#except half the time it's their first time hearing that about themselves so they look at him like this đŚ
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literally why does he know this
#emily prentiss#spencer reid#emily & reid#criminal minds#criminal minds s04e16#criminal minds 4x16#pleasure is my business#do u think reid hunts down trivia about his friends so he can bring it up in conversation the same way he does his other trivia#except half the time it's their first time hearing that about themselves so they look at him like this đŚ#he could be so scary if he wanted to be#every day rossi goes to bed and says thank you god for putting dr spencer reid on our side#not fic#criminal minds rewatch#my gifs#not a good one. but its mine </3
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Okay but imagine one of the guys actually win the prefect, and they just go rubbing it on the others face by making them wear their respective form uniform.
Except Kalim, he would probably just make them have a sleepover every night and paint each other nails.
ohhh see now I'm imagining all the alternate routes this could take... okay okay I'm so here for this. like half of the cast would totally make them wear the uniform just to rub it in, the other half would just be crazy about seeing them in the dorm uniform at all. I DO have some thoughts on this concept alone... and I'll make another part later yk yk
parts 1 | 2 | 3 | kalim | bad ending
summary: joining their dorms + wearing the uniforms. a proper ending to this type of post: short fics characters: ace, deuce, jack, epel, riddle, ruggie, azul, jamil, kalim, vil additional info: yuu is gender neutral, ruggie is cute, azul is the cutest, vil enjoyers come get your food, maybe a little ooc for some parts
If you thought it was bad before, the news that Malleus intended to marry you made everything about twenty times more chaotic. Bids were upped to insurmountable sums, rumors were spread like the plague, fights were raging through campus as the deadline to donate approached. Even Crowley was starting to feel a little antsy, despite all of the brand new amenities he had already ordered for his office.
Finally, the day came. The announcement was held in the courtyard, where just about any student who had stakes in the matter had shirked whatever after-school responsibilities they had to gather. The prefect themselves was nowhere to be found, though only few noticed their absence.
"Maybe it'll be nice," you say to your direbeast companion, the both of you tucked away in a dark corner at Ramshackle.
"It'll definitely beat living in this dump. You think they got good food in Diasomnia?" Grim murmurs.
You grimace. "Uh... sure. I can't imagine they wouldn't, right?"
Crowley clears his throat, pulling a thin, delicate envelope out of his coat pocket while the crowd eagerly watches on. He takes his sweet time opening it, much to everyone's utter dismay, and when he finally withdraws the contents the entire courtyard falls quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
"And our winner is..."
First Year's Ending
"Ace Trappola, Deuce Spade, Jack Howl, and Epel Felmier. Congratulations! The prefect will be ready at Ramshackle for your collection this evening. I trust you'll sort out the details..."
The four freshman look between each other, a mix of awe and shock on each of their faces.
Everyone else is staring daggers at them.
Vil is the first to speak. "How?"
"We may or may not have sweetened the deal with a few exclusive bonuses," Ace snickers, crossing his arms. Vil rolls his eyes. Deuce sighs.
"We'll be Crowley's new slaves for months after this..."
Jack grumbles from the back of the four. "Well, it was worth it. Imagine if someone underhanded and dishonest had won, and-"
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever,"
The four pause, looking between each other in silence. Then, finally:
"So who will they be staying with?" Epel asks, catching Vil's attention again.
"Excellent question, Epel," the housewarden smiles, stepping back into the conversation. "We would be more than willing to accommodate the prefect at Pomefiore. Our dorm far outshines the others."
Leona growls. "I heard that. Besides, why should you be first in line? We've already housed them before, they were plenty comfortable then,"
"As I recall, you forced them into servitude as penance for staying," Riddle snaps. "Not exactly the friendliest host. I think they would be much more comfortable at Heartslabyul."
The four freshman can only watch in silence as the housewardens break out into bickering with one another about who's dorm is best.
"Soooo..." Ace starts. "Maybe we should rotate?"
Deuce sighs. "For once, you actually have a good idea,"
Riddle's Ending
"Riddle Rosehearts, congratulations! I'll alert the prefect at once," Crowley says, immediately turning and disappearing into the crowd before anything can get ugly.
It doesn't exactly come across as a surprise to anyone- Riddle closely calculated his spendings, taking into consideration Leona's overconfidence, Malleus' stranger proposal, and Kalim's over-enthusiasm.
Of course, with some additional prodding about how no other dorm is responsible enough to handle another person like Heartslabyul, Crowley finally gave in.
And now, you're sat in front of the dorm's rose gardens, suitcase in tow as you make no apparent effort to walk in.
"Thought I'd find you out here," Trey says, taking a seat in the grass next to you. "Feeling okay?"
"Nervous," you admit.
Trey chuckles, much to your annoyance. "I promise there's really nothing to be nervous about. Riddle is really quite happy you're here,"
You find that a bit surprising, though you suppose it's hard to tell when he's excited. He always has this impression of deep psychological stress on him that makes him difficult to read.
"Is he?"
"Oh, yeah. He's been running Ace and Deuce ragged getting ready. He really wants to impress you," Trey pauses with a small smile. "You'll get used to the order of things here in no time. And if you ever need any help, you've got me, Cater, Ace, Deuce... I'm sure even Riddle will take it easy on you."
You smile in return. "Thanks, I-"
"Prefect!" Riddle storms out of the front doors, looking rather well-dressed for a simple Tuesday afternoon. "You were expected four minutes ago! I've taken the liberty of finding your measurements, so your dorm uniform is already ready and inside!"
Yeah. Excited, right. You give Trey a little look (to which he only waves merrily) and start off behind the housewarden.
For a moment, as you follow him, you could swear you catch him humming and smiling. But before you can say anything about it he catches Ace messing with your dorm uniform and starts shouting.
Ruggie's Ending
"And the winner is... no... this can't be right..."
Crowley clutches the paper, bringing it close to his face. He clicks his tongue, murmuring to himself.
"Um... Ruggie Bucchi, everyone!"
The news sends a shockwave through the audience, and everyone turns to the sophomore at the back of the courtyard. The sudden shift in energy is enough to make him drop his sandwich.
"Damn it..." he grumbles, picking it off the ground and swiping the dirt off of it with his sleeve. "Still good, eh?"
"Are you deaf?" Leona glares. "You're just embarrassing yourself now, and me by association."
Ruggie raises an eyebrow. "What? Oh, the lottery-thingy? I'm pretty sure Crowley misread that. He's going senile, y'know,"
Crowley crosses his arms, begrudginly handing off the paper to Azul in the front. He adjusts his glasses.
"It says Ruggie Bucchi,"
"Then someone mistyped it! I'm telling 'ya, there's no way I managed to scrounge up enough before the deadline. I was digging between couch cushions by the end of it,"
Leona looks as if he's about to smack him upside the head. "Would you just get up there?"
"Geez, alright. But don't blame me when someone comes around with the right winner later," he says, trudging to the front of the crowd. "So what do I gotta do?"
"Erm... the prefect is waiting at Ramshackle. You'll collect them and return to Savanaclaw, where you'll be responsible for handling the details."
"Sure, whatever. Let's get to it, then,"
---
Even your surprise is palpable, though you suppose it could be a lot worse. Ruggie has been a pal before, helping you out at Sam's and convincing Leona to let you off the hook when you accidentally annoy him.
Though, he himself seems less than pleased as you step out of your new room in Savanaclaw, dressed in a slightly too-big uniform.
Leona smirks as if watching something amusing and claps, slowly. "Looking good. See, none of those other pompous outfits woulda looked half as nice on you. Nice work, Ruggie,"
Ruggie rolls his eyes and leans back against the wall. Leona excuses himself to find somewhere warm to nap, leaving you two to stare at each other.
"So... what's wrong?"
"Hm?"
"I mean," you say carefully. "You don't exactly seem excited about winning."
"Oh," Ruggie shrugs. "That's cause I didn't. Guys like me don't win anything. I'm sure someone will come to give you away to the right winner tomorrow."
The thought doesn't sit well with you- you're already here, after all, and Grim is gorging himself in the lounge, and you really-kinda-don't-mind Ruggie winning.
"Well, I hope not,"
He raises an eyebrow. "You know I can hardly afford to take care of myself, right?"
"So then we're even. Just don't make me go through all that bidding stuff again," you sigh. "Let's leave it at that."
A brief, though comfortable silence falls over the two of you, and then he grins. "Alright, then. I can live with that,"
Octotrio's Ending
"Azul Ashengrotto!"
Azul's immediate reaction is to collapse. he hadn't really realized how much stress the anticipation was causing him until suddenly his knees were buckling like he was learning to walk on land all over again.
Floyd grabs his shoulder to keep him upright and Jade joins the scattered applause.
"Don't look so pale, Azul. I'm sure this will prove to be a worthwhile investment," he says, folding his hands neatly in front of him.
A part of Azul knows that Jade isn't referring to anything financial, but he doesn't say a word about it.
"Besides," Jade goes on. "It'll be nice having another member of my club."
Both Azul and Floyd groan in unison.
---
Floyd gives you a standing ovation when you walk into the Mostro Lounge, fully dressed in the provided dorm uniform.
Azul, on the other hand, looks away entirely.
"It feels too long," you say, staring at the bottoms of your pants. You're not exactly in a place to complain, so you keep your voice meek.
"We can make the necessary adjustments," Jade says, walking into the room with a tray of tea, his all-too-knowing smile as unnerving as ever. "You look very nice, though. Wouldn't you say, Azul?"
The merman's eyes immediately turn away from Jade. "Hm?"
"Tell the prefect they look nice, Azul,"
Floyd laughs from across the room, clearly enjoying the spectacle. You tilt your head to the side like a curious puppy, not exactly sure what this banter is about. But it's not your place to pry, either.
Azul's face is beet-red. "You... look nice,"
"Thank you,"
"So are they gonna work or what? I'm tired," Floyd whines, lying on one of the couches and kicking off his shoes.
Azul grimaces. "Don't do that, that's disgusting. And I thought we should let them adjust a few days before giving them the option of working,"
"Option?" Jade's grin widens. "My, aren't you feeling generous?"
"I... assume this process has been rather jarring. I don't want any of my employees distracted or mopey. Is that right?"
You blink. "Uh... yes. This whole thing has been pretty terrible,"
Azul nods in acknowledgement as Grim tumbles in the room, wearing a brand new purple and silver-streaked bow. "Can't believe you guys had one of these 'jus lying around! I feel like a million thaumarks!"
You chuckle and scoop him into your arms. "You look very handsome. Just like Azul,"
Azul can feel his soul leaving his body and has to swiftly turn around to face the wall so you can't see him blushing. Floyd laughs.
"Oh- oh I meant the bow looks just like Azul's outfit!" you correct yourself. He pretends he didn't hear anything at all.
Jade breaks the awkward silence with a chuckle. "Ah, what fun this will be. Now, I think it's only appropriate that we give these two a proper welcome dinner. Prefect, do you care for mushrooms?"
Floyd and Azul groan in unison.
Jamil's Kalim's Ending
"Kalim al-Asim!"
Everyone could see that coming from a mile away. The disgruntled mumbles and groans of the crowd are drowned out by the cheers and claps of one sophomore, practically jumping up and down in the middle of the crowd.
"Yes! Yessss! This is going to be so much fun!"
Jamil suddenly looks exhausted.
Kalim runs to the front of the crowd, shakes Crowley's hand, steals the envelope from him, and sprints the rest of the way to Ramshackle.
Your moping is quite abruptly interrupted by a procession of loud knocks at the door, and after managing to summon your courage, you answer them.
"Wh-"
The very second the door is open, a familiar ball of energy is in your arms, squeezing you tightly.
"I wonnnn, prefect! I won!"
Your eyes widen. "You- you-"
You breathe a sigh of relief.
Out of everyone who threw their name in the hat, you couldn't get much luckier than Kalim. Financial problems? Gone. Loneliness? Blown away in the wind. Your chances of getting assassinated...? Well, let's hope Jamil is in a good mood.
Your uniforms are ready, measured to the exact inch, sitting on a set of mannequins that greet you as soon as you're inside.
Jamil is hovering behind one of them, picking at the sleeve of your school uniform for stray threads. He gives you a sideways glance, not exactly looking happy.
"My two best friends in the whole world in the same dorm!" Kalim claps. "You have to try on your dorm uniform, you'll love it! Oh, let me get you some new sheets- we have silk!"
He bounds off down the hall, leaving you alone in the lounge. The silence is thick and uncomfortable.
"Yeah, I'm outta here," Grim says, walking off in the opposite direction.
"Grim!" You whisper-shout.
"It's a preventative measure! No cracker-dry mouth for me!" and with that, he's gone.
Jamil smirks slightly, turning his attention back to sorting the uniforms. "You should get changed while you still can. I have a feeling Kalim will be attached to your side for the rest of the evening,"
You're pleasantly surprised to see how well the dorm uniform fits you, and your return to the lounge is accompanied with a little smile. The fabric is light and breezy, perfect for the dorm's usual weather- you could certainly get used to the perpetual summer.
"Fits well, I presume?" Jamil asks. "You certainly seem to be in high spirits."
"It could be worse,"
"Much worse," he agrees.
A silence falls over the two of you. Eventually, he sighs to himself, watching you out of the corner of his eyes.
"If you ever need a break from Kalim," Jamil says tentatively. "I could certainly find a way to distract him. Just so you know."
You understand the nature of his offer immediately, and though you know it's wrong, you don't exactly say no.
"...Thank you, Jamil,"
Vil's Ending
"Vil Schoenheit! Thank the sevens..."
Though he walks to Ramshackle to collect his prize with a sense of ease, Vil admits that there was a brief moment where he felt anxious about not winning.
Standing in that crowd, surrounded by royalty and nobles, his chances were higher than most but certainly not assured. The very thought of you being stuck with someone other than him was enough to send a shiver up his spine.
After all, how many people on this campus would you feel comfortable with taking your measurements? None, none but him.
"Hold still," he says for the millionth time. "I'm almost done."
Vil insisted on taking your measurements himself, and you had no qualms about that. After all, things could be worse.
"There. I'll have these sent out right away. Pomefiore has many students of your size, so it's likely we'll have a spare uniform for you. That is, until I can have one custom-made,"
"You really don't have to..."
He raises an eyebrow. "Of course I do. You're a Pomefiore student now, I expect you to present yourself like one,"
A knock at the door pulls your attention away from him, though it's Vil who answers it.
He returns to you, dorm uniform in arm.
"That was fast," you say, accepting the bundle of clothes.
"Punctuality is important. Now, get changed, I want to see what I'll have to adjust for you,"
Waiting for your return is almost as nerve-wrecking as it was waiting for Crowley to call out his name. Vil can't be sure why exactly you're making him so nervous now, but it's all he can do to keep from showing it.
The dorm uniform- which you've dawned before- is just as comfortable as you remember. Warm, but not suffocating, soft but durable.
Vil stares at you for a short while before saying anything, simply drinking in your presence.
"Come here. I need to have a look,"
You inch forward, standing in front of him as he turns around you in circle, inspecting every inch. "Well, it fits much better than your last,"
He pauses, stopping in front of you. You look down at your feet, feeling as nervous under his analytical gaze as ever.
Vil chuckles, cupping your chin and tilting your head up to meet his eyes. "You look wonderful. I'll have to help with your confidence, though,"
Good Ending
"And our winner is... M-"
"Crowley!" a loud voice resonates from the very back of the crowd. The sound of hurried footsteps follow it as Trein and Crewel show up on scene.
"We're... we're kind of in the middle of something-"
"You are absolutely not. I cannot believe I had to find out about your little scheme from Trappola and Spade, of all pups," Crewel grimaces. "Are you well?"
"Well I- I-"
"Called it," Ruggie grins. "Totally senile."
Leona rolls his eyes. "Oi! Just read the damn paper!"
"Absolutely not. This is a highly immoral and borderline illegal offense," Trein crosses his arms. "You will all be refunded promptly. Now return to your studies!"
The crowd slowly dissipates, murmuring amongst themselves. Crowley remains in front of the well at the front of the courtyard, kicking the ground with his hands behind his back, like a child being scolded.
Both Trein and Crewel glare. "If you were having such issues with the prefect's expenses, you could have asked,"
"In what universe is giving them away to teenage boys a sound idea?" Trein grimaces. "I can overlook many of the things you do, but this is far too much."
"But-"
"That's enough," Crewel snaps his pointer against his palm. "If the prefect is causing you such troubles, we'll be glad to take them off your hands. In fact, I've already had the necessary legal papers drawn. I've always wanted a pup of my own, you know."
---
A gentle knock at the door rouses you from your melancholy and after some lengthy pestering from Grim, you finally go to answer it.
Outside is none other than Ace and Deuce, looking rather somber.
"No- don't tell me," you say. "I don't even want to hear it."
Deuce sighs. "It's not that. The whole thing got canceled,"
"No- wait, canceled?"
"Someone got caught with their hand in the cookie jar," Ace snickers, but quickly clears his throat after Deuce gives him a sharp glare. "Crowley's negotiated a different solution to the problem."
Deuce nods. "Hypothetically... how do you feel about being adopted?"
#I enjoyed writing this. thank you anon <3#twisted wonderland x reader#twst x reader#ace trappola x reader#deuce spade x reader#epel felmier x reader#jack howl x reader#riddle rosehearts x reader#ruggie bucchi x reader#azul ashengrotto x reader#kalim al asim x reader#jamil viper x reader#vil schoenheit x reader
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No bc imagine youâre over at pornstar!Rafeâs house one night and he hooks his phone up to his TV to play some music while you fuck and it immediately just starts blaring your solo porn. I would literally be so fuckin smug about it that he would fuck me within an inch of my life.đ (Iâd also never let him live it down, Iâd be bringing that shit up when we were 50)
because your ego needs boosted too sometimes. just donât get too excited about it. đŚđ¤Š
Pornstar!Rafe didnât invite girls over very often, his private space was his private space, so the fact he had started slowly inviting you over every week, was a big step to him. It wasnât anything he couldnât handle, you two were strictly just fucking still. ButâŚfuck did you look pretty, naked in his bed as your fingers played with your wet pussy.
He knew things were going to get loud, and with that he tore his eyes away from you to turn on his tv so that he could play music. It wasnât music that played when the screen came to life, it was a familiar solo video that you had shot last year. Your sweet moans blared through the speaker, the realization that he had jerked off to your own porn for his pleasure definitely had your head feeling big.
The smirk on your face, had Rafeâs striking blue eyes flashing a darker color as he realized the power of control he had was slipping and you were winning this time. Just not for long⌠as the man had you folded in half, legs nearly behind your head as he slammed into your hole. Maybe he was embarrassed, but he wasnât going to admit that. Heâd rather fuck your life off with his dick.
âYeah, whoâs fuckin smirkin now?â Rafe spat at you, his large hands coming to nearly smother your face as he used it as support to drill into you.
You gasped, his dick hitting your cervix as his toned hips slapped against yours at his pussy ruining pace. âH-holy shit.. you are so fucking bigâŚâ You cried, eyes rolling back underneath his hands as he basically was trying to erase what you saw on his tv.
Whether you liked it or not, Rafe felt he had been caught showing his obsession with you too early for his liking and he needed to fuck it out of you. âShut up, donât wanna hear nothin out of that whore mouth unless itâs my fucking name.â
You could believe how deep he was, somehow his size still as shocking as the first time. You didnât care how rough or nasty he was, you loved all of it and the only manâs name you wanted to be screaming for the rest of your life was Rafe Cameron.
âRafe! Rafe! Rafe!â It was like a sweet desperate cry of pleasure the way he had you creaming all over his cock much like in the solo video he had watched. Except this was so much fucking better, his dirty self getting off on how you just kept babbling his name. There was no other bitch that compared to the moans and screams of his sweet fucking angel. Yeah his..
His hands that had been covering your face removed themselves, one going to squeeze your throat, and the other roughly grabbing your jaw. âWhat are you fucking doing to me, huh?â He asked, eyes dark and face serious, all while he completely fucked you up in the best, most addicting way possible.
#rafe cameron#pornstar!rafe#rafe cameron x reader#rafe cameron smut#rafe cameron prompt#rafe cameron blurb#rafe cameron concepts#rafe concepts#outerbanks rafe#rafe outer banks#drew starkey#drew starkey x reader#drew starkey smut#obx#obx smut#outer banks
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meeting you for the first time
genre fluff, gojo satoru x fem!reader
warnings none
wc; 873
please do not plagiarise or share my works on any other social media platforms. as always, reblogs are appreciated <3
âsatoru? are you even listening?â his best friends, shoko and suguru wave a hand in front of his face, as they notice the white haired boy isnât paying any attention.
âheâs spaced out again, whatâs going on with him recently?â shoko mutters in annoyance, laying down against the grass as the three of them sit in an empty field, away from the noise.
satoru isnât too sure why heâs spacing out again, in fact heâs not sure why heâs acting this way at all. everything just seems so plain, so boring. he should be happy really, for once in his life, everything is peaceful, his parents arenât nagging at him to ask if heâs finally decided what university he wants to go off to, his aunts and uncles havenât come to visit in a while, which means he doesnât have to deal with more questions of what heâs going to do with his future. the teachers at his school, although they do try, donât come up to him to ask about why heâs been skipping detention and not doing his homework. despite all this peace, he finds no meaning.
âsatoru! youâre doing it again!â this time itâs suguru who snaps him out of his daze, âwhat are you even thinking about?â
ânothing,â he huffs, laying down on his stomach, âabsolutely nothing, thatâs the problem.â shoko and suguru share a confused expression, before staring back at their friend.
âalright, youâŚyou do that manâŚâ suguru pats his shoulder before standing up, âhow about we go to the cafĂŠ near mine? theyâre serving pancakes for half price today.â satoruâs ear twitches, and he jumps right up, his lethargy suddenly dissipating the moment suguru mentions âpancakesâ.
the three of them, with satoru tucked between suguru and shoko, pace down the streets towards their signature cafĂŠ, talking idly about everything and nothing, except that satoru is gazing off again, looking straight ahead of him, without a thought in his eyes.
the street is bustling with life, children running around the park across the road, cars politely following the speed limit, the cyclists ringing their bells to let people know theyâre coming by, well, some of the cyclistsâ
âhey- hey watch out!â a scream wakes satoru out of his stupor, and the cyclist crashes into satoru, the both of them falling stupidly on their asses.
âwhat the hell, why didnât you ring your fu-â he pauses in awe.
âiâm so so so sorry, my bell isnât working, and my brakes are broken iâve been meaning to get them fixed â i swear i was on my way to fix them, the bike repair shop is right down there, iâm so sorry for hurting you, oh my god are you okayâmy cupcakes!â you ramble on before him, and itâs like satoruâs been introduced to paradise.
âit-itâs okayâŚâ amazed, he stands up, and picks your bike up as you pick up the crushed cupcakes on the ground, salvaging what you can, and he watches in reverence as your hair falls down your face, only for you to push it back behind your ear, picking up the next cupcake.
âgod, this is all my fault, is there anything i can do to fix this, iâm so sorry, i ripped your trousers, do you want money? a cupcake? oh my god-â you try to offer him one of the cupcakes that werenât destroyed, to fix the rip on satoruâs trousers.
âhey! itâs fineâŚyou donât need to do anything, except maybe get that bike fixed.â he sputters out, you were so beautiful.
all of a sudden, the world was colourful, he could hear the childrenâs laughs, smell the fresh scent of the pancakes being made right down the street where he was meant to be, and most of allâhe noticed how bright your eyes were.
shoko and suguru watch, with jaws dropped as their lifeless best friend stares at the stranger before them in utter adoration, before they look at each other and hold it in themselves to not laugh out loud.
âum, iâm really sorry to do this, but i need to go fix this bike, but iâll pay you back for your trousers, just find me somehow, my name is y/n!â you shout across the street, as you put the cupcakes back in the broken basket, and cycle off again chaotically.
he stares at you until you disappear again, his heart beating 100 miles a minute. âi just met the love of my life.â satoru almost melts into the ground as he remembers how mesmerising you were, as messy as you were, and he dreams of an entire life with you.
âoh we knowâŚâ suguru laughs.
âhow is she going to be the love of your life if you probably wonât see her again?â shoko interrupts, breaking satoru out of his daydream, and he turns around to run down the direction where you cycled off.
âsatoru??â his best friends scream in unison as he disappears.
âiâm going to find her, iâll be right back!â and he skedaddles down the same corner you turned, to find that stupid bike repair shop, to find you.
and satoru gojo thinks that maybe life isnât so boring, if someone as ethereal as you exists in it.
a/n: hope u enjoyed my attempt at fluff !!
Šď¸tora-ken 2024
#jujutsu kaisen#jujutsu kaisen x reader#jujutsu kaisen angst#gojo x reader#satoru gojo#gojo satoru#gojo x y/n#jjk#jjk angst#jujutsu kaisen gojo#jujutsu kaisen fluff#jujutsu kaisen smut#gojo fluff#gojo angst#gojo smut#satoru gojo fluff#gojo satoru fluff#satoru gojo x reader#satoru gojo x you#jujutsu kaisen x reader fluff#geto suguru#shoko ieiri#jjk shoko#jjk geto#jjk gojo#jjk satoru gojo#jjk x reader#jjk fluff#satoru gojou#gojou satoru
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đN THIS STORY ă a life lived as a human among the fae is one hard-earned. the folk are built of indescribable beauty, and of debauchery and mischief. for some, a life lived subservient to the folk is just fine; but to those who dream of something more, they would spend their lives clawing and biting to make it happen.
you, looking for a way to escape a life as a faerieâs human servant, put a new foot forward thinking that any life could be better than that. but, when your first assignment as a kingâs spy is alongside a brooding, icy faerie man, you begin to wonder what your place in this foreign world really could be.
wc âł 23.2k
pairings faerie!taehyun x human!reader, faerie!yeonjun x human!reader
warnings angst, unprotected sex, voyeurism, orgasm denial, jealousy, angst again, dubious intentions of multiple main characters... poor mc has no idea who to believe
playlists â yeonjun Ë taehyun Ë series
âŚđŞśashlynn's note this part, i put my heart and soul into! i rewrote so many parts and agonized over following the path that i most wanted the story to go downâi hope it shows! xoxoxoxo, love ya! again, this is a long one, so pls let me know about spelling mistakes :,)
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You had hoped that learning of Yeonjunâs relationship with the same crowd who have made attempts on your life would be enough to rattle your brittle heart into sense. You really had. As you watch Taehyun, bent over the war strategy table, though, you wish you had more time to sort it out in your head. You hate the thought of settling on half-baked answers and information all for the fact that time is not on your side. When had time ever really been kind to you, though? It had not made exceptions when you were small and innocent in your cradle, had not slowed down to allow you to at least cherish your final moments a normal child with her human parents. You can only fantasize who you would be if you had been given just enough time to know that gentle love. Even now, time makes your choices for you. Â
Taehyun looks over those metal figurines as if searching for something in them. There are more of them stood and strewn out on the map. It reminds you how you are now faced with a plethora of newer, more powerful players. Â
You miss when this had been a simple spying missionâwhen your path forward had been unobscured and clear. You envy that version of yourself: able to believe that bad things presented themselves as such. The world had been clean-cut. Evil had jagged teeth and foul breath, and good had soft edges and sweet smiles. Youâre not sure where that distinction lies anymore. Â
âHowâs your shoulder?â you say, making your presence known. Youâre sure he had been keen to your presence from the moment youâd entered the estate, though; not only thanks to his better hearing, but also because Taehyun is constantly assessing his surroundings. The smallest insect could hardly sneak up on him. You push off the doorframe and enter the room.Â
He nods his head once in greeting, but he doesnât tear his gaze away from the tableâs ensemble. âItâs doing fine.âÂ
Sighing, you decide not to push it. The sight of that puncture had been ghastly, and it wreaks havoc in your belly every time you replay it, but the tick in his jaw when you mention it tells you enough of how he feels about disclosing whether or not anything might hurt him. How many times in the past few weeks had you forced him to do just that? Itâs no wonder that the two of you butt heads so terribly. Allowing you to stitch him up mustâve been the extent of how far heâd let you see him in need of help.Â
You gesture toward the table. âHave you decided when we leave?âÂ
Taehyun answers you with a strained sigh out through his nose: a testament to how heâd been mulling it over. He levies those figures a few more moments of his gaze as if they might speak an answer for him. They donât. He concedes to their lack of direction and turns to you. âEvery moment we spend here, we risk our identities further,â he starts, crossing his arms over his chest. Â
You wince. He still believes that youâd at least contained some of your identity by taking out those three faeries. You know better. Even the bard in that tavern had known what had happened; itâs why Yeonjun ended up finding out in the first place. Even if not all of them had been a part of that rebellion, itâs reckless to assume that there were no more than that.Â
Continuing, he says, âAnd judging by what weâve picked up, we need to get it all back before the solstice.â He doesnât pace as he thinks. Only the faraway look in his eyes betray the noise in his head.Â
You hate the way it sounds like heâs going to demand that you leave immediately, and you hate how it sieges your tongue and makes it dance into a pitiful ploy to stay. To give yourself some credit, itâs better that Taehyun knows every bit of information you have. This moment is desperate for informed decisions.Â
âI saw Yeonjun this morning,â you blurt. The words bubbled and bubbled behind your lips until theyâd found the tipping point and spilled out. Youâd agonized over what to make of it all for hours: that Yeonjun had been as deceitful with you as youâd been with him, that you are a sorry human girl that had wedged her way into the cross-firings of a war much beyond yourself, that you still have the gall to consider your own feelings despite its grandness... None of that worrying had led you to a conclusion that both your heart and mind would agree on. Â
Taehyunâs gaze snaps to you, contained and remote aside from the twitching at the corners of his lips. The intensity of it makes you waver, but you have no time for wavering. Â
âHeâs... been made aware of our purpose here. He knows that weâre spies,â you say. As you watch him try to piece that together, you add, âHeâs part of their rebellion.âÂ
Now he laughs, barbed and full of mock and disbelief. âThe prince is rebelling against his father? He thinks heâll find the throne like that? Whatâs his plan for when this falls through? For when his father hears of his mutiny? The prince will lose his head.âÂ
The thought makes you nauseous, despite how Yeonjunâs image has grown to be something murky. You donât know what Yeonjunâs intentions are in aligning with the rebellion here. You hardly know anything about his relationship with his father and the High Court aside from the fact that he feels suffocated by his life back there. Youâd assume that thereâs a lot more to his reasoning, but youâve learned your lesson about assuming that you know who people are. The inability to lie comes with the need for secrets. The thought that perhaps Yeonjun is only making a shady attempt for power crosses your mind, but either your own reasoning or your own stubbornness shoves it down. Nobody in faerie would hand their fealty to a prince whoâd taken the throne of a long-standing king by those sorts of means. Heâd be a king with no denizens to preside over.Â
You interject Taehyunâs parade of scoffs. âHe told me that war is coming, that itâs been coming.âÂ
His face drops, and he straightens up. âOf course it is. Itâll begin the moment we return with what weâve found.âÂ
Your lips go a bit numb, and then your fingers follow. You know that this is your dutyâitâd been this all along. It should come as no shock to you that he intends to relay this all to The King. But that was before you allowed your heart to make its home here. How simply he demands that you return to those lands with information that would kill Yeonjun... it has acid crawling a path up your throat.Â
You make your best effort to ensure that your voice doesnât falter as you speak. âHe offered us protection as long as we stay here,â you say. âWe donât have to leave now.â You try to catch his gaze as you add, âWe donât have to leave at all.â Â
You know that Yeonjun plays a part in the rebellion, but you donât know how deep his devotion goes, and you also donât know to what ends you can trust his intentions. How far do his loyalties to the rebellion go? And, where do his loyalties to you stand? The thought that he may have never loved you at all... itâs been a plague to your heart and mind from the very moment heâd revealed the truth to you this morning. Your guilt has chipped away at you without mercyâyouâve spent so many awful nights wishing you could unload your deceptions in front of him. How had it ended up so trivial in the grand scheme of things? How are you the one left feeling betrayed?Â
You really, really cannot imagine having Yeonjunâs blood on your hands. He is one of themâa creature deception, and yet you still cannot shake those stolen nights from your bones. He had been your first. Heâd made this place a home for you, where you had never had a home. Itâs pitiful to search so deeply in someone else for your own strengths; even you can see that. Nevertheless, you do it. You suppose that a pair of warm arms and sweet words will do that to someone, no matter if you know that they could rot you like sweets do the tooth. Itâs not unlike drunkards who find their dayâs comfort in their drinks, even as it rots their body and mind away. Anything for a stretch of belonging and bliss. You're desperate for it.Â
Taehyunâs sinewy words rattle your wandering mind back to reality. âHe tells you that he is a member of the same group of people that have tried multiple times to kill you, and you believe him when he says heâs going to protect you? Still?â he spits, shaking his head. âWhat makes you so sure that heâs not just keeping us from running? That he isnât handing us on a platter to his rebel friends? Youâre going to get us fucking killed.âÂ
Blood roars like frothy-white rapids in your ears, warring with the echoes of his honey-glazed exclamations of love. To some capacity, he had to have meant those words. Faeries canât lie, and he had said it so plainly. He loves you.Â
âWe canât leave yet,â you say, stepping toward him on legs that you fear might collapse beneath you. âYou said it yourself; we canât return without the whole story. If we return now, we could be missing something.â You study the frosty set to his face and suck in a stabilizing breath. âPlease, Taehyun. Please trust me on this.â Â
You sound desperate and pleading, but you donât reel it in at all. You are desperate and pleading. You have no intent of returning as some successful spy and continuing a life of deception and violence. Itâs not who you are; itâll never be who you are. Maybe this world tries to ask it of you, but you refuse to concede to it.Â
âPart of our job is staying alive,â he says, his body rigid. He doesnât like where youâre going with this, you can tell that much.Â
âIs that what you want? To be a pawn of war? Isnât that what we are if we bring this information back?â you challenge. âDonât you think that if the prince of all people has turned against him, then serving at his hand is the wrong choice? I donât know The KingâIâve never even seen him! Why should I be excited to serve him?âÂ
âThe prince has more reason than anybody to want his father off his throne.âÂ
âThatâs not what Iâm saying,â you say, stepping further toward him. Though, it does make you revisit those thoughts. If vying for the crown is really Yeonjunâs intention, you suppose heâd have no problems pleading with you to stay in order to tie off loose ends. You wish you could see it all from somebody elseâs untainted eyes. âWhat Iâm saying is, do you want to be a spy? What has The King ever done for you to earn your loyalty?âÂ
Taehyun looks at you with disbelief, the corners of his mouth tilting down. âI donât care about the damn king,â he snaps, and then gestures down at the table with all those figures. âThe Queen operates on necessary evils. Where she can find a string to pull, she will pull it. My father was her general for a reason. Do you think she would keep him unless she approved of his violence? There is no good side to this warâjust sides. If youâre suggesting that we stay here and try to forget that we came as spies, then you can forget it.âÂ
You glance over at the war table and wonder how youâve become a moving piece in ancient faerie politics when all youâd set out for was a purpose. Youâd been so warped by your bitterness with your upbringing that youâd failed to see how anything could be worse than that. Youâd been so excited that you jumped willingly into dark water without knowing how deep it was, and now your feet canât touch the ground. Is this the purpose you want?Â
âLeave, then,â you say, stepping back. âYou can leave. Just let me stay here. Please.âÂ
Something in Taehyunâs expression flips, so subtle that you canât name it. It unsettles you, your hair standing on edge. There is something in his eyes that you do not like. Â
âSo, thatâs it?â he says, his voice odd too. âThatâs all it took for you to hand your future over on a leash to him?âÂ
âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â you stammer. The only ones with a collar around your neck are the spies. Theyâre the ones who insisted on that geasâthe ones who needed to compel you with their faerie magic to ensure your obedience. Â
âIt means that you got all the way here, uncovered a whole rebellion, and made a life for yourself, not handed to you by a prince, and youâre going to trade it in. It means that youâve let him convince you that you are weak and need to be coddled.âÂ
Your fists curl tight and dig your nails into your palms. âI never wanted to be a spy,â you grit out. Yeonjun is not the reason you want to stay here. He may be part of it, but youâve come to be utterly unwilling to return to that spy den like itâs your home, or something. Itâs not. Youâd slept there for one night. Beyond just your word and that geas, what reason do you have to return?Â
âYou didnât? And yet, itâs what we are, isnât it?â he says. âDo you think that I dreamed of being a spy? That I do it because I love it? Actions have their consequences.âÂ
âThen, what do you do it for, Taehyun?â you say. âWhen do you begin living your life for you? Doing what you do because itâs what you want?âÂ
Taehyun seems to consider your words for a few long heartbeats before settling into something in his head. You allow yourself to let go of some of the tension in your shoulders as you watch his expression morph into something much less poisonous.Â
You hadnât expected him to react like that.Â
âDo you have any weapons on you?â he says.Â
Faltering, you sputter out, âWhat?â You look over the room. The last time youâd been in here, youâd sparred. Does he intend to properly fight you in here now? Had you pushed him too far? Shaking your head and feeling at all the places you usually tuck your blades away, you say, âNo... I donât.âÂ
âGet some. Where weâre about to go...â he trails off, as if reconsidering, but then he continues, âIâll get you a hag stone.âÂ
You furrow your brows, not taking off to do so. âA hag stone?â you echo, thankful that he isnât trying to duel you, but wary at the need for such a faerie ward. Hag stones are of the more serious class of wards used to protect humans from faerie enchantment or glamour. Most often, humans would string theirs up with a bit of thread through the hole of it and wear it around their necks as a pendant. Unlike turning oneâs clothes inside out or taking red berries on your person, hag stones protect against the more devastating faerie magic. You shudder simply wondering what you might need a hag stone to protect yourself from.Â
He nods a bit solemnly. âKelpie do not let a meal or trick pass them by when they wait so long to have them.âÂ
You look at him with wild eyes, hoping to see him laugh or play his words off as a joke. He does not, but of course he doesnât. Taehyun doesnât waste his words on jokes.Â
âWhy... Why would we be going to a kelpie?â you ask him, laughing around the ball of fright in your chest.Â
He lends you a wretched look. âI have old debts to call on.âÂ
â
The forest in which Taehyun leads you is untamed. At some point, the sound of natureâs buzzing tapers off, and you know that youâve entered a deeper forest than you ought to be sticking your nose in. When the forest goes silent, itâs only for one reason. Â
Youâd grown up here. Maybe youâd been born elsewhere, but that does not negate the fact that you had grown up scared every day of the powerful creatures that inhabit this world. Your fear has ruled you for your whole life, and you let it. Youâd be a fool not to. Itâs how you survive in this world. Your limbs tremble; they plead with you to listen to everything youâve ever knownâdo not mess with what is bigger than you. Â
You step around frost-capped puddles and dance between briars, careful not to snag yourself on their claws. It unsettles you further that this part of the forest is so untrodden and overgrown. With no folk coming through, you fear how the kelpie might behave when you make an audience before it. Will it climb straight from its frosty swamp and drag you back down with it? Is the hag stone you clutch at your chest enough to keep you safe?Â
âI donât understand why weâre doing this, Taehyun,â you say, delicately avoiding any tumbles as you speed up to gauge his feelings by his face. Youâre not fond of the remote blankness in his eyes, nor the staunch determined set to his jaw. âThat thing might kill us, and your shoulder is hurt. You shouldnât be out here; you should be letting it heal.âÂ
âI know my limits,â he says.Â
Grimacing, you return his curt tone. âTaehyun.â You grab at the material of his sleeve with urgency. When he stops to look at you, you continue. âI want you to actually listen to me. Youâre being unreasonable. Yeonjun said heâd use his pull to protect us. Both of us. We have no reason to be out here, youâre just putting us in danger.âÂ
He lets your words stew in the air for a moment before saying, âIâm the one putting us in danger? Me?â He scoffs. âWe are about as safe dealing with a kelpie as we are living off his promises. Iâm doing whatâs best for us. Trust me.âÂ
Youâre winded by his choice of words. Youâve become wary of dealing out your trust so frivolously. Those two words ring alarm bells.Â
âBut where is this coming from? You didnât want to stay.â Your breath furls out in a plume of white smoke in front of your face as you speak. Â
He looks as if he doesnât want to answer that. It only makes you more apprehensive. Your limbs fill with lead, planting you where you stand. âTaehyun, Iâm scared,â you say. âIsnât finding help from a solitary faerie a bit too far? How is trusting Yeonjun any more dangerous than that?âÂ
Taehyun steps toward you. âHe is going to kill us. Itâs not if, itâs when. That bastard is going to hurt you. This... This is for us. We are self-sufficient; we donât need his protection shit.â A bitter tang colors his words. âI know that youâre scared. I wonât let it hurt you; I wonât let anything happen to you. I promise that youâll be okay. You want to stay, donât you?âÂ
You nod. You would even make deals with a kelpie for it. Â
âOkay, then, letâs go,â he says, taking off with those words, effectively punctuating the conversation. Â
You follow him.Â
You grow more anxious the deeper you trudge into the forest without any consolation as the daylight begins creeping away. Following behind Taehyun, the wind whips at the perfect angle so that his form takes most of its terror, allowing you a respite from at least some of the brutal cold. You donât feel any remorse using him as a shield against the elementsâfrost runs through his veins. He doesnât shiver or wince at it.Â
Taehyun stops a few feet before a wintry mire framed by crystallized cattails and reeds. Your heart stutters as he looks around to ensure that this is the right spot. The water is dark and deep. You stay a healthy distance away from it. You do not want to find out just how deep it is.Â
âWhere is it?â you say, keeping your voice low as if the beast might lunge from the water and snatch you up if you donât.Â
Taehyun surveys the forest surrounding you and then the body of water as he always does, and when he looks to you, you already know heâs calculated and planned. He doesnât face a situation without thoughtâthat notion soothes you, even if itâs to the slightest degree. Â
âIt wonât come until I call it,â he says, gesturing at those murky and horrible watery depths. Swallowing hard, you consider how close you stand to it. You take a shuffled step back. âWhen you see it, you need to stay calm. Donât let it see your fear. Itâll find it amusing and latch onto you. Do you understand?âÂ
A rush of heavy dread spreads from your core and seizes your lungs at his words. Youâve made it this far. You want to stay. You want to stay, bad. If this thing outsmarts you, you will not go down without swinging this time. You have your daggers, and you know how to wield them. Bravery is most of the battle, isnât it?Â
You muster a nod, trying to give yourself a brave heart, but Taehyun shakes his head. Your eyes must betray how stricken you are. âDo you understand?â he repeats, his voice sharp and grave.Â
âI do.âÂ
He accepts your words, pressing on. âIt will try to trip you over your words and spin you into a trap with tricky words. Do not entertain it, even as it tries, okay?âÂ
Youâve been terrorized by faerie tricks your whole life. You can handle their schemes just fine. âOkay.âÂ
Taehyun frees a blade from its hiding place and brings it to his palm. He slides it there, slicing it open. Crimson creeps from the slit, running in between his fingers and trickling onto the snow. Heâd cut pretty deep.Â
âWhy are youâTaehyun?â you say, stepping toward him as he curls his wounded hand into a fist over the water, shaking it so as to let the droplets down into the black water. You regret those steps youâd made toward him as something comes crashing through the surface.Â
No, rather than emerging from under the surface, the beast is born from the water, manifesting from it as something gangly and wretched. From its pointed ears to its hooves, it pushes up from nothingness until it is standing there, real and terrible before you. Its skin glistens with a thickness like oil and its hair and tail hang in heavy, seaweed-like tendrils, plastered against its body. The scum floating on top of the water clung to its hair and pelt as it rose, twigs and the like poking from its withered body. A bridle cages its head, leather reins dangling down. Of all its awful things, you believe that its eyes are the worstâbone-white and piercing, they send a terror down your spine that solidifies in your bones. You know you will not soon forget the ancient soullessness that lives there. The folk do sometimes resemble the places in which they hail from; you suppose that the kelpie bares striking resemblance to the swirling water that sits at its feet.Â
You try not to choke or gasp or react in any way at all, but it isnât easy. You focus your adrenaline on keeping your breathing as even as you can manage.Â
âIt has been a long time since Iâve found a human at my doorstep,â the creature says, steam blowing from its nostrils as it snorts. How long might a long time mean to a faerie, especially one you know is so ancient? You hope that your presence does not intrigue the beast at all.Â
Taehyun swoops in before you can speak, and you are boundlessly thankful for it. âIâve come to call on the debt you owe me,â he says. He doesnât leave any room for any familiarity or playfulness.Â
âIs it that time?â the kelpie says, placing one hoof down onto the snow. It had looked so incorporeal and liquid that you half expect it to burst and turn to water as it does, but it climbs out just fine. Very real. Â
Taehyun eyes the kelpie as it makes land, dribbling with water and its kelp hair swinging. You swallow hard as it disregards his presence to observe you. Youâre used to the folk disregarding you, not this. How many years had you yearned for their attention? Right now, you scare under it. Â
âFor what do you need my help, boy?â it says, voice gurgled, âAnd why do you bring this human along? Is it for her? Or, rather, have you brought her as your peace offering?âÂ
Your legs tremble beneath you. Â
âI donât owe you any peace offering, kelpie,â Taehyun says, his head held righteously high. âYouâll offer me what I ask, or youâll suffer for it.âÂ
Shifting under the tense atmosphere, you still donât speak. In Faerie, debt is law. The folk live by a law that is, like many other things about them, foreign to you. Whatever natural laws by which they govern themselves are vastly lost on youâbut of keeping promises and respecting debts, you are very aware. They hate to be indebtedâyouâre sure itâs why this kelpie is so peevish. You hope that the folkâs need to balance their debts is enough to keep it hospitable. Â
The kelpie makes a rumbling and throaty sound that mimics that of a laugh. It rumbles the ground below your feet. âJust as rigid as the last time we met like this,â it says. âI wonder if it's because youâve inherited your fatherâs stone heart, or because you fear me?âÂ
The kelpie remains playful with its intonation, but tension lies thick and dangerous beneath both of their words. You know well enough that the beast is not being light-hearted. Â
Taehyun holds his face firm. He refuses to give an inch. âDo not try that with me. You have your word to upkeep for my help.âÂ
Shimmering under the moonâs light now, the beast treats us with a long moment of hostile silence. You can feel its malintent despite how hollow those eyes remain. Â
âWhat do you ask of me?â it finally says, whipping its drooping tail behind it.Â
âThere is a rebellion here,â starts Taehyun, shoulders relaxing to the slightest degree as the kelpie defers, âThe north is uneasy. Iâm optimistic that youâll lend us your protection and hand, whenever I call on it. Regardless of it being in my interest, Iâm sure that you aim to keep your lands peaceful, no?âÂ
âRebellion? For what would anything of the courts be in my interest? Of their rebellion or even just their ridiculousness, I do not care. Iâve left your gentry to you, leave me to mine.âÂ
Taehyunâs nostrils flare. âIâm not asking you to care about the courts, Iâm asking you to lend me your help when I ask of it,â he grits out, âOr, rather, Iâm not asking. I am informing you that I am expecting you to uphold your debt to me, and youâd better be ready to do so. This is just courtesy.âÂ
You feel the kelpieâs offense in the hollow quiet that follows Taehyunâs demands. Among many things, the fae are prideful creatures. Your stomach is in terrible knots. Taehyun is just trying to regain the power in the situation. You know that. It doesnât make you any less scared for your life. With an ancient creature like a kelpie, it is paramount to earn its respect, or else it will push you around.Â
Worse than that. It will drag you down into its waters and make your soul into a meal.Â
âItâs a pity you think that hag stone will save you from me, human.â The kelpie turns its attention back on you. You bade your knees not to crumple. âIt takes much more than that to protect you in places like these. Perhaps youâll be safe from petty enchantment, though.â Â
Taehyun shoves his words in before you can give the kelpie any sort of reaction. Not even a tremble. âUnderstood?âÂ
âYouâve made deals with our kind before. The magic reeks on you. Itâs lousy enchantment, I could dissolve that geas for you. All youâd have to do is climb up on my back, and Iâd grant you your freedom.â Â
You canât help but perk up. The prospect of ridding yourself of the geas placed over you is a painfully delicious one.Â
Bristling, Taehyun steps between you and the kelpie. Whether he does it to fight off the beast should it lunge at you or to prevent you from approaching it, youâre unsure. âDo not,â he says.Â
âWasnât going to.â You say it, and of course itâs true. The kelpie is poking around to see what will most entice you. Regardless, you canât deny how awfully you wish that geas were gone. Itâs the one thing that you fear will tether you to The Kingâs bidding. No matter how you armor yourselves from the rebellion here in the north, whatâs to stop the spies from tugging on the enchanted leash? One command from Cricket, and your body would betray you and walk the whole way there itself.Â
Though you donât verbalize your interest, the kelpie no doubt sees the interest alight in your eyes. It pounces accordingly. âUnless youâd prefer that I give you a whole other enchantment. Protection against any of our kindâs glamours? Permanant true sight? A touch to my pelt would be all it would take for you to make yourself free.âÂ
Taehyun clicks just the hilt of his sword free from the sheathe. âStop with the tricks. You can find your fun elsewhere.âÂ
Like the swampish water behind it, the kelpie stands there totally still, studying Taehyun. You really wish this altercation could wrap up at any pace faster than it currently is. Youâre itching to escape those white eyes. Theyâre much more intimidating as night settles in. What sort of thing had Taehyun even done to indebt a creature like this to him? Once again, youâre left confronting how little you know of him and his past. By the time youâve come to terms with the last thing, the next arrives to remind you that the folk lead much longer lives than you do.Â
It finally speaks again. âWhy have you brought this human with you, Lord?â Its furls out the term like a weapon. This bitter intonation that youâve seen be used multiple times to speak of Taehyunâs title sticks with you. The title is a taunt. In this case, the you know it comes from the kelpieâs place of utter indifference and lack of obeisances toward whatever sovereignty the Courts may claim. The kelpie only answers to the land. Â
âBecause I needed you to know that your protection will extend to her. Know her face, learn it so that when I call on you, youâll play your part correctly.âÂ
âI fail to see why you dote over her safety. Who is the human to you?â The kelpie takes a step forward, its powerful muscles rippling with the moonâs white light on its ink pelt. You mirror it with a step back. Taehyun stays put. âI owe her no help. Thatâs not how this works. I concede that I am bound to your help, but I do not repay double. You overestimate my generosity.âÂ
You watch as Taehyun takes on a posture that youâve come to recognize as his offensive posture, potent adrenaline twisting up your stomach and sending your heart into a fit so fierce that you feel it in all your pulse points. Youâre sure that swords are a laughable matter to the kelpie. Iron, though, youâre sure would still burn. Turning your hands to fists, you make a conscious effort not to find your iron weapons. If the kelpie were to see that, it may escalate things. You do not want to escalate. Â
Itâs only smart for you to consider your disadvantages: Taehyun is wounded. He had literally been struck by an arrow last night. Youâre so far into the woods that running would consist of stumbling over roots and avoiding thorny bushes. Taehyun might know them, but youâre fully unfamiliar with a kelpieâs weaknesses, or if they even have any at all. Youâre better off appeasing the beast. Â
âTaehyun,â you warn.Â
He pays it no mind. âI said,â he snarls, âstop with the tricks. You owe your very ability to draw breath to me, and beyond that. It was my neck on the line to grant you that. What I did for you was worth many debts. If you want to settle it all to even, youâll do it. Donât play this like a fool.â He doesnât address the kelpieâs first question.Â
Taehyun creeps toward the kelpie. Youâre not sure where he sources all that fearlessness from inside himself. Heâs way too close for your comfort. âWhat are you doing?â you hiss, quiet and meant for just him. There is no way he intends to fight this thing right now. Youâd prefer taking the risk of trusting Yeonjunâs word over this any day.Â
âEven the generalââthe kelpie spits that word with a similar distaste as he had Taehyunâs titleââknew when he was in over his head. Ask a more respectable payment of me.âÂ
You suck in a breath. âLetâs just go,â you tell Taehyun. âWe donât need to do this; we didnât need to in the first place.â Â
As Taehyun takes one last step toward the kelpie, he reaches a swordâs distance from it. Â
Really? Is this happening right now?Â
âIâm giving you grace right now, kelpie,â he says, his voice pure warning, âMy father is the one who landed you like that. Itâs humorous that youâd even speak of him while weâre sorting out the debts that you incurred because of him. I suggest that you give up the sly act.âÂ
Once again, a charged and meaningful pause rings throughout the forest. The silence speaks volumes of how the kelpie takes his words. Â
Itâs a flash of movement, the two dark figures like blurs as Taehyunâs hand flies out to grab a hold of the reins that hang from its head and the kelpie rears back with a bone-piercing, harrowing whinny. He braces himself on its side and uses its flank to push off of. The creature bucks fast, but Taehyun is faster. Â
The rage that it bellows with guts you. The forest ground trembles with its frantic clambering, hooves battering the snow. ��
The kelpieâs frenzy ends as Taehyun takes the reins in both hands. It doesnât make any more attempts to send him off, nor does it stumble about wildly. It settles. The kelpie bows its head. Your hands cover your mouth. Theyâre ready to muffle your scream. You wait for Taehyun to become one with the beastâs figure and for it to drag him down to the depths of its water that donât see the sunâs light. Nothing happens. Instead, he slips off the back of the kelpie without any trouble, landing with a thud back on the ground. Â
âFix your appearance,â Taehyun commands. Â
You allow a sound of surprise to slip as the beast melts down, shedding water to the ground and crumpling over. You watch it shrink all the way down until, where once the gangly beast had stood, the form of a faerie man stands. He unfurls from the forest floor to his full height, taller than Taehyun and reedy in his limbs. His hair cascades down from his head in shaggy, damp brown locks with twigs and leaves tangled in. Sharp faerie ears protrude from it. It confirms to you that this is just another form of the kelpie, not someone else entirely.Â
âYouâre a fool,â the man says, turning on Taehyun with wild eyes. Â
You join his confrontation on Taehyun. âWhat the hell is going on?â you say. Youâre still jittery with the urge to run.Â
Taehyun entertains only you, saying, âI hoped that heâd just make things easy in the first place.âÂ
The man, dripping with water from his tattered, sopping rags for clothes, sneers. âI would not serve you if you fucking killed me. Of course you had to take my bridle.âÂ
You give Taehyun an expectant look. Youâre in dire need of being filled in.Â
âHis bridle,â he says, grabbing the reins that still hang from the manâs face even in his human form and tugging him into a walk into the forest, âI grabbed it. He serves me, now. He can hate it all he wants, but heâll do what I ask.âÂ
The thought makes you deeply uncomfortable, but you canât pin exactly why. It lives somewhere around the place inside you that loathed the way the folk made your kind into their glamoured servants. Â
âWeâre just going to bring him back with us?â You trail them tentatively back through the woods that you had arrived from. âLike a prisoner, or something?âÂ
âExactly like a prisoner,â the man says, excited to get a hit in on Taehyun. Of course, heâs unhappy. Â
He stumbles as Taehyun tugs him forward by his bridle. âShut your mouth,â Taehyun says. Itâs more commanding than angry. âWhatâs your name?â he asks him. Â
The man looks as though he wants to deny him that knowledge. Names are a powerful thing to a faerie. They spend their lives hiding them awayâto give away their real name would make them totally vulnerable to the whims of whoever knows and uses it. However, you assume that whatever hold Taehyun has over him now works in a similar way, and his lips move despite his revolt. Â
âBeomgyu,â he answers, eyes full of bite.Â
You climb between a pair of close-resting, gnarled trees. âDoes he have to keep that thing on, Taehyun?â you say, struggling with the sight of him being dragged along. Itâs unsettling. âLike, does it work without that?âÂ
Stopping, Taehyun reaches up to pull the bridle off and around from Beomgyuâs head. He lets it fall to the snow. âYou can use his name if you need to command him and Iâm not around. Heâll have to do what you say.â Pushing Beomgyu into a walk, he says, âYouâre going to protect us if in any case we need it. That includes her. Youâre going to stay within my estate, unless one of us brings you somewhere. You wonât try your hand at any escape, and you wonât make any attempts to harm us either directly or by omitting something you are aware will do so.âÂ
You rub your hands together to generate heat as he lists his commands. Why would he even need those precautions, if Beomgyu is supposed to be his compulsory servant now? Would that not mean that heâd be unable to harm him? Either Taehyun is being extra precautious, or the command he has over him is weaker than you had thought at first. Beomgyu scowls the whole way through. Perhaps if Taehyun had not spoken those exact words, he would have lunged at him.Â
As the kelpie stalls, Taehyun urges him forward once again with a shove. âWalk,â he snaps. âYou did this to yourself. If youâd been a respectable man, Iâd have only asked for your help when we needed. Now, youâre following us everywhere.â He allows him to stew on that for a little before saying, âYou do your job well and Iâll let you return to your waters. Iâll forget I even made you my servant, and youâll live knowing youâre no longer in my debt. Youâll not have to worry that someone might tame you again, because I already had, and I wonât even utilize it. Weâll never even make each otherâs acquaintance again. Youâll be free to toil in your forest, and I will stay far away. All I need is for you to keep us alive and unharmed.âÂ
At least he doesnât intend to keep him forever as an eternal servant. Most faeries that fall into debts work their long lives as living servants. Your years as Nut-hatch's worker taught you how that life whittles your soul down. Hundreds of years of just that is unfathomable. Maybe that is the cost of betraying honor here, though.
âSo be it,â Beomgyu says, teeth gritted. Â
You continue to trudge through the forest behind them.Â
â
Once youâre within the walls of the estate and Beomgyu is given a place to stay, you turn to Taehyun. âWhat part of that was safer than trusting Yeonjun?â you say. Â
His eyes drop closed and he sighs. âIt was worlds safer,â he grits out. âI knew what I was doing. You had that hag stone, and Iâd have cut him down if he tried anything.âÂ
He stretches out his shoulders, shifting them uncomfortably under the fabric of his tunic. You know that his sewn-up wound bothers him. Could it be getting infected? You hope notâan infection this early on would most definitely mean it would be a nasty one. If only he werenât insistent on pretending that itâs nothing. âI donât think you couldââyou gesture at your own shoulderââyouâre going to infect your shoulder. I donât know how to treat an infected wound that big.âÂ
âI wouldnât have even gone there if I thought I couldnât handle it. I had a plan. I can protect us just fine.âÂ
Us. Youâve been wondering what your purpose here might become once you abandon returning to your duties. Would you be staying with Yeonjun? If he betrays you, and Taehyun were to push you out now that youâre no longer partners in duty, where would you go? Crawl to the doorstep of some random faerie to place yourself in their services, just to find yourself a warm place to stay? Taehyun now makes it clear that he still sees the two of you as a pair, but why? You still canât understand why heâd suddenly switched up the moment you said youâd stay here even if he left. Realistically, he shouldâve killed you for being a traitor to the king that he serves. You know that his intentions are more complex than that, but you fail to grasp where they lie. His actions and his words clash. Â
âAnd when Yeonjun doesnât betray us? What will all of this be for?âÂ
âThis doesnât stop at the prince,â he says, âthere are more players than just him and The Queen. Any one of them could determine that weâre liabilities. Donât you think that we should prepare for that? We came here as spies infiltrating their court from the very king that they rebel against; of course theyâll have plans for us. Itâs still best that you stay your distance from the prince from this point on, regardless, unless you bring the kelpie.âÂ
Your mouth drops open, brows pinching. You donât like the thought of being chaperoned at all. If Yeonjun is to betray you, then itâll be your own fault. You can take the consequences of your actions just fine. âI think I can make that decision for myself,â you say, voice low. âAnd I can protect myself, too. Are you saying my skills arenât up to your standards? Well, I didnât spend that time working on them for nothing, and I donât plan on stopping. I know Iâm not perfect, but I think I can at least use a dagger adequately.âÂ
âYou know thatâs not what I meant,â Taehyun says, eyes flat with frustration. âYou can protect yourself well. I know that. What I mean is that you shouldnât rest your life on his integrity. I have no doubts that youâd be able to protect yourself from him alone. Heâs delicate. The King doesnât pamper his children, but I have no doubt that the prince hasnât wielded a sword anywhere other than in sparring. But you donât know if youâll ever truly be alone, and you donât know whether or not heâs setting you up. I think you can at least agree that itâs best that you can acknowledge that and behave accordingly, no?âÂ
âI rested my life on your integrity today. Am I supposed to trust you blindly, too? What if youâre just stringing me along until you kill me for my treason to The King? You were his spy, no? How many years did you serve him? Why have you given it up so easily? Why are you staying here? None of it makes sense to me, but I still trusted you. Was I wrong for that? Are you a liar, Taehyun? Does your tongue tell lies?âÂ
His eyes crystallize, a few degrees colder than youâd seen them all day. âI can lie,â he says. âBut would I have done what I did today if I intended to kill you? Itâs time that you see that actions tell you so much more than words ever will.âÂ
Again, he treads around your questions about his intentions. âWhy are you staying here?â you repeat, studying him with your suspicion. Â
Heâs quiet.Â
âAnswer me,â you demand.Â
âIs this not my home?â he says.Â
Unsatisfied, you press more. âI thought you hated this place. Why would you want to stay here? Donât you have an awful reputation here?âÂ
His eyebrows shoot up, but his face stays hauntingly blank. Youâre used to his blank mask, but this feels different. âIf you think that I left here because of my reputation, then youâve fooled yourself.â He begins making for his quarters. âI have obligations to fulfilling my fatherâs role as Lord of this estate,â he says before turning and ending the conversation on his terms.Â
That leaves you just as confused. If he cared about his responsibilities here, he wouldâve never left them in the first place to become a spy under The King. It makes no sense. Whether or not itâs true, youâre positive that you arenât getting the whole story. You sigh and drag your feet bed-bound. You hope to never have another day as unending as today again.Â
â
You dodge Beomgyu for the entirety of the day, not sure what to make of a new presence around the estate, even if itâs an indebted servant beast of a presence. Youâd half expected Taehyun to rope him up in the horse stalls outside, making that his permanent residence, but heâd given Beomgyu a place somewhere in the servantâs quarters. Youâre glad of itâyou may be wary of him, but you donât wish anything like that for him. Now that he has a more human form, you find yourself able to empathize with him more than you were when he was a hulking, killer water horse. He doesnât necessarily run around muchâwithout a doubt because heâs not the happiest about being forced into Taehyunâs servitude. You donât blame him.Â
Despite your efforts, he enters the kitchens while youâre alternating between chomping on a slice of bread and a platter of dates. He eyes you. Though in this form his eyes are not as piercing, theyâre still heavy. Â
You offer him a slice of the bread and push the platter toward him. âHungry?âÂ
He shakes his head. âI donât eat the way you do.âÂ
Then whyâd he come to the kitchens? Either heâs exploring, or he came looking for you. âNot even like this?â you ask, gesturing down to his form.Â
âI eat when someone is foolish enough to come to my waters,â he says. âI thought Iâd be eating yesterday, but the Lord subverted those plans, didnât he?âÂ
You laugh a bit, though itâs absurd to laugh about being eaten with the same creature that had intended to do so. Â
âI sometimes go for more years than the entire span of your human life without eating,â he says, tilting his head to one side. Shaggy locks of hair follow his head with it. Itâs unkempt and in dire need of a washing to rid it of dirt.Â
You gesture at his dirt-smudged cheek. âDo you want to clean up? Iâm sure Taehyun has some clothes to spare for you. There are some pretty nice bathing quarters, here, too. The kind that makes you reluctant to get out.âÂ
A wry smile cracks across his face, a bit feral like the rest of him. âIâm not afraid of some dirt. These are my clothes. Iâd go naked before dressing myself in his.âÂ
âOkay, then,â you snort, shrugging. âNo baths.â You rip a bite out of the wrinkled fruit in your hand. âHow did you even end up... in debt to Taehyun?â you ask, eager to fill yourself in. If Taehyun insists on not telling you anything, youâll find it in other places. Youâd picked up that it had something to do with his father, but you need to know more. The more youâre able to piece together, the better youâll be able to make sense of Taehyunâs behaviors. You hope so, at least. He holds is truths very close to himself, and almost everybody else seems to harbor a poignant distaste for him.Â
Beomgyuâs face sours up again. âI had a dispute with his father. The General was going to raze my forest and kill each one of us. Iâd called on him and asked for his help. Iâm not sure what he did, but The General never came. If I knew itâd land me like this, though...â He grimaces. âIâd have just let him make me history.âÂ
Reigning in the laugh that bubbles in your chest at his resentment, because youâre positive that you finding humor in his misfortunes would ruffle him, you nod and pocket that information. âThen, why didnât you just agree to help when he tried to collect your debt in the first place?âÂ
âI was going to,â he snaps. âHeâs just a prideful creature. No patience. If heâd waited a few moments, Iâd have agreed.âÂ
Humming, you donât tell him that heâs definitely the one who wound himself up like this. Taehyun had made it clear multiple times that Beomgyu needed to stop playing around. Â
Taehyunâs voice comes from the doorway, cutting into the conversation with its matter-of-factness. âSpeaking bad on my name while Iâm away, kelpie? Should I amend your list of commands to include watch your mouth?â His tone is bare and humorless.Â
Beomgyu bristles beside you, about to rebut him before you spy the weapon at Taehyunâs hip and interrupt before they can come to verbal blows. âWhere are you going?âÂ
Taehyun rips his icy gaze from Beomgyu to you. âTo Court,â he answers, plain and as if it were obvious.Â
Furrowing your brows, you say, âCourt? Why didnât you tell me weâre going? I donât want to get ready in a rush.â Your mind turns. You werenât even sure what youâd be doing now that youâre no longer here as spies. Thereâs no need to infiltrate Court, now. Would you just be attending as revelers? Not to mention that Yeonjun no doubt has no clue that youâre even staying. You hadnât seen him since youâd ran to him yesterday morning and had your world thrown for a loop as he revealed his truth. How had so much happened in one day? Â
His mouth hardens. âYouâre not attending with me,â he says, knuckles turning white over the pommel of his sword. âYouâll stay here with him today.âÂ
Your heart thrums in your chest; not with fear like it had been doing so much over the span of the last few days, but with anger. âWhat?â you say, shock straining your voice. âNo. Iâm getting ready; wait for me, or donât. I donât care.â You spin on your heels to do just that, gritting your teeth. He thinks he can tell you what to do? Is that it? You donât care what heâs done for you, or what power he thinks he has over you because of it. Youâd left your life of taking commands behind for a reason. This was supposed to be new beginnings, not just your past life under a new skin.Â
He catches your upper arm frantically. Whipping your head to him, you rip yourself away from him and back off. âI said, no,â you grit out, lips twitching into a heavily emotional scowl. Itâs not just that heâs telling you to stay back today: you know that what heâs doing is much bigger than that. It sends memories of a life in a seamstressâ cottage flooding back. You struggle to keep your head afloat, to keep yourself from drowning in it, but theyâre old and deep wounds.Â
âOh, look at that,â Beomgyu croons. âYou are just like him. Except, your father was a general, so at least he had some reason to believe that folk would obey him. You? Not so much.âÂ
Taehyunâs head snaps to him. He barks a command. âLeave.âÂ
His eyes flash and he reels against it, but Beomgyuâs body moves against his own will. Thereâs a spark of ravenous hate smeared across his lips and in the glare he gives Taehyun as he leaves.Â
âSo, youâre just going to hand out commands and expect them to be followed now, huh? Because youâre suddenly just... taking up this role as Lord? Well, youâre not my Lord. Youâre not his, either.âÂ
He crosses his arms over his chest. âStop that.âÂ
Laughing a bitter laugh, you spit, âStop what? Oh, Iâm sorry. I should just obey you like a good human does, huh? âCause thatâs what weâre for, right? My bad, Iâll get a head start on working around the estateâwhat would you like for dinner, my lord? Or, do you need me to press your clothes? Go ahead and place your glamour over me, so at least then I wonât have to serve you consciously.â Your words are angry, but you choke toward the end around the lump of emotion in the back of your throat.Â
He takes both your arms into his hands, his brow furrowed hard. âStop it,â he snarls. âStop it, damn it. Donât do that. Youâre not a servant here. Donât you try to cry to me, I expect better than this from you. Thatâs not it at all.âÂ
You shove back on his chest, putting some distance between you. âIâm not crying,â you say. âAnd, so what if I was? Thereâs nothing wrong with it. Really, I think itâd do you a little good to cry some time.âÂ
âItâs weak,â he says. âPitying yourself just ends up making you into a fool. If you just sit around and wallow, youâll stay where you are. The only thing you can do is act.â Â
That sounds about right coming from his lips. âIs that what your father taught you?â you ask. âWell, he was wrong. You can cry and try and take care of things at the same time. Crying is not the weaker emotion.âÂ
âIâm just asking you to stay back today,â he says.Â
âWhy?â you say, throwing your hands up in exasperation. âTell me why? Itâs not like weâre spying around or have some sort of mission to keep secret. Why canât I just go enjoy it like that for once?âÂ
âCan you just do this for me?â Taehyun says, jaw tight. âI just need you to stay.âÂ
Youâve become sick of him not telling you things. Being in the dark never feels good, but it especially feels like shaky ground now. If he thinks youâll be attacked, so what? Youâre the one who wanted to stay here. Let you come. Youâre better off being attacked as a group of three than he would be by himself, no?Â
You decide to lean into his own concerns to appeal. âWhat if theyâre waiting for you? Wouldnât it be better that Beomgyu and I are there? Isnât that why you did that whole thing yesterday?âÂ
He shakes his head. âIf they are, then itâll be easier for me to slip out if itâs just me.âÂ
Crossing your arms over your chest, you determine by the solemn lines to his face that heâs not going to give. âFine,â you say. âIâll stay here today. If itâs so necessary, Iâll stay here. Do you want me to stay inside the estate, too? Could I go see Yeonjun?âÂ
âIâd prefer that you stay here,â he says, slow and measured and veiling tension.Â
You shake your head, pairing it with a tired laugh. âYeah, right, I forgot. Heâs a threat too. Well, you have fun then.â Turning and departing from the kitchens, you leave behind your bread and dates. So much for lunch.Â
â
Reaffirming Taehyunâs ability to lie, it was not just that one day. The next day, Taehyun slipped out for Court, sword on hip and pleading with you to stay in the estate on the terms that he believes they still might have an attack planned for you. It turned into a week that you were cooped up in the estate, and then two. The same walls youâd once looked at in wonder for their beauty became the ones you stared at mindlessly during the most boring of hours.Â
You spend most of your time listening to Beomgyu drone on and on about the ways heâd tricked faeries and humans. Heâs quite odd, but itâs not like you can blame him for itâmost of the folk are odd to you, and heâs an ancient beast among them. You feel like that warrants a spunky personality like his. Heâs nice company, anyway. Such a long life lends you an impressive wealth of stories.Â
You canât help but think about Yeonjun. Heâs got to have seen Taehyun at Court by now. If there havenât been any incidents at this point, doesnât that mean that he doesnât intend to betray you? The images of him thinking that youâre avoiding him makes you want to slip out to see him. You not sure why you donât. Maybe the lies that sat between you affect you more than you thought they did. Youâre quite the hypocrite, though. Youâd kept secrets just as much as he had.Â
You miss those stolen nights you two had shared. A knot, queasy and pessimistic, sits in your belly each time you lay in your bed and remember them and tells you that youâll never see anything like that again. Youâd allowed a girlish part of you to blossom beside himâa part of you that could throw caution to the wind and melt into the fun things in life. Â
As you rot your days away in that estate that has become more like a dungeon than an estate, you allow yourself to miss him only a little. Once it begins transforming into a certain impending doom about how youâd thought that staying here would be everything youâd ever wanted, you find something else to do. If you arenât toiling around by yourself or listening to Beomgyu drone, youâre practicing your combat skills. The times that Taehyun stops in to help you, it ends with you insisting that youâre fine to make appearances in Court by now, or at least see Yeonjun with Beomgyu in attendance. He never agrees. Each time, itâs the same awful excuse: Tensions are worse. He doesnât know if theyâre planning something. When you ask why he demands that he can attend, but you and Beomgyu canât join: Heâs a lord. Itâs his duty to attend Court.Â
The solstice is nearing, too. Youâd looked forward to it, honestly. Hopefully Taehyun will let you attend by then.Â
You sit crisscrossed on the hardwood flooring, running your fingers through your hair. Beomgyu is stood a couple feet away, and makes big gestures as he explains the one time heâd been called to attend Court as a solitary faerie. Moments like this have kept you grounded over the weeks.Â
âAnd the stupid crone tried to say that I was wrong for catching him,â he exclaims, crossing his arms over his chest and shaking his head as if the ancient memory were still as fresh as day one. Â
You laugh. âWhat did you even do to end up there, anyway?â you ask. You can hardly picture Beomgyu in the setting of Court, even more so meeting with The Queen and her council. Moreover, youâre intrigued to know what heâd said to talk himself out of trouble. Youâre amazed that he managed to make a sufficient enough case to save his life.Â
âThey said that Iâd been taking too many of their folkâhah! I must eat too, you know? Oh, the pretention! Do they expect me to starve? If a fool lands themselves on my pelt and then in my waters, itâs only natural that theyâre eaten. Iâm simply freeing them from one more mud-brained fool. The Courts are full of those, too. Itâd take me a millennium to eat them all. What are they so worried for, I wonder? They do the very same to their own people.âÂ
âArenât they ridiculous?â you say. Like you, heâd been an outsider in Court. Though youâre sure that itâs just as, if not more, intricate to those well-versed in it, to the ones like you two... Itâs odd to see. You had grown used to it in the time you spent there, but you still know what the first day had felt like. Anyway, you hadnât spent as many days there as you feel you had. All that had happened had bloated that time in your memories. âTo be quite honest with you, your kind are all so odd to me. I grew up among you, but still... my instincts are always kinda at odds with my surroundings, you know?âÂ
Beomgyu considers that for a moment, as if trying to view the fae from a humanâs eyes. âEven when we look so similar?â he asks you, grabbing at a lock of his hair and making a round gesture over himself.Â
You nod. âEven in this form, you just... I donât feel like Iâm looking into the face of another human. Maybe thatâs because I watched you turn to this from a horse, though.âÂ
âA kelpie,â he corrects. âWhat gives it away?âÂ
âSorry, a kelpie,â you snicker. You look over his face. Itâs so close to right, but somewhere in your mind you can decipher that something is not right. Like all of the fae, though, thereâs an unspeakable beauty there, beyond explanation. It demands your human attention. Even the most terrifying are beautiful. âWell, for starters, your ears. Theyâre pointy. All of you have that, and none of us do. And then... I guessââyou narrow your eyesââyour eyes? Theyâre just different. And your limbs are pretty lanky, too.âÂ
He frowns as if heâs unable to see it. âYou donât sound so sure,â he says, joining you on the floor. âIâve had quite some time to look at myself in my life. I donât think I ever saw any of that when I was in this form...âÂ
âIâm sure you did,â you say, lips turning up in a playful mock. A water creature no doubt has an eternity to stare into the water at themselves in its rippled reflection. âDid you do a lot of that?âÂ
Scowling, he huffs. âNo. But Iâm sure you would, if you looked like this, huh?âÂ
You roll your eyes. âYouâre ridiculous.â His face morphs from dismay to careful concentration. Frowning, you look around and ask, âWhat?âÂ
âI hear somebody,â he answers, pushing off the floor.Â
Your spine tingles, but you search for the logical explanation. âLike... Taehyun?âÂ
âNo... the walk is definitely different.â He strains to listen. âHeâs usually pretty quiet. This one... they donât conceal their footsteps.âÂ
Neither of you can get to a window to scope anything out before thereâs three heavy knocks from the door, the metal knocker ringing. You shoot him a wary look and tilt your head toward the door. You mouth the word, answer?Â
He considers for a moment and then nods. Well, heâs the one able to hear their approach. You trust theyâre at least not imminent danger. You pull the door open. A breeze of frost comes rushing in as you do, blowing your hair and as jarring as a hit to the face might be. Youâve been cooped up in here for so long youâve forgotten how bitter the cold here is. Â
Behind the door your eyes lock with a pair of inky ones, settled into a pinched and snooty face. âLetters from the palace I have for you, my lady,â she says, her voice mousy. She holds out a stack full of letters to you, all held together by some twine.Â
An errand runner. You furrow your brows down at her and accept them. The little hob wrings out her long fingers. âFrom who?â you ask her. Â
She bows her head to you hurriedly. âOh, from the prince, my lady! He sends these for you!âÂ
You look down at the stack in your hands, and your heart begins to run amok in your chest. Heâd sent to you? You thank her. She scurries off in the snow and you close the door, sharing a look with Beomgyu.Â
âThe prince?â he says, brows shot up. âMeaning, The Kingâs son? Heâs sent letters for you?âÂ
Nodding, you hold the stack close to you. Your feet ache to find your quarters and to begin tearing into each one; youâre ravenous for any sort of word from him. Does he hate you? Does he miss you? At least he still thinks of you. Youâd worried that he mightâve found another lady of the court to dote on in your absence...Â
âYeah,â you say over your shoulder, more interested in tearing the letters open than explaining to him why the prince would be sending you letters. Curiosity sits in his furrowed brow. You hadnât exactly prattled on about Yeonjun to him. Had you even mentioned him at all?Â
He tags along as you head to your room and plop onto your bed. You donât tell him to leave you; opening these letters alone... You appreciate his presence in some odd way. Â
Unstringing the pile, you pull the first one out and run a thumb over the wax seal that identifies it as definitely from the High Princeâa fine silver dusted over white wax and branded with the image of Yeonjunâs insignia, the fox. Itâs uneven and dribbled, clearly sealed by Yeonjun himself with the insignia ring he often wears on his finger. You pry it open and then unfurl the parchment inside.Â
đđ đŚđđ đđđĄđđđš đĄđ đđđĄđ˘đđ đĄđ đśđđđđĄ? đđđâđđđ đ¤đ đđđđ đđžđ đ đđđ đđđâđđĄâđđ. đâđđ˘đâ, đĄâđ đżđđđ đžđ đđđ¤đđŚđ đĄâđđđ. đź đ¤đđđšđđ đ¤âđđđ đŚđđ˘ đđđ. đźđ đđŚ đđđĄđĄđđ đđđđâđđ đŚđđ˘, đđđđđđ đ¤đđđĄđ đđ đđđđ. đđŚ đđđđđ đđđ đđđđ đĄđ đŚđđ. Â
đŻâđđŚ đđđ¤đđŚđ âđđŁđ đđđđ.
đđđđđżđ˘đ
Beomgyuâs gaze burns holes through you as you read this first one. You sigh, pressing your lips into a thin line as you reach for the next one. This one twists a hot knife of guilt into your belly and up into your heart.Â
đťđđŁđ đź đđđđ đđđđđĄâđđđ đ¤đđđđ?  Â
đâđ đşđđđđđđ'đ đ đđ đđđđĄđđđ˘đđ đĄđ đđĄđĄđđđ đśđđ˘đđĄ, đđđ đĄâđđ˘đâ đź đ đđđ đŚđđ˘đ đđđŁđđđŚ đđđđ đđđđđđ âđđ , đđđ˘'đđ đđđŁđđ đĄâđđđ. đź'đ đ˘đđšđđ đĄâđ đđđđđđ đ đđđ đĄâđđĄ âđ đ¤đđđĄđ đŚđđ˘ đđđĄ đ đđđđđ đđ. đ´đđĄâđđ˘đâ, đđđâđđđ đĄâđđĄ'đ đđđđŚ đđđđđ˘đ đ đź đđđđĄâđ đ¤âđđĄ đđđ˘đ đđđđđđđ đđđâđĄ đđđđ đđĄâđđđ¤đđđ.
đźđ đđĄ đđđđđ˘đđ đź đđđđđđđ đđ đŚđđ˘đ đžđđđđĄđžđĄđ? đźđ đžđĄ đĄâđđĄ đŚđđ đĄâđđđ đź âđđĄđ đđđ˘?Â
đ´đđđđ¤ đđ đĄđ đđđđ đđĄ đđĄđđđđĄ đđđđđ: đź đšđ đđđĄ. đź đšđđ˘đđĄ đź đđđđđ đđ đź đĄđđđđ. đđđ˘'đđ đđ˘đđĄđ đĄâđ âđđśđđĄ đ đĄđđđđđ.  Â
đź đđđđ¤ đź đ đđ˘đđ đ đđđĄ đđžđšđđđđđđ˘đ, đĄđđđđđđ đđđ˘ đĄâđđĄ đź đđđŁđ đŚđđ˘, đ¤âđđ đ¤đ đđđđŚ đđđđ¤ đđđâđđĄâđđ đđđ đđ đđđđ. đź đ˘đđđđđđĄđđđ đĄâđđĄ. đźđĄ'đ đĄâđśđĄ đ đđđĄ đđ đđđŁđ đĄâđđĄ đđ˘đâđĄ đĄđ đđ˘đđ đđđđâđĄ đđđ đ âđđđĄ, đđžđâđĄ? đľđ˘đĄ đź đ¤đđ'đĄ đđđĄ đđĄ. đđđĄ đ˘đ. Â
đđđđ đđžđâđĄ đ đđ đĄâđđĄ đ đđđŁđ đđđđđš đ đ đđśđ đđđŚ đđ đđžđđđđ. đâđđĄ đđĄ đđđđ đ'đĄ đđĽđđđĄ. đź đ đđŚ đĄâđđĄ đđĄ đđđđ, đđđđđ˘đ đ đź âđđŁđ đđđđĄ đđĄ.
đđ đŚđđ˘ đđđđđđđđ âđđ¤ đžđĄ đđđđĄ đĄâđ đđđđ đ đĄđđđ đđ˘đ đđŚđđ đđđĄ, đĄđđ? đťđđ¤ đđšđ đđ đžđĄ đĄđ đđđđ đđđđđĄâđđđ đ đ đšđđđ đžđđ đđđ đđ đđđ˘, đđ˘đĄ đđđ đ đđ đđđ đđđŚđđđ đŚđđ˘đ đđđđâ đĄâđđĄ đŚđđ˘ đđđđ¤ đđđ˘ đđđđđđ đśđđĄđđ đđĄđ đđđđđđ?
đđđđśđ đ đ¤đđđĄđ đđ, đđđđĄđđŚ. đźđ đź đđđ'đĄ đ đđ đđđ˘đ đđđđ, đđĄ đđđđđĄ đđđđđ¤ đđ đĄâđ đđđđđđđđ đđ đđđđ¤đđđ đĄâđđ đŚđđ˘'đđ đđđśđŚ.Â
đđđđđżđ˘đ
âWhat do they say?â Beomgyu asks, timbred voice whipping you from the words that had settled a quaking ache in your chest. Â
Youâre not entirely sure how to tell him that theyâre desperate letters of the High Princeâs love for you, a worthless human girl that had avoided him on purpose. He probably wouldn't believe you, anyway. Leaving behind your old life, you had pleaded with the sky to make your life something worth note. It seems that it had answered. Fate works in odd ways like that, granting your wishes in the last way you might expect. Â
âA lot,â you say, brushing him off. Your voice cracks with it, though, Â
Hearing the veiled emotion, he frowns, inching forward to take a peek. âWhy are you upset?â he pries, and then gasps as a thought formulates in his head. âHave they called you to be tried by the council?â He considers his own suggestion for a long moment and then shakes his head. âYou hardly have gone anywhere enough to cause that degree of trouble, though.â Â
You let your face drop into your hands. Is the tremor in your chest from laughter, or from crying? You couldnât say. Maybe itâs both.Â
The kelpie makes an unsure sound, clearing his throat. âI... uh, I jest...âÂ
Collecting yourself, you say, âNo. Iâm not being called in for trial.â Â
Dried up rose petals come fluttering out with the next letter. The flower of love.Â
đťđđŁđ đđđ đđđđ đĄâđ đđđđĄâ? đśđđđđ đŚđđ˘ đđđĄ âđđŁđ đđĄ đđđđđĄ đđđđĄ đđ đđđ đđđđĄ đđđđ đđĄ đđđ˘đ đđđđ đđđđđđ đđđđđ đđ? đź đđđ'đĄ đđđđ đĄđ đđ đ đ đđđĄâđđĄđđ, đđ˘đĄ đđ âđđđđĄ đđ đđđđđđđđ. đź đĄâđđ˘đâđĄ đ¤đ'đ âđđŁđ đđđđ đĄđđđ. đťđđđ'đĄ đđđ˘ đ¤đđđĄđđ đĄđ đđĄđđŚ đ¤đđĄâ đđ?
đźđ đŚđđ˘ đđĄđđđ đđđ đđšđ đ¤đđĄâđđ âđžđ đđđđśđĄđ, đź đ đđđ đĄâđđ đ đđđĄđĄđđđ đĄđ đŚđđ˘. đź'đ đđđĄ đ đđđ đžđ đĄâđđŚ'đđ đđđđâ đđđ˘, đđ˘đĄ đđ đĄâđđŚ đđ, đź âđđđ đĄâđđŚ đđđŁđ đŚđđ˘. đˇđđ'đĄ đđđ đđđđ¤ đĄâđđĄ đź'đ đđđŁđ đŚđđ˘ đđđđĄâđđđ?
đđđđđđ đđđđ đđđ đđ. đź đđđ. đżđđĄ'đ đđđđ. đź đđ˘đđĄ đ¤đśđđĄ đĄđ đđđđ¤ đ¤âđđĄ'đ đ¤đđđđ.Â
đđđđđżđ˘đ
Why hadnât you at least gone and told him that youâve stayed? How had you allowed yourself to feel fear when you think of him? You donât deserve his love. You donât even know if you deserve love at all. All it wouldâve taken was one night of slipping out. He deserved to know that youâre okay. You donât remember being this selfish. When had it happened? Maybe selfish is what becomes of you when youâve wasted a lifetime expected to serve others before yourself and then are granted the freedom to consider yourself first. You donât want to be selfish, though. Â
The one you pull open now is more raw. Hurt. The paper, scrawled in writing that becomes less elegant and more frenzied as you read down it, crumples in your hand.Â
đźđ đŚđđ˘ đĄâđđđ đź'đ đĄâđ đđđđĄ đđ đđśđ đĄâđđĄ đ¤đđđ đđđ đđđ đđđđđđĄ đ¤âđđĄ đ¤đ'đŁđ đâđđđđ, đź đđ đđđĄ. đź đđđŁđ đđđ. đź đđđŁđ đŚđđ˘. đź đđđŁđ đŚđđ. đđđđđđ đđđĄđ˘đđ đĄđ đđŚ đśđđđ. đŻâđđŚ đđâđ đđđ đŚđđ˘. đâđđŚ đđđđđđđđ đđđđ đ¤đđđâđĄ, đđđ đĄâđđŚ đ¤đđ'đĄ đđđđ đđđđđđĄ đđĄ.  Â
đˇđ đź đđđđ đĄđ đđđŚ đđĄ đđđŚ đđđđ?  Â
đź đđđŁđ đŚđđ, đđśđđđđđ. đźđĄ'đ đđśđđđđ đđ đđđđ Â
đđđđđżđ˘đ
You stuff the letters back in their envelopes and shove them into a box in your wardrobe. If you donât, youâll read them over until youâre ill. Once over was enough for you.Â
â
âThe Lord would have my pelt if I let you leave,â Beomgyu, crossing his arms firmly over his chest, says. âLet alone by yourself.â Realizing that his words insinuate that Taehyun holds any true power over him, he backtracks. âIf it werenât for the harness, Iâd be unconcerned with his anger, but... Of course, you know, Iâm obligated by my imposition to his word, so...âÂ
Tugging your boots on, you say, âSo, tell him I commanded you to stay. Youâll be fine.â Â
You had waited for Taehyun to leave for Court, anyway. You have hours of the night to sly-foot your way around him.Â
Youâd moped around for a few more days, your gut heavy with stones each time you remember Yeonjunâs letters. Stuffing them into a box, no matter how deep into the corner of your wardrobe, still could not wipe those words from your mind. Youâd turned them over and over until you couldnât handle imagining him writing those letters with a hopeful heart any longer. Â
The solstice is only a few days away now, too. Youâd been bound to the estate for weeks. Although youâre unsure what Taehyunâs real intentions are in boarding you in, you can no longer even care if leaving will end up getting you attacked. Youâve become a bird with clipped wings. Â
Even if your wings are out of order, youâll walk your way to your freedom. Hell, youâd crawl there. It just so happens that Yeonjunâs doorway feels like freedom in this moment. Â
Like heâd always said, the doors remain unbarred. You donât even have to use the metal knocker; you just push through the doors of swirling white engravements. Just as if nothing had changed. Heâd been waiting for you.Â
Instead of Yeonjun in his quarters, you find a brownie diligently working on doing up Yeonjunâs bedding. When she turns to you, her hands continue their efforts.Â
âThe prince is not here right now, dear,â she says, snout twitching. Round eyes recognize you before you can introduce yourself. âHeâs only just made for Court, though. You should catch him quite quickly, if you mean to.âÂ
It seems he hasnât given up searching for you in Court, either. You offer her your gratitude and slip out from his room. Picking up the hems of your dress, you race to catch Yeonjun before heâs arrived at Court. Once he does, things get more stickyâif Taehyun spots you... Pushing down the anxiety that bubbles up at the thought, you cross your fingers. Let luck be on your side. Â
Your Court dress, though heavy, feels nice on your skin. Although you often look down on court goers for their pompousness, you canât deny how good it feels to fit in. Thatâs perhaps the reason you cling to Court the way you do; youâre beyond desperate for belonging.Â
On the plush, snow-dusted bits of the forestâs floor, you spot a set of footsteps. Theyâre quickly being filled with the flurries. You clasp your hands in an overwhelming bout of gratitudeâluck had listened, this time. Those tracks are as fresh as can be. You double your pace.Â
Around a bend, youâre overjoyed to see his figure walking there. Finally hearing you coming over the roar of snowfall, he spins. His face pinches and then drops as he recognizes you.Â
âYou... You came?â he says. Disbelief flips his lips into a frown. âYou got my letters?âÂ
âI did,â you answer, catching your breath. âIâm so sorry.âÂ
A few feet float between you, the space not yet closed but so magnetic. His cheeks are tinged pink with the cold. Yours must be too. Â
âIâd thought you left. I thought Iâd never see you again.âÂ
Your chest caves in a little at the hurt in his voice and the way it clashes with the longing in his eyes. He wants to be angry; he wants to yell at you. He canât do either when heâs just thankful to see your face. You had missed his just as much.Â
âIâm sorry,â you repeat. âIt shouldnât have happened.âÂ
Yeonjun approaches you and takes your face into his hands. His fingers are ice on your skin. He swallows in your face, soft black eyes darting from your eyes to your lips and around the rest of it; just like heâd begged you to let him do in his letters.Â
âWhy?â Yeonjun asks you, brushing your hair back with his fingers like heâs just testing the feel of it.Â
You donât know how to answer him. You could tell him a lot of things: Taehyun told me to stay away. He had told me that youâd hurt me. Iâd started to believe him. I became scared of you. We had lied to each other. None of them feel adequate in this moment, so you shake your head.Â
His eyes harden to a degree as you donât answer. âWhy wouldnât you come talk to me, pretty?â he urges. âIf something was wrong, why couldnât you come to me? We canât leave things broken. I sent you weeks of letters. Weeks.âÂ
Weeks? Youâd only seen four. Â
âFinally, I got smart enough to send them when heâs at Court. And then you show up here. Tell me, how am I to think that youâre okay? When he wonât even let you speak with me?âÂ
You blink once. Twice. Taehyun had been intercepting letters. A pit of anger flares in your belly. Whatever this protecting thing heâs doing really is, youâre sick of it. Since when had he become your keeper? Heâd demanded that Yeonjun was trying to do just that, but here he is, and you have no clue why heâs doing it.Â
âI didnât know youâd sent letters until yesterday,â you tell him. âI shouldâve come and seen you.âÂ
Running his thumb over your cheek, he murmurs, âYouâre not going back there. Please, tell me youâll stay with me. If youâre to stay here in the north forever, let it be with me. We canât slip around like this forever.âÂ
Shaking your head in his hands, you pull back. You canât decipher the dread that washes over you at his suggestion once again. Your heart is wary with the need to do just thatâto not return to the estate where youâd become some sort of prisoner. Something washes over you and tells you that it wonât go the way youâd wanted, just as most things in your life hadnât.Â
Seeing the way you retract, Yeonjun becomes more desperate. âPlease,â he says, hands finding your shoulders to hold you as if youâll leave him there. Â
âWeâll figure it out,â you say. âJust give me a few days to think about it, okay?âÂ
His face stays drawn as if he wants to argue it, but he relents. Taking your frozen hands into his own and wrapping them up in attempts to warm them, he says, âOkay. Okay, letâs get away from this blizzard, then. Iâll wait for you, love.âÂ
Your chest sizzles. The cold isnât so bad, today. In a way, youâd missed it. You nod. Â
Yeonjun brings you to his chambers and urges you to settle into a plush seat. You run your hands over the embroidered whorls of thread on the cushions as you watch him rummage through a chest. âWhat are you looking for?â you ask him, drinking in his figure. Heâd switched his Court shirts for some more comfortable wear, but even in those he looks princely. Heâs so pretty. Your heart flutters as he fishes out what heâd been searching for and turns to you with a smile. He settles beside you carrying a leatherbound book and a miniature wood sculpture of a girl.Â
âThese,â he says, setting them down on the cushion between you. Â
You pick up the wood thing, looking over its painted pink cheeks and feeling the carvings that make its face. Itâs fitted with a dress; one unlike any youâd ever seen. Your brow furrows. âWhatâs this thing?â you ask.Â
âItâs called a doll,â he says explains. You feel his eyes on you, watching your reaction, not on the thing in your hands. âHuman girls carry them around to play with. They change the dresses and stuff. They even make things for them to hold, but... I couldnât get ahold of any of those.â Â
Heart stuttering, you look at the wood-carved thing. âHuman girls?â you ask, imagining a life where you too could have worried only about what dress your toy would wear. You revere the resilience your younger self had to have. At least you didnât know any better; you didnât know how you couldâve had it. That ignorance saved you. The painted eyes of the doll stare back at you.Â
âKinda cute, huh?â he says, smiling and scooting closer to fiddle with the thingâs hair. âThey even do their hair up all pretty.â Looking back up to you, he says, âItâs a shame that no human who has ever grown up here knows of things like these. Simple joys.âÂ
You nod, a little choked up. âYeah. I wish I had. It would have been nice to have something like this as a girl.â Â
He tucks some hair behind your ear to get a better look at your face from the side. âHow did you ever end up being a spy?âÂ
Tearing your gaze from the doll to meet his, you find a sadness there despite you not even having told him yet. Itâs as if he knows itâll hurt him already. You fiddle with the little dollâs dress as you recount. âI was a servant to a seamstress,â you start. âA royal seamstress, too. She was favored well by the gentry. She brought in hordes of clients and made dresses and Court clothes for themâbut, really, her work mostly ended at being there to hear what theyâd want and inlaying the dresses with her magic when theyâd ask for it. The rest was my work. Taking their measurements, making their dresses... I worked her shop as soon as I became able to.â Memories of cruel and wicked faces that snickered at your expense or those who found it entertainment to scare you come back, as fresh as ever. Those memories never leave you; the ones so early on that theyâd calcified into permanent parts of your personality. That terrified little girl will always be somewhere in your mind. She surfaces quite a lot, these days. Â
âThere was this one time...â you say, trailing off to trudge up a more awful memory. âA Lady had come in to have a dress made. She brought a guard along with her. He was this massive troll with grey skin like a toad.â Youâd recall his details without any trouble for the rest of your life, you think. âIâd ran off to grab some fabric for the Lady, and he followed,â you say, voice wavering just how your little heart had wavered as you had turned around from the bolts of fabric to see the goblin stood there. âHe yanked me around by my hair until I sobbed, and then he had me get on the floor and beg him to let me live.â You know now that of course he wasnât going to kill youâhe wouldnât want problems with Nut-hatchâbut you hadnât known it then. You thought you were dead. âWhen he had enough of his fun, he let me go. When the other two saw how hysterical I was, all I got was being asked why Iâd left them waiting so long.â Â
Yeonjun asks, voice soft and tender, âThe seamstress allowed that?â His eyes are heavy with a mixture of emotions. You see sadness and anger there, but also something a bit more.Â
âNut-hatch?â you say. âOf course.â Theyâd known what he was doing in there, of course. Even a human could have heard it. As long as you served your purpose, the folk could not care less.Â
He looks taken aback at that, recognition turning his brows up. âNut-hatch? You worked for Nut-hatch?â he asks.Â
Nodding, you hum. You had no doubt heâd know her name. Her work was well-renowned in his fatherâs court and beyond. âI did.âÂ
His eyes rake over you for a long few beats before he turns your face up. âTheir names?â he asks.Â
âHuh?âÂ
âThe goblin and the Lady. What are their names?âÂ
You try to tug at the threads of that old memory. âI donât remember,â you say. Much of it is fresh, but you hadnât committed their names to memory. Inconsequential in the grand scheme of it. âItâs okay. Itâs passed now.âÂ
He doesnât look very convinced, mind wheeling behind his eyes. You donât want to stay on this memory for too long. Pushing it back into the dusty corner where it stays, you continue explaining. âI accepted that as my life for a long time, but... At some point, I just wanted more. I imagined all the ways I could find a new life as a human here. There are so many other things Iâd preferred, but the only one I could manage was that. Even that, I was wrong about. Iâm not really made for that, you know?â You lighten your tone in hopes that itâll make your chest feel lighter as well. Â
He listens intently and then leans forward to press a kiss to your forehead. Pulling you into his chest and keeping you notched under his chin, he says, his voice smooth to your ears, âIâm so happy youâre here now, pretty.âÂ
Letting out the weight in your lungs in a long, meaningful sigh, you melt into his touch. Itâs difficult not to when his body is so warm against yours. You revel in it for some time, just letting him smooth over your hair and rub your back. You try your best not to let any old, sad emotions pour out through your eyes; this is a happy moment. Youâve made it. Perhaps things had been harder than you imagined theyâd be, but you knew itâd be a long journey when you escaped that sewing cottage anyway.Â
Peppering a few last kisses to the top of your head, he releases you to pick up the book he had also grabbed from that chest. On the front it reads: Pride & Prejudice. Â
âA book?â you say, looking over the brown leather and gold printing. Itâs an unfamiliar name to you, but you never read much anyway. Â
He nods and pries it open. The spine crackles with age. âItâs also from the human world.â Thumbing through the pages, he adds, âItâs a story. I read it often, itâs quite a nice one. I want to give it to you so that you can read it too; itâs a beautiful love story.âÂ
You lean in to take a look at the words, too perfect to be handwritten. âWhere do you get all this stuff?â you say. It reminds you of heâd brought you to that market for human goods. He seems to be interested in things that are human. Perhaps that includes you. Either that or he continues to show you these kinds of things for your sake.Â
âI lived in their world for some years,â he says, flipping through the pages. âItâs quite different. Though... I found myself not wanting to leave. When the time came, I brought these back with me to remind me of that time.âÂ
Lived? Not just visited, but Yeonjun had lived in the human realm? Your heart flurries with a lifetime of wondering what your true home was like. How ironic is it that he knew more of humans than you? That youâre the one asking him questions about your kind? âHow long?â you ask first. âAnd why were you living there?âÂ
âJust for something my father wanted me to do,â he answers, âSomewhere around a decade, I believe.âÂ
Heâd spent ten years there. Multiple things click into placeâno wonder heâs so able to understand your human emotions. No wonder it feels as though youâve been seen to a different degree by him than youâd ever known before. Heâd spent years with your kind. âWhat is it like?â you say, not sure where to begin with your questions.Â
He smiles fondly. âYou wouldnât even be able to believe me, pretty. Youâll just have to see it.âÂ
See it. âYouâd take me there?â you say. Â
âOf course,â Yeonjun says, frowning. He takes one of your hands into his, pressing a kiss to it. âYou deserve to see it.â He presses another kiss to your skin, now at your wrist. The hair on your skin raises at the contact. His eyes find yours as he begins a slow ascent of kisses up your arm. Each is warm and sends your spine blazing. Once he reaches your shoulder, he slows down, leaving a long moment between kisses. He continues this paceâone that both makes you wish heâd slow down and that heâd hurry and quell your wantâright up the juncture of your neck and up the column, too. His controlled breaths puff out like fire on your skin where his mouth lingers. You let your head back to help his path up. He places one final kiss at your jawline before his lips land on yours, drunken and in no rush at all. Â
You canât help the visceral urge to run your hands over his soft skin, to check if the warmth there was real or if youâd manifested it in your longing. Yeonjun breaks this lethargic kiss just to laugh, but heâs quick to recapture your lips. He meets your hand and brings it under his silken shirt, guiding you up the soft planes of his abdomen.Â
Pushing you back, he whispers into your mouth, âI missed you so much, pretty.âÂ
You rememorize the gentle muscles of his stomach beneath your palm. âIt was only so many days,â you tease, âyouâre just horny.âÂ
He lets go of your hand to begin slipping down your dress from the shoulders. âYeah?â he hums, gobbling up each inch of skin that he reveals. âI suppose I am. Itâs a gift to be able to love you in this way.â Once the fabric is clear of your hips and heâs tugging it down your legs, his face turns sly. He studies your wettened core. âI think you missed me too, though, love.âÂ
You drag your bottom lip into your teeth. You had. Your chest thumps rhythmically in your chest, syncing like symphony with the throb between your thighs.Â
Blood sings in your veins when he places his palm right on the boundary between your lower belly and your cunt. Your stomach soars, too, so excited by his touch so near where your body craves it. He runs it up, feeling the curves of your body, up to your breast. You expect him to stop and pay attention to your chest, but he presses his hand down right over your heart and feels its beating against his palm. His eyes flutter to a shut, and he leaves his hand there for a few moments, relishing in it. Â
âWhat other purer form of love can I show you?â he says, tapping on your hip. âOn your hands and knees, baby.âÂ
You flip, your limbs a bit clumsy in anticipation. Once youâve found your way there, he dances his fingertips on the small of your spine.Â
âDid you think of my touches while we were apart?âÂ
âMhm,â you hum. Especially on the nights when the estate seemed the emptiest. Some nights, your fingers were just not enough to save you, and youâd contemplate making a big escape to find him. Â
âWell, I shouldnât make you wait too much longer then, huh?â he coos, running that hand down to ghost touches over your slit. Though minimal, you jolt. Youâd been so ravenous for this. Heâd worked his shirt off so that when he leans forward to meld his chest to your back, itâs his skin that touches yours, not fabric. His hand stays ghosting touches that leave you softly gasping.Â
He teasingly pinches your clit, laughing in your hair at the sharp hiss it draws from you. âSo reactive,â Yeonjun muses. His fingers find their way to your hole. He dips the middle two in. âJust like the first time we made love like this. Your lovely face is burned into my mind, pretty. You have such hungry eyes.â As he pushes his fingers in, he uses his free hand to tilt your face against the cushion so that he can better see your eyes.Â
You sigh, shuddering and breathy, as he begins to curl his fingers. It only takes him a few curls to rediscover that spot that has sparks flying behind your eyes.Â
âThere?â he asks, chin on your shoulder. âThat feel good, darling?âÂ
Your muscles tremble at their own accord, rendering your huffs trembled as well. âYes,â you answer. Each meaningful curl hits its mark, knees unsteady pillars that dig into the cushions. âSoâso good. Please donât stop.â Â
He maintains a sickening paceâyour muscles twitch around his giving fingers, just enough so that your entire body buzzes and your stomach twists, but not enough to send you shaking yet. You collapse down from your elbows, chest in the cushions. He brushes back the hair that obscures your face with the movement, adamant to see your face. Â
He eggs you on by curling deeper; faster. Your answering groan is shaky and tenseâyou canât get enough of the knot he curates in your belly, but at the same time, itâs daunting. He sits back, but his fingers donât falter. His free hand explores, feeling your body up for all the time he couldnât. Â
Stomach taut and brimming on your peak, you suck in a breath. Your orgasm sits so close, running a line of electricity from between your legs up to your spine, raising goosebumps on your skin. Â
Your eyes fly open, mouth ready to scold, as Yeonjun pulls his fingers from you. Your chest bubbles up with frustration, your orgasm drifting off to somewhere else. âWhy?â you ask, cheeks burning. It slips and slips away from you, hole twitching around nothing as if seeking out just enough stimulus to bring it crashing back. âI was so close.âÂ
His hand soothes the loss ever so slightly by circling your cunt, but he does not make the mistake of offering you any touch where you most need it. It only prolongs the float down, keeping you suspended. You abhor it. Â
âPlease,â you whine.Â
He doesnât entertain your whines. He only continues to deliver just enough to torment you until heâs sure that youâre not so wound up that youâll cum the moment he touches you, and then he slides his fingers back in and begins building up a more tense knot with pointed curls. Your insides delight in the return of attention, falling almost instantly back into a brutal climb. Yeonjun doesnât bother with languid, teasing strokes now. He aims for your ruining.Â
You writhe against the cushions. Your heart is a fluttering bird in your chest, trilling at the prospect of your release. Itâs so closeâso close that you might be able to just touch it. It tastes like honey on your tongue, painting your words sweet. âLove you,â you tell him. âLove you so much.âÂ
Yeonjun rewards your sweetness with his free hand on your throbbing clit, sending your hands gripping at the cushions. You wiggle your hips helplessly in search of just the right amount of friction that itâll finally give you want youâve been wanting. âYes,â you mewl. âYes, so closeââÂ
âWait, baby,â he commands from behind you. âItâll feel so much better. I promise. Hold it back.âÂ
He reins in his touches once again, not stopping like last time. Itâs not enough to put a stop to the orgasm rippling right under your skin, right at the edge of ripping through you. You canât hold it back; itâs right there.Â
âNo,â he says, once again ripping his touch from you. It doesnât stop anythingâyou go rigid just before it crashes over you, and then youâre shaking without his hands even on you. You cum with a vengeanceâbody reclaiming twofold what he had denied you. Â
âHoly shit.â Yeonjun groans watching you come unraveled without his help. âSo riled up that youâre cumming by yourself, pretty,â he says, running a hand around to feel your belly muscles twitching and the way they roll along with the twitches of your hips. He eggs on your orgasm with gentle touches at your clit, sending you jolting, until youâre a panting mess and he can tell that youâve had enough.Â
You attempt to push yourself off your chest, but he gently guides you back down with a palm against your back. âStay there, pretty. You can handle a little more, right? You did so well, I know you can. Let me make love to you, darling.âÂ
The cushions are awfully warm against your skin and youâre still dealing with the waves of pleasure that drift up from your cunt, but you nod your head for him. ââKay,â you say.Â
The rustling behind you tells of how heâs slipping out of the rest of his attire. You lay boneless as he does, focusing on the waves running down your thighs. Itâs ecstasy in its purest form. It floats through your veins, addling any consciousness and breaking you down into what you are at your core.Â
The familiar prod at your entrance jolts you back to life. As he presses in, he presses a hand to your flushed cheek. Itâs a welcome temperature differenceâyou feel set ablaze in some sort of languid flame, one that takes its time to consume you. He laughs softly. âYouâre burning up,â he says as he bottoms out, as if the feeling of him filling you up isnât rendering you jittery in anticipation. âReady for me, pretty?â he teases, taking your hips into his hands. âI need you to make those pretty sounds for me. I want to know that theyâre just as sweet as I remember them.â He punctuates his sentence with deep rolls of his hips, aiming where he knows will have you singing.Â
Youâre helpless to the chorus of âOh's and âYesâs that he draws from you, the smacking of his hips and your sweet moans much too loud for you. You dread the thought of his servants hearing you and push your face into the cushions, muffling the array of sounds that bubble over. Itâs all you can doâyou could hardly contain your sounds.Â
Your scalp strains as he tugs your head back, tugging your face from the cushion. âNone of that, love. I waited too long for that. Donât hide your pretty voice.â Â
You shake your head. âToo loud,â you pant. âTheyâre gonna hear.âÂ
âI donât care who hears you. Let me hear how good Iâm making you feel, or Iâm going to stop. Do you want me to stop?â His fingers cling to your soft hips, betraying how much this is affecting him. You know that he hardly wants to stop.Â
Youâre turned to mush, though. In this moment, being heard feels nowhere near as awful as Yeonjun ceasing those dizzying thrusts. You shake your head, scalp aching against the movement. âNo,â you say, breathless. Â
âThatâs what I thought,â Yeonjun taunts, letting your cheek drop back into the fabric. âLet them hear our love. Let them hear how real it is, darling. Louder.â Â
You tentatively let your sounds out into the thick air, but he decides that itâs not enough for him. Taking his hand off your hip to brace himself on the seatâs plush armrest, he doubles down his thrusts, feverish and desperate to guide you both to a beautifully explosive end. Your mouth drops open, unfiltered words and sounds spilling out from your chest as you grab at the cushions for help. With the hand that he doesnât use to deliver those wild thrusts, he encases your hand in his own, threading his fingers between yours. Â
For a few more incandescent moments, Yeonjunâs room only consists of your unabashed cries, his alternating grunts and whines, the rhythmic and hollow smacks of his hips to your skin, and the musk of your passion. Frantic bodies dance against each other, skin against skin in the purest way. Your thighs tremble pathetically, his cock brushing against your sweet spot until you squeeze your eyes shut and ride out the quivering of your cunt around him. You squeeze his hand as you shake.Â
âYes,â his pretty voice whines, âJust like that.â Â
Picking up his pace, he chases to join you in your orgasm. He pants behind you, desperately fucking into you until his hips stutter and he stills, falling into your shoulder to deliver needy rolls and shooting warm spurts of his release into you. Â
You two stay like this for some unhurried moments. You focus on his heartbeat; feeling it thudding against your back reminds you that he is real, and he is love. You hold his hand in yours a little tighter.Â
â
âI doubt that this will go exactly as you believe it will,â Beomgyu says, watching you do your hair up. Your eyes meet his in the vanityâs mirror. Â
Arms burning as your hold them over your head, your words come out clipped with the ache. âIt worked yesterday, didnât it?â you say. You push a filigree comb into your hair to secure it up. âI got back hours before he did.âÂ
âIâm not saying that Taehyun is right,â he says, âbut I think that it would do us both a favor if you practice a bit more precaution.âÂ
âWhat, are you afraid of Taehyun?â you ask, raising your brows at him in the reflection. Â
Your taunt hits its mark, Beomgyu shifting in your bed and scowling. âOf Taehyun, never,â he parries, âof the fact that he could ask me to do anything and Iâd do it, yes.â He shakes out his lightly matted tresses, a habit youâve noticed over the passing weeks. âI played a little too closely to the fire with him once, and it landed me like this: no longer the owner of my being. Iâd sooner chew off my own fingers than become his obedient dog, but I believe you also know that itâs best to soar low with this, no? Are we not together in this?âÂ
You press your lips into a thin line. In a way, youâd come to an alliance of sorts with Beomgyu. Despite his being a kelpie, the two of you are not so different now. Both confined to these walls, listening to Taehyun when he commands it. You donât want any of your actions to snap back on Beomgyu, though. With you attending Court today, itâs almost definite that Taehyun will see you. You turn to face him. âWhy donât you join us, then?â you offer. âIâll tell him myself that I commanded you to come with me. Iâm sure heâll be less upset if I have you there with me.âÂ
He gives it a thought, his eyes looking as tired and sunken as they always do. âIâm not one for Court,â he says.Â
âBut Iâll be there,â you plead, unable to help the twitching of smirk on your lips. âIf we do it together, it canât be so bad.âÂ
He frowns, but you can see that youâve won. âI grieve for how the forest left me to my own,â Beomgyu grumbles.Â
You surge up from your seat, eyes bright. âYouâll go?â you say, giddy to return to the thrill of faerie revelry and also to see the strange kelpie in the center of it.Â
Grimacing, he answers, âI will join you.âÂ
You take his hands into yours and press a cheeky kiss to his forehead. âYouâre not so scary as you try to paint yourself,â you tell him, watching as he catches bait. You laugh as he glowers.Â
âDonât push it.â He climbs off your bed. âIâm scarier than you should imagine, girl. I do this for my own reasons.âÂ
You pull a patronizing frown and nod. âOf course, I know.âÂ
You donât have to wait for him to get ready to any capacity; he tells you that he has no intentions of making any impressions, and youâve seen faeries in far more drastic states of disarray. Many show up for their reveling in just their skin.Â
Beomgyu drones on about how he detests the audaciousness of the gentry folk while you make for the hall. The forest around you is as quiet as you remember it being when youâd first met him. It reminds you that, no matter how used you become to him, he is a creature to be feared. The little folk are right to hide away. For you, though, his might is a relief: should Taehyun be right, youâll be safe. He moves at your beck and call. Though, the thought of forcing the kelpie to carry out your will is an uneasy one that you do not strive to fulfill.Â
Once the buzzing of Court comes into earshot, wonderful faerie music along with it, you breathe it in. âFirst time in... how long since youâve shown your face here?âÂ
âPerhaps four-hundred-something years,â he answers, looking over the scene with as much distaste in his face as his voice. âWe solitary folk donât make ourselves known here unless to bow to a crown. I do not bow to any crown.âÂ
Itching to find your prince, you gesture toward it. He should be fineâCourt is supposed to be an insouciant place. âDonât they host anybody who decides to come? Faerie hospitality, and all that? Youâll be fine.âÂ
âItâs all hospitality until you step foot from those trees,â he says. âAnd even hospitality is sometimes betrayed. You know how capricious we can be, Iâm sure.â Â
You approach the warm lights, but his words remain with you. It beckons you to remember that their minds are fickle and fundamentally different from yours. However you think they may act, they might act in the complete opposite way. You should at least let that guide how you conduct your actions a little bit.Â
As you breach the pillars of trees and are finally surrounded once again by their pinched faces and gangly limbs, you search for both Taehyun and Yeonjun. You see neither, and so you make your way to the tables to seek snacks. You scour them for something sweet to chew over as you wait for him to appear. Heâd said heâd be coming around this time, right? You surely hadnât mistaken the time heâd told you?Â
Beomgyu speaks from beside you, observing a hag that loiters nearby. âIs he not here?â he asks.Â
Shrugging, you say, âHeâll be here soon.â Â
You watch the hag inching closer, bent over with age; though, you assume thatâs sheâs been old for the entirety of her life. Her pointed ears droop from her thin tresses of silver, cuffed with gold. Â
Turning from her, you gesture over the cavorting crowds, more frantically chasing their merriments than ever before. The solstice arrives tomorrow; they welcome its presence with their excitement. âThis is all for the solstice?âÂ
He offers you an affirmative nod. âJust some excuse to entertain themselves like this,â he explains, âthe solstice will arrive whether they encourage its coming or not. I believe that they just enjoy this debauchery too much.â His hollow eyes rake over the throngs. âAnyway, many of them are just here because itâs the only time that theyâll see Court. Otherwise, only the gentry gather here.âÂ
âWhat makes you any different than them?â you ask. âWhat makes you so averse to offering your allegiance to the High Courts? Would it not be nice to have their protection, and to keep them off your back?â You seek Yeonjun once more in the crowds, but still, he doesnât appear. âYou know, so they donât call you in for things like eating too much?âÂ
âI do not surrender my sovereignty to any. Come they to my doorstep and demand that I do, I could not care. Iâm content with the way I make my life.â Â
His refusal to do just that must be why Taehyunâs father had come to claim his life. Youâre sure that itâs also why the coming of the Generalâs son to steal his autonomy mustâve made him so angry. You donât blame him. Â
Why would The Queen demand fealty from the solitary folk? Youâd thought that, like the High King, sheâd leave them to their forests. If theyâre all as adamant as Beomgyu, it seems like a lost cause.Â
âWell,â you say, âIâm glad thatââÂ
A gnarled hand, fingers knobbed against your skin and skin about as soft as tree bark, tugs your arm. You spin to find who owns it. Â
The hagâs eyes remind you of Beomgyuâs, piercing and dull with the weight of a long life. Though, hers are much more unsightly than his mud-brown ones, saggy eyelids drooping over a pair of eyes with ink-black where the whites of her eyes should be. She pulls you toward her by your skirts. Â
You tug yourself back, pinching your brows. âWho are you?âÂ
She points her clawed, grey hand out at you, bangles of gold and chunky beads jingling as she does. âYou, girl,â the hag says, urgent. Her voice is harsh and it crackles as she speaks. She reaches inside of her furry robes and produces a wood trinket from it. In her palm that she shoves at you lays a bit of wood carved into the shape of a wolf, painted in black. Its shaggy black fur reminds you of the kind Taehyun would sometimes wear over his shoulder. Â
âI donât need that,â you say, rejecting her hand. Nothing in faerie comes for freeâthe hag just sees a human girl that she can offer free things to in hopes that youâll know no better and take. Then, youâd be in her debt, and sheâd demand something from you. You do know better, though.Â
âOh,â she says, shaking her head as she draws out the word. âYou do, girl. Take it, take it. You need it, I know it. Take it, I wonât hold it to you, girl, just have it.â Razor teeth appear behind her curled lips. âIt is dormant with me. But, in your hands... Take it.â She shakes her jousted hand out at you each time she demands that you take it. âIt offers you protection. It would do no good in my possession. It beckons me to give it to you, its pleas are so loudâloud, loud, loud! Take it off my hand, wonât you?âÂ
Her urging unsettles you, but so do her words. You assume that itâs inlaid with some sort of protective enchantment. Why would you need protection? Although, she could also just be fooling you. She could be holding a perfectly plain hunk of carved wood in her palm for all you know. You shoot a look at Beomgyu. If she were any trouble, heâd tell you.Â
He looks about as lost as you do, shrugging.Â
âOh, sakes!â the hag grumbles, clutching her robes to her body. She takes Beomgyuâs hands and places the thing there. âThere. I have no reasons to be here fooling humans. Useless debts, what could you give me? Nothing I need.â She points a sturdy, twiggy finger at you. âKeep it on you, girl, else it wonât do its work.âÂ
With those final ill-boding words, the hag hobbles off, her curved back disappearing between the gaps in the crowd.Â
âHere,â Beomgyu says, regarding the trinket with his observation. âThat hag really wanted this to be yours, so I think it ought to be in your hands.â He tries pushing it off to you.Â
Laughing, you donât reach out to take it, darting his hand with your whole body. You hang your hands in the air. âIâm not taking that thing,â you say. âShe handed it to you, so I really think it ought to be in your hands.âÂ
He deadpans. âIâve just been collecting myself a heap of debts, havenât I?â He closes it into his fist for his lack of pockets. âWhatâs this one to add?âÂ
âDoes it... feel like it has anything bad on it?â you ask, remembering how heâd identified your geas. âLike a curse, or a bad enchantment, or something?âÂ
Shaking his head, he says, âNo. I feel it does have a protective purpose, but the magic there is... odd. Hard for me to decipher. Probably that hagâs.â Â
You purse your lips, nodding. Regardless, whatever protection that thing might have offered you, youâll be fine without it.Â
Shaking off the odd interaction, you resume perusing the snack platters in your wait. You skip over glazed pinecones. Those would be terrible on your human stomach and teeth. You can only imagine how theyâd jab at your gums. You opt for a helping of braised fiddlehead ferns. Chewing on the furled thing, you entertain yourself with the revelers. Littler folk dart in and out of legs. Long-limbed gentryfolk with flowers in their hair spin with interlocked hands at the center of the clamor. Sharp-eyed faeries with even sharper mouths speak in clusters, no doubt scheming. In all its oddness, youâd missed it. Â
 A silk-smooth voice steals your attention. âA kelpie?â Yeonjun says, regarding Beomgyu beside you. âNow, how did you manage to befriend a kelpie? Even better, how did you drag it here?âÂ
Your chest lights up. âLong story,â you say, brushing his curiosity off. âWhat took you so long?â Â
Heâs dressed in his Courtly bestâcuffs made of ruffle and an array of rings decorating his fingers. They catch light as he brings his hand up to run a hand along the expanse of your collarbone. He hesitates to answer for a split second. âI ran into Kai on my way,â he explains. âHeâs performing here today and for tomorrow's solstice.âÂ
Accepting his answer, you go to tell Beomgyu that youâre going off, but heâs not even there as you turn. He mustâve wandered off as Yeonjun had arrived.Â
âWant to join them?â he asks, tilting his head toward the dancing bodies. Soft black strands drift over his eyes. Â
Shaking your head, you offer him some of the sweets youâd been eyeing, knowing that heâs got a knack for sweets. âNot today. I think I want to remember all of tonight, and, well...â Memories of the way youâd danced uncontrollably until itâd fade to black lick at your mind. You want to revel in your return to normalcy fully, not with a buzzing mind. You canât deny the allure of that tingling in your bones as you hear the faerie music, though. It curls a wild finger at you, beckoning.Â
An uncomfortable look passes through his eyes, gone as fast as it had come. âAll right, darling,â he hums, accepting the sweets. âDoes the Lord know youâre here?âÂ
Lips tugging into a faint frown, you say, âNot yet, I think.â The quick expression doesnât go unnoticed by you. Unlike the ice the Taehyun offers you, Yeonjun wears his feelings all over himself. Itâs just one way that they are fundamentally different. âIs something wrong?âÂ
Yeonjun looks taken aback at your asking. âIâm doing just fine,â he says. âWhy do you ask?âÂ
He does not say nothing wrong. You know it is because he cannot lie. You look him over. What had happened? And, why is he averse to telling you the truth? âJust thought you looked a bit upset.â You shrug. âDid you want to dance?âÂ
His nose crinkles with a laugh. âNo, pretty. Iâd be in your presence doing nothing and still be content.â He takes your hands into his, the metal on his fingers biting cold against your skin. âHow about we go listen to Kai play?âÂ
He leads you to where the musicians work at concocting their works, claiming a chalice of some drink from a table on the way. Kai, of course, stands away from the rest, back to a tree while his fingers dance on the strings. You look around for Taehyun from here, but still, you donât see his face.Â
Yeonjun holds the chaliceâs neck between his middle two fingers, sipping from it. âItâs nice to know that even as this season ends, I wonât be forced to go back there.âÂ
His pretty lips wrap over the edge of the chalice as he drinks from it. âWonât your father know something is up when you donât return?âÂ
Nodding slowly, he grimaces. âI suppose that time has finally come.âÂ
You squeeze his hand in yours. âWe both sacrificed things to be here, huh?â you say. You donât know a lot of what Yeonjunâs life back in his home court was like, but you know that it would be hard to revolt against your own family for anybody. Even for the prince of Faerie.Â
He captures your eyes, his soft brown ones making crescents with his gentle smile. âWe did,â he muses.Â
âRemember our first night in Court?â you say. Youâd been so uneasy, searching for a place to fit in. Then, from the crowds of overwhelming faces, heâd appeared, all charm and welcoming smiles. How couldnât you have let your heart fall?Â
Another flash of disconcertment, his smile faltering. He hides it behind another sip of his drink. Swallowing, he nods, laughing off-kilter. âI do. I think watching you dance that time was the best thing Iâve ever seen.âÂ
Odd, but you donât push the issue. If he says that heâs fine, it must just be something to little effect. âWhat made you come up to me that night?â you say, remembering how confused youâd been when such a pretty gentry boy had taken interest in you. Youâd agonized over why heâd done so for long, and sometimes you still, but youâve made some peace with it by now. Â
His lips are tight. âI... Itâs hard to explain.âÂ
You accept that answer at face-value and let your head fall into his shoulder while you watch Kai dutifully work at his songmaking. Among those making the music for Court, his contributions stand out as the most enthralling. Faerie music is too elusive for you to decipher why, but perhaps itâs just his lazed passion. âI understand,â you say. His shoulder is tight and less cushy than you expect it to be. Looking up to him, you frown to see how heâs looking down at you, eyes stormy. He looks like heâs sick to his stomach. You go to ask if heâs going to be okay, but he speaks before you can.Â
âPretty, I... I have to tell you something.â He pulls you off of him to look into your eyes. Heâs always been so steadfast and sure, but now his gaze wavers. âIâm so sorry.âÂ
Your stomach drops. You donât like the way heâs looking at you. âWhat?â you say, a tingle in your spine telling you that something isnât right; that youâre not going to like what heâs going to say. âYeonjun, youâre making me nervous. Is something wrong?âÂ
You know itâs awful and youâre not sure why you do it, but for a split second, you inspect the hall for possible attackers. A terrible bout of potent adrenaline makes you want to run or cry. Beomgyu is here, right?Â
He swallows hard, face a ghostly pallor. âI canât keep doing this,â he says, voice trembling. âI need to tell you the truth, itâs... itâs been eating me alive. I canât look into your sweet face and know...âÂ
Acid climbs up your throat. Your heart joins it, thick in your throat and choking you. âWhat? Know what Yeonjun?â you ask, lips trembling. Your skin prickles, hair raising. You may throw up. He looks stricken in place, not answering you. âWhat?â you demand.Â
âI didnât come up to you for no reason that day.âÂ
Your heart, still caught in your throat, bursts. Itâs a horrifying, bloody affair. âNo,â you say, shaking your head. You feel so removed from your body that you can almost envision how your blood-drained face might match his.Â
âI knew that you were the spies the moment I saw you. It was....â He sucks in a breath. Your world spins around you as you wait. âI was supposed to determine who the spies were. I was supposed to have them killed, but pretty, I knew I couldnât do that the moment I saw you. I thought it was just going to be some... some random faerie that Iâd...âÂ
If your world was spinning before, itâs now flipped upside down and inverted. âNo,â you repeat, a guttural plea that you know wonât change anything. Itâs the only word that your mouth will make for right now, though.Â
Youâre hurt. Youâre scared. Youâre angry. Youâre frozen.Â
Yeonjun grabs for your hands, but you rip yourself away from him, your glaring eyes so at odds with your wobbling lips. âIt doesnât change anything,â he says. âIt doesnât change how I love you now. You know I love you. You know I love you, right? Iâm so sorry. I would never hurt you. I did my best to protect you. Please, I never wanted to hurt you,â he rambles, frantically grabbing for your arms as he falls down to his knees before you.Â
A few faeries around you gasp, and a blur of their commotion forms around you. The crowned prince of Faerie just went to his knees. Your eyes dart wildly around their guffawing faces, and between a space you spot a familiar face: cold eyes and a cracked mask of indifference. He looks right at you.Â
What on earth is going on? How is this life right now? You snap back to Yeonjun in front of you.Â
âPlease, donât look at me like that, pretty,â he pleads. âPlease.â His voice cracks, eyes frantic. âSlap me. Tell me you hate me for it. But please, donât look at me like youâre scared of me.âÂ
Tears scald your cheeks.Â
âI know that itâs selfish of me to ask you that; I know, I know itâbut please, I canât handle it, love. I was never going to let anything happen to you, I knew it the moment I saw you. I felt it right hereââhe gestures to his beating heart, the one your hand had felt and cherished so only last nightââI knew that no matter how big my ambitions were, they would never be bigger than that.âÂ
You canât listen to any more. His words pour out onto your skin, but they all slip off like rain upon a beastâs winter pelt. None can penetrate the ringing in your ears.Â
Yeonjun sees how retracted youâve become. âPretty, please,â he says, slower and more dire now. âSay something."Â
You donât know what to do. Your feet are rooted fast to the ground, but you know that you have to leave, or else youâll start creating excuses for him. You know yourself too well to let that happen.Â
Picking up your skirts, you manage only a few words to part him with. âThough your kind canât lie,â you say, âyou have been the biggest liar I have ever known. You said you loved me.âÂ
âI do,â he says, shaking his head, eyes twinkling. âI do.âÂ
Maybe love is a different thing to a faerie.Â
You take off. He calls for you, but itâs muffled by the restlessness of the folk around you and the still-playing music. You dart between openings and bounce off bodies, lights and angry faces a blur in your frenzy. Most folk donât spare you even a glance; nothing could pull them from their merriment. But others gawk at you like you put on a performance, greedy eyes drinking in any amount of fanfare. Their eyes itch under your skin. Crossing the expanse of the hall has never felt so arduous. Â
Youâve become their spectacle.Â
Breaking into the cold night air, you donât run home or collapse to your knees in a sob. You hold your dress hard in your hands, the one heâd gifted you among so many others, its fabric bunching in your fists, and stand there as if frozen staring into the tree line ahead. You donât move and you donât think; both would remind you that this is real and that you are a fool. You just allow the bitter air to swaddle your skin.Â
You donât even know if you doubt that he loves you. You donât even know if he actually never intended to hurt you. Had there been times where all youâd done was look at him with starry eyes, and heâd look at you deciding whether or not to have you killed?Â
Why are you even here? There is nothing left for you. Whatever simple joys you thought youâd found, theyâre gone. Youâre so far away from home, and youâve nobody to call home. Youâd left behind your beginnings of a purpose, and now the only purpose you serve is to rot away in Taehyunâs estate because you demanded that you stay here.Â
All that time youâd spent worrying, and still, you walked yourself into this. Youâre a joke. And now, youâre fully serving your purpose as oneâto be laughed at.
White breaths unfurl into the night air before you, floating off to join the snowflakes and heavy fog. You just watch those fluffy flakes fall for a while.Â
Snow creaks under a few footsteps behind you, someone letting you know that theyâre there. âYouâve gotten awfully good at sneaking around,â Taehyun says.Â
You let your head fall back, sighing slowly out through your nose. Turning to him, you spit, âI understand. You were right. I got it, okay? I donât need you to come here and rub it in.âÂ
Beomgyu approaches from behind Taehyun.Â
Taehyun doesnât say anything for a bit, ice-hard eyes darting all over your face. âTake her back to the estate,â he tells Beomgyu.Â
Glad to escape him, you begin your way on your own. You know that heâs only looking at your break down as pathetic. Perhaps it is, but recognizing that doesnât make it hurt any less. Wind lapping at your wet cheeks have them stinging as you walk.Â
Beomgyu awkwardly trails behind you as you follow the path that had become trodden in the time that you and Taehyun have been here, foliage and shrubbery broken down to make somewhat of a path.Â
He doesnât speak; you donât expect him to. Instead, you break the quiet yourself, unable to stand only the sound of wind twirling between trees. âI shouldâve taken that ridiculous charm thing,â you say, laughing through your tears. That hag had absolutely been able to feel what was coming with you with whatever intuition that the magic in her bones lends her.Â
âBut then,â Beomgyu says, âyou wouldnât know the truth.âÂ
Thatâs true. Not knowing the truth doesnât make it untrue, but at least it spares your fragile heart. âI donât know if Iâd mind that,â you tell him. âI think Iâd prefer it.âÂ
Ignorance is bliss, as the saying goes.Â
â
You donât remember falling asleep. You remember climbing into your bed, dreading that youâll be in your head all night, but to some mercy, youâd found sleep not long after that.Â
Youâd pulled yourself from bed, no matter how it had grown a gravitational pull and insisted that itâd hold you warm while you weep. If you hadnât, you might not have gotten up at all. As a girl, youâd force yourself into the dayâs routine when you had your worst days. Itâs the only way that you live through it. Youâd also made an effort to walk past your wardrobe. It carries so much of him: the lovely things heâd gifted you, his letters, and that book heâd lent you. Itâs not that you donât want any of these things; to wither away in your bed, to go through his things and wonder how someone whoâd showered you so had meant to be your killer, to drag your feet... Itâs that you canât.Â
You poke your needle through the fabric. On the cut of white fabric stretched inside the embroidery hoop, youâve embroidered a dozen woven wheel stitch flowers of different colors and types. Your bottom aches against the hardwood flooring and your lower spine strains, but you donât pay any mind to their complaining. You just continue to embroider the little flowers. Some are poppy, some rose, and some youâd made up just to have more to stitch.Â
A knock resounds through the war room from the doorway. You look to see Taehyun there. Heâs dressed in his Court attire.Â
âYou should get dressed,â he says. âItâs almost midnight. If you want to make it in time, youâve got to get ready now.âÂ
Since when had he decided that youâre okay to go? Itâs as if this elusive threat thatâd heâd been so careful has up and disappeared. âYou can go. Itâll take me too long to get ready.âÂ
Truth be told, youâd go sick seeing Yeonjunâs face, and you know without a doubt that you would.Â
âItâs the solstice,â Taehyun says, stepping into the room. He looks like he wants to say more, but he doesnât.Â
Despite how much you had wanted to see it, your heart is too apathetic for it to be worth anything now. Returning to the same faces that had seen your demonstration and no doubt now talk of it... Youâd rather finish your fifth rose. âI know.âÂ
He hesitates, studying you while gears turn in his head. âHadnât you thought that something would happen on the solstice?â he says. âCome on. Itâs worth seeing how this unfolds.âÂ
âWhy? We arenât spies anymore. I donât care what happens in their conflict. Itâs well beyond my control as a human here.âÂ
He grimaces, but you donât recognize the look there to be anger, more a rigidness. He rests his hand on his sword as he always does. âThen weâll stay here.âÂ
You furrow your brows. âHuh?âÂ
âWe can celebrate the solstice here,â he elaborates. âWe donât need to do it there. Plenty of folk celebrate on their own.âÂ
It dawns upon you that this is his stilted attempt at comforting you. Itâs the only way he knows how. You push off the ground. You couldnât ignore this sliver, however little, of tenderness. Youâre not sure if youâd ever see it again if you did. Youâll take anything to distract your mind, as well. You canât escape the image of Yeonjunâs eyes as heâd pleaded with you from the ground. âIâm not sure Beomgyu will join us, though. He doesnât believe in the need to celebrate the solstices.âÂ
âHe will if I command it,â he says. Â
âWhat, youâre going to command the poor kelpie to sit and watch a bonfire with us?â you say, imagining how heâd brood.Â
The north is wickedly cold at all times, but itâs especially so after night falls. You shuffle closer to the bonfire that Taehyun had built. Itâs multitudes smaller than the bonfire youâd sat around with Yeonjun, but itâs warm enough for just the two of you. You quickly shove down those tainted memories before they sting. A lump of emotion forms in your throat before you can, though. You clear it. âIs there anything special that youâre supposed to do?âÂ
Feeding one last log into the flame, he watches it catch. âWe started this really early,â he says. âThe fire is supposed to keep you warm and represent the sunâs warmth until sunrise...â He trails off, sliding the cuffs of his shirt that heâd slid up to his elbows to tend to the fire down and sucking in an awkward breath. He looks between the fire and you as though heâd not fully thought out his offer when heâd made it.Â
You face your palms to the orange flame, letting the roiling waves of heat warm them. âItâs nice like this.âÂ
The flame sizzles and pops, spewing sparks and eating up the wood, for a few long moments. Youâre not in a talky mood, and Taehyun doesnât seem to know where to begin on conversation with you that isn't functional. No snow falls around you, and any wind is cut by the estate. Thisâa place to lose yourself to your mindâis both the thing you need and what you most should not have.Â
Taehyun stands watching the fire twirling, his arms over his chest. Â
âIs your shoulder healing fine?â you ask, once the air starts feeling a bit heavy with the weight of the prolonged quiet. âAre my stitches holding up fine? No infection, or anything?âÂ
His gaze flicks up to you. âYou stitched it up pretty well,â he answers. âI saw the flowers you were making. Youâve got a good hand.âÂ
Frowning, you say, âYou didnât say itâs not infected...âÂ
âItâs not infected,â he says.Â
That could be a lie or the truth, you know. But... this sort of deception, youâre more comfortable with. Your human mind can pick up on these subtleties, can catch the careful intonation of somebody trying to hide something behind a lie. âCould I see it?â you ask him.Â
He hesitates, expression flat as his eyes convey the extent of his consideration. âYou can.â He grabs at his tunic, the fabric the only thing his frost blood even needs to wear out in the cold, and pulls it over his head.Â
You swallow hard and fight the flush to your cheeks at the sight of his scar-flecked flesh, his muscled abdomen disappearing as he turns around to show you his back. When youâd last seen his bare skin, youâd been so high on your fear and adrenaline that youâd barely flinched. Â
Blinking, you focus on the arrow puncture at his shoulder blade. Itâs done some healing, but tinged by an angry red and visibly swollen around the stitches. You curse.Â
Of course, heâd rather let his shoulder rot away than admit that he needs any more of your help than heâd been forced to allow. That would require admitting that heâs not just an impenetrable wall of ice. âThat is definitely infected,â you say. âWere you just going to let that kill you? Infections like that are beyond help once they get in your bloodstream.âÂ
âIâve had infected wounds before,â he says, preparing to put his shirt back on. âThis one is nothing. Itâll take a bit longer, but... Itâll heal up fine.âÂ
You grab his arm. âJust let me clean it a bit,â you insist. âItâs not that big of a deal. Youâre not scared that itâs gonna hurt, are you?âÂ
Sighing, Taehyun says, âI thought you wanted to enjoy the solstice.âÂ
The hopeful girl youâd been had wanted that, but now itâs just a reminder of everything you donât want to remember. You wave your hand in the air dismissively. âWe did. Come on.âÂ
You find a bucket to fill with water and cloth along with some stash of ancient spirits in the kitchens, their containers lined with a layer of dust so thick that you know theyâre left over from Taehyunâs father. He watches you gather it all.Â
You beckon him to turn and show you his shoulder again. He does, bracing his arms on a counter and letting his head hang. You spill out some of that strong liquor into the wound. Youâre not really sure if itâll work as a disinfectant, but as a girl youâd seen an older woman pour it over her wound once, and itâs all you know.Â
Gently dabbing at his shoulder now with the water-soaked rag, swollen except for where the stitches sinch it, you say, âYou shouldâve been going gentle on this thing.âÂ
Taehyun doesnât make any fuss as you prod at the wound. âI had more important things to concern myself with,â he says plainly. You press the wet rag to the wound and hold it there, and he begins to try and redirect the conversation to anything other than about himself. âWhat did the prince say to you at Court?âÂ
Your stomach drops. âIt was nothing.âÂ
âI know thatâs not the truth,â he says, picking up his head to try and look over his shoulder at you. âTell me the truth.âÂ
You take the long, torn strips of cloth and begin wrapping it around the expanse of his broad shoulders in a sloppy and amateurish wrap. As long as it shields the wound, itâll work. âThatâs rich coming from you,â you say. âThereâs plenty that you lie to me about. You even lied about this.â You tap his shoulder.Â
Turning now that youâre done, Taehyun eyes you. You donât know if heâd been able to hear anything over the sounds of Court or if heâd heard it all with his better hearing ears. You canât tell which it is. Â
âIâll hear it from some Court gossiper anyway. I think youâd prefer to tell me it yourself.âÂ
The thought of that scene being a topic of Court gossip makes you ill, but you know that itâs true. The folk love the show, especially one that includes a prince of Faerie on his knees in front of a human. Red-hot embarrassment takes a leisurely stroll up your spine. Your biggest fear has taken flesh in the cruelest way possible. Â
Well, if heâs going to end up knowing anyway... Youâd prefer itâs from your mouth. You donât know what sort of conflated half-truths the folk might come up with, since they have no more idea what happened than what they saw. âHe was supposed to kill us,â you say, chest too tight to explain it in any depth. âOr, at least, find out who we are, so that we could be killed.âÂ
Taehyun doesnât look shocked. He nods. âSo, they anticipated our arrival, then. The odds had been stacked against us from the beginning.âÂ
You nod. Would you have been able to escape? If things had never become entangled between you and Yeonjun, would you and Taehyun lived beyond the first day? Taehyun is strong and you know that heâs no doubt survived plenty in his life, but youâd have been caught completely unaware. âYeah.âÂ
âI told you that heâd show you his colors eventually.âÂ
You want to fight him on that, but you canât. You have nothing to say. Heâd been right.Â
Whatâs left for you now that he has? Â
âŚđŞś ashlynn's note RAHHH! like i said, this part gave me a bit of grief because part 3 was left so open endedâi had so many options and paths i could follow, but ultimately, i chose this one! how do we feel?
ďšđˇď¸ ďš @lvrs-street2mmorrow , @soohashits , @f4iryfever , @arcturus444 , @linqed , @serenityism00 , @immelissaaa , @luv4cheol , @lickingan0rchid , @20-cms , @hhoneylix , @beestvng , @sanshiningstarhwa , @hyucktapes if your tag isn't working, check the mentions part of your settings!
#taehyun fanfic#txt x reader#taehyun x reader#fem reader txt#txt fanfic#txt#faerie taehyun#faerie yeonjun#prince yeonjun#spy taehyun#taehyun smut#yeonjun smut#yeonjun x reader#taehyun fanfiction#taehyun ff#yeonjun fanfic#yeonjun fanfiction#txt fantasy fanfic#yeonjun ff#txt ff#txt smut#beomgyu ff#hyuka ff#beomgyu smut#soobin smut#txt fic#faerie txt#to someone from a warm climate#tsfawc#yandere taehyun
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Oh..I think youâre holding the heart of mine..
Characters: Solivan Brugmansia/gn!reader
Cw: fluff, mentions of marriage, crushes, love at first sight (?), mentions of kidnapping, yandere themesâŚ
A/n: This is based off day two of The kid at the back :] hope you guys enjoy!
(E/c) eyes lingered across the room, trying to distract themselves from the crimson orbs that stared at their figure, drawing it with a smile. Portraits arenât that difficult when you know how to draw, except, their skills were quite rough, unlike Sol who was nearly finishing it, looking back and forth between y/n and his paper. Blush covered part of his cheeks, placing his sketchbook down while locking eyes with them
âIs it done?â Y/n asked, sighing as the bell rung across the hallway
âNot yet, youâll have to wait until tomorrowâ He responded with a soft smile, one theyâve rarely seen the times they saw him.
Going their separate ways, y/n found their group in the hallway making small talk as they arrived. It wasnât long until Sol and his friend appeared, chatting as Solâs gaze landed on them. Feeling a bit curious, Y/n excuses themselves, parting away from their friends while approaching Sol.
âYou must be Y/n! Solâs told me about you..heâs right, you are kind of cute..â The guy before them spoke while chuckling as Sol sighed, blushing while glaring at his friend
âAnyways, Iâm Hyugo! We were just about to eat lunch on the roof, would you like to join?â Y/n looked back briefly at their group. Perhaps something different wouldnât be so bad today. Crowe however, noticed their sudden disappearance, his sad gaze lingered as they left with the two boys walking across the small corridor.
âIâd love to..!â Hyugo chuckled as the three of them headed towards the roof. Upon arrival, Sol handed Hyugo a bento box filled with his favorite food. It didnât take long for them to dig in as Y/n looked around the roof, admiring the city and the view it provided.
âHave you eaten yet, y/n?â Sol inquired, staring at their hands that fidgeted around their shirt. âhm, cuteâ he thought. The sudden question returned them back to reality while answering.
âI didnât get to eat anything but itâs okay, Iâll grab something later-â Before they could finish their sentence, Solivan had already taken out the other box he had saved for later.
âI made three boxes today, just in case Hyugoâs appetite was insatiable so..you can take itâ
âAre you sure? I mean..â Without any hesitation, Sol had already opened up the lunch box, handing them the tasty food he prepared while smiling, reaching for some utensils.
âYou made this all by yourself? It looks so good..!â Y/n praised, taking the utensils Sol provided for them as Hyugo chimed in, swallowing his food gently while speaking
âSolâs cooking is the best! Heâd make a good househusband, donât you think?â Hearing this, Sol blushed after seeing them nod, maybe being a househusband for Y/n wouldnât be such a terrible idea after all..
âI think so too, maybe even one day, we could get married as wellâ They half-joked, watching as Solivanâs smile widened, taking hold of Y/nâs hand and bringing it forth, kissing their knuckles gently
âIâd..love that, no one could ever keep us apart.â Y/nâs eyes drifted to Solâs gaze, watching as he pressed his cheek against their hand lovingly. Hyugo was nowhere to be seen as the bell rang. After packing everything up, Solâs hand remained intertwined with their own
âMe and Hyugo were thinking of ditching class, he wanted to see a movie..what do you think?â Upon reaching the corridor, Y/n turned, facing Solâs body that nearly towered over theirs while leaning forward
âI..-â Looking back at the door of their next class and Crowe who had suddenly exited the room,y/n nodded â-Fuck it, letâs skip.â With that, Sol escorted them towards their secret escape place, not bothered by the glare Crowe had given him as they left.
Due to Hyugoâs request to see the latest movie in theaters, the trio arrived at the cinema shortly after. The movie itself was great, though all y/n could think about was how close Sol was, his arm in their own while sharing popcorn and some small talk. Solivan was over the moon as he walked with them around the nearby park, Hyugo had retuned home afterwards, saying something along the lines of âIâll leave you two lovebirds be, see you tomorrowâ was spoken from his behalf.
The afternoon sun had already settled down, as colder it got, a shiver ran down Y/nâs spine. Sol noticed this, feeling a bit saddened by the fact he couldnât lend them one of his jackets. Instead, he opted on holding their hand once again until the remainder of the walk to their apartment. Sol already dreaded the look of their place, if only he could take his beloved back to his home, maybe that way he wouldnât have to worry for any creepy onlookers. As y/n took their keys from their bag, Sol quietly wished for their lips to mest in a kiss before they would lart ways. In that same moment, they leaned forward, kissing his cheek while entering their apartment
âThank you for today, hopefully weâll spend more outings like this soon..!â
âLike a date?â He chimed in, making them chuckle while tilting towards him. Their gaze flickered between his eyes and lips
âI wouldnât oppose to such idea..goodnight Sol, text me when you arrive homeâ With a nod, Sol bid his goodbyes and left the apartment complex, his heart racing softly while replaying tge memory of their lips caressing his cheek
âSoon..soon enough youâll be able to see just how much I adore you, my pumpkinâ
#solivan brugmansia#sol brugmansia#solivan x reader#solivan brugmansia x reader#sol brugmansia x reader#tkatb sol#the kid at the back sol#tkatb
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feel the heat: newspaper club edition
mephistopheles turns to you in a moment of desperation.
pairing: mephistopheles x afab!reader
content: nsfw. explicit smut. poly!reader, demon heat/rut cycles mentioned. demon form!mephisto. derogatory language, cursing, sexting/dick pics, first time, frenemies to lovers.
word count: 3.3k
feel the heat series: the demon brothers | the royals edition
You passed Mephisto in one of the hallways of RAD long after classes ended for the day. You were on your way to the student council chambers, and you guessed he was on his way to the Newspaper Club office. He was distracted and walked right into you. He hissed when you made contact with his chest, and he skittered back like you burned him.
You're surprised by the anger in his eyes, but thereâs sweat beading along his hairline and heâs panting. You recognize the dark haze clouding his vision, and you try not to stare at the outline of his half-hard cock in his pants.Â
Your voice is almost shrill when you ask why heâs still on campus when heâs obviously unwell. He shouldnât be here in his condition, and you tell him that, as kindly as you can.
He clenches his jaw and grits out that itâs none of your business.
Fair enough, but heâs the one who was stupid to come to campus like this.Â
He looks insulted when you ask him if he has someone to help him with his little problem, and he glares at you.Â
You offer to help him if he has no one else, and his stunned expression would be hilarious if it were any other circumstance.
He spits more venom at you about how youâre just some meddling human pest and how he wouldnât want to get his hands dirty by touching you. He nearly shoves past you as he carries on to finish whateverâs brought him back to school in this very volatile state.
Youâre not sure what to think, and you know your concern for him is unwanted. You stare at his back as he stalks away, but he doesnât spare you another glance. He turns the corner and disappears from view, and you listen to the sound of his boot heels clicking on the floor until you hear nothing. Itâs like he was never there; he leaves no trace of his presence behind except for the sting you feel from his rejection.
Itâs a few hours later when youâve settled in for the evening and try to forget what happened earlier. Youâre watching a movie in your room when your phone buzzes beside you. Youâre not sure whoâs texting you at this late hour. It canât be one of the demon brothers - they would just let themselves into your room if they wanted to see you.
You certainly donât expect to see the name that flashes across your screen.
Mephistopheles: If I send a car for you, will you come?
You canât contain the surprised laugh that bubbles out of you, because itâs the most ridiculous thing heâs ever said to you. Why would he do that now, after his scathing response to your offer earlier?
You point out how much of a hypocrite heâs being and ask what his problem is. He might be hot and you might want to get to know him better, but you also know that you deserve more respect than the less-than-bare minimum heâs shown you.
Mephistopheles: Youâre annoying and you get on my nerves, and youâre stubborn and naĂŻve and so painfully human it hurts to look at you.Â
You: Okay�
Mephistopheles: And I see the way you walk around RAD, sashaying those fucking hips. I hate the way your ass fills out your uniform. And youâre so clumsy! Do you constantly drop things so everyone has to see the way your perfect fucking tits strain the buttons of your blouse when you bend over?
Mephistopheles: Do you know how tempting it is to push you over a desk and fuck some sense into you when youâre too cheeky for your own good?
Mephistopheles: Iâve spent all fucking night thinking about your lips around my cock. I hate how much I want you.
Mephistopheles: I want you. I wantâfuck.
Your eyes widen with each message he sends. Your throatâs gone bone-dry and suddenly it feels a little warm in your room.
His next message contains a photo.Â
Heâs laying on a bed in a dark room. Heâs still in his RAD uniform, but his pants are loose around his hips and his fly is down. His hand - his bare hand, glove tossed aside carelessly - is wrapped around his cock. It looks painfully hard, and thereâs a thick stream of cum dribbling from the tip. It looks like heâs come more than once already in an attempt to find relief on his own, like he has a craving only you can satisfy.
You wish you could tell him to fuck off and invest in a good fleshlight if he wants to get off so badly.
You wish you could forget about his filthy admittance of how he thinks about you while he jerks off, and how heâs practically begging you to come fuck his brains out.
You wish you could go to bed and forget this ever happened, but you know youâll be fucking yourself on your fingers while you stare at the picture of his cock and regret not accepting this very tempting offer.
You wish you were stronger than this, but youâre not - not when youâve wanted him for so long, and now heâs finally giving you a chance.
You: Iâll be waiting outside in five minutes.
Mephistopheles: The car is already on its way.
Arrogant prick, you think to yourself, but you have to bite the inside of your cheek to keep yourself from smiling.
The ride to Mephistoâs grand estate isnât as awkward as you think it will be. The car he promised arrives moments after you step outside, and the driver says nothing about your attire when he opens the door for you. Youâre still wearing the t-shirt and loose sleep pants you planned to wear to bed. You didnât see any point in dressing up for the occasion - you wonât be wearing your clothes for long, anyway.
When you arrive, the driver opens the door and offers you his hand. He tells you where you can find Mephisto - up the main staircase, the room at the end of the hall to your left. The house is quiet and you donât see or hear anyone else, but you assume his family is giving him space and privacy to deal with his heat how he sees fit.
(Youâre not sure you want to introduce yourself as his booty call when youâre wearing pajamas, so you think itâs for the best.)
It wouldnât be difficult to find his room even without directions. When you reach the second floor, the air feels thick around you, like a warm fog. Mephistoâs natural scent and the spicy traces of his cologne grow stronger with each step you take and it leads you right to his bedroom door.Â
You can hear the faint sound of bed springs squeaking inside his room and animalistic grunts that punctuate the rhythmic slick stroking sounds of skin-against-skin. The noises stop abruptly when you knock. Thereâs a rumbling purr just on the other side of the door, and when it opens suddenly, he pulls you inside.
Mephisto crowds your back against the door and it slams shut behind you. Heâs still wearing his uniform slacks, but at some point he removed his shirt. His bare chest is sweaty, and his belly and pelvis are slick from when he jerked himself off for relief before you arrived. Heâs never looked so sloppy before, but there's something gratifying about seeing the real him and not the perfect, superior demon he pretends to be.
You brush your hand through his sweat-soaked hair to sweep it away from his eyes, and he groans and leans into your touch. He buries his face into the crook of your neck while his hands explore your body over your clothes. He sniffs at your skin like heâs trying to breathe you into his lungs, and he licks over your pulse point.
âYou came,â his lust-thickened voice rumbles close to your ear, and your shiver while you stroke his naked back.
âI did.â
He leans stares into your eyes. Theyâre blown black with lust, but you feel seen by him. âS-stay?â he stutters like heâs having difficulty speaking, but you know what heâs really asking you.
âAs long as you want me to,â you murmur before you lean forward to kiss him gently, almost nervously because youâre not sure if heâll reject you even in his heat. But he doesnât - he leans into the kiss and whimpers against your lips before he pulls away.
One of his hands slides under the waistband of your pajama bottoms, and you gasp when two of his fingers drag across your slit. You didnât realize how soaked you were until he touched you. His fingers stroke between your entrance and your clit, not focused on pleasuring you exactly, but more likely heâs surprised - and flattered - that you want him this badly.
âSo wet,â he moans against your skin, and he grinds his cock against you, making a total mess of your shirt.Â
You canât help but breathe out an airy chuckle as his fingers continue to stroke you. âYou have a filthy mouth on you when youâre horny,â and you cup his cheek. He huffs in amusement but doesnât deny it.
He explores you a little more, but then he withdraws his hands from between your legs abruptly. You nearly whine at the lost contact, but he holds his fingers up for both of you to see. Theyâre glistening with your slick and the smell of your arousal hangs heavy in the air between you. You would be embarrassed if not for the way Mephisto sniffs the air and licks his lips. He holds your gaze as he pops his fingers into his mouth and sucks them clean.Â
You bite your lip to keep from moaning, but it doesn't completely silence the aroused noise you make. Heâs filthy and gorgeous, and his mouth hangs open like he still canât believe youâre really here. His eyes lack the bitter disapproval he normally shows you, and you know that at least for tonight, he wants you just the way you are.
In a sudden wave of confidence, you reach for the hem of your shirt and pull it over your head quickly. You let it drop to the floor, and you try not to squirm too much when his hungry gaze trails down your body so he can stare at your breasts. He reaches for you and cups each of them in his large palms. His touch is gentle and exploratory, and he sighs while he squeezes the soft flesh. He pinches one of your nipples and you gasp. His eyes snap back to yours, and he does it again; you arch your back into his touch, a silent plea for more.
He steps closer and bends his head low so he can lick at your breasts. He swirls his tongue around each of your nipples and you cradle his head to your chest so he knows you like it. He draws one hardened nipple between his lips and sucks on it gently, and he pinches the other with his fingers.
Itâs a wonderfully delightful sensation of pleasure with just the hint of pain, especially when he pinches too hard when you moan loudly into his ear. He hums around your nipple just to see if youâll moan for him again - of course you do - and he growls his satisfaction. One of his fangs brushes against the sensitive skin of your breast, and you know he wonât hurt you, but the reminder of his demonic nature and inherent power leaves you breathless.
Desire rolls off him in waves, but youâre on the verge of begging him to fuck you. His cock throbs and twitches against your hip when he grinds against you, and you know youâre dripping-wet for him. His earlier teasing did nothing to quell the throb of your clit and you feel desperate for some kind of friction. Every time he moans or grunts as he fondles your body or plays with your breasts, your walls clench uselessly around nothing.
He grins when he realizes your growing desire mirrors his own. His mouth trails between the valley of your breasts and up your neck. The path is littered with tiny marks he's nibbled or sucked into your skin. His hands slide under the waistband of your pants and over the curve of your ass. He gropes you, squeezing and kneading your body greedily, and he drags you closer.Â
âNeed you,â his deep voice rasps against your ear. As soon as you nod because you need him too, he slides your pants over your hips so they fall down your legs and pool at your feet. You step out of them gingerly and head towards his bed, but you realize he isnât following you.
The question you're about to ask dies in your throat when you look over your shoulder. Heâs standing eerily still by the door, and his eyes are staring at you so intently that you feel vulnerable. His hungry gaze roams up and down your body, and you can see his eyes linger on your face, your breasts, and the mound between your legs. You guess that strange feeling of being watched a few moments ago was him staring at your ass, too.Â
Mephisto loosens his pants so they fall down his legs, then he slides his boxer briefs off too. He straightens and rolls his shoulders. Thereâs a hum of energy and within the blink of an eye, his horns and tail have emerged. You try not to gape openly at his demonic form but youâve never seen him properly before.
Heâs beautiful, and you want him.
You sit on the edge of his bed, and you both stare at each other. His tail flicks behind him and you can hear him purring deep within his chest. You spread your legs wide and ignore the way embarrassment burns your cheeks. He moves quicker than your eyes can track, and heâs suddenly standing between your legs and staring down at you with so much hunger you can hardly breathe.
He leans forward and clasps your shoulders with his hands, and he urges you to lay down. His hands trail over your body and he slides them under the curve of your ass and up your thighs. He maneuvers your body how he wants you until your legs dangle over his shoulders. Youâre utterly trapped beneath him while he kneels on the edge of the mattress.
One of his hands holds your hips down to keep you steady while the other guides his cock through your folds. He drags himself up and down your slit, and you moan quietly when he brushes across your clit with the slightest bit of pressure. He does it again, and you whimper.
âPlease,â you whisper, and youâre reduced to begging now. You were promised a thorough fucking, and you feel like youâre about to lose your mind.
Heâs the one in heat. Heâs the one that should be begging to be fucked, not you.
Thereâs something predatory in the way he tilts his head and watches you beg for his cock, and his body grows completely still. When he snarls and buries himself to the hilt in one rough stroke, you choke on your cry as your body stretches around his cock.
Oh, you never should have doubted him.
He's relentless when he fucks you, and his pace is fast and brutal. He takes you with powerful strokes that punch the air from your lungs. The rough drag of his cock brushing over that spot inside you has you keening every time he thrusts inside with a sharp snap of his hips.
His eyes are nearly eclipsed by his blown black pupils and he pants loudly from the exertion and pleasure of finally claiming you. His bedroom fills with the wet, obscene sounds of his skin slapping against yours and your wet hole squelching around his cock.
He canât seem to decide where he wants to look. His eyes flicker between your mouth and your bouncing breasts, then he finally looks down so he can watch his cock glide in and out of your body. His cock is coated in your creamy slick, and he growls with satisfaction when he sees your arousal leak from your hole and spread messily across your skin.Â
Heâs gripping your thigh so tightly that you think - you hope - his fingertips will leave bruises later. His other hand guides your hip back and forth in time with his thrusts so he can bury himself deeper every time his cock slams inside you.Â
Your hands are clenched in his sheets. Youâre powerless to do anything else but arch your back and cry your pleasure while he fucks through the haze of his heat.
His movements grow more desperate and he's losing his rhythm - you think heâs getting close. Heâs still staring at the junction between your bodies, mesmerized by the sight of his cock claiming you over and over and over.Â
Your clit throbs as your own desire threatens to consume you, and you reach down with one hand so you can stroke yourself in time with his thrusts. You tilt your head back and your moans grow louder, and you start chanting his name breathlessly as pleasure courses through your veins. Your fingers massage your clit faster because youâre so close you can almost taste it. Your body shakes, but heâs holding you so desperately that it keeps you grounded. You feel your walls flutter around him as the first waves of your release start to crash over youâ
A loud growl startles you, and you open your eyes and stare up at him. He was watching himself fucking his cock into you with abandon; now, his heady gaze is locked onto yours. His body is trembling nearly as much as yours is, and he grits his teeth and bares his fangs at you.Â
âCome for me,â he rasps, "come on my cock." Itâs the hottest thing youâve ever heard, and thereâs no possible way you can deny him that, not when youâre still touching yourself and youâre right there on the edgeâ
He fucks you through your orgasm, delaying his own pleasure so he can revel in the feeling of your walls squeezing him even tighter than before. You let your hand fall away from your clit, and you blink at him with watery eyes and pouty lips. He finally spills himself inside you, claiming the deepest parts of your body for himself. He pants loudly as his hips come to a stuttering halt and the aftershocks of your orgasm milk his cock dry.
You feel exhausted and weightless and pleasantly full. You raise your arms high over your head and arch your back into a delightful stretch. The sweat on your back makes his sheets stick to your skin, and you squirm a bit on his cock. You gasp when you realize heâs still completely hard inside you, and his grip on your body tightens when you try to shimmy away.
âMore,â he mutters harshly under his breath, and his smirk turns feral. His eyes are still black and hazy from his heat. He reaches for your hand and guides it back down between your legs. He laces his fingers through yours and slides them through your sticky, wet folds. Your fingertips graze the base of his cock thatâs still sheathed inside you and he moans. He moves your hand back up to brush against your clit and he moves his hand away when you start touching yourself again.
You exhale a shaky sigh and rub lazy circles around your sensitive clit. He looks so pleased with your obedience that it makes your cheeks burn from his unspoken praise.
He can't kiss you in this position, but he turns his head and nips at the skin of your leg still draped over his shoulder. It feels like a filthy, silent promise that he'll never go through his heat again without you.
He starts rocking back into you, slower and more gently than before, and you roll your hips to encourage him. You whimper his name and he starts to move in earnest.
It's not long before he consumes you once again, and all you can see and feel and hear is him.
read more: mephistopheles masterlist | obey me! masterlist
#obey me mephistopheles#mephistopheles x reader#obey me x reader#obey me mephisto x reader#obey me smut#mephistopheles smut#x reader#afab!reader
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Fools Rush In (Roman Reigns)
SUMMARY: Nessa wasnât looking for love, neither was Joe, but when you know, you know. Isnât it funny how fate work?
*DISCLAIMER: This is a multi-part series. I do not own any of the characters in the writing except for the OCs. The book uses actual names of wrestlers. Josh is Jey, Jon is Jimmy, Trinity is Naomi, Joe is Roman. The book is not realistic and does not take place during real events, but some actual events (matches, storylines) could pop up in the story eventually. I DO NOT GIVE ANYONE PERMISSION TO TRANSLATE OR REPOST MY WRITINGS ANYWHERE. THAAAAAANKS. *
PAIRING: Roman Reigns x Black OC
TROPE: Love At First Sight
WARNINGS: N/A
WORD COUNT: 1904
CHAPTER ONE
It was supposed to be a Girlsâ Night for Nessa and Isabel. The plan was dinner and a movie, but now they wanted drinks. So they found themselves in a popular nightclub here in Miami. They approached the well-lit bar, their eyes visually drinking up the mountain of alcohol in front of them. âSo,â Nessa breathes. âWhat do you want? The first round is on me.â The brunette turns her attention to her best friend. Her fingers excitedly tap the counter. âAre we feeling darks or clears?â She presses.
âYes,â Isabel answers with a breathy laugh.
âGirl, I canât drink like that anymore.â Nessa giggles. The statement wasnât far from the truth. The last time she mixed her liquors, she woke up to potentially blackmailing videos on her phone. Never again. Nessa hums softly, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder. âLetâs play it safe with clears. Vodka?â She asks. Isabel grimaces.
âTequila?â She answers with a question.
They exchange stares in silence for a moment before putting their fists out. They shake them four times. âRock, paper, scissors, shoot!â They say in unison, throwing out different hand gestures. Nessaâs fist remains tight while Isabelâs hand is open. Paper beats rock.
âLo siento, mi amor!â She exclaims while closing her hand around Nessaâs fist. âMaybe next time.â She turns her attention toward the bartender passing off shots to some nearby clubbers. âTwo shots of Teremana, please!â The bartender nods at her request and turns to grab the bottle from the alcohol mountain. âWith lime,â she adds with a smile. âYeah.â she nods slightly.
Nessa shakes her head at the petite Latina. It was never a dull moment with her lively best friend. She turns over her left shoulder to grab her wallet from her back pocket but is halted by dark eyes watching her a few feet down. A smirk curls onto the lips of this bearded man once caught. Anxiety would rush through Nessaâs veins like electricity, causing slight chest pains for her.
Oh, he is handsome, she thought.
The bar lights lit his features well, the shadows chiseling out his bone structure. His hair laid against his head flat, pulled up into a bun, the sides shaved. He looks groomedâat least from here, he did.
âNess,â Isabel calls, snapping Nessa out of the trance she was in.
The distracted woman turns her attention back to her friend, forgetting all about grabbing her wallet. âYeah?â She asks. Isabel gestures towards the two shots in front of her. The bartender standing before them waited impatiently for a payment. âOh shit, sorry.â She mutters, reaching into her back pocket for her wallet. A tan hand appears in front of her, a black credit card between two large fingers.
âPut it on my tab.â A deep voice says right above her ear. âI have their drinks all night.â He adds. The bartender eyed the black card in the manâs hand before taking it.
âWhatâs the name?â She asks.
âJoe.â He answers. Just as Nessa turns to look at the man, he lowers his hand for her to shake. âNice to meet you.â He says to her with a half-grin. Behind her, she could hear the sounds of approval from her best friend at the tall man.
Ness takes the warm hand, shaking it slightly. His hands were rough, a sure indication of a hardworking man. She now wonders what he does. Construction? Maybe. Architect? Possibly. âVanessaâNessa for short.â She says finally. He presses his lips into a thin grin and nods his head once at her.
âItâs a pleasure to meet you, Nessa.â He says, opting for the shorter version of her name. Mentally, she was happy he did. She preferred it over her full name. She felt more like a Nessa than Vanessa. They would continue to shake hands slightly while gazing at each other, both not realizing that they were still doing it. Isabel would watch them curiously from behind Nessa. She gawked over the manâs size. In height, he towered over her and her friend. She could tell he was very fit. Sheâs now wondering if he has a regimen heâd be willing to share.
âItâs a pleasure,â Nessa says, finally looking away from the chocolate-brown eyes that entranced her. Her eyes find their hands still wrapped around each otherâs, and she drops it. She would peer up at him from the side, noticing his eyes still on her. Her heart began to soar at the sight. My, this man was overwhelmingly attractive.
âThank you for the drinks!â Isabel would say suddenly. Nessa clears her throat and nods.
âYeah, thanks. You didnât have to do that.â She says, chiming in.
âWell, I had to find a reason to come over here.â He explains with a shrug. âItâs no problem.â Silence would fall between the pair, causing Nessa to look ahead. She wasnât too good at talking to men. It was only a matter of time before she said something to chase him off, or he realized she was not what he was looking forâwhatever that may be.
âSoâŚâ Isabel chimes in. âJoe, what brings you here?â
âMy cousins. Nightclubs arenât really my thing, but they wouldnât take no for an answer.â He confesses. âWhat about you two? Here with anyone?â He asks. His second question is for Nessa. Joe hoped to God she wasnât here with anyone. If she was, his efforts to know her would be in vain.
âItâs a Girlâs Night,â Nessa says, opting out of his second question.
âBut are you here with anyone?â He asks, now directly asking her.
Isabel smiled at the interaction, mentally hoping Nessa would take what he was giving. Meeting guys in the club wasnât the safest idea, but he seemed pretty sober to her. At the moment, she sees no warning lights flashing above his head. âIâm married,â Isabel says, jumping in again. If she could do anything for her best friend right now, it would be to set her up with this fine specimen of a man. She leans into her best friend, nudging her to speak up.
Nessa turns to Isabel briefly, her eyes widening before returning to Joe. âIâm not.â She says finally.
âA lucky guy at all?â He asks.
âNo.â
âLucky me.â He smiles, revealing perfectly white teeth. âBartender,â He calls out, waving his hand. The same one that served us earlier approaches us. âAnother round for us, please.â He says, whirling his index finger in the air.
Joe spoke with a swagger Nessa had never heard from a man. He radiated so much confidence. If he looks like that, how can you blame him? Sheâs now cycling through possible professions again. Lawyer, maybe. Doctor, no. Athlete, strong possibility. The poor girl was guessing everything but a serial killer. Nessa would take a glance down at his right hand. No ring, no ring tan. He was an unmarried man himself.
âLucky girl?â She asks suddenly.
âHm?â He hums, his thick brows lifting.
âI said, is there a lucky girl?â She repeats, leaning in towards him. Joe looks at her, quickly shaking his head.
âNo, not for a little over a year now.â He answers, giving her more info than she was seeking. He reaches down to grab one of the three shots before them. He tosses it down the hatch, his jaw clenching and unclenching at the taste and burn. His last relationship wasnât one he preferred to talk about. Though he shouldâve been mad at his ex, he couldnât blame anyone but himself. Heâs gone most of the year; whoâd want to stay with someone they barely see?
âAre you from here?â She asks.
âNo, Iâm from Pensacola.â And there it was. Joe was from another city. One that happened to be six hundred miles away from here. He was here for vacation, here for fun. She was not interested in that. âWhat about you?â
âIâm local.â She breathed, her shoulders shrugging as she spoke. âBeen here my entire life.â She adds now reaching to grab her shot. She tosses it back slowly, her eyes closing slightly. She places the glass on the counter.
âThatâ.â
âLook,â She says suddenly. âIâm sure youâre a great guy and all, and I really hate to assume, but Iâm not looking for a hookup.â She looks around. âEspecially here.â She looks at him with a shake of her head. âNot a smart idea.â
Joeâs eyes venture away from her face, his eyes now on the bar counter. His large fingers would curl against the surface while he chose his words. âI understand.â He says, nodding. He lifts his hand, his palm up and open. âIâm not much ofâof a hookup person myself.â He explains looking over at her. âI barely know how to do that kind of stuffâthe pickup lines and whatnot.â He explains, leaning towards her slightly.
âRight,â Nessa nods.
âMy cousins tried to teach me, but Iâm not really feeling it, you know what I mean? Iâve never been one to do that.â He was now rambling, his anxiety starting to spike. Maybe he shouldnât have come out. He can already hear Jon and Josh teasing him for not being able to pick up women. It should come easy to him with the way he looked, but how he looked and who he was were two completely different people. He stops himself, a slow blink to follow while he gathers himself. Just talk, Joe, he thinks. He takes a breath. âI just figured Iâd come over and introduce myself, maybe find a reason to come back to this place. Miami is a bit scary after a certain hour with all of theâŚcolorful people.â She chuckles at that, receiving a grin from him in return. Maybe he was winning her over again. âMaybe I can get your number instead?â He proposes.
Nessa watches him for a moment, her eyes searching for ill intent sheâd never find. He did seem like a sweet guy; at least she was hoping he was. Isabel was staring a hole in the back of Nessaâs head. Surely this woman has some sense. If she didnât give this man her number, she was going to give her a piece of her mind after (and maybe sneak her number to him behind her back).
âUh,â Nessa starts.
âPerra, dale tu nĂşmero.â Isabel hisses, pinching her side. Nessa shrinks away from the pinch, looking back at her friend who was glaring at her.
âSure, why not.â She says, looking at Joe. A large smile would spread across his face as he fished his phone out of his coat pocket. Sheâd take the warm phone, putting in her info as a contact. She passes the phone back to him. âDonât make me regret it.â She warns him.
âI wonât.â He says, slipping his phone back into his pocket. âThank you,â He nods, looking between her and her friend. âIâll let you ladies get back to your Girls Night. Remember, your drinks are on me. Be safe.â He says, walking off to find his cousins. Nessa and Isabel both watched as he vanished into the crowded space that was the dance area.
âI canât believe you almost fumbled that!â She exclaims. âThat man is fine, fit, and looks rich, mi amorĂŠ, okay? Alex is lucky I love him, because that one wouldâve gotten fuâ.â
âOkay, thatâs enough.â Nessa snips.
CHAPTER 2
âââââââââââââââââââââââââââ
A/N: soâŚfancy seeing you here LMAO. Shouldâve seen it coming tbh. This is the first chapter of another little fanfic I have tucked away. I hope you like it!
#roman reigns fanfic#roman reigns#roman reigns fanfiction#roman reigns fic#roman reigns fluff#wwe fanfiction#wwe fic#roman reigns x oc#roman reigns x black oc
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CRASH & BURN.
p â PARK SUNGHOON x gn! reader. g â fluff, humor. w â swearing, one absolutely horrendous dad joke, the secondhand embarrassment is even worse this time i'm not sorry at all, the rest of the en-kids are also losers. 1.3k words.
note â listen, who am i to deny the public from their needs and wants? i have no idea how rizzless hoon became such a hit, but ask and you shall receive. i'm sure this won't be the last you'll see of this loser. PART ONE. if you enjoy loser! hoon, you might also enjoy this other series of mine.
also tagging those who were asking for a part two hope u all don't mind! â @gyulune @jngwnlvs @snowysab @miercerise @karinasswifee @cerealdreamwriter @dinonuguaegi @tyongff-ff
for the past five days, you have been routinely returning to the skatepark at the same time without fail. this has obviously attracted questions from your friends considering the first time you tried out a longboard, you crashed and scraped and bruised your chin within seconds, but you canât exactly tell them the truth about your endeavorâ that youâve been trying to catch a glimpse of mr. kuromi bandaid with the rollerblades again, and being left disappointed every single time.
he hasnât shown up. not even once.
itâs day five, and thereâs still no sign of him nor his lollipop. itâs day five, and youâre just about to give up until you spot from your peripheral a familiar group of boys that scared the shit out of you the other dayâ except this time, they arenât staring at you like maniacs, and they seem to be one person less.
âare you fucking stupid?â you overhear as you hesitantly approach their circle, cautious steps because theyâre still as intimidating as you can remember. they all look so serious, two individuals glaring at each other while the rest simply watch, both unconcerned and amused. âoh yeah? you really think you can beat me? wanna duke it out right now, dickwad?â
cold sweat breaks out and you freeze in your tracks, expecting them to spiral into a fist fight.
âmy dragonite will sweep your fucking team, loser.â
âyour dragonbitch doesnât stand a chance against my tyranitar!â
nevermind. you really shouldnât be so quick to judge them again.
you regain the bounce in your step and race up before they could metaphorically kick each other's asses.
âhi!âÂ
you flinch when the six heads suddenly snap towards you. your smile twitches, discomfort lasering into your skin from the half a dozen set of narrowed eyes leering at you so intently and so intensely. âwho are you?â the one previously bragging about his dragonite asks.
âdumbass.â another one smacks the former on the backside of his skull. âitâs shoelaces.â
the nickname sets a few lightbulbs off, and a pair breaks away from their violent staring at you to give each other knowing glances. âoh, shit!â this time itâs mr. tyranitar who exclaims. âright. the dude hoon absolutely decimated himself in front of. poor guy. heâs still going through the five stages of grief.â
hoon must mean sunghoon. you want to open your mouth and present your business about the missing individual, but itâs not so easy to butt in when theyâre busy conversing amongst themselves.
âwhat do they want?âÂ
âhow should i know? iâm not them?âÂ
âno fucking shit. but what do you think they want?â
âmaybe itâs about hoon?â
âno way. that guyâs done for.â
âhey, donât be too harsh on him! heâs grieving!â
âwhat if itâs because weâre being too loudââ
âwhat if theyâre here to have a pokemon battââ
âyou do realize they can hear you, right?âÂ
light-haired guy is right. you can very much hear them, and theyâve all finally quieted down, slowly turning their heads to you once more but with a dampened intensity this time. theyâre waiting for you to speak. you canât believe you thought they were scary. you canât believe you were intimidated by a group of nerds.
âsorry for the intrusion,â you smile, pressing your palms together. âi noticed one of your friends hasnât been coming around lately. is he okay?â
a cough. a nudge. a silent conversation between the six pairs of eyes. âheâs been sick these past few days,â dragonite owner finally says. âsickeningly unbearabâ ow!âÂ
your smile disappears. âoh no.â heâs sick? he already didnât seem that strong when you met him the other day, collapsing into the ground and all.
âi think you can help him get betterâ ouch! jungwon, what the fuck?â one of them gets hit again. youâre sure itâs been the same guy hitting the rest of them since earlier.
âwhy are you asking about him?â
the nicest looking one squeezes out of their group while asking his earnest question, fishing out the answer from you with bright, curious eyes. âah,â you sound out. âi just wanted to tell him that i also think his shoelaces are really cool.â
they stare at you, then stare at each other. and then someone spews out, âis that a new pick-up line, or some shit?â before getting hit again, and the light-haired guy comes forward to block the squabble happening behind him, and to tell you that theyâll be dragging their friend tomorrow at the same time (isnât he supposed to be sick?) so you can compliment his shoelaces in person(?), and that they are looking forward to welcoming you to their family (whatever the fuck that means).
as promised, they do drag the sick man into the skateparkâ literally dragging him because the guy who introduced himself yesterday as jake is pulling him forward by the sleeve while jungwon pushes him from behind as the wheels of his roller skates make sure that sunghoon keeps on moving. he looks like heâs ready to move on into the afterlife. your eyes light up when they drag him closer.
âcâmon, hyung! just a little bit moreâ a liiiiittle bitâ
âi told you, iâm never coming back here again!â you hear him groan, attempting to break away from his escort team. ânever ever. never again. this is is where half of my dignity is buried. my pride. my shame. myââ
and then he freezes.
sunghoon gets frozen by an invisible force when your eyes meet, frozen but his cheeks are set ablaze. his friends did a great job in escorting him to you, encasing him and in consequence his view of his surroundings until youâre within an armâs reach so he doesnt run away. the heat from his face thaws him back into movement, panicked and angry expressions sent to his friends and they all look pretty stupid trying to talk with just their eyebrows, but itâs cute nonetheless.
âhey!â you finally chipper in, causing sunghoon to freeze once more, creaking to meet your gaze.Â
âhâhello. hi.â
sunghoonâs greeting comes out as a choke. jake and jungwon send each other signals before hurling the poor boy at you.
itâs like heâs suddenly forgotten how to skate. he canât control his muscles, sliding over the short path at a dangerous speed that mimics his racing heart and oh shitâ oh shit, oh shit. how does he stop again? how does he make a turn? how does he not fucking crash into you like a meteor being sucked into the earthâs orbit?
âoh!â
like all of his (very limited) interactions with you, sunghoon crashes and burns. itâs inevitable. but this time, he crashes and burns into you. youâre both on the concrete and his hand feels like it got crushed between the hard ground and the back of your head, but that pain quickly subsides into a numbing buzz, pumping his arteries with nectar, burning his veins with gasoline, because holy crapâ
âclose.â
âyouâre right, that was a close call,â you breathe out. âi couldâve cracked my skull open.â
âiâ i mean, close, youâreâ youâre too close.â
does he realize that you canât exactly move underneath him? he probably doesnât, not when you can practically see the smoke emitting from his head and the panicked swirl in his eyes and you canât help but laugh. âah, sorry.â that was a mistake. sunghoonâs face flushes warmer and like a hammer to his skull, the realization hits and he and slowly pries himself off of you.
âsorryââ
âitâs fine.â you sit up and brush the dust off your clothes, stretching out your legs as you nudge yourself closer to him on the ground. âyour friends told me youâve been sick. are you feeling better now?â
âhuh?âÂ
youâre not sure why heâs confused, but he looks very confused before turning his gaze to his friends. you find jay snapping out a thumbs up and sunooâs stern face somehow reading donât fucking blow it. he turns back to you with a lot more sweat on his neck than prior. âoh, yeah i was sick, i was so sick, ahahaââ he stammers. âaâanyway, whatâs up?â
âi just wanted to see you again. itâs not everyday that i get a compliment on my shoelaces, you know?â you smile. âwhat about today? arenât they prettier than the last ones?â
you wiggle your shoes to show off, laced in a complicated pattern that youâve been practicing for the past five days, and you expect to receive another compliment for it, but sunghoon is oddly quiet.Â
heâs quiet. youâre sure you chose a cool pair of shoes this morning. youâre about to be disappointed, until you notice that heâs actually thinking. heâs thinking very hard heâs thinking of something, and that something comes out of his mouth in the form of a badly timed pun.
â...what about...toe-day...â
park sunghoon only knows how to crash and burn. all his friends are a witness to that. theyâre a witness to this events that transpired this afternoon, but what they didnât expect is for you to have an affinity for disasters. youâre laughing at his dumb joke. youâre actually laughing. theyâve been shitting on sunghoon for being hopeless, but maybe thereâs something wrong with you, too.
CRASH & BURN.
Š hannie-dul-set, 2023.
#i like him a normal amount#enhypen x reader#enha x reader#park sunghoon x reader#sunghoon x reader#enhypen fluff#enha fluff#park sunghoon fluff#sunghoon fluff#enhypen scenarios#enha secnarios#park sunghoon scenarios#sunghoon scenarios
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Did I hear mating season? jekshfjsjhsh well donât mind if I do. Just imagine: the turtles âmating seasonâ being more of an uncomfortable but manageable slump some time in the spring-BUT after meeting reader and developing a new crush things start to take a change. At first they think nothing of it-expecting the season to go just as it always has, then as time goes on it becomes more and more apparent that something is VERY wrong. Side effects like possessiveness/ aggression/ courting/ nesting/ libido+their urges all suddenly rear their ugly heads to the turtle that is frantically trying to manage his primal instincts and dick
Mating Season With A Crush (18+)
Dark Turtles x reader
A/N: The lucky wheel did a spin and decided on the Dark Turtles for this oneđ¤đ This may not be exactly what you were looking for, but I thought it would be fun to play around with the mating seasons of the Dark Turtles, and how it may be different from the original turtles. Thereâs a lot of potential with all that Kanabo stuffđ¤
Warnings: Talk of masturbation, imagination about sex, a porn game, and talk of former pain (not the reader).
Common For All Dark Turtles:
The Dark Turtles had only had one mating season in their new, half mutant turtle, half Kanabo bodies. Yet the memories of their counterparts many years with springs in the back of their heads, made them prepared for what was to come. Yet they were all surprised when their season became less intense than their full blood turtle DNA source. Sure, the dark turtles became more aggressive during this time, but they did not feel this intense need to relieve themselves in their hiding spots like their counterparts did, but they did feel a strong possessiveness, both for food and the few belongings they had. To them, their mating season was horrible, almost painful. With spring the days became longer and the sun stayed up for longer, and for a Kanabo, that was not good news. And neither was it for Kanabo clones. But of course their turtle side has to make them more sensitive these times, only causing the pain, confusion and discomfort to become worse. During that one time, all four of the Kanabo clones had found themselves wishing that their seasons would have been like their counterparts, only making them horny instead of hurtinging. So of course, as they came closer to their second season, the clones expected it to happen again, dreading the upcoming weeks. But to their surprise, upon moving into Codyâs penthouse, their mating seasons took quite a turn.
Dark Leonardo:
That one mating season Dark Leo had experienced, was nothing compared to what Leonardo had been through, with his long seasons that never really seemed to end, until he finally gave into his urges. But Dark Leo had never felt these urges, except the one for punching his brothers growing a lot stronger whenever they came close, feeling this strange pain inside of him intensify whenever they came too close. So when spring time came around in Codyâs penthouse, Leo expected that to be the case once again. But to his surprise, no pain came around as he felt his season come closer. Instead he felt something else. Something that reminded him of what Leonardo usually feltâŚ
As his season crept closer, Leo found himself staring at you more and more, and strange need to be around you growing and growing, coupled with extreme annoyance whenever one of his brothers talked to you. He had once punched Raph out of nowhere, when the red turtle had asked you something pretty innocently, causing both you and Cody to ask him panicked questions. But Leo thought nothing of it in the beginning, thinking it was a sign that the pain and irritation would be coming at any point. But pain never came. Or, at least not a pain Leo had tried before.
One spring evening, as Leo laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering what this strange feeling was, he felt this extreme urge grow between his legs, pushing at his cloaca in a way he had never tried before. It was almost painful. Almost. But Leo knew what that feeling was. Leonardo had felt it before. But where Leonardo would have tried to push it away, not wishing to give in, Leo gave in. Untucking himself and giving in to all of his urges, surprised by the explicit thoughts he was forming about you, dreaming that it wasnât his hand around his dick, but your tight count.
That night Leo stayed in his room, realizing the extent of the crush he had formed for you, and how it might be the sole reason that he wasnât rolling around in pain, but instead fucking his own hand.
Dark Raphael:
The only reason Dark Raph had hated his first mating season was because of the pain. The irritation and the need for punching something had never been knew for him, but the pain was really something he could live without. It made him angry. So angry that he wanted to break something. Raph knew that Raphael had often been angry while on his season, but not in the way Raph was. For Raph, the mating season had been nothing but loathing, but for Raphael, it had been a strong irritation that his urges just wouldnât stop.
As spring came around one more time, Raph was expecting the pain to come out of nowhere, making him horrible and angry. But the anger and pain never came. Instead his own head was flooded with your scent and your sweet smile, making Raphâs knees turn to jelly. Raph had already been aware of his feelings for you for some time, but this was different. It was stronger, the picture of your beauty playing in his head over and over again. And it scared the big Kanabo clone, making him hide out in his bedroom, while his thoughts about you turned further and further to the naughty side.
It didnât take long before Raph started stealing pillows from the living room - the pillows you had been sitting with a few days before his season started - and brought them to his room. Here he was quick to give into his newfound urges, his hips pounding the mattress while burying his face into the pillow, taking in your smell like he was addicted, imagining it was you that held onto him, begging him to go deeper and harder. He did that for a whole week, finding the need in his cloaca return everytime he came. It was almost frustrating.
Although his mating season was much more pleasant now, with no strange pain running through his body, he could not help but long and feel like a madman, dreaming and hoping for the day he could bury his dick inside of you, instead of his big soft mattress.
Dark Donatello:
Just like his counterpart, Donnie liked to think that he was too smart for a mating season. He couldnât be bothered, having so many other things that he wanted to spend his time on. But during his first season, Donnie could not fight through the pain that went through him, causing him to hide out in a dark corner of Dariusâ storage room, not wanting to be seen or heard, pushing the sun and spring as far away as possible.
But many things changed for Donnie when he and his brothers moved into Codyâs penthouse, taking over the old rooms of their counterparts. It was here that he discovered that Donatello had stopped fighting against his mating season, finally deciding to enjoy it. Donnie found Donatelloâs old VR headset, and the program he had made for it. Esensically, it was a porn game, with a customisable player and NPCs.
This headset soon became Donnieâs best friend during his second mating season, customizing the player in order to look like him, and the NPC to look like⌠you. Donnie could not deny it any longer, especially not while making sure the NPCâs hair and face looked like yours. Donnie had developed a big crush on you, and during his second mating season, he wanted nothing more than to share it with you, hoping that you could calm the growing need pushing from his cloaca.
The whole next week, Donnie locked himself up in his bedroom, and fucked the NPC version of you over and over again, in every possible way he could think of. On his bed, over his desk, pressed against the window, in the bathroom or directly on the floor. And it was during those many sessions, that Donnie couldnât wait until he had looked through all of Donatelloâs old things. Maybe his counterpart had been hiding other things that could help him relieve himself while entertaining his fantasy about you.
Dark Michelangelo:
It might have been Dark Mikeyâs often manic state, but the pain of his first mating season did not bother him as much as it had done to his brothers. He had been the one that would poke his head around, and purposefully anny his aching brothers, to the point where they would try to mangle him. It was a strange thing. It was like the pain never touched him, or maybe he even enjoyed it. Or maybe Mikey was just lucky. Like he told his brothers; âCome on guys! Itâs not that bad!â
But then Mikey and his brothers moved into Codyâs penthouse, and Mikey was smacked in the face with your beauty from the moment he walked through the door. And that was the start of Mikeyâs growing crush on you.
When spring then approached along with the turtle clonesâ second mating season, Mikey was shocked to find that it did not feel like it did the last time. Mikey became jumpy and anxious, almost fearing that you were nearby without him knowing. He wanted you to be around, really, but you made his heart beat and blood pump in a way he hadnât tried before. For the first time in Dark Mikeyâs short life, he did not enjoy the adrenaline that ran through his body.
But once in the comfort of his room, where Mikey wouldnât fear your beautiful eyes looking his way, he could let his mind wander. Mikey could stay in his room for days at the time, feeding on the big scratch of snacks that Michelangelo had left behind before he went back to his own time. But it was here that Mikey could be alone in peace, and touch himself to the thought of you, bringing himself to one orgasm after another, all in an attempt to calm this strange new feeling that his counterpart had been such a big fan of.
Once the week was over, Mikey finally emerged from his room. He was tired, looking forward to a time where he wouldnât jump whenever you looked at him.
#tmnt#teenage mutant ninja turtles#tmnt leonardo#tmnt raphael#tmnt donatello#tmnt michelangelo#tmnt raph#tmnt donnie#tmnt mikey#tmnt leo#tmnt x reader#tmnt x reader smut#tmnt 2003#tmnt 2003 x reader smut#tmnt 2003 x reader#tmnt fast forward#tmnt fast forward x reader#tmnt dark turtles#tmnt dark turtles x reader#tmnt fast forward x reader smut#tmnt dark turtles x reader smut#tmnt 2003 dark leo x reader#tmnt 2003 dark raph x reader#tmnt 2003 dark donnie x reader#tmnt 2003 dark mikey x reader#tmnt leo x reader#tmnt leonardo x reader#tmnt raphael x reader#tmnt raph x reader#tmnt donnie x reader
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Bleeding Heart Part Six
Part One | Previous Part
-
Almost two months after his first altercation with Hombre Misterioso, Cellbit hears a knock at his door as he's editing the last of Roier's photos.
Yawning, Cellbit leans his chair back and runs a hand through his hair. He cracks his neck and blearily checks the time in the bottom corner of his computer screen: three in the afternoon. He started editing almost nine hours ago. He's been out of coffee for two and a half hours at least.
So he gets up, groans as his spine protests at the sudden weight, winces as his bones all pop in quick succession. Picks up his coffee mug, ignores the knocking at the door, goes to start a fresh pot of coffee.
His mug was painted by Richarlyson at one of those do-your-own-pottery places. It's a bright, ugly yellow with a red heart and the words, 'World's Okayest Dad' painted on it in black.
The knocking continues.
Cellbit checks his hair in his reflection in the microwave. Pulls at one of the bags under his eyes. Sticks his tongue out. Grimaces at how stupid and old and tired he looks. (Bagi is 26, he thinks, so he should be, too. But, wow, he looks older. Much older.)
More knocking.
With one last forlorn look at his bubbling, brewing, beautiful coffee, Cellbit finally goes to answer the door. He's in his pajamas (sweats and one of Felps' old shirts), and he probably looks like a walking corpse, but, like. Whatever, anyone stupid enough to actually come to his apartment knows that he works from home. They should know what to expect when bothering him.
But:
"Hi!" Bluebird cheerfully says as soon as Cellbit's door is open.
Cellbit looks at her. He blinks, rubs his eyes with one hand, and moves to close the door in her face.
But he's stopped by Bluebird sticking her foot in the door and weaseling past him and into the apartment. She apologizes as she does so, but Cellbit knows that she doesn't mean it; she's a hero.
"Nice place," she comments, walking to the couch and plopping herself down like she's right at home.
"Um," awkwardly says Cellbit. "Get out of my house?"
"Who, me?"
Bluebird actually, really, legitimately looks around the room dramatically, head and hair whipping back and forth as she tries to find whoever it is that Cellbit is actually talking to.
Cellbit balls his hands into fists by his sides. Fucking. Heroes.
Bluebird's costume is basic: black undersuit, light blue vest and darker blue pants, white ski goggles. Her hair is halfway tied back in a ponytail. Her weapon of choice, her now-famous scythe, is on her back and digging into Cellbit's couch cushions. The Federation's logo is right on her chest, and all her sponsors' logos run down her sleeves and the legs of her pants.
Cellbit hates her. She isn't even making an attempt to hide her identity- the goggles aren't doing shit. Heroes don't have to hide themselves. Their faces are on cereal boxes. Bluebird is no exception, especially now that her popularity is skyrocketing.
Bluebird, of course, is assigned to find and defeat Hombre Misterioso. The public thinks that her job is to capture them so they can be tried and imprisoned in the Federation's special underwater prison facility. But Cellbit knows that she's going to kill Hombre Misterioso, and it'll be framed as an accident, and she'll get 'suspended' for a month or so as punishment but, really, it'll actually be a vacation reward for a job well done.
"What do you want," Cellbit flatly asks.
Sighing, he nudges the door shut behind him and leans against it, arms crossed.
Bluebird stares at him for a moment.
(Bare arms crossed, scars and all.)
And then she lets out a breath and crosses her legs, fold her hands neatly on top of her knees and tries to smile. Tries, because Cellbit can tell that her heart isn't in it.
"Hey," she hesitantly says, "so I'm supposed to be asking you about Hombre Misterioso and stuff, but, real quick, I just wanna say that I'm really sorry if Cucurucho's been bothering you."
"You're wasting your time," Cellbit tells her. "Get out of here before I call the cops for trespassing."
Bagi would love to arrest a Fed, even if the charge wouldn't stick longer than an hour after arrest.
Bluebird winces. "O-kaaaay, sensing some hostility here. But, listen, we all just want this guy caught, right?"
"Sure. It's a real shame what's happening to all your heroes."
"It is! And you almost ended up like them, but! But you didn't."
"Yeah." Cellbit nods. "Because I'm not one of you. You're talking to the wrong guy."
He smells coffee.
Ignoring Bluebird for the moment, he walks through the main room and past the couch and the hero on it so he can squeeze into the kitchen. His apartment isn't small, but the kitchen table takes up a solid ninety-percent of the kitchen's floorspace. It even dips into the main room, making it real hard to get around at night when the lights are off.
He grabs his mug and the coffee pot and pours himself a fresh cup. He can feel the warmth radiating out from them both, and he shivers involuntarily. (He usually wears a hoodie when he's working, but he spilled coffee on it earlier in the afternoon and hasn't gotten around to getting a fresh one out of the closet.)
Bluebird, of course, follows him. She hovers in the doorway near the end of the table; her scythe is tall enough to almost scrape the top of the doorway.
Cellbit raises his mug to his lips.
"You might not realize this, but you were probably targeted," Bluebird says, actually almost sounding serious. "Your parents might be dead, but you and your sister aren't."
Cellbit jerks so hard in response that he spills his fresh, hot, boiling coffee all down his front. But he can barely feel it through the sudden rush of hatred in his body.
"My parents had nothing to do with the Federation," he snaps. He pulls his wet shirt out in front of him and wrinkles his nose. "Excuse me."
He puts his cup down on the counter and pushes past a surprised Bluebird to go to his room. He actually manages to close this door behind him as he pulls his shirt off and starts searching for a new one.
As he's digging through his shirt drawer, he hears a tap-tap-tap at the window behind his desk.
Dread filling his veins, Cellbit turns around and sees a familiar gas mask poking out over the top of his computer monitor.
Hombre Misterioso waves.
Cellbit, suddenly, feels rather faint.
"No, sorry!" Bluebird calls through the closed door. "That was my bad! I meant your, uh, the parents you and your sister share? Not your actual parents."
Cellbit points aggressively at the window and mouths, 'Get the hell out of here!'
Hombre Misterioso just waves some more. They're absolutely smiling under their mask.
It's the afternoon. They haven't been seen once in the day, only at night. Sometimes in the evening. Rarely at dawn. Not when the sun is out; it's theorized that their powers relate to the darkness like the Demon's.
"I have nothing to do with those people," Cellbit huffs. He turns back around and grabs a random shirt out of the drawer and starts pulling it on. "Cucurucho probably made you read my file, right? So you should know that."
"It... briefly mentions the Webbers, but that's not what's important!" Bluebid protests. "The Federation is really worried about your safety here, dude! My partner, Lavagirl, is currently talking with your sister about this exact same thing."
"You'll have better luck with her. She's actually on your payroll."
"Yeah, so her time with the Junior Heroes actually makes her a bigger target than you, probably, but, listen-"
Somehow, Cellbit's window starts to squeak open behind him.
He whips around and glares at Hombre Misterioso, who freezes in place with their fingers on the glass. Are those... suction cups on their fingertips? What, are they a thief now? A Spider-Man wannabe?
"No!" Cellbit shouts.
Hombre Misterioso flips him off with a palpable roll of the eyes.
Bluebird repeats, "'No'? Aren't you listening to me right now? Hombre Misterioso is trying to kill you!"
Cellbit laughs dryly. "Yeah, no."
He angrily drives his finger downwards: 'Get down.'
Hombre Misterioso shakes their head.
Cellbit rolls his eyes and points at his bedroom door: 'Someone's here!'
Hombre Misterioso shrugs and starts moving his window again.
Cellbit bites back a groan and rushes to slam his window shut, having to reach around his computer to do it. It slams, and then it's immediately being raised again by the goddamn menace on the fire escape outside.
"Are you okay in there?" Bluebird worriedly asks. "You didn't get burned or anything, right?"
"Mmm, yeah, no, I'm burned as shit," Cellbit lies.
He hisses, eyes narrowed, "Fuck off! There is literally a superhero in my living room right now!"
Hombre Misterioso responds by pulling their cape aside and revealing the hilt of their sword.
"No!"
"Do I need to call an ambulance or something?" Bluebird asks.
"No, I'm fine!" Cellbit replies. "I'm putting on some burn cream now!"
"...You keep that stuff in your bedroom?"
"My computer is old as shit and I have to run Photoshop on it. I burn myself daily. Just... get out of here!"
Cellbit, only vaguely panicked, suddenly grabs an exacto knife from his supplies drawer and drags it across his palm.
Hombre Misterioso lets out an alarmed-sounding electronic gasp, but Cellbit just grits his teeth through the pain and forces a string of his blood out of his hand and around the window's latch and then around the leg of the desk. It ties itself off with a neat knot; Cellbit forces his bleeding to stop and starts willing his platelets to kick into action.
"No, wait, I'm a hero!" Bluebird argues. "I'm trained in first aid! Let me help!"
"I'm literally shirtless!" Cellbit, wearing a shirt, shouts. "Get the fuck out of my apartment!"
"Not until I know you're okay! Do you know how much trouble I'll get in if they find out I let a civilian get hurt?"
Oh, Cellbit knows.
The window rattles and strains as the string of blood keeps it shut. (Blood is made of iron, after all.)
With his palm already scabbing, Cellbit storms towards the door and slams it open, blocking his desk and window from view with his body.
Bluebird looks up at him, determined.
Cellbit wants to stab her.
Instead, he says, "Look, I'm not the guy you want to talk to about this. Your partner is already talking to Bagi, but you both have forgotten about the guy who chased Hombre Misterioso away from me that time."
(The window goes silent.)
For whatever reason, Bluebird sucks in a sharp breath before attempting a smile.
"Oh, Roier?" she asks. "We don't need to talk to him."
Cellbit cocks his head. "Really? Because I was unconscious. I can't tell you anything about what Hombre Misterioso was doing. But Roier saw it all."
"And he talked to the police."
"But Hombre Misterioso has to be pissed at him for ruining their kill, right?" Cellbit asks. "Serial killers always end up escalating outside of their pattern, everybody who's studied them knows this. They lose control. The pattern now is Federation workers, but maybe it'll expand to people protecting Federation workers."
Bluebird pales.
Cellbit rolls his eyes. "Come on, have you really not thought of that? Aren't you guys supposed to be, like, crime experts?"
"Hey! I'm new!"
"Yeah, and you're letting a civilian stay in danger because you're too focused on protecting a failed lab experiment," Cellbit scoffs. "Trust me, if this guy knows as much about me as you think they do, then they know that I'm not the guy they want to kill. They're looking for people who like the Federation, not people who hate it."
Bluebird narrows her eyes. "That's a dangerous thing to say to a superhero, you know."
Cellbit shrugs. "Sue me. You read my file, you know that I'm more likely to be a suspect here than a victim."
She nods. "...Yeah, but you don't have powers. And they do."
He smiles bitterly. "Right."
He looks at Bluebird.
Bluebird looks at him.
"Well?" he asks. "It's a couple of hours until the sun sets, and Roier's going to be leaving work soon. In that area of town? It's only a matter of time until Hombre Misterioso catches him."
There's a quiet laugh from the window.
Cellbit quickly covers it up with a cough and a faux-pained wheeze. He grips at his chest, wincing.
Bluebird's eyes widen. "Oh, shit! Right! Your burn!"
He waves her off. "Don't worry about it, I texted my friend. He's a doctor, he's on his way."
"Really?"
"Yeah, Pac from Chume Labs? He probably helped develop your training program."
"Oh, shit, you're friends with him?" she gasps.
"What can I say? Us Brazilians gotta stick together."
"Huh. Fair. Well..."
She looks uncertain, but she nods, acquiescing. "Fine. If he's coming. But, listen, call the hotline if you see Hombre Misterioso around, okay? You might not have the... best history with us, but the Federation is good people."
Cellbit smiles. "Get out of my apartment."
Once she's gone, Cellbit lets out a scream into his hands and turns to go and yell at Hombre Misterioso some. What the fuck!
He storms to the window and drops the string. It falls apart, blood splashing onto the desk and the carpet.
He wrenches the window open and finds himself nose-to-nose with Hombre Misterioso.
Well.
Nose to gas mask.
"What do you want?" Cellbit growls.
"Who was that?" Hombre Misterioso replies.
"Bluebird. You know, the hero literally assigned to kill you?"
Hombre Misterioso's shoulders tense minutely. "Oh."
Cellbit rolls his eyes. "Yeah. Now. What do you want? The sun is out. And I hate you."
"Ouch."
"Don't act surprised. You're literally stalking me."
"I'm not. But I am here for a good reason."
"You are literally at my apartment." Cellbit blinks. He flushes red in both anger and embarrassment. "You saw me shirtless!"
"And it was very nice, but I'm here to tell you that I am going to kill Iron Boy tonight at midnight."
Iron Boy... former Junior Hero, graduated a few years ago into the mainline hero program, no known powers but an affinity for technology. Otherwise known as Tubbo, one of Pac's coworkers at the lab, and one of Cellbit's biggest haters for no good reason.
Tubbo isn't that old. He's a mentor hero for the Junior Heroes. He doesn't do much actual hero-ing outside of escorting the juniors on crime fighting field trips and testing out weapons for the lab.
Cellbit shakes his head. "Not him."
"Yes, him."
"Do someone else. Without him, the lab is understaffed until Mike gets back from his honeymoon, and we don't know when that's going to be. Kill him when Mike's back."
"Ugh, fine," Hombre Misterioso groans. They slump against the windowsill and rest their chin on their arms. "Who should I kill, then?"
"Why are you asking me?" Cellbit asks. "I'm not a villain, in case you haven't noticed. I'm retired."
"Whatever you say, enigmito." They drum their fingers against the inside of Cellbit's wall. "Maybe I should find Sharkboy."
"Fuck Sharkboy," Cellbit immediately declares. "If you can find him, kill his ass. But he's also retired. Nobody from the Order has been able to track him down."
"Maybe I should find one of those French heroes," Hombre Misterioso muses. "What do you think?"
"I think that I should give you Crow Man's phone number so you can ask him about this and not me."
Suddenly, Hombre Misterioso sits up and snaps their fingers.
"I know!" they excitedly say. "Man-Bear!"
Man-Bear... must be one of the newer heroes that Cellbit doesn't know about. Richarlyson might have heard of him, but. Yeah, no, Cellbit isn't going to ask him. He doesn't want to risk a repeat of the aquarium.
"Fine, Man-Bear," Cellbit sighs. He gives Hombre Misterioso a tired look. "Is that all? Can you go now? And never come back? And leave me alone?"
"I mean, you can come with me toni-" Hombre Misterioso starts.
They freeze.
Cellbit watches their still body until they come back to themselves in the middle of a different sentence and in a different pose: gesturing grandly with their hands and audibly smiling.
"-a team!"
"Yeah, no," Cellbit immediately says. "I can get you the Demon, if you want? But he's kind of on a murder break right now..."
(Fatherhood really has mellowed Bad out, hasn't it?)
Hombre Misterioso audibly grimaces. "I fucking hate that guy. Look, I'll call you with the details tonight when it's about to happen. You can show up if you want. If you don't, it's no big deal, you can just come to the next one."
"Please don't do that."
"Don't worry, I still have your number."
"I'm literally going to go change it as soon as you're gone."
"You won't." They tilt their head tauntingly. "You want to keep an eye on me. If you don't, how will you keep me away from your son?"
The hair on the back of Cellbit's neck stands on end.
"You haven't changed your number since I first called you," they say. "You won't do it now."
They laugh, slow and deliberate and absolutely just grating on Cellbit's ears.
"I'll see you tonight," they say.
Cellbit slams the window shut and backs away from it.
Hombre Misterioso wiggles their fingers in a farewell, and then they hop over the edge of the fire escape and drop out of view.
...Maybe. Maybe, Cellbit should call Bagi.
-
A/N: Let me know what you think in the tags or in my inbox! I want to hear your theories, thoughts, opinions, everything!
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not sure if this was posted before. can we get the classic scenario of some brave (read:unfortunate) soul trying to flirt with the mc and how will the kings (+sitri and belial if it's okay) react to it? thank you :3
Ahh, that's one of my fav kind of headcanons! And! Sitri!!! Belial!!! I love kings, but I'm a noble's girlie~ Let's make them jealous. See them doing their best, it's not enough to be hot to win our hearts... ok maybe it is BUT, it doesn't change anything!
Assume that some cutie like our Dong-gyun is flirting with us. Nobody dangerous or slick. This way they will only be jealous, not mad, and we will see how they want to prove themselves.
ę§:シ ⥠シ:ę§
Satan will be ready to fight at first, but when he sees that you are having fun and no one is trying to hurt you, he will let go. Of course, he will be jealous. You are his. He will make sure to remind you, and do everything to impress you and win your attention back. Over time, he will get to know you better and learn what you like best. If his strength turns you on and you want to see him fight for you, he will. If you'd rather see a room strewn with roses when you return to the palace, then be it. If a devil flirts with you too intensely (in his opinion, always), he will come and grab your waist. We know he has guts, and anyone who allows himself too much deserves a kick. Unfortunately, he can't kick them because it's like a reward, and he doesn't want any more devils hanging around you.
Mammon won't care too much if you're flirting with someone. Everything his master does is perfect. If this is your wish, he will choose the best lovers in the country who will fulfill your desires. He will make every dream come true. You own him, not he you, and he waits patiently until one day you want to be his. You are free and can do whatever you want. As long as no one tries to get their hands on you against your will, Mammon is going to watch with amusement those poor attempts. After all, that funny little devil who thinks he has a chance with you is his too.
Beelzebub has a whole story dedicated to the cute guy who flirts with us. On the outside, he looks as chilled as ever, but there's an underlying menace lingering in the air. âDon't cross the line, or you'll be devoured.â You have to have some restraint, if you don't want this poor devil to end badly. Actually, no one knows what Beel is capable of, because the surrounding rumors say that he deprived one devil of the hand he used to hug you, and sewed another's mouth shut for daring to kiss you. But you know how exaggerated the rumors surrounding him are. He himself always behaved impeccably (as much as you say it about him) around you, and the fact that he clearly showed that you belonged to him... it only makes you wet, admit it.
Leviathan, oh well. If anyone *dared* to flirt with you near him, they would not only hang, but fly out the window and land on a wall. The only people he would not hang, because he cannot, are those who are equal in status to him, i.e. other kings. If he saw you flirting with one of them... remember how in ch4 Satan's wrath was so tremendous that it began to choke his subjects? This is exactly what would happen with Levi's jealousy. Except not only the devils who stand close will suffer, but half of Hades. Since he can't hang other kings, he could hang you... but with each king the scenario would be different, so it's hard to say in general. Either way, prepare for chaos.
Belial is very composed. He'll let you do whatever you want, after all, you're not married to him or anything. He just respects you and your freedom. You'd even think he didn't care when Jiyu stepped in. Without Belial's consent, of course. You only managed to hear âKnow your place, your fucking maggot-!â before the noble catch him and silence him, blushing furiously. You see how he squeezed poor little thing so much that their eyes popped out of their sockets. You can't help but giggle, because it looks like someone is jealous after all.
Sitri will be both jealous and sarcastic. Very openly. He doesn't even try to hide it, the poor devil will be scolded and sent to help clean up the rubble or in the medical tent. War is neither the place nor the time for flirting! Especially if he's trying to flirt with you. Why did you even want to waste your time on him? You have so many nobles to choose from, aren't they good enough? Isn't he good enough? He needs to try even harder... And his spiral of overthinking continues until you dispel his doubts with a kiss.
#whb#what in hell is bad#whb satan#whb beelzebub#whb leviathan#whb sitri#whb mammon#whb belial#skye's little talk
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Yesterday, I left you with a bit of a cliffhanger...
But it's all because tonight is a big "polin first time we didn't see", and some might remember a poll I did some days ago asking for Pen's specific favourite fantasy and the majority of answers were mirror and people (love you all exhibitionist people) so, what's about this party Pen wants to go? Let's find out!!
In the morning, they talk about Pen's desire to go to a clubâthe type of club designed for a very specific purpose. "There was an entry in your journal about watching a couple doing it behind special mirrors, and you noticed how watching them reminded you of the type of intimacy you were looking for."
Colin does remember that night. This young couple behind the screens was extremely hotâboth of themâbut what separated them from all the others was their connection.
"And I'd like to do the same. Just me and you, knowing people are watching..." Colin clocked that fantasy early in their marriage, always teasing it. He doesn't have a problem about people watching them - as long as it's only watching. "Are you sure?" he wants to be extra secure for her sake.
She looks at him and nods. "I'll see if I can secure an invite. But the moment you're uncomfortable, we're out, " he says, and she agrees.
They don't talk about this anymore until Colin comes back one evening. "We have an invite, Pen. In two days, if you want to." Her eyes dilate, and Colin can tell she is equally excited and nervous about it.
Before going in, he explained to her what to expect: "It's like a normal ball, except you may see people being more explicit. They may ask you to dance or more than that, but they are extremely respectful. If you say no, they won't bother you at all."
"I've rented the mirror room for the entire evening so that we can dance and relax, and once we are ready, if we still want to do this, we can enter and do what we want. You won't see a thing from inside besides the mirrors. Outside, people can see you, but they can't interact. We will be in a bubble. Also, we can stop at any time if you feel uncomfortable."
Pen is nervous when they enter the house, but she relaxes quite a bit when they start to dance. Yes, some people are already half naked, and the sides of the room are full of chaise lounges where people are already enjoying themselves. "Being a wallflower here would be so much more interesting," Pen says, and Colin laughs with her as they dance closer and become more touchy. As predicted, some already proposed both, but they politely refused.
By their third dance, there is an undercurrent of arousal going through them as their hands travel along their bodies. They exchange a brief kiss that does nothing to quench their thirst for each other. "Let's go?"
Pen gulps but agrees. Colin takes her hand and guides her to the room. For a moment, she can see from the outside; several people are already there, watching them curiously.
In the room, Pen can't hear anyone. The outside is gone; all she can see around are mirrors, reflecting them both. The desire returns like a wave. She is very accustomed to mirrors and doesn't feel self-conscious about that. Knowing people outside are watching just adds fire to her arousal.
Colin is observing her, and she is suddenly overwhelmed with love for this man who is leaving her free enough to explore her desires. She decides to lean into her playful side.
"Come here, husband," she says, sitting on the bed towering in the room, right in the centre. Pen opens her legs. " You have a job to do."
Colin goes on his knees and is unsurprised to find her glistening with desire. "My wanton wife is enjoying all those people watching her... isn't she?" he says as he starts a slow movement on her core, touching her pearl briefly before giving her just the tip of his finger. She nods at his words.
"Why don't you show those amazing tits?" he asks, playful.
She plays with her dress until she can divest herself quickly. Paris's dresses are on another level, as she can take them out without assistance. A moment later, Colin is helping her get out of her skirt, and she is fully nude on the bed; wherever she looks, she can see herself and Colin slowly teasing her open. "Colin, I need you," she moans, and Colin chuckles before stepping up and undressing himself.
"Come here," he teases her, "I want them to watch you, knowing they can never have you," and she is now on the edge of the bed, in full view, as Colin slowly enters her. She feels hot and aroused and desired and beautiful as Colin slowly starts to move. "You can't come until you say you loved being watched," he says, and she whines, knowing he will tease her until she complies. In truth, it doesn't take much until she obeys him.
Something is driving her crazy, and when Colin speeds up, she looks at the mirrors and just lets it go. Colin somehow manages to thrust into her through her release and knows her enough to know this is only the first one. Then, he flips her on the bed so she is on her hands and knees, and the dance starts again. She sobs at the feeling of another release coming, "I can imagine them going crazy over you," and every word is melting into desire.
When she comes again, she is almost screaming. "Yes, exactly like that. Make them feel how good you are at taking me," as Colin goes and goes and she can't even think. Colin turns her around again, kissinng her deeply, before whispering "I'm so close Pen," and then it is just instict, keeping him inside her as he finish.
They stay in the room a while before going out, re-dressed. The place owner offers them to stay with him and his wife for the night, but they refuse (afterwards, Colin tells her they are the couple he witnessed months before). Pen is just exhausted, and they go back home.
In the carriage, Colin notices Pen is crying. "Something wrong, love?" but she shakes her head.
"I just think that what we shared was powerful... and that most people don't have what we have. It makes me feel lucky, I guess. And grateful to have you," and he can understand very well. He dries his own tear with his hand and kisses her slowly. "It's the same for me," he answers, taking her on his lap until they return home.
uuuh I'm a bit nervous posting this one, but I absolutely love that they are sharing from a place of love and connection and I wish I were in the audience, and there is no shame in between them, I Hope you'll like it too (and if you have more firsts you want me to tell about it, my requests are open)
#polin#bridgerton#bridgerton season 3#bridgerton s3#polin positivity#polin bridgerton#polin brainrot#polin fic#colin bridgerton#penelope featherington#colin x penelope
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⥠Bunny Flops ⥠- Part Two
(Legend has like 0.5 seconds of angst cause â¨traumaâ¨, but then itâs just fluff <3)
The second time it happens, the Chain is taking a much-needed break at Lon Lon Ranch. Several weeks have gone by since the first Incident (as theyâve taken to calling it when Legend isnât around to hear), and itâs mostly passed from everyoneâs minds by now.
Legend refused to answer any of their questions, growing embarrassed and awkward any time someone brought it up. Eventually they gave up and let him be, to his relief. He doesnât want any of them knowing itâs a holdover from his Dark World form - or that he suspects that isnât the only reason for his more...rabbit-like tendencies. Luckily (or, perhaps, unluckily in this case), those tendencies really only show themselves when he feels truly comfortable and safe, with a few exceptions.
(He doesnât want to think about what it means that itâs happened around the other heroes. Thinking about it means acknowledging it, and acknowledging it means he has to face the fact that heâs let himself get close. Close to people who will just get taken away go away again.)
(He canât go through that again. He canât.)
As it is, Legend is curled up on the rug in front of the fire in the main house, his hands wrapped around a steaming mug and a fluffy blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Quiet chatter mixed with soft music flows around him. Chores are done for the day, none of his weapons are in need of maintenance, his belly is full, and heâs warm and cozy in a house that makes him feel as safe as heâs ever been.
Legend feels himself start to drift, his mind growing hazy and soft. Each blink is longer than the last, and he fumbles to keep from spilling his drink as he begins to drift off. Someone takes it from him, their hands gently easing it from his own, before patting him on the head. Half-asleep, he barely registers giving a soft chirring purr in response to the affection, hearing the other chuckle warmly as they continue petting his hair.
Sky smiles down at him as the younger hero begins to doze. He pauses for a moment to twist around, searching for the coffee table so he can put down the mug heâd taken from sleepy hands. Once thatâs done, he turns back around to continue his ministrations, only to blink as he realizes the other boy is not where heâd left him.
He glances around, confused, before looking down and seeing Legend curled up on his side before the fire, blanket clutched in his thin hands and violet eyes blinking sleepily into the flames. Giving a relieved sigh, Sky shuffles closer and lays a hand on soft pink locks. Legend starts purring again as Sky gently pets his hair.
He only half-listens to the sounds of the other heroes in the room with him, most of his attention on the cozy bundle before him that is the young hero. As he weaves his hand through his hair, marveling at the softness of it, he senses more than sees someone moving to sit next to him.
âHeâs doing it again, huh?â Warriorsâ voice, hushed in the quiet peace thatâs settled over them all, comes from his left. He joins Sky in reaching out and laying a gentle hand on Legendâs arm. The Vet sniffles once before sighing. Wars runs his hand along his arm in a soothing motion, and his eyes slip shut as he finally nods off.
âSo, itâs not anything to worry about then, do you think?â Sky asks, keeping his voice low. âSince heâs just sleeping when he does this?â âThisâ being tipping over and falling asleep with ease as compared to the restless, guarded nights theyâre all used to.
Wars shakes his head. âNo, I donât think so. This is-â he stops, looking for the right words. Sky nods; he understands what his brother means.
This is an incredible show of trust. For the Veteran, prickly and snappish and guarded to his core, this may very well be the equivalent of lowering every wall he has and opening the door straight to his heart. Skyâs own heart warms at the realization. He lets himself trust that they will not hurt him, and in turn allows them to protect and care for him at his most vulnerable.
The Chosen Hero turns his head to meet the Captainâs eyes. They both nod, coming to an unspoken agreement that they will do everything they can to keep this trust. Their brother deserves to be able to let his guard down, to be able to open himself up, to know he has people he can depend on, and that none of it will be taken from him.
With a content sigh, Sky lets himself lean into Warriors, resting his head on his shoulder. They each keep a hand on their sleeping brother, protective and soothing both. The two of them will keep watch over their brother tonight, here in this house of safety and warmth and love, to make the most of every ounce of trust theyâve been given.
<< First : Last >>
#mothâs tales#fanfiction#linked universe#linked universe fanfiction#lu legend#lu sky#lu warriors#this turned out way way softer + warmer than i intended it to be#not that iâm complaining#legend deserves good things: the fic#sky: itâs my turn to take care of my grumpy little brother#bunny flops#honestly this reads like it could be the end but no!#we have one more part to go folks!
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Kinda Donât | B.Barnes
Warnings: Angst, character death
Word count: 3.5k
A/N: Never proof read, going through my drafts and just posting shit lol, enjoy?
Master list
****
Bucky and you had a long history, and I don't mean long as in only a decade but 7 of them.
You were the girl next door literally, you grew up directly next door to Bucky. You moved in right before puberty hit not just the boys but you too.
It was always just you three and it was the first time you had any real friends, your father was part of the army, science sector of it so you were constantly moving never having enough time to actually make any life long friends let alone fall in love but when he went missing, later discovered dead in some secret lab he had under your house, your mother and you packed up and moved to the city that everyone wanted to live in, New York.
With the endless amount of possibilities or more so the endless amount of men your Mother could shack up with and have them support her and yourself. You didn't mind of course as long as she was happy, you were happy.
That was until her latest husband David started yelling a lot, then he started drinking a lot, then he hit you for the first time. Your mother told you it was the wrong place at the wrong time, you walked into the house right as they were fighting and he struck you. You never said anything except went straight to your room, then climbed out your window back to where Bucky was.
And when he saw you, you broke down. He promised heâd always be here for you and you were the only girl that would ever have his heart. He was true to his word to a certain extent. That was until puberty hit and every girl was throwing themselves at him, it was inevitable he was gorgeous.
He went out with every girl in town, except for you because you weren't as pretty as them even though he always would get drunk and end up climbing through your window instead of his, telling you just how you were the most beautiful girl heâd ever laid eyes on how he was so lucky to have you, but then the next day when you woke up he was gone, back out the window and back to holding some other dame in his arms.
But when the war got worse and people were getting their letters left and right you knew Buckyâs were coming and he stopped seeing other girls and he spent all his time with Steve and you.
It was different, he would hold your hand on the street, he would take you dancing, he would take you on dates. You found yourselves constantly under the sheets intertwined with one another and then one night when he thought you were sleeping he told you while running his fingers through your hair that it was only ever going to be you, it was only ever you and when he saw any future it was always with you.
He told you he was hopeless in love with you since the day he saw you standing by the moving truck holding a box and you tried your hardest not to open your eyes and tell him you were in love with him too.
The next day he enlisted and spent the last night he had with Steve and you at some Stark thing you cared nothing about but at the same time everything about because Bucky cared about it and you cared about Bucky.
And just like that he was gone and the first decade and a half of your history had ended before it ever really started. When Steve showed up on your step to tell you about Bucky and to give you the book that Bucky wrote to you every single day, he told you he was going to avenge his death and he would come back to you, and then he never did either. When Peggy Carter knocked on your door to tell you about Steve you shut the door and shut anyone out that was left in your life.
Till sometime in the 50âs in the paper it said Howard Stark was looking for volunteers and you never forgot how much Bucky would beam at the opportunity so you showed up at the base and he said yes before you could even speak after hearing how you were Steveâs best friend.
You were injected with the closest hope to the next super soldier serum without the drastic physical changes. They called you Miss America, and you hoped you would have made your boys proud but when Howard noticed you werenât ageing as you should they ran tests, discovering that your cells rengernated at an extremely fast rate now allowing you to age as you should before you could run more tests and possibly find an antidote or even how enchanced you really were, Howard died.
You were alone again, Peggy tried her best to keep you company and to keep you hidden, you should have been in your late 60âs like her but instead you looked 3 decades younger than her, she thought it would be best to fake your death so that's what you did.
Y/N Y/L/N died in 1995 at the age of 75, your cause of death was undetermined. Thatâs when Lily Barnes was created, born in 1965 making you 30 years old, which is what you would stay looking for the next 2 decades, when they found Steve on ice you could have sworn you saw a wrinkle that was never there before.
When he found out Peggy was alive he was of course over the moon but when he saw you he couldnât believe his eyes. He had Fury look into you and when he saw a death certificate, they found where you were buried and it was beside Bucky. But yet you were standing directly in front of him looking like you had only aged 5 years in the last 70. You told him everything, he was so mad at first but he came to terms with it when he realised he wasnât going to be alone.
Fury tried to recruit you for the avengers but you wanted nothing to do with making new friends and losing them your heart simply couldn't handle it. Fury understood told you he didn't like it but he understood, he put you in a safe house Steve respected your wishes and besides Fury, Steve was the only one who knew where you were that until a red head knocked on your door, Steve beside her and he told you to suit up, you did no questions asked.
The next thing you knew you were on a jet, getting debriefed about someone by the name of Thanoâs. But when you were getting close to a place called Wakanada, your heightened sense picked up on something you.
â
âSteve, what's wrong?â You stood by Natasha putting all your weapons in their correct spot.
âWhat isnât wrong?â Natasha tried to joke but you ignored it.
âStevieâ You asked again âYou know I can tell right? I can sense literally everythingâ
He gave you a soft smile âI forgot you were enhancedâ he sighed âThereâs something i haven't told youâ
âNo shitâ You smiled
âShe doesnât know?â Sam asked from the front seat, Steve shook his head in response.
âHow much doesnât she know?â Natasha whispered
âNone of itâ
Natasha looked at you, placing a hand on your shoulder âIâm sorry in advance, I didnât knowâ she then proceeded to sit by Sam, giving Steve and you the space you apparently needed for this conversation.
âIâm so sorry, i just, there was so much going on and you wanted to stay out of it and i know if you knew you would have been brought back in, but then Natasha happened and i didnt know about their history and he was so happy, I haven't seen him smile like that since you, then Wakanda happened, he deserved to be free, he deserves to be happy and so do you and it was wrong of me not to say anything, your my best friend you took care of Peggy, I â â
âSteve, slow down, what are you talking about?â Your senses were in overload, you could feel every atom, every fibre in the air, alerting you that you needed to run, that you needed to fight.
He gave you the same eyeâs he gave you when your Ma past, the same eyes he gave you when Bucky forgot about your birthday because Dot said yes to a date, the same eyes he gave you when he told you Bucky died. âHeâs alive, Buckyâs aliveâ
âWhat? Steve that's not funnyâ
âI know, Iâm not jokingâ He reached just beside the shield and handed you a file that said CLASSIFIED in big red letters âWere arriving in an hour, Iâm sorry I should have told you sooner, everything you need to know is in here. Iâll be right over there if you need me, Iâm here for youâ
The file was heavy in your hands, your mouth was dry. When you read his name at the top it felt you were swallowing a razor blade. You read everything as fast as you could, you held back tears, letting the metaphorically razor blade cut any emotions you wanted to have. You were angry, so angry, so hurt that this was kept from you, you wanted to kill Steve Rogers, you wanted to murder Captain America. But no more than you wanted to kill yourself, he was alive this whole time, the same time you were alive. You could have done something, why didnât you know to do something? You should have felt he was still alive and in pain, he was your soulmate, he said you were soulmates. That was until you got to the second last page in the file, it was an HR paper from Stark Industries and your eyes were blurring with tears when you saw the world's relationship and saw two signatures at the bottom one reading James Barnes and the other Natasha Romanoff.
âLanding in 5, 4, 3 â â You heard Sam counting down, you placed the file down. You took a deep breath soaking in every fibre of information presented to you in the last hour. You stood up having an internal battle of whether you should kill Steve now or later, you wanted to strangle Natasha, but it wasnât her fault, you couldn't blame Bucky, she was amazing if you swung that way you would have fallen for her too, you should have known the second Steve told you he was alive, before you even opened the file, he always had a thing for redheads. You clipped your last knife to your thigh.
You gave Natasha a small smile and she returned it. You could feel Steveâs presence hovering beside you, as the doors whired open âDoes he know?â you didnât even look at Steve as the doors slowly opened.
âNoâ He sighed âIm so sore ââ
You shook your head âDon'tâ
Natasha was the first one out, no doubt in your mind wanting to see Bucky, Steve followed shortly after, then Sam, then Bruce, the Rhodey, than youâ
Her arms wrapped around his neck, her lips grazed his you heard her mumble an âi miss youâ, that metaphorical razor you swallowed sliced your heart in half.
Steve hugged Bucky, whispering something to him and his blue eyes searched for you, disbelief written all over his face. He started to make his way to you, but stopped just before he could reach you, his eyes trailed over your figure, tears brimmed his eyes âDoll, I -â
You cleared your throat, shifting your demeanour from heart broken and love sick back to someone you swore you never wanted to be again and that was Miss America âWe have a fight to win Sargent.â
He blinked a few times, shifting his gaze to Steve and he shrugged in return, he turned back to you âBut I - â
Steve came up beside him âSheâs right Buckâ
Bucky looked like he was having an internal battle within himself before he nodded and the team made their way to the battle ground, Bucky never leaving your side, his pace stayed with you the whole time until the fight started, he kissed Natasha on the cheek wishing her good luck, before he got the chance to say something to you, your back was already turned getting in your fight stance.
You lost him for a while during the battle, while still keeping an eye on him without being too obvious. You did the same with Steve you knew he was more than capable and was no longer that little boy from brooklyn, even though you were still mad at him he was still your best friend, well one of them.
The fight dragged on, and when you thought you had any possible chance of winning, people started turning to dust all around you âno no noâ you mumbled running closer to Steve, your eyes locked with Bucky âY/nâŚ.â he trailed off before he was completely gone.
â
F i v e whole years.
Five whole years of losing Bucky again, five years of growing so close to Natasha you would consider her your best friend. It was just you two in the compound, you came back to the whole superhero lifestyle and tried your best to do anything you could to keep things running smoothly. It was hard half the fucking world was missing, but your whole world was.
You wanted to hate Natasha you did, she had everything you ever wanted in the palm of her hands and yet you couldnât. She was everything you aspired to be. You were nothing like her and it made sense why Bucky kept anything you thought you had in the dark, it wasn't because you thought he was savouring it, soaking up every moment, no it was because he was ashamed.
You wanted nothing more than to hate her, it would have made things so much easier but she was just as amazing as everyone made her out to be, you hoped you could somehow find a way to get Bucky back and selfishly you hoped he would wildy confess his undenying love to you but you knew that would never happen, and at the same time you were rooting for them, he was your everything then and she was your everything now.
You could push your heart break aside for decades again couldn't you?
Could you die from a broken heart? You hoped it would make everything so much easier.
But you didn't and here you were about to do fucking time travel. Standing on the platform you tried to tune out all the energy and nerves you could feel radiating off of everyone, a hand found its way on your shoulder âWere gonna get him back Natasha smiled at you before turning to the rest of your teammates, her family âSee you in a minuteâ
â
âYou know, i thought living as long as i have would have been the craziest thing to ever happen to meâ You smiled thinking of all the crazy shit you experienced in your overly lived lifetime.
âBut here we are, in space going to some place called Vormir, donât be too full of yourself y/n'' You laughed, bumping your shoulder against hers.
âWelcomeâ A voice echoed behind you. Grabbing your knife, Natasha reached for her gun. âNatasha, daughter of Ivan. Y/n, daughter of Lilith.
As you both made your way forward you tensed immediately recognizing who is in front of you.
âWho are you?â Natasha questioned, your knives still raised.
âConsider me a guide, to you and to all who seek the Soul Stoneâ
You eyed her cautiously before taking a step forward âOh good, you tell us where it is, then weâll be on our wayâ
Red skull looked at you âIf only it were that easyâ
He turned around starting to move forward, you looked at Natasha, she shrugged in response and then the two of you followed him near the edge of a cliff, what looked to be a sunset in the distance.
âWhat you seek lies in front of you, as does what you fearâ
Natsha pushed ahead peering over the edge âThe stones down thereâ Her back to you.
âFor one of youâ Red skull respond
You were overwhelmed, you could feel the stone, you could feel the calmness, the sureness radating off of Natasha, her pure willingness. Your feet dragged you forward, peaking over hoping the stone would be in reach, which you knew it wouldn't be, because it would be crazy for something to be that easy.
âFor the otherâ He continued âYou must lose that which you love, an everlasting exchangeâ He paused dramatically, you swallowed the lump in your throat âA soul for a soulâ
She took your hand in hers, pulling you away from the ledge. Taking a seat on a rock, while you leaned on one. You knew what you had to do, what had to be done âYâknow, I think our hopefully chatter doomed usâ
She smiled at you âWe cant seem to ever catch a break huh?â
âPeople like us never really do it seemsâ
She stood up turning to face you âAnd here i thought we found a little bit of break in each other the last 5 yearsâ
You smiled back at her âIt's always too good to be trueâ
âWhatever it takesâ She took your hand in hers
Swallowing back the lump in your throat âWhatever it takesâ
She stared in your eyes, you felt nothing but love and longing radiating off of her âIf we don't get that stone y/n, millions of people stay dead, Barnes stays deadâ
Nodding in agreement âHe deserves a life Natâ You placed your other hand on hers âA great one and you ââ
âI'm starting to think we mean different people here y/nâ
âFor the last five years Nat, all we've been trying to do is get to right here, that's all its been about. Bringing every body back, getting Bucky backâ
âDon't you get all sappy on me now y/n/nâ
âNat..â you trailed off
âYou think I want to do this? I'm trying to save your life you idiotâ
You squeezed her hand âYeah, well I don't want you to. I've lived long enough Nat, this would be a great way to goâ You smiled back your tears âBucky has you, i have youâ you looked off towards the sunset âIt's not that bad of a sight, yâknow if its the last thing i seeâ
She placed her free hand on your cheek, turning your head to face her again âI love Buckyâ her eyes piercing into yours âBut i love you moreâ
âNo, Nat -â
I wasn't finishedâ Her thumb swept one out of a dozen fallen tears finding their way down your cheek âBut he could never love me, his heart belonged to someone else but the little piece of it i got to seeâ
You shook your head as she brought your forehead to hers before she continued âWhatever it takesâ
âOkay, you winâ You released her hand before sweeping your leg under hers, placing your arm across her chest and pinning her down âTell Bucky and Steve i love themâ
She grunted before hitting your arm, and using her legs to flip you around before standing up and pointing her widow bite at you âYou tell emâ yourselfâ before shooting it at you, an electrical charge attacked your body.
She started to run towards the edge before you recovered, grabbing your knife and aiming it at her leg grazing the side enough to knock her down.
Before you started to charge at full speed to the edge, as you were about to fall, she wrapped her arms around you shooting your grappling hook at the top of the cliff, you both swung back at full force smashing into the edge, you looked up âNo no noâ you tighten your grip on her but you could feel her slipping âHow do you know i love you! This could be for nothing you dont knowâ
âI knowâ
You tried to reach her with your other hand for a better grip but failed
âLet me goâ
âNoâ you sobbed âNo please noâ
âIts okayâ she smiled
âPleaseâ Tears were burning down your face, before she kicked off the wall her arm ripped from your grip.
âNo!â You screamed till your throat was raw, as you looked down you saw her lifeless body laying there.
Everything went black and you could hear water running, you sat up frantically, you were no longer hanging off the cliff, as you lifted your hand out of the water a single stone laid in it. Your tears meshed with the water before you were being brought back.
âDid we get 'em all?â
âAre you telling me this actually worked?â
You dropped to the ground, cheeks raw from crying, you could feel all eyes on you, âY/n? Where's Nat?â Bruce questioned, you turned to look at Steve, shaking your head no, avoiding all the other eyes because you wouldn't dare look into their eyes, you were nothing to them.
She was their family and you came back and she didn't.
#bucky barnes x reader#bucky x reader#bucky barnes#bucky x you#sebastian stan x reader#bucky barnes x y/n#bucky barnes fanfiction#bucky x y/n#bucky barnes angst#bucky barnes fanfic
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A musical Polinalysis part 2
So I spent hours yesterday writing an analysis on the music we hear when Colin and Penelope first kiss, only to realize a couple hours later that...the kiss isn't the first time we hear that theme!! So of course I had to keep writing about it, because I just think this is so cool...
Alright, check this out... The very first time we hear the theme is the very first time Penelope sees Colin at the beginning of the season. We've just seen Colin flirting with that gaggle of ladies; he approaches his family, and as soon as Pen catches sight of him, we hear this:
But wait. I'm going to back up a sec, because in my last post, I said this was Polin's theme:
Pretty different, huh? So what's going on here?
Well, in the first transcription above, I have us in G Major, starting our theme with the familiar intervals of the fifth note of the key going up to the tonic, or first, note of the key, and then up to the second note (in this case, from D to G to A) and so on for the next few notes. Everything sounds normal here except that we're in a different key (G Major for the first sound clip, D-flat Major for the second one).
But then what happens halfway through with all those # marks? These accidentals are called sharps, and they indicate chromaticisms in the key, or notes that don't naturally occur in the key that we're in. Another way to write this so that the notes do naturally occur in the key (it sounds the same as the first transcription above, it's just expressed with a different key signature) is this...
The part I've circled in red indicates a key change. At the beginning, we're in G Major. Halfway through, we move into g minor. These keys are related in that their scales start on the same noteâthe tonic of both keys is the note G. However, the scales themselves do not sound the sameâthese keys do not contain the same notes. Here is a G Major scale:
And here is a g minor scale:
Notice that the g minor scale sounds a little darker, spookier, maybe more intense. This is the typical quality of minor scales in generalâthey tend to have a sadder sound.
So, okay, that was a lot of music theory, but what does this all mean for our Polin theme? I think it's so compelling that the first time we hear this theme, we have a key change halfway through from major to minorâfrom a relatively bright, happy sound to a more intense, morose sound. This is the first time we see Colin and Penelope occupying the same space this season, the first time Penelope sees Colin after his return (and it's honestly unclear to me whether Colin sees Penelope, as well...he looks in her direction but doesn't seem to recognize that she's there?). And the first statement we get of the music that is going to represent them throughout the next few episodes has a dramatic twist halfway through! Much like their relationship? Much like season 3 itself?? I think this speaks of conflict and intrigue to comeâfor these first four episodes and the season overall.
But that's not all! At the end of this episode, we have Colin and Penelope making their arrangement for Colin to help Penelope find a husband. And as they shake hands and share meaningful looks, just before Lady Whistledown's narration starts the close-out of the episode, this is what plays in the background:
Unlike the very first statement of the theme, this one does not start in a major key and then modulate to a minor keyâit is fully minor from the beginning (the key of f-sharp minor is my guess).
Knowing what we know about minor keys having a sadder, more intense sound, this statement of the theme is clearly meant to convey conflict. There are two big conflicts being set up in this moment between Colin and Penelope: 1) the arc for the first half of the season, of Colin trying to help Penelope find a husband and oops falling in love with her instead, and 2) the arc that we'll be seeing in the second half of the season, of Penelope's secret identity and what that means for her and Colin's relationship. The music is telling us, as Colin and Penelope grasp hands, that we need to be wary.
There is one more iteration of this theme that I want to talk about, and it occurs during the scene when Penelope meets Colin at Bridgerton house for one of their lessons (the scene that is infamous for Colin putting his hand on Pen's back Colin what are you doiiiiiing we are so scandalized!! *gasp*).
The moment Colin greets Penelope in the entryway, we hear this very softly in the background:
This abbreviated theme repeats several time throughout the above scene, and it builds as it's repeated. First there's a couple measures of the theme, then a couple measures without, then the theme is stated again, followed by another couple measures without, and then we get three statements of the theme one right after another in different instruments, until Colin and Penelope make it to the drawing room.
In sharp contrast to the intense, doomsday-foretelling version of the theme we got at the end of ep1, this version is light and playful. We're back in a major keyâand in fact, we seem to be in A Major, which is the relative major of f-sharp minor (the key we were in at the end of ep1). That is to say, f-sharp minor and A Major share a key signatureâthey contain the same notesâbut since the A Major scale starts on an A rather than an F-sharp, it has a brighter, cheerier sound.
So here's what I think is happening with all this musical storytelling. In the beginning of the first episode, we get our first statement of Polin's theme, starting in a pleasant major key sound and turning sharply into a darker minor key sound halfway through. This foreshadows Polin's narrative arc, and the idea of more drama to come in the second half of the season, just as Colin and Penelope think they've found their happiness.
Then at the end of the first episode, we get a statement of Polin's theme entirely in a minor keyâa callback to the second half of the first instance of their theme at the beginning of the episode, and another moment of foreshadowing which sets us up for the main conflicts we will see this season and in Polin's relationship. Episode one is all about setting the stage for the rest of what's to come.
Then at the beginning of ep2, when we hear the theme again, it's like we're being oriented back towards the first half of the iteration that we heard at the beginning of ep1. It's saying, "Okay, the music in ep1 told you to expect both joy and danger, and now here we are at the joy part." We're having fun right now. The romantic tension is still fairly breezy at this point. We haven't yet gotten into the gut-wrenching angst of watching the best friend we accidentally fell in love with about to get engaged to another man.
At the same time, the build-up of the theme the way we hear it in the scene at Bridgerton houseâthe way we get multiple statements of only the first couple measuresâalso creates some tension. The theme keeps getting cut off partway through, so naturally we want to hear more; we want to hear it keep going all the way to resolution. Keep in mind, up to this point, we have not yet (I don't think, anyway...) heard the theme all the way to resolution in a major key. So far, we've heard the theme: 1) start in a major key and end in a minor key, 2) start and end in a minor key, and 3) start in a major key but not end at all. And when do we finally, finally get to hear the theme all the way through in a major key, without all the twists and interruptions that we've experienced previously?
Polin's first kiss.
And it's beautiful, and soaring, and feels something like catharsis...
But of course, even hearing their theme all the way through leaves us wanting more, because at that moment, their arc is still just beginning.
analysis part 1 | analysis part 3
#bridgerton#polin#bridgerton season 3#penelope featherington#colin bridgerton#polin's theme#bridgerton spoilers#long post#bridgerton analysis#meta#i hear this theme everywhere now!!#it will be in my head for the rest of my life#polin songs
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