#fol stuff

[folightening]

One thing Antonio craved was warmth. Warmth of the sun. Warmth of people. Warmth of life. ...Most would say Romano didn't have any. But they didn't know Romano like Antonio did.

Romano's warmth was in his rare smile. In his laughter. There was warmth in his embrace; in the way he came to Antonio for affection. In the kisses he initiated: soft and warm and so divine Antonio could never have enough. But most of all his warmth was in his eyes. No matter how cold his words were, Antonio only had to look at his eyes to know how he didn't really mean it.

[the-sleepy-silurian]

Another low-quality meme before the new chapter this week....

[one-little-nerd-stayed-home]

H-hey do you want to think about something that's kinda fucked up?

Tarragon copes with her past as a Hexblood by becoming a Peace Cleric.

Corbeau copes by trying to convince people to question authority. He wants them to question their beliefs.

So. What happened because Corbeau followed orders without question?

[max1461]

I was correct about the FOL stuff and [person who was arguing with me about the FOL stuff] was, well, not wrong, but not successfully demonstrating that I was wrong.

[folightening]

You're very welcome ❤️

The idea was simply: That last section came to me while I was doing something else and I decided Arthur had to be a dragon for it. Then I thought of that opening sentence and the rest followed.

I love Prince Portugal, and Arthur has a few traits that I find fitting for him being a dragon so it just felt right.

You wanted some Engport, and I've got a wip... Forgive the choppiness and any odd phrasing, it's very unfinished.

---

The dragon had a human form: shorter than Afonso, thin in body, and overall plain. Still, it was a more welcome sight than the dragon.

"Do you have a name?"

The dragon now human startled and looked at him and the sharp vibrant green of his eyes showed that yes this was indeed the dragon.

"What does it matter?"

"You appear human, does that not mean you want to better interact with me?"

The man scoffed.

"There are some things I can only do in this body. Now if you don't mind, I was busy."

Busy. Drinking tea and... Embroidering?

"Embroidery isn't something I'd expect a dragon to do."

He glanced at Afonso but didn't respond. Afonso sighed and pouted, casually walking over to lean on the chair and take look.

There wasn't enough on the fabric in his hands to answer Afonso's question.

"Do you do this often?"

"Don't you have some better way to spend your time?"

Again pushed away and unwanted. Afonso pushed off the chair and made his way across the room.

"You would know how little I have to do around here. But I can take a hint."

The door closed more gently than Afonso thought was deserved. It wasn't the first time he'd been pushed to the side. His own parents had discarded him to this dragon guarded castle to wait for... Whatever it was he was meant to wait for here. His death most likely.

He was fine. He had been fine for years. This didn't change anything.

~~~

Watching the rain beat on the glass wasn't entertaining, but nothing was in the lonely castle he was prisoner in. There were ocassions where he heard fighting, but what reason did Afonso have to get involved with that? No human could kill a dragon.

The dragon strode in, human once again. Blood adorned his clothes and there was a look in his eyes Afonso wasn't entirely certain of.

"You may call me Arthur."

"Arthur." Afonso tried to keep the frown but couldn't resist smiling. "You couldn't pick a better one?"

"So my name bores you as well Prince? Come. I wish to dance."

"If I say no?"

"You would rather stare at rain?"

Afonso stood and followed Arthur to the grand ballroom. Filled with nothing more than Arthur's treasures, it was a room Afonso had no use visiting.

Arthur took his hand and led him to the center of the floor. Music started from somewhere and Arthur wasted no time in starting to lead Afonso around the glittering room.

As they danced Afosno relaxed. Letting Arthur lead him through a simple waltz was far better than anything else he had done in quite some time.

"That's better," Arthur said.

A few more steps passed before Arthur spoke again.

"I am accustomed to being alone. Comes with being a dragon. It's easy to forget how much interaction humans require." Arthur paused "Prince Afonso, I apologize for the way I have been treating you."

"Where's this coming from?"

"The way you walk around looking so... You may be prisoner here, but it is also our shared home." Arthur scowled. "I have been less than hospitable to you."

Afonso laughed

"You're the dragon meant to keep me here. I wasn't expecting any hospitality."

Arthur sharply scoffed but didn't say anything. He did stare at Afonso, his vibrant gaze piercing him.

"I believe a start over is in order."

Arthur released him and stepped back into a bow.

"My name is Arthur."

"Prince Afonso."

The small smile on Arthur's lips was welcome and easy to return.

"Never forget who you are," Arthur said. "Now I believe we have a dance to finish."

Afonso laughed and pulled Arthur

~

Afonso quickly learned that Arthur couldn't be trusted in the kitchen. His primary cooking skill was burning everything. Which his lack of patience certainly helped with; but how often did a dragon cook their food before eating it? Instead he watched Afonso and gave his unasked for, uneeded, but amusing commentary.

~

"Arthur," this was hard. Afonso had never begun to imagine such a thing could happen.

"What is it Love?"

Love was precisely it.

"Yes, that. I." Afonso scowled at the stars. When Arthur's concerned expression blocked his view Afonso's scowl relaxed. "I love you."

"Do you?"

Afonso nodded; "Definitely."

"Oh thank the heavens."

And then Arthur was kissing him. Afonso's eyes widened at the desperate press of lips. Arthur's hand cupped his cheek, he tilted his head to fit their lips together better still and Afonso closed his eyes to let the moment wash over him. Lips parted, breaths were stolen and shared between them as Arthur pressed in close - closer, until he lay comfortably atop Afonso.

~

"One day, someone is going to come and take you away from me."

Afonso leaned back into Arthur more.

"Don't let them."

Arthur's chuckle was a pleasant rumble

"That would be difficult to do once they have killed me."

Afonso frowned and twisted around until he was comfortably facing Arthur, arms around his midsection and face squished on his chest.

"I forbid you from being killed."

Arthur laughed

"It's going to happen eventually Love." He ran his fingers through Afonso's hair. "The one who is to rescue you from here will come, slay me, and free you--"

"I don't need freed."

Oh I LOVED THIS! I'm intrigued how Arthur is the dragon or why and why Port is te prince. I'd love to know the idea because it's really interesting how you took Arthur for been the beast! Also when he said "it's our shared home too" it was like AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!

Thanks for sharing me this, I hope you can finish this story! I'll be looking foward!

[cheswirls]

oh the hotel arc is starting it is here

[f1fantasys]

Post Assessment Fuck

Warnings - SMUT. FILTH. MINORS DNI

His text caught you off guard. You knew Lando's day was brutal, assessment days always took everything out of him, so to say his message surprised you would be an understatement. You'd only been together for 6 weeks, although known each other for much longer, and the whole ''dating'' thing still felt kind new to you both. The words on your screen told a different story though.

''care to help your boyfriend feel better after a hard day? Need a good fuck to get it out of my system ;) My place?''

You stared at your screen, mouth agape, body tingling with anticipation.

''be there in 20'' was all you said, scrambling to gather a few bits and pieces of your stuff to take to his apartment, knowing you'd be spending the night there.

''door's unlocked'' he said back.

The drive to Lando's had your mind spiraling, pussy clenching and desperate, cussing yourself at how his words affected you like this.

You walked in and your eyes landed right on him. Splayed out on the couch, shirtless, sweat literally dripping off his body as his breath was quick. He looked like a god. Tired as fuck, but hot as fuck.

Lando caught you staring for a good few seconds, smirking when he realized the effect he had on you.

''Just gonna stand there? Or come get what you want?'' he mumbled, wincing at the pain shooting through his body when he tried to stand up.

''Depends, did you pass your test?'' you said, smiling and walking up to him. As desperate as you were for the nasty, you couldn't help but pull him in for a hug, knowing that after a day like today, his body craved it.

Lando hugged you back tightly, letting out a breath of relief to finally be back in his happy place. ''I did, fuck it was intense today'' he said, nuzzling his face in your neck.

''Proud of you baby'' you cooed, pulling back to leave a quick kiss on his cheek before he pulled you down to the couch with him.

You cupped his face, he looked exhausted, barely able to keep his eyes open as he brushed a hand through his precious curls.

''Sooo, your message? Baby you're exhausted..?'' you questioned him, bringing a smile to his face that melted your heart.

''Advice from Jon''

''What?'' you chuckled.

''Yeah. said a good fuck will have be feeling ace tomorrow''

''Yeah?''

''Yeah. So walk to the room, you wont be able to walk tomorrow'' he said so casually while you were a mess on the inside.

You did as he said, pulling him up and off the couch as well and dragging him to his room, stripping your clothes off in the process.

''I'm yours Lan, tell me what you want'' you said, wanting, no needing him to take control, knowing it's what he needed right now.

He stripped his own boxers off before pushing you to lay down, hovering above you and leaving a trail of wet kisses on your chest, making his way up to your kiss. Your hands tangled in his sweat-clad hair, pulling and tugging at it while you wrapped your legs around his middle, letting out a moan when you felt his thick girth against your stomach.

You tugged in his hair again so lock lips in a sloppy, messy kiss that had Lando swallowing your gasps on breath as his tongue brushed against your bottom lip before sliding into your mouth, tasting every inch of you. Spit was already running down both your chins, as he moved his mouth lower again, down to the sweet spot on your neck while his hands found your peaked nipples, pinching at them harshly.

''Fuck, Lando please. Just fuck me. Nothing else. Need to feel you'' you pleaded, eager to have your walls wrapped around him.

He said nothing as he sat back on his heels, tired eyes finding yours as he pumped himself, his cock growing impossibly harder in front of your eyes. He reached to his bedside table to grab a fol packet out of the box which was emptying too quickly, but you stopped his movements.

''No condom'' you said softly, unsure if you even wanted to hear what his response would be.Suddenly he was smirking, spitting down on himself as lube, not that he'd need it as you were like fucking niagra falls down there. He slid himself through your folds a few times as well, your back arching off the bed when the man had barely even touch you.

''Fuck me you're dripping. You sure?'' he whispered?

''Yes. Give it to me. Fuck me raw'' you begged.

Finally he thrust himself through your hole, bottoming out straight away in a hard push that had you both grunting and groaning, gasping for air. He stayed still for a few moments, always giving your body a few seconds to adjust to his bigger than average size.

''Uh, Lando'' you whispered, body on overdrive especially at the feeling of him with no barrier between you both. Your walls clenched painfully around him as he let out his own strangled moans.

''Shit Y/N'' he said, chest heaving. ''You're so fuckin tight. Feels so good, fuck'' he mumbled as he started to move. Pulling out completely before hammering into you, repeating the process again and again.

His pace was relentless, unfiltered, a man on a mission to fuck his girl because she took him so well. The room was filled of heavy breaths, moans, grunts, and the sound of wet skin slapping skin, a sheet of sweat making both your bodies sticky and filthy.

''Taking me so well, letting me fuck you like this, my slut, yeah?'' he said between breaths of pounding into you.

''Yours'' you breathed out, unable to keep up with anything, all you could think about was how good he felt, buried inside you.

''M close'' you mumbled when Lando's finger rubbed your clit, and within seconds your orgasm ripped through your body, shuddering and shaking beneath him as he let out a string of curse words at the sight of your cum coating his dick.

He slumped forward onto your body, his pace not faltering one bit as his lips crashed into yours for another dirty kiss as your cries intensified with each thrust of his.

''Lan, please'' you begged, not sure for what, but he read you like an open book.

''I know baby, fuck'' he said, slowing his movements but still thrusting in hard and deep within you, your body moving up with each movement.

''Gonna cum one more time for me baby?'' he asked, words slurring because he himself was so close to letting loose.

Words had long left your brain, all you could do was dig your nails into Lando's biceps and bite down on his shoulder, tears threatening to spill out of your eyes over how incredible this felt.

Suddenly pulled out, chucking lazily at you as you whined, but quickly shut up up when you were pulled to the edge of the bed. He placed one foot on the bed to stead himself as he grabbed your hips, hands pinning you down before resuming his activities. Thrusting in and out of your cunt like his life depended on it.

You groaned as you felt another orgasm approaching hard and fast, Lando talking you through it, getting desperate for his own high.

''Let it out Y/N, you're doing so well for me baby, taking my cock raw like this, fuck, gonna be the end of me one day'' he said.

It wasn't a few seconds later that you were trembling again, your body taken over in another rippling orgasm as you cried out his name, both in pain and pleasure.

''Where do you want it?'' he asked sternly, but you were too fucked out to answer.

He asked again, his core muscles flexing with desperation, tethering on the edge with each second.

''Y/N fuck, tell me'' he all but shouted as your voice suddenly found it away out of your mouth.

''In me!'' you shrieked, moaned out loud at the fact that you barely finished your sentence when you felt Lando's release shoot through your body, his grunts obscene as he let out ropes of warm cum, filling you up, literally.

His body shuddered, twitched, jerked, everything, as he fell on top of you, your bodies stuck together like glue because of all the sweat.

Your chests were heaving, breaths heavy from your highs as you lay there, unable to move or speak, the only sensations being shivering from the cold and Lando softening inside you.

After a few moments, you bought your hand up to run it through his hair as he cuddled you impossibly closer.

Normally he'd clean you up after, but today you both were too tired and worn out to care, so Lando slowly slipped out of you before you crawled into bed, pulling the covers up as he spooned you from behind, but not before thanking you.

Lando awoke the next morning to your face between his legs. You really hadn't planned on it, but you needed to taste him, so you slipped under the covers, wrapping your hand around his dick that was hard as fuck without so much as a touch from you.

He already had pre-cum oozing out from the slit at the top, and as you licked it clean, his body jolted to life, cock bucking in your hand and his hands instinctively held your head tight.

''Fuck me, i could get used to this'' he mumbled lazily.

You stayed silent, instead wrapping your lips around his tip, sucking harshly as he let out a few guttural moans, giving him a few teasing licks before taking as much of his girth into your mouth as you could.

Watching him through hooded eyes, you pumped the part of him that you couldn't fit, while your other hands fondled and tugged on his balls roughly.

''Fuck, feels so good. That mouth of yours'' he cooed, thrusting his own hips up now to fuck into you mouth relentlessly.

You pulled back for air, a string of spit still keep you connected to Lando's mouth as you slid his cock between your boobs, squeezing them together to give him the friction he craved.

You were about to take him into your mouth again but before you knew it he was manhandling you to flip over onto all fours and slamming himself into your cunt.

You held onto the headboard tightly as Lando repeatedly hurled himself into and out of you, fingers digging holes on you hips just with how hard and rough he was being.

''Love that dirty little mouth of yours but fuck, needed to feel you again he whispered, pulling your body up to let your back rest against his front, his hand snaking around your throat, applying a bit of pressure.

You moaned at the contact, walls clenching tighter around him at the thought of Lando using you as he pleased.

''Gonna let me cum in you again yeah?'' he asked, spit flying out his mouth as he spoke through gritted teeth.

''Hmm;'' you responded, brain short circuiting at his words.

''Need you to cum first baby, then im all yours'' he said, the hand on your throat making its way down to your clit, pinching at it harshly.

Then your body was shaking, jelly, as your orgasm washed over you, making your limbs fumble while Lando held you up, your juices leaking out of you and down your thighs.

And with just one look at his dick covered in you again, Lando was sent over the edge, twitching uncontrollably with each thrust before spilling inside of you, hot and sticky, with pornographic moans leaving his body.

You both collapsed back onto the bed, Lando slipping out of you the process as you cuddled to his side, bodies sticky and shivering until Lando looked at you, eyes dark.

''Think I need more assessment days if this is the outcome..'' he said, kissing you feverishly with intent.

[folightening]

Every so often, Nations need to be among their people. To recharge their humanity. To remind themselves what it is to live. It keeps the human part of them intact and stops them from becoming the monsters they could be.

[woahjo]

katsuki rarely drinks. it's not something he enjoys. but one one night, he shows up at your once-shared apartment, smelling like liquor. something sweet and fruity, liked he'd tried to wash a bitter taste from his mouth. to someone who doesn't know him the way you do, a tired sobriety may be assumed. he's that sort when he drinks.

he smiles when he sees you, a bashful kind of smile, despite not having spoken with you for months and you realize that maybe he's forgotten. maybe he's forgotten the last few months when he moved his stuff out of your place, the period of time after the break up where no one would bring up your names in front of the other.

"katsuki? it's the middle of the night," you say to him through the half open door. "what are you doing here?"

katsuki looks at you, clearly tired, and he swallows thick before opening his mouth and closing it again. you wait for him to find his words.

"i wanted to see you," he says.

"you don't live here anymore," you remind him gently, though you're not sure why you assume that he believes he does.

katsuki glances at the ground and then uses the doorframe to steady himself. you can tell that he's trying not to scare you, trying not to use the sheer size of his body. there's something cautious and equally careless about his motions and you tilt your head.

"katsuki?"

"why don't we talk anymore?" he asks you, swallowing again. you wonder where his friends have gotten off to and at what point int he evening they'd noticed that he wandered off.

the question tugs at your heartstrings as you stare at the man in the doorway. it's a pathetic sort of feeling, a weak longing in your chest. you're not sure how to answer. after the break up, things just sort of... fell off. there was nothing to say anymore.

"I want to talk to you," he admits.

this is a side of katsuki that only you are privy to. a quieter, gentler side of him. one where he can openly admit his wants and faults. an exposed bleeding wound that katsuki has never really been able to sew shut.

you shake your head a little.

"talking's hard," you tell him. you're being honest. talking to him is hard. there is so much history there.

"we used to be friends," he reasons, almost as if he's reminding himself.

"yeah," you nod, "we did."

"and now we're not," he adds. "and that fucking sucks."

you nod again.

"it's late, katsuki," you say to him. "you should get home and sleep this off."

katsuki nods, but he lingers. his eyes wander past you into the inside of your apartment, almost as if he can picture himself wandering in. you keep the door half shut.

"we'll talk soon?" he asks, something hopeful in his voice. this vulnerability makes you ache.

"yeah," you respond. "we'll talk soon. fix things."

katsuki nods and then, as if something sobering has come over him, he straightens his back. you furrow your brows as he looks at you, a pink tinge over his cheeks, and wait for what he has to say next.

"sorry to- sorry to bother you so late," he says, a little less gently. he's let a mask slip carefully over his features.

"it's fine," you shake your head. "get home safe, okay? do you need me to call someone for you?"

katsuki shakes his head insistently. "no, no," he says firmly— soberly. "i'm good. i'll see you around."

"okay."

he turns from your step and you watch his back for a moment before quietly shutting the door to your apartment. it feels too quiet now, and you briefly miss the light from the street as you turn back to the empty, darkened rooms.

you wonder if he'll remember coming to your door tomorrow and kick himself for it. you wonder if he'll wake up in the morning, his head pounding, with the mortifying memory of having shown up on your doorstep, telling you that he misses you in a set of different words. or, you wonder if he'll forget. will he wake tomorrow with no memory at all of the first conversation you've shared in months?

it's probably best if he doesn't remember it. then, there'll be nothing to follow up on and nothing to apologize for in the sobering light of day. you won't have to talk to him and be reminded of just how painful every aspect of this is. you have no intention of keeping your promise to talk soon, as much as you might like to fix things. it's best, for the both of you, if you let him fade into the background. then, you can meet him again as strangers—friends of friends—and pretend that the history between you both never happened in the first place.

[saffusthings]

second chances

mob boss! lando norris x reader

part twenty: you've been made

word count: 3.0k

warnings: paranoia, unreliable narrator

nineteen | twenty | twenty one

It was nearly midnight when Logan appeared.

Appeared was the only fitting word, really. One blink, and the rooftop of Lando’s estate was empty. The next, he was there, his black hood drawn low and a quiet grace to his steps as if the shadows bent for him. The security system didn’t even register. Of course it didn’t. Logan had written in the blind spots himself.

He moved across the rooftop like a ghost, all nimble limbs and practiced silence, until he dropped down to the fire escape and tapped once against the glass pane of Lando’s office window.

Lando heard a single creaking of the floorboards and paused, but didn’t look up right away. He was already pouring two glasses of something dark, standing in front of the fireplace like he’d been waiting. 

The room was dim—just the silver underglow of the city filtering through Lando’s tall office windows, the lights of Monte Carlo stretching like quiet thoughts in the distance. His tie was undone, draped haphazardly over his desk chair. He hadn’t loosened it himself—he couldn’t remember doing anything with his hands other than checking his phone.

Twice.

No, four times now.

"How’d it go?" Lando finally asked, still thumbing through the photos laid out on his desk, in no rush to turn to face his newfound company. He’d told Logan to just use the front door numerous times, but ironically, the kid had a flair for the dramatics, despite having all the presence of a wraith.

Ah, to be young and stupid.

The ornate mahogany desk was covered in documents – surveillance prints, reports, a building manifest. His fingers slowed only slightly in their movements, waiting for Logan’s response.

"Quiet," Logan’s voice answered from the dark. He stepped into the office like he belonged there, hoodie pulled over his hair, hands in the pockets of a windbreaker. "Margot covered the end of her shift. No incident. Everything shut down on time, register closed, trash taken out."

Lando finally looked up. “You’re late.”

“Had to wait until Margot left,” Logan replied as he slipped through the open window, flicking back his hood. His tone was relaxed, but Lando caught the way his eyes darted to the corners of the room��always on alert. He appreciated that about Logan. Sharp. Loyal. Cautious to the bone. “So tell me,” Lando said, handing him the second glass.

Logan leaned against the ledge, swirling the drink absently. “She called out like you said. Margot covered. Pretty boring stuff,” he sighed.

“And before you say anything– yes, I was careful.” He moved like smoke, all presence and no weight, slipping the door shut behind him. “She stayed in last night. Didn't leave her apartment. Margot dropped by, though. Brought takeaway.” Lando lifted his gaze at that, eyes sharpening. “So they’ve talked.”

“Seems like it,” Logan said. He leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. “They talked for a bit, mostly about school. I didn’t catch much more.”

“Did she say anything about me?”

Logan tilted his head, the hint of a teasing smile curling up one corner of his mouth. “Why? Worried she found your face on a wanted poster?”

“M’not in the mood, Logan.”

Silence stretched between them. 

Way to kill the vibe.

Finally, Logan just shrugged. “She didn’t mention you, boss. Not once. And trust me, I listened.”

Lando’s jaw tightened. He wanted to believe him. But it didn’t sit right. “She called out of her shift. Didn’t even text. Margot didn’t say much either—just that she was taking Y/N’s place for the night.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You sure she’s alright?”

“You’re paranoid,” Logan rolled his eyes, throwing a Skittle in the air and catching it with his mouth. Where did he even get those?

“And no, she didn’t say anything. Not to Margot, not to anyone else. She’s not avoiding you, dude. She’s just... processing, I think.”

Lando leaned back into his chair, arms folding across his chest. “Processing?”

Logan raised an eyebrow, then leaned against the edge of the wide windowsill. “The end of a maybe-relationship with a nice guy she probably wanted to work out. You ever think maybe it has nothing to do with you?”

He hated when Logan was right. 

Still, Lando rubbed a hand across his jaw, considering it. “She called out tonight.”

“Pretty sure she’s allowed to do that.”

“She doesn’t do that.”

“But she did,” Logan replied with a shrug. 

Lando’s fingers curled into his palm, the lines of his knuckles going stark in the shadowed light. Still, he said, "So you’re sure she didn’t say anythin’? About me?"

Logan raised a brow, just a twitch. "Should she have?"

Lando didn’t answer. Logan folded his arms and leaned against the wall, observing him with a kind of muted curiosity. "Oh. You think Margot told her something. About you."

"No," Lando replied quickly. Too quickly. "I just—she's been... distant."

He thought of the way she hadn’t responded to his texts right away that week. How her shift at the café had been traded, not rescheduled. How the note on the rota had been written in someone else’s handwriting.

She hadn’t asked him for a ride since the call. Not even to class the next morning, and she hated having to walk across campus for her Tuesday classes.

He thought of the empty passenger seat of his car, where her half-finished water bottle still rolled around, cap twisted on loosely. Her playlist hadn’t been played in days. He hadn’t dared touch it.

Logan opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated.

Lando noticed it in his periphery and set down his glass. His eyes darkened and his voice dropped to a dangerously low tone – not yet threatening, but a warning enough for the wise. “What are you not telling me?”

There was a pause. A twitch of Logan’s jaw, like he had to decide what mattered and what didn’t. “She looked… sad, I guess. That’s all.”

“Sad?” 

Lando turned toward the fireplace, exhaling through his nose. He rubbed a hand down his jaw, trying to reason with himself. There were too many variables. If Margot had said something, she wouldn’t be obvious about it. She’d be smart, casual – a single comment that could make Y/N question everything.

“So she knows,” Lando muttered again, almost to himself.

“Or,” Logan said slowly, “you’re reading too much into this because you’re scared of her seeing the real you. And this—” he gestured around at the office, the reports, the late hour, “—is the only version of you you know how to protect.”

Silence fell between them. Outside, the city lights bled softly into the fog.

Lando ran a hand through his curls, frustrated. “She should talk to me if something’s wrong!”

Logan gave him a look that was part sympathy, part exasperation. “Lando. She did. That night you picked her up for ice cream? She barely wanted to talk to anyone, but she called you. That means something.”

It did. Lando knew it did. And that was the problem.

Because the more it meant, the worse it would be when she found out.

About him. About what he really did. About the fact that Liam—the guy who drove her home, listened to her complain about her professors, and shared ice cream on a quiet curb—didn’t really exist.

The bell above the café door chimed.

He stepped in, shoulders tensed beneath the charcoal grey of his jacket. His usual rhythm — scan the room, clock the exits, check the corners — happened without thought. But today, it wasn’t danger he was checking for.

It was her.

She was behind the counter in the same apron with the same sleepy, mid-shift posture as always.

But something was off.

She didn’t look up right away, which was unusual. Normally, she seemed to sense him before he even stepped all the way in as if she had some radar attuned to his presence. But today, she was preoccupied with something in her hand, face partially turned toward Margot.

He slowed his steps.

When she finally did glance up, it wasn’t immediate recognition in her eyes. There was a brief flicker, like she had to place him. Like she was working out whether she should smile or not.

It lasted all of half a second, but he caught it. And then she smiled, a little too politely.

“Hey,” she said.

Not Liam. Just hey.

Lando blinked, heart catching in his throat.

Her smile when she saw him didn’t reach her eyes.

Her apron wasn’t tied the way it normally was; instead, the ends were sloppily knotted.

The music playing overhead was too low, as if she hadn’t bothered adjusting the volume since opening.

She got his drink wrong too. The cup he held today was just straight black coffee, with none of the usual spices and whatever that she usually added, the stuff that made it nice. Instead, today he was handed just plain old black coffee. 

It was small things—the most minute details, imperceptible to anyone else. But to Lando, they layered into a chorus of suspicion. Something was off. Off in a way that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

When she handed him the coffee, their fingers didn’t brush like they usually did. She pulled away too fast. Avoided eye contact just a second too long.

Fuck.

He smiled, casual. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” she said too quickly. “Just tired.”

His mind whirred.

She knows. She knows who I am. She’s acting normal because she’s scared. She’s trying to pull away without drawing attention. Fuck, did Margot tell her? Did she find out on her own? Is she—

“Liam?” her voice cut through the noise in his head.

He blinked. She was watching him, her brow furrowed in concern. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, almost startled. “Yeah. Just tired.”

A lie for a lie.

Margot stepped away to the back, and in the seconds that followed, Lando's eyes drifted to the counter behind her. There, half-tucked into her open bag, was a copy of the Monte Carlo Tribune — folded to a page he’d recognize anywhere. The headline in block print:

“Beyond Forgery and Fraud: Reaper's Circle's Drug Empire Rises”

A photo of some wethered and worn factory near the coast took up most of the page. He knew that place, remembered brokering that first deal that would raise his empire anew.

He looked back at her.

“I, uh,  haven’t seen you in a bit,” she said, moving to pour a cup of coffee for another customer. “Did you try coming by the other night?”

He didn’t answer. His voice had gotten caught somewhere between suspicion and hope.

Was she testing him?

Was this her way of setting a trap — soft questions until he tripped?

“Liam?” she asked, tilting her head.

The mug was still sitting in front of him. He hadn’t realized he had sat down.

He cleared his throat. “Yeah. Yeah, I did.”

She nodded. “Sorry I wasn’t here. I wasn’t feeling too well.”

Something about her tone was too even. Too… measured. And again — maybe it was just exhaustion, or grief, or burnout — but it didn’t sound like her.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“No worries,” he said slowly, before his expressions morphed into something that appeared more sympathetic. “You feeling better now?”

Her lips curved into a tired smile. “Hm? Yeah! Yeah, some tea helped. Ha, you know how it is,” she laughed awkwardly, before turning her attention back to the register.

She didn’t say thank you for checking on me. She didn’t say I missed you. Not that she ever had, but still. Lando felt the tension coil just a little tighter around his spine.

He swallowed hard.

Too many coincidences.

She was quieter, more contained. Everything about her felt conscious, like she was trying to force herself to act normal, trying not to be too obvious.

It was putting him on edge.

And yet, when she looked back at him then, her eyes weren’t stony. They weren’t cold. They were just... tired. A little sad, even.

“You okay?” he asked, voice lower now, a bit softer.

She gave a quiet shrug, eyes dropping to her hands. “Yeah. Just… Just tired. Lots of readings I need to churn through this week.”

Somehow, something about the way she said it — soft, with no edge — began to loosen the knot of panic inside his chest. She wasn’t pretending. She wasn’t testing him.

She didn’t know.

He realized it all at once — how ridiculous he must look, tense in his seat, watching her like he was waiting to be shot. Because nothing had changed, not really.

It was him.

He was the one that had changed. The one who had started needing this version of her — this version of life, where he could walk in from the dark and be Liam, and have her smile at him like he belonged in the light.

And now he was terrified at the thought of losing that escape.

He exhaled — long, slow, quiet — and sat back in his chair, coffee growing cold between his fingers.

Logan shook his head once, steady and sure, leaning against the side of Lando’s office desk like he had all the time in the world for the second night in a row. He nearly rolled his eyes, but decided against it even though Lando’s back was facing him. “Nope. Just said she was sick, I’m telling you! Seemed tired, honestly. Like, the normal kind. Not the I-just-learned-my-friend-is-the-head-of-an-underground-crime-ring kind.”

Lando didn’t laugh. He stared down at his desk, thumb tapping once, twice, against the edge of the wood.

“She had the paper with the article,” he muttered. “On the counter. Folded open to the exact page.”

“So do half the people in this city.” Logan groaned. “You’re not the only person obsessed with yourself.”

Lando glared at him, but Logan just raised both hands, palms up in surrender.

“Look,” Logan said, tone shifting to something between friendly and exasperated, “I’ve been around her. You know I have. She doesn’t talk about you like someone she’s suspicious of. If anything, she’s more normal than ever. Maybe a little quieter, yeah, but I’d bet that’s about her own stuff. Not you.”

Lando didn’t answer.

“She still calls you Liam,” Logan added gently, before laughing softly. “You don’t have to spiral every time she blinks weird, man.”

Lando let out a long breath, dragged a hand down his face. “I just— I can’t lose this.”

“I know,” Logan said, softer now. “But if you keep going paranoid like this, she’s gonna notice something’s off. She trusts you. Don’t give her a reason not to.”

He wasn’t expecting her to be working again the next night. He only dropped in to grab coffee — a real one this time, not some excuse to linger near the counter or “accidentally” ask about her schedule.

But there she was, back in her apron and hair pinned lazily back. He could see a textbook open on the counter in front of her. Her highlighter was dry, and she was stabbing the tip into the paper like sheer frustration might will the ink to return.

He took it all in — the focused crease between her brows, the way her lips moved as she silently read through a dense sentence, the soft wrinkle in her sleeve where she'd leaned on her elbow too long.

His heart slowed.

Normal. So wonderfully normal.

And then she glanced up, caught him watching her. There was a beat — the kind that used to terrify him — where she looked like she might say nothing at all. But then, she smiled.

Not the practiced one. Not the polite one from the other night. The real one.

The one that tilted slightly to the left and showed a flash of uneven tooth and lit her eyes in a way that made the ground under his feet feel less like concrete and more like something he’d fall through endlessly.

He pretended not to care, rolled his shoulders back like it hadn’t meant anything. It wasn’t even that big a deal, anyway.

“Hey,” she said, tucking her pen behind her ear. “Are you gonna be around this weekend?”

He tilted his head, before smirking. “Why? You tryin’ t’ask me out?”

She snorted. “Oh please. I have three exams next week. I was gonna see if you still wanted to help me study.”

He smiled, warm and quiet. “So yes.”

She rolled her eyes, but he saw the way her fingers drummed lightly against the edge of the counter — like maybe she’d missed this too.

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll bring snacks.”

“You’re gonna bring, like, gummy worms and a Red Bull, aren’t you?”

He raised a brow. “Red Bull?” he asked, scoffing as if she had insulted his heritage or publicly accused her of high treason or something equally preposterous. “Nah, m’actually more of a Monster kind of guy.”

She bit back another smile, biting her lower lip like she didn’t want to let it show how easily he pulled one from her again.

“I’ll text you,” she said. Lando nodded, stepping back, already mentally rearranging his weekend. She turned back to her textbook, and he turned to the door. 

And somewhere between his hand hitting the handle and the bell chiming overhead, he let himself breathe.

Things were okay.

It wasn’t until a few days later, when she dropped into the car with a soft, absent little hum and immediately launched into a useless story about her professor misprinting the final exam, that he  finally felt the weight on his sternum lift.

She was laughing, talking – not faking it. The creases by her eyes were real this time.

And Lando sat there, both hands on the wheel, and felt his own lungs finally expand again—like he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding his breath.

Her legs were curled up in the passenger seat, iced coffee dripping dew into the cupholder of his luxury car, and she was babbling about something new she had checked out from the library. The streetlights passed over her face in golden intervals, washing her in soft light.

She didn’t know. She hadn’t left. She hadn’t pulled away.

And he –Lando, Liam, whoever the hell he was with her– could finally breathe again.

a/n: sorry for the late post! had a twenty page paper that was kicking my butt but hopefully i should be able to give you guys a bit more content (fingers crossed!) now that i'm on holiday as always, i love hearing what you guys have to say, so comments/reblogs/asks are vv appreciated :)

[folightening]

9 people you want to know better. Just realized I was tagged by @starsmadeinheaven. Thank you!

Last song I listened to: Jeremy Soule Oblivion — King and Country Homework Edit for typing. It didn't help much this morning.

Currently watching: I actually don't watch shows much, but I have been thinking about rewatching Lord of the Rings.

Currently reading: Whatever fanfic catches my interest and Hetalia when it updates.

Current obsession: Spamano, Portswiss, and oc!Brazil. Constantly rotating between them.

Tagging: @sorvete-de-pacoca @pom0dorini @purrsia @th3chuckinator If you want to.

9 people you want to know better xoxo

Tagged by: @girlwithakiwi , thank you!!

Last song i listened to: Carpenter Brut - Looking for Tracy Tzu

Currently watching: Bob's Burgers for the 1,000,000th time

Currently reading: nothing rn, I have some books on my wishlist but I haven't gotten around to them yet!

Current obsession: I'm suddenly all about synthwave again lately?? Polar also has a strawberry watermelon seltzer out right now that is A+++

No pressure tag: @kvietka, @radioactivehydronerd, @crumpled--notes, @mexashepot, @k3llyb3an, @aphladydane, @pandabaozi, @tempestuousserenity, @whimsicalmeerkat

[alkelkha]

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐄𝐓. chapter three

relationship — jinx/powder x fem!blk coded reader

contents&warnings! : wc: 2.7k | post season 2 | lower-case indented | fluff | angst and i'm not comforting you this ch | lowkey unreliable narrator (jinx) | sexual tension if you squint | swapping spit with candy | beach episode | reader is implied to have big boobs | author attempt to write bpd splitting | reader and jinx get into an argument | not everything is sunshine and rainbows, friendship takes work and patience | not beta read | yes i am making this up along i go | PLEASE GIVE ME IDEAS FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS |

❛❛ OF COURSE, WE'RE FRIENDS ❜❜

WEEK ONE

after the two of you ran until the sunset it was awkward from there. jinx felt guilty— which she knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help it. she practically begged you to be her friend and now chickening out like a pussy every time you get close.

she didn’t know how to be a friend. what does she do? give you hugs? scary!

you on the other hand?

you got comfortable immediately, going to the shop every day, hanging out with her rambling, and asking questions on her latest projects. jinx tried doing the same but there was this twisty turny feeling in her stomach when she tried. she was scared of how you would react.

she wants this. she wants your friendship, she needs it.

maybe it was because she finally cared what someone thought of her. someone that wasn’t silco or vi or isha.

she had to be vulnerable. 

fortunately, you didn't have any of it. you were the type of person to confront the problems ahead. communication was important to you which jinx hated, but appreciated simultaneously. it was beyond uncomfortable. at least it told her how much you valued this friendship between the two of you. you were willing to work things out.

“what does this device do?” your hand ran over the contraption, and with one move, you were covered in glitter. you slowly turned to jinx, looking at her with a deadpan, “don’t laugh—“

jinx nearly falls off her seat from laughing.  

this was painfully new to jinx. being called a ‘friend’, calling someone else her ‘friend’ was treading on unknown territory.

the way bubbles that formed in her heart the day she said yes burst every time you smiled at her as she ranted. that was sweeter than any candy you've given her.

you listen to her when she talks. you laugh at her dumb jokes. you walk with her around the plaza. you stay with her while she works on one of her (harmless) gadgets when you don’t have work. 

she was starting to understand the hype around having a friend. who knew sharing meals with someone made food taste even better? having a friend meant she could talk for hours on end and be met with a voice that wasn’t tearing her down.

is she doing it right? maybe. she isn’t sure herself.

grabbing a cloth, you wiped down your face. it didn’t help much. powder’s laughter wasn’t any help either. 

“you’re helping me clean that up, sprinkles.” powder tosses you a broom with a grin on her lips.

WEEK TWO

stalking your friend is totally normal. there’s nothing wrong in making sure your friend gets to work safely, especially when there’s a gang after her. besides, is it really stalking if she’s hiding in plain sight? she just so happened to blend in with the colorful scenery of flosnum. much like herself, flosnum loves colors.

pink and orange powder that you can get from kicking plot plants. beautifully painted murals. colorful homes. it was a colorblast.

and just like the good friend she is, she knows your schedule by heart!

you wake up around seven am, ready for the day at about eight-thirty, do a bunch of random stuff after that, and show up at her house or shop at eleven am to hang out. on weekends and wednesdays, you work the afternoon shift. mondays and fridays are your days off. the rest you work at night.

you can't blame her for it, she has no idea what she would do if you got hurt. she’s finally settling down, and that took 10 mental breakdowns.

sometimes, while following you, she'll get distracted and end up at the ice cream truck. after trying out all the poor old man could offer, cotton candy became her favorite.

what was she doing again? oh yeah!

your work was demanding, which is odd because she’s been at bars. hell, she grew up at one. she knew what they were like, and it certainly wasn't supposed to be what you were doing. she had never seen a bartender work so hard. powder was pretty sure the job wasn’t supposed to be this intense. 

SEVEN CHIMES was just like its home flosnum with a mature air. paper lanterns that would illuminate a variety of colors and shadows of white stars on the ceiling some days. weekends it would be packed and that was one of those days. 

you were exactly the same while you worked. the customers loved you. even if they were drunk, the only type of handsy they would get is an arm swing around your shoulder. 

your coworker, stella is what you called her, kept your eyes on you a bit too long. stella’s eyes trailed your body up and down before meeting powder’s.

they locked eyes. 

with a smirk, stella broke the contact eye.

.

.

.

okay, what the fuck was the smirk about?

powder slumps down in her seat from the corner of the bar. she already knew she wasn’t going to like her. who the hell did that girl think she was? does she want to fight? because powder will! feeling her eyes twitch she looked down to slip on her pink fuzzy drink.

“baby blue?”

jinx's eyes shot up to the voice. it was you! in all your glory, the blue light hitting your pretty dark skin, wearing that smile the same way you wore the stupid bronze turtle necklace around your neck. pretty.

after she was done checking you out a frog got fixed in her throat. she's been caught. wait! it’s not the end of the world yet. she could just brush it off as a simple visit! perfect plan.

“why did you tell me you were here?” you sit down on the opposite side of the table as her. “stella told me 'a certain blue-haired girl' had been 'keeping her eyes on me.'”

ohhhh, so that’s why she smirked.

snitch.

“just wanted a drink.” powder shrugs and keeps sipping down her drink. 

“you could’ve said hi, ya know? now i feel bad for you sitting here all alone.” you frown.

“you say that like i’m going type of loner!” powder scoffs. you raise an eyebrow as if you’re saying ‘are you not?’.

she furrows her brows, “i am not!” she defended herself.

“i never said—“

“you were going to!” 

you leaned back and sighed. that struck something in jinx. she’s got you annoyed.

shit.

now you were probably thinking of breaking it off with her and never seeing her face again. she should’ve known. she shouldn’t have gotten attached. “I’m sorry—“

“come on blue,” you interrupt her, getting out of your seat. “my shift just ended, and i’m starving!” you take her cold hand in your warm one, pulling her out of the bar.

WEEK THREE

blue was mysterious— was.

this girl bounced off walls. no filter. talks back to old mean people who gave you a hard time. she had to be constantly doing something or doing nothing. no in-between. you adapted to it.

she's unlike anyone you’ve ever met. 

the shop you gave her? now her hideout. she completely renovated it in her own style. remember that broken illuminating sign? now the sign had no words it was a…

monkey?

you think it was. you saw it often in her work. you’re guessing it was her signature. 

you liked moments like this. standing behind her, brushing her short hair mindlessly. her hair grew really fast, it was almost to her shoulders now.

jinx tinkered on the glitter bomb that exploded in your face three weeks ago. her tongue stuck out the corner of her mouth in concentration.

it was odd. her hair. not that it was bad, she somehow pulled it off amazingly, but you can’t help but think that this was a recent cut. “why did you cut your hair this way?” you asked.

she pauses her work and looks up, leaning back in her chair to get a better look at you. “what, don’t like it?” your heart jumped at the sight of her.

she was so cute. wide pink eyes, blue eyeshadow, dark lipstick, and glitter stains on her face. 

“no, just curious,” you spoke softly. powder’s eyes trail away from you as she thinks about whether she should answer your question.

in the meantime, you noticed some dark grease on the corner of her mouth. it was nagging at you, she was dangerously close to eating it if she were to lick her lips.

taking your thumb you lick it and then wipe it off of her. the action caused her to scrunch up her face a bit but she didn’t pull away. “it was a weakness.” she answered your question, “my hair was wayyy too long, practically dragged it on the ground.” she shrugged still looking up at you. 

“plus, i needed some change.” jinx made her hand into a gun and slowly raised it up to you, “pow.” she pretended to shoot you. 

“shooting me now?” your voice amused, raising a brow at her.

“you should’ve dodged it,” she shrugs, looking back down to her work. she set it down on the workbench and spun her chair around, “now you’re dead,” she got up from her seat to get another tool. "sucker."

“i thought you liked me!” you grumble, her back was now turned to you. 

“just a little.” she plays into it and turns around. 

her eyes widened to see you point a sucker to her head, with a smirk on your face, “now, you’re dead.”

“oh, so that’s how you wanna play, princess?” she puts her hand on her hip.

“you started it, cutie.” you unwrap the sucker, placing it in your mouth.

she narrows her eyes at you with a frown. a cute frown. you could tell she wasn’t really angry. she takes the sucker out of your mouth and places it in hers. 

your breath hitched. this should not be affecting you the way it is. the heat that coursed through your body went straight up to your face. jinx leaning closer didn’t help, you could envision her tongue swirling around the candy.

oh fuck.

WEEK FOUR

the warm softly grainy sand slipped between jinx’s toes as she stood barefoot on the beach. the beach was bustling. children darting around, teenagers around playing volleyball, and locals dancing to the music that filled the air.

she sits down on the blanket you placed down. “you’ve gotten tanner, blue.” you say as you just finished applying sunscreen on yourself.

she didn’t even know what sunscreen was until she crashlanded her. “you used to be a ghost, now look at you.” she wasn’t tan, she was still pretty fair, but she wasn’t as white as a ghost the first time she got here.

you sat on your legs in front of her with your hand lathered up with sunscreen. you slowly approached her giving her the time to pull away. she didn’t. you applied the sunscreen on her tattooed arms.

jinx didn't need you to do this. she could’ve done it herself, but your touch was nice…

also because of the view it was giving her. “now, where have you been hiding these bazongas!?”

"I've had these the whole time" you deadpan at her, get up and crawl away to the other side of the blanket.

"never out in the open like this!" she bursts out laughing at your reaction. “wait, wait! come back, pretty lady!” she grabs onto your wrist, pulling you closer. 

she was terrifyingly strong for someone so thin. “you’re no better than a man!” you yelp but don’t pull away (not that you could). 

“can a girl appreciate some beauty?” she huffs, wrapping her arms around your waist and pulling your back to her chest. “not my fault they’re right in front of me.” she pokes at them. jinx bit her lip to contain her laughter.

the clear blue water shimmered in the sun like it was a jewel. jinx clung onto your back, arms around your neck, and legs wrapped around your waist. fun fact! jinx can’t swim. “you’re such a baby.” you giggle, she puts her cheek on yours.

the both of you spent the time in the ocean teaching her how to swim or trying to kill each other by splash wars (you almost went blind because of her).

it was sunset. the both of you laid down on the blanket under you, looking up into the now pink sky. powder held onto your hand and you gladly held it with the same intensity.

“i like this, toots.” she turns her head to you but you don’t seem to notice. your eyes were fixated on the sky, you hand slightly loosened your grip.

your face drops into an annoyed expression, “i like this too.” foolishly you let out a tired sigh.

jinx's mind swirls.

she lying to you! she doesn’t mean it, do you see the way she replied? you’re such an idiot for trusting her. she’s probably only hanging out with you out of pity.

jinx shook her head, “you sure? you don’t sound like you did.” her voice offended.

you finally looked back at her. “sorry, baby blue. i’m just tired—“

she scoffs. “tired? tired of me? i thought we were having fun!” she sat up.

taken aback by her reaction you quickly backtracked what you said. you didn’t want to make this any worse. you got up to level with her, “no, no. of course not tired of you. i love hanging out with you, baby blue.” with that you seemed to get through to her, her face relaxed.

she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you.

jinx’s jaw clenches. why would you be tired of her? that doesn’t make sense! she’s made sure you had fun this whole time. yeah, at the beginning of your friendship, she chickened out a bit but you forgave her. yeah, she would pull stupid pranks but you love them. so why would you be so rude?

she looked into your warm eyes. “you’re lying to me!” she rips her hand away from yours. why are you lying to her? jinx’s eyebrows furrowed, jaw tensed and her forehead held creases.

“i’m sorry, blue. i just got stressed—“

“if you were stressed why would you come here in the first place? if you’re not having fun just say so, you didn’t have to fake it and lead me on the whole day.” she stood up and you did the same.

“what?” like an idiot, you laugh at the situation happening right now. “i never said all of that. honey, if you let me finish my sentence you would understand.”

now she’s laughing at you, she’s not even trying to hide it!

“shut up!” jinx shouts and you quickly pipe down. her breath came out in heavy pants. hands trembling over her ears. her mind was in overdrive. she was thinking about everything. about how you hate her. about how this was doomed from the start.

she should’ve known, no way someone would actually want a genuine connection with her. it’s not like you could ever understand her.

she points her finger out accusingly, “you think this is a laughing matter? you think i’m a joke!” 

your voice got caught up in your throat. this was insane. she was insane. she was just making up things on the spot to play the victim. you suck in a breath and shake your head. “what’s wrong with you?”

those words left like a gunshot to her heart. 

told ya.

jinx. 

not that you had to work hard to get to this point. wasn’t like she liked you to begin with.

hot, frustrated tears welled up in her eyes, her nails dug into the palm of her hand, letting blood drop freely onto the blanket under the two of you. an uncomfortable silence hung in the air, thick and stifling.

her glare at you intensified, a flicker in her pink eyes of… betrayal? a step back, followed by another, soon, she left you alone on the beach.

this was a mistake.

TAGLIST: @millie2point0 @powderbomb-jinxed @velvetinkbym

[tip-top-cloud-surfer]

The Danger Zone (Part 9) - Hangman

Pairing: Hangman / Fem!Bradshaw!Reader | OC

Word Count: 4.2k

This work, all my works, and my entire blog are 18+ ONLY

Warnings: Unplanned Pregnancy; Background Relationships; Use of "You," No Use of Y/N, No Set Physical Description

Summary: You and Jake tell Phoenix and Coyote about the baby and spend some more time together.

Series Master List

Master List

After telling your brother, Coyote and Phoenix were next on your list. And after they knew, then you could stop hiding it from everyone, so you and Jake were both anxious to finally get to that point. The secrecy was more stressful than anything else, and you were ready to be free of it. 

So, the day after the dinner with your side of the family, you and Jake headed over to Phoenix and Coyote’s house for lunch. 

“You can handle this one,” you told Jake as the two of you got out of Jake’s truck. 

“You sure?”

“Coyote’s your family. And I’ve had enough of telling families this weekend,” you replied softly. 

Jake led the way up to the side door and opened it without even knocking. Holding it open for you, Jake followed you inside. The two of you made your way into the kitchen. 

“You know, where I come from, people knock before entering someone else’s house,” Phoenix commented as she stacked some plates.

“Where’s Javy?” Jake asked in return, causing Phoenix to roll her eyes. 

“He’s outside at the grill.” 

You nudged Jake in the side and gestured at the stuff that Phoenix had clearly stacked up to bring outside for lunch. Jake helped Phoenix carry all of the stuff outside and handed you the roll of napkins before you could reach for anything heavier. Javy stood at the grill and grinned as the three of you stepped outside. 

“I knew I heard your car.”

“And I’m remembering why we didn’t give him a key,” Phoenix stated, setting the plates down. 

The four of you, though it was mostly split between Jake and Coyote and then you and Phoenix, made conversation as Coyote finished up. But when the four of you sat around the table, the topic of conversation shifted. 

“So, you guys are back together then?” Coyote asked, glancing between the two of you. “When did that happen?”

“Not too long after we talked,” Jake replied, taking the lead.

“And did Rooster finally find out about you guys?” Phoenix questioned, causing you to nod. “How’d he react?”

“Like I knew he would,” you stated, leaning back in your seat. “Poorly.” 

“Well, you knew that was coming,” Phoenix pointed out, causing you to shrug your shoulders.  

“Yeah, we did,” you agreed, turning to Jake.

“He wasn’t exactly happy about our relationship. And then he found out that she’s pregnant and he wanted to kill me,” Jake explained, dropping the information bomb on top of Coyote and Phoenix casually. 

“You’re pregnant?” Coyote asked you suddenly, looking shocked at the news. 

“I knew it,” Phoenix stated at the same time.

“How did you know?” you asked confused. 

“I didn’t see you drink during the wedding,” Phoenix started off with. “Then Rooster mentioned that you were throwing up a lot. And then you started wearing a lot of dresses and loose clothes and things with big patterns. You were clearly hiding something.”

“And you didn’t tell me?” Coyote asked, causing Phoenix to turn to her husband. 

“I wasn’t going to say anything until I actually knew that she was pregnant,” Phoenix stated as if it was obvious. Shaking her head at her husband’s playfully offended expression, Phoenix turned back to you. But when the two of you locked eyes again, her expression noticeably softened. “So, how do you feel about it?” 

“I’m doing a lot better,” you replied, nodding along. “It feels nice to finally share it with everyone.”

“How did Mav take the news?”

“Well, Hangman’s still standing, at least,” Coyote joked, causing Jake to scoff. 

“Mav it took pretty well, actually, all things considered,” you explained quietly.

“How far along are you now?” Coyote questioned, turning to you. 

“About fifteen weeks now,” you stated, folding your hands over your abdomen.

“And you and the baby are healthy, right?” Phoenix added, causing you to smile. 

“Yeah, we’re fine.”

“Well, congrats.”

Coyote grabbed three beers and a ginger ale for you so that the four of you could celebrate. You clinked your drinks together and shared smiles as Coyote made a toast. 

“To Baby Ser—Brad—” he cut himself off twice, realizing that he should have asked beforehand.

“Bradshaw-Seresin,” you suggested, sharing a look with Jake, who nodded in return. 

“To Baby Bradshaw-Seresin!” 

The four of you finished up lunch and Javy got up first, dragging Jake with him inside to put away the food. But it was clearly a tactic to split you and Jake up for a moment so that Coyote and Phoenix could actually speak freely to both of you. 

“So, you’re having a baby with Hangman,” Phoenix stated, causing you to nod slowly. “And he looks pretty calm, actually. And happy.”

“Who, Jake?” 

“Yeah. Has he been calm the whole time?” 

“Pretty much,” you replied softly. “Why? Were you expecting him to freak out?”

“I think most guys would freak out in this situation,” Phoenix commented, taking a sip from her beer. “And you guys broke up.” 

“Well, can you break up if you were technically never together?” you asked Phoenix.

“And are you together now?”

“Yes and sort of no.”

“What the hell does that mean? Has he asked you out or not? Have you put a label on it?”

“Co-parents?” you suggested. 

“Alright,” Phoenix sighed, letting the question go. “Well, what couple-y things have you two been doing?”

“We’re thinking about moving in together, to Jake’s apartment, once my lease is up.” 

“That makes sense,” Phoenix agreed. She paused for a moment before asking, “Have the two of you guys . . . you know . . . since you found out about the baby?” 

“Have we what?”

“Fucked,” Phoenix stated bluntly.

“Jesus Christ, Nat!”

“Well?”

“No, we haven’t,” you stated honestly, looking down at your fingers. “We haven’t even kissed.” 

“And?” Phoenix asked, reading your expression.

“And what?”

“Do you want to do that with him?”

“I . . .” You glanced into the house where Jake and Javy were talking before turning back to Phoenix. Biting the inside of your cheek, you lowered your hands to your lap. “Well, you know how pregnancy impacts your hormones?”

“Obviously.”

“And do you ever feel more . . . pent up at certain times of the month?” you asked, your cheeks growing warm. “Well, it’s sort of been like that.” 

“Oh shit,” Phoenix stated, causing you to hold your head in your hands with embarrassment. “How bad?”

“Well, it’s not great,” you huffed, picking your head up. “And I mean, if we’re going to move in with each other, I can’t just be . . . taking care of myself in our bed when he’s right next to me.”

“I might have a solution.”

“What?” you asked, perking up. 

“Ask him to help out,” Phoenix stated, making an obscene gesture with her hands. 

“Nat!”

You grabbed her hands from across the table, causing her to scoff at you. Lowering her hands, Phoenix shot you a look. 

“Just talk to him, for fucks sake. He doesn’t seem like the type to say ‘no’ to that.”

“What if it complicates things?”

“You’re already pregnant with his baby. How much more complicated than that can it get?”

“I don’t know,” you sighed, holding a hand to your head. “It's just starting to run smoother. I don’t want to ruin that.”

“You know that if you or Hangman need anything, we’re here for you guys, right?”

“We know,” you assured her, shooting her a small smile. “Thanks.”

“And I can try to talk to Rooster if you want.”

“I think Emma’s got it handled,” you stated, causing Phoenix to nod with a proud smirk. 

“I’ll leave it to her to have that conversation with him.” Phoenix took another sip from her beer as her smirk dropped. “But, word of advice? Have more serious conversations with Hangman sooner rather than later.”

“Why?” you asked, confused. 

“There’s talk of some of us being deployed soon.” 

“Oh,” you replied softly, rubbing your small bump to soothe yourself. “I guess you guys are sort of overdue, now that I think about it.” 

“I didn’t mean to freak you out or anything.”

“No, I know,” you assured her, forcing a smile. “Just more . . . complications.”

Meanwhile, inside the house, Jake and Coyote were across from each other at the kitchen island. Coyote stood tall, resting his hands on the counter top in a way that showed that he was steady and strong. But Jake, on the other hand, was sinking a bit further into his seat the longer that he sat there.  

“Are you okay?” Coyote asked quietly. “Really, are you okay with all of this, Jake?”

“I’m fucking terrified,” Jake replied, picking his head up slowly.

“It’s a big step.” Coyote glanced towards where you and Phoenix were sitting. “What happened after we talked?”

“I went over to her apartment to talk. Rooster and Maverick were there and I had to sit through the most awkward dinner of my life. And then when I went to the bathroom to try and calm down, I found a wrapper for prenatal vitamins.” 

“That’s how you found out that she was pregnant?”

“Yeah. Really shitty isn’t it?” Jake replied dryly. “And then I freaked out and left and she came over to my apartment the next day. We talked, she invited me to her appointment, and we’ve been focusing on telling her family and trying to get to know each other better.” 

“And how’s that been going?”

“Sometimes it feels natural, sometimes it doesn’t.” 

“Are you guys getting married? Moving in together? Actually getting together?” 

“We’re not getting married.” When Coyote looked at him with a knowing expression, Jake continued, “We’re going to move into my apartment together once her lease is up. And we are together. Just not like a lot of people are.” 

“So, you guys haven’t done any . . .” Javy trailed off, earning a look from Jake. “It’s a relevant question! You had to do it to get her pregnant in the first place.” Javy reached over to grab his phone. “Which reminds me, I need to pick up more condoms.”

“No, we haven’t,” Jake stated, ignoring Javy’s gaze.

“And do you want to?” Jake shot Coyote a look, causing him to raise a hand. “I know, I know, stupid question.” Coyote straightened up some more and asked, “So how did the dinner go with her family?”

“Rooster was ready to knock my teeth out.”

“Not shocking.”

“No, but he was acting like a little bitch. At least the secrecy is over, but I have a feeling that he’s going to be a little bitch for the rest of his life.”

Jake tapped his finger on the countertop, his mind wandering to something that Rooster said yesterday. Jake turned back to Coyote with a more withdrawn expression.

“What do you know about Connor?”

“Connor who?”

“Her ex.”

“Oh, the fiancé,” Coyote drawled with a bit of sass. “Why the hell do you care?”

“Rooster mentioned that they were together for five years.”

“And?”

“That’s a long time.”

“So? He’s not here. And she broke up with him. And I doubt that she’s even reached out to him since.”

“Why?”

“Because she’s been running around with you.” Coyote reached for his beer, “And from the little comments that Nat told me about him, he’s not someone that you should be stressing about.”

“Because?”

“He was a boring prick who tried to tell her what she wanted—Nat’s words, not mine—which is why she broke up with him.”

“Alright, alright, I get it,” Jake sighed, reaching for his own beer. 

“And have you told her about them?” Coyote asked after a moment.

“What do you think?” 

“Jake,” Coyote sighed, causing Jake to look away from him, “you have to tell her some of it.” 

“Why?” 

“Because you’re having a baby together,” Coyote stressed. “That’s a huge commitment. Literally, the biggest commitment that two people could make. You’re tied to each other for the rest of your lives.” 

“I know that, Javy,” Jake replied back forcefully.

Coyote picked his head up and moved to speak when the door opened and you and Phoenix headed inside. And the conversation ended right then and there when you and Phoenix walked over. 

~~~~~

Once Phoenix and Coyote were aware of your pregnancy, you and Jake stopped hiding it. You wore clothes that accentuated rather than hid your bump. You got a lot of unsolicited advice, as did Jake, but you were quick to accept Sarah Kazansky’s advice when she offered it. And you and Jake started the process of moving in together. 

“I guess that I can get rid of a lot of this crap,” you commented, digging through your apartment. “I won’t be needing them.” 

“You don’t want to put them in the storage unit?” 

“No, I think that between Mav’s little house and Bradley’s house, we won’t need it anymore. And besides, half of this crap is stuff that I just bought on a whim,” you replied, tossing some more things into cardboard boxes. “And you already have your own sets of stuff and if we move into a house together, we could just buy new ones together if we really wanted.” 

Tossing some old decorations that you didn’t even remember having, you looked up to see Jake wrapping up your framed photos.

“How was work today?” you asked conversationally.

“The usual. Your brother’s still avoiding me.” 

“I guess that’s better than the two of you fighting,” you sighed, turning back to the closet. Pulling out some more crap, you stared down at your hands. “Any talk of deployments or anything like that?” 

“Not today, no,” Jake answered honestly. “But Cyclone seems to be in the middle of planning something.” 

“Do you think you’ll get called up?” you asked, turning around to face him. 

Jake looked up from the photo that he was wrapping, which just so happened to be one of only three photos in existence of the full Bradshaw family before Goose died. Seeing the nerves under the mask that you were forcing yourself to wear, he gently placed the photo down on the table and turned to face you. 

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “I mean, I’ll try to avoid it, but . . .” 

“I understand,” you assured him quietly. “I grew up around the Navy. I get it.” 

Jake nodded slowly, wincing at the defeated tone in your voice, before glancing down at the photo that he was wrapping. He had never really seen a photo of Goose before, minus a small one in his file, but Jake felt like the man was staring him down through the glass. Turning back to you, Jake finished wrapping up the photo. 

“Was your dad deployed a lot?” 

“Yeah, of course,” you replied, sorting through some smaller boxes. “He was deployed when I was born, actually.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, my mom ended up giving birth alone,” you commented, reaching up to grab more stuff down from the shelves. “My grandma had to watch Bradley and my dad was gone.” Keeping your gaze focused on your task, you missed Jake’s expression change. “The first time he met me was when we came out to visit him at Top Gun.”

Oh, Jake could really feel Goose’s gaze burning into him through the glass and from beyond the grave. 

“So . . .”

“Yeah,” you replied simply, glancing up at Jake for a moment. “I mean at least I have a photo with him. That’s what I always said whenever people tried to convey their condolences when I was a kid.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It happened a long time ago,” you stated, turning back to your sorting. 

“No, not . . . I mean . . .” You looked up as Jake trailed off, working on his words. “When we were training for the mission, your brother and I had an argument and I brought up your dad. And I’m sorry about that. And of course the whole other—”

“—Jake,” you told him, saving him some rambling. “I know about the whole fight.”

“You do?” he asked, confused. 

“Mav told me. I asked him about why Bradley would have asked me to stay away from you before the wedding and he mentioned it.” You wore a calm expression as you added, “I didn’t love that, obviously, but you saved Bradley and Maverick a few days later and so I thought it canceled out.”

Jake nodded slowly, watching as you turned back to the closet. And when he saw the shelf that you were trying to clear, he quickly walked over. Grabbing the box for you, despite your huff at the action, Jake put it down on the table for you to look through. 

“I’m not crippled, you know,” you stated, walking over to the table. 

“Still, I’m here to help you,” Jake responded, pulling down some more stuff from the higher shelves. “So, what are you doing with the stuff that you want to keep for now?”

“Putting them in the corner, I guess. What else would I do with them?”

“I mean, we could bring them over to my place.”

“You sure?” you asked, looking up at him. “Do you have space for them?”

“I’m not a hoarder. And I’m used to living bare bones so that I can pack up and move quickly,” Jake stated, causing you to nod. 

“Okay. Then I guess we can bring them over.” A moment of silence passed before you turned back to him. “Actually, that reminds me. I was wondering if I could sleep over at some point before I officially move in. You know, to see how it feels and everything.”

“Do you want to stay over tonight?” Jake offered immediately.

“You don’t mind?”

“I wouldn’t have offered it if I did.”

“Okay,” you agreed softly. 

You and Jake sorted through some more stuff before loading the boxes of your keepsakes into his truck. You took two cars since you would have to go to work from Jake’s apartment, but you picked up food along your way as a thank you. The two of you put the boxes into Jake’s closet, which was completely empty minus the vacuum and a box of trash bags, before sitting down to eat dinner together.

You and Jake finished up dinner and spent the rest of the evening walking around his apartment, taking stock of things that you needed to bring and buy, and where you would put everything. Especially with all of the baby stuff that was going to come at some point. Making a list on your phone of all the measurements and things to get, you and Jake decided to call it an early night. 

You changed in the bathroom, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. Pulling on your usual sleep shirt and shorts, you brushed your hair and your teeth before walking into Jake’s bedroom. Jake was sitting up in bed, scrolling on his phone when you stepped out of the bathroom. 

You were wearing a large worn gray tee shirt that had ‘NAVY’ stamped across the front of it and a pair of silky sleep shorts. And Jake was trying to figure out if you knew that the shirt that you were wearing belonged to him, as noted by the oil stain on the left breast of the shirt, or not. And even though it was loose on you, he could still see your bump under there as you moved around. And then his thoughts started to wander. 

Shifting awkwardly on the bed, Jake turned to you. 

“Did you find everything fine?”

“I have been here before,” you reminded him, setting your phone down on the nightstand. You turned to shut the light off before climbing into bed. You laid down and moved to get comfortable, locking eyes with Jake. “Let me know if I’m taking up too much space.”

“You’re fine,” Jake assured you. “Take whatever you need.” Shifting to lay down as well, Jake rolled on his side so that the two of you were staring at each other, your faces illuminated by the moon. “I’ll probably be gone before you wake up. I’ll try to be as quiet as possible.”

“I’m a heavy sleeper, so don’t feel stressed about it.” Nuzzling your head into the pillow, you closed your eyes. “Night, Jake.”

“Night,” he returned softly. 

Jake moved to go to sleep himself, but when he heard your breathing even out and slow, he opened his eyes. You had fallen asleep quickly, the tension gone from your body, and your lips slightly parted. Jake’s eyes trailed over your face and down to the blanket that seemed to naturally curl around your bump. He reached out and gently caressed the curve before going to bed himself. 

~~~~~

Jake woke up before his alarm, like he always did. But this time, he didn’t wake up alone. 

You were curled into his side and he seemed to have shifted naturally to accommodate you. His right arm was lazily wrapped around your waist with his fingers brushing against your bump. His arm was a little numb from the position but he couldn’t have cared less. Your legs were slightly tangled with his own and your head rested against his shoulder as you continued to peacefully sleep. 

Instead of getting up early, Jake laid there and took in the moment and the feel of you against him, brushing his fingers along the curve of your abdomen.

He would have laid there all day but he still had to go to work. Slowly untangling himself from you, he slipped out of bed and headed into the bathroom to get ready. 

You woke up to the sound of the shower running. Blinking, you rolled over to see the bathroom door closed. The bed beside you was still warm and he had tucked the blankets back down to keep you insulated. You shifted around, trying to get comfortable again. Closing your eyes and trying to go back to sleep, you paused when you heard the shower shut off. 

Opening your eyes slowly, you sucked in a breath when Jake opened the door in nothing but a towel wrapped low on his waist. 

You’d seen Jake in less than a towel. More than a few times. But there was just something about how he stood there that felt all kinds of new. All kinds of ways that made you want to get up and drag him down into bed with you. 

The steam in the bathroom behind him added a glow to his tan skin. The water droplets marked trails down his chest and abdomen down to his towel that you wanted to chase with your tongue. He told you that he sometimes shaved his chest but you preferred the layer. It made him look more . . . rugged. Biteable. Something that you wanted to get your mouth on. And, of course, the man had such strong V lines that you could map them out perfectly in the dark without fail. And you had. 

“Sorry,” he called, pulling you out of your thoughts. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t wake me,” you replied, sitting up more. 

“Did you want breakfast?” Jake asked, walking over to his closet. He grabbed his uniform from the door and walked back into the bathroom. 

“I’ll be fine. I can grab something on the way.”

“You sure? I’m already making eggs and toast,” Jake offered, stepping back into the bathroom. He shut the door enough to give him privacy but still allowed you to talk to him. 

“Um,” you stammered, wincing when you heard the towel drop to the floor, “sure.” Getting up from bed, you walked out of the room. “I’ll get it started.”

Jake went to work earlier than you, so you were in no rush to get ready. Pulling out his toaster and setting it up, you glanced up as Jake walked into the kitchen with his perfectly pressed uniform and wet hair slicked back. You kept your gaze down, hoping that Jake didn’t notice the color in your cheeks. 

You ate your toast and excused yourself to change your clothes. Walking out to wish Jake well with his day, you offered him a small smile. 

“Thanks for letting me stay over.”

“This’ll be your place too soon,” Jake replied, pulling the strap of his bag over his shoulder. 

“Right.” 

“I gave you a key, so you shouldn’t have any problems locking up.”

“Yeah, I should be fine.” Shifting your weight around, you turned back to Jake. “When will I see you next?”

“Whenever you want. I have to go help Javy with something at the house eventually, but I can do that whenever.”

“Tomorrow?” you suggested softly. 

“Tomorrow,” Jake agreed with a nod. 

Jake turned to leave but instead of walking to the door, he walked around to where you were standing. You looked up at Jake with wider eyes as he leaned in closer. He pressed a soft kiss to your cheek before pulling away. 

“Text me if you need me.”

You could only nod as he walked around you and headed out the door. Standing there for a moment, you let out a long sigh.

“Fuck,” you breathed out, holding a hand to your head. 

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[miriunknown]

The moon's glow🌕

George Weasley x Werecat!reader

Warning: mild body horror,

Summary: George has his suspicions about a certain girl in his year, she's a loner, off in her own world and she tends to disappear when a full moon approaches, he decides to keep an eye on her and is keen on discovering her secret

A/n: I wanted to kinda explain how Werecat's work atleast in how I'm going to write them; Werecat's are extremely similar to Werewolves when it comes down to transformation— Full moon comes out they transform (rather painfully) into their new form against their will, however, Werecat's still have their humanity left when transformed leading them to be less likely to attack unprovoked. They still are stand offish and will attack if provoked but unlike Werewolves they won't attack on sight. Their Werecat form is a somewhat humanoid cat like creature very lanky and horrific looking, with gangly limbs and long claws & teeth. Usually it looks more like a domestic cat rather than a big cat. In the days leading up to the full moon they tend to become very agitated and aggressive as their senses heighten and they get overstimulated rather easily, because of this they can have violent outbursts towards their peers.

—

George was fairly popular, always surrounded by his friends and siblings in his years at Hogwarts. He hardly felt alone, especially with his twin constantly by his side. Even so he still sought out new friends every chance he got, wether that's a random Hufflepuff he met in Hogsmeade or a random Ravenclaw he started talking to in the halls, he always kept his eye out for anyone who seemed rather lonely.

He noticed her pretty quickly, she would stroll to classes taking her time down the halls, she'd sit alone at lunch or dinner, she'd take Hogsmeade trips alone, this piqued his interest. He tried talking to her but she just gave him odd glances, ignoring him for the most part. He never gave up he kept trying and trying to get her attention to befriend her in his words, his friends and siblings started picking up on his behavior.

"you're started to seem obsessed with her, mate." His twin would say when he'd catch him staring at her from across the dining hall. "I'm not obsessed. I just don't get why she doesn't want to talk to me." He'd respond everytime bringing his attention back to the back of the girls head.

As he observed her more and more he noticed something, she'd become increasingly agitated and even a bit violent a few days out of the month, he initially thought it was usual girl stuff but this was, different. It wasn't normal, it was almost scary how any little thing would set her off and she'd be quick to snap at anyone.

A Ravenclaw boy tried to make fun of her once, George was about to intervene when she picked up a large moonstone she'd had on her desk in divination class and threw it at the back of his head with scary strength it almost cracked the boys skull open, it happened so fast no one saw it coming until the boy was on the floor. Miss Trelawney almost had a heart attack as she tended to the boy who was gripping his head in pain, quickly sending her to McGonagall's office due to her outburst.

Everyone steered clear of her during this time, except George, he couldn't take a hint to save his life. Surprisingly he was the only person she wouldn't snap at. He would talk and talk to her constantly and she wouldn't do anything, she just let it happen not paying him much mind as he rambled on. She'd get a scowl on her face when he'd sit by her but that was it.

As the full moon came and went, he noticed another thing about her. A few days after the full moon she'd be no where to be seen. Then she'd just reappear in class one day like she wasn't gone, he started getting suspicious. Keeping a constant eye on her even using the Maranders map to see where she was going. There was nothing out of the ordinary, until the next full moon came, and he saw her feet leaving the castle around sunset.

He decided to follow, quickly grabbing his wand and the map and sneaking out of his dorm following where she went on the map, she had went into the forbidden forest where she stood for a while allowing George to catch up to her. He stalked through the forest careful not to step on any twigs or anythiny that would alert any nearby creature's that he was there. Then he saw her, she was standing there staring at the sky; at the moon actually.

When to moon rose fully to the sky he heard her hiss in pain as she began changing, as her body morphed she knelt to the ground as her limbs became unnaturally long and gangly, her nails growing into sharp points her face contorting into one resembling a horrific looking feline creature. Her teeth now long and sharp, her body completely contorted into a gangly creature. He couldn't believe the sight he was seeing.

He stood there frozen in shock as he watched her fully transform, before she ran off deeper into the forest. He stayed there until he could no longer hear her footsteps before booking it back to the castle. Running as fast as his legs would take him, George was in shock, he just watched the girl he'd been enamored with for the past month turn into a terrifying creature.

This would probably turn people off, but no he's not that kind of person. If anything it intrigued him, he suspected a werewolf was a possibility but this was something he'd never seen before nor heard of. He laid back down in his bed setting his wand and the map on his nightstand as he tried to fall asleep. He was distracted by the sound of his twins loud snoring, and what he just saw.

He wasn't disgusted, if anything he was intrigued. He wanted to know more about the girl than he did before. He decided to talk to her when she got back to classes, to get the truth about what was happening.

The next three days were agonizing as he waited till he could see her again, part of him was worried for her, that she had gotten hurt that night. Another part longed to see her, to talk to her even when she wasn't talking back.

When she finally returned he saw her at breakfast, with bags under her eyes, her hair messy, and the usual unimpressed expression she had. He didn't eat breakfast at all that day he was too busy, watching her wondering what was going on in her head. Once breakfast was over and she started heading to class that's when he was going to talk to her.

But he couldn't do that like a normal person, so he waited in one of the large storage rooms that was on the way to her first class and he grabbed her pulling her inside the room with him as she let out a loud yelp, "WHAT THE HELL— George?? Why did you do that?" She said loudly her brows furrowed as her face turned sour. He tried to speak but he couldn't, he couldn't believe he actually heard her voice. Not only did she actually talk to him for the first time; she said his name.

She stared at him with the same sour expression on her face as he looked at her, he snapped out of it a blush spreading across his cheeks as he spoke, "I- I just needed to talk to you is all.." he stammered out sounding way more timid than he intended, the girl raised an eyebrow at him, "Well? Spit it out." He gulped at her attitude as he tried to figure out what to say— even though he'd been thinking about this conversation for the past three days.

"I know your secret." Is all he could say as he stood in front of her he could feel his palms start to get clammy, her eyes widened hearing the words that fell from his mouth. "What." Is all she said, "I saw you. In the forbidden forest a few days ago," he said staring into her eyes, her face went pale as she realized he knew what she was. "I'm not disgusted or anything, but I need to know what's up with that." He said awkwardly smiling due to the tension in the air, she sighed rubbing her face with her hands. "Fine, Weasley. I'll tell you." She maneuvered her body around him to sit on one of the boxes, "What you saw in the woods is because I'm infected with a rare form of Lycanthropy. Rather than transforming into a wolf creature like most, I turn into a cat." She said looking at him,

"does anybody know besides me?" He asked, she just shook her head. "No one besides the teachers." She mumbled, "how did you become infected?" She looked down at his question, "I was attacked when I was thirteen by one, It didn't do much damage by time someone found me. But I'd been infected by then." He nodded moving closer to her just slightly so she wouldn't notice it. "Well since I'm the only one who knows, guess you're stuck with me forever." He said bending down to get closer to her, a grin plastered on his face.

She rolled her eyes, "why? Aren't I some freak, aren't you afraid I'll hurt you?" she sneered at the boy, his eyes softened at her gazing down at her face that held an annoyed expression. "Nope. Honestly I think you being a Cat-werewolf or whatever, is cool." He said smiling, she raised her eyebrows in shock before she smiled a genuine smile. "Tch, you're so stubborn." She hopped off the boxes pushing past him to get to the door. "Thanks, George. That.. that means a lot by the way." She said looking back at him smiling as she opened the door leaving him in the room.

He held a dopey smile on his face all day, he couldn't help the happiness it brought him knowing that he finally got through to her.

[thewardenisonthecase]

About the Lucanis Romance

(this is a long ass post ok so bear with me)

So I've been meaning to adress some of the complaints/criticisms of Lucanis's romance and I was thinking on how to do it and I finally figured it out. While I don't like making comparisons because I think they're somewhat unfair, but this time, I'm gonna do it to show why I have some many complaints about the Lucanis romance.

And I'm gonna compare it to Fenris's romance arc in DA2. The main reason for that is that 1) they're both very troubled man who brood and went through A Lot tm and 2) considering DA2 also doesn't allow you to just talk to the companions whenever and doesn't have a spam kiss button and is a shorter game, it feels the fairest comparison.

'Lack of reactivity when it comes to the flirting dialogue options'

One of the biggest complaints when it comes to Lucanis romance is his lack of reaction to the flirting dialogue lines. I've seen the argument that 'oh but he's awakward, he doesn't know how to react'. I'm not the biggest fan of this because there are ways to better portray a character being bad with flirting than having 0 reaction.

During Switch and Bait, the quest where Fenris is recruited, you can flirt with him. And how does he react? He gives a nervous laugh, because he's not used to do. But that conveys that he listened to the flirt line and is responding to it, even if he doesn't actually say anything. There are other moments where his reaction is looking away, smirking, and a few times he does flirt back.

Even if small, I never felt that Fenris wasn't reacting to what was being said. Meanwhile, Lucanis has a painful moment where Rook tells him "I'm here" and he, with the straightest face ever, responds with "We need to talk about Ilario". And this is not the only time where it feels like there was no response to the flirting, its just the most egregious of them.

So, while I can understand what people mean by the fact that he's awkward, there are better ways to portray this. It's important to remember that this is a video game, which is an interactive media, and on top of that, it's an RPG. The player HAS to feel like what they're doing matters, because if it doesn't, it's easiert to just read a book.

'Not enough romance scenes'

I think this is a criticism that has been misunderstood by many people. Romance scenes do not mean just sex. I'm asexual, the sex scenes are the thing that least matter to me. Like, Fenris only has 1 sex scenes and it's a fade to black where he immediatly dumps Hawke after, so clearly, sex is not what I care about.

What does matter are scenes that establish a connection between the two character.

And while Lucanis has them, and I think they're great (the coffee scene and the almost kiss one are the highlights for me), due to the way these scenes are spread out, it feels like there's something missing.

DA2 also doesn't have a shitton of romance scenes, and considering the fact that Fenris breaks up with Hawke halfway through, its understandable. But the difference is that DA2 is a much shorter game than Veilguard, or, at the very least, Act 2 of DA2 is waaaay more concise than Act 2 of Veilguard, which is where most of the romance is happening.

That means that, even if there aren't that many romance scenes, they are better splayed out, so you don't feel like you're missing stuff. Another thing that I think happens is that you can really dive in and just ask the companion a lot of things.

Take Fenris's Questioning Beliefs quest in Act 2, which is a really important scene for the romance. Much like veilguard, its a scene that doesn't begin as a romance one but if you have been picking the flirting options, it can turn into Fenris and Hawke discussing about being intimate in the future. And in this scene, Fenris confesses to not having been with anyone in long, and doesn't remember if he actually ever has been with anyone.

This can be made so much longer by the fact that Hawke can ask multiple follow up questions from there, and that helps in both creating a connection between the two and also establishing the romance. Even if they don't do anything then, Fenris will say 'another time'.

And this happens in the act 3 version of Questioning Beliefs, which has the culmination of Fenris's and Hawke's romance, where their relationship is rekindled. And I think they do what Veilguard should have done: they let the player adress Fenris leaving Hawke.

One thing that bothered me, and that other people have brought up is that after Lucanis's runs away from the almost kiss, it's never adressed again. And I think if they could have had a moment where Rook and Lucanis talk about this, it could have been great to understand Lucanis and his history with relationships, how he feels internally about what's going on with them, heck maybe even apologize. Just something to feel that that wasn't a random scene, that was something important that happened.

Also, because you can interrogate Fenris so much in those scenes, the feeling that he was yearning for Hawke but all his trauma was stopping him felt more natural/real/explicit. I remember getting to the endgame portion of Veilguard and Lucanis pulling out the 'when i wanted to be with you but was scared' and thinking this is a lovely sentiment but why it hasn't been shown before? Because yes, the almost kiss is a good way to establish this, but if it had been actually delved in, that feeling could have been made more explicit.

I also wanted to add that, while the gift giving in DA2 is nowhere near the mechanic it was in DAO, it still helped with establishing that connection, and it gave even more chances for characters to flirt, and if DATV had used this opportunity, it could have helped a lot, instead of just having the character go "for me? thanks"

'Banter'

I'm gonna adress two issues here at once. The first is Neve.

Out of the gate, hating on Neve just because she flirts with Lucanis and gets with him if you don't romance either of them is weird, and at the very least, sexist.

So, what I want to talk about is that if you're romancing either of them, for some reason, their flirting banters still trigger and that can be uncomfortable. It sure is weird to be romancing a character and have them still flirt with another, because it comes across as 'oh maybe the choice to romance them doesn't change much' which isn't good for an RPG.

DA2 also has a couple that flirts through banter and gets together if Hawke doesn't romance them, and those are Isabela and Fenris. The difference is that, if you romance either of them, those flirty lines of banter do not trigger. At all. So much so I had no idea they got together because I've only romanced Fenris so far in DA2, so i never even knew of these banters until I looked at the wiki.

So, truly, lucanis and neve getting together is fine (i think neve should have been with bellara but that's another story) but these flirting line should not trigger if either of them are being romanced by Rook.

Still on the topic of banter, maybe I was unlucky and didn't get it to trigger often, but I felt as if, even though everyone was living together, the fact that Rook and Lucanis were in a relationship was not really ever addressed by anyone else? Like, I know these banters exist because I've seen them online, but I feel like there were just too little of them?

In comparison, the DA2 characters have a LOT to say about Hawke's choice of partner (and again, I'm focusing on Fenris here). Merrill adresses the romance through banter ('you make sad puppy eyes whenever Hawke looks away'), Varric, Isabela and Anders have specific scenes where they talk to Hawke about Fenris and give their opinions on the two of them together. Heck, in Aveline's quest where she gets with Donnic, she can briefly mention the two of them. And these all of them also have banter in which they adress the romance.

And its this sort of thing that really helps filling in the gaps of the romance scenes but also showing that these characters know what is happening. And the DA2 gang doesn't even live together!

And for Lucanis in specific, if there always was going to be less scenes with him due to how he is a person, having a few scenes where the other companions talk to Rook about it would have helped bridge that gap, in my opnion. Again, considering you can't directly talk to this characters (as in, click on them and start a dialogue), this would have been a nice touch.

And now a very personal complait of mine

'Kisses and the Commit to Romance scene'

While I stated at the very begging that I don't care about sex scenes, that is another story when it comes to kissing scenes, and I'm sorry, but it's WILD to put the ONLY kissing scene in the romance AT THE ENDGAME PORTION OF THE GAME.

Give it or take, kissing is an intimate act and it can be used, in my opinion, to show that a character is comfortable with that sort of physical touch. And for a character like Lucanis, who is just so troubled, maybe one kiss before the grand finale would have been really fucking welcomed. In fact, I know the scene they could have added that - the one in the café after Ilario is taken down.

It could have been a short, sweet kiss, that was just a follow up to the almost kiss scene. Just something to hammer in more that these characters are together.

Because let me tell you, it is not a good sign when people say they thought the game was bugged after the dessert scene.

That scene, while lovely on its own, does a bad job of making it clear that yeah, these characters are dating now, and that's due to the fact that that is not something really said out loud.

I'm rewatching this scene as I type this out and at no point, is it made clear through dialogue that Rook and Lucanis are agreeing to being together. In fact, Lucanis says that what he's doing is not enough, and Rook disagreed with the sentiment and says they're easily bribed. That's it.

Meanwhile, in DA2, not only in act 2, do Fenris and Hawke lowkey make plans about being intimate at a later date, and Fenris explicitly says he wants Hawke, but in act 3, he once again makes it clear that he wants to be with Hawke, and I feel like this only really happens with Lucanis at the endgame portion of the game.

This is all to say that: The Lucanis romance is lacking, and that Bioware has done something like this before and they did a better job then than now.