’t say such things. It almost makes me want to believe you.”  

Hawke just gave her that lopsided smile that made Isabela want to throw her drink away and jump into her arms. You’re in it big time, Isabela.

“Right,” Isabela cleared her throat and laid her hand back onto hers. “That still doesn’t tell me why you’re wearing that with those. If you were planning on seducing me back to your house this is not the way to go.”

“Ugh, it’s not like I could have got out fully half-naked.”

“Well you’re already wearing that dress, so why not go all the way?”

“I was in a hurry! And it’s fairly clean. And-…” she gestured to the air. “You know what, I think we should make this a recurring theme. You know, you and I dazzling our opponents’ minds out of their arses with our dashing good looks before they can make a move and then beating them to death senselessly.”

Isabela took a sip of whiskey and smiled into the bottle. “Wouldn’t that also increase the chance of us getting beaten to death senselessly, Marian?”

“Well you know I can’t be trusted with fashion choices. If you decide to go through with any of them then it’s you who should be worried, not me. In all seriousness though,” she pursed her lips. ”I would gladly go along with it to avoid those Maker awful pre-combat one liners. Why do they even do that?! It’s like we’re in a fiction novel!”

Isabela threw her head back and laughed, and gave a small smooch on Hawke’s cheek when she recovered.

“Never change, Hawke. I beg you.”

“Right, but! Does this mean you’ll come home with me? There is still a few hours left until the afternoon we can sleep away.”

Isabela hummed thoughtfully. “That depends. Did you know you were out of cheese and drinks? That’s the reason why I came all the way here to get them, after all.”

Hawke raised her eyebrows at her, abashed. “You keep raiding the fridge every three minutes and you expect me to keep up with you?!”

“Well, you know what you signed up for. And I believe I made my conditions perfectly clear.”

Hawke huffed out an exasperated sigh, trying to force down her smile to keep the masquerade going. “Fine. Not now, but later today?”

Isabela winked at her as they clinked their drinks. “Deal.” The sound of ceramic against glass echoed in the Hanged Man, and some of the patrons grinned and clinked their own drinks in response, some raising their cups and drunkenly cheering at the Champion.